I remember playing “Archon” on my NES back in the day, and it stood out because it did something that no other game in my collections had done at the time…allow me to directly control “Chess-esque” pieces on a playing board and fight with them. “Battle Chess” was okay, but it didn’t allow you control the pieces directly during combat. I bought “Archon Classic” a couple of years ago out of nostalgia but never really dabbled with it much. Today, I’m going to remedy that situation.
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I recently covered “Sins of a Solar Empire”, a 4x real-time strategy game set in space. It included two expansions: “Entrenchment” and “Diplomacy”, which added some more gameplay options and contributed to its overall value. “Rebellion”, on the other hand, is a standalone game…meaning that it can be played without the core game or its expansions. What does it include and is it worth buying?
I played the crap out of turn-based “Civilization-esque” games, especially if they were set in space. “Birth of the Federation” and “Galactic Civilizations II” were particular favorites, but I hadn’t played a good real-time strategy game set in space since “Star Trek: Armada” and its sequel released in 2000-2001. “Sins of a Solar Empire” came along in 2008, promising just what I had been looking for: real-time space combat with empire management. Was it everything I had hoped for, however?
DOTA (Defense of the Ancients), a mod for “Warcraft III”, influenced and inspired a number of games throughout the years. “Demigod” is one such game, allowing players to take on the role of a unique character, level them up, and battle their way to victory. Despite being released in 2009, I still find myself playing it on occasion simply because…well…it’s fun to level up in games and kill stuff, am I right?
Man versus machine has always been a hot topic to debate. Whether I’m watching Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, or “Watson” on Jeopardy, I find myself wondering where we’ll be in a few hundred years long after I’m gone. In the case of “AI War: Fleet Command”, humanity hasn’t done so well. You’ll be tasked with rebuilding the human race right from under the noses of the same machines who nearly wiped you out. Before we take a look at this particular RTS and what makes it unique, I’d like to thank Erik Johnson from Arcen Games for providing me with a free review copy.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from “A Valley Without Wind 2” (hereby dubbed “AVWW2”), having never played the first one. All I knew is that it was a sequel designed to improve upon the original, the latter of which was received with mixed results. In “AVWW2”, you’ll take on the role of a mage who’s managed to infiltrate the ranks of the evil Demonaica. You’ve just acquired a power that rivals that of Demonaica, and your goal will be to break your cover and lead the resistance to victory. The game itself is a mix of genres, concentrating heavily on side-scrolling and empire management. Before we begin taking a look at this game in further detail, I’d like to thank Erik Johnson from Arcen Games for providing me with a free review copy.
You are Morrin Firebeard, a fearless Dwarven warrior whose goal is to hunt down and kill the undead wizard Azar…you know, all in a day’s work. As you may have gathered, you’ll slay monsters, loot treasures, and explore dungeons in the process. So what is “Dwarf Quest” and how is it different than the other turn-based RPGs out there? Before we answer that, I’d like to thank Dylan Nagel from Wild Card for providing me with a free review copy.
Well, this is a first. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen or used the words “environmental”, “puzzle”, and “zombies” all in the same sentence. “Shattered Haven” breaks the mold however and features all of these things, much to my surprise. When zombies are involved (“grays” in this case), I usually find myself wielding a shotgun or barricading windows and doors. In this game however, you’ll be making use of tools, traps, and the environment to dispatch the grays in the most efficient manner possible. Before we get started, I’d like to thank Erik Johnson from Arcen Games for providing me with a free review copy.
My play session of “The Great Heartland Hauling Company” was an overall positive one. The folks at Game Salute were kind enough to throw in the “Badlands Expansion” pack, so I figured I’d cover it separately just to give you an idea of what it all entails.
If “Euro Truck Simulator 2” has taught me anything, it’s that you shouldn’t take bends at fifty-five miles per hours while hauling a vat of toxic substances. Luckily, “The Great Heartland Hauling Company” doesn’t test my competence as a truck driver…rather, players will be picking up and selling cargo as they move around the board. It’s a buy low, sell high kind of deal (sort of) while managing an inventory of cards and cargo. Before we take a look at this game in closer detail, I’d like to thank Dan Yarrington from Game Salute for providing me with a free review copy.
If you’ve been following along (and shame on you if you haven’t), I previously mentioned that the Gorn would be on the front lines as far as villains were concerned. I had to admit however that the gameplay footage I saw of them didn’t add up to the Gorn image that I remember from “Arena”, the only Star Trek episode to feature them.
There’s been a lot of games focused around farming as of late, but I’m not going to complain. I’ve spent hours days months trying to build the perfect farm on games in the “Harvest Moon” series. Perhaps these type of games appeal to my resource management addiction, who’s to say? In “Fill the Barn”, players will be playing cards and trying to harvest crops to earn money. Before we take a look at this game in closer detail, I’d like to thank Dan Yarrington from Game Salute for providing me with a free review copy.
In a recent article, I explained how EA offered a free game to help ease the tension with the rough SimCity launch. I felt it prudent to let you know that my free game arrived today. All you’ll need to do is open Origin and check out the news of the day, which pops up in a separate window. If you have a valid claim to this prize and EA is ready to deliver it, you’ll be prompted to pick from a short list of EA games.
I couldn’t tell you the first time that I ever watched “Jurassic Park”, but I can tell you that I’ve watched it more times than I can count. The idea of co-existing with creatures that lived millions of years ago is both exciting and scary all at the same time. “Jurassic Park: The Game” certainly captures these larger than life creatures, but not everyone will appreciate the application of the gameplay mechanics.
The very first point and click adventure game that I ever played was “7th Guest.” It was a creepy, albeit frustrating experience as there was no online service that provided free guides and walk-throughs. The only magazine subscription I had that provided anything by way of guides or cheats was “Nintendo Power”, which didn’t help all that much. “ASA: A Space Adventure” is one such kind of game, though it has a science fiction twist to it. In this case, you’re an astronaut who’s been sent into space to repair a station. I don’t want to spoil the story, but suffice it to say that things spiral out of control quickly from there. Like “7th Guest” and “Myst”, you’ll be exploring the environment and trying to solve incredibly difficult puzzles. Before we get started, I’d like to thank Simon Mesnard for providing me with a free review copy.
Games like “Bejeweled” are fine, but often lack the oomph I need when I’m in the mood for something deeper. “Puzzle Quest 2” is a game I play off and on, but often doesn’t remain on my play list for extended periods of time due to one major issue: it’s unfair as hell. Before I touch on that, let’s briefly touch on what I did like about the game.