Like so many good games on GoG, Age of Wonders does not run under Windows 10. Thus the -2 stars. Installing a competently developed OS followed by WINE will let this, and most of these broken titles, be played without issue however. As a game, it is a longish turn based strategy game, with a ton of different units to play with, tons of maps built in and a fully featured editor that has been used to make a ton more single player and multi-player capable maps. So replayablity is high. The AI is pretty much missing the I, like many games, and relies on cheats to compensate. Then again, just net control over a size 4 city for orcs or frostlings, and spam dragons. If you are lacking in strategic acumen, it may seem to be unfair. That isn't the fault of the game however. Many battles can be easily cheesed, especially if you have access to over-powered units like Halfling Slingers. Graphics are okay 2D. Nothing particularly exciting nor is it bad. They've held up fine through the years, but this is not a game that was ever a graphical powerhouse. Sound is similar. Most levels vary in quality, but the built in campaign and most single maps are fairly good. All in all, a solid turn based strategy game that holds up okay today. Or would, if not for GoG deciding to no longer sell functioning titles. While it may be the fault of Microsoft for pushing so much malware and viruses into Windows, GoG is obligated to make sure the product they sell is usable. If it can't be made to work, stop selling it. To do otherwise is to scam your customers.
If you are ancient and decrepit like myself, you remember the days of the NES and Mighty and Immortal Commodore 64 dominating the gaming landscape. The games were simple, easy to learn, yet difficult to master. Alwa's Awakening sits right in the midst of that style gameplay. Leaning on such classics as Legacy of the Wizard, Metroid, and Castlevania, AL has some great 8 bit style graphics and music, coupled with solid controls and a dose of that simple, easy to learn gameplay that marked the best of the 8 bit era of gaming. It's more of a late-08's/early 90's NES Metroidvania style (and there's even a limited edition NES port being made), hitting that peak 8 bit goodness. You play as Zoe, a young woman summoned to the land of Alwa to break Hulk Hoga- er save the land from evil. To do this, you run, jump, and slap the snot out of enemies with your big stick. Along the way, you gain new powers for your staff, which help you to solve the mild puzzles you'll face and reach new areas. It's a fun throwback to a simpler time, and Alwa's Legacy proves that you don't need top notch 3D graphics and thousands of things going on to make a great game. It's well worth the purchase price, and unlike a increasingly large chunk of GOG titles; it actually works! No crashes, no spending hours trying to find a support thread that will get you to playing, just install and play. I didn't even have to set up my Logitech F310; it defaulted settings perfectly. Just for that, I suggest supporting the dev.
No longer is playable. GOG used to be a place to get good old games, and know that they would run. Not anymore. The best I can do is get this to crash on starting a new game. It took the Greyface patch to get that far, without it it just won't load at all. This is why I pretty much have stopped buying games from GoG. When it's a roll of the dice as to whether even a brand new 2021 game will be playable or not, it's a sign that they no longer bother with even the most basic levels of effort outside of simply taking money. May as well buy the old disc versions instead, and not bother with GOG ever again.
There is absolutely no reason in any age, much less 2021, to release a game that literally cannot be played because it crashes on start. At this time in my life, I will not support developers like Owlcat who are too lazy to do even rudimentary QA; there's too many games in my backlog for that, and too little time in the day. Stop releasing games that never worked.
