Publisher: Silverstring Media Inc.
Website: http://glitchhikers.com/
Genre: Simulation
Summary: A late-night drive prompts some philosophical pondering.
Gameplay: You can change the speed of the car and change lanes as well as look to your right and left. You can also choose responses in dialogue. Fortunately the driving itself is automatic.
Style: The sleek angular style and garish colors helps with the otherworldly atmosphere. Naturally, the music evokes (as it must) "Echoes" or "Hearts of Space."
Story: Elements are mixed and added a bit so the story is a bit different each time, which also helps capture the strange feeling of driving alone at night under the weight of strange thoughts. Is this hitchhiker a stoner, an alien, or a figment of the driver's imagination? Up to you to decide, as is your takeaway from any philosophical discussion. It might just be a relaxing drive.
Conclusion: More of an experience, "Glitchhikers" intriguingly recalls dark nights musing to New Age music.
Friday, June 29, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
"The Monster in Me" Review
Website: https://alicerendell.itch.io/the-monster-in-me
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: You and two friends try to survive in the aftermath of the apocalypse.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of choosing responses, which influence companion actions and morale and therefore the story.
Style: The graphics are a bit overly stylized and lack detail I'd prefer, especially as there's only one background and not much motion. Still, a downcast look can get across a lot of emotion, especially when combined with the ever-crackling fire and nice music.
Story: The difficult decisions of morality and survival make for a tense and often dark story. Personally, I wish there was a bit more detail or background on the cause of this apocalypse just because that helps me make my choices, but others may like the in media res style.
Conclusion: "The Monster in Me" is an interesting game about the harsh possibilities of survival in tough situations.
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: You and two friends try to survive in the aftermath of the apocalypse.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of choosing responses, which influence companion actions and morale and therefore the story.
Style: The graphics are a bit overly stylized and lack detail I'd prefer, especially as there's only one background and not much motion. Still, a downcast look can get across a lot of emotion, especially when combined with the ever-crackling fire and nice music.
Story: The difficult decisions of morality and survival make for a tense and often dark story. Personally, I wish there was a bit more detail or background on the cause of this apocalypse just because that helps me make my choices, but others may like the in media res style.
Conclusion: "The Monster in Me" is an interesting game about the harsh possibilities of survival in tough situations.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
"Shadowrun Returns: The Dead Man's Switch" Review
Publisher: Harebrained Schemes
Genre: RPG
Summary: A late-night call from an old friend requests you solve his murder.
Gameplay: Character creation and growth is pretty fluid, with the ability to spend "karma" (experience) points wherever you choose, although higher ranks in sub-categories require equal in the category above (e.g., a five in Rifles requires a five in Ranged Combat, which requires a five in Quickness.) Higher ranks are also more expensive, so specialization is recommended. The different races have various limits and bonuses.
Combat is turn-based, with a variety of choices between shooting (with different guns and abilities), spells, spirit-summoning, throwing grenades, melee, and moving (take cover!) You can also control a drone for additional firepower. The timing of actions is neatly laid out, leading to some nice strategizing. The only annoyance is having to sometimes move around in combat mode when you're not fighting anybody.
You also sometimes hack into the Matrix to steal information or control turrets and similar fights take place there. As this usually happens when the rest of your team is fighting outside, it feels a bit awkwardly split, which rather matches the pen-and-paper game experience.
Beyond combat there are plenty of conversation options and choices where abilities offer further options.
Style: The isometric perspective has some good detail when zoomed in, although the game has a tendency to zoom out too much for my liking. The character portraits enrich the game as well. Inventory, save, quests, and character statistics can be pulled up via a side button.
Story: Dead Man's Switch starts small and builds to a satisfying conclusion through classic Shadowrun Seattle. However, there are somewhat annoying parts and I wish the game had more sidequests to flesh out the world; it's mostly pretty direct. The game has some memorable characters and evocative descriptive writing, but most of your fellow Shadowrunners are hired hands that don't add anything besides a helpful gun hand. Still, your character has choices in how to react to things.
