The game opens with a soft and soulful art style, and a premise that feels familiar (post-ruination last-vestiges of humanity vs a force of uncaring consumption). The story soon opens up to some very signature and stylized elements, with the specific magic system and perils of the world, and some intriguing characters. The tutorial will lead you through basic controls, building mechanics, and unit/combat management-- which will also feel very familiar to players of Age of Empires and other RTS, TD, and Management Sim games. The elements of building, management, style, and quality of life features (such as pause-time and save-states) are all brought together in a satisfying way. For myself, Cataclismo has scratched the itch of a few games that I have enjoyed playing, and that I’ve also wished could be somehow combined (AoE2, Besieged, Plants vs Zombies, and even some of the thematic styles of Ashen). Combat can be as intense or laid-back as you prefer, based on the difficulty settings, and the aforementioned pause-time and save-state mechanics. My personal preference is to do as much building and planning during pause-time, and execute orders once I’m feeling satisfied with everything. I’m still able to enjoy the results of a strategic approach, but keep the stress dialed-back by taking my time. I highly recommend, especially for players who enjoy RTS and Management games, but desire an opportunity to dig into some real micro strategy at your own pace.
I own this on Steam, and cannot recommend it, based on the standard retail price. The four DLC characters do not add any unique abilities outside of what base-game characters already provide. Only one of the four DLC pairs of pants provides a unique advantage (that being the prospector pants, which increase stud coins gained from destroying objects. This effect can stack with other coin multipliers, offering some moderate advantage.) All in all, only 1 out of 8 unlocks in this DLC actually provides a benefit, and the added characters don't bring much to the table thematically, when compared to the rest of the game's cast (unless very average-looking cowpokes are enough to enthuse you), so the price is not warranted... something like $0.50 to $1.00 would feel more appropriate.
Big Heart Productions and Klabater have really put something special together here. Revenue from the game supports Valley Childrens Hospital, and the game stands up on its own, as a competent platformer that bleeds with charm. At the start of the game, during the tutorial and initial hub world, George the Giraffe may feel a little floaty, but you're quickly able to get used to the character's specific physics-- which, by the way, are very impressive for any indie effort: George can double-jump, dive, edge-climb, wall-run, wall-jump, use vehicles, and roll around -all with seamless motion that feels very smooth and agile. for content: there is drop-in and out co-op, a not-too-long (but very free-form) campaign, and an arcade mode-- combined with great art, fun character and level designs, and a family-friendly story, everything here ties together an engaging yet relaxed experience. my only regret is that i didn't get this game sooner. around the game's release, i hesitated to get the game, after reading some negative reviews, and then forgot about the game for a long while. i can say with total confidence that any negative reviews are unfair, and miss the fact that this is a fun and charming game, created for a good cause. i highly recommend!
The game itself has some cool action and design, but that is all overshadowed by the co-op restrictions. - The game actually has built-in IP-connect, but the game checks for a unique login token, and if the game was launched from the executable instead of the Galaxy launcher- all connection options are blocked in the menus. this is a preventative measure that the studio went out of their way to include (again, many games with built in IP-connect can be played over offline LAN); so the game is BY NO MEANS DRM FREE. - if you cannot play the game in its intended form, with all features included- you do not OWN the game. some element of this studio (developer, publisher, or someone else) does not believe you deserve to own the game outright, and that you should be required to sign-in to play.
From start to finish, Alien Isolation is tonally perfect, as an homage to the original movies. All of the environments, sounds, and cultural themes build a convincing and immersive window into Ridley Scott's universe. The game is directly connected to the films, and does not interfere with any canon, so (in my mind) can be considered rich and vital lore. At many times, the gameplay can feel oppressive, or even seemingly impossible... but if you push through, use some survival instincts, and really keep your eyes on the prize- you will walk away from the game with a sense of accomplishment, and if you are a fan of the universe- you will also walk away with a lot of new inspiration and insight into the setting. Be aware: Alien Isolation is a stealth-first game. there will be weapons, and encounters that seem solvable by combat, but there are very rare situations where you are on the offensive. for 97% of the game, you will be on the defensive; using primarily stealth, secondarily tools and traps, and tertiarily directly defensive weapons. You will have little opportunity to defeat your enemies-- you must prioritize survival, and pursue your objectives with intense focus. ENJOY!
This game has a lot of excellent features: crafting, harvesting, combat, minigames... all stuff that I want in a co-op game. The only issue there, is that co-op play is restricted to a Galaxy client login. I am not a fan of games that do not support offline multiplayer, through either couch co-op or LAN play. Requiring a digital signature to play online is literally DRM, so it is misleading to call this DRM-free. The game itself has a lot of fun features, and is even decent in single-player if that's what you're looking for, but in my book- DRM restricted co-op is bad-faith action. Perhaps this will be fixed at some point, but at this time, I cannot recommend spending money on a game with DRM-locked features. My endorsement is automatically raised to 5stars if this issue gets addressed.
Feeling blessed to have this title officially DRM-free! LEGO Lord of the Rings is one of my all time favourite comfort-titles -- it's a kid-friendly adaptation of the Peter Jackson films, fun for the whole family, and the post-campaign world exploration is a real treat for fans of Middle Earth. You won't regret it, especially at a steep price markdown, based on the age of the game.
I like the idea of this game a lot- a survival crafting game with fun combat, and an emphasis on resource management. For me, however, it does not work as a single player game, which would be fine... if it supported LAN play. In classically disappointing fashion, this game requires GOG Galaxy Login to play with friends, and is therefore not DRM free. If they decide to fix this, that would be fantastic, and my recommendation would shoot up to five stars... but games that cannot be played when a server/service is down, should never cost money. Bummer. I guess we'll have to see where it goes from here
Flying Wild Hog has been building a reputation for themselves recently, with the modern Shadow Warrior titles, and now Evil West- that reputation includes some key characteristics: a bit corny, a bit janky, but a TON OF FUN. Evil West is not a triple-A budget title, but the design shows me a team that is made of people who are themselves avid gamers, and not just marketeers trying to make a clone of whatever is currently popular. The gameplay flow reminds me of some of my favorite action classics: God of War, the Batman Arkham series, Ratchet and Clank, and even the LEGO games, from time to time. The sequences are primarily scripted, but in the BEST way possible, not in a way that feels like youre in the passenger seat. The level spaces are designed with lively encounters, and secret collectibles. The protagonist has an extremely varied and creative arsenal of abliities, all packaged in beautifully rendered models, textures, and animations. Dont come into the game looking for something perfect or groundbreaking. The game has its little moments of loading hitches, or enemies getting smushed through a wall-- but nothing more than any classic game of the same style. But I'm not here for perfection, or badly optimized "photo-realism"... I'm here for FUN, and Evil West delivers on fun. It's been a while since I've seen a game that rings this true to the classic action game formula, and really delivers on it. I hope Flying Wild Hog continues their recent trend. Excellent work, folks!
everything the game advertizes, is definitely there. The graphics are beautiful, stylized, and cheeky. The music is fresh, and the associated tap-on-beat system feels very tight. i personally like how the simple, yet snappy, rhythm system is overlayed and emphasized by colorful popping visuals (it makes me feel like i'm better at the game than i really am ;D) there are a couple of community feature-requests which could definitely stand to be addressed: gamepad input customization, and an 'endless mode' (a fairly common feature in rhythm games). with the obvious positives that Rhythm Sprout already brings to the table, and with any of the bigger draw-backs removed; i believe this game would undeniably stand out in the genre. whether or not these topics are addressed, the game is already a great experience, and should not be overlooked simply because "it could be better" 8.5/10 a fantastic vibe
