This War of Mine has a very simple but unique premise: Experience the effects of war from the civilian point of view, where having to constantly scavenging for supplies or even killing your former neighbors to get them is a reality. Gameplay consists of a lot of clicking on things and watching them happen, with a lot of decision making, resource and survivor management with some surprisingly tense and effective stealth mechanics. Stealth happens during the night where you have to scavenge, steal (or in some cases kill for...) supplies. The game is randomised everytime you play as well, which is frustrating as it has the same problem as most roguelikes where you either have a good run, or a REALLY bad one. However where the game shines is in it's setting and overall execution In this case the game excels in it's main priority, it is very immersive as the random survivors you receive through each play-through have their own attributes, skills, and most importantly: Personality. These are all important as you have you manage your survivors mood, hunger, sleep and overall health a bit like The Sims. You even grow attached to these survivors as they each have their own backstories and reasons to make it through the war that you just can't help but sympathise with them, and this makes it all the more painful if they die as well as the fact that your other survivors might even become depressed over their death. Hell, i remember my first chaotic playthrough where i accidentally drove one of my survivors into depression and eventually suicide because i forced him to kill others to gain supplies and he was consumed by the guilt. Upon seeing this i realised that unlike other games, choices really DO have consequences here... So yes This War of Mine, both aesthetically and setting wise, is absolutely worth your time. Is the game hard to the point of frustrating? Sometimes yes. But it's still deep and gripping enough that you'll find yourself coming back anyway.
I have fond memories of playing Sudeki on the original X-Box as a kid and remember it was a very fun time, so when i saw this pop up on GOG i just had to get it out of sheer nostalgia. While it's still a lot of fun, it does have a fair few issues that keep it from being a much greater game Pros: - Fluid and fun Combat System (3rd person Melee fighting and 1st person shooting and spell casting) - Includes 4 playable characters, each with different skills and move sets - Simple yet well done RPG Mechanics - Colorful environments - Solid PC port with enhanced A.I from the X-Box port - Some interesting quests - 40+ Hours of gameplay Cons: -Very poor Story - Laughable voice acting - Dated Graphics - Somewhat Linear level design -Hit or miss sound design With all of this in mind it's very hard to recommend, but i guess you just need to realise just what it is you're expecting from a game like this. If you're looking for a hidden RPG gem with in depth Role playing mechanics and a marvelous story, you're going to be VERY disappointed. However if you're like me and occasionally just want a simple yet unique Action RPG with fantastic and satisfying combat mechanics, good questing and progression with a story you can laugh at kept out of the way, then there really isn't much better on GOG right now then Sudeki. It was mindlessly fun then, and it's just as mindlessly fun now! 7/10 -
