Prime Gaming 3 April 2025

Two weeks gone, time to grab more games! Let's poke the Amazon piñata
and see what comes a'tumbling out!


* Deus Ex: Invisible War (via GOG)
     The forgotten second game of the franchise. "Invisible
     War" was hated on release, but it's actually not bad. It
     is, however, very visibly hamstrung by the console
     hardware around which it was designed; tiny levels,
     simplified mechanics, and the rest. The game struggles to
     tell a good story and it manages in the end... but just
     barely. Except for everyone, who would have known a game
     like Deus Ex would fare poorly on 6th-gen consoles?


* Legacy of Kain: Defiance (via GOG)
     An early-2000s third-person action/adventure. One part
     hack-n-slasher, one part Tomb Raider-style platformer,
     its combat and mechanics never quite had the polish the
     series deserved. The story is as edgy as you'd expect from
     that era of games too. It's okay, but you can feel its
     22-years of age in every aspect of the game.


* GameDec - Definitive Edition (via GOG)
     A cyberpunk-themed top-down CRPG. Its gimmick is,
     supposedly, how reactive the world is to your choices,
     similar to the forethought put into "Baldurs Gate 3". But
     reviews indicate that, while it has an interesting story,
     it lacks the degree of polish that makes for a great game.


* Mutazione (via GOG)
     Self-described as "a mutant soap-opera" filled with "small
     town drama", I just can't get past the visuals. I really
     dislike these flat-shaded character models that too many
     Indie games rely on. Maybe its a good game (it doesn't sound
     all that appealing to me) but I'll never find out, just
     because I'm judging the game by its appearance. Sue me.


* Session: Skate Sim (via Epic)
     A not-very-good "Tony Hawk" copy-cat where you roll around
     on a skate-board. The entire skate-board fad never really
     appealed to me anyway, so this wasn't the sort of game I'd
     ever get excited about... but even if I did like the genre,
     there are better games out there.


* Let's Build A Zoo (via Epic)
     Try and guess what this game is about! Too cutesy and Indie
     for my taste. It rates a very definite 'meh' from me.


* Mortal Shell (via Epic)
     A third-person Souls-like of mediocre quality. Fans of the
     genre might get something out of this, but if you're new
     to that type of game, you're probably better off sticking
     with the better-known games.


* The Forgotten City (via AMAZ)
     It started as a mod to Skyrim but became something much,
     much more. It's a mystery game involving time-loops; figure
     out what has changed with each iteration. The action elements
     are pretty light; this is mostly a game about conversation
     and observation. It could have used a bit more polish,
     but overall a good game.


* Figment 2: Creed Valley (via AMAZ)
     An isometric action game. Interesting concept (set in the
     human brain) with some fun elements, it's just not to my
     taste. But I can understand why a lot of people like it.


* The Wisbey Mystery (via Luna)
     The de rigueur hidden object game that Amazon includes with
     every give-away


* Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (via MS)
     The stand-alone expansion to "Wolfenstein: The New Order".
     A mostly forgettable game that doesn't really say or do
     anything new; it feels like leftover levels spliced together
     into a new game. That it's on Microsoft's Xbox service makes
     it all the more unappealing. But the game is not terrible,
     and if you adore the 'nu-Wolfensten' games, you might get
     some enjoyment out of this one.


Nothing really exciting this month, but nothing terribly disappointing
either. It's good Number-stuffer games, the sort of titles you get
just to fill up your video-game library but nothing you rush out to
grab. Amazon has done worse, in the past (and probably will again, in
the future). I guess we'll find out in two weeks.