Well, not much to be said about the now more-than-10-years-old game, which brought much attention to the AC series and is nowadays very overlooked and underrated, if you ask me . Technically, for its time, AC showed quite an impressive values appropriate for AAA titles of that time, graphics are quite good, soundtack's pretty amazing, and it shows a relatively big game map on an environment which is almost never explored on other video games. So I think the "main" points which are specific for AC I without blabbering too much about the obvious stuff, are as follows - Big plus is the historical value of the game, and the environment as I already said, which is rarely explored in video games or in media in general (Third crusade in the 'Holy Land'), and it seems accurate enough and very satisfying for the very least. The story presented in AC I is quite deep and satisfying to my taste, the crosses and dynamic between the past and the present, storywise, were good and added to the experience, although the way the plot was executed is not 100% perfect and it's not as absorbing as it could be, Which unfortunately can be said on the gameplay as well, and this is the main weakness of AC I, which is why it suffers from lack of interest and positive reviews, probably, for an "Open World" game, it's quite repetitive, quite "big" and empty, exploration is not too meaningful or rewarding, and the gameplay mechanics are just getting overused and tiring over time. So , in short I'd say this is still an awesome game for its cinematic and storytelling value, for what it's worth. Through that as an actual GAME it's not at all perfect and not fully entertaining as modern video games and later titled of the series, but then again it's really up to what you're looking for. If you have SOME patience for quality story, this still may be the game for you :)
Wanted to start and try out the entire Splinter Cell series, quite late, I know. Went ahead and tried the first game, and pretty much lowered my expectations as the game was released way back in 2003. 14 years ago! I was very surprised though, in a good way. I'll start by saying the Splinter Cell definitely passes the test of time. It's quite old but still stands as an awesome experience nowadays, and not only for nostalgia lovers. Of course, it shows that it's a game from 2003. But that somehow doesn't prevent it from being fun, from looking pretty neat and running on modern machines without much problem (at least in my experience). Splinter Cell shines with its gameplay, and I'm sure that back then it defined some new rules in the stealth gaming. Despite the AI can be slightly dumb at times, it really felt rather sophisticated to me. Plenty of gadgets to help you sneak your way through without getting bored or too tired by it. Plenty of ways to handle each level and each situation, and you're free to do it brutally or to try and keep most of your enemies alive. It's also pretty realistic and goes into small details for such an old game, which I found pretty impressive (Example - you can usually sneak past your enemies without them noticing, but if you'll step over shards of glass they might make some noise which would make you noticeable!) A pretty strong aspect, served in a nicely looking package as the graphics looks pretty nice for such an old game. They can be a little bleak but that's because of the different places you'll be in (submarine, governmental offices, etc) so those places are very well designed. Music is unfortunately not very special or memorable, BUT definitely fits the game well and creates tension and just the right atmosphere. Only thing that disappointed me was the story, which wasn't bad but wasn't anything special, and I found myself not caring for it very much. Luckily the game itself is totally worth the experience nonetheless.
Dreamfall is drastically different than TLJ. In general, DF has more cinematic feeling. Feels much more like a movie. Its pace is faster. Many aspects, while good, feel inferior regarding TLJ:Characters aren't as appealing, puzzles aren't as original, dialogues aren't as clever, and April Ryan, the loved heroine from TLJ comes back in a rather gloomy version(although that's a part of the STORY and is understandable), in general it felt as if we've lost some of TLJ's depth. Don't get me wrong, these aspects are good in the game, but can be easily overshadowed by TLJ. Now I'll try reviewing DF on its own:Graphics are beautiful! Both Stark and Arcadia looks fantastic. I truly enjoyed exploring the environments in the game. Music of DF is amazing.Very cinematic as I said earlier, although at times it's poorly mixed into the game, it is very well done, the music is felt all the way throughout the game and adds a lot. Story is amazing. Starts weakly, as Zoe looks more dull and shallow than April in TLJ. Give her a chance, though. You'll learn to like her quickly enough. In general, the main characters would develop interestingly, wonderfully presented to you in DF's cinematic ways. And towards the end it all gets really emotional and touchy. Now let's talk about a weaker point of the game: Gameplay.DF It tries to use action sequences which are badly done. Aside from that, there are some inventory puzzles. Not many.What's left besides the aforementioned gameplay aspects? Dialogues. And running around. I simply couldn't ignore that big parts of the game you'll listening to conversations, or backtracking, which is not fun. Nice thing about the gameplay, though, your choices matters sometimes. Check it out. DF has some technical flaws as well, which are minor, and therefore I won't mention them all (chars limit) It's clear that Dreamfall isn't perfect, but whoever plays it should understand that the real thing is the story. The game gave me great joy and excitement.
