Home > Reviews
|
Multiplayer Game Reviews
January 23, 2011
 Run! Steambirds: Survival
The original Steambirds is a prime contender for ‘best flash game of 2010′. The creators heard our pleas to make the game bigger. And they did.
Gameplay
The basic functions of the game are the same. You click and drag where you want your plane to go during 1 turn. You can control speed and direction. The same ’special’ weapons are available from the last game. However the similarities end there.
For starters, there are no ‘levels’ like the last time. Instead you start with a plane which has a preset amount of special weapons, and you have to survive for as long as possible, hence the name. Trust me, you want to take out the bad guys as quickly as you can, because the waves aren’t determined by how many are remaining, it’s at a preset schedule.
The planes that come in waves are random, and you start off with 3-4 allies that usually take out the first two planes (this is very useful because you probably wouldn’t stand a chance).
 GL! Technical
One thing that’s cool, if not unbelievable, is that every enemy plane that goes down leaves behind a special weapon. While in the previous version, it was worth it to save your specials for just the right moment, in survival, it is in your interest to you use your specials often.
With each feat that you accomplish you get copper. You then trade in copper to get new planes. At some point you have to start using planes multiple times in order to make enough to upgrade. This gets kind of annoying, but you really start to learn how to use the different planes and their weapons.
Final Verdict
All told, I think this was a pretty great ‘upgrade’ of the new game. Although I wish you were allowed to control multiple allies, and I wish you could get into some serious battles. Also, there’s a multiplayer version for the Android OS, but I haven’t tried that out yet. That would be seriously swell.
Game: Steambirds: Survival | Developer: Radial Games
January 20, 2011
 Hey pretty momma Vindictus
There is a Celtic legend that a mysterious goddess will reveal paradise to a warrior that defeats an enemy of the state. This is one of the most adult games that I have ever played. It is a brutal MMORPG that relies on ingenuity, ruthlessness and teamwork to be a complete and free game.
Gameplay
If you are a fan of side scrolling ‘hack and slash’ video games, you will feel very at home here. Everything is a weapon. See a tree limb? Beat the crap out of your enemy with it. Seriously, you can combo with it. Done with meleeing? You can pick your enemy up and toss them. Or, use them as a shield.
The physics of this game (based off of Valve software’s Source engine) are simply incredible. You can interact with literally anything that you can see. Do not trust rocks or logs.
At this current point in time, you have a limited character set. But, there is a great deal of customization in those sets. Quite honestly, some people get all riled up about their characters. I am not one of those people.
I won’t go too deep into gameplay, because there is a group tutorial. Yes, you have to go through it as a group. Once that’s done, you can detail your character, and it’s off to adventures.
You take longboats (Celtic theme again) to different locals. The decks of the boats are the ‘waiting rooms’ where you can do messaging and stuff like that.
At the end of each battle, you get BP. If you take certain ‘Oathes of Honor’ you can get ever more. For the record, you are battling enemies of your country, NPCs.
Technical
 Take THAT Phillip Pullman! I’ve mentioned it before, but the attention to detail and the immersive quality of the environment are beyond incredible. There are stray dogs in the opening village. You get a sense of the economy of each area that you visit.
The controls are simple, mouse and WASD. You can cast certain spells. Everything around you is game. You can pick up parts of a column and beat someone senseless with it!
There’s a crafting system, which is really what you use the loot for. So, instead of finding the nearest shop after a battle, you go, hmmm, what can I make out of all this crap that I just got from a giant spider?
Multiplayer
There are certain levels that, quite simply, can only be beaten through teamwork. Not because there are so many bad guys, but because there are actions that can only be undertaken with 2 or more people. Off of the top of my head, I remember having to make a net and subdue a polar bear. Only possible with 3 guys.
