Tomb Raider (2013) is an open-world action game where you explore the origin story of one of gaming's most famous heroines, Lara Croft. Unlike the older TR games which are linear and more puzzle-based, this one focuses more on action and exploring an open-world, set in the cursed island of Yamatai where Lara and her crew are shipwrecked and cannot leave. Gameplay-wise its fun, with a tense story, third-person combat, and platforming scenes. You can also level up your skills and weapons as well as changing Lara's costumes. But what most people have complaints about, is the fact that Lara doesn't do much tomb raiding herself. Most of the puzzles are actually set in the optional tombs, and they only reward XP instead of artifacts like you would expect. They are rarely located in tombs and usually are just scattered about. The departure of style from previous titles like I stated near the beginning is also another reason why people prefer the older ones. It's more like Uncharted they say. However, since this was my first TR game, I actually kinda prefer this style. Honestly my complaint regarding comparison to older titles is only that those games have varied levels exploring the world with colorful ruins, but here we're just stuck in 1 location and the game could use more color. One of the major differences between the GOG and Steam version is that they removed the dead multiplayer as well as its achievements, making the game story-only. But for me these are broken and a little less than half of them won't unlock. Still, that shouldn't discourage you from playing this masterpiece of a title, and of course its sequels!
Metal Gear Solid is the first 3D title of the game franchise by Hideo Kojima, a third-person stealth played from a top-down perspective. You play as bio-engineered soldier Solid Snake, on a mission to stop his former FOXHOUND teammates from launching a nuke. Most of the game are made to be played stealthily, you go from room to room trying not to be seen while completing the objectives. Occasionally, there are boss fights in which you must fight them. In my experience, other than some forced encounters you don't really need to use your weapons. I played MGSV first (which is actually a prequel), and honestly I prefer this game. It has a smaller, but more interesting and tense story as well as many memorable characters. The boss fights are pretty fun, with many of them requiring different techniques to beat. There are a lot of cutscenes and dialogue since it focuses more on story rather than gameplay, but it's a good thing since it explains the world. I especially enjoy the monologues of the bosses before and after their defeat. Most Metal Gear titles don't have PC ports until very recently, and this version is one that had been released long ago. And it's a good port, completely playable only with mouse and keyboard. The default key bindings are kinda messy though, but you can freely change it as you wish. Other than that, I have no complaints about this game, except maybe the lack of mid-cutscene pause (they can be long!) and you can only save at the start of an area, saving anywhere within will load you back to the start. But the areas are small and easy, this isn't really a problem. Other than the main game, you can launch an additional executable to access the VR missions. These are challenge levels designed to test your skill in stealth and combat, but there are some others like puzzle levels and ones where you can play as Gray Fox. If you're getting into the Metal Gear Solid series, there's no reason to play this great port of the classic game!
Painkiller: Overdose is a spinoff to the first Painkiller game, taking place after the ending but as a different character. You play as Belial, a half-demon, half-angel imprisoned by Lucifer but now free to take revenge. Gameplay and graphics are almost the same, you use weapons with more or less similar functions and some new ones (with demonic aesthetic) to defeat the legions of Hell while optionally collecting Tarot Cards by fulfilling certain conditions. I said the levels are better, for starters there are no difficulty-locked levels! And maybe it's just me, but the levels feel more unique here, with more better-designed colorful ones and less boring contemporary ones. What stood out for me were a fantasy forest, a movie studio, and an alien base. But the story is very simple, and while Painkiller doesn't have much in the first place, here the cutscenes are just storybook images with Belial narrating. No dialogue with other characters, nothing. And it's very straightforward But for me the biggest problem with this game is the difficulty. It just feels so unbalanced. Some levels are easy, while some others are nearly unbeatable with bullet sponge enemies that deal high damage quickly. I had to turn on god mode several times. Another is slow loading times, but can easily be fixed by making an empty folder named "maps" in the "Painkiller: Overdose/Data" folder. Overall, I think Overdose is still a worthy successor of the Painkiller games, unlike the disliked following titles. If you enjoyed the first one you would surely enjoy this game as well, since it kinda has its own unique style.
