Tag: Software

Rock climbing is one of those pastimes that feels very interesting at first, and then you see that only your wits, attention and skills will keep you alive. It’s a very dangerous hobby for sure, but Cairn tries to show us the challenges of rock climbing in a videogame format, from the comfort of our home. The game has a wonderful story which continually pushes you to go up the mountain and face your fears. But the most important thing is obviously the realistic set of mechanics that all make climbing feel very exciting, but also extremely intuitive. It’s not like Assassin’s Creed where you auto-climb. Here you need to actually adapt your posture as well as balance, find out the best places to hold your feet and hand and so on. Instead of gamifying the climbing experience, Cairn keeps things very realistic. You don’t have exaggerated movements, nor does the game hold your hand in any way. Instead, the primary focus is on keeping things fun and authentic. Granted, th...

Can music really make a difference in a world dominated by fleeting interactions, cosmetic competition, and a tendency to shift from trend to trend in less time than it takes to play a full album? Music created by generative AI is already flooding the market, but maybe an old-fashioned physical record store can still get people to try out new genres and look for bands that speak to them. Getting any customer the perfect new vinyl record involves careful reading and some good educated guesses. Even when someone is simply looking for bargains, make sure to explore all the rooms, look at all the covers, even those without a price cut sticker, and try to match the vibe. Wax Heads is developed by Patattie Games and published by Curve Games. I played a preview version on Steam. The video game combines puzzles and role-playing elements, as players try to connect people with meaningful music. Players start off work at Repeater Records, a record store owned by a former ban...

A very broad ship is probably a bad idea when it comes to seaworthiness. But it has a lot of deck space, which means I can pack together quite a few turrets. Apparently, only one size is available, but I suspect it can mount two or three solid guns. My aim was to create a sort of coastal defense ship that would stick close to the island it’s defending and pound enemies with long-range fire. But I don’t love the look, so I might switch to an elongated base hull and explore what items I can add to it. ShipShaper is developed and published by Tomas Sala. I played the preview version on Steam. The video game offers players all the tools they need to organically design ships. No narrative hook is featured, and there are only feeble attempts to link the limited experience with anything in Falconeer or Bulwark. Sure, the style is the same, with a retro and industrial look that also uses classic fantasy elements. But the focus is on giving players the tools to create naval...

The Resident Evil franchise has been on fire for the past decade, although it’s been a while since we’ve last seen Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil games, and man, it’s good to be back. Resident Evil Requiem brings a dual-protagonist story where we have Leon at the center of it, along with a new character in the form of Grace Ashcroft. At first, we see Grace, who works for the FBI, and we learn about her story, and how her mother got killed in a hotel. Her curiosity takes the best of her, and she pursues the quest to find her murderer, even if it brings them to very dark and extremely dangerous places. As that story takes place, we have Leon, who arrives at the scene trying to find Victor, the main antagonist of the game. What’s amazing is that the two stories intertwine naturally, and you continue to shift between the two characters and their perspective. My favorite thing about Resident Evil Requiem is the gameplay shifts drastically when you switch characters. G...

After all the various shooter and tactical games out there, you always want to take a breather and that’s where a title like Cozy Caravan comes into play. The idea here is that you create a cute character and customize it, then take that character on the road and try to explore this beautiful world that they created. You become the newest Guild Rookie in the town, and your task is to help the residents of Harvestvale. That means you will have to do a lot of quests as well as farming, trying to fulfill their requirements. And these quests will take you all over the map, which is where your caravan comes into play. Fulfilling requests will give you guild tokens, and these are useful because you can upgrade your caravan. That means everything from the crafting station to the kitchen, home and transport can be upgraded as you see fit. It’s interesting because it helps you feel like you are making a difference in the community. I like the fact that Cozy Caravan allows ...