Final Verdict
Excellent, excellent game. If you are looking for a new MMORPG, this is it. Seriously the immersive environment is second to none and you will not get bored.
|
|
| Gameplay: |  | | Technical: | | | Multiplayer: |  | |
Game: Vindictus | Developer: Nexcon
January 14, 2011
 Don't. Crash. Oolite
If there is no way to win, are you really playing a game? Oolite is a open source space sim game where you fly around being a productive member of society. Or being a pirate. Your choice.
Gameplay
Okay so a little background. This game is an open source version of the 1984 game Elite. So, the graphics are a bit clunky. But don’t let that deter you. This game has an intense level of depth.
The first thing you’re going to need to do is get used to the controls. This is a bit tricky. The up and down arrow keys are inverted. The left right control your roll. Read that again. It’s not strafe. It’s not yaw. It’s roll. W and S control your speed.
Don’t run into anything. If you run into anything, you’ll die. You’ve been warned.
Now you’re going to want to get used to the HUD. It is also in 3D. I’ve found that getting an object into the up/down part of your crosshairs and then pitching your way until it gets into your screen is the way to go. If you’re motion-sick at this point, just take some deep breaths and get some water.
 This is a pirate attack. It is a lot more exciting than it looks. That’s all I’m going to tell you, because it gets complicated from there. You’re going to want to learn how to dock, because that’s how you’ll get missions, buy equipment and get commodities.
Technical
One of the major drawbacks of space exploration games is that they are often clunky or take up a massive amount of space (heh). Well this game sacrifices graphics for complexity. Each step is a new learning curve. First you learn how to dock. Then you learn how to fire lasers. Then missiles. And so on and so forth.
It is a huge game. You can even explore the inside of your ship. If you were a fan of the show ‘Firefly’ then you are definitely going to like this.
I mentioned earlier that the graphics are kind of bad. Well, you can change this. There are tons of 3rd party mods all over the place. Your processor and imagination is the limit.
Final Verdict
This is one that I didn’t think I was going to like. I’m not a fan of space games. However, learning the new control system and traversing the wild black yonder was pretty cool. I wish that the developers would take this even further. But that’s just a pipe dream. A dream about pipes.
Game: Oolite | Developer: Open Source, Yo
January 11, 2011
 Burger Tank? That sounds awesome. The original Left 4 Dead was one of the best zombie shooters of recent times (check out my review of it by clicking here.) Left 4 Dead 2 came out almost exactly a year after the original. While it kept true to the formula that made the first one so good, it brought a few new things to the table.
For example, one of the biggest complaints about the first game was that there wasn’t much of a selection of weapons. I never minded this, since I was a pretty exclusive user of the shotgun. But Left 4 Dead 2 adds some new weapon types, including melee weapons. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical of melee weapons at first, but once I hacked up a zombie with a ninja sword I was completely sold. Other melee weapons include an axe, a baseball bat, a chainsaw, a guitar, and even a cricket bat for fans of Shaun of the Dead.
Another thing that this sequel adds is a new level of violence. You will actually see zombies lose huge chunks of their faces and chests, exposing brains and rib cages. It gets pretty gruesome. But really, a zombie shooter just wouldn’t feel right without some over-the-top gore, now would it?
Left 4 Dead 2 brings players to a new location: New Orleans. It was a controversial decision to use a city recently destroyed by a major hurricane as the setting for a decaying post-apocalyptic world, since some of the imagery may hit a little too close to home. But the Old South lends itself well to the zombie shooter genre. I don’t know what it is exactly, but it just feels right. And one of the campaigns makes players fight their way through a carnival, meaning that this game includes zombie clowns.
The multiplayer versus mode has been improved since the original game, but, in my opinion, it is still a little weak. The new zombie types make it worth checking out, though. As has always been the case, it is the multiplayer co-op that puts this series a cut above the competition. Join your friends via LAN or internet connection, and you will find it hard to put this one down.
Left 4 Dead 2 is one of the best co-operative gaming experiences you can have. Don’t even think about it; just go purchase it today.