Conclusion: Although overly straightforward and with some minor annoyances, Dead Man's Switch offers a fun story in the Shadowrun setting.
Genre: RPG
Summary: A late-night call from an old friend requests you solve his murder.
Gameplay: Character creation and growth is pretty fluid, with the ability to spend "karma" (experience) points wherever you choose, although higher ranks in sub-categories require equal in the category above (e.g., a five in Rifles requires a five in Ranged Combat, which requires a five in Quickness.) Higher ranks are also more expensive, so specialization is recommended. The different races have various limits and bonuses.
Combat is turn-based, with a variety of choices between shooting (with different guns and abilities), spells, spirit-summoning, throwing grenades, melee, and moving (take cover!) You can also control a drone for additional firepower. The timing of actions is neatly laid out, leading to some nice strategizing. The only annoyance is having to sometimes move around in combat mode when you're not fighting anybody.
You also sometimes hack into the Matrix to steal information or control turrets and similar fights take place there. As this usually happens when the rest of your team is fighting outside, it feels a bit awkwardly split, which rather matches the pen-and-paper game experience.
Beyond combat there are plenty of conversation options and choices where abilities offer further options.
Style: The isometric perspective has some good detail when zoomed in, although the game has a tendency to zoom out too much for my liking. The character portraits enrich the game as well. Inventory, save, quests, and character statistics can be pulled up via a side button.
Story: Dead Man's Switch starts small and builds to a satisfying conclusion through classic Shadowrun Seattle. However, there are somewhat annoying parts and I wish the game had more sidequests to flesh out the world; it's mostly pretty direct. The game has some memorable characters and evocative descriptive writing, but most of your fellow Shadowrunners are hired hands that don't add anything besides a helpful gun hand. Still, your character has choices in how to react to things.
Conclusion: Although overly straightforward and with some minor annoyances, Dead Man's Switch offers a fun story in the Shadowrun setting.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
"Taarradhin" Review
Publisher: Cyanide Tea
Website: http://taarradhin.cyanide-tea.net/
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: A pampered rich girl gets to know two new foreign slaves in her house.
Gameplay: The gameplay consists solely of a few decisions.
Style: The music and art blend together nicely, and the non-European setting is a nice change of pace.
Story: "Taarradhin" isn't a very satisfying story. The main character is spoiled and unlikable and remains so in most playthroughs. The game is also short without many choices. Therefore the romances are also unsatisfying. Plus descriptions often unnecessary tell what is already shown by character action.
Conclusion: While having an interesting setting and premise, "Taarradhin" is ultimately frustrating.
Website: http://taarradhin.cyanide-tea.net/
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: A pampered rich girl gets to know two new foreign slaves in her house.
Gameplay: The gameplay consists solely of a few decisions.
Style: The music and art blend together nicely, and the non-European setting is a nice change of pace.
Story: "Taarradhin" isn't a very satisfying story. The main character is spoiled and unlikable and remains so in most playthroughs. The game is also short without many choices. Therefore the romances are also unsatisfying. Plus descriptions often unnecessary tell what is already shown by character action.
Conclusion: While having an interesting setting and premise, "Taarradhin" is ultimately frustrating.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
"Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn" Review
Publisher: Black Isle/Bioware
Genre: RPG
Summary: You must undertake quests and make chancy bargains to pursue an evil mage.
Gameplay: As before, the gameplay is based on 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons. There are new classes, Barbarian and Sorcerer, plus optional "kits", sort of sub-classes, for most classes. Levels are higher than the previous game, allowing for more spells and abilities and subsequently greater variety in strategy (although you'd always best have some sort of way to remove mage defenses.) Likewise, difficult new enemies await, including annoying level-draining ones and, finally, some dragons.
Style: The game is similar in design to the first, with icons set off in bars to the side, but they're a little more rounded and golden to fit the setting of a city of trade. The graphics are similar as well, but more exotic realms and creatures are featured.
