Scrap Garden Developed by Flazm Interactive Entertainment Published by Flazm Interactive Entertainment Available on PC, Mac & Linux (Windows, via Steam—reviewed) “The tinsmith forgot to give me a heart” ~Tinman, The Wizard of Oz WHAT DOES it mean to be human? Is it our heart, tirelessly pumping away to circulate fresh, oxygenated blood to our starving cells? Is it …
Stellaris is a divisive game. It shares the familiarity felt throughout most Paradox games, but—like its cousins—has an intense focus on one particular element. This has been Paradox’s MO for a while; where Crusader Kings takes on lineage, Victoria focuses on Industry and the Pops that drive it, and Hearts of Iron intently examines combat. …
‘Dark Souls III Developed by: FromSoftware, Inc. Published by: Bandai Namco Entertainment Available on: PC via Steam (reviewed), PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox One Release Date: April 12th, 2016 The Dark Souls franchise essentially began with the seminal Demon’s Souls on PlayStation 3 in 2009, and quickly became a larger-scale cultural phenomenon than anyone would have expected out of FromSoftware, …
Hyper Light Drifter Developed by: Heart Machine Published by: Heart Machine Available on: PC (Steam, Humble, GOG.com) — consoles to follow Release date: March 31st, 2016 Like light itself, Hyper Light Drifter is something that seems to move faster than you can follow. The combat is quick, with death only one wrong move away; beautiful …
Grim Dawn Developed by Crate Entertainment Published by Crate Entertainment PC — Steam, GOG, DRM-free Released Feb. 25th, 2016 Grim Dawn has quite a history. In April of 2012, about a month before Diablo III would release to excitement, skepticism, and dismay, Crate Entertainment quietly launched a Kickstarter campaign for their game to a horde of hungry …
For those of you who haven’t seen, video game journalist Jim Sterling is being sued by Slaughtering Grounds developer Digital Homicide for over $10 million in the culmination of a years-long feud. Without going into too much detail, as Jim Sterling has already taken great lengths to archive virtually every step of the squabble (you …
After a successful PC release last summer, IMGN.PRO’s narratively-driven survival horror Kholat finally reaches the PS4. The title follows a popular trend within horror movies and games alike, as it’s story centres around “true events.” Specifically, the 1959 Dyatlov Pass Incident, where 10 students went missing in the Ural Mountains and 9 were later discovered to be dead. Players …
Three days ago, I saw a game called Devil Daggers on Steam. The name appealed to me, so I watched the promo video and looked at the screenshots, as one does. It was immediately obvious that this game was built for me and others like me. Software rendering at low resolution was an advertising bullet …
Medusa’s Labyrinth Developed by Guru Games Available on PC I’m not normally a huge player of horror games (although I do enjoy games like Outlast from time to time), as I just don’t find them as appealing or varied as a good RPG or other styles of adventure games. There is no shortage of …
“What’s wrong with you?” is the first thing main protagonist Henry is asked by his boss. In an ideal working environment this isn’t something you want to be asked, especially just after you’ve started your new job. This working environment however is anything but ideal, or even ordinary. Henry, due to a tragic series of …
My love and excuses for Darkest Dungeon start sounding like an abusive relationship after a while. It’s a brutal game that punishes me terribly whenever I slip up, or sometimes for seemingly no reason at all, but I probably did something wrong to deserve it at some point. It’s by no means perfect, but its …
It’s a pretty good bet that you had a decent December 25. Spending time with, or as they case may be, away from your family or just basking in the loving glow of rampant consumerism. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it’s a day off from work, school, or whatever. For most people Christmas …
A long time ago in an issue of a gaming magazine there was an email in their “Letters to the Editor” section that went along the lines: “Please help, I’ve accidentally purchased Dungeon Lords“. The response was telling the poor person to burn their computer, and the CD, and try and move on with their …
There was a time where I admired Tripwire Interactive. Red Orchestra remains one of the most interesting multiplayer shooters I’ve ever played, and Killing Floor is an excellent alternative to Left 4 Dead in terms of pure, unabashed zombie slaying. It was because of this that I took a risk and purchased Killing Floor 2 …
Undertale made an impression on not only the indie scene but the entire video game world when it released last month. The result of a wildly successful campaign through Kickstarter which began two years ago, this revisionist take on the classic RPG was said to blend elements of Earthbound, Shin Megami Tensei and Touhou into an entirely originally package. The effort of over 2,000 backers and the mind of Toby Fox helped create one of the most unique and charming releases this year.
As a kid, I used to love racing games. From Super Mario Kart to Wave Race or San Francisco Rush, my formative years were filled with a brimming affinity for competitive racing, particularly when I could wrangle a compadre for some couch-bound multiplayer. However, as I got older, and friends who gamed regularly were busier or harder to come …
Zenzizenzic Developed by bitHuffel Published by Adult Swim Games Available on PC Zenzizenzic brings the classic twin-stick gameplay of Geometry Wars to the PC audience in a frenzy-filled package, as the PC has never been a place to call home for many of the genres great achievements. For the unversed, twin-stick gameplay involves navigating a character, in …
Legends of Eisenwald is a hybrid of RPG and strategy elements from Aterdux Entertainment. Originally conceived as a Kickstarter, the title likens its gameplay to that of a Knight-Errant Simulator. Typically, turn-based battles have been simplified here to overcome one of the biggest challenges in the genre, a lack of dynamic gameplay. Aterdux Entertainment envisioned …
Sometimes an experience is all something offers and in the end it’s all something needs to offer. This has been the trend with story-driven indie game walking simulators for the past few years. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter attempts to tell its story in a similar fashion while surpassing its contemporaries in certain aspects and, conversely, failing at being something more than it ought to.
In the many, many (many) retro throwbacks that have appeared over the last decade, there have been a lot of things that have consistently worked toward a titles success, from the deliberate nostalgic touches, to the grueling difficulty curves, to the catchy music that has become such a staple of these type of games. Tembo the Badass Elephant does indeed bring these three standards to the forefront, as expected, but where it really shines is with the sense of joy and silliness that it uses to present itself.
Beginning with a successful Kickstarter campaign back in March 2014, The Red Solstice quietly gained support with coverage from major gaming sites and steadily growing interest on the backburner from tactical shooter and strategy fans alike. Now, with over $60k pledged by fans and a year and a half of development, how has the game fared?
Her Story is far from a typical game. There are a great many arguments that could be made toward its gameplay and scenario that stray far from convention. Although unusual, these differences make for a compelling experience. Her Story uses multiple strengths to make a game unlike any other in recent memort and for that reason alone it is worth trying. That it revives a old gaming convention and makes it new again, is just icing on the cake.
In Traverser, the new game from Swedish studio Gatling Goat Studios, you play Valerie Bennet, daughter of Raven Corporation employee/inventor Linus Bennet. The sun has died and forced mankind to move underground. Now, Raven Corporation controls breathable air, holding it like a bribe above the citizen’s heads.