 Ninja sword vs. zombie clown. This is going to be epic.
|
|
| Gameplay: | | | Technical: | | | Multiplayer: |  | |
Game: Left 4 Dead 2 | Developer: Valve
January 4, 2011
 Meat Boy Fail. OK, I’m sure everyone already knows how great Super Meat Boy is by now. So I’m going to skip right to the part where I explain why it’s so great.
First of all, there’s the cartoonish visual appeal. From the second you turn the thing on, it promises to be a delightful experience with it’s bright colors and fun artwork. The characters are goofy-looking, yet slightly off, in a way that is remarkably appealing. These aren’t your Saturday morning cartoon characters; they are the outcasts of the cartoon scene. And that makes them interesting, gives them dimension. Just looking at these oddities makes you want to hang out with them.
Next up: the music. Super Meat Boy’s soundtrack is brilliant. The Hell music (yes, you must jump and dash your way through Hell) is one of the best songs to ever be in a video game. And I mean that.
 So much blood! The level design is perfect. It begins fairly easy, but very rapidly increases in difficulty until it is downright brutal. You will need extremely precise timing and complete mastery of Meat Boy’s jumping, sticking, and wall-sliding. But the control scheme is airtight. You will feel you have complete control. And that means that when you die – and you will die a lot – you will know you did so because you messed up, not because the controls weren’t precise enough.
Of course, this brings me to my one piece of criticism. Super Meat Boy’s PC launch was a disaster. The game launched with a damaged control scheme, and only supported one controller type. I won’t go into this any further, since I covered it pretty well in this article, but Team Meat was quick to respond. Within two days, the problem was fixed, multiple controller models were supported, and to somewhat make it up to loyal fans, a new character was added to the lineup via a brand new cheat code unveiled on the official Super Meat Boy website.
 This may be Hell for Super Meat Boy, but it's gaming Heaven! Team Meat truly turned the game’s biggest flaw into a positive thing. The amount of dedication to ensuring this game works like it should is incredible. The biggest video game releases don’t even get their bugs worked out this quickly.
And one more thing. Super Meat Boy pays tribute to decades of gaming. The developers obviously grew up playing and loving video games. If I even began to list some of the examples of clever homages this game makes to other games, this review would grow as uncontrollably and wildly as that plant from The Little Shop of Horrors. So I’ll just leave it alone and let you discover these tidbits on your own.
Super Meat Boy is amazing. Just go buy it. You won’t be disappointed.
 Just a couple more saw blades. You can do it, Meat Boy! Game: Super Meat Boy | Developer: Team Meat
January 2, 2011
 Francis and Zoey. Zombie apocalypse survivors. You may ask yourself, “Do we really need another zombie shooter?” Well, Left 4 Dead proves that yes, we most certainly do.
This game is brilliant. It’s not just any old generic zombie game or some Resident Evil clone, this is FPS gaming at its finest. Left 4 Dead takes classic first-person shooter action and brings a lot of new concepts to the table.
The most obvious new concept (the one represented by the 4 in the title) is that this is not a solo game. There are four characters working together to survive the zombie apocalypse. Whether these characters are controlled by AI, your friends, or complete strangers matched with you by their skill level, there will always be four of them. Unless, of course, one of them dies.
Another great concept is that this game has one of the coolest weapons ever in a zombie game: the pipe bomb. But this isn’t just some thing a teenager hastily slapped together using ideas he got from The Anarchist’s Cookbook, this is a seriously well-designed piece of equipment. Attached to this bomb is a beeper, that for some reason attracts zombies to it like flies on poo. A well tossed pipe bomb can pull hidden zombies out into the open, and can do ridiculous amounts of damage. It’s not unheard of to take out thirty zombies with a single one of these explosive masterpieces.
 The safe room is good. Left 4 Dead has a way of getting under my skin and scaring me in ways that other horror games were never able to. There are a couple reasons for this. First of all, there is darkness. I’m not talking about the dim-lit shadowy corners so commonly found in these types of games, I’m talking complete pitch black. You have a flashlight attached to your gun, and sometimes this tiny beam is the only light you have to see by. And this can be utterly terrifying in a pitch dark room when a majority of your surroundings are completely blacked out yet you can hear things moving, breathing, moaning, running… NOOOOOO!
