Oops! I forgot to check HumbleChoice for new games were waiting for me
on Tuesday! Well, a day later (but hopefully not a dollar short),
let's go see what games are available this month.
* Against the Storm
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1336490/Against_the_Storm/ This one seems odd; a post-apocalyptic fantasy game that
seems one part "SimCity", one part "Civilization", one
part "Settlers", and a dash of "Timberborners" for style.
Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of it. It seems just
a bit too many genres mixed into one, and the presentation
looks just a little bit too "mobile game" for my taste.
Maybe it's good? I'm not sure I'll play it to find out.
* Jagged Alliance 3
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1084160/Jagged_Alliance_3/ Long-time PC gamers will be familiar with this title, if
only because of its franchise and not the game itself.
The original "Jagged Alliance" games were contemporaneous
competitors with the classic X-Com games, and their come-
back is largely a result of its long-time rival's revival.
But while the 2016 XCom went for a more streamlined approach,
Jagged Alliance stuck to its roots with its complicated
tactical strategy. This doesn't result in a game and less
enjoyable, but it is a lot less approachable, and I think
only fans of the originals --or classic turn-based tactical
strategy games-- will find much appeal to this iteration.
* Blasphemous 2
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2114740/Blasphemous_2/ This one is a side-scrolling metroidvania in the old
classic style. There's nothing really wrong with this
one but it doesn't really stand out, and often feels a
bit kitchen-sinky; too many new features added willy-
nilly just to say there's new stuff in this game that
the first game didn't have. A must-have for fans of
the first "Blasphemous" but otherwise not something to
get too excited about unless you're a huge fan of the
genre.
* Beneath Oresa
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803400/Beneath_Oresa/ Oh goody; /there/ are those words I so _love_ to see:
'roguelike' and 'deckbuilder'. It received generally
positive reviews but I honestly don't care enough to
see why this game is any better than the rest. Go visit
the website above yourself if you're interested; I'm not.
* Fort Solis
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1931730/Fort_Solis/ Although at first appearance this appears a tight sci-fi
'action adventure', it's really a rather slow-paced sci-fi
'walking sim', and while it has a somewhat interesting premise,
its execution leaves something to be desired. While its UE5
visuals are gorgeous, its writing and dialogue aren't that
great, what little challenges there are in the game take the
form of detested quicktime-events, and the optimization and
bugs are annoying flaws. It probably makes for a better
"Let's Play" on YouTube than something to actually play.
* Boxes: Lost Fragments
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2019810/Boxes_Lost_Fragments/ A good looking 'puzzle-box' simulator; you gotta figure
out what steps are necessary to open the locked chest in
front of you. And no, just smashing the thing open isn't
an option. I guess this sort of game has its fans; myself,
I'd grow bored after opening the first box. There's an over-
arching story to the whole thing too, but its not deep
or interesting enough to make the effort worth it. There's
just no real payoff to opening all those the boxes other than
the fact that you opened them, and that's not enough for me.
* Dordogne
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272840/Dordogne/ Yet another walking sim. I've no problem with the genre,
and as an example of the type, "Dordogne" is pretty good...
but I can't get into the setting and style. I just have
no interest in the protagonist or her adventures. Sorry.
* The Pegasus Expedition
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1521070/The_Pegasus_Expedition/ A grand-strategy game with a story, which seems an odd
enough idea, but also like it could Just Work. Except in
this case, I don't think it really lives up to its premise.
It's not a bad game, but the strategy elements are pretty
weak, and the story isn't that interesting. It is an okay
game, but not very exciting. It feels half-baked; "Pegasus"
probably could have used a few more years in the oven.
A weird mix of games, and not really all that exciting to me. The few
I do have some interest (like Fort Solis) in are notably flawed, and
there are a number of games I don't care about at all. It's a toss-up
if I grab this month's games at all, although the allure of adding
another "Jagged Alliance" game to the library is pretty tempting...