This content was very obviously originally posted by Lapis
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Here I will review games that I find enjoyable and worth mentioning to you all. I will use my own scoring system, and my own format, so hopefully you will find the reviews worthwhile and informative.
Last Update: Cave Story Screenshot Link Fixed.Current Games to Review: (In no particular order and not a complete list)
SoldatRagnarok OnlineADOM (Ancient Domains of Mystery)
The Review SystemFirst off, I will start out with the technical information for the game. Who made it, system specs, etc. I'll then have a row of screenshot links, followed by the actual game review and the games score.
The Scoring System works like this. There are 5 main categories to score. Gameplay, Graphics, Sound, Music, and Interface. Each category is scored on a range of 1 (very poor) to 10(perfect). As I doubt any game will ever truely please me, expect 10 to be very rare and the ultime, if you will.
Gameplay - How
fun is the game? Is it new, or original?
Graphics - Is the game visually appealing? Does the artwork suit each theme?
Sound - How do the games' sound effects measure up? Do they help draw you in, or are they absolute junk?
Music - Does the music help create the mood or is it just there to annoy you?
Interface - Are the controls easy to master? Is the GUI clunky? Unorganized? etc.[/list]
Again, each category can recieve a score of 10. This means that there is a grand total of 50 points available to the game. What I do is I then add up the scores for each category, and double it, to recieve a percentage grade out of 100. Therefore, if the game scored a 35, I'd double it, and it would score a 70/100, or 70% satisfaction.
Finally, please keep posts to a minimum in this thread. If you find my review helpful, then feel free to send me a PM. I don't take requests, but if you'd like to point me in the direction of a free game that you find fun or enjoyable, then I won't turn you down.
Now, on to the reviews.
Heavy Gear 2Created by: Activision and Dream Pod 9Genre: First-Person Shooter/Strategic Warfare/Modern Mechanized CombatWhere to get it: eBaySystem Specifications or Requirements:Â Â *Â 3-D Hardware Accelerator*
  * 166MHz Pentium® Processor (233MHz recommended)
  * A 100% Windows® 95/98-compatible computer system
  * English language Windows® 95/98 operating system
  * 64MB of RAM
  * 450MB of uncompressed hard disk space for game files, plus 80MB for the Windows swap file
  * Quad-speed CD-ROM drive (600 K/sec. sustained transfer rate)
  * 100% DirectX 6.1 or higher compatible sound card
  * 100% Microsoft-compatible mouse and driver
  * 100% Windows® 95/98 compatible joystick (optional)
  * CD Audio (Redbook) support
How should I describe Heavy Gear 2? Set in a semi-futuristic world, its storyline takes place sometime after ours and before Mechwarrior's. Earth is in conflict, and a seperatist army is waging war with us from a planet too far to be considered a threat. You a part of an elite force specially trained and prepared to deal with that enemy threat - until you discover just how big a threat it is.
Heavy Gear 2 is what brought me into multiplayer gaming. From my meek days on the official servers (which are currently down, unless you know of where to find the updated server.dat. It was never officially released), to the days and months I spent playing this game on GameSpy, watching the players drop from 144 to a humble 15. The game certainly lost popularity as time went on, not because of the fault itself, but due to the games lack of advertisement.
Heavy Gear 2 has some very interesting gameplay and its something I certainly enjoy. In HG2 you are the commander of an elite squad of specially trained fighters, 5 in total, who will literally fight to the death by your side. Piloting large machines known as Gears, something between the size of a human and a Mech, you must make use of your training to destroy the enemy threat. Utilizing either a first-person view or a birds-eye Command and Conquer style view, you can command your teammates, create formations, and even order them to perform hit-and-run attacks on targets. This was one feature I especially enjoyed, and the next, was Stealth.
Many levels can be won by fighting. In fact, you will almost always face the enemy, though
never on your terms. What begins as a very simple destroy this enemy style of game, becomes a very frantic and almost religious act of dropping your Gear to the ground and going Passive. Radar is a large factor in Heavy Gear 2, and running over hills with your Radar blaring is a good way to get your team killed. Fast. You will quickly learn to skirt around hills, and only use your active radar when absolutely necessary.
This is because each Gear is composed of several main portions, and you are not invulnerable. You are basically piloting a lightly-armored combat suit, still in the prototype phase. At any time you take damage you run the risk of losing a core system of your Gear. Your torso can become damaged, and you'll be unable to twist. Your legs may break and even blow off. Your arms may go down, you may lose your hud, radar, literally anything on your Gear is able to malfunction. You may wonder how you survive at all. Well, this is where Gear Threat comes in.