Project warlock on it's surface is a mashup of Catacombs 3D (and it's sequels and reiterations like Curse of the Catacombs) and Heretic, with a touch of Doom thrown in for good measure. An array of both medieval and somewhat modern weapons, with a simple upgrade system thrown in for good measure, gives some variety. It looks good, definitely going for a retro-style vibe with the 2D sprite enemies and objects and simple bitmapped textures that wouldn't look out of place on a game made for the old reliable 386. Music is also okay, but repetitive. The maps are definitely a throwback, with lots of wandering through identical corridors and a poor automap that's basically useless annoying you. Controls are loose and slippery, with the player sliding through like every level is an ice level. Enemy hit boxes are large though, so don't expect to have too much challenge. Especially with the weapons. The Axe, as another review noted, is so overpowered that it's the only weapon you need. But even running around stabbing things with the dagger is easy enough. The crossbow is likewise brokenly powerful, limited only by ammo, which you can recover after firing anyway. If it wasn't for respawns coming up behind you and just huge numbers of enemies, there'd be no challenge at all. A major gripe is the lack of a save feature. I get that there's a stereotype of the basement dwelling gamer, but in real life, we got stuff to do. Lack of an accessible save system is a massive design error, made by morons. Likewise using the archaic lives system. Automaps have been standard since the days of DOOM. Another major flaw. No decent OS version, another star off. Stop supporting child sex trafficking and make a Linux version. Finally, I can run AAA games without issue; a throwback with 2D graphics should not have slowdown and performance issues. In short, if you like Catacombs 3D or Heretic, it's worth buying during a sale.
I bought this a long time ago during a sale, and just got around to trying to install it. So I have a backlog, it goes back to my C64, sue me. Unfortunately, it's defective. Black screen, then locks up and requires killing it in task manager. Completely unacceptable for a paid game. Avoid Spiderweb Software games I guess. If I'd only tested it when I bought it, I could get a refund. At least I got it on a sale. Definitely not buying Avadon 3, or the millionth remake of the old Exile/Avernum series.
First off, the original Secret Agent was a fun, if clunky platformer with mild puzzle elements. It's a old favorite that I go back to here and there just because it's simple fun. The remake preserves all of the charm and fun of the original, yet manages to do what many remasters don't; improve the original. The clunkyish controls of the DOS original are replaced with a much smoother and more responsive setup, with controller support that makes it a breeze to play. The graphics remain largely the same, yet there's constant little touches that make me laugh, or just make it look ever so slightly better, with what feels like a faster frame rate. The music added is catchy and enjoyable. Difficulty modes have been added, with an easy and a hard mode on top of the original experience. Finally, there's achievements, which I don't really care about, but are always welcome additions to any game. The best additions are the new fourth campaign, extending the playtime out, and a level editor, which the original sorely deserved. All in all, a very good remaster of a solid game, and worth the $8 or so.
Right now the game is in an unplayable state. My fault for mistakenly buying an in dev game, but it should not be on a store page when it crashes on starting a new game. Only the launcher works.
Looks good, up until I try to actually start a game. Crashes every time I enter a name in when starting the game. Save your money and don't bother.
Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius isn't normally my style of game. Anime girls aren't particularly titillating to me, and giant mechas made absolutely no sense in any setting, much less wandering through space. Still, the core of what could be a decent strategy game is here. Unfortunately, it's hampered by a number of poor choices in design and poor writing. First, every single attack, by both your fleet and the enemy, is accompanied by a static animation for firing, then the shot landing/missing. This seriously impedes the flow of battle, making each one a chore to get through. The 5,000th exploding PACT Cruiser is not very interesting to look at. Combat is poorly balanced, with a weak AI compensated by throwing huge numbers of broken ships at the player. You're not helped by one of your pilots managing to miss 100% of the time, even when she's at point blank range. It's also incredibly linear, with few choices outside of dialog which has only superficial impact. There's no random battles or exploration, just a scarce few side missions to gather cash for incredibly weak upgrades to your ship and ryders (mechs). The story is a weak, generic Lone Hero vs Evil Empire, with the scarce npcs (mostly your pilots, all of whom are female) being cardboard cutouts with little depth and no development. It's just there to justify you having a harem on board your warship. Despite the limited animations (most everything is predrawn scenes with anime sprites overlaying them), the game runs sluggishly. Mechanically, it's simpler than many single disk Commodre 64 games. However, it is free. You get what you pay for I suppose, but if the goal was to convince me to buy the other Sunrider games, this failed. More focus on making the combats smooth and enjoyable, and it might make the story worth ignoring for the sake of that. Otherwise, stick to FTL.
