Archives 2020

Cloudpunk a delivery simulator in the sky

Cloudpunk

Merge Games takes Blade Runner and mixes it with delivery mechanics in Cloudpunk.

In Cloudpunk you play as Rania, a Cloudpunk driver that will deliver anything to anyone regardless of the risk involved. As long as they are paying she will pick it up and take it where it needs to go. Immediately upon starting the game I was struck with a single observation, if you are driving a flying car why is everyone sticking to designated pathways when you could fly over everything? Determined to understand I pressed on.

Players must navigate a massive city that uses portal/tunnels that allow you to move between sectors all the while picking up various packages and dropping them off. Visually the game is a pixelated Picasso, far away it is stunning but up close it is a pixelated mess. The flight controls for the cars are intuitive and easy to pick up but the controls while walking are clunky and rarely move in a straight line let alone go where you intended the first few tries. The story is slow going but is easily forgettable and fails to grab your attention. For a game that goes for $25 I’d suggest waiting for a massive discount before picking it up.

Warcry Catacombs ~ is it just a reskinning of the original?

Warcry Catacombs

It’s common for Games Workshop to release multiple new starter boxes using the same rules but is Warcry Catacombs another example of this?

Definitively Warcry Catacombs is not just the same game with new plastic wrap, there is so much more. The boxset features two new warbands, never before seen in the Eight Points and unlike the original starter one of them is from the Order Grand Alliance! A different alliance isn’t all that’s new, some of the terrain and one of the maps features a lava-filled chamber that changes how you play the game. When within the Catacombs you no longer have towers to climbs, which is a complete game changer for the Corvus Cabal. Warbands that use height to their advantage will be hindered by the low ceilings but it isn’t the end of Corvus Cabal as some may have predicted. Corvus Cabal has the ability to wall run above their foes so even though they can’t scale the tower to smash down on unsuspecting prey but they can pass freely allowing them to stop behind their foes.

The biggest downside in this box the the durability of some of the models. This is not something new when it comes to Aelves, nimble characters make for leaner models and a leaner model makes for limbs, weapons and features that are more likely to break with a little pressure. That being said they look absolutely fantastic. The core book is still the same and remains one of the cleanest and most well developed games I’ve had the pleasure of playing but the new features bring both a unique style of play and an easy way to switch to more narrative based gameplay.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

Kingdoms of Amalur

A new edition of Kingdoms of Amalur has released by THQ Nordic and we got to check out it’s high definition glory.

An war against evil brings our hero to the frontlines where he is quickly cut down. In Kingdoms of Amalur players were treated to a game world created by R.A. Salvatore, Todd McFarlane and the team behind the classic Elder Scrolls Oblivion. The Re-reckoning edition features updated graphics, new side quests and all of the downloadable content from the original. With such a pedigree I was very excited to try this game out.

For a game that was considered a hit I was shocked to have never heard of it during it’s original release. Overall it looks and feels like the older version of the game with a fresh coat of paint. Game mechanics and controls felt like Oblivion. In my opinion Oblivion felt dated by it’s first anniversary and so this plays like something the belongs on the Xbox 360 when it was first starting as a console and not over a decade later on the Xbox One. I spent two hours exploring the world and was left wishing I passed on the title or at least spent a lot less time on the game.

Moons of Madness – a futuristic Lovecraftian adventure

Moons of Madness

Moons of Madness is a reimagining of HP Lovecraft’s Mountains of Madness but instead of some twisted mountain it is the red planet itself.

Funcom brings us the game Moons of Madness, intended as a science fiction thriller on the surface of Mars. A strange signal has be coming from the planet’s surface and a team has been sent to investigate. The signal has baffled the scientists from Orochi and they decided to keep the signal from public knowledge, especially after they determined the source to be from someone or something with some sort of intelligence. As a lowly technician you have limited information regarding the signal and your job is simply to keep the station running.

