IMO Alice is a classic case of a game that gets better further on. The later levels just seem better designed and more creative.
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ITT: We play Steam games *WE NEVER INSTALLED BEFORE* for ~15-30 mins; review them
- Thread starter Jinfash
- Start date
IMO Alice is a classic case of a game that gets better further on. The later levels just seem better designed and more creative.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
An indie physics based 2D platformer with shooting... what an unusual combination!
It looks okay, although I'm not a huge fan of the art style personally (and everyone looks like a dwarf) and it has a nice wordless comic book style intro.
You have a bunch of guns to collect, a grappling hook, a jetpack, and a physics 'shunt' ability.
There's lots of enemies to shoot the shit out of with your weapons, physics objects to pick up and throw / shoot at things and actual levels (rather than this being a metroidvania) to go through with secret areas (which are fairly obvious and involve jumping into walls around them until you find the invisible holes).
It's a fairly solid B-tier kind of game; I'm not super enthused by it, but I don't hate it and I've certainly played worse. If you like physics based platformers and / or shooting the shit out of things you'll probably enjoy it
EDIT: Actually, it apparently supports local Co-op, so I'm going to bump it up a bit... lets call it a 3.5/5 or something.
I'll try and do a couple of these in the weekend if I can tear myself away from The Witcher ( and after I finish it, if I can tear myself away from Legend of Grimrock). I just looked at sAPI. "510 games have not been played yet".
I think I have a problem.
Scourge of Armagon gets a pass in my book for implementing brush rotation.
I think I have a problem.
Scourge of Armagon gets a pass in my book for implementing brush rotation.
Did you write impressions about Grimrock somewhere in the Grimrock thread? Could you link me?
benjipwns
Banned
After you exhaust the single player (in another hour or so) I would recommend taking it online if you can find games. It's quite fun, more than I thought it would be online, especially with the text to voice chat.
I am a complete whore for Tower Defense though.
Oh, no, I'm just planning to start it after I'm done with Witcher, and expecting it to grab me in a big way, that's all.
One thing that this reminds me of is the annual IFComp (Interactive Fiction Competition). That has a ruling that a judge must make a ruling after two hours of play - the intent being to promote works of that 'snack-sized' length - although they can score earlier if it seems appropriate.
The Blackwell Legacy
An adventure game that came highly recommended, but never managed to check out. Its the first part of a four part series and.. the first 17 minutes have me completely hooked. The basic premise is that you are inquiring about the life of your aunt, while finding out secrets about yourself that make you questioning your own mental saneness. I absolutely love the visual style and subtle animations, and the conversations are all rather exhaustive and fully voiced. Due to that I don't imagine the game will be that long, but I am looking forward to uncover all the secrets. The game also gives the player choices in the dialogues that make it seem like you are directly responsible for the main characters mental state by giving you the choice of using "paranoid" or "expected" answers, directly injecting the characters concerns into the players mind without speaking them out. Nifty.
One thing that bugs me, is that the resolution seems to be locked to 640*480. I would like to double the size of the screen if possible and play it windowed instead of being locked to a 640*480 screen with huge black bars around the game. Will need to check whether I can find something to do about that.
I am positively surprised about this, and will definitely play this rather sooner than later despite the technical flaws, because it managed to hook my interest in a super short time.
5/5
An adventure game that came highly recommended, but never managed to check out. Its the first part of a four part series and.. the first 17 minutes have me completely hooked. The basic premise is that you are inquiring about the life of your aunt, while finding out secrets about yourself that make you questioning your own mental saneness. I absolutely love the visual style and subtle animations, and the conversations are all rather exhaustive and fully voiced. Due to that I don't imagine the game will be that long, but I am looking forward to uncover all the secrets. The game also gives the player choices in the dialogues that make it seem like you are directly responsible for the main characters mental state by giving you the choice of using "paranoid" or "expected" answers, directly injecting the characters concerns into the players mind without speaking them out. Nifty.
