Tag: Software

The stalwart forces of Australia, boosted by ANZAC spirit, are easily holding the Japanese at the Malaysian border. In my version of World War II, Singapore is not threatened, and, with some good support from airpower and naval assets, we can even drive the invaders back. And then the rest of the Empire decides to prioritize this front. Crowding a lot of divisions into space with limited infrastructure and ports is a bad idea. Attrition does damage that the enemy cannot. My first instinct was to use my civilian factories to get supplies into Indochina. After a month, I pulled out my forces, allowing the rest of the Empire to hold the front. The problem is that they also abandon the front after a while. With Singapore threatened again, I redeployed my elite rangers from Papua and decided to take it as slowly as possible. Create the infrastructure, rebalance my divisions, use force multipliers rather than just infantry, and hope that the Allies manage to control the ...

If you have that Portal itch and you want to scratch it, then Puzzle Parasite might very well be the game that you are looking for. The title is a sci-fi mystery game combined with a physics-driven puzzle experience. You have a vintage cricket bat and the will to solve all kinds of exciting puzzles. But that’s easier said than done, since Puzzle Parasite is continually bringing its own fair share of challenges, while also retaining a good focus on first person puzzle solving goodness. The idea of using an old-school cricket bat to solve puzzles is cool, and I think it’s well-worth considering, especially for puzzle lovers. You use that to redirect beams, manipulate all kinds of energy cores and even create your own light bridges. Although it definitely feels quite different than what you might expect, Puzzle Parasite is very much a rewarding and powerful first-person puzzle experience with a very exciting twist, and something people will appreciate quite a lot. Unl...

Stonemachia’s main focus is to seamlessly blend the world of chess with soulslikes. And while it has obvious budget restrictions, it’s definitely one of the more exciting soulslikes which appeared in recent years. It strays away from the regular formula, while still being very engaging and lots of fun to play. The setting is dark, and that means we don’t have as much detail when compared to the other soulslike games. But this is not an AAA title, nor does it have that kind of scope. Yet it still manages to feature giant stone buildings, massive enemies, massive cathedrals scraping the sky and all that kind of stuff you always see in a soulslike title. Stonemachia’s story takes place in a country that had to deal with an event called the Plague of Angels. But those who attacked the country are far from being angels, they are spooky, disturbing and a true sign of evil. And your focus is to cleanse the world and eliminate these enemies, while also trying to stay alive...

I don’t want to think about fighting level 8 ghoul animals, so I nimbly dodge the groups, staying out of their detection range. I move toward my quest and engage a group that doesn’t move. My items, most scavenged from other dead enemies, give me a time advantage, and I intend to use it. I inflict poison and thorns on the monsters, and then sit back as they finally get to act. They bite, so I activate the healing crystal. My magic wielder adds lightning strikes and kills two beats. I prolong the battle a little to use my healing again and get enough experience to level up. HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon is developed by Ars Goetia and published by Dear Villagers. I played a preview of it on the PC using Steam. The video game combines real-time exploration and combat built around time management. The title’s high-fantasy universe imagines a world stuck at the Medieval society level where archdemons are controlling the land, fighting a war that has lasted for t...

I Hate This Place is an isometric horror and survival game which is inspired by a comic series with the same name. No one expected that 10-issue miniseries to transform into a game, but here we are, and the developers certainly brought their own twist as well. However, this is not a 1:1 adaptation of the series, instead they decided to share a story set in the same world. Here, you play as Elena, on a quest to try and find Lou, her friend. She is also trying to figure out what happened to her mother a few years ago. But along the way, you will encounter strange things, like cults, horrific experiments, all of which tie to someone named the Horned Man. The game has plenty of side characters, and you will get to learn more and more about your mother, her connection to the horned man and all other details. Of course, the main story is just a part of the experience, and the side stuff really spruces up the game and makes it more exciting. It also helps that the art sty...

