Tag: Software

It’s very easy to think a battle is won when a big artillery salvo lands just right, ensuring German gunnery is superior to that of the British. Or when a missile salvo manages to sink two American destroyers in two minutes, giving the Soviets an edge in the Med. But chaos soon intervenes, and the situation reverses. The Japanese could win on the defensive late in World War II. The Bismarck can be quickly sunk or take down two Allied battleships before slipping away. Chance plays a big role, but good planning and careful execution on the part of the player commander will push for the desired result. Rule the Waves 3: Expanded Battles is developed by Naval Warfare Simulations and published by Matrix Games. This is the first downloadable content pack for the strategy title, adding scenarios that take less time than a full campaign, as well as two editors, one for user-made scenarios and another for ships. Expanded Battles features historical scenarios that track how...

I should have spent less of my precious gold on wheel of fortune spins. I managed to ace the first week in charge of this haunted antique shop by filling customer inventories with a mix of alchemical and junk items, while getting plenty of help from my carefully chosen Tarot cards. I have one Reverse spell in my hand. That one will wait in hand until I find the perfect Tarot effect to use it on. For the moment, I’m trying to get through days fast, because I need the extra gold offered for working with as few customers as possible. Having a lot of gold means I can reveal more Tarot cards in the shop that pops up at the day's end. A wider selection and a bit of luck will make it easier to hit on a combination of powers that can rack up huge sales quickly. Fortune Seller is developed and published by Kiwick. I played it on the PC using Steam, with the title not offered on any other platforms. The video game combines core ideas taken from Balatro with antique selling a...

It’s always nice when a game clearly labels the closets, in this case locked doors, from which enemies will start flooding an area. It makes it easier to start a big fight by throwing some TNT in that direction, thrusting that it will take out two enemies, one melee and one ranged, before anything else happens. A dash and a turn then allow me to cover another entry point as I backpedal. The shotgun, although a little low on ammo, is the best way to kill up close. When shielded enemies come in, I let them close while I headshot a sniper who managed to take off some of my mouse armor. Then I shift focus to the remaining foes, move behind a crate to reload, and then execute them using the shotgun again. There are some crates nearby that will probably hold some ammo. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is developed by Fumi Games and published by PlaySide. I played on the PC using Steam, with the title also offered on the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 5 from Sony, and the Xbox Seri...

Deadhaus Sonata is a vampire game that has been in development for many years now, and it’s finally in our hands, albeit in early access. While I generally like playing any vampire game that I get my hands on, Deadhaus Sonata is different because it’s directed by Denis Dyack, the creative mind behind Blood Omen and Eternal Darkness. Having someone connected to the beloved Legacy of Kain games brings a lot of expectations, so how does the game fare? Right off the bat, you will notice that despite being an indie game, the title does have an impressive scope. The game world is large, albeit formulaic and linear at times. There are various enemies coming in, and you are slowly learning all kinds of new skills. You get accustomed to the attack system, figure out how to jump and use various skillsets, and even deal with bosses you find along the way. I am a fan of the gothic style that they went with, as it adds a lot of intrigue. While some enemy types can be repetitive...

Sandbox games are always exciting to play, because aside from a few guidelines, you are free to do whatever you want. That premise is very exciting for a lot of people. Whether it’s Mount & Blade or Kenshi, there are all kinds of titles in this genre, but Valorborn is different since it adds a great medieval theme and an already beautiful, exciting world for you to explore. Unlike a story-driven RPG, Valorborn is different mainly because it pushes you towards making your own storylines. You can go ahead and rob NPCs, you can scavenge, hunt, mine for various minerals, etc. The upside is that you can explore every cave, road, building and so on. But since this is early access, there can be some issues, like getting stuck inside walls or the camera plummeting via cliffs. Saving often is important here, because some of the issues can be game-breaking. Then again, this is early access, so you have to expect crashes and missing features. However, a lot of the framework i...