One thing that bugs me, is that the resolution seems to be locked to 640*480. I would like to double the size of the screen if possible and play it windowed instead of being locked to a 640*480 screen with huge black bars around the game. Will need to check whether I can find something to do about that.
I am positively surprised about this, and will definitely play this rather sooner than later despite the technical flaws, because it managed to hook my interest in a super short time.
5/5
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
Game: Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
Time played: 29 minutes
This is the second game in the Brothers in Arms series, the sequel to the original "Road to Hill 30".
Simply put, I like the promise of the gameplay, but I hate the packaging. The strategic elements seem cool, but I have no motivation to find out what happens to some random soldiers and that seems to be the only payoff. Perhaps the encounters become interesting enough to overcome the boring WW2 surrounds, but I'm not going to find out.
Also, It might sound stupid, but I hate the fact that it takes control away from you during in-engine cut scenes. It feels like I'm fighting against the game. I think if the game threw me into combat a lot quicker without all the interruptions I might have stuck with it, but as it is, I won't.
Time played: 29 minutes
This is the second game in the Brothers in Arms series, the sequel to the original "Road to Hill 30".
Simply put, I like the promise of the gameplay, but I hate the packaging. The strategic elements seem cool, but I have no motivation to find out what happens to some random soldiers and that seems to be the only payoff. Perhaps the encounters become interesting enough to overcome the boring WW2 surrounds, but I'm not going to find out.
Also, It might sound stupid, but I hate the fact that it takes control away from you during in-engine cut scenes. It feels like I'm fighting against the game. I think if the game threw me into combat a lot quicker without all the interruptions I might have stuck with it, but as it is, I won't.
OmegaDragon
Member
Game: Alien Breed 2: Assault
Time Played: about one hour
Got this one free during the summer camp sale. So I guess a lot of other people on GAF have it too. Its a top down shooter like Alien Swarm and Shadowgrounds. The intro level I played was rather uninteresting, standard derelict space ship where nothing works with generic aliens all over the place. Youre even a bald space marine.
Gameplay wise its not much better. The camera is too zoomed in and in general Im struggling with the camera. Changing the position of the camera doesnt go fluently and it all doesnt feel very intuitive. The campaign level couldnt hold my interest. I also tried survival, that was better, lots of enemies, but overall not a game I would revisit.
Rating: 2/5
Will play again: Dont think so, maybe survival with others.
Time Played: about one hour
Got this one free during the summer camp sale. So I guess a lot of other people on GAF have it too. Its a top down shooter like Alien Swarm and Shadowgrounds. The intro level I played was rather uninteresting, standard derelict space ship where nothing works with generic aliens all over the place. Youre even a bald space marine.
Gameplay wise its not much better. The camera is too zoomed in and in general Im struggling with the camera. Changing the position of the camera doesnt go fluently and it all doesnt feel very intuitive. The campaign level couldnt hold my interest. I also tried survival, that was better, lots of enemies, but overall not a game I would revisit.
Rating: 2/5
Will play again: Dont think so, maybe survival with others.
Breath of Death VII
Time played: ~Half an hour
The other person reviewing it so far said its not as good as the other RPG by the same developer (Call of Cthulu), while I'd say that its a very good game in its own right. Some elements are expectedly simplified, like small towns, a low amount of interaction with NPC's and (so far) simple dungeon designs, while other elements are surprisingly well thought out and integrated. I love the fact that grinding isn't all that tedious since you can call up enemies anytime, you heal HP and some MP after every fight and there is a run button to traverse the areas faster. The level up system is VERY engaging since you pick up one of two distinct upgrades for your character that might include new spells or stat improvements. I adore the humor and overall style, although some character portraits are a bit on the ugly side and I simply love the easy way of getting in and out of action.
Will I keep playing? Most definitely.
