Xenonauts 2 [Early Access] – Round Seven

After much suffering and hardship, patch 5.0 is finally out on the experimental branch for Xenonauts 2. Now, this is an early version of the patch, which the devs state is in a fairly buggy condition. And that I can confirm, as the progression for solving the Cleaner conspiracy is not working correctly, nor is the status for nationwide panic. Despite these issues, it’s fully playable (so far), and I have given it a few hours for testing. Since it’s this buggy, I won’t play for too long to ruin the experience. But here are my impressions of the new mechanics, and other changes I have discovered.

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Forgotten but Unbroken – The Revenge of Martin

World War II is always a great setting for turn-based tactical games. There have been a couple over the years, like the always excellent Silent Storm series. One thing this game got over Silent Storm, beyond just being a turn-based tactical game in a similar vein, is that Forgotten but Unbroken incorporates X-com-like base management and survival mechanics in the form of collecting resources. Sounds like a potentially intriguing game, in a backdrop that certainly fits that kind of gameplay. So, does it succeed?

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Forgotten but Unbroken – When Stealth Fails

Managed to snag a review code for the new turn-based tactical game Forgotten but Unbroken. I’m currently working on the review, but I recorded a short battle on Steam’s recording software in the meantime. Check it out below, if interested!

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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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The Lamplighters League – Kitchen Sink Adventures

Welcome to Paradox Interactive’s attempt at a Xcom-like turn-based tactical game in the form of The Lamplighters League. While it does not live up the legacy it was aiming for, I did find it enjoyable periodically, albeit a tad grindy. In this alternative 1930s world of earth, every kind of pulp fiction exoticism has been thrown in for good measure. Everything from the spirit world of ghosts and walking skeletons to monsters of the depth out to feast, Cthulhu style. Don’t worry, there are Nazi type regular human soldiers to shoot up too. In other words: there’s a whole damn smörgåsbord of critters and ancient horrors waiting to devour your soul!

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Andrew & Cory Trese [Trese Brothers Games] (Cyber Knights: Flashpoint) – Interview

Welcome to an interview with the hardworking developer veterans Andrew & Cory Trese (Trese Brothers Games). These brothers are no slouches when it comes to game crafting, with many classic releases behind them. I have not played them all myself, but from the titles I have played, Templar Battleforce struck a chord with me. They are currently working on the upcoming turn-based tactical game Cyber Knights: Flashpoint. It’s in Early Access currently but is already showing great promise for the future, if you enjoy X-com type of games. Let’s get into it, it’s a fairly large interview!

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