Another reason this game actually scares me is the witch. There is an elite type of zombie called a witch that hides in corners and makes one of the most unnerving moaning sounds I’ve ever heard. Then, when you least expect it, the witch will shriek and charge with glowing eyes and foot-long claws. I start getting nervous just thinking about those things!
 Brain-splattering carnage. My one complaint about Left 4 Dead is the multiplayer mode. Not cooperative multiplayer, but versus. The versus mode seems to be almost carelessly tacked on. While it is pretty cool to play as one of the elite zombies, it’s kind of annoying to have a zombie class randomly selected for you. Especially as a beginner, since you will most likely die before you get your zombie type figured out, and then be reassigned to a new class.
But the multiplayer co-op more than makes up for it. That is the real meat of the game. That’s where you team up with three of your friends online or via LAN, and you blast away zombies into the wee hours of the night. Yeah, it’s a lot of fun.
Left 4 Dead is one of the best zombie shooters out there. If you like zombies, do yourself a favor and pick this one up.
 So freakin' dark!
|
|
| Gameplay: | | | Technical: | | | Multiplayer: | | |
Game: Left 4 Dead | Developer: Valve
December 24, 2010
 The same developer who made Monkey Island made Deathspank. That really should be enough of a reason to play it but I did not actually know that the first time I picked it up. To be honest, the real reason I bought this game (yes, I do mean bought) is because it was beautiful. I was flipping through a number of screenshots and just, on a whim, ended up looking through these. I have been proven wrong quite a few times but I still believe that no one would make a game look this beautiful, take that much time, and then give me a crappy end product. Therefore, I took a chance and bought it.
Boy, am I happy I did. Deathspank was a wonderful game filled with charmingly funny characters, interesting conversation, and a fighting system that did not bore me to tears.
Now, if you did play Monkey Island you probably expect a certain degree of humor for this game. I do not know what I would have done if the game had not been funny (I probably would have cried myself to sleep) but thankfully, we don’t have to find out. The game continues with that wit and fail that we all know and love.
Now, besides the aesthetics and the humor this is still a fantastic game. You play as a person named Deathspank (go figure), who is on a quest to find an Artifact. The way he goes about doing this is somewhat different from what you may expect from an RPG. It is not so much hacking apart a few bosses and gathering items as much as it is…doing people favors. Some of which involve hacking up monsters, but that is unimportant.
 I am not entirely sure if I am disappointed that our hero in this game is not really much of a hero or if I find the change refreshing. I think, for the most part, I am glad that Deathspank is a little bit more of himself and a bit less…well, Link. Strong characters are hard to find these days but I think we have found one for sure within our hapless Deathspank.
The world that Deathspank lives in is a great wide one. You can find dozens of side quests, though they do get a little monotonous after a while, hook up with friends, or just wander around killing things. Which doesn’t really further the story but I enjoy a little mindless death from time to time, so take that evil unicorn!
Game: DeathSpank | Developer: Hothead Games
December 18, 2010
 Well, I suppose a badly damaged ship is better than a non-intact one. VVVVVV is a game that brings a nostalgic tear to my eye. It’s the exact sort of game I grew up playing, so I can relate to it. I fully understand what it is trying to accomplish, and not only is it successful at this, it is executed brilliantly and beautifully.
The premise is simple: you take control of the captain of a damaged spaceship and try to find the five other crew members who have been scattered across the ship (all of whom have names beginning with the letter V.) Instead of jumping, you have the ability to reverse the direction of gravity at will. So you will spend about half your time upside-down.