4.5/5
Time played: ~Half an hour
The other person reviewing it so far said its not as good as the other RPG by the same developer (Call of Cthulu), while I'd say that its a very good game in its own right. Some elements are expectedly simplified, like small towns, a low amount of interaction with NPC's and (so far) simple dungeon designs, while other elements are surprisingly well thought out and integrated. I love the fact that grinding isn't all that tedious since you can call up enemies anytime, you heal HP and some MP after every fight and there is a run button to traverse the areas faster. The level up system is VERY engaging since you pick up one of two distinct upgrades for your character that might include new spells or stat improvements. I adore the humor and overall style, although some character portraits are a bit on the ugly side and I simply love the easy way of getting in and out of action.
Will I keep playing? Most definitely.
4.5/5
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Wasteland Angel
This is one of the few games I think I have ever played where the title of the game isn't on the splash screen. Weird.
Intro is done in a comic book style, but it's fully voiced and the voice actor seems okay. I like the art style in this a lot more than I liked the same shtick in Capsized though.
The aesthetic is all Fallout / Mad Max / Post-apocalyptic deserts.
It has the same sparse arena based 'kill a wave' gameplay that Dogfighter has (my first game played for this topic), the difference here being is it's a lot more frantic about it so you don't have time to notice.
It's basically a mix between RC Pro Am / Super Sprint / Micro Machines and a twin sticks shooter - I actually enjoyed it a lot. I'll probably play it again.
If you like top down driving, and you like shooting shit, you can't really go wrong with this oen to be honest. 4/5
Also, as a poster mentioned earlier when I was taking suggestions for what to play next; this game fucking loves giving you achievements. 14 achievements in a ~20 minute play session is sort of mental.
This is one of the few games I think I have ever played where the title of the game isn't on the splash screen. Weird.
Intro is done in a comic book style, but it's fully voiced and the voice actor seems okay. I like the art style in this a lot more than I liked the same shtick in Capsized though.
The aesthetic is all Fallout / Mad Max / Post-apocalyptic deserts.
It has the same sparse arena based 'kill a wave' gameplay that Dogfighter has (my first game played for this topic), the difference here being is it's a lot more frantic about it so you don't have time to notice.
It's basically a mix between RC Pro Am / Super Sprint / Micro Machines and a twin sticks shooter - I actually enjoyed it a lot. I'll probably play it again.
If you like top down driving, and you like shooting shit, you can't really go wrong with this oen to be honest. 4/5
Also, as a poster mentioned earlier when I was taking suggestions for what to play next; this game fucking loves giving you achievements. 14 achievements in a ~20 minute play session is sort of mental.
The Dig
Playtime:~ 1 hour
Hmmm, I am digging it. It has a super slow beginning, and the fact that you can't skip conversations when you are finished with reading them doesnt help much either, but the mystery surrounding the story here is genuinely interesting. Unfortunately, I can see someone being put off by the super slow beginning, and since its an older game its also locked to a 640*480 window (although it allows Window mode at least).
Its also fully voiced and graphically well done, although the style of 2D characters on a 3D backdrop in the beginning sure shows its age. Later apparently and thankfully only hand drawn 2D art.
Will I play it again? Currently, I am not as motivated to play it as with the Blackwell Legacy, but I will play this some day.
3/5 for the beginning, probably more later when uncovering the secrets.
Playtime:~ 1 hour
Hmmm, I am digging it. It has a super slow beginning, and the fact that you can't skip conversations when you are finished with reading them doesnt help much either, but the mystery surrounding the story here is genuinely interesting. Unfortunately, I can see someone being put off by the super slow beginning, and since its an older game its also locked to a 640*480 window (although it allows Window mode at least).
Its also fully voiced and graphically well done, although the style of 2D characters on a 3D backdrop in the beginning sure shows its age. Later apparently and thankfully only hand drawn 2D art.
Will I play it again? Currently, I am not as motivated to play it as with the Blackwell Legacy, but I will play this some day.