Amnesia: The Bunker is the latest entry in Frictional's horror series, and it's handled quite differently. In other titles (and most horror walking sims) you travel in a linear path, encountering horrors along the way. But here, the game is not linear. It all takes place inside the titular bunker, where you, a French WW1 soldier, woke up trapped alone with a monster. It has inaccessible areas at first, but as you progress, collecting necessary items and all that, the areas open and you can freely revisit them any time. You can only save at certain points, when there's a lantern and only manually. If you happen to die, you'd be back to your lantern-save. Very early Resident Evil-like. And about it being imsim-inspired, it's because you can do multiple solutions to progress. You can stack items to climb over an obstacle, or dragging an explosive barrel nearby and shooting it for example. Keep in mind though that loud noises like that will attract the monster, which as you expect, cannot be killed. You can attack it to make it run away though. Inventory management is also a thing here, try to keep bringing the important tools and not too many weapons. And lastly, there's no need to manage sanity. Stay in the dark as much as you want. Length-wise it's shorter than previous Amnesia titles (except maybe A Machine for Pigs) and can be finished in 3-5 hours. And while the level design and otherworldly aspect aren't as good or as deeply explored like in Rebirth, it's still a pretty fun game. Definitely worth a try if you're into the franchise or games of its kind.
Painkiller is a first-person shooter where you play as a man named Daniel, who along with his wife, met an untimely end. Dedicated to get her back, he struck a deal with the angel Samael to become Heaven's hitman, killing Lucifer, his generals, and their legion of demons. The version sold here is the Black Edition, which contains the expansion Battle out of Hell, taking place directly after the main game's default ending. Gameplay-wise, it's more akin to the "one-man army" games such as Doom and Shadow Warrior, where you mostly are alone, have hundreds of enemies to slay, and a huge selection of weapons, but minimal story. There aren't any dialogue or cutscene outside the beginning and end of the chapters. If you're looking for a story-heavy shooter like FEAR as I did, you won't find it here, just one killing room after another. Even though it's not what I expect, it has a unique way of making the game not boring. Being set in the afterlife, this game utilizes that fact to give this game a very large variety in levels and enemies. Almost each map looks different and has different enemies from one another, each with their own unique abilities. And for the maps, there are maps set in an asylum, a war-torn city, a castle, military base, etc. I never really find the gameplay repetitive and boring because of this. To make the game more fun, I recommend you hunt for the Tarot Cards which buffs Daniel. To acquire them you must complete the level in a certain condition (find secrets, use only 1 type of weapon, etc). These require gold to equip or change so keep an eye out. You may need to replay some levels in BooH though as your gold count resets. Overall, I think Painkiller is a pretty great game if you like shooters with lots of weapons, and did a great job at making it not boring by adding variety. Honestly, maybe a little more story won't hurt, but then again it's just my expectation.
Trüberbrook is a point-and-click adventure game, where you play as German-American quantum physicist Hans Tannhauser who won a trip to the quaint village of Trüberbrook and meets the quirky inhabitants. It's one of those "mystery in a small town" type of story, which personally I love. It takes inspiration from Twin Peaks, but the mystery is more sci-fi and less supernatural. I was expecting it'll be a bit darker, but seeing this game is a comedy it doesn't go that way. It's still very enjoyable though! One thing I really like about this game is the scenery. Instead of using computer-animated backgrounds, in here they're made by hand, like one you would see in miniatures. This gave the game a unique look, reminiscent of animated stop-motion movies such as Coraline. And the voice acting is pretty unique as well, instead of using English VAs for English gameplay, other than Hans every one of them retains their German VAs, who apparently are pretty well-known. If you're familiar with German cinema or music you might recognize some of them. The only downside of this game for me is its length. It's very short, and can be finished under 5 hours. But its understandable since creating the handmade backgrounds could be very difficult, I just wish they utilized the areas more. I got this game for free luckily, but if you're a fan of small town mysteries and point-and-click adventure games, it's worth the time and money. The puzzles aren't that difficult as well, it won't make you frustrated!