Now let’s talk about the difficulty. This game is hard. ridiculously hard. Now, when it comes to platform games, I’m not so shabby. But before I played this game for a single hour, I had managed to rack up over 600 deaths (yes, the game keeps track.) That’s over 10 deaths per minute. That means I died at least once every six seconds. And if you think that’s bad, by the time I hit the three hour mark I was getting close to 2,000. The gravity-reversal gameplay style is a little awkward at first. I guarantee you will find yourself attempting to jump over and over again, only to be hurled feet-first toward the ceiling. But you will eventually get used to it. And when you do, a brand new world of vintage gaming opens up to you.
 I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I died here. But with VVVVVV, the difficulty isn’t a flaw. In fact, it is part of the charm. You may die a lot, but you have an unlimited supply of lives and you respawn almost instantly at the last checkpoint you hit. The checkpoints are close enough together that dying won’t ever set you back very far.
Any vintage gamer will tell you that these graphics are beautiful. 8-bit simplicity. None of this 3d engine, virtual world bullcrap. And the soundtrack is so good that just thinking about it makes me start to sweat with excitement. Yeah, it gets a little repetitive after a while, but you’ll probably be swearing too loudly to hear it since you will be dying so much. If you do manage to keep yourself composed without being completely overtaken with fits of nerdrage, you will be treated to a delectable orchestra of 8-bit melodies.
If you grew up playing 8-bit NES games and long for a time when gameplay was king, VVVVVV is perfect. OK, let me restate that without the unnecessary modifying phrases: VVVVVV is perfect.
 Spikes and platforms. Spikes and platforms. Game: VVVVVV | Developer: Distractionware
December 12, 2010
Company of Heroes Online
 Once More Into the Breach! I loooooove free stuff. That’s why I write about flash games. I loooove getting awesome games for free, which is why I am practically jumping for joy because of ‘Company of Heroes Online.’ It’s a MMO with the same graphics as the other games. For free.
Gameplay
This is pretty much the same game as the single player games, but you are playing against real live people. You choose between an Axis or Ally team, each of which has its own commander, which you train.
The total gameplay is far beyond the scope of this article, and one of the things that is special about this game is how complex it is. You have to worry about buildings, resources and items. Your men get tired and need to recharge.
You can train different types of commanders each of which has their own ability. Some can call in artillery attacks and stuff like that.
The cool part about this is that you can level up. Yup. A RTS MMO that is based around leveling up and learning new skills and buying new items. Equip these items to your guys to give them abilities.
 Get those Nazis! Technical
This game is a technical masterpiece. Seriously. The original Company of Heroes was released in 2006 and it is widely considered to be one of the best RTS games of all time. Now add the element of a tech tree and multiplayer battles and this game is from another planet.
Although the game is tough to learn, the training missions are in depth. You’ll learn about controlling squads and stuff like that. Seriously, you’ll be able to control armour divisions. ARMOUR DIVISIONS!
The one thing is that you need about 30 gigs of space to install this bad boy. Yeah, this is 2010, but that is still a lot of money.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer is just crazy. You win when you destroy the other guys’ buildings or reduce their side points to zero. You can play with teams of 4 players, meaning an 8 player mega-battle.
Yes, there is single player mode. BUT, the only way to get better items is to level up by playing multiplayer. Genius.
Final Verdict
Are you kidding me? Remember when you were 12 and you were like, man I want to play that game but it costs too much. Well now you can reach back in time, and show yourself that life is awesome and you can get a 100% free and complete real time strategy game FOR FREE.
|
|
| Gameplay: | | | Technical: | | | Multiplayer: | | |
Game: Company of Heroes | Developer: Relic
December 9, 2010
 Sweet Sandy Swirl! Bloons 4X
It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year. A year since we started exchanging money we earned on a banana plantation to buy monkeys who hurl darts at balloons.
Gameplay
There are no gameplay changes to this expansion. Once again you choose a track and a difficulty level and then it starts. You have a selection between all sorts of ‘towers.’ In this game, the towers are monkeys. The gang at NinjaKiwi is all about the monkeys for one reason or another.