3/5 for the beginning, probably more later when uncovering the secrets.
toxicgonzo
Taxes?! Isn't this the line for Metallica?
This is a great thread idea. I've got plenty of steam games I bought on a whim but never installed.
I'm looking forward to reading more reviews.
I'm looking forward to reading more reviews.
While I still stand on my position of Really Big Sky's start wasn't all too great, I've placed 2.5 hours into now. There is some stuff here that I do like such as drilling through the planets and gravity pull of the bullets. I'm just a little shy of opening up all the modes the game has to offer, but it seems you can only build stats on your ship in classic which I find a bit of a bummer. I'm not sure if I've seen a good chunk of what's out there due to the random waves, but there is a nice variety so far on bosses.
All and all, I'd give it 3/5. It's not the best shooter out there I think, but it's got enough charm and range to make it a nice trip.
All and all, I'd give it 3/5. It's not the best shooter out there I think, but it's got enough charm and range to make it a nice trip.
That looked not really 2D art to me, same with the intro videos of the shuttle. And I wont give up on it, but Blackwell definitely had more going for it right from the start (for me at least).
Oh yeah, that shuttle. Yeah the rest of the game is all 2D.
Good, that didnt look too nice
Especially in that video before where the graphics looked a little "dirty" where they were trying to use shadow effects.You could still "review" those games. Our reviews are more or less based on the question whether the game makes you want to play more of it. And that is a question you can answer at any given point in a game.
Game - Uplink
Time Played - 30 min
Synopsis - The game is basically a puzzle game where you hack into different computers and either delete/steal data or something along those lines without getting caught. It is similar to the hacking minigame in Deus Ex: Human Revolution except not as fun or colorful. You can buy upgrades to your hacking software and defenses with the money you make from completing missions.
Verdict Overall I would say this game is too repetitive. You can choose different missions but they are all pretty much the same thing with just a different piece of data needing to be stolen or deleted. You gain money to buy better hacking tools but you are still just doing the same thing. I played for 30min and I have no insentive to go back and continue playing.
1.5/5 - I will continue playing and see if things get more exciting/ advanced. I will return.
If you are at all interested in that type of game, keep going. Playing that game for 30 minutes does it absolutely no justice, as they are still teaching you how to play the game.
Yeah, he said he will in a later post. Curious to see whether his opinion changes.
GillianSeed79
Member
The Blackwell Legacy is on my radar thanks to this thread. Sounds like a great game. I'll try to give The Void a try with impressions this weekend if the thread is still active.
I am actually now thinking about either continuing the first Blackwell game or playing the next game for this thread. Its a bit of a waste since I want to play that game now, but my list is long and if I dont keep at it I'll never manage to test/minireview all those games. Very curious how the game unfolds, though. Maybe I'll just use it as my prize for finishing my reviews
Play your other games too, though, since one persons opinion doesnt need to be all that representative
More impressions are never bad.And the thing about Trapped Dead... Still unsure. I started playing it 3-4 weeks ago or something, but it HAS quite a few issues, which become a bit more obvious the further you get into the game.
This should be enough to start with:
Ziro is a borderline great puzzler. Highly recommended.
opticalmace
Member
Awesome thread. I have several games I can try out, will make a post later when I have some time.
It's interesting seeing the impressions people get in 15-30min of gameplay. Sometimes I have a completely different opinion, for instance Recettear (though I played that for many hours..).
It's interesting seeing the impressions people get in 15-30min of gameplay. Sometimes I have a completely different opinion, for instance Recettear (though I played that for many hours..).
Blackwell games are great, I recommend playing through all of them. They build on each other nicely. I'd love to get the fourth game as well, but I can't afford it right now. The only thing that really bothers me about them is that the visual style rather drastically changes from game to game. Different artists? Love the style of the first and third, but the second and fourth not so much.
