Cyber Knights: Flashpoint 1.0 is out!

Finally, after years, and months of suffering, Cyber Knights: Flashpoint version 1.0 is here. Goodbye Early Access! I have already given it about six hours of my life, and my first impression: pretty damn good. However, it’s not without faults. I think going 3D should have come with a tad more polish concerning the visuals and animations. Characters can come across somewhat weird in a cartoony way, and when moving, it looks like agents and soldiers ice skate instead of walking. A little sloppy, unfortunately.

Two other issues are the alarm system for when going loud, which punish you with endless enemy reinforcements. Never liked these types of mechanics, even if I know why from a gameplay standpoint (to punish you for getting caught). The final problem (so far) is that initiative/turn-order is individual instead of being group based. It adds to the tedium when you have to make daring escapes, as it can be really hard to plan ahead. More in-depth first-impression coming soon (probably). Other than this, the game is fun, and the narrative device seems interesting as well. Check out the launch trailer below!

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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:

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Menace – Huge FAQ

Overhype Studios decided to release a huge FAQ about their upcoming game Menace. It contains many juicy bits, that makes it easy now to form what the game will, and will not, be. For example, it will not be a Battle Brothers clone, with an open sandbox structure. It will have a structured story campaign, with a beginning and an end.

Here are some notable questions and answers:

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Found this little thing…

Came across the announcement of Critical Shift in a forum post over at the Codex, and I felt compelled to share it here with my fellow tactical brothers. The gameplay looks like a modern turn-based Xcom title, with heavy SCP influence (but maybe not as silly as some SCP files). Critical Shift is taking place on an abandoned secret base in the Arctic, where researchers have dug up something they shouldn’t have, and now need help from you. Sounds like a true sci-fi classic in the making, at least story-wise. You see, I’m a sucker for everything involving scientists meddling in stuff nobody sane would touch with a ten-meter pole. It’s one of my favorite book genres, within sci-fi/horror. That, and tales of doomed expeditions, so I’m excited. The trailer looks damn cool as well, especially if you enjoy a little gore here and there. Check it out below.

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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!

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