Before each mission you design your Gear. You change out weapons, assign new stats, all in the safety and security of a very detailed pre-mission briefing. Rather than let you outfit your Gear with the best weapons, however, each mission has a Maximum Threat Value, or simply Threat. As you add weapons and stats to your Gear, your Threat increases, and you cannot start the mission without lowering your Gear's Threat. This may sound pretty lame, but that's where Perks and Flaws come in. You can assign special bonuses to your Gear to help iron out your score. For example, you can add Reinforced Front Armor, to block frontal attacks, and take a faulty radar system to help balance it out. You may not need stealth for this mission, so you also take a high radar signature, and that lets you get another gun or some extra rounds for that autocannon. Strategy is abound in the HG2 universe.
The graphics for Heavy Gear 2 are somewhat dated. They show signs of age, but they are still inviting and the terrain will simply draw you in. Many missions literally stretch several hundred miles as you perform various tasks, and the terrain ranges from simple rolling hills to ferocious martian landscapes and even outer space! The Gears themselves are well animated, and the guns have some very pretty effects.
As for Sound, Heavy Gear 2 heavily relies on it. Voice-overs, cutscenes, even mission briefings are all done with video and sound. You recieve live feeds to your cockpit, all in glorious sound. The voices themselves help draw you in, and amidst the sound of heavy gunfire and the clang of autocannon shells piercing your suit, it all gets very, very surreal.
Music is not so much a factor in Heavy Gear 2, but where its there, it fits very nicely. The music seems almost dynamic, meaning that as combat rages, the music is fierce and active. However when combat subsides, and stealth is a factor, the music grows dim and quiet to suit the mood. Very nice, but as I said earlier, there's not much music to the game.
As for the controls, well, they are unique, as you use the numpad to move and you
must, otherwise you will not be able to master this game. All action that even involves movement includes the numpad, while turning your view and firing is done with the mouse. Not your standard controls, but once you master them you will be quite pleased with the results.
Overall, I'd say Heavy Gear 2 is one of those hidden gems that no one seems to have played, however, I think that with enough patience and practice, anyone can sit down and enjoy a match of Heavy Gear 2.
Final Scores:
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 7/10
Music: 5/10
Interface: 8/10[/list]
Overall: 74%
Cave Story / Doukutsu MonogatariCreated by: PixelGenre: Side-Scrolling Action/Adventure RPGWhere to get it: HereSystem Specifications or Requirements:* A Relatively Fast Processor ~400mhz
* Sound Card (for audio)
* Uhm, a PC?
See
here for screenshots.
Wow. There is so much to say about Doukutsu Monogatari that I cannot begin to describe it. Let me begin with my first experiences and I'll let you form your own judgement from there.
Starting and installing the game was easy enough, and not being one to read a manual, I immediately sat down and gave the game a try. My first impression of it was that it would be short, uninteresting, or even just a waste of my time. However, after the first few phrases of dialogue I grew warm to the game, and the beautiful graphics and gameplay contained therein.
What can I say about Doukutsu Monogatari, besides that you should play it now? Like, as in, stop reading this review and go play it. This game is amazing. The controls are very simple, and you quickly become a master of even the most harrowing jumps, and each player develops their own combat style. Speaking of which, combat is very energetic, as you always seem to be one step below whatever you're fighting; Defeating your enemies gives you a great feeling of accomplishment and keeps you coming back for more.
Speaking of enemies, there are more than enough to keep you on your toes. This game has more bosses than one of those from the Contra series, and they're several times larger than our tiny robot friend. Each boss has a purpose, and I'm glad to say that they aren't just thrown in there to be there (like some games that just toss hard fights in to make it seem hard). Often times the story flows right into a boss fight, and Doukutsu makes you work hard for your right to advance the plot.
The story is indeed, the main draw of Doukutsu Monogatari, so I cannot say much here. It pulls at you, right at your heart, and you'll find yourself drawn into something so much more than a game that words cannot describe it. With every nook and cranny concealing another hidden item or another portion of the plot.. it just seems like the game never truely ends.
The sound! The sound in this game is so very amazing. Simple. Tact. Effecient, and right on que. Everything fits. If I honestly had a complaint about the sound, its that my human ears are insuffecient enough to pick up all the sweet and glorious tones that compose it. God I love the sound in this game!
