The Worms conflict has been raging for so long at this point that nobody can remember why it started or who fired the first shot. It’s well documented that hostilities broke out some 15 years ago and that countless annelids have lost and continue to lose their lives, but why do they fight? No borders [...]
Shoot-’em-up games draw on a fairly standard formula, and by pitting your lone ship against countless waves of enemies who shower you in a thick hail of lasers, Razor 2: Hidden Skies at least gets the basics right. But though the game demands quick fingers and sharp eyes, there is little [...]
The Worms conflict has been raging for so long at this point that nobody can remember why it started or who fired the first shot. It’s well documented that hostilities broke out some 15 years ago and that countless annelids have lost and continue to lose their lives, but why do they fight? No borders [...]
Like peanut butter and chocolate or French fries and ice cream, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlord’s seemingly odd mix of genres just worked. It resulted in a surprisingly deep and layered experience from both its role-playing and puzzling parts. The sequel–Puzzle Quest 2–doesn’t stray far from the core of the [...]
The sun may never have set on the British Empire of the 19th century, but it is finally starting to rise on the Victoria series of grand strategy games. Paradox Interactive’s sequel to its buggy and confusing 2003 game about nation building during the Industrial Age has been well worth the wait. Victoria II dumps [...]
For two guys who debuted as Dead Men back in 2007, Adam “Kane” Marcus and James Seth Lynch are in pretty good shape. Kane’s nose is no longer broken, Lynch’s medication is keeping his inner psycho under control, and their gritty second outing improves upon the first in just about every way. Kane & Lynch [...]
Conquering foreign lands, setting up lucrative sea trade routes, and colonizing the new world are all challenging pursuits with which Finnish developer Nitro Games is well acquainted. Last year’s naval real-time strategy trading war game East India Company was not without its issues, but it gave players a strong taste for [...]
As any fan of a good murder mystery will tell you, there’s nothing more satisfying than a surprising reveal and a shocking payoff. Unfortunately, there’s a disastrous corollary to this tenet: A bad ending insults the reader and renders the plot that came before it hollow and insincere. Though point-and-click adventure [...]
Exploration, combat, and unit progression have been the gameplay pillars of the Disciples series since its debut in 1999, enticing players into a rewarding rhythm of turn-based satisfaction. Disciples III: Renaissance is founded on these same solid elements and, thanks to the creative and sumptuous visuals, makes an appealing first impression [...]
Some sequels radically reinvent what has come before; others simply buff up a formula that already soars. To suggest that Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty does only the latter and not the former would be to sell short the fresh ideas and exciting gameplay that makes this superb real-time strategy sequel [...]
