Developed by Lunar Giant, Delve Deeper is an adventure/strategy game that is being released on PC and Xbox 360 as a downloadable game. Boasting a small price tag and interesting box art, it’s very clear that Lunar Giant may be the next big hit from a small gaming developer.
Most people will initially have their doubt’s about downloadable games like this without trying first. Good thing that sitting down for at least a hour will take care of those doubt’s, but is Delve Deeper really worth it compared to other downloadable games? To be short, yes, Delve Deeper turns out to be an amazing game for a 5 dollar price tag but lets take a moment to discuss it. (more…)
Most of us will probably never have the chance to become rich by running our own business. This is what makes games working our way up from the bottom to the top so appealing. There are a huge number to choose from including a variety of Sims and Tycoon games, Diner Dash, and Loco Mogul. Some say that Loco Mogul is a cross between Oasis and Rail Road Tycoon. How does it rate?
Graphics.
When it comes to downloadable games, graphics matter. This downloadable game does a good job providing graphics that are fun, entertaining, and that work well with the game play. They aren’t going to win any awards, but for the type of game it is they are definitely good and deserve a 4/5 rating.
Sound.
Loco Mogul supposedly has “catchy tunes” from the 1800′s. Whether the tunes are indeed from the era, I wouldn’t know. As for whether they are catchy or not I would definitely have to say not. The sound isn’t all that exciting. Most music included in such games is either relaxing or exciting, this is neither. On the other hand, the music and the sound effects that go with the game aren’t annoying either, which says something! I would give it a 2/5 for sound.
Game Play.
For me, game play means a lot and is the most important part of the downloadable game. This game is a little confusing at first. It doesn’t have clear instructions to get you started and in the beginning you may fumble around a bit. Once you see what is going on the game moves quickly, is fun, and offers a nice variety of actions. There is also a game manual that I found after I finished with my trial period. It is well written, clear, and will save you a lot of fumbling time.
With this game you get to survey land, choose where to lay tracks and build stations, and finally run the route to make money. You will need that money to build in the next level, to pay off investors, and to buy bigger and better steam engines.
All in all, the downloadable game is interesting and fun. I find myself at the end of the game feeling good that I did better then the last game, but that I want to do better yet. I was excited to pay off the various investors and wanted to continue to do so. For game play I would give it 4/5. It seems to be over too quickly to get a 5/5.
Creativity and Innovation.
This certainly isn’t a new idea. There is Railroad Tycoon and a number of other games with similar goals. However, the play is fairly creative and fun, even if you are person who spends a fair amount of time playing similar games. Things progress nicely and it offers a lot of fun. I would say that it is creative enough to deserve 3/5 without being innovative enough to get a higher rating.
Value.
Value of a game is important and needs to be considered before one spends $19.99 on a game they just spent an hour playing (and often getting addicted to). This game does have addictive play and it can feel very exciting. However, I am a little concerned about value and have decided not to purchase it. It seems that the game progresses well, but would end very quickly and doesn’t offer enough rounds or challenges. Because of this I think it would become boring quickly and only deserves a 2/5 for value.
Overall, this downloadable game gets a 3/5. It was a fun hour (the trial period is an hour) and I would love to play some more. However, the sound quality, the quick end, and the value concerns make this game lower then it could score. It was definitely an enjoyable game, but I am not sure that that would last.
The King of All Indies, Positech is offering 75% sale for 48 hours on their downloadable political simulation game called Democracy 2. The sale only applies to the PC version. In this downloadable political simulation the game the player is tasked with running a government as the prime minister of a fictional country. The game simulates the opinions, loyalties and political allegiances of thousands of smart AI voters in an innovative UI that shows the complex relationships between everything in the political and economic world. In this downloadable turn based strategy game you decide which laws to pass, such as banning firearms, or legalizing drugs, and what tax rates to set, or how much it should spend on projects such as defense, transport, social housing and many more. You need to use this code to get the sale price:
Positech, publishers of Democracy and Kudos, released a new expansion pack called Swarm for their downloadable game Gratuitous Space Battles. According to Positech, the Swarm are Space-dwelling nomads who destroy all they encounter, using cunning new gratuitous weapons such as disruptor beams, fusion guns, and deadly smart-bombs. Here’s the Swarm Video:
Check out Positech’s site for more information and to buy the expansion pack which costs $5.99.
Remember when strategy games were fun and compelling without requiring years of your life. Or worse, when they degenerate into annoying click-fests, when the player wins by merely being able to drag and drop faster than the AI. Flotilla by independent game developer, Blendo easily avoids both these pitfalls. (more…)
Telepath Psy Arena 2 – A pickup-and-play turn based tactics game worthy of praise, and your hard earned cash.
I sat down to demo the game earlier today with the intentions of playing for an hour or so and writing my review. Nearly 9 hours later I am pulling myself away, to say this to you fine folks, for the love of god stay away from this game if you are a parent of a small child, or own a pet, because they will surely be neglected.
TPA2 is all about moving and attacking the bad guys with efficiency. At the beginning of a turn, each character under the control of the player is given a finite number of steps and PSY points to use during that turn for movement and attacks. During the turn you use steps to move units, PSY points to fire weapons. Picking up items or changing the way your facing also uses up steps. Once you have used all your steps and PSY points, the turn goes to the computer and moves its units and sets up its attacks. With the great job Sinister Design has done with the AI driving the game, It wont go down with out fight.
It starts with you traveling from a distance to seek fame and fortune in the Grand Tournament of Ravinale, a competition of blood. Why are you fighting? Who is the big baddie everyone is afraid to speak of? Well, I will not spoil that for you. What I will say is you are sure to love the journey.
The care Sinister has put into this game is very clear, from the surprisingly good soundtrack, to the hilarious dialog, and the slick graphics, you can see the love behind this. I have been a fan of the genre for years, and after being disappointed with almost every offering the mainstream publisher’s has thrown up at us, It’s good to see that someone out there actually gives a crap about quality.
Three Reasons for purchasing, Easy.
1. The best indie game I’ve run across in a long time.
2. CHEAP! 12.95?!? You can’t even get a pizza for that.
3. I think the thing I enjoyed most about this game was the dialog, seriously funny guys.
Three Reasons for not purchasing, this one is a little harder.
1. If you don’t like TBT games this one is NOT for you.
2. If you are required to wear a helmet at all times this game is not for you.
3. If you are prone to fits of epilepsy, this is not the game for you.
In all seriousness, I did enjoy this game VERY much and I hope you will give it a shot.
Alawar Entertainment released Farm Frenzy 3, the third part of the Farm Frenzy Simulation Game Trilogy. Here’s Alawar’s description of the game:
“Join Scarlett, the feisty star of Farm Frenzy 3, as she puts robots to work on her land. Can you keep up with the latest advancements in technology as you grow crops, feed animals, collect produce and manufacture goods? Of course you can! Just don’t let the zany new animations distract you from the task at hand. Featuring 90 levels packed with never-before-seen characters, buildings and challenges, Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie promises a bumper crop of fun! ”
City Rain Game Review by Tim Peters
Game Rating = 2/5
What do you get when you cross SimCity with Tetris? Mother Gaia Studio provides an intriguing answer in City Rain. With a disappointingly limited demo, it’s difficult to tell exactly what to expect out of the full version. What you can expect, however, is an unusual mix of city planning and split-second decision-making that makes the demo at least worth a look.