Deus Ex is one of the early immersive sims, and well-known to be one of its best. You play as an augmented anti-terrorism agent JC Denton, who along with his agency, tried to stop a terrorist attack, but discovers a conspiracy that complicates things. Are the "terrorists" right after all? Is his agency actually working for the bad guys? Either way, JC must follow this mystery to its end. He is assisted by his friends, both inside and outside the agency, as well as his augmentations, which makes him more than the average human. Like most imsim and RPGs, you'll have multiple ways to complete objectives. Do you wanna help other characters? Go the direct path swarming with enemies, or choose a less direct, but quieter route? Each route has its own pluses and minuses, but overall exploration is encouraged, you should look around before deciding what to do. Going lethal/nonlethal doesn't really have an impact on the story other than some dialogue changes early in the game, but I do find going nonlethal more satisfying. If you come after playing the newer, prequel Deus Ex games, the gameplay might feel a bit outdated, but story-wise its just as fun as those games. It's basically a continuation of the story as well, and the behind-the-scenes villain takes a more active role here. If you like those games, imsims, or cyberpunk-themed games, be sure to give this old but gold title a try.
Thief 2: The Metal Age runs on the same engine as Thief Gold, so the graphics and gameplay is almost identical, with minor improvements, like the quality and variation of character models. Unlike the first game, the supernatural elements of the story is noticeably turned down, focusing more on urban stealth and the advancement of mechanical creations, with less monsters and more human enemies. The levels are also easier to navigate, they are less maze-like and the map now highlights which area of the level you are in. During my first run, I prefer T2 over T1, but now my opinion has changed. Despite having some really great missions like Life of the Party, some of the levels just feel kinda monotonous, and having fantasy elements actually attributes more to the unique atmosphere the series has. Now it just feels more normal and grounded. Yes it's more true to the thief title, robbing nobles, but Garrett is more than that, he's kind of a prophesied hero. Now the bad. Some levels just felt rushed or poorly designed. There's a mansion where we visit twice in a row, and in the first one you cannot get seen or KO enemies. The final level is the worst, scavenger hunt in a bland, brightly-lit area with many mechanical enemies, a very different change in tone and quality from most levels. But aside from that, it's still a really good stealth classic, and stealth gamers definitely shouldn't miss this title.
Styx: Shards of Darkness is the sequel to Styx: Master of Shadows, and improves a lot upon its predecessor. Other than the obviously better graphics, stealth is also much easier to do. Enemies crowd around less and are less perceptive. There are more alternate paths you can use to sneak around as well. It feels more like a proper, well-made stealth game than before. The side characters are also more developed as well, we spend more time with them and they have different personalities. The level variation is one of the most noticeable improvements. While most of the first game takes place in a generic fantasy-styled castle or town, there's variation here such as a shantytown and a cliffside fortress. It still suffers from the same problem as the first game, where some of the levels are just reusing previous ones with different objectives, but this time objectives in the revisited areas are different, making us explore parts of the map usually unexplored or inaccessible during the first visit. My main issue with this gameplay is the lack of map. While it's no big deal since the maps are useless in the first game and there are quest markers, it would be useful when you're doing a collectible hunt. I was expecting more of a modern map which tracks your location, but then again its not really necessary as the maps aren't really mazelike. Styx: Shards of Darkness is a great stealth game, and although it's not an immersive sim like Dishonored or Thief, it's still a decent game. If you played the first one and wondering if you should buy the sequel, buy it, as it's a lot better than the first and a bit longer as well, with improved stealth that made it fun.
Undying is a horror shooter made by Clive Barker, a director and visual artist best known for the Hellraiser movies. In this title, you play as Patrick Galloway, a paranormal investigator coming to help Jeremiah Covenant, his friend from the war, after all his siblings died and paranormal things happen. You will fight otherworldly creatures both in and around the mansion, as well as alternate dimensions. Gameplay is similar to BioShock, you have weapons and supernatural powers, and have wheels from where you can switch them. But sadly, time doesn't slow down during the switching process so it might be a bit chaotic trying to switch during fights. The enemies are surprisingly quite varied, following the theme of the chapter of the sibling you're investigating. Boss fights are pretty cool, too. If you're a fan of horror shooters, Undying is definitely a title you shouldn't miss. I haven't delved deep into Clive Barker's creations so I probably had no idea this title existed, but now that I do, you can be sure I'll enjoy more of them.
