I have played all 4 Thief games and this one was pretty good overall. I see where some of the complaints come from, but I feel they are unwarranted. I actually enjoyed this one over Thief 3. Many say this game is very linear, but I didn't feel that way at all. The 8 actual "levels" do feel more straightforward, BUT the game is centered around this HUGE city. You enter random places to collect loot, do odd jobs, and you have a home base. The graphics are top notch compared to the other 3, but that is a given with the Unreal Engine 3. I would compare this game to the last 3 Tomb Raider games in style, but more clunky with the execution. As for the actual gameplay, I felt this was more in the style of 1 and 2. You can sneak around, knock guards out, put out flames, shoot everyone, etc. I did feel the story was decent, but lacked the creativity of the first two. You are encouraged to play under 1 of 3 styles - Ghost, Opportunist, or Predator. Each level or job gives you some objectives to earn extra money at the end. You can play doing all 3 styles in one level, but the majority one is what matters. You don't earn the other bonuses even if you completed everything. The main downside I found with this game is that you have to go specific routes to reach places, and it can be very time consuming. I also played the entire game without combat, extinguishing a flame with water arrows (core of the first 3 games), or running out of supplies. You can turn off candles with a wave of your hand now. They introduce a skillset called Focus that gives you extra abilities (think the survival instinct of latest Tomb Raider games). I found it sort of useful, but not really needed and added extra fluff. Overall, I played about 50 hours with this game and enjoyed it for the most part. It ran just fine on a Windows 11 system with the most updated tech no problem. If you are a fan of the first 3, then try this one. Just know it is a bit different - good or bad.
I remember playing Codename: Iceman back when it came out in 1990, but I do not remember this game being as frustrating as it is today. It was created by the same guy/team that did the Police Quest series. You have to follow every procedure and protocol more to the tee than even the PQ series. The story lacks any real meaning behind it other an you are a special agent sent to rescue a goverment official. This game was created at the time when we still had the U.S.S.R. (the Soviet Union fell apart shortly before the game came out). I felt like the commands and text descriptions in Iceman were very basic and worse than the very first Sierra game. Sometimes you would tell the game to look at some object or person and it would give the generic "You see nothing", or worse it would do another command entirely (like talking to someone instead of looking). The submarine sequences are some of the most time sensitive and mind boggling I've ever played in a Sierra game. Sometimes luck came into play whether you hit or missed with torpedos. There is less direction in this game than any other Sierra adventure. I had to use a walkthrough to remember what to do at times. I will point out that there is a nasty bug in this GOG version. When you are viewing the approaching warship with the captain above the sub (picture is shown on this page in the screenshots), the game ends as you are killed by that warship really fast due to a timing "bug". This game was created back when CPUs were really slow, so the computer time is of course sped up due to todays fast tech. I was able to fix it by replacing SCUMMVM with a newer version. The one GOG includes is 2.0.0, but the 2.6.1 version (latest at time of review) worked fine and must have patched that bug. Overall, Iceman was a good gaming experience. If you are a fan of Sierra games, then you will probably like this one. But, make sure the kids are not around when you start swearing at it during the last half of the game.
I got Diablo when it first came out way back in the mid-90s. I remember asking what DirectX was back then as this was the first game I bought that required it. This GOG version is pretty much the same 90s version with the Hellfire addon included that was made by Sierra. You can play either the original version on its own or with the addon. Hellfire really only adds 8 levels with a semi-boss at the end (who is rather weak compared to Diablo). You play as a warrior, rogue, sorcerer, or monk (Hellfire class addon). Honestly, the monk is redundant to the other 3 and not worth the time. This is a great way to get into RPG games without all the D&D excess of parties and what not. What makes Diablo different back in its time (and somewhat today) is that each level is completely random in the layout. You cannot really follow a walkthrough except for the big quests that take place throughout the game. There are basically 4 levels for each "section" of the original game - Cathedral, Crypts, Caves, and Hell. Hellfire adds The Hive and The Crypt sections. 24 levels in all. If you play on Normal difficulty throughout killing everything, you can level up to 27 with each character. You can then return to play again on a higher setting to get even higher levels. One thing I found in this game was the Storage Area you have at Gillian's place lets you store anything and is accessible between characters! I beat the game first with the warrior, and all his stored items/money were accessible by the other characters at the very beginning. The only cons I have: - This game wears out your mouse like something else with all that clicking. :) - Diablo himself is a PITA unless you have collected specific items/spells throughout the game for each class that allows you to hit him fast enough in the end. -Story is vanilla RPG Overall, Diablo still fells like a great/simple game today. I recommend the DevilutionX patch to add current resolutions and widescreen aspect ratio.
