Limbo

Limbo is a very famous indie XBLA platformer that recently got ported to the PC, giving me and many others the ability to finally play it. At its core it is simply a platformer with some puzzles but what makes it great is its style.

It is wonderfully dark, and I am not just talking about the graphics. The giant spiders, zombie worms, murderous children, and effective traps are all fantastically realized and delightful cruel, made all the more poignant because you are playing as a child. And while the officially explained plot is minimalistic I think it is safe to say that it all takes place in a dream that he has after falling asleep in a forest.

A New Beginning

A New Beginning is a graphical adventure and the latest release from the esteemed people over at Daedalic Entertainment, the creators of the 2010 hit The Whispered World. And like The Whispered World it has beautiful hand drawn graphics, which really is the main draw of the game in my opinion.

The game's story is all about environmentalist, and that is not just something that they threw into the game without thought; It is obviously that they have studied and understood many of the issues. The basic premise is that in the distance future mankind is facing extinction. Forced to live in underground bunkers and having declined in numbers to only a few hundred people, the earth no longer able to sustain human life, they decide to send a group to the past to try and convince or force the people to mend their self destructive ways. And not that it is seen much, actually not at all after the opening cinematic, but this future is very clockpunk.

For the gameplay, A New Beginning, utilizes a type of verb disk, but unlike most verb disks it only shows relevant results. And in particular it makes a lot of use of these extra options, allowing you to dissemble, modify, or use in a special way when applicable. Overall it has moderately normal puzzles, but I did enjoy utilizing the advanced technology. One thing I absolutely hated about a series of puzzles is that the plot behind them made absolutely no sense; On multiple occasions you, as a time radio operator from the future are called upon to setup your temporal radio. What does not make sense is that she has absolutely no idea about how to use this radio and at one point actually needs to ask a random civilian from the past how to fix it.

Overall it is a pretty average adventure with a good story, and a great message, with simply fantastic art.

Dig-N-Rig Released

Dig-N-Rig is the latest release from the esteemed college of DigiPen. And in it you control a mining robot in what could only be a future world filled with red necks, where all usages of the word "and" has been removed and replaced with "N". In the game you dig (to liberate the precious minerals from the earth) and you rig (to create machinery that will transport these minerals back to your base), both of which I believe red necks enjoy. But you will not be decimating the natural landscape all the time, sometimes you get to take a break from this to kill off the local wildlife (another pass time of red necks).

I have only been playing this game for a few hours but I have to say that it is quite enjoyable, an enjoyment that is only further enhanced by occasionally shouting Git-R-Done at the computer screen (something I imagine the fictional lab workers whop control your mining robot do all the time), and cannot wait to get back to playing it. So I would highly recommend you all go Git-R-Done and download this indie gem.

Apply 1000mg

One of the most distinctive looking games, I think possibly ever, Apply 1000mg is a beautiful pixel art platformer with an incredibly cheerful look that won the Ludum Dare #20 contest. This uniqueness is accomplished by the pixels not actually being pixels but instead small blocks made up of different shades of the same colour.

In addition to the graphics, the platforming is ok but it is the story that really makes this game more then just skin deep. And while I will not spoil anything for you, dear readers, it is quite a interesting minimalistic story.

Apply 1000mg can be played over at its Ludum Dare page.

My mini-review of Apply 1000mg.

Realm of the Mad God

Realm of the Mad God is a browser based MMORPG. And probably the only modern, if not only, MMO to make dying permanent; RotMG is a simplified class based MMORPG. There are many rigid classes, a small number of simple stats, and quite a few tiers of static loot; Additionally, any single class only has two abilities that it can use, that class` main attack (which really only fluctuates in effectiveness with different equipment) and the special ability that uses MP.

One of the best examples of this simple greatness that makes up RotMD is the quest system. First off there is the overall quest of every player in a particular world, which is to summon and defeat the mad god himself, Oryx. To kill him you are likely going to need many max level characters working together; But to even get that far you need to first defeat all of the quest monsters to get him to show up. Even brand new players can help here as there are quest monsters of all levels. Basically anyone of the correct level range in the general vicinity of a quest monster will be notified of its location and if you travel to that location and kill it then you have helped out the entire world in your own little way (and been justly rewarded with loot and experience).

