Deadlock is not best of it's kind. But it's pretty playable. It's an proto-4x turnbased strategy game with huge emphasis on war. There all things that make Deadlock Planetary Conquest one of good or sorta "Not so bad" games. Graphics is nice - small sprites, compacted sites, and "talking heads" of advisors reminiscent those days of dawn of 3d fx era. It's not bad, not bad at all. Sounds and music score is bit eerie. I really like soundscape of cities and wilderness is good. I could use em for some background for my workplace. Gameplay is...well..it lack something. I dunno exacly what - at first glance Deadlock looks good - it have good array of research, nice roster of units and some cool "racical specials" for each of playable race but lack of control in battle, not-so-essential racial "Skills" for some units and some really "awesome but impractical" use of end-game rocket military is kinda small flint in good picture. Also lack of diplomacy or well developed espionage is something that darken picture of "possibly good 4x game" . Espionage is pretty limited, and in diplomacy you can only send messages to opponents or in a friendly note gift em units. No allied victory, no espionage or trade-exchange opportunities composing with kinda uncontrollable combat is making a shot in a knee but Deadlock still stands. Verdict? If you missed game in days of old - try it now. It's pretty simple and good. Sometimes Deadlock show off his nice colors, make some cool moments and make itself enjoyable. I put only 4 stars cause this game really need Multiplayer. AI combatants don't give much of challenge. But due it's age multiplayer been cut sadly from this release.
A 4x Turn-based-grand-strategy from Sid Meier. If you played Civ-series - you should try this game. Some fans joke about Alpha centauri like "It's a sequel of Civ after Scientific victory". Well sort of yes :). It's still look like "Civ" But in more alien-bizzare setting. More "far-from-Earth" mechanics and more discoveries. Try your wits and skills against different factions that nothing-closer to earth-based nations. A complex game with a lot of well placed mechanics, decent AI and longest runs of sessions. A gem, well polished and brought to auditory. Graphics is neat (As for game of end of Millenium) , sound design is decent, and gameplay deep like alien ocean and opened all for player's discovery. One of best games in "CIV"-like family.
At first whole idea of game sounds very cool and unfamiliar - imagine a shooter with several distinct eras , and each ear and age have it's own weapons, enemies and puzzles. Sounds pretty cool, yes? With that thoughts back in 00's i brought this game on disc and ...well...Let's say easy - was disappointment. Sucidal AI companions, bugs, werid architecture and stumbly-fumbly puzzles killed all vibe. It's so hard to admit that cool idea were literally shattered agains wall of bad execution. Daikatana ain't awful. It just ...feel wrong. A game that had potential to became cult classic among such Titans as DooM, Duke 3d, Unreal, Quake1-2-3, just get crushed unde weight of it's own bugs and ambitions. Yet there still so many cool things that awfully or aburpy vanish under bad tags of ugly bugs. Shortly in total all perks and traits of this very rough gem -Each era really have it's own weapons, and they really feel-and-shoot different. Also many guns have alternate fire-mode so double the gun - double your fun. -Enemy design is ain't so bad. Ugly mooks of different eras really feel and look like different creatures not just "mobs get recolored to fit cyberpunkish future". -Awful, really awful companions. There is no excuse for that . -Level design is dreadfully painful but some levels can recall good vibes of first Unreal Series or have some smooch of design from RUNE and Serious Sam. In total - this game were play of risk, play of trial and error and sad to say it fall on error cathegory. Yet i still recommend you to try this quite bugly yet somehow nice artifact of old. After dozens of fan-and-official patches Daikatana have chance to shine in some glory and tell some story.
Undying maybe not a cult-classic like DooM, System Shock, Unreal, Duke Nukem 3D, but it have it's own atmosphere and spirit. An rare mix between horror, adventure, shooter and small bits of RPG (Really small) made a fancy 3d story that could keep you near screen for next few hours. Premise of story is simple as it almost iconic for horror genre - our army-friend in need called fo aid. And task is ain't simple as it look first. The whole setting of game is unique - Begining of 20's century, with flow of mysticsism and good collection of horrors. As for gameplay it's quite fancy shooter with adventure-and-rpg elements such as sort of upgrading magics and having inventory managment of sort. Between shooting monsters and banishing supernatural evil protagonist will search for keys, clues, and solve puzzles in way of "find key here, make a route and open previously closed door" or "snap levers in right order to proceed". With help of trusty weapons and supernatural magical skills we travel across this beautiful and yet cursed lands solving puzzles and eradicating enemies with quite impressive arsenal of magical spells and some fancy weapons. It's ain't biggest arsenal in shooters but quite decent. Sounds, graphics, atmosphere and story is strong parts of this classic, Yet there some "cons" that i want to light up -Small locations-levels - you will see "Loading" screen more than you expect from such game. -Some levels beside having nice architecture is quite...empty. I guess it made for suspence of horror but not work good as it expected. -Many puzzles and key-seekings is all about backtracking, and that quite repetive and also no map. Sometimes player need to make a huge "hook" over road to reach once closed doors with key. So i say some pros too -Gameplay - anything you wanted from horror shooter from days of classics is here with thick atmosphere. -Graphis and SFX - they decent even on modern terms -Arsenal and bestiary - not so big but really can suprise!
A marvelous echo from days when rpg was mean roleplaying a role and doing things in virtual world, not some marker moving. It's an undying classic, made with huge effot and deep lore and story. A game that should be conserved in Time Capsule for future generations. An outstanding soundrack, an excelent story and rpg-flavored deep post-apocalyptic retro-futuristic world stuck in golden age of Atomic power. You can't miss that marble. a true grandson of Wasteland and game that gave line of excelent series.
HoMM 3 isn't just game - it's a living legend of those who follow story of Erathia. One of my ever first turn based fantasy game. Brought it ages ago on physical disk and was thrown in Erathia with all my youngster gamer passion and glory. Just a few pixels and few clicks but whole legend of fantasy lands unravel itself to player in magnificent play-and-see action. All time favorite. I think this game should be put in time capsule so future generations could know what played people of 20 century. a total mustbuy for any turnbased fantasy fan and player.
