Prime Gaming 3 July 2025

So many free games being given away! First Humble, then Epic, now
Amazon. It's almost like Christmas again! Maybe they're all
celebrating Independence Day (shout-out to my Canadian friends!)


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* Star Wars Rebellion (via GOG)
     "Rebellion" didn't get very good reviews when it was
     released, but I always liked this simplistic strategy game.
     Mostly because it was Star Wars, though; even I had to admit
     that as a strategy game it lacked the options and depth that
     made it a classic. It's not a great game, but it can be fun.
     It's sort of a prototype "Empire at War" crossed with "Master
     of Orion"; it's got some good ideas even if they weren't all
     that well implemented.


* Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (via GOG)
     I'll be quite honest; I can't keep all the "Saints Row IV"
     games separate from one another. I _think_ this was the one
     with the aliens and super-powers, but there are so many of
     them it's hard to keep track. The series started getting
     increasingly weird and silly, and while it was fun at first,
     eventually it jumped the shark. I think this game is just
     before that happened though.

 
* Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (via GOG)
     Look, I'm not going to give you another one of my spiels
     about how I dislike remasters. Certainly not for this game,
     which is actually pretty good. Sure, its gameplay is pure
     1995, but it's still probably the best way to play the early
     Tomb Raiders. My biggest issue with remasters, anyway, is
     their cost, and since you're getting the games free (sort
     of) that negates that disadvantage. And my reason for
     bitching. Win-win!


* TOEM (via GOG)
     "A hand-drawn adventure game"; wander the world (animated
     in monochrome pen-n-ink style), solve the usual puzzle quests,
     and take pictures of things. A very lite and casual adventure;
     not bad for what it is, even if its not really to my taste.


* Saints Row 2 (via GOG)
     More Saints Row goodness. The second game is where the
     franchise really found its niche; not just a pale "Grand
     Theft Auto 3" clone, but a game with its own personality. I
     never really glommed onto this one; it was still too deep
     into the "street gangs are cool" mentality but it's otherwise
     a good game, if a bit aged in visuals and gameplay now.


* Thief: Deadly Shadows (via GOG)
     Another classic and --I'm not afraid to admit-- my favorite
     in the franchise. Moving to third person really helped me grok
     the stealth mechanics, and the visuals finally caught up to
     the game's desire to be atmospheric. It also has some truly
     creepy levels. The only downside to the game is that
     --originally developed to run on sixth generation consoles--
     some of the levels are unduly small (I think there's a
     fan-patch that fixes this, though). Definitely a game to add
     to your library.


* Jupiter Hell (via GOG)
     A turn-based shooter with rogue-like aspirations. Reviews are
     generally positive, but that permadeath and roguelikes aren't
     really my thing.


* Stray Gods: Orpheus Edition (via GOG)
     The original "Stray Gods" game plus the "Orpheus" DLC rolled
     into one package. Subtitled "the role-playing musical', it's
     probably closer to a visual novel than an RPG... except with
     a lot of singing. It's actually quite good (assuming the whole
     musical thing doesn't turn you off) and its unique style alone
     makes it worth taking a look.


* FATE: Undiscovered Realms (via GOG)
     The FATE series, like Saints Row, is one where I have a hard
     time keeping track of the individual games. It's yet another
     action-RPG; what makes this one different from the other games
     in the franchise? I can't remember. But it's okay for what it
     is and if you want more FATE, well, this is more.


* Dark Envoy (via GOG)
     I don't know anything about this game, so I'm just gonna
     cut'n'paste the marketing copy from the store page: "Lead a
     party of relic hunters in an epic CRPG adventure set in a
     war-torn Guns N’ Sorcery world. Experiment with a tactical
     slo-mo and a modern combat system!" Looks okay (not great)
     but reviews are middling.


* Paquerette Down the Bunborrows (via EPIC)
     A pixel-graphic Sokoban-style puzzler. Chase bunnies into
     their burrows. Mostly seems aimed at people who have over-
     whelming nostalgia for Gameboy-era Sokoban games... a group
     in which I am definitely not included.


* Boxes: Lost Fragments (via EPIC)
     A logic-puzzler where you have to open an bunch of puzzle
     boxes. Looks well made and I can see myself getting invested
     in it for a little while... but I'm pretty sure I'd tire of
     the thing by the third box.


* Dungeon of the Endless Definitive Edition (via Amazon)
     A tower-defense game set in a dungeon. It's fine. You get all
     the DLC with this version.


* Gallery of Things: Reverie (via Legacy)
     Hey, wait, where's the hidden object game? Don't these
     Amazon give-aways always include a hidden object game?
     Well, here's your damned hidden object game! ;-)

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Whew! That's a lot of games. There are quite a few good ones too.
Definitely worth the price of admission this month (shame it goes to
supporting the evil Amazon empire though).

More to come in a couple of weeks, though.