It is also worth mentioning that RotMG has completely done away with the infamously complicated system of windows needed to display all the information of a normal MMORPG and no windows or additional GUI is ever needed nor are any special keyboard shortcut used. And since it is supposed to be a coop game most of the time you are not soloing as experience is not split between players but simply given to everyone in the vicinity, so there are never any hard feelings about just tagging along with even the most advanced groups. this is a huge boon to the less socially apt. I normally hate groups in MMOs, depending on the game you can get into arguments over the loot, or you feel bad leaving a group in the lurch if you have to go on short notice. It is just so much nicer with the easy going, spontaneous, groups that form in RotMG.

It is incredibly fun and addicting, and very easy to get into. The only downside is the incredibly huge amount of bandwidth it takes to play; And as impossible as it seems I have checked and rechecked and it really seems like the game takes 50-100 kbps of your bandwidth while you play.

You can play Realm of the Mad God over at it web site, here (http://www.realmofthemadgod.com/).

My mini-review of Realm of the Mad God.

Benthic Zone

Benthic zone is a short graphical adventure game set on the bottom of a lake; Or possibly more correctly a tech demo or unfinished project comprised of beautiful graphics and puzzles but completely lacking in plot.

I didn't know who I was controlling, other then I liked how he looked and surprisingly liked him even though he never says anything other then emotionless object descriptions. I also do not know why I was solving puzzles and doing the things I was doing in the game, other then that I enjoyed doing them.

So while the game is really about nothing it does not matter because it is still fun and pretty.

You can download the game here, make sure to extract the game before play because if you just try to play it from the archive it will probably not work.

My mini-review of Benthic Zone.

Puzzle Agent 2

With mysteries remaining in Scoggins, Minnesota detective Nelson Tethers just cannot get it out of his thoughts or the gnomes out of his nightmares, even if the case is officially considered solved. So taking vacation leave Tethers returns to Scoggins to finally bring the mystery of the forest gnomes and the missing people to a close.

Puzzle Agent 2 is most of all a sequel to Puzzle Agent, it has the same cartoony 2D hand drawn graphics, wacky plot, selection of mini-games, and starts off right where the first game ended. So if you enjoyed the first game you are likely to enjoy this one just as much but for anyone who has not played either of these games I will try to convince you in the following review.

Puzzle Agent 2, and more generally the entire series to date, is a very unique adventure/puzzle game. In addition to the normal conversation trees with NPCs and story progression there are numerous and diverse mini-games, which are the centrepiece of the entire game. There are optional puzzles and bonus puzzles, mathematical based puzzles and logical puzzles, hard puzzles and easy puzzles, as well as familiar puzzles and unknown puzzles, but all of them are at least somewhat enjoyable.

The graphics are interesting if nothing else. Quintessentially, cartoony and at least appearing to be hand drawn with minimalist jerky animation. They lend a unique visual style which is as essential as beauty, but I cannot say that they look great or even much better then good.

And equally as unique as the rest of the game, the plot of Puzzle Agent 2 is a direct sequel to Puzzle Agent. But where the first game has a freaky and strange plot already Puzzle Agent 2 takes this concept and runs with it, and it definitely keeps you on your toes. And like the graphics I cannot really say that is is a great plot; It serves to differentiate and give the Puzzle Agent world its own theme and mood, which is as important as anything else and it does make one enjoyable world.

Overall it is one of the more realistic fictional worlds. Everything just fits together, makes sense, and makes a finished product that is even better then the sum of its parts. The one bad part of the entire game is the length which, even while not using a single walkthrough or external hint, I was able to complete in under 4 hours, and I think 2 hours would be easily possible, for anyone who is not worrying about their score.

My mini-review of Puzzle Agent 2.

Something Amiss

Something Amiss is a three part episodic adventure game that is freely available to play online. It uses a verb coin interface, though it does not really benefit from the freedom that that gives the player, and is made up almost exclusively of inventory based puzzles. It is set in current time in Washington DC and involves government agencies, anti-government groups, and one woman given strange powers from an experiment that was conducted on her.

