Tag: Software

Racing fans sometimes get tired of the same old, live service titles as Crew Motorfest or Forza Horizon, and they want a simpler, yet fresher experience. And that’s where Heistfest manages to shine. The focus of this game is simple, you take a car, rob a bank and complete missions, then go to the extraction point. There are 4 maps available in the Early Access version, with more coming later on. And while the premise is simple, the gameplay is all but that. If anything, Heistfest manages to be very intense, since it’s all about dodging the police cars, tanks, cruisers and helicopters. Despite the fact that this game has a really minimalist style, it really shines, and it’s all thanks to the gameplay. Once you enter the map, you get right into the action. Your team needs to destroy the bank’s van and grab the money, then eliminate a certain number of police vehicles. Of course, every mission will increase in difficulty. What was initially a couple of police cars tur...

Fantasy kingdom simulators have been around for quite some time, but they’ve always been a niche when compared to more general strategy games. However, this is a gaming genre that’s near and dear to my heart. Whether it’s Settlers or Majesty, these games are all about creating your own kingdom, making it flourish, but also trying to battle any of the enemies that you might encounter. And that’s exactly what you do in Lessaria, you get to create a stunning kingdom, yet at the same time, you have certain missions to complete. You get a story mode with a dozen or so missions, but also a survival mode without restrictions. I recommend you go with the campaign first, because it serves as a tutorial and you get to learn the ins and outs of every building, game mechanic and so on. It all starts with creating the castle, and then you build resource gathering buildings and houses around it. But a kingdom simulator like this can’t exist without its heroes. And Lessaria has d...

The legend of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is legendary, and we do encounter it in a lot of games. However, this is the first time we have had King Arthur and the knights in a roguelike, so that alone intrigued me right from the start. Sworn has been available in early access for a while, but now that the game is finished, I was excited to delve into this and see whether it stands among the best in the genre, such as Hades 2. Right off the bat, the idea is simple. You take the role of one of those 4 characters, which are the Vigilante, Monk, Rook and Spectre. Each one of them has different abilities and ways to play. If you’re more of a ranged player, the Monk is up your speed, with the Vigilante and Rook being more hands-on. That means you have a variety of playstyles available, and it’s all customizable as well. The core gameplay is also pretty simple, you have 3 worlds to go through, and in each world, you go from room to room, trying to reach the e...

Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi is a game with a very interesting elevator pitch. It manages to combine Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay elements with Tomb Raider, a combination that’s very interesting, but also rather hard to pull off. For me, the idea of having an action RPG with a beautiful, cute world was already very appealing, but they are also bringing a very interesting story into the mix as well. In Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi, we have two main characters, Lili, a guardian and Sadi, who is a monk in training. He’s more of an avatar for most of the game, but he is taking the human form at times, depending on the situation at hand. He will be there for you with guidelines, ideas and various tips, especially when you’re stuck. At its core, the story relies on the idea of reconnecting monks with guardians, while also trying to defeat Aferi and the void. Both of these characters dealt with personal losses, so that helps them connect and understand each other even...

City builders always strive to push the limits and bring something new into the mix, and STARIO Haven Tower is definitely a part of that new wave as well. The primary focus for this game is for you to help people survive in the harsh desert. And since building endlessly on sand is not an option, the only way for you to go is up. The vertical building aspect will give you a bit of a hassle at first, but everything from the presentation to the gameplay is top-notch, and there’s tons of fun to be had here. Even in early access, the game has plenty of guidelines and tips for you to check out. That’s great, because it will be difficult to figure out how things work. You have a very limited space to work with, and that’s why you need to be extremely careful when it comes to the stuff you use and how you build everything. Another interesting thing here is that aside from building, you also have a very large research tree where you can gradually unlock stuff at your own pac...

Skygard Arena is a very interesting game because it tries to successfully blend MOBA gameplay with turn-based tactics. That combination leads to a very interesting, and dare I say, rather unique gameplay you don’t really find these days. For me, Skygard Arena manages to be extremely interesting, great to experiment with, but also difficult at times. And that’s what makes it shine, because it’s addictive enough to play for hours, yet challenging enough to make you come back and try out new strategies all the time. The way you play Skygard Arena is pretty simple, and you can learn all the ins and outs from the tutorial. But the main idea is that you have 3 champions, multiple points are scattered on the map, and you have to collect stuff to charge up some of your stronger attacks. Every champion has his own attacks, but also various defensive abilities. The way you use these abilities is crucial, because the enemy will be there, ready to take advantage of any mistake ...

The Leopards are pushing forward, with the Luchs providing reconnaissance. The opposing Czechoslovak forces do have some anti-tank missile teams hidden around, some backed by IFVs. My tanks take damage, but the Warsaw Pact forces, fortunately, no longer have any tanks to get into this fight. I still lose two Leopards when I fail to spot infantry well-positioned in woods. Ideally, I would have used artillery fire to help with this push, but I’ve already used all my batteries on other engagements. And air fire support was denied by an enemy AA asset. So, my tanks and infantry have to take some losses to gain ground. The Czechoslovaks cannot hold Bor, although their determined defense means I will have trouble keeping the city once I control it. The Canadians are due to deliver two strong infantry battalions in two turns, which will help a lot. Until then, my tired units will have to keep their reinforcements at bay while limiting losses. WARNO: SOUTHAG is developed ...

We’ve encountered many games that take place on a space station, but not that many of them are in the platform genre. And even fewer are also roguelikes. That’s the void that Katanaut is trying to fill, and I would say that it does that in a very successful manner. Your focus here is to try and figure out who is alive on the station, if anyone, while slashing your way through enemies. At its core, Katanaut does an excellent job at offering a very large station to explore, and there is some backtracking. But unlike Hollow Knight which tends to require a lot of going back, Katanaut is not as punishing. However, the game is quite punishing when it comes to its combat, which is very much a soulslike experience. Even if you have a katana and powerful weapons, even the simplest attacks can lead to your demise, and that’s the thing, the game itself can be extremely punishing. You can dodge, slash and shoot at your own pace, and usually, you have to time things properly. T...

DAIMON BLADES is one of those games that will immediately stand out with its unique visual style and gameplay. We have lots of roguelikes these days, but this one truly places us in a rather unique and very different experience. The idea is simple: you enter expeditions either alone or with up to 3 friends and try to kill pretty much everything you can. Each expedition is not very long, but there’s definitely a lot to do and explore. Each level is detailed, and there’s certainly a lot of eye candy to be had in the game. Not only that, but the enemy design is excellent. You really feel like you’re in a forsaken, dangerous world where enemies lurk at every corner. And not only that, but many times, they come in droves. But then again, that’s the nice aspect about DAIMON BLADES. The world is meant to be against you, as you try to find the Hermit, a traitorous mentor. But the true star here is not the world, even if it’s stunning and nicely made. Instead, it’s DAIMON B...

The infinite basement is truly weird. I try not to think too much about it as I move through this hotel, searching for anything that might explain the weirdness that permeates everything. I got two room keys and have already played a mini-game that involved urban landscapes and some out-of-place characters. It was a little too long, but I understood the core ideas and felt like I made progress after completing it. Now I’m wondering where the other keys can be found and if there’s a way to get that info out of the concierge. Maybe I have to take a closer, camcorder-powered look at the many paintings in the bar. Or, I might simply have to go back to the kitchen, where I have already seen two mice conversing about cheese, and see if other animals might offer help. Concierge is developed by KODINO and published by Digital Tribe. I played on the PC using Steam, and the title is not available on other hardware. The video game combines adventure-style exploration with min...