I was offered a card that would activate a big claw to move units between floors, and I decided that I needed some damage-dealing option instead. My champion is sitting on the second floor, and I have a strong vanguard on the first. I hope to win this fight quickly so that I get a gold bonus to spend on new artifacts. One of Lifemother’s kids is next, and I expect a tough fight. Good use of the Forge and decent unit placement will give me a shot at winning. But my deck probably needs more and better souls before I can reliably get past the four lieutenants to get to the big boss. Monster Train 2: Destiny of the Railforged is developed by Shiny Shoe and published by Big Fan Games. This is the first significant downloadable content pack for the rogue-lite, designed to deliver both a new clan and an extra game mode. The aptly named Railforged join the fight, complete with two leaders. Heph created the Skullcrusher, while Herzal is the builder of the Boneshaker and th...

Misfortune suffered a serious bout of bad luck as Fate weighed in. My opponent managed to win the previous two rounds, using its points carefully to win encounters. But now the special condition for the round is Peripeteia, which means the two sides swap Favor. I now have 16 to play with, while Misfortune must make do with my 7. She does spend all enchantments trying and boost her humans, but I decide which two characters interact. I pick the Pixie and the Blacksmith. Bidding enough favor to win the round is easy. I get another human on my side and read a nice little story about the Pixie becoming a Guard that will now protect the Blacksmith’s shop. Now, it’s my turn to bless and hope that the character does not get swapped in the future. Then it’s time to ponder the very difficult question of how much Favor to wager when there’s no hint of what my opponent may bid. Fate’s Theater is developed and published by Totally Normal Creature. I played on Steam on the PC, a...

Howard is a hardboiled detective with a big secret. He’s also obsessed with dice, which are the only way he can actually solve problems. I just rolled two of them, one with a +1 bonus, to make someone slip during a fight. After rolling a 9 when I needed a 4, I regretted investing the second one. I don’t know what’s coming and what values I’ll need to hit in the future. My character also has voices labeled Insights in his head, offering extra ways to deal with situations and suggesting dialogue responses. Fake suicides and supernatural entities might be less of a problem than inner monologues. Celestial Return is developed by Metaphor Games, with publishing handled by Metaphor Games and Shoreline Games. I played a preview version on the PC using Steam. The video game mixes role-playing with dice-driven actions. Players become Howard, a detective in the police department of Netherveil City. The name hints at the game’s vision of the future, which is heavily inspired...

The Helbrute could have used some backup. I relied on this monstrous mix of man, machine, and Chaos to hold an entire flank, with limited backup from Legionaires. The damned Space Marines brought their jetpack squads, using their superior mobility to surround and hammer my infernal creation. Two Raptor squads jumped in to try and draw some fire. The Brute fell in two turns, mainly because both my Chaos Lord and Sorcerer were on the other side of the battlefield. Once they joined the fight, benefiting from Momentum boosts, the Space Marines were forced to fall back, with my Legionnaires harassing them all the way. Their hastily brought up Dreadnought is crippled by grenades, and I only need 5 points to win the battle and secure 200 more army points. Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - Black Legion is developed and published by Slitherine Ltd. This piece of downloadable content is designed to introduce the very powerful Chaos force to the turn-based strategy title. Abba...

Over the past decade, we’ve had a plethora of games focused on Vikings, ranging from Valheim to AC Valhalla, God of War or Northgard. But we rarely get to see this setting in a turn-based, tactical format, and that’s what NORSE: Oath of Blood brings to the table. In this game, we have a wonderful, gripping but also brutal story showcasing the true life of a Viking, the hardships you would be dealing with, along with an excellent settlement building and management system. In NORSE: Oath of Blood we take the role of Gunnar Gripsson, who is a young fighter set to become the next Jarl. However, his parents get killed by Steinarr Far-Spear, and he has to go away with his sister Sigrid to find temporary shelter at their uncle. They go in a new region where their uncle has a plot of land, and the focus is on building a new settlement, while also building an army and enough power to take on Steinarr. The game’s performance capture is excellent, and you truly get to see all...