Overall I found the game had some good points and some not so good points. The graphics for one are good in some scenes and bad in others and go all the way from realistic and obviously derived from photographs of actual places (with hardly anything changed) to ultra cartoony visuals with materialistic colour and detail. Additionally, while the story, interface, presentation, and gameplay are not bad, they all could use some work and never were particularly moving. But it is not a bad game, and if you are looking for something different from the AGS title then this might be something to look into.

My mini-review of Something Amiss.

What Makes you Tick

What Makes you Tick is a free indie graphical adventure game set in a Victorian style world filled with ingenious inventions, inventors, and villains. In the game you play Nathan who is in search of the retired professor and famous inventor Dr. Coppelius to warn him of some unknown impending danger. But will you be able to reach the professor before this danger gets to him itself?

I really enjoyed What Makes you Tick, with its good graphics, interesting characters, nice music and sound effect, and a beautifully drawn and realized world. The graphics are simple, 2D, and side-view with sparsely animated static backgrounds and they look fantastic. The puzzles are also great and are mostly inventory based, and are preformed in game with the use of a standard verb coin interface and a inventory system that allows the use of the same verb coin system on all of the items and combining items being a integral part of the game.

If you have enjoyed this review and want to pick What makes you Tick then head over to its official website where both it and its commercial sequel, A Stitch in Time, are available.

My mini-review of What Makes you Tick.

Technobabylon (parts 1-3)

Technobabylon is quickly becoming one of my favourite AGS series; And with three games already released in a little under eight months it is also quickly becoming quite a prolific series. Not that this has impacted its quality, if anything the series is only getting better. These games are being made by Technocrat and are moderately conventional but well polished and excellently well designed graphical adventurers; And are named, in chronological and release order, The Prisoner of Fate, The Weight of the World, and In Nuntius Veritas.

Technobabylon is set in a dystopian future where a tyrannical government is fighting a underground resistance group ans mysterious forces work from the shadows over Trance, a virtual world replacement for the Internet. Thus far we have been encountered two main characters; Latha Sesame, a unemployed, Trance addicted woman who seems completely insignificant but is being targeted for assassination by some unknown enemy; And Dr. Charlie Regis, An investigator working for the establishment and a technophobe to boot, who is being blackmailed by a mysterious stranger intent on controlling Dr. Regis's actions and using him to perform special tasks. Tecnobabylon starts when their worlds collide. It is also worth noting that the game seems moderatly inspiered by eXistenZ (1999) and copies a few of the main elements from the movie, though this does not seem to be mentioned by the game developer.

This series starts with Part 1: The Prisoner of Fate, in which you play as Latha who discovers that she is locked inside of her room and completely unable to contact that outside world; After which the entire game is her trying to escape from this one room improvised prison. The next game, Part 2: The Weight of the World, puts us in the role of Dr. Charlie Regis as we solve and prevent crimes as well as preform any duties required by our blackmailers. And then finally in Part 3: In Nuntius Veritas we are again in control of Latha and must again help her escape, but this time it is from a prison cell/waiting room of the city's law enforcement, CEL.

My mini-reviews of The Prisoner of Fate, The Weight of the World, and In Nuntius Veritas.

The local Trance in Latha's apartment as shown in The Prisoner of Fate.

A murder scene that you have to investigate in The Weight of the World.

The CEL holding area in In Nuntius Veritas.

Terraria, First Impressions

Terraria is the latest in the recent swarm of Minecraft likes, or more correctly Minecraft inspired titles.

In many ways it is exactly like Minecraft in 2D and its feature list can read a lot like a similar list about Minecraft. Mining is a big part of the game with many locations only reachable through this method and the primary way of acquiescing building and crafting materials with many of the same blocks from Minecraft showing up here as well. Additionally, it has a similar mechanic for wood gathering, biome, and is set in a randomly generated world.

But when playing the game the experience is very different; For one there is way more content; With a wide variety of monsters, some very unique, and a similar selection of weapons, tools, biomes, and even bosses. This creates a whole lot to experience and even though I have been playing for dozens of hours already I have at most seen 3/4 of what there is to see (with a fast paced level of change), and probably far less.