It’s somewhat unclear what the agent I’m trying to keep alive can actually do. She’s fitted with a remotely controlled defibrillator, but her suit is unable to keep her warm after she gets shot down in Antarctica. I help her avoid drones at first, moving through pipes to make sure she’s not detected, but then she suddenly decides that she can take one down and hack it. While guiding her to potential safety, I’m trying to understand what the wider conspiracy might be. The base harbors a big secret, and no one wants to say exactly what the threat might be. Only one satellite can work in this weather. A hacker is hinting that something more sinister is going on. And no one is ready to say anything true about Burn-9. The video game is developed by 14 Hours Productions and published by Fellow Traveller. I played a preview version of it on Steam. The title mixes techno thriller inspirations and indirect control in some intriguing ways. The major inspiration, clear from t...

Gothic 1 was a title that revolutionized 3D RPGs and brought in a great story, along with unique gameplay mechanics. Having played the game at launch and many times after that, I was very excited to see not only what they would change, but also how the remake would look. The demo they released years ago was not encouraging. However the finished version is way better, and a true homage to the beautiful RPG that Gothic 1 is. First, the game’s main story is mostly left intact. And that’s a good thing, because the story itself was excellent. There are plenty of twists and turns, and it feels very satisfying up until the end. I am happy to see people experience the friendship that Gorn, Milten, Diego and Lester have between themselves, but also the relationship they develop with our nameless character. Speaking of them, it’s important to note that the game has 3 factions. The Old Camp is the main camp in this game, where you can find Gomez and his crew that are digging ...

Green, almost radioactive-looking stones probably make for bad habitats. They also hint that something bad is hiding under the ice, so I steer clear and decide to belly slide on the snow. Following the wind isn’t easy in this world of sheer ice cliffs and badly placed holes in the ice. My penguin is probably unable to process information delivered by a human voice, but I have learned a lot. Expeditions from two countries are here in Antarctica. They are barely surviving the cold and darkness. And something older and deeper is gnawing at the edges of reality and crushing their sanity. The big question right now is: can a penguin go mad? Penguin Colony is developed by ORIGAME DIGITAL and published by Fellow Traveller. I played a preview version on Steam. The video game focuses on getting the player inside the mind of a penguin with an unhealthy degree of curiosity. On the brink of World War II, two would-be superpowers are scrambling to deal with a creature that is ...

Mirage 7 is one of those games that came out of nowhere for many people, and it started to impress with its premise and nifty gameplay ideas. At its core, this is an action-adventure title with a fantasy quest through the desert. But what makes it different is the interesting sci-fi twist. Granted, this might not be to everyone’s liking, however I like it when developers are trying something different, and it’s definitely the case here. As you start, you (Nadira) are thrown into the desert with Jiji, who is your lizard companion. You need to access water, build up a fire and eliminate enemies that try to kill you. It’s pretty basic stuff for an adventure and survival game, however once you finish that, the focus is clearly on finding your sister. What you learn is that Nadira’s sister was grabbed by soldiers years ago, and the only way to get her back is to ask Princess Taishma for assistance. The premise is interesting and I felt it to be compelling enough to cont...

Fatekeeper is the first game developed by Paraglacial, and it aims to step into the shoes of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, one of the most popular first-person action RPGs from the past 20 years. Unfortunately, we never had a true successor to that game, but Fatekeeper aims to do that and a lot more. Right off the bat, we should note that the game is made only by 13 people, and it just entered early access. You have around 2 hours of playable content, and the game manages to provide a very intense, albeit short experience. You take the role of Kor Tenarim, a watcher who wants to complete his training. He also has a rodent partner called Kor Guran, and the two focus on braving enemies using magic and melee attacks. The game’s scenery is stunning, and it feels made by a much larger theme. The attention to detail is also incredible, from the blood pouring from enemies, down to the very detailed leaves you can find within the game. It all looks amazing, and it makes...