Wow. Stellar Tactics, an early access game I bought way back in 2019 is finally hitting 1.0, with a preliminary release date in March. I honestly thought it was going to end up as abandonware, but I’m happy to be wrong about this. I did try it, and I remember feeling charmed, since I enjoyed the turn-based combat and the genre: sci-fi RPG. What’s not to like?
Continue reading “Stellar Tactics – Nearing Release”
It’s time to try Björn and Jennifer Pankratz’s (former Piranha Bytes) game Cralon from their newly established studio, Pithead Studio. Cralon is a first-person dungeon crawler that is clearly inspired by the classic title Ultima Underworld. After finishing the short demo, the exploration and atmosphere sure are there. However, the combat will require some serious polishing, as it felt clunky and not very satisfying. But mood is one of the fundamentals to get right for a game like this—so, I’m glad they nailed this important aspect in the demo.
Continue reading “Cralon – Demo Impressions”
The eternal enemy of the human race is once again back to torment us. This time in the style of a chaotic retro shooter with a ton of gore—human and insect alike! Welcome to the demo of Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! My impression after playing the demo is: this will not be known for its story, except that the bugs need a good stomping.
Continue reading “Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! – Demo Impressions”
Whatever you think of Electronic Arts, they had a knack for producing awesome comics to promote their games. Or, well, used to, anyway. The Dead Space animated comic is probably the best promotional material I have ever seen in this regard. It’s superbly made, with excellent voice acting and a gritty graphic‑novel style that fits the theme—complete with buckets of blood and gore.
The Dead Space animated comic tells the story of Aegis VII, where humanity dug up the dreaded Red Marker—which later sealed the fate of the planet-cracker ship USG Ishimura, where the first Dead Space game takes place. In other words: it’s a spectacular prequel for those of us who want more juicy Dead Space lore. Watch the film below, but make sure to skip the first 2:23 minutes, because it’s just a weird summarization that spoils the story. I have marked the time-jump. Enjoy!
Continue reading “Dead Space [Animated Comic]”
The early access release of Menace is here, and after giving it twenty sweaty coffee-infused hours like the nerd that I am—I’m ready to give my first early impressions. While I do feel it’s a much better experience than the demo, since we are actually in control of progression and the campaign now—sadly, my issues with the general gameplay remain. This means that the combat is still mostly abstracted, with a strong wargame (board-game) feeling that work against the immersion in parts.
Continue reading “Menace – Early Access Impressions”
Tom's Gaming Vault 