It’s rather unbelievable that this game has a demo, since this game seems like a demo! It’s potentially an interesting concept, marred by lack of substance and quickly devolves into repetition. Small story, about 6-7 hours of gameplay. Not much replayability. I got it for free on a giveaway, and while it was an interesting diversion for a moment, it doesn’t make me want to play the full version. Oh wait, that’s right, this IS the full version!
When a game has a bunch of 1-star reviews, followed by a bunch of 4-5 star reviews which each suspiciously contained similar grammatical errors…. Yeah. Initial reviews complain about hit detection and inability to manipulate objects in a sensible manner, nonsensical puzzle solutions, and the apparent need to rely on glitches of the game’s engine to solve some puzzles due to these issues. They do boast about the graphics, but also, complain about the complete lack of story or villain or anything to keep you motivated other than solving the next glitchy puzzle. The fact that there appears to be review manipulation tells you a lot about the game & team behind it.
Topside exploration works similar to other RTS's of this fantasy genre. Gather resources, build a compound, defend it while wiping out the enemy's base. Dungeon exploration gets more RPG. Rogues search for traps, unlock chests, etc. As fun as the combo is, it doesn't do either great. But if you're a fan of D&D, there is still lots to offer.
Sequel to Fantasy Wars. Pretty much exactly the same gameplay-wise: Turn-based grid tactical RPG. Various units for various functions, different races have their own versions as well as unique units. This sequel is plagued with poor translation choices, which makes deciphering the just-okay story even less exciting. Much more than the first game, getting through the scenarios felt like a chore and the story progression payoff less rewarding. That said, it's not an awful game by any means. It does (eventually) give a proper conclusion to the story. If you really enjoyed the first game, it's worth buying.
It's definitely got the "indie" feel. But that doesn't mean it's an eyesore! Turned-based grid RPG/tactical game. Various units for various things. Multiple races with their own versions of units, and with unique units. Story is interesting! Politics, twists and turns. The three campaigns share the narrative of one larger overall story. Can be a challenge! Graphics are decent for this sort of game (old-school polygonal). Music score gives it an epic Middle Ages feel. I loved this game, bought the sequel. The sequel is honestly a less-polished "more of the same" although there is a decent continuation and eventually conclusion to the story (once you get used to the quirky translations).
Glitchy - graphics distort, and occasionally the mouse pointer won't give you the "observe/talk" choice. The solution is to quit the game (sometimes close the program entirely) and start from the last save point. Slightly annoying, but fortunately, the game saves after every dialogue and major interaction. There are three types of puzzles: Problem solving, Conversation, and Clues Problem solving puzzles are of the variety found in "escape room" games. Object manipulation, discover secret hatch to reveal a numeric code that will open another hatch, etc. Conversation puzzles consist of dialogue choices, and give you "Ego Points" (which serve no real purpose game-wise) for properly roleplaying Poirot. If you're not familiar with the character or source material, no worries! There are no "wrong" choices, and the game will play out the same. Clues you learn through exploration and conversations can be used by Poirot to answer questions relevant to the case. The first phase of the game gives the impression that these are open questions and can be solved at your leisure; soon after, you will not get them, except in forced segments when the questions are posed and must be answered to continue. Although I found this to be the most interesting part of the game, there are many times when the clues aren't quite clear in relation to the question, and it becomes trial and error. Plot is fine - after all, it does take heavily (but with some differences) from a bestselling book! Get it on sale, if the three types of puzzles described sound interesting to you.
To get this game to work, I needed to put this file: dinput8.dll ...in the game folder. I did a G-search and found it. (Watch out for programs claiming to install it for you! It's a LIE!) Puzzle Agent 2 is an anthology of mind-bender puzzles with a wrap-around story involving a government agent revisiting a small town and investigating a coverup conspiracy. The puzzles themselves are the sort you'll find in "escape room" type of cell phone & tablet games. You can get clues to help you solve them. Using clues and getting wrong answers costs the taxpayers money but don't appear to affect the storyline. One thing I noticed more of in this game than in the first is that the solutions given to the puzzles (after you finish one, you can get a synopsis of the logic) typically aren't the way I solved them. In fact, some of the reasoning it uses cannot even be deduced until the puzzle is solved. You'll know it when you see it. It was fun to see the story (sort of) resolve, but overall, the first game was a better experience. A really fun series, I hope they make more!
To get this game to work, I needed to put this file: dinput8.dll ...in the game folder. I did a G-search and found it. (Watch out for programs claiming to install it for you! It's a LIE!) Puzzle Agent is an anthology of mind-bender puzzles with an "X-Files"-esque wrap-around story involving a government agent investigating a small-town incident and a local legend. The puzzles themselves are the sort you'll find in "escape room" type of cell phone & tablet games. You can get clues to help you solve them. Using clues and getting wrong answers costs the taxpayers money but don't appear to affect the storyline.
I played this game twice and rage quit. Then I tried it again and loved it! I grew up playing a C64 game called, "Jimmy the Self-Made Man" about a retail shop owner. Later, I played Dragon Warrior 4 on NES, and the most fun part of the game was playing Taloon's shop chapter. There aren't too many retail-based games and that's a shame, so I was excited when I saw this one! The main "problems" with this game is the meta-humor (lots of Pokemon/Angry Bird era pop culture references that I was not familiar with) and unclear mechanics. Supposedly, you are supposed to pay attention to what the buyers want and craft weapons accordingly, but I found it simpler just to spread my shop workers around, making more average weapons, and selling what I had to the highest bidders. The second "world" is killer and *spoiler* I advise waiting until you have $100k saved up, move to the next area, do all upgrades, and hire better shop workers as soon as the opportunity comes up! After that, everything practically pays for itself. Many reviewers complain about the "going through the motions" feel to the game, but you know what? That's the reality of retail.
