Rune is a game which nails the sense of wonder and exploration. If you go in to it expecting it to be more 'Indiana Jones' than 'Rambo' you'll have a lot of fun. There are a few questionable design choices but the good outweighs the bad in this case. Just don't expect to be slaughtering legions of enemies for the whole game and you'll have a blast.
Crusader: No Remorse is a spectacular game in the literal sense of the word. As you hose down a room with your PG-22 assault rifle computers will explode, crates will become punctured and, of course, everyone in the room will be turned to mince meat. If you enjoy action games you will find something to like, or love, in No Remorse. For those who wish to have a more tactical experience I would recommend playing on the higher difficulties. They are such that you will have to carefully think about how to clear each room and take the least amount of damage. Here's a bonus tip for you - if you drop a gun (CTRL + D) then pick it up again the magazine will magically be refilled :) All in all, this is a 90s action classic that you don't need nostalgia-goggles to enjoy. If you've never played it before today it the perfect day to change that.
If you're a die-hard fan of 90s shooters then you should play Corridor 7. It's not a good game by any stretch of the imagination but it's competent enough that it's enjoyable at times. It's not like Operation Bodycount which I would call basically unplayable but unless you're a real fan of retro shooters or have some nostalgia attached I wouldn't bother
Refer to other reviews to see the merits of the game. This review is looking at playabilty and fun from a series newcomer point of view. I never played the Wing Commander games in the 90s though I am well aware of the series reputation. It was because of this reputation that I tried to get into the series with both Wing Commander 1 and Wing Commander 2. Neither of the games clicked for me. They were confusing and clunky. After reading CGW's glowing review (April 1995 issue, I think?) of WC3 I decided to give a shot. Setting up my Xbox controller only took a few minutes and was hassle-free. Check the forum sticky for info on how to do this. The story and atmosphere of the game really sucked me and after I learnt the controls the gameplay did too. As someone with zero nostalgia for this title I can say that looked at objectively in 2021 it still holds up tremendously and I would recommend it for any action fans. I don't play flight-sims, dogfighting games or space-sims but I'm really, really enjoying WC3. This is an easy buy even when not on sale, 5/5.
I booted up DF Xtreme not really expecting much. What I got was a fairly competent shooter that feels like a lightweight OFP. The missions often involve using vehicles to get around and making coordinated attacks with AI squad mates. There's a decent amount of spectacle for what I expected to be a more simulation focused game. You get scenarios like jumping a dirt bike over an enemy technical or parachuting in and blowing everyone away from your parachute. It's not a groundbreaking game but if you're after a fun, light 2000s shooter I'd recommend playing Delta Force Xtreme. I'd also recommend it as a good start point to the series.
This isn't really a review (Nox is awesome, you should buy it) but rather a heads up that OpenNox exists. It's a source port that will allow the game to run flawlessly in Windows 10 and is a must-have for anyone picking up the game. Search OpenNox on DDG and you'll find it easily :)
Jill of the Jungle is a quintessential DOS action platformer. Each episode has different level themes, enemies, player sprites and sounds. All this keeps the game relatively fresh all the way up until your rescue the Prince and live happily ever after. At $0 this game is a must play. Jill of the Jungle alone is worth creating a GOG account for - a total classic.
