Airborne Rangers – Devlog 2 [AI, ragdolls & destruction]

I made a post about Airborne Rangers back in April this year. It presented the initial announcement trailer that looked very promising. Especially if you are into military simulations like Arma 3, with co-op as the core. Now, the developer team BlowPunch Gameworks has released a devlog in video format that showcases some truly cool stuff. We get an impressive ragdoll/gore system, detailed destructible environments and an AI that actually uses tactics, and looks challenging to defeat.

And with that, my hype has doubled. Could this be the first realistic tactic game in ages – a spiritual sequel to Men of War that will be good? The future will tell, of course, but I will allow myself to feel a little hype. Check out the video for yourself after the jump!

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Kingdom Come 2 – Boring Beginnings

I decided to give Kingdom Come 2 a go, since I liked certain parts of the first outing. Specifically, the sandbox nature of the game that reminded me of such classics like Gothic & Risen. What I didn’t enjoy that much, like many of Vavra’s (the game director) games, is the cinematic approach to storytelling. You are constantly being railroaded, with long segments of endless cutscenes with varying quality of dialogue. You might think you are given a choice, but narratively, the story and the protagonist (Henry) is set in stone. For example, going on a full murder spree on some poor village folk, has a clear disconnect from the narrative. Henry, as he is realized in the first game, is a good boy, and wouldn’t do these things. Kingdom Come is not my favorite game or anything, but it was okay for one playthrough thanks to the unique setting, which the sequel now no longer can lean on.

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Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising – Red Island Menace

Soldier, strap on your boots and load your rifle. The commies are looking for a fight! And this time, it’s not the North Koreans. Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a really weird game. It’s a continuation of the classic Operation Flashpoint franchise, but now with Bohemia Interactive out of the picture. So, Codemasters decided to make their own version. The game has a slight schizophrenic feel to it, as it at times does feel like OPF of old. The engine used, and the scale and sandbox freedom is almost a carbon copy. In some places it’s improved upon, and works even better than Bohemia’s Arma series. For example, having units clearing buildings and shooting from windows. What makes it an oddity, is the console focus, and above all, the mission design.

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SPARTA 2035 – Demo Impressions

SPARTA 2035 is a turn-based tactical game that I can best compare to Jagged Alliance 2 and Xcom 2. Jagged Alliance 2 in terms of story, and setting, since you will be running a bunch of mercenaries saving a despot country from itself. And Xcom 2, in terms of gameplay, seeing as it ditches true line-of-sight, and cover that actually gives protection in favor of the more abstract Xcom 2 “board game” rules. That’s not to say it’s bad, though. It all depends on what you prefer. I enjoyed the demo for what it is, and I can say that it’s a title worth watching for the future.

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Vietcong – Mission Failed

I was ready to leave for Vietnam, smoke Lucky Strikes cigarettes, and shoot commies all day in the jungle, but Vietcong decided otherwise for me. The whole endeavor started out great. My old CD-ROM discs still work, and the patches were easily enough to find. Surprisingly also, it works out of the box for Windows 11. No hassle involved, so it didn’t take long until I was welcomed with cool 60s tunes, and the tropics filled with deadly punji traps. Alas, it was not to be.

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