I am giving it a single star, despite the fact that this is a good game, especially in its day, due to the fact that there is a bug as early as Mission 3 (Honest Tom - the Horse Race). It seems that for some reason his horse moves with the speed of light and my horse drags himself. I tried nearly 30 times to pass this otherwise easy mission (I vaguely remembered it when playing the game in 2005 when it came out) and it was in vain. Asking for a refund ...
First, I have to admit that I already own the game and did not obtain it here on GOG. My review concerns the game itself and does not cover some technical glitches. Warhammer 40k offers a balanced set of races, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The gameplay has managed to avoid the tedious multiple resource gathering, where you virtually cannot advance through the game (hello, Empire Earth). Instead, there are two resources - Requisition and Power. The building tree is not that complex, despite offering a decent depth and upgrades. However, this game is about fighting. Intense and never-ending shooting. Here, the loss of one unit is not fatal. You command squads of 4 (up to 10) units which can be replenished when sustaining damage and dying. As any other RTS, the key is finding the balance between different units in order to gain advantage. One more thing - the super units of every race are a tremendous sight to view. Extremely powerful, they can be produced on a late phase of the game and their presence is usually decisive for the final rush. The graphics have aged surprisingly well , given the fact that this game is almost 20 years old. The sounds are brutal - you just have to experience the depth of emotions and passion that the voice actors have embedded into the game. Final verdict - The game still rocks, even after so many years. The reason for this is purely objective and has nothing to do with nostalgia etc. I wholeheartedly recommend it to everybody who wants to experience a quality RTS.
Titan Quest is one of the fines examples of how a hack and slash RPG should be made. It offers a simple formula - slay monsters, acquire items to slay bigger monsters to acquire better items ... A formula upon which Diablo 2 was solely based. The comparison between these games is inevitable, so let me share some quick observations: Titan Quest presents a diverse world spanning across the ancient world - Greece, Egypt and the Orient. The drop is outrageously high, you can find literally anything if you are patient enough. There are two skill sets to choose, thus creating a unique combination. A crafting system (absent in Diablo) is present here. The gameplay is highly addictive, if you are into RPGs. It comes with a pretty decent graphics for a game 15 years old. To my view this is a polished, bettered version of Diablo - the game allows you to amend mistakes in the character development, there are no small things that distract you from the action (durability of weapons, stamina, not having to pay for portals, a HUGE storage place are among the most important ones), you can buy some weapons just to check whether they fit into your build without going bankrupt, etc. It seems that Titan Quest developers carefully read all the complaints from Diablo players and devoted themselves to eliminate them here. The result is a highly playable and intuitive game that can really amuse you without keeping you on your toes whether you messed up something (hello, Blizzard). Plus, the idea of mini-bosses scattered around the levels and spawning randomly is really good, since it increases the chances of getting some valuable items. Bottom line - I did not regret a single second of my Titan Quest experience. A solid 5/5.
Back in the day (2004) I actually missed Shadow Ops: Red Mercury. To my view, 2004 was the year of the first-person shooters (Painkiller, Far Cry, Doom 3, Half-Life 2) and quite logically it slipped my attention. 18 years later, I have to say that this is a nice little game. It does offer some old school vibe. The cutscenes are made with the engine of the game, which was actually the rule back then. The story is plain and simple and many times I had the feeling I am actually playing a 90s action movie - right from my childhood. The main protagonist is a stereotypical American soldier, there is also a femme fatale in the form of an Eastern European former girlfriend (presently scientist), and a conspiracy that is entrenched into the very heart of the US Intelligence and threatens the very existence of our world. Hardly novel, but surprisingly entertaining, if you have grown up in the 90s. The action is really fast paced, as there are TONS of enemies to shoot down. The rather linear and scripted gameplay can feel a bit boring after some time, since there is virtually one way to advance through the levels and that is the way that the programmers intended to. However, it didn't bother me that much. On the bright side, the locations are diverse, spanning from the Middle East, through the jungles of Africa and the culmination is on top of the Eiffel Tower. I have to admit, I liked it. There are some simple puzzles to be solved in the course of advancing through the levels. They are by no means challenging and able to tamper with your progress. Final verdict - If you are a fan of plain, simple and fast-paced FPS games, where you don't devote much of yourself to thinking, this is the perfect game for you. It relieves stress and can amuse you, if you give it a chance. However, do not attempt to find a Delta Force clone, since tactics and stealth are at the bare minimum here. I gave it a 5/5 because of nostalgia. The realistic score should be 4/5, or a solid 80/100.