Of All Trades
Member
There are a couple more 3D effects (gem stuff) and they look kinda dated. I played through it again about a year ago and... IMO it's just not that great of an adventure game. It's not bad, but given the pedigree it should have been better. I remember thinking that when I played it for the first time long ago, and my opinion hasn't changed.
Geneforge 1: time played - 30 minutes
I bought the whole series when it popped up on Steam last xmas, even though a lot of them are really visually outdated. Maybe my intention was to play the most recent, and thus best looking one, who knows, but I've decided to start from the beginning, and I assumed that if I didn't like it I'd just delete it (it was under 50mb). In the half-hour I've played... I gotta say I'm really impressed. The interface, while somewhat crude, still avoids a lot of older RPG pitfalls and comes across as a semi-streamlined Baldur's Gate. Animation is a lot better than I expected, so the fairly garish color scheme isn't quite as painful. Writing is very decent and descriptive (and common), the game does a really good job of easing you into the interface, and by the end of the first area (there's a big world-map that you traverse around via zones, much like BG, and unlike Ultima which is how I thought this would play) I was much more into what I was playing than I expected. I haven't done much of any RPG'ing yet, haven't experienced combat, and haven't interacted with what I understand to be a Pokemon-esque monster generation thing, so it's possible that what I see as a good interface may become cumbersome (the inventory seems a bit underdeveloped), but so far so good.
Will I keep playing: yes.
The roleplaying in this thing is quite remarkable, and I love the monster summoning/fighting system. Glad to hear you'll keep going! Very rewarding game system
bengraven
Member
I am actually now thinking about either continuing the first Blackwell game or playing the next game for this thread. Its a bit of a waste since I want to play that game now, but my list is long and if I dont keep at it I'll never manage to test/minireview all those games. Very curious how the game unfolds, though. Maybe I'll just use it as my prize for finishing my reviews
Play your other games too, though, since one persons opinion doesnt need to be all that representative
And the thing about Trapped Dead... Still unsure. I started playing it 3-4 weeks ago or something, but it HAS quite a few issues, which become a bit more obvious the further you get into the game.
After my Grimrock session I'll be playing Sequence. I kind of owe GAF that one.
Cant wait to check out Grimrock, guess my next game in line for this thread will need to wait a bit >_>
Max Payne
Time Played - 88 minutes
Yeah I've never played Max Payne before, come at me. I wanted to make my way through the first two Max Payne games before the third instalment arrives in June (on PC at least).First things first, I have to admit that this game has held up rather well considering its 10 years old.
Environments are nicely detailed, the textures for the walls and floors look great with AF, character models are a little gritty but not terrible. I did run into some sound issues which were fixed with this patch. Its also worth noting that the games widescreen mode seems to just stretch the image out and I can't find any decent solution to this problem
The story so far has been very engaging with the storytelling being handled by narrated comic strips and in game narration from Max himself when you interact with key objects. It kinda reminds me of Bastion's storytelling style. The combat is fun, I don't think I'll get tried of buletiming my way into a room full of mobsters and mowing them down with dual Berettas.
What I haven't been enjoying so far are things I distinctly dislike about older games, chief of which are the lack of regenerating health and a checkpoint system but I can't hold that against the game seeing as they wouldn't become popular until years after its release.
5/5I'm really enjoying this game so far and I'll definitely finish it.
Game: Critical Mass
Time played: 12 minutes
A match four puzzler with a rubik's cube styled playing field. First thing that struck me is this game belongs on iOS, as it's a bunch of clicking and dragging in small movements and block placement can be pixel hunt precise. Mouse control is not that fun, I felt my hand cramping up after only 10 minutes.
The actual gameplay mechanic is also nothing to write home about. You match four, there's a few different powerups and modes, the presentation is sparse and the new age music is on an 8 bar loop. A couple of times I triggered a satisfying combo, but I didn't feel too compelled to try very hard for them.
Neat concept and not bad for a small team's first attempt, but I've played iOS puzzle games that left a better first impression for $0.99. Doubt I'll play any more of this on PC.
