Month: October 2022

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Sneaking is Life

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a stealth-based first & third-person action/RPG, set in a futuristic setting where conspiracy is law, and enchanting your abilities through limb augments is as common as the regular cold. It’s made by Eidos Montréal, and it’s a prequel to the legendary PC game Deus Ex. While it does feel more serious compared to the original, the tone and thematic setting remain the same. This review will be based on the initial PC release, and not the sham and semi-abomination that is the later released Director’s Cut.

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A Plague Tale: Requiem – Are we the baddies?

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a stealth-based third-person action/adventure, made by the developers Asobo Studio. It’s a sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence and the story picks off where the first one left off. Now, I like the Last of Us and its gameplay loop as much as the next guy, and this game is almost a carbon copy of it, at least when it comes to how it is structured, in theory anyway. So, I don’t mind the occasional narrative-driven AAA game, but when the pacing constantly turns the game into a walking simulator, we are going to have a problem.

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In Cold Blood – Best Served English

In Cold Blood is an adventure/stealth-action/puzzle game made by Revolution Software. I think it can be most likened to Resident Evil of old, and similar titles, going by the tank controls, survival mechanics, and the light inventory management with environmental puzzles. Right up my alley, except I had to play the game with my keyboard, since I couldn’t get the gamepad to work correctly. Not the most pleasant experience, unfortunately, but doable. So, while I do enjoy these old games with archaic controls, In Cold Blood would benefit from a remake, preferably in the Metal Gear Solid 5 engine (Fox engine), if we are allowed to dream.

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Manor Lords – Demo Impressions

Manor Lords is a village/city builder by Slavic Magic, and going by the demo it is showing great promise. It’s basically Kingdom Come: Deliverance but as a builder. The theme, setting, and even graphics are very similar. Now, the demo is pretty darn buggy, since it’s pre-EA, pre-alpha even (I hope). That is expected, though, so it’s not something I hold against the game in its current state. However, stuff that works, feels and looks good. It got the classic builder stuff that we all are used to now, but its focus on authenticity, and the realistic “slowness” of things make the title interesting to me. The focus on simulation over raw gameplay is what stands out. Which also has the effect of slowing down the game, making it a more relaxing experience, especially in combination with the fabulous music.

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The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow – Cave Doom

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is a point & click adventure game by Cloak and Dagger Games. It’s set in Britain during the olden times with a story steeped in British folklore, faintly sprinkled by Lovecraft. Now, I don’t want to say everything occult, otherworldly must be Lovecraft, and I wouldn’t say this was inspired by it either, until the end that is. For it’s only a small segment of the game, time-wise, but it’s a huge part of the narrative – so, there we go.

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