Story: The epic story offers memorable settings and characters. The villains are complex, as are your companions. The quirky Bioware party members interject comments and concerns and can sometimes even be romanced.
There are still distinct chapters that start with a cutscene and narration, but these lack the strength of the previous game's as they don't really add anything. I enjoy the game most in the earlier chapters, when a multitude of quests and options spreads before your character (although many admirably manage to tie into the theme of "shadows.") There are enough for many playthroughs (I think there are several quests I still haven't yet done, after years of playing) and that's just the way I like it. Later the game is more linear and the combat grows more difficult and tiresome, but the strength of the story covers some of these woes.
Conclusion: Shadows of Amn (the "Baldur's Gate" part is a bit of a misnomer, since that location was the focus of the first game and isn't revisited here except dialogue reminiscence) offers a strong story and characters in a rich setting with some fun combat, to which many mods have only added over the years. I do wish there were more options and quests in the later part, but it's still a great game.
Genre: RPG
Summary: You must undertake quests and make chancy bargains to pursue an evil mage.
Gameplay: As before, the gameplay is based on 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons. There are new classes, Barbarian and Sorcerer, plus optional "kits", sort of sub-classes, for most classes. Levels are higher than the previous game, allowing for more spells and abilities and subsequently greater variety in strategy (although you'd always best have some sort of way to remove mage defenses.) Likewise, difficult new enemies await, including annoying level-draining ones and, finally, some dragons.
Style: The game is similar in design to the first, with icons set off in bars to the side, but they're a little more rounded and golden to fit the setting of a city of trade. The graphics are similar as well, but more exotic realms and creatures are featured.
Story: The epic story offers memorable settings and characters. The villains are complex, as are your companions. The quirky Bioware party members interject comments and concerns and can sometimes even be romanced.
There are still distinct chapters that start with a cutscene and narration, but these lack the strength of the previous game's as they don't really add anything. I enjoy the game most in the earlier chapters, when a multitude of quests and options spreads before your character (although many admirably manage to tie into the theme of "shadows.") There are enough for many playthroughs (I think there are several quests I still haven't yet done, after years of playing) and that's just the way I like it. Later the game is more linear and the combat grows more difficult and tiresome, but the strength of the story covers some of these woes.
Conclusion: Shadows of Amn (the "Baldur's Gate" part is a bit of a misnomer, since that location was the focus of the first game and isn't revisited here except dialogue reminiscence) offers a strong story and characters in a rich setting with some fun combat, to which many mods have only added over the years. I do wish there were more options and quests in the later part, but it's still a great game.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
"King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella" Review
Publisher: Sierra
Genre: Adventure
Summary: After her father falls ill, Princess Rosella must find the magical fruit to heal him while also helping a fairy recover her magical talisman.
Gameplay: Most of the puzzles are baffling enough I find a walkthrough vital. Knowledge of faery tales helps a little, but not always. (Why would I go fishing? How am I supposed to know where Pandora's Box is?) There is sometimes dexterity involved in navigating stairs and cliffsides, but this is minor (especially compared to previous King's Quest games.)
Style: Graphics have improved greatly from previous games, and pixelated close-ups of faces, while orange, ably convey emotion. I wish I could look using the right mouse button, but Rosella automatically swims and the game usually pauses when typing, which are great improvements. I like the music.
Story: As in previous games, the realm Rosella traverses has a somewhat random collection of locations and characters, but there are occasional connections (I want to know the story behind that mansion, though.)
The overarching story is relatively complex compared to previous games, with some memorable characters and even a bit of variety (you can choose when to go get the magical fruit, for example.) The ending is satisfying, as well.
Conclusion: While sometimes rough around the edges, "The Perils of Rosella" is a fun game with neat moments.
Genre: Adventure
Summary: After her father falls ill, Princess Rosella must find the magical fruit to heal him while also helping a fairy recover her magical talisman.
