My Top 10 Tactical Games (X-com-likes) on PC

Welcome to yet another top ten list! This time we are leaving the RPG genre behind and going straight for intense tactical combat in the form of X-com-likes, with the X-com games included. Specifically, this means: The games on this list must have some kind of base/camp management, where the player will upgrade, equip and recruit units for the campaign. The game must also involve tactical combat, with an overlaying strategic map where decisions are made like where to attack. And finally, the most important requirement: It must be sandbox-orientated—even if it has a story, where the deaths of soldiers, agents, or mercenaries don’t result in an instant game over.

The X-com genre is one of my absolute favorites. The gameplay is dynamic, has natural high tension thanks to permanent deaths, cool sense of progression, and sweet tactical action when tasks must be accomplished. But it’s not exactly a well-defined genre on its own. However, I will try to keep it in line with the original that started it all. With that said, let’s start the list with the most obvious entry:

Continue reading →

My Top 10 Solo RPGs on PC

Hello and welcome back! This time we’re tackling my favorite solo RPGs in a new top ten list. Perfect when you are tired of babysitting a bunch of demanding companions, questioning your every choice from level one to level one hundred. In other words: It’s me time, baby!

I usually prefer party based RPGs, fixed or with a custom crew, but once in a while I want to go on an adventure solo, soaking in the atmosphere in my lonesome. It’s just a different feeling to the RPG genre, that often comes with a melancholic vibe, even if the developer never deliberately intended it that way.

The rules go: You must be solo for the majority of the game. If the game has companions, they must be temporary, locked to certain missions, and not something permanent to the experience. That’s basically it, and if you find the list missing your favorite game, it’s because I haven’t played it, or I plainly just didn’t enjoy it. It’s that simple. To the list!

Continue reading →

[Book Tip] Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Command & Conquer: Tiberium is a weird one. It was released at the same time as the third Command & Conquer game that goes under the same name. It’s a retelling of the GDI campaign, but in book format. However, the approach it takes is perhaps not what you’d expect. It goes into great detail explaining the life and politics of the average GDI citizen, with a small excursion into the minds of a few NOD members. Don’t worry, there are segments of battles too, but in general, the war is taking a backseat to world-building and the development of the main characters.

Continue reading →

What is Tiberium? – Command & Conquer Lore

After once again getting into the wonderful world of Command & Conquer, I decided I needed a primer on Tiberium. What the hell is it, and why does everyone want it? In short, it’s the foreign substance that bands the franchise together, and is the cause for everything that happens in it. It’s both a blessing, and a curse upon mankind, which is part of why I have always loved this aspect of the series. But, what exactly is this green substance?

If you, like me, needs a reminder, watch this excellent mini-documentary about the green death:

Continue reading →

My Top 10 RPGs with Fixed Parties on PC

Hello, and welcome to another top ten. The last time, I presented a top ten list over RPGs with a custom-made party. So, a list of RPGs with a fixed party feels like a natural pick for the next. I can’t say that there will be too many surprises on this list, seeing that I’m as much of a pleb as the next guy when it comes to taste.

While I do love my RPGs with a created crew. I can’t deny the allure of a well crafted story with intriguing pre-made companions, as it adds another dimension to roleplaying. That cool and collected lawful good Paladin that you like, might not see too kindly to your murder-hobo ways for loot. It forces a natural choice of character of whom you want to be and accomplish. Who will you align with – the forces of good, or the snakes in the grass?

Just like the first list, if a game isn’t on it, which you think should be, it’s because I haven’t played it, or I just didn’t like it. It’s that simple. The criteria for the games are: The game must feature a party, from at least two and up, and they must be integral to the story. Players also need to retain control over the party members when it comes to battles, and progression. Let’s begin!

Continue reading →