Keeping everything working properly becomes more irksome as setbacks begin to happen and weird things begin to occur. Maintenance tasks range from the tedious and believable to the downright strange like a flooded greenhouse. A greenhouse being flooded is normally a believable occurrence but on a planet with virtually no water where it needs to be rationed closely how did no one notice the leak quick enough to prevent the flooding?

Visually the game is quite stunning but lacks in the ambiance to be a truly horrific title. The puzzles do have a more realistic feel to some of their solutions which makes up for some of the tonal issues but even when trying to up the tension it feels more like the game wants to be scary but simply doesn’t know how. It’s like me and dancing, I’d love to be good at it but don’t have any rhythm or even know how to dance.

Deep Sky Derelicts – a turn based strategy game

Deep Sky Derelicts

Deep Sky Derelicts from Snowhound Games is a game of salvage, mining and combat in space!

Assuming the role of a scavenger in Deep Sky Derelicts, you are looked down on by society but with a twist. Other than normal occupations society is split into two main factions- the haves and the have nots, or simply the Privleged and the Stateless. As a member of the Stateless group of humanity you must scavenge your way through not only your daily routine but as a means of survival. You have a single way out of this life though, one last salvage to end them all- an ancient alien spacecraft.

Gameplay is a throw back to the Final Fantasy 7 days of old where you take turns with each action and when winning the fight you are stuck watching a celebration to, well, celebrate your win. As  you progress through a map that looks like a cross between a tabletop game and a classic 80’s role playing game. Aesthetically the game looks like it would fit as an animated backdrop for another release in the Dead Space franchise, but much more tame and missing the spook factor. Controls are easy to learn but the game offers little in entertainment, but makes up for it in combat that looks like it belongs in a science fiction based comic.

Chicken Police Paint it Ret

chicken police

Chicken Police is a Noir-styled detective story featuring the personification of many members of the animal kingdom.

Chicken Police, Handy Games, looks and plays like a classic point and click adventure using images of characters from a detective film that was released in the 20s or 30s. The biggest difference though is that the heads have been replaced with those of the animals they are meant to represent. You play form member of the Chicken Police, Sonny and are met by a doe who looks to hire a detective.

Forced to team up with your former partner Marty you must get to the bottom of this case as you dive deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. Point and click adventures can be quite dull unless your bring the panache along with it. What on the outside looks like a silly concept ends up working quite well as you are thrust into the world of Clawville- basically Zootopia without the Disney touch. The character models are beautifully rendered with more detail than you would have expected from a game like this and dialogue that is full of wit.

Personally I enjoyed the world and visuals but would have preferred something other than the point and click stylings we received.

Warcry Warband Focus Featuring the Spire Tyrants

Spire Tyrants

Welcome to the another installment of a our series where we will be focusing on one of the Chaos Warbands from Warcry. This time we will be discussing the Spire Tyrants!

The Spire Tyrants hail from the Varanspire, specifically the fighting pits. Those that excel in the pits are awarded a spot among the warbands. Comprising of more variations than nearly any other warband, the Tyrants is ideal for the player that doesn’t want every model to look the same, just as every successful pit fighter is varied.

The variation is both a blessing and a curse for this warband. Specifically the more options you have the more you can customize to your play style. The reason I say this is a curse is because if you are like me you are very indecisive when it comes to building your team. To find the right fit for you, don’t be surprised if you need to modify your roster multiple times before landing on the one that works for you. I still haven’t figured out my best line up and I’ve had my box since they were released!

When it comes to abilities they don’t have nearly as many attack options as I would have expected. They surprisingly have an excellent team buff option with a triple roll- Champion of the Warpits. This ability gives a bonus to attack rolls to nearby units if the attacker had downed an opponent on this turn.

This warband hits hard and has a decent range of movement, making them an improvement over the Iron Golems in my opinion. This increased range allows them to reach their enemies faster and get to the objectives in a more timely manner. When you reach your target, whichever type it may be, you will be able to take a beating and dish one out while you’re there.

To purchase your own box of this models head over to the Games Workshop store here! I personally would pick up two so you have can more options when assembling your warband.