Time played: 12 minutes
A match four puzzler with a rubik's cube styled playing field. First thing that struck me is this game belongs on iOS, as it's a bunch of clicking and dragging in small movements and block placement can be pixel hunt precise. Mouse control is not that fun, I felt my hand cramping up after only 10 minutes.
The actual gameplay mechanic is also nothing to write home about. You match four, there's a few different powerups and modes, the presentation is sparse and the new age music is on an 8 bar loop. A couple of times I triggered a satisfying combo, but I didn't feel too compelled to try very hard for them.
Neat concept and not bad for a small team's first attempt, but I've played iOS puzzle games that left a better first impression for $0.99. Doubt I'll play any more of this on PC.
Fowl Space
Time spent - 18 minutes
Fowl Space came out rather recently but I bought it and instantly forgot about it. Decided now was a good time to give it a go.
The game has a kinda cool art style and a completely mental premise. You're a chicken who is mad at the sun, so you go into space, and discover the sun is really a secret base for space vikings. Naturally, you must defeat them while drinking any cups of coffee you find along the way for health.
Despite the crazy setup, actually playing the thing got really dull really fast. The game is a pretty bog standard run and gun with some light platforming. There were only three enemy types from what I played not counting a boss. The enemies were all cannon fodder material with the challenge mostly stemming from "We put EVEN MORE viking guys here this time!". I got up to partway into stage two, and it played like more of the same with different scenery so I called it quits.
I don't think Im going to go back to this. The game's sense of humor is great, but I feel like the gameplay has already shown me everything it has to offer in the first stage.
Time spent - 18 minutes
Fowl Space came out rather recently but I bought it and instantly forgot about it. Decided now was a good time to give it a go.
The game has a kinda cool art style and a completely mental premise. You're a chicken who is mad at the sun, so you go into space, and discover the sun is really a secret base for space vikings. Naturally, you must defeat them while drinking any cups of coffee you find along the way for health.
Despite the crazy setup, actually playing the thing got really dull really fast. The game is a pretty bog standard run and gun with some light platforming. There were only three enemy types from what I played not counting a boss. The enemies were all cannon fodder material with the challenge mostly stemming from "We put EVEN MORE viking guys here this time!". I got up to partway into stage two, and it played like more of the same with different scenery so I called it quits.
I don't think Im going to go back to this. The game's sense of humor is great, but I feel like the gameplay has already shown me everything it has to offer in the first stage.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Time Spent: About 20 minutes
I like it! It's basically like the old Tomb Raider games I remember, with the grappling hook thrown it. Pretty simple puzzles thus far, but I'd imagine they might get a bit harder as I go on. Not sure if I'll finish it or not, but I would definitely go back to it every now and then.
Rating: about 4/5
Time Spent: About 20 minutes
I like it! It's basically like the old Tomb Raider games I remember, with the grappling hook thrown it. Pretty simple puzzles thus far, but I'd imagine they might get a bit harder as I go on. Not sure if I'll finish it or not, but I would definitely go back to it every now and then.
Rating: about 4/5
bengraven
Member
I played this about a month ago and I was so hooked on the mansion I never got a chance to play the actual game. ha
Darwinia
Playtime: 70 minutes
So Far: Unless it gets much much more complicated, this game is way too simple for it's own good. Very few types of units, the combat is extremely simple, and the mouse control just feels like it's being dragged through quicksand any time you move your cursor over any change in elevation. It's infuriating.
The tutorial wasn't great, but I assume this was a boxed game that came with an actual manual, so I had to dig around online a bit to find all the functions of some of the buildings or units to complete the first couple missions.
Verdict: indifferent, I will give it a few more hours to see if it picks up though.
Yeah, that was my biggest problem with it too. Style over substance.
Ah, the great gaming generational divide. Yeah, quicksave/quickload are your friend. I would replay encounters over and over again until I could do them without losing any health.