I remember playing this game way back when it first came out in the 90s. It was a pain then, and still a pain now. The first game, The Colonel's Bequest, was a classic that had a great atmosphere. I found that game entertaining, but the lack of involvement with solving the murders seemed like you were watching a game of Clue more than solving crime. This game remedies that, but causes some other issues along the way. The graphics have been upgraded and replaces the text phaser with an icon set that you select to perform certain actions (like KQ5 and QFG3). In grand Sierra adventure fashion, you have some illogical choices to solve a puzzle or die. Like one way to die is if you don't look both ways before crossing the street, which means click on both ends of the street before clicking to cross. I remember being stuck at the museum in Act 2 because I could not figure out how to move the story forward. It was because you need to click on a specific dagger in the gift shop to see it was real instead of fake, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack. Another issue is that you need to get back story on everything by asking question using your notebook. This requires clicking the ask button on someone, selecting approriate topic, click on that topic, then do it all over again with your notebook reset back to page 1 (ahhhh!). I also didn't appreciate the "chase" in Act 5. You need to do certain things in a specific order (and hope you collected the correct items along the way). People also magically jump from place to place (like you overhear a person one place and they again appear right after somewhere else). The finale you get to select who killed whom and why, but I still don't understand a few of the conclusions based on everything found in the game. Overall, I enjoyed this game for the most part. It has some 90s game issues, but otherwise it worked as intended. Bug to note: Save/Load icon is grayed out half the game for no reason. Save often!
I remember getting The Colonel's Bequest way back in the 90s for my Amiga. It was another Sierra "Quest" game to come out and was developed by Roberta Williams herself, who did the King's Quest series. This game has the same familiar feel of the original 3 KQ games (including graphics). There are a few things though that make this game different. Events happen at certain times or within theatrical acts with the game advancing time when you discover something (like a dead body or an interesting event). This game though seems to punish you for doing some normal things and can be irritating at times. You can play an hour or two after missing something before the game punishes you and ends the game. The Colonel's Bequest is suppose to have an atmosphere like a murder mystery play. It is a good mystery game with you walking around and giving commands in a text box The irritating thing I found with this game is that it has you as more of a passive observer than an actual player that effects anything like in other Sierra games. Also, I did not care for missing certain clues because I accidentally stumbled upon an event that moved time forward. Make sure to save often! At the end of the game, you are give a list of things that should have been discovered so you can make note and play the game again. You are given clues to who is killing whom, but never really solve each murder or see any actually happen. There are two endings, but you are never given an explanation through the game as to which one you should choose at the end (one is the "correct" ending and the other is a "false" one). Overall, I would recommend if you played other old school Sierra games and enjoyed them. If you never have played those games, you might find this one frustrating to say the least. Once you finish TCB, I highly recommend The Dagger of Amon Ra as your next adventure. It is the sequel to this game.
King's Quest is the pinnacle of 80s/90s adventure gaming. While these 3 games were made in the early to mid 90s, they still carried the same feel and great story of the original 3 games. You play as a member of the royal family depending on the game. All 3 ran fine on my 2021 system using Windows 11. Here are my thoughts on each game: KQ4: You play as Princess Rosella. The overall story is similar to Wizard of Oz, but many other fantasy stories are woven into the game. This game also introduced different elements to a screen depending on if it was day or night. This was the first KQ game to have the parser interface that pops up and pauses while you type an action (the first 3 did not pause the game). VGA graphics with less blocky characters made a great improvement. KQ5: You play as King Graham for the 3rd time. I found the owl companion to be really annoying and distracting to the story, so he was a big minus. This game added voice over if you wished to make it active (I never did because the owl voice is annoying too). This game has a few of the most annoying sequences though in the desert and ocean events. You just have to do trial and error (or use a walkthrough) to find a specific place in each one. The story ties loosely to KQ3 and was descent overall. KQ6: Considered the best of the series. You play as Prince Alexander for a second time. This game has an Aladdin feel to it and introduced different paths you could take to solve and complete the game (unheard of in adventure games in the mid-90s). Good sound track and voice over was also included. Depending on what you did throughout the game, the ending would be different as well. I remember the numerous floppy disks I had to keep swapping over and over again when switching areas. Overall, I would highly recommend these 3 to include with the original 3. They are more in depth and feature a richer storyline. Classic 90s gaming at its best.
I remember when the first game came out called Hero's Quest (before Milton Bradley forced them to change the name). Being a huge Sierra/Quest fan at the time, I immediately had have the game. It is what you would call a mix of King's Quest with some RPG elements thrown in (RPG lite). With 3 different characters to choose from - Fighter, Magic User, and Thief, you got a difference experience. I've always come back to this series every few years and just finished the entire thing from start to end (again). It plays great on my machine that was built in 2021 and using Windows 11. Highly recommend! Here are thoughts on each game: Quest for Glory 1 EGA version: Pretty much an English/Robin Hood vibe. I find the start of this game to be the hardest since you are a newby character that is very weak. Magic User to me has the weakest change in story. Thief has the fun "bad" elements that make it entertaining. EGA is the way to go to get the best original experience. Quest for Glory 2: This came out at the same time as Disney's Aladdin, so it fit in perfectly with the times. This one is more linear due to timing of certain events, but I liked the story the best overall. It introduces the series best villain. You can become a Paladin at the end, which adds the 4th class. Game looks just like the EGA version of QG1. Quest for Glory 3: Nice Africa setting with improved VGA graphics. Replaced the parser interface with a clickable option tree. Found the overall villain to be a bland one. QG1 VGA uses the same frame/system as this game. Quest for Glory 4: Transylvania vibes and best atmosphere overall. Buggiest game I ever saw in the 90s. Hate the fighting system, so just let the computer-assist do most of the work. Quest for Glory 5: Game was made after fans berated the company to complete the series. Great job overall, but feels different than the rest. They made this game-world huge, wrapped up some previous storylines, and graphics were improved.
