Launching an online fantasy RPG is far from a sure thing. Some have an initial spark but quickly fizzle, others never register much at all with fans. Path of Exile from Grinding Gear Games drew loads of attention from a self-hosted crowdfunding campaign, and since launching just over a month ago has seen huge success as an actual game.
Yawn … another week, another fun game from Vogat & G5 Entertainment. Of course I am joking, but it is at the point where seeing those names raises expectations. Fortunately, with Elixir: The League of Immortality they once again deliver a high quality experience with a great mix of hidden objects, puzzles and find-the-item gameplay wrapped around an engaging story.
The Sony PlayStation 4 is here. At $399, the PlayStation 500 GB console, a DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller, a micro-USB cable for charging the DUALSHOCK®4 controller, a Mono-headset for voice chat, a power cable, HDMI cable and vouchers for the PlayStation Plus services
Battlefield 4 players will get extra bonuses this week as they do battle in the campaign modes and multiplayer/online, which allows 64 players to play each other at 60 frames per second. From Thursday, November 28 to Thursday, December 5, Electronic Arts/DICE has designated a special week to compensate game owners since they encountered technical and gameplay snafus.
An easy and powerful trope is having a woman kidnapped and the fiance left to solve the mystery to find her and set her free. We had it last week (in reverse) in Silent Valley and we have it again now. But sometimes a trope is a launching off point for an excellent game – that is the case here!
I got an email from The Voxel Agents about their game Puzzle Retreat coming to the Kindle Fire, and as I looked at their site and the trailer I noticed it was already on iOS and Android, so I gave it a shot. Guess what? It is breezy, engaging, and loads of fun. Check it out!
Recently I reviewed Temptation: Episode I from Vogat and G5 Entertainment, a haunting tale of magic and mystery brought to life through the casual hidden object genre. Now they are back with Silent Valley: Mystery Mansion, another dark and mysterious tale full of dread and misfortune. The story is once again wonderfully integrated and enjoyable to explore – another great game!
Jeff Vogel’s Spiderweb Software has been putting out some of the best indie role-playing games for 20 years. The Avernum and Geneforge franchises rank up there with some of the best commercial games made through the years. Back in 2011 they broke new ground with the Avadon franchise; now the sequel arrives, improving on the original in every way.
Pikmin 3 has quickly become an essential open-world action game on the Nintendo Wii U console with colorful visuals, fun multi-tasking gameplay, and satisfying challenges. Developed and published by Nintendo, Pikmin 3 combines adventure, combat, and resource management mix into an emotional story where three stranded space explorers make new friends and take on new challenges.
Last year I reviewed Whispered Fear: The Cursed Doll from Vogat and G5 Entertainment, a haunting tale brought to life through the casual hidden object genre. Now they are back with Temptation. Episode I, another dark and mysterious tale full of dread and misfortune. The story is once again wonderfully integrated and enjoyable to explore –making this another great game!
Electronic Arts/Maxis has announced The Sims™ 4 will be shipping in fall 2014 worldwide on PC/Mac. This specific date range follows the initial 2014 release announcement. Pre-orders are available at www.TheSims.com/. Pre-order now to receive the Limited Edition which comes with The Sims 4 Life of the Party Digital Content.
In deep strategic combat simulation PC games such as the X series, complexity is a way of life. Since 1999 the X franchise has expanded the scope of its universe, the complexity of systems, and pretty much everything else. Riding on this history, X: Rebirth launches on November 15th to bring you an entirely new look for a classic franchise.
The popular Rosetta Stone® language learning modules now have game! The company has launched Rosetta Stone Arcade Academy where users can expand their Spanish linguistic skills through various games within a mobile application. Users can get the app (149 MB) on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad for free (as of October 2013).
When I saw the basic information for Puzzle Knights I was intrigued: Match-3 system, strategic battle system, online challenges and level-up system. Playing the game was every bit as much fun, with plenty of enemies to challenge and a continuously enjoyable puzzle system. With the recent update the game is even better, and is definitely worth checking out!
Dragon’s Crown, a current PlayStation console exclusive, brings a nostalgic look and feel with retrospective action-role playing and a recently revealed cross-play option between the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions. Published by Atlus and developed by Vanillaware, Dragon’s Crown has plenty of eclectic characters, beat ‘em up action, antagonistic boss challenges, simplified level design, and a great online multiplayer mode.
Given the huge success of their freemium games Virtual City Playground and The Secret Society, it is no surprise that G5 Entertainment is taking the ‘freemium sandbox’ route with more of their properties. Stand O’Food is a popular time-management game series, and with Stand O’Food Empire you can now build new restaurant chains with Ronnie, Nikki and Clarence !
While hidden object games are more about screen design, mechanics and puzzle integration, I love series like Mystery of the Crystal Portal and Treasure Seekers that include a plot to follow with interesting characters. I already reviewed the main Treasure Seekers III game, now G5 and Artogon have released the Collector’s Edition – if you haven’t played yet, get this one.
I loved Sorcery! when I reviewed it back in May, describing it as a game that combines classic fantasy story, told as a ‘create your own adventure’, loaded up with fantasy RPG gameplay, with a unique and engaging visual style. As we await the November Part 2 release, Inkle has released a major update making Part 1 worth playing again!
Way back in the summer of 2006, my mother took my boys to the Boston ‘10th Anniversary of Pokemon’ event. That Pokemon had sustained popularity that long was stunning, but now we’ve hit a new milestone as the latest games – Pokémon X and Y for Nintendo 3DS – sold more than 4 million copies on October 12th and 13th.
Video games and exercise don’t often go hand-in-hand, although attempts at calorie burning games by major consoles have been made in the past. However, with the new Kinect 2.0 technology included with the Xbox One, Microsoft is trying to lure us couch potatoes off of our favorite La-Z-Boy by combining videos by popular fitness instructors with Kinect’s new ultra-sensitive cameras.
When you think of the classics of adventure gaming, you think of LucasArts and Jane Jensen, of Maniac Mansion and Gabriel Knight. We have seen many LucasArts game brought back through TellTale Games, and now Jane Jensen herself has returned to revamp Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers for a 20th anniversary release in mid-2014.