Ever wanted to be a Necromancer? Well, now is the time. Sadly, I never managed to reach that stage in the demo, but from my two invested hours, the Necromancer’s Tale showed true RPG potential for the future. I base this on the very interesting setup, good engaging writing, turn-based combat, inventory & loot, and plenty of skill checks that depend on your created character. Good stuff all around, so far.
Continue reading “The Necromancer’s Tale – Demo Impressions”
Polish your sword, and stock up on the travel weed, because it’s time to explore the cursed islands of SKALD: Against the Black Priory. While I don’t have much of a personal nostalgia connected to the Commodore 64, the graphics still manage to warm me in its low-pixelated glory of the past. However, it’s not without issues, as the amount of detail can actually be a detriment on this somewhat humble scale. At times it’s hard to distinguish the environment, seeing where you can or can’t go. It means when playing with a keyboard, you will have to prepare yourself to slam into objects like a bumper car trapped inside a tiny arena with randomly placed walls all over. Outside of that, it’s a pretty fine party-based adventure in the style of classic Dungeons and Dragons fantasy.
Continue reading “SKALD: Against the Black Priory – Tentacle Island”
There is no denying that the reboot of Alone in the Dark takes heavy inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft, which sadly most of the time falls short when it comes to gaming. However, this time around, I’m happy to tell you that Alone in the Dark does a slamdunk when it comes to tickling the old cosmic horror bone. You who know your Lovecraft lore probably won’t be too surprised by what is being presented. Regardless, it’s a superbly told story that takes the dark juicy parts – the parts drenched in unfathomable dread, and runs home with it. What is doubly impressive is that this remains consistent throughout the game, all the way to the end.
Continue reading “Alone in the Dark – Black Goat Country”
Abscission is an atmospheric Lovecraftian murder mystery with the flavor of film noir detective elements sprinkled on top. Sounds good, right? Well, to a degree it is, at least in the beginning, but sadly the pacing of the game changes for the worse rather quickly. In its favor though, the mystery remains intriguing throughout. So, let’s get into it.
Continue reading “Abscission – Deworming Time”
What do you get if combine meaty body horror, Lovecraft, and Atlantean mythology sprinkled with Blade Runner, The Descent, and Alien? Well, you get Stasis: Bone Totem. This is the Brotherhood’s third game in the Stasis franchise – a point & click horror adventure series that doesn’t shy away from showing the macabre and the gruesome in all its glory. So far, so good, and you can read the thoughts of the developers in an interview I made with them here. However, it saddens me to say, that there are some problems with this title. While it maintains the horror in both atmosphere and story, the game falters and stumbles in the feature most critical to gaming: the gameplay.
Continue reading “Stasis: Bone Totem – Atlantean Rumble”
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