Also while it is nice looking (and even better then Minecraft at bad visuals) it is no where near Minecraft generating great looking, breathtaking, visuals. So the drive to explore is completely different in the two games. In Minecraft you explore to see the beautiful landscape, to see something that no one has seen before, but also to find and collect minerals; While in Terraria you are exploring mostly for loot and the minerals are something you collect along the way more then anything else. Also the two worlds are arranged far differently with far more vertical space given to Terraria; While you can build a tower to the top of Minecraft or mine down to the bedrock in easily under an hour. in Terraria it is a whole other story with multiple biomes spanning this vertical distance with many different characteristics and taking extreme amounts of time to traverse let along mine or build to.

Anyways enough about its similarities or lack there of with Minecraft. Terraria is a absolute joy to play and the most fun I have had in a long time. I am absolutely hooked on this game and have had so much fun and inspiration to build creatively and for a purpose. I have already undertaken and finished two major building projects, a castle with a inner keep and outer walls both with parapets and arrow slits as well as the very necessarily vertical travel shaft all the way down to the underworld (about 2000 ft).

Another World (aka Out of This World)

Another World is a classic action platformer that is available on many consoles and OSes. I recently got around to playing this game and absolutely loved it.

In Another World you traverse a 2D alien world using platforming, rudimentary environmental puzzle solving, and combat. The most unique and hard aspect of this game is this combat which is completely done through a laser pistol; Additionally, this laser pistol (as well as the other unique features) are not explained in many walkthroughs nor are there any hint and tip articles about this particular game that I could find, so I will try to give some instructions for use along with this article.

The first thing to know about this game is that it is extremely short (30 minutes too an hour) if you know exactly what you are doing, but without hints, tips, a precise walkthrough, and (not or) previous hands on experience it could take anywhere from 10 hours, 20 hours, or even many times more. The reasons for this is both the extreme difficulty of the game with the check-point nature of saving and the pseudo open world sandbox-yness of the game world. The hardness is pretty standard classic fare, with not only most locations needing pin point accuracy and rapid reaction time but many needing prior knowledge of what you will encounter on the other side of a screen or what will appear after you walk past a certain spot; But these challenges are only a small part of what makes the game so time consuming. The open worldliness is the most potentially time consuming and quite unique to boot. Often you have multiple paths open to you at all times, but all but one of these paths will result either in a dead end in which you must back go back to your last save point to try again or end up in an impossible to survive situation. Not that it is all guess and check work, one of the best ways to figure out if you are going in the wrong direction is simply that your game will not save (which it normally does quite rapidly). Eventually, all of these paths are traversed but a specific linear order must be followed.

When you first get your first and only weapon, the laser pistol, it has a very limited number of shots and you have to almost perfectly conserve the charge for a handful of fights until you encounter a charging station. In combat, as well as the rest of the game, everything is instant kill but in combat you have one advantage, an energy shield. With this pistol you, and your enemies, are able to perform three types of shots by charging the pistol for progressively longer. The first shot, produced through a simple button tap, fires a regular laser shot that will either kill anything it touches or slightly damage any energy shields. The second shot is created by charging the shot for a short while, creating a temporary energy shield that wares out over time and use and stops any energy hurtled at it but allows physical matter to pass through it. This shield is created slightly in front of you but with your gun still forwards enough to fire through it; Correct use of these shields are the corner stone of the combat and necessary for survival. The third shot takes quite a long time to charge but packs quite a large punch; Capable to blasting through doors, some walls, and instantly through any shield this shot might be one of the least used but it is a life saver when used correctly.

But probably the best part of the game is the alien and brutal environment. With its unique and beautiful vector graphics and mysterious atmosphere Another World is a treat to explore. Most of all the brutality and danger of the worlds hits you. At every turn everything seems to be capable of mercilessly, efficiently, and viscerally dispatching you. All in all it creates a wonderful unique world that I would recommend to anyone, but I would recommend reading a walkthrough as you play even more.

My mini-review of Another World.