IT’S BEEN A WHILE, FRIENDS, BUT I HAVE A HOT TIP FOR YOU:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1889620/AI_Roguelite/
IT’S A ROLE-PLAYING GAME THAT USES A.I. TO CREATE THE WORLD BASED ON YOUR INITIAL DESCRIPTION OF IT.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT’S A SURREAL COMEDY GENERATOR.
AT THE MOMENT IT’S ONLY FIVE BUCKS. IT’S A STEAL.
I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE DEVELOPER BUT I HOPE THIS GAME BECOMES A BIG SUCCESS (AND GETS SOME MORE QUALITY-OF-LIFE UPGRADES).
I AM PLAYING THE NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES GAME BY FROGWARES. THE NAME “CHAPTER ONE” IS MISLEADING BECAUSE IT SUGGESTS THIS IS A GAME TO BE RELEASED IN INSTALLMENTS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. IT IS A FULL GAME IN ITSELF AND “CHAPTER ONE” MERELY INDICATES THIS IS A STORY OF A YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES WHO HAS NOT YET BECOME LONDON’S PREMIER CONSULTING DETECTIVE.
I MUST SAY I AM TREMENDOUSLY IMPRESSED BY FROGWARES LATELY. THE SINKING CITY — WHICH I MENTION FOR REASONS I’LL EXPLAIN DIRECTLY — IS AN EXCELLENT GAME, EVEN THOUGH I’VE NEVER FINISHED IT. ON MY FIRST PLAYTHROUGH, ON XBOX ONE X, I GOT CLOSE TO THE END BUT WAS ODDLY HESITANT TO FINISH THE GAME BECAUSE I LIKED IT SO MUCH. ON MY SECOND PLAYTHROUGH, ON STEAM, I MADE SEVERAL HOURS OF PROGRESS, BUT DUE TO A CONFLICT BETWEEN FROGWARES AND ITS DISTRIBUTOR, THE GAME WAS REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT VERSION THAT MADE MY SAVE UNLOADABLE. NOW I’M IN THE MIDST OF THE REPLACEMENT VERSION AND IT’S STILL AS ENJOYABLE AS EVER. I DARE SAY CHARLES REED IS A MUCH MORE LIKABLE AND INTERESTING PROTAGONIST THAN IS EVIDENT IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE GAME.
SHERLOCK HOLMES: CHAPTER ONE BENEFITS GREATLY FROM FROGWARES’ EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING THE SINKING CITY. IT IS A FULLY OPEN-WORLD GAME, AND THE WORLD, THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND OF CORDONA (WHICH, BASED ON MY HALF-ASSED RESEARCH, IS PROBABLY AT LEAST PARTIALLY BASED ON THE REAL-LIFE ISLAND OF MAJORCA), IS BEAUTIFUL AND FASCINATING. I’M ABOUT 20 HOURS INTO SHERLOCK HOLMES NOW AND I’M LOVING IT. AFTER I’M DONE, I EXPECT I WILL FINISH THE SINKING CITY IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE.
ON THE STRENGTH OF THESE TWO GAMES, FROGWARES IS RAPIDLY BECOMING ONE OF MY FAVORITE DEVELOPERS. THEY DO HAVE AN ASSASSIN’S-CREED-STYLE INITIAL DISCLAIMER ABOUT HOW EVERYONE IN THE PAST WAS HORRIBLE AND WRONGHEADED, BUT IN THE GAME ITSELF THEY DON’T PULL TOO MANY PUNCHES, THOUGH YOU WILL OCCASIONALLY GET RAILROADED INTO MAKING SHERLOCK SAY SOMETHING UNCHARACTERISTICALLY WOKE. BUT THIS IS A MINOR QUIBBLE. BETWEEN THE ADDITION OF A FULL OPEN WORLD, AND THE REMOVAL OF AN EXCESS OF NON-DEDUCTIVE PUZZLES (SLIDING TILES, CHESS MOVES, ETC.) AS WAS SEEN IN THEIR EARLIER HOLMES GAMES, FROGWARES SEEMS TO BE DOING PRETTY WELL LATELY.
ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS AN ENGINEER.
CHOO CHOO CHARLIE WAS HIS NAME WE HEAR.
HE ROAMED AROUND AN ISLAND AND HE SURE HAD FUN.
HE USED HUMAN SACRIFICES TO MAKE HIS TRAIN RUN.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1766740/ChooChoo_Charles/
THE LAST “NUMBERED” FAR CRY GAME, #5, CAME OUT 3 1/2 YEARS AGO. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY NEW DAWN, WHICH BROUGHT SOME CLOSURE TO #5’S STORY. I LOVED THEM BOTH. AND NOW, AT LAST, THIS WEEK FAR CRY 6 IS RELEASING. THE NEW VILLAIN IS GIANCARLO ESPOSITO, PERHAPS BEST KNOWN AS GUS FRING FROM BREAKING BAD. FUN FACT: HE WAS THE CONSPIRACY-THEORIST REPORTER (WHO TURNED OUT TO BE LARGELY CORRECT) IN BOB ROBERTS! I HAD NO IDEA UNTIL TODAY. ANYWAY, UNFORTUNATELY YOU CAN’T GET IT ON STEAM BUT YOU CAN GET IT THROUGH UBISOFT’S LAUNCHER.
BONUS FUN FACT: I ALSO FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THE JACKAL FROM FAR CRY 2 HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY UBISOFT TO BE THE PLAYER CHARACTER FROM FAR CRY 1! PRETTY INTERESTING. NEVER DID FINISH FAR CRY 1, THOUGH I’VE FINISHED EVERY NUMBERED ENTRY SINCE. STILL HAVE TO FINISH BLOOD DRAGON AND PRIMAL.
SO CRAZY IT JUST MIGHT WORK! IN THIS TOWER DEFENSE GAME YOU CAN RUN AROUND AND BEAT ENEMIES UP, A TRICK I HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE BRUTAL LEGEND. THOUGH I DO NOT GENERALLY GO FOR TOWER DEFENSE GAMES SO I COULD JUST BE OUT OF THE LOOP. ANYWAY I LIKE DOGS.
THIS IS A STAINED GLASS JIGSAW PUZZLE GAME SOMETHING LIKE GLASS MASQUERADE, BUT THIS HAS A STORY TO GO WITH IT. I LIKE THE ART.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1034150/Mosaic_Chronicles/
I’M NOT SURE HOW MUCH STAYING POWER IT WILL HAVE BUT IT LOOKS LIKE AT THE VERY LEAST IT COULD BE FUN IN MEASURED DOSES. NEEDS MORE MONSTER OPTIONS THOUGH. THE WORLD NEEDS A NEW CRUSH, CRUMBLE, AND CHOMP! (ON THE C-64 YOU COULD HIT THE BREAK KEY AND LOOK AT THE SOURCE CODE — ALL IN COMMODORE 64 BASIC!)
https://gaminglyfe.com/retro-city-smash-em-up-terror-of-hemasaurus-reveled-for-pc-and-consoles/
IT’S CYBERPUNK DIABLO! IT’S VERY WELL DONE TOO. ALTHOUGH EVEN ON EASY, IT’S HARD.
TINYTOPIA IS A CITY-BUILDER WITH A FEW DIFFERENCES. FOR ONE THING, IT’S TINY. FOR ANOTHER, ALL THE BUILDINGS HAVE PHYSICS, SO YOU CAN DO FUN AND HORRIBLE STUFF.