Gameplay: Most of the puzzles are baffling enough I find a walkthrough vital. Knowledge of faery tales helps a little, but not always. (Why would I go fishing? How am I supposed to know where Pandora's Box is?) There is sometimes dexterity involved in navigating stairs and cliffsides, but this is minor (especially compared to previous King's Quest games.)
Style: Graphics have improved greatly from previous games, and pixelated close-ups of faces, while orange, ably convey emotion. I wish I could look using the right mouse button, but Rosella automatically swims and the game usually pauses when typing, which are great improvements. I like the music.
Story: As in previous games, the realm Rosella traverses has a somewhat random collection of locations and characters, but there are occasional connections (I want to know the story behind that mansion, though.)
The overarching story is relatively complex compared to previous games, with some memorable characters and even a bit of variety (you can choose when to go get the magical fruit, for example.) The ending is satisfying, as well.
Conclusion: While sometimes rough around the edges, "The Perils of Rosella" is a fun game with neat moments.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
"King's Quest III: To Heir is Human Redux" Review
Publisher: AGD Interactive Studios
Website: http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq3/about/overview.html
Genre: Adventure
Summary: For as long as he can remember, Gwydion has been a slave to the evil wizard Manannan. He must secretly learn spells to escape and find his true family.
Gameplay: Most of the game involves puzzles and gathering spell ingredients while avoiding Manannan finding out. The AGD version adds a timer the turns yellow and then red as his return grows closer, which is helpful. It also highlights inventory items that need to be hidden from the wizard. In turn, "Redux" adds some new puzzles and solutions in places. These are sometimes interesting but sometimes feel unnecessary.
Style: The point-and-click interface is welcome, as it makes it easier to cast spells than when typing (not easy, mind, but easier.) The graphics are also nicely updated, although I wish Gwydion looked a bit more like the original's ragged yet noble waif than his more coiffed King's Quest 6 self here.
Story: Even with the timer, the tension of escaping the evil wizard is strong, and I don't enjoy it at all. Still, it's certainly always satisfying to finally defeat Manannan. But I wish the game were better paced, as the post-Manannan game feels rushed and disparate, despite being very interesting and emotional.
The AGD version adds some backstory and ties in to other bits of King's Quest lore, but I found I wished it had better connected the miscellaneous characters and monsters of the original game like the AGD King's Quest II. And more could be done with the revelation of Gwydion's true past.
Conclusion: Despite some fun elements and some helpful updates in this version, I'll never enjoy the format of this game. Too much of it is spent under the thumb of a tyrannical wizard.
Website: http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq3/about/overview.html
Genre: Adventure
Summary: For as long as he can remember, Gwydion has been a slave to the evil wizard Manannan. He must secretly learn spells to escape and find his true family.
Gameplay: Most of the game involves puzzles and gathering spell ingredients while avoiding Manannan finding out. The AGD version adds a timer the turns yellow and then red as his return grows closer, which is helpful. It also highlights inventory items that need to be hidden from the wizard. In turn, "Redux" adds some new puzzles and solutions in places. These are sometimes interesting but sometimes feel unnecessary.
Style: The point-and-click interface is welcome, as it makes it easier to cast spells than when typing (not easy, mind, but easier.) The graphics are also nicely updated, although I wish Gwydion looked a bit more like the original's ragged yet noble waif than his more coiffed King's Quest 6 self here.
Story: Even with the timer, the tension of escaping the evil wizard is strong, and I don't enjoy it at all. Still, it's certainly always satisfying to finally defeat Manannan. But I wish the game were better paced, as the post-Manannan game feels rushed and disparate, despite being very interesting and emotional.
The AGD version adds some backstory and ties in to other bits of King's Quest lore, but I found I wished it had better connected the miscellaneous characters and monsters of the original game like the AGD King's Quest II. And more could be done with the revelation of Gwydion's true past.
Conclusion: Despite some fun elements and some helpful updates in this version, I'll never enjoy the format of this game. Too much of it is spent under the thumb of a tyrannical wizard.
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