Prime Gaming 17 September 2024

Oh wow. It's only been two weeks, but we have got A LOT of games to
cover this time. Come to think of it, we had a pretty good selection
of games at the start of the month. And the month before too. What's
up at Amazon? Are they trying to make me LIKE paying for Prime every
month? Keep it up; I think it might be working!

We got a lot of games to cover, so let's get started! As usual, Amazon
is offering up these freebies by making them available either directly
through their own client, or via GOG and EPIC. I'll divide them up
into their respective sources.



// Games Via GOG \

* Moonlighter
   A pixel-graphic action-RPG. It's very retro; it's got
   a classic Zelda style to it. Reviews indicate that the
   late-game can be a bit heavy in grind, but if you like
   a fairly simplistic rogue-like RPG, this might suit
   your tastes.

* Showgunners
   A tactical-strategy game; lead your hero through a
   'diabolical game show' (to quote the developers). Like
   pretty much every game these days, it has role-playing
   elements too. One reviewer described its gameplay as
   "X-Com without the base-building". I'm not sure about
   the setting, but the mechanics sound interesting.

* 9 Years of Shadows
   An action/platformer with exploration; e.g., a
   Metroidvania. This game's 'gimmick' is its colorful
   almost anime-esque visuals, but beyond that it's a
   fairly standard example of the form, with some
   unpolished mechanics and an uneven difficulty curve.
   It's fine.

* Arcadegeddon
   A fairly bland third-person co-op hero-shooter. Meh.

* Cursed to Golf
   A cross between a retro-platformer and a golf game.
   Points for originality, although neither genres are
   really my cup of tea.

* Hell Pie
   A 3D mascot platformer, with its hook being its foul-
   mouthed 'demon of bad taste' protagonist. It's try-
   hard edginess tries to disguise its lack of new ideas
   or exciting gameplay.

* Greedfall
   Another RPG, albeit this one utilizing a more immersive
   over-the-shoulder viewpoint. It reminds me of the "Risen"
   games more than anything else. Reviews indicate strong
   story and narrative but average mechanics. Ehn. It's
   different, at least, so I'm happy to have it.



// Games Via EPIC \

* Tales from the Borderlands
   A Telltale adventure game take on the Borderlands
   franchise. It's a much better-told story than the
   atrocious movie! Its gameplay, however, is pure
   Telltale Games; heavy on story and narrative, light
   on actual mechanics and puzzles.

* Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
   Which one was this? Oh, it's the third of the rebooted
   reboot series. More specifically, it's the one that
   went all-in on the whole open-world thing. Personally,
   while I quite enjoyed the overall mechanics of this
   game, I found the open-world resulted in too much
   faffing about; the game felt bloated and a bit grindy
   compared to its better-paced predecessors. Still
   fun, though.

* Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
   Meh. More Borderlands. If you like the franchise,
   this one will suit you fine, but I got tired of the
   style after the first game and each subsequent
   iteration just left me more and more tired.

* Eternights
   A dating sim crossed with a hack-n-slash dungeon
   crawler. Um, okay. Apparently the combat is adequate
   but unexciting but the real draw is the often
   goofy characters and their interactions. I'm not
   sure I'm the person to make judgment on this game.
   It makes The Number go up, anyway.



// Games Via Amazon \

* Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
   It's a LEGO game. It's developed by Traveller Tales.
   This one has Indiana Jones. That's really all you
   need to know about this game. If you love either
   franchise, you'll be satisfied with this game.
   Just don't expect anything new.

* Golfie
   A rogue-like that has got golf, procedurally
   generated levels, and a deck-building mechanic? Are
   the developers _trying_ to make a game that has
   everything I dislike? 'Cause this one comes pretty
   close. Maybe in the next update they can squeeze
   in some NFTs?

* Minabo - A Walk Through Life
   This is (quoting the store page) "a social simulation
   game where you walk the path of life while your
   turnip grows and thrives (or not) in its social
   relationships." Okay. And I'd want to play that why?

* Whispered Secrets: Everburning Candle CE
   Oh good, another hidden-object adventure game. I was
   afraid Amazon Prime Gaming had forgotten its roots.



 ------------ 

So, a real mixed bag this time around. Some good games, some awful, a
lot of weird ones that will only appeal to a certain niche... But I'm
not really complaining. They're free, and except for one or two, all
of them seem to be worth at least LOOKING at. Keep up the good work,
Amazon.