Updated all the summary posts up to this point.
Just a heads up, your Legend of Fae game quote has the picture from Breath of Death on it instead.
Thanks! Corrected it.
Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time
Time played: 20 minutes
Another physics based platforming puzzle game. The controls are clunky, I can't stand the art style, the level design is uninspired and the humor/story is way too over the top and not funny. I have problems finding something here that I actually DO like.
I guess the basic idea is that you can collect physically movable objects, and then combine/stack them to move over gaps and use those objects to press buttons, but I am simply bored. Nothing here to keep my interest.
Will I... nope.
Time played: 20 minutes
Another physics based platforming puzzle game. The controls are clunky, I can't stand the art style, the level design is uninspired and the humor/story is way too over the top and not funny. I have problems finding something here that I actually DO like.
I guess the basic idea is that you can collect physically movable objects, and then combine/stack them to move over gaps and use those objects to press buttons, but I am simply bored. Nothing here to keep my interest.
Will I... nope.
Glowfish
Time Played: 20 minutes
Based on what I've played so far this is a pretty relaxing underwater stage-based indie game. Gorgeous visuals are helped with copious amounts of glow effects and parallax layers. The controls and basic premise are similar to the flash based demo of Flow - you point your mouse in the direction you want your character to swim and swim over smaller creatures to add them to your tail. The creatures in your tail can protect you, shoot enemies as you spin around them, or propel you forward. A bigger tail means more bang for your buck. The levels were larger than I initially expected and revolve around gathering a large enough tail to get past checkpoints before reaching the end of the stage.
I only managed to complete 4 or so stages but in that time I couldn't shake the feeling that the game is lacking in depth even as it was introducing new concepts. I enjoyed what I played and will probably play this one again
3½ / 5 stars
Edit: Next up..
Lugaru HD
Playtime: 45 minutes
The combat is actually quite rewarding. It isn't deep, but the reactions needed to perform combos, reversals, etc. make this game what it is, and it's the fast paced nature of the combat that makes Lugaru HD enjoyable. The graphics suck, the story sucks, the music is alright, but the game is ultimately about the combat, which is excellent, and when it is executed correctly it is incredibly satisfying. Wolfire Games (the developer of this game and the people that host the Humble Bundles, as well as the developer of the sequel Overgrowth) is only made up of two people, I believe, and what they've accomplished here is great.
5/5 (will play again).
Playtime: 45 minutes
The combat is actually quite rewarding. It isn't deep, but the reactions needed to perform combos, reversals, etc. make this game what it is, and it's the fast paced nature of the combat that makes Lugaru HD enjoyable. The graphics suck, the story sucks, the music is alright, but the game is ultimately about the combat, which is excellent, and when it is executed correctly it is incredibly satisfying. Wolfire Games (the developer of this game and the people that host the Humble Bundles, as well as the developer of the sequel Overgrowth) is only made up of two people, I believe, and what they've accomplished here is great.
5/5 (will play again).
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
Time Played: 90 Minutes
I was gifted this a while ago, but never played it. I also picked up the sequel during a sale, as I was really impressed with any videos I'd seen for it in the past. I have a friend who has completed both and has always recommend I try them. He's given me fair warning that the first game takes a little while to get into, so I went in with that in mind.
So far, I'm definitely enjoying it. The intro does a good job of catching your interest and making you curious in where it goes next. I like the idea of different combat stances for different situations. Something I always liked in Jedi Academy. The alchemy system also seems interesting, although I've barely scratched the surface I imagine.
My only complaints with the game, were minor problems to do with a lack of polish. Some cut scenes had comical problems with very awkward character animations. I also would say that Geralt doesn't exactly look like a bad ass when swinging his sword, to put it politely. But like I said, I found these problems to be very minor and had almost no impact on my enjoyment.
Verdict: 5/5 I'll definitely be playing more of this. I have every intention to try and complete this and the sequel.