Definitely a masterpiece which would stay in my heart forever, but unfortunately is not too playable for modern gamers. Plot: the strongest point of the game! Without too much details, you should know that to truly enjoy TLJ you have to appreciate a great story. If you choose to be distracted by other 'flaws' in the game like dated graphics and long conversations, move ahead, you'll not enjoy this one. The game's setting is very well thought and detailed,giving you a wonderful world(s) to explore. The characters are deep and memorable, the writing is amazing voice acting is outstanding. Gameplay: TLJ has a classic point-n'-click interface. The puzzles are interesting, not too ordinary and yet I found most of them quiet logical (except for that rubber ducky puzzle in the beginning!) Graphics: The graphics are generally beautiful, the game uses 3d models which move over 2d backgrounds, and while the models are usually ugly the backgrounds are amazingly beautiful and nice to watch and observe. Still, the game runs in a pretty low resolution and therefore today it doesn't look impressive at all. Sounds and music:TLJ features a beautiful soundtrack. Still, unfortunately, I felt the game lacks music. The game's soundtrack lasts about a hour, and was used in the game only occasionally for short bits. It's nothing critical though, because there are great sound effects which always correspond greatly to your surroundings, so the soundtrack is still done pretty well. Test of Time: Unfortunately, the game is not as approachable as it was on its release. Many modern gamers would stay away from it, as it greatly centers on dialogues and story. TLJ requires a lot of your time, attention and patience. In short, this game is almost perfect, but is unfortunately not for the impatience or seekers of quick-paced action, as this one takes its time. If you only let it, it would tell you one of the most wonderful tales told in the video-gaming world in the last two decades.
I think that whoever gives a negative review to the game tries to review it as a game of its own, and that's not entirely correct, in my opinion. Yes, as a game of it's own, this game is average at best and I'd give it 2 stars, maybe. Its own graphics aren't spectacular, its own soundtrack is kinda dull, the story is a pretty lame save-the-town-from-evil kind of thing. Maybe I've got it all wrong, but I don't think that in any way this game tries to be any good on its own. The idea here is to show the evolution of video games in one product, with great emphasis on the RPG genre. And that it does well, and I don't remember any other game doing that as good as Evoland. I don't remember any developer even trying out this idea, either, which is actually a pretty good and interesting one! I really enjoyed this game, and really enjoyed seeing the old good 2D 2-colors graphics turning gradually into a nicely done 3D HD manymany-colors graphics. It's a short experience, but that's the way it should be, and it costs accordingly. Also, you'll probably enjoy the game more if you're familiar with the old-classic RPG's because this game has many specific references. One thing that annoyed me, to make the game more interesting the developers added achievements. They're pretty cool actually, and added a lot to the game, and I even wanted to complete them all. That's until I realized you don't really have any way to track your progress...UNLESS you own Evoland on Steam. Because Steam has an achievements system. The game itself, doesn't. So, if you're like me, and bought the game on GOG, and wish to track your achievements, you can only do so by manually check the list on Steam, or simply purchasing the game again on Steam. Does it worth it? naaah. It's a shame there's no achievements tracking in the game! All in all, the game is nice for a one-time playthrough. Give it a try if you're familiar with the old time of video gaming.
After making some cool but very short games, Amanita Design makes a full-length game - Machinarium, and brilliantly manages to keep along the game the magic and uniqueness of its products. Machinarium's story is rather short and simple, but in contrary to many adventure games, the focus here isn't really on the story. The graphics and music are simply stunning, characters are adorable, and I found the puzzles mostly entertaining. Some things do ruin the game a bit - the minigame towards the end is a real pain. The game has some minor bugs in the controls and for some reason you may often lose your saved game, and this issue wasn't solved officially as far as I know. And the ending...well, I won't tell much except for saying that there's not much to tell. Nonetheless, the overall experience is amazing, and totally justifies the game's price. Highly recommended!
This game is absolutely fantastic. You should be aware, though - if you're looking for an actual 'game' you could be somewhat disappointed. Putting that aside, To The Moon has a wonderful story to tell you, and it's doing it through well-written dialogues, charming graphics, and both interesting and likable characters. The enchanting music also adds to the magic. I recommend giving it a shot for anyone who's in for a deep story, in a form of an interactive movie, which lasts long enough and is just in the right pace. With all that said, you also have to know that everything here is very simple - the gameplay mechanics, and the graphics are 2d, etc.. While I think that the simplicity adds to the magic, it has to be said that you won't get anything "fancy" like you sometimes see on video-games nowadays. The only reason that I gave this one 4stars, is because the gameplay became a bit tedious at some point- it's very simple and quite easy, but also becomes a bit repetitive during the first part of the game. Perhaps To The Moon could be a better video game if it had some more actual gameplay. You'll mostly look for objects which will make the plot go on. So, yes, this is not really a video game. This is more like a story. Bottom line- if you don't need fancy graphics, stressful gameplay, professional voice-actors and so on in order to enjoy a good and deep story, you should definitely experience this one.
