- By Ash
- in Reviews
[Note] You can find my review for Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2 here.
It is quite fascinating to see how much the Sorcery! series has changed from game to game. Part One is a fairly linear affair that offers you a choice between a variety of branching corridors, Part Two takes things a bit further by giving you a large open city to roam around in, and Part 3 completely rips off the training wheels by dumping you in a massive zone that you can explore in any direction, both in the present and the past.
The almost limitless freedom doesn't simply apply to the exploration aspects of Sorcery! Part 3, it also extends to the amount of choices you're able to make when interacting with other characters and solving problems. For example, in Sorcery! Part 1 if you get attacked by a bear you can use the LAW spell to pacify it and then quickly make your getaway. In Part 3, however, you can use the LAW spell to not just pacify the bear, but to use it as your own personal mount with which you can cross wast distances unimpeded, because let's face it, whose going to stop a guy riding a bear!
- By Ash
- in Reviews
I never was much of a point & click fan, mostly because their convoluted, alien logic tends to clash heavily with my "keep it simple" style of thinking that was beat in to me through years of programming courses. That doesn't stop me from giving the genre a try every so often, but despite my best efforts I frequently either resort to a walkthrough or just get frustrated enough to quit entirely.
Out of all the games I've puzzled my way through, I can only really say a couple were genuinely fun to me, from the beginning to the very end. This exclusive company contains games such as: The Secret of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Machinarium, Deponia, and now Samorost 3.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
[Update]: Overprime is a third-person MOBA heavily based on Epic's long-canceled Paragon.
After spending around a week with Paragon I've come to realize that it makes me feel the very same emotions Dota 1 evoked back when I first tried it, eons ago: the thrill of experiencing something completely new, the utter confusion about how anything works, the "AHA!" moment of finally figuring it out, and the eternal rage of a thousand stars at some of the more broken elements.
Much like Dota 1 at that point, Paragon is currently unfinished. This isn't one of those fancy beta tests where you are essentially playing a demo, instead its one where you are presented with a game whose core is complete, yet everything surrounding it is held up with a few sticks, some gum, and a whole lot of good will.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
Blade & Soul is a fantasy, martial-arts MMO with a heavy focus on combat, PvP and anything else that involves beating up scores of enemies. It initially released in Korea back in 2012, and has only made its way to the West near the end of January, 2016.
I'm doing this review/critique after about 60 hours of play, mostly because it took me this long to properly form my thoughts on Blade & Soul given that for each element it does right, there is an equally annoying counterpart.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
[Update]: I have posted a review for the final release version, so I'd suggest you head over there to get an idea of Overfall's current state.
Overfall is a stylish, turn based RPG with many roguelike elements and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor that will task you with traveling across the high seas in search of your lost king and dealing with various factions and outlaws either through diplomacy, violence or trickery.
It is currently in Early Access and as such some features might be unfinished, though in my dozen hours of playtime I've not encountered even a single broken quest, or even a bug so I'd imagine the beta phase is purely for polish.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
We are the Dwarves is a stylish but brutally difficult real-time tactical adventure where you take control of a trio of Dwarven astronauts on a mission that has gone terribly wrong, leaving them stranded in the stony void between the stars.
It features some well designed levels filled with devious traps, cunning enemies and encounters you will only be able to handle through the proper use of strategy, your Dwarven abilities and whole lot of violence. While all of that is incredibly fun the roller-coaster of a difficulty curve made my experience with We are the Dwarves a lot more frustrating than it needed to be.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
The Division is Ubisoft's latest foray in to the open world genre and it features a beautifully realized Manhattan, an interesting take on multiplayer and some very competent cover based shooting.
I've spent a good chunk of time playing the open beta this weekend and while I certainly enjoyed it I am somewhat worried about the long term appeal of The Division. It is a well made game, there's no doubt about that, but it doesn't push any boundaries or make attempts to be more than just "good".
- By Ash
- in Reviews
Black Desert is a combat focused MMORPG that features a large open world, skill based fighting system, in-depth crafting, large scale PvP and some beautiful visuals to go along with all of that.
It is currently in a closed beta state so take everything I say with a grain of salt as big issues are most likely going to be resolved by the time Black Desert launches on March 3rd. As of right now though, Black Desert has some of the most impressive environments I've seen in an MMO alongside a very well done action orientated fighting system but suffers from incredibly easy enemies, generic quests and atrocious voice acting.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
The Hive is a narrative driven real time strategy game with some RPG elements mixed in that puts you in command of a young alien hive and tasks you with leading hordes of insectoid creatures towards their grand destiny in a ravaged world.
It is currently in Early Access and as such many features are unfinished, unpolished or simply missing so take everything I say with a grain of salt as it might change in the coming months. As of right now The Hive is both an interesting and unique blend between an RPG and an RTS that does many things right but still needs some work done when it comes to mission variety.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
Firewatch is a very stylish and atmospheric narrative-driven adventure game where you play as Henry, a would-be writer who seeks escape from his problems amidst the wilderness of Wyoming.
Your only contact with the outside world, and in general, is your snarky but genuine supervisor Delilah. Together, the two of you have a simple job, ensure that the park doesn't get engulfed in a blazing inferno. But simple things don't usually stay very simple for long and soon enough you are dragged in to a mysterious adventure that will have you hiking, climbing and falling all over the park in search of answers.