For the duration of its 12 hours, I was completely drawn into "The Banner Saga". I didn't expect this to happen during the first 20 minutes or so, and I still find it hard to explain why it gripped me this much. The artwork is utterly gorgeous, but there is almost no animation at all and little variation. The combat is pretty hard, tactical and engaging, but can also be somewhat repetitive and there are certainly games with deeper combat. The management of the trek and character customisation too aren't that deep. The many choices you have to make are well designed and interesting, but for the most part do not feel like they have a wide-ranging impact. But "The Banner Saga" is more than the sum of its parts. The writing, together with the evocative artwork and the truly unbelievably stunning soundtrack create a living world with sympathetic and interesting characters in a broad and well-crafted story. These things infuse the game with so much meaning and character that its (small) shortcomings were completely forgotten while playing the game. "The Banner Saga" is a masterpiece of atmosphere and I cannot wait to play the next part of the story.
This is one of the best indiegames I ever played, and I played a lot. Perhaps the greatest strength of the game is its 'tactile' look and aesthetics; they are absolutely stunning even after hours of play. The atmosphere is dark, foreboding and quite creepy. The story itself is enigmatic and fairly original with a surprisingly satisfying ending. Gameplay and mechanics too are excellent. The cloning and swapping mechanic is pretty mindbending (and distrubing too), and personally I felt the difficulty was just right. I found most puzzles quite challenging, and a few ones extremely so. Despite this, I very rarely felt frustrated. The game really motivates you even if you get stuck. The only real downside is its length – it's over after a few hours. But it's just such a brilliant experience (both in terms of gameplay and atmosphere) that it's entirely worth it. I'm pretty sure you won't forget this game.
True: The game is pretty short, movement is often restricted, the puzzles are not challenging and many features of the original Amnesia have been removed. It is also not nearly as horrifying as the first one. I never had to stop playing because I just could not open the next door. So if you were hoping for more of the same, then you will probably be a bit disappointed. I was. However, there are a few redeeming features: The art style, the setting and the story are much more inspired than in the first Amnesia, which was a bit derivative. "A Machine for Pigs" is sometimes just outlandishly bizarre where the original was a bit ordinary. The writing is very atmospheric and evocative. I haven't yet been able to make up my mind concerning the story itself. It's all very enigmatic, and honestly, after reading every diary I could find, I'm still not certain I got it. But it still is interesting and engaging. Also, some people claim that it is "dumbed-down" or "casual". It is quite clear that the game was streamlined to increase the focus on the setting and the storytelling. If it worked or if this is a good idead is another question, but it is not "dumbed-down". The challenge is to piece together the story. All in all, I recommend this game for fans of the weird and macabre. It's not really Amnesia 2, it's not really survival horror, but it's still a very interesting and extremely creepy, twisted experience.
If someone woukd ask me: "What's the best film/novel/music album ever?", I'd say: "Are you insane? I could barely manage to tell you my personal favourite film/novel/etc., let alone which one is 'The Best'. It's a ridiculous question". However, if someone would ask me: "What's the best game ever?", I'd answer "Planescape: Torment" without hesitation. It's not that I think the competition is weak. "Torment" is simply so phenomenally brilliant that it's hard to imagine a better game. I study literature, and if I'm honest, I think "Torment" is more awe-inspiring than many of the great works of world literature. Speaking of literature: some complain that "Torment" is 'just' a story, endless text without a real game behind it. It's true that the fighting, one of the pillars of RPGs, is far less important than the dialogue of the game. However, I want to point out two things. First, the fighting is by no means uninteresting. It's complex and challenging, it's just not the focus of the game. Second, the dialogue is a game in and of itself. There are so many choices that the game might become overwhelming if it wasn't so extremely intriguing. Some dialogues feel like riddles to solve, which is something I have never experienced in a game before or since; it's not just klicking through text, it's an intellectual challenge. The world and the story are just as deep as the dialogue. The philosophical framework of the game frequently borrows from actual schools of thought (such as Plato or Buddhism) and combines them in exciting and fresh ways. It's not pretentious. It's a piece of art and will make you think about life and the world we live in. This is not mere entertainment (although it's extremely fun). "Torment" changed the way I look at art and life, and if I'd believe in an afterlife and could take one object with me, there's a chance it would be "Planescape: Torment". It's a game fit for the gods themselves.
I have never heard of King of Dragon Pass before it was released on GoG, and I have no idea why. It's probably one of the best games I've ever played, a masterpiece of immersion and atmosphere. It's complex, but it's complexity is unlike many other games where you are forced to learn by heart dozens of numbers or stats. It's an organic kind of complexity. It's mainly based on randomised events, but it never feels random. The lack of artificiality forces you to make decisions the outcome of which are difficult to predict, like they would be in real life. To succeed, you have to try to think like the chief of a clan in a mythical past and to forget the way you play other strategy games based on the illusion of total control. One reviewer here claimed that you have no real control in this game, but this is not true. Just because it's hard to predict the outcome of your actions, it does not mean that they do not matter. It is true that people on heroquests may die even if the correct decisions are made. This is not random, however, but the result of many factors. For example: Did you sacrifice to the right gods before your journey? Have there been bad or good omens? Is your quester too old? Too weak to fight? Does s/he have the right main god for this particular quest? Does s/he have enough magical knowledge? I also have to mention the game's music and art, which are outstanding and create a kind of atmosphere that is rarely seen in games. If you find it refreshing to relinquish the godlike and artificial control most strategy games give the player then buy this game. There are many gods in this game, but you are not one of them.