What I like about the Bloons Towers Defenses is that it comes in waves when you decide you want them. Tower Defense games are a thinking man’s game, so you need to have time to collect your thoughts and react to the different types of balloon.
That’s right. There are different types of balloons that you have to pop. The general idea is that these are recursive. That means that there are balloons within balloons within balloons. This is menacing, trust me.
For each balloon, you get a dollar. You can also build banana plantations which give you more money on the successful completion of a level.
 Can you solve the mystery of the temple? This is by far the most accessible Tower Defense game out there. The expansion pack includes some pretty cool levels that add different elements to the gameplay. For example, in the second level it looks like all you have to deal with is a series of pipes. However, there are breaks in each of the pipes. And there’s like a 30% chance that a balloon is going to slip through. This makes standard strategies rather difficult.
I wish they had added some more towers, but it’s still the same batch as Bloons 4. I still like to go with the goo blasters and then try to upgrade to the Super Monkey as quickly as possible. But I’m just a simple man with simple pleasures.
Final Verdict
If you were a fan, like I was, of Bloons 4, and you beat it and got really bored, then you should definitely spend some time with this. Your old tricks won’t work. Tim to rethink your strategy.
Game: Bloons 4 | Developer: Ninja Kiwi
December 8, 2010
 So much destruction... If you’re a gamer who hasn’t heard of StarCraft, then you must have been living under a rock since the late 1990s. It’s the game that has so much attention that it’s actually become one of the national sports of South Korea. (I know that sounds like a bizarre internet rumor, but it’s actually a fact.) So when Blizzard decided to make a sequel, you can imagine there was an insane amount of pressure for them to make a superior product.
(In case you haven’t heard of this series, it’s a science fiction real-time strategy game, or RTS, in which you build an economy, then create and command an army to do battle against the armies of other players. If you picture a combination of Risk, Chess, and actual warfare, which takes place on alien planets, includes detailed animations, and does not require players to take turns, you’ll have the most vague idea of the premise behind this game.)
So does StarCraft II hold up to its legacy? Well, yes and no, depending on your perspective. The soldiers are very well balanced, an outstanding feat on Blizzard’s part. There are three races in the game: Terran, Protoss, and Zerg. Each race plays completely different than the others, yet in battles between races, neither side has an unfair advantage. Each race has its own foot soldiers, ground vehicles, and starships, and these units are balanced against each other in an almost rock-paper-scissors manner. So rather than picking the “best” race, you must pick the race that most compliments your playstyle. Any nerdrage comments like, “Not fair! Blizzard needs to nerf such-and-such!” are completely unreasonable. (There may have been a few tiny issues when the game first shipped, but Blizzard was very quick about fixing those with patches. StarCraft II in its current state is very balanced.)
 The Protoss ineffectively try to drive back the Terran army. I think this round is pretty much over. However, many long-term players are disappointed in Turbine’s integration of Battle.net. You cannot play StarCraft II without registering on Battle.net, where your stats will be tracked and your achievements saved. Of course, this means that you are pretty much dependent on an internet connection, even when playing the game offline. (You can play offline, but your achievements are awarded via the Battle.net website. It’s quite possible to miss out on achievements if you decide to play the game without logging in.) And there is no LAN support either, meaning if you want to play against your friends, you’ll have to do it over an internet connection.
Another common gripe is the way leagues are set up. Once you start playing against other players, you will be put into a pool of 100 players. You can move up in rank until you reach higher leagues, but your stats will not be measured against players from other player pools. So even if you are the top-ranked player in your pool, you are probably not the top-ranked player in the game. There is currently no in-game way to measure yourself against every other StarCraft II player, so leaderboards lose a lot of their driving force.
However, whether you love Battle.net and the ranking system or hate them, StarCraft II is still one of the most incredible gaming experiences out there right now. Besides the multiplayer mode (which is honestly the real meat of the game) there is a 29-mission single-player story mode. And the storyline is fantastic. Some of the cinematic cut-scenes will get you craving popcorn and a 48oz cup of soda. Yeah, it’s an almost theatrical experience.