Little Big Workshop ~ a miniature industry game

Little Big Workshop

Little Big Workshop is the builder that allows you to build a manufacturing business from the ground up with the appearance of it miniaturized.

This title from Handy Games is all about industry on a miniature scale. Little Big Workshop focuses on automation and planning ahead. Aimed at all ages it seems to miss it’s mark. Cute animations and characters do not make for a child friendly game. You start the game simple enough, build a workbench,  then make and ship a couple gnomes.

After this first task thinks get much more difficult as you find yourself not only trying to build a bench but pre-plan multiple tasks. Many of these tasks don’t even link properly and required rebooting the game several times to finally get it to complete. For a tutorial that is require to play the game you would think it would be a little easier to navigate and no require the finesse of multiple reboots to complete.

With Little Big Workshop I would have thought it would be right up my alley with the fact that everything is miniaturized but it feels more like a tedious snooze-fest than an exciting game even without the numerous glitches I encountered.

Warcry Warband Focus Featuring the Unmade

The Unmade

Welcome to the another installment of a our series where we will be focusing on one of the exclusive Chaos Warbands from Warcry. This time we will be discussing the Unmade!

Originating from the island of Tzlid, near the Shyish Nadir, The Unmade enter Eightpoints from a land of death and decay. The realm was once ruled by the dread lord of the undead himself, Nagash. It’s no surprise that these guys look like nightmares made flesh. Their aesthetic alone is meant to be fearsome. Looking carefully at the models you will notice that they are mutilated in some way. This makes for a great opportunity for anyone that likes to kitbash. The art of kitbashing, for those that are unaware, is taking parts from more than one model it build a one of a kind model of your own.

In their lore The Unmade are essentially a pain cult that rejoices in their own agony and that of their enemies. Sent by dream from the Flayed King, the Blissful One leads this warband to eat and terrorize anyone they meet. These guys sound like fun to invite for a party.

The Blissfull One is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to this faction. To start he has an overwhelming 5 attacks that do critical damage on 6! He has a high movement as well. This means that he can travel around the table quickly murdering everyone. With him being so important to the faction he will also be the primary target of your opponent, so keeping him alive will be a priority. I would recommend using him to focus on anyone separated from the rest of their group before moving on, treating him like a melee sniper. The Joyous One can be quite deadly as well but it is too reliant on good rolls. With me behind the dice he will rarely be used to his potential. The Vessel of Torment ability should be well timed because it will only be truly beneficial if the Blissful One took down an enemy because it will give him an additional move and attack in the same activation.

Your priority should be centering your playing around the Blissful One. Trap opponents within range of the Blissful One so he can swoop in for the kill and line himself up for his next attack. This faction is meant for the more experienced players because to make them effective you must stay out of range of your enemy’s attacks and plan your attacks well. This team does not soak up damage well and will fall if they are being hit consistently.

Warcry Warband Focus Featuring the Splintered Fang

Splintered Fang

Welcome to the another installment of a our series where we will be focusing on one of the exclusive Chaos Warbands from Warcry. This time we will be discussing the Splintered Fang!

The Splintered Fang come from the Realm of Life (Ghyran) in the jungles of Indvidia. They worship at the feet (they likely don’t really have feet) of the Coiling Ones.  Their goal is find remnants of their slain deity, Nagendra and primarily use poisons and serpents in battle.

Like the Untamed Beasts, the Splintered Fang is one of the more versatile factions. Some of their units have a decent defense. They generally move quickly and can even perform some strong attacks. Even better they THROW SNAKES!

Their most defining feature has to be their poisons. Their ability Paralyzing Venom can add up to 6 damage bonus to an attack and on occasion immobilize their enemies. One of the most surprising things they offer is that even their shields can stab and can be used to finish opponents. The biggest downside to this team is the fact that the box only comes with a single snake swarm and to be more dynamic you will need two or three.

On aesthetics alone this is my favorite of the Warcry factions. Here is a link to the Warhammer Community article about them as well!