Time Played: 90 Minutes
I was gifted this a while ago, but never played it. I also picked up the sequel during a sale, as I was really impressed with any videos I'd seen for it in the past. I have a friend who has completed both and has always recommend I try them. He's given me fair warning that the first game takes a little while to get into, so I went in with that in mind.
So far, I'm definitely enjoying it. The intro does a good job of catching your interest and making you curious in where it goes next. I like the idea of different combat stances for different situations. Something I always liked in Jedi Academy. The alchemy system also seems interesting, although I've barely scratched the surface I imagine.
My only complaints with the game, were minor problems to do with a lack of polish. Some cut scenes had comical problems with very awkward character animations. I also would say that Geralt doesn't exactly look like a bad ass when swinging his sword, to put it politely. But like I said, I found these problems to be very minor and had almost no impact on my enjoyment.
Verdict: 5/5 I'll definitely be playing more of this. I have every intention to try and complete this and the sequel.
Quick and unedited thoughts on the following:
Crayon Physics Deluxe
Physics based puzzler with the objective of drawing things to guide a ball into a star. Everything about this screams INDIE GAME! The twinkly, ambient-ish soundtrack, the pleasant and consistent visuals, the little "attention to detail" things such as drawing lines on the world map. Very nice presentation, but ultimately the game play didn't do it for me. I got bored after about 20 minutes and drew about a hundred lines all over a level and it crashed to desktop. Probably won't play again, but who knows.
Cogs
Sliding block puzzle game. Pretty good for what it is. Played probably about the first 15 puzzles, then attempted the hardest challenge level and failed miserably. I liked how the puzzles are solved in sections and rotated on a 3D plane. Cogs would probably get more playtime if I had it on ios. Can't see myself playing much more of this either.
Audiosurf
At first I thought this was little more than an interactive graphic visualizer, but after playing for about an hour, it actually has a fairly good variety of playing styles with the different ships. Very cool how it interprets any song, going downhill when the song gets intense etc, and I found that it creates very nice levels for songs with changing dynamics or a build up. I also finally found a good use for Skrillex too! Some downright inconsistent production values though, the UI is plain ugly, but the game itself is very nice looking. And the tutorial sounds like it was recorded stream-of-conscious style onto a $5 headset. Not that I'm trying to make that a valid criticism, I just thought that it was entertaining.
I was pretty shocked how popular the game is; even obscure Mr. Bungle songs have leaderboards with insane high scores. Will be playing more of this for sure
Crayon Physics Deluxe
Physics based puzzler with the objective of drawing things to guide a ball into a star. Everything about this screams INDIE GAME! The twinkly, ambient-ish soundtrack, the pleasant and consistent visuals, the little "attention to detail" things such as drawing lines on the world map. Very nice presentation, but ultimately the game play didn't do it for me. I got bored after about 20 minutes and drew about a hundred lines all over a level and it crashed to desktop. Probably won't play again, but who knows.
Cogs
Sliding block puzzle game. Pretty good for what it is. Played probably about the first 15 puzzles, then attempted the hardest challenge level and failed miserably. I liked how the puzzles are solved in sections and rotated on a 3D plane. Cogs would probably get more playtime if I had it on ios. Can't see myself playing much more of this either.
Audiosurf
At first I thought this was little more than an interactive graphic visualizer, but after playing for about an hour, it actually has a fairly good variety of playing styles with the different ships. Very cool how it interprets any song, going downhill when the song gets intense etc, and I found that it creates very nice levels for songs with changing dynamics or a build up. I also finally found a good use for Skrillex too! Some downright inconsistent production values though, the UI is plain ugly, but the game itself is very nice looking. And the tutorial sounds like it was recorded stream-of-conscious style onto a $5 headset. Not that I'm trying to make that a valid criticism, I just thought that it was entertaining.
I was pretty shocked how popular the game is; even obscure Mr. Bungle songs have leaderboards with insane high scores. Will be playing more of this for sure