One of my favorite aspects of the game (and admittedly one of the things that drew me toward it in the first place) is the detailed science fiction backdrop. There are far too many impressive background elements to list them all, but among them you’ll find deep canyons full of mist and static lightning, rooftop zones in major cities, and an assortment of otherworldly critters roaming, flying, and swimming about. After hours upon hours of gameplay, I still find myself discovering new holy-crap-that’s-cool, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it flourishes that bring layer after layer of depth the world of StarCraft II.
Bottom line: StarCraft II is a major event in the world of gaming, and, judging by the success of its predecessor, it will be around for a long time. In order to completely avoid it you may have to actually crawl under a rock for the next 10 years. But honestly, why would you want to miss out on this? Do yourself a favor and drop the $60. It’s well worth it for a product of this level of quality with almost infinite replay value.
Oh yes. And if you are just starting out, check out these StarCraft II hints for new players to get an early edge on the competition.
 I'm not going to lie. The Zerg gross me out a little bit.
|
|
| Gameplay: | | | Technical: | | | Multiplayer: | | |
Game: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty | Developer: Blizzard
December 5, 2010
 Sweet Castle This is one of those browser based MMORPGS that takes place in real time. This one excels in a few key areas, and really brings some good stuff to the table.
Gameplay
You get to choose between 4 civilizations, Chinese, Persians, Romans and Egyptians. Each has its strengths. So choose wisely.
The introduction is great. Probably the best of these on-line browser games actually. Take that for what it’s worth. But seriously, you get money, fame and fortune for doing what Darius says. So do it.
Like most of these games you build houses and buildings and stuff. However, the best comparison that can be made is that this game is like an on-line Age of Empires. There are 5 separate ages that you must progress through, which is accomplished by building certain buildings doing certain things.
You also get Glory (an actual thing) by accomplishing tasks. Like many of these games, you get a souped up character, called a Hero. Protect this dude. You do this by building a barracks and then building guys who hang out with your hero who will kill people for you.
 Protect the Village Technical
Hands down what makes this game top notch is its graphics and its interface. It’s always a treat when a free flash game has awesome graphics. It’s like you’re playing a real video game.
The menus are very intuitive. Usually I have to keep a wiki open in another tab to keep track of what I’m supposed to be doing. Not in this game. No sir. There’s no lag, I haven’t run into anything I would consider a ‘bug.’ I tend to abandon games because I get tired of inputing numbers and not having anything fun to look at.
Multiplayer
As with just about all of these games, mastering the multiplayer is how you stay alive. There are guilds. You guys pool your resources in order to field even bigger and better army.
Spying and plundering is actively encouraged. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
Final Verdict
Be careful. You could lose an entire year to this thing. Time is our most precious resource. That and water. Actually, children are our most precious resource. Also, this is a great game.
|
|
| Gameplay: | | | Technical: | | | Multiplayer: | | |
Game: Ministry of War | Developer: Snail Games
December 2, 2010
 Oopsie Doodle! Boomstick
Yes, dear reader, that is an Armies of Darkness reference. This is a 3PS, with a twist. Yeah, you get to blast aliens, don’t worry.
Gameplay
In most shooters, you are trying not to die. Well, in this one, you are trying not to run out of ammo. As the title implies, you are blasting things with a shotgun. This means that each time you shoot you lose about 10 ammos. When you kill an alien, they drop 10.
The trick is that your blasts carry through each of your prey, so it is very possible to get solid combos. In fact, the only way to get anywhere is to get sweet combos.
 Blammo! The level clears once you have killed a certain # of aliens. So, in the early levels, it is worth it to take your time and plan your shots. Later on, the aliens will actually try to kill you.
Technical
Very well thought out game. You only have to worry about back and forth with your movement keys and then aiming with your mouse. The background is black, so it’s pretty simple to blast the glowing aliens.
This is one of those ‘beauty in simplicity’ games, and is easily one of my favorites. No upgrades. It’s the same thing over and over.