Music.
See Sound. This stuff is awesome! The music makes the game even more worthwhile.
I wish I could say more about the game, but its so
hard to do so without revealing some portion of the plot. Definitely, definitely try to play through the game without using a walkthrough, and search every nook and cranny for that little secret. Every item has a purpose, and many of them aren't used until the very end of the game. (I've said too much already.) Go play the game!
Final Scores:
Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Music: 10/10
Interface: 9/10[/list]
Overall: 96%
System Shock 2Created by: Through-The-Looking-Glass StudiosGenre: First-Person Shooter/Adventure Sci-Fi RPG Thriller (omg)Where to get it: HereSystem Specifications or Requirements:* A Relatively Fast Processor ~400mhz
* Sound Card (for audio)
* Uhm, a PC?
See
here for screenshots.
System Shock 2. The first game that ever really scared me, and the only one that has ever driven me to the point of paranoia and sheer madness. I love this game.
System Shock 2 is a classic. I cannot begin to describe to you this game. The schematics are very simple. You're a cybernetically enhanced human with the ability to upgrade the major portions of your cybernetic "rig" in order to become more advanced. There are several areas to advance in, including weapon skills, computer system skills such as hacking and repair, as well as psychic abilities to level up in. There's a wide array of skills to choose and each option will make you unique.
The graphics that come with the game are somewhat poor by todays standards. However, there is an excellent remake of them called the Rebirth Mod that -greatly- enhances the look and feel of the monsters. There is also a Texture Upgrade pack on the internet somewhere, which brings SS2's graphics above that of even Half-Life 1. They're all very surreal and they fit the mood well.
Sound. Sound is everything in this game. Being based off the Thief engine, sound is very vital in SS2 as every noise you make can alert enemies to your presence - something which you definitely do not want, as you are a very mortal human and ammo is scarce. Better keep that wrench handy.
The music is a bit poor, although it is nice, often times it drowns out the more necessary noises of the game. Turn it off or plan to be ambushed all the time.
The interface is pretty awesome, and its something you need to see to understand. You interact in two modes, Shoot mode and Inventory mode, and you can seamlessly transfer between them.
System Shock 2 is a very wonderful (and scary!) little gem that I highly suggest you try.
If enough people want the aforementioned files then I may host them somewhere. Just ask nicely!
Final Scores:
Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Music: 8/10
Interface: 9/10[/list]
Overall: 92%
Eternal DaughterCreated by: Blackeye SoftwareGenre: Side-Scroller RPG/Action/Adventure Where to get it: Unofficial Mirror SiteSystem Specifications or Requirements:Really, any PC with a soundcard and moderate processing power.
See
here for screenshots.
From the unofficial site's own description:
"The tenuous relationship between the many races of the World is being strained as the greedy Dungaga hordes expand their Empire of Steel. In the game you play as Mia, a young girl born into slavery under the Dungaga. You must escape the bonds of your oppressors and defeat the greater evil controlling them. Fulfill your destiny, and discover the truth about who you really are.
Eternal Daughter is a massive, non-linear platform game in the tradition of such console classics as Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Explore a world that spans hundreds of screens, where you will collect special items, fight over 30 enemies, and tangle with over a dozen enormous boss monsters. On the way, don't miss the opportunity to meet a variety of interesting creatures and either befriend or kill them!" - Podium Games
Eternal Daughter is quite the experience for any gamer and especially those who like the Super Metroid/Castlevania genre. Exploration is key, as well as combat with evil monsters and a rich plot, it all adds up to several hours of fun.
Eternal Daughter is very fun and I have few complaints as to the overall flow of the game. The graphics are very streamlined, meaning they are all very detailed and fit the theme of the many areas well. From jungle sceneries to desert plantlife and even the mechanized city of the Dungaga, its all quite eye-pleasing.
Eternal Daughter's sound and music departments are very strong as well. Each enemy has their own sound effects and there are even environmental sounds here and there to keep you immersed in the game. If you're a big fan of curious, adventurous music, then you'll love Eternal Daughter's soundtrack.
The game itself is easy to "read"; all the visual elements are easy to view and understand. After a few moments, you'll get the hang of the game and you'll quickly begin removing the Dungaga threat from Mia's homeworld.
A game I still haven't beaten despite several days of gameplay, it's quite a wonderful little gem that everyone should try.
Final Scores:
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Music: 8/10
Interface: 8/10[/list]
Overall: 82%Next Review Coming Soon.