I played this for the first time this year after beating the first 3 games. It is a step up in some regards and down in others. The main issue I found with this game was that the story is really split between the two main characters (and they are played separately). You don't switch between the two like Alone 2, which would have made this game and story flow better. You play one side (Ed Carnby) and then the other (Aline Cedrac). The story is really not complete until you play both. There is actually no ending for Carnby's part (the game just ends). Aline has the full FMV ending along with filling in the story blanks from playing as Ed first. I see that they wanted to give you two games to play technically, but it doesn't work the way intended. Combat is a better improvement in general, but still some issues. You get an autolock with various weapons at your disposal. The problem is that sometimes they didn't seem to work, your shots do nothing sometimes when they normally work on the same creatures, or enemies seem to spawn over and over very close to your character. This game introduces "Save" charms as a way to save your game. For the PC, this is pretty stupid. It is a platform conversion that should have been removed. You only get 5 save spots, which you can use over and over. There are not a lack of charms though (I ended each character's game with over 60 left). Once you figure out how to deal with each enemy, ammo and save charms are plentiful. For newer systems, you may have issues that can be fixed with some searching online. The best one is an Alone.exe conversion from the Spanish/English Demo that improves graphics. number of saves, and FMV sequences. The problem is the game prevents you from continuing half way though asking for CD 3. I had to convert back to the old Alone.exe to fix it. I recommend just playing GOG's version as is. Overall, I highly recommend if you played the original trilogy. It has its quirks though.
I remember when the first Along in the Dark came out. It was a "hi-tech" marvel at the time. 3D graphic adventure that let you interact/fight with the world around the character. The first game is still great, the second is good, and the third is ok. All 3 installed, ran, and finished without any issues on a newly built PC using Windows 11. Highly recommend! Alone 1 - You can select one of two characters to play at the beginning, but Edward Carnby ended up being the protagonist throughout the remaining games. It is a creepy haunted house game where you have to search rooms, evade/fight zombies, and solve puzzles. The game starts you off at a slow pace to get used to the controls. The controls (keyboard only) take some getting used to, but all 3 games pretty much use the same mapped keys. There are only two issues I had with this game and they apply across all 3 games. The forced camera angles are neat but annoying after awhile. There can be things approaching you or happening off screen that you cannot see depending on where the character is stationed in relation to the camera. Also, the fight system is hit or miss (pun intended). If an enemy hits you, it seems almost instant death as the controls will not allow you to do anything once hit allowing follow up hits by the enemy. Always save! Enemies approaching are always precluded by a specific music playing, so listen for it. Alone 2 - This one is pretty much a clone of the first one with a few changes. You now have human/ghost enemies that say "Hey you!" in their John Wayne / Dirty Harry voice instead of music when they approach (same for #3). A slight change is that you split time between Ed Carnby and Grace Saunders (the girl you are trying to save). Grace is rather annoying to play as her "run" (skipping) is slow. Still it was interesting story overall. Alone 3 - Ok, but it lacked any detailed story like the first 2 had developed. Puzzles were solved with random objects and combos as well.
This is the 3rd game in the Crystal Dynamix trilogy of Tomb Raider. It is very similar to the other two - Legend and Anniversary. Controls and everything. Many people have issues with controlling the camera with a mouse in this trilogy, but I found it better than the original series camera that moved wherever it wanted. The main problem with camera control is how Laura reacts based on its position (original series moved her based on the actual character position). Many times doing a climbing or puzzle sequence where she hangs on stuff, grapples, or swings, Laura goes in a direction you do not want her to go. Another thing to consider is that saving your game works differently on the PC since they made this for consoles as well. There are Checkpoints that the game saves every time you reach a new area so it can reload automatically if you die. If you save your game manually, you actually load at the last Checkpoint instead of exactly where you left off. Overall, this is a pretty fun game if you played the other two and know what to expect. It wraps up the story nicely and looks great even today. *The main issue I had with this game was that I could not get past the first level cutscene where Zip is shooting at Lara. It would always freeze at the white screen afterwards that shows the opening credits. Ends up that AMD/ATI video cards have a few more issues crashing this game (the nVidia logo at the start should tell you why). I hate when games were made to run "better" on a specific video card brand. If you run into stuttering/crashing parts in this game, do the following: ------FIX IT------ Go in your registry. (Execute command : "regedit") Go to this location : HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Crystal Dynamics\Tomb Raider: Underworld\Graphics There are 2 interesting values there : "DontDeferShaderCreation" and "DisableDynamicTextures". Change their values to "0".