The pacing of this is wonderful too. There isn’t one of those instances where the levels go from easy to really hard almost instantly. The intensity builds slowly and then all of a sudden the aliens will actually kill you. It gets ‘real’.
Final Verdict
I won’t quite say this is a game changer, but the fact that accuracy is the limiting factor makes this one of my favorite games.
Game: Boomstick | Developer: Abduction Studios
November 29, 2010
 Watch out for that Missile! MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction
I am not usually a fan of playing ‘remixes’ of old classics. MAD is an exception. In short, you’re about to experience a slick ‘Missile Command’ upgrade with awesome graphics, music and a new upgrade system.
Gameplay
This is Missile Command. I am not going to tell you how to play it. In fact, there is a comprehensive tutorial that lasts all of two steps. That’s the mark of a great game. It is simple to explain.
As you blow up missiles, you get resources. These, naturally, can be spent on upgrades. What sort of upgrades? You ask. Well, see those buildings that surround you? They each have a special talent. Some provide extra firepower. Others provide time slowing capabilities.
On top of that, you can spend resources to upgrade your missile refresh rate or increase your shields. Spend your resources wisely. Things get hairy fast. Like your Mom.
Technical
 HUD! The aesthetics have been drastically improved. First, I left the music on. It is awesome and really adds to the dystopian feel. It is orchestral with weird choral stuff over top of it. Yeah, it gets repeditive, but that is the whole point of this game. You have to get really good at doing the same thing over and over.
The graphics are swell too. The missiles are well rendered, and your buldings are really cool looking. Your HUD is very grungy but clean at the same time. That’s basically what the future is going to be like, basically.
Very clean, very pleasing to the eye. There’s no background in the sky, so all you have to worry about is blasting missiles out of the sky.
Final Verdict
There’s something about Missile Command. Old school games truly tested your skill. How? You got one simple task, and your job was to perform it perfectly. Many have called Missile Command ‘the perfect game’ because you must plan ahead by conserving ammo, but it also relies on your dexterity.
Game: Mutually Assured Destruction | Developer: Kongregate
November 27, 2010
 Spheres of Influence Neptune’s Pride
Pew pew pew! You’re in outer space! You have to take over stars! You get to build bases and upgrade sciences!
Gameplay
If you are in the market for some fast paced space blasting action, then this is not the game for you. If you want to test your notions of strategy, diplomacy and space battles, then definitely check this game out. It takes place in a galaxy, and it is your job to take over half of the stars.
It is supposedly takes place in real time, but it takes around 16 hours to get to the closest star, so you have that to worry about. It all takes place in a browser window, so you can check in several times a day and see how things are going.
 NO ONE CAN WITHSTAND MY FLEETS! Like with most of these things, you have several options to upgrade: Technology, Economy and Industry. Obviously the lower the level, the cheaper it is.
You move fleets to different planets. If there is an opposing fleet there, a battle ensues. Battles are heavily weighted towards defense. Keep that in mind.
That’s pretty much it.
Technical
There are a lot of these browser space adventure games out there, but this one is way better for a number of reasons. First, the graphics are awesome. It’s all point and click, and it looks great. Second, it’s easy to join. In the others, there’s a universe that has been around for like 10 years, and if you join the party late, well, you’d better hope you can find a good alliance.
Each game is played until the universe is over. This is great because you have something to work for.
Not only is this game technically flawless, it is constantly updated. I’ve only been playing it for about a week, but according to old people it is a completely different game since the beginning.
Multiplayer
Seriously, this game is all about the diplomacy. You have to be a good negotiator to win this game. Message frequently. Message often. That, in my opinion, makes for a great multiplayer game.
Final Verdict
Awesome, awesome game. It will take over your life though. So be careful.
|
|
| Gameplay: | | | Technical: | | | Multiplayer: | | |
Game: Neptune’s Pride | Developer: Ironhelmet
« Newer Posts — Older Posts »
 |
