Ever wondered what it would be like to be a land dolphin? Well grab your drill and get digging with this excellent platform adventure. Structured like a traditional platformer, drill your way through 4 Worlds of platforming jumps, and well crafted levels. The main drilling and traversal mechanics are fantastic, will platform and level design that makes you want to flow through a level without stopping. Plus with Puzzles and combat challenges scattered through out this is a fantastic game and well worth the MSRP. If you are looking for a fun platforming adventure this game has my recommendation.
Saints Row 2 is a brilliant, albeit, buggy game. With a powerful enough PC this won't be as much of a problem, but run this on a... let say... laptop, and you'll be wishing you had better machine. Which is a shame since Saints Row 2 is the best game in the series. Not as serious as Grand Theft Auto, but not as silly as later entries in this series. It's a good mix of spraying poo across corporate America, while mercy killing your OG's. Works well with Mouse and Keyboard, or with a controller. And is the smoothest way of playing this game today. (PS3 is a close second)
(or was that Battlefront II) The game which started off a whole franchise of Star Wars themed shooters. Battlefront 1 on PC is in my view the best Battlefront on PC. Based off of the Xbox port of the game, Battlefront as all the bells an whistles you remembered, but with GOG Galaxy you can actually play the game online. My only complaints is that the flight controls are borked and even in the "remake" it's borked there too.. If you don't have a Xbox 360 or One, and want to experience this game today, it's a great additional to your collection.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is a classic game, and has very little in it for me to complain about. Based on RollerCoaster Tycoon (RCT), RCT 2 is essentially the ultimate expansion to the first game, which is why on the surface the games look identical. But play with it for any length of time and you'll find that many things have changed under the surface. New rides, better AI, more scenery, parks, missions and so so much more. There's even a level editor if you are so inclined. So if you want to build your own theme park, this is the game to get. But if you want to do more, do yourself a favour. Obviously buy this game, but when you do and install it, also install OpenRCT2. As it adds a bunch of modern amenities as well as the ability to load in RCT1 scenarios (if you also have that game).
If you haven't gotten RollerCoaster Tycoon (RCT) 2 yet, then stop reading this and get that first. OK, you got it. Let's continue. RCT2 is a more complete version of this game, with more and better scenarios, more and better rides, and just an overall improvement that going back to RCT isn't even a fair comparison. With that said, this is still a game worth getting, and not just for the scenarios to import into OpenRCT. All the base fundamentals of RCT can be found here. From how you build your ride, to layout the park. While the tools are not as refined, it's still better than any other game I've played. I've also really love the scenarios here, as I found it easier to get started. Overall fantastic game, but you really need to get RCT2 first.
Have you played the 2004 classic Spongebob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom. Then you've already played this game. Based on the Rehydrated remake from 2020, The Cosmic Shake is the sequel game we never got. The story is original and it's style, humor, and characters are based off of the modern Spongebob, a series I haven't seen in years. While the voice cast is all from the show this time, the years have taken it's toll and you can hear it in their performances. They are good, but jumping 20 years into the future, and you can tell Spongebob's lost a bit of his pep. That said, the gameplay is fantastic, and mixes well with the story. It's a more linear adventure, though it does have some replayability with hidden collectables and what not. That said the story is the focus in this game and it show. Sponegbob is the only playable character, and while you are join with Patrick, he's more of a Navi than a Player 2. Overall it's a good game, perfect for kids, and a must play if you've enjoyed Battle for Bikini Bottom.
When I was pitched Terra Nil, I was promised a reverse SimCity, where you reclaim the cities back to nature. I was imagining Sim Park style game, with a mix of Zoo Tycoon. But instead what I got was a fun puzzle game, of trying to optimize the space given to see all the check list animals and habitats. This is a game I'd recommend a strategy guide for, as the requirements are obtuse and hard to understand. That said, it's an extremely fun game, with unique scenarios, a wonderful soundtrack, and a fun puzzle game. I do wish there was more (or an endless mode), but what is here is nice.
Lil' Guardsman, is a beautiful, hysterical, and brilliant narrative adventure game. At it's heart it's a puzzle game, where based on the in game clues and tools, you can deduce whether you should allow someone into the city or not. But with an interwoven plot with conflicts, politics, singing arsonist, and time travel, it's one I won't be forgetting any time soon. My only complaint is that the game has very little replay value, after you beat it for the first time (or after shown it to your friends). It's sadly just the nature of this genera of game. So while I would love to replay it, I'm going to need to give it another year or so. Guess I could replay Papers Please in the meantime.
I didn't know what I was getting into with this game, and the art style was captivating enough. However I sadly lost interest only after a few seconds into playing. The plot was thread bare, the animations reminded me of an old GBA game, where you stare at nice looking character portraits during dialogue, and as the main events/tutorial was playing out I just lost interest. I don't know who these guys are, why I am here, and why I should get invested in what is happening. With that said, the gameplay of what little I did play, was fine enough. Controls are responsive, and the mechanics are easy enough that the tutorial wasn't hand holdy. See the gameplay for yourself, before choosing to buy it. There is something here, it's just not for me.
Yooka Laylee is trying to be like the Nintendo 64 Classic Banjo Kazooie and in every way it achieved that goal. For the good and the bad. Where it succeeds is in the presentation and gameplay. From the start of the game to the end it looks sounds and play like a dream. The visuals, sound, and music are the biggest standouts and are fantastic. Gameplay is exactly what you might think it could be and the same with the controls. There are some improvements to the classic formula like a proper free moving camera and the removal of live, which makes the game easier to play than its predecessors. However there are some glaring flaws, which were present even in the older games. The Story itself is easily forgettable and there is no real goal or direction in each stage making it difficult to know where to go or what to look for when you start a stage. A problem which was fixed in games like Spyro 2, & Sly Cooper. The dialog is forgettable however their voices are not, since they are annoying and repetitive, which was also fixed in Conkers Bad Furday. And when the Camera control is taken away from the player it is sometimes position poorly. Many of my complaints are present in Banjo Kazooie and do not affect the way the game plays or feels since it is only a small portion of the overall experience. If you liked classic Rare Games like Banjo Kazooie you will love this game. It is pitch perfect and follows its every step, even into some mud. But despite that its still extreamily fun and enjoyable.
