by LepcisMagna 
Fall has begun and the temperature outside is now low enough that I can start using my computer as a heater for my room while playing graphically intense games. But wait, what’s this? A timely review? Has the world gone mad, or have I just backed too many Kickstarter games? Hm. Probably that second one.
Continue reading “Infinity: Battlescape”by LepcisMagna 
I don’t really like Civilization. While the idea of controlling an empire through the ages sounds good in theory, the amount of time you have to spend doing it mostly outweighs the amount of fun to be had. While this may be an inherent flaw of 4X games, I had high hopes for Stellaris anyway since I’m a bit of a sci-fi nerd (actually, that’s a lie: I’m a lot of a sci-fi nerd).
Stellaris has been sitting in my queue for ages, and when I first took a look at it I put it into Tier 1 after playing for an hour; admittedly, this was not a fair shake. But with a lazy Sunday afternoon ahead of me and having been reminded that I still hadn’t played Stellaris by a board game I played with Chezni, I sat down determined to play a game. I got up 8 hours later, having played about half a game and realizing I just didn’t care anymore.
Continue reading “Stellaris”
by Chezni “Are we not all prisoners of our own destiny?”
Continue reading “Lands of Lore II: Guardians of Destiny (Completed)”
by Chezni “Heroes get remembered… but legends never die.”
Continue reading “Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Completed)”
by Chezni I guess a strong enough franchise can carry a game’s sales regardless of quality or gameplay…
Continue reading “Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku (Completed)”
by Chezni Just a quick and dirty Tiering update on some old titles based on the passage of time.
by Chezni You just ordered a bacon cheeseburger. You get a bun. Yyyep.
by LepcisMagna Or: Opus Magnum, TIS-100, and Shenzen I/O
I’m putting the Zachtronics studio and all their games into Tier 1, alongside Obsidian Entertainment (makers of Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, and the only good Fallout). I can confidently say that any game made by those studios will be at least entertaining, if not extremely good. Zach-likes tend to be puzzle games with very similar concepts, but with just enough theming and execution differences to make each one feel unique. Perhaps the best part of these games is the moment when you discover a unique solution that gives you the same feeling as if you’d just solved an interesting math problem or figured out a clever programming solution at work. If neither of those sound fun, I would highly recommend running away from these games.
Continue reading “Zach-Likes”by LepcisMagna 
Windward is a fun little game that I really can’t recommend. You command a sailing ship while you explore a waterway, trade between towns, and fight off the pirates controlling most of the land. If you play multiplayer, your friends can either join you or start a rival faction. While this is fun for an hour or two, there just isn’t enough to keep you going.
As far as I can tell, I’ve just described everything that happens in the game. Sadly, there are no sea monsters, no fleet building, no marvels. It’s a relaxing game, to a point, but the combat is boring and there’s really not much to pursue after upgrading your ship. Sadly, I must put it into Tier 3.
by LepcisMagna 
Tom Francis, of Gunpoint fame, has made a game with a unique twist on the roguelike genre. One of the reviews I read for Heat Signature started with “Tom Francis is quickly becoming one of my favorite humans, and I don’t even like humans.” It is quite good and I enjoy playing it enough that it has to go into Tier 1, but that’s not to say it is without faults.
Continue reading “Heat Signature”