Ever since I played the first MOBA titles in the early 2000s, I became obsessed with the immersive gameplay, but also the excellent replay value. These days though, we have only the major MOBA kings and few other titles coming here and there, trying to innovate. EverSiege: Untold Ages enters with an entirely new perspective, and a great blend of MOBA-like gameplay, roguelite progression, but also base management and hero-led combat. The core gameplay in EverSiege: Untold Ages is impressive and easy to understand. Every journey starts with you getting dropped into a generated world which is under attack by the Evil Master. So, what is your role here? You need to survive enemy waves, while also reclaiming territory, advancing into enemy strongholds and rebuilding the bastion’s infrastructure. What this means is that you can’t always attack, you have to carefully push the enemy but also pull back when necessary. For example, you need to power up your base, which means...

When KIBORG: Descent was announced, I was pumped to see even more content for the game, as the original was quite promising. Descent isn’t reinventing the wheel however, it’s more of a refinement to the original, as it adds 3 new environments, all of which I found to be interesting and cleverly done. Visually, the new locations are stunning, and the game certainly didn’t shy away from testing the limits of the engine. The new different enemy types are cool, certainly very creative, and the 3 new bosses are in line with the KIBORG lore. Speaking of bosses, they are the highlight of this expansion, because not only are they very intense, but they also require quite a bit of planning and thinking. That’s especially true for the last one, where you really have to test your skills in order to beat him. With that in mind, I found KIBORG: Descent to be increasingly difficult when compared to the original game. It will take a little bit to get past some of the areas you ne...

It’s weird how close supposedly ranged units have to get to their enemies to attack. It would be nice to engulf that enemy healer in a pillar of fire, but it means I have to get my vulnerable caster a little too close for comfort to enemy units. I weaken them by throwing a grenade and regret my decision not to spend essence on giving my squad the ability to use items two times a turn. Her fireballs weaken two enemies, and I move my heavy hitters into position to finish them off. I nail the simple rhythm sequence for the first, eliminating one alpha dog. But I miss one mouse button press on my second, and I can only hope that the enemy will not do too much damage once it acts. Wardrum is developed by Mopeful Games and published by Team17. I played on the PC using Steam, with the title not launched on any other hardware. The video game mixes rhythm mechanics, turn-based tactics, and a rogue-lite structure. The beat is at the center of this fiction universe. Everythi...

Beat’em’up games are always fun and intense, and I’m always excited to hear about new entries to the genre. With that in mind, Dead as Disco tries to make them even more fun by making you sync to the tunes you’re listening to. And while the game is in early access for the time being, it already managed to create a large, cult following. Why? Because the gameplay is one of the best in this niche already, despite the content being very limited. Dead as Disco’s story is interesting, because our main character was dead, but he rose from the grave and he has to rely on what Vice, a skull like a disco ball, has to say. Of course, this is just the setup, because what matters the most is beating people up, and that’s where Dead as Disco excels. The game is incredibly fun here, because the moment-to-moment combat is very satisfying, and the attack animations are nothing short of impressive. Also, the experience itself is very good, mainly because you need to match your atta...

Ever since Amazon made the Invincible series, I’ve been extremely interested in the idea of having a fighting game based on the show. Thinking about it, the premise lends itself to some really good fights, and there are lots of characters within the lore to make up for a great roster. And here we are. Invincible VS is finally launched, and this game is actually a lot more interesting than I originally expected. Invincible VS is a 3 v 3 team fighter, and it has a 2-way combo system. When you are landing a combo, you are entering a conversation, not just executing a sequence. The defender is reading your patterns, he is finding ways to break free, and he will do his best to turn your momentum when possible. It’s a great dynamic because every combo is risky. If you hold back, you lose pressure and if you push too far, you are predictable and the opponent will take advantage of you. I like this dynamic because it adds a lot of intensity and fun dynamics to the experien...