Recent reviews by darkstar/zx

In the galaxy's depth, where the stars align, One game proudly stands out, truly one of a kind. Helldivers 2, with its lore so vast, A universe where democracy's cast.

You could describe Security Hole as being some kind of 3D Tetris with Hacking / Cyberpunk premise / storyline.

This game revolves around the idea of hacking represented by getting blocks (Tetris style) trough the hole. You can rotate the pieces in 3D space in order to get it trough the hole and it is easy to learn but still manages to be challenging. Every stage has multiple "passes" trough the hole where you get more blocks added every time you pass the hole and thus more challenge. Getting those things solved fast gets you rewarded with bonus points and boosters help with harder ones. There are also few other types of puzzles and branched levels.

There is cyberpunk / hacker story for this game (text with animated images) which is not the best but still good enough for fans of cyberpunk material. I only have one gripe for this. Usually it is just few lines of text before the next "hacking". I would have liked to get more material between the game phases than just what is presented now.

For me i enjoyed this game more in little doses than playing for hours.

7.0/10

Gameplay has been balanced pretty good so you can get into it right away but still represents good challenge. Games graphics and soundtrack capture this game almost perfectly and altough it is nice to have story like this in puzzle game my main gripe with it is that we have only get treated few lines of text for one stage of gameplay, it could have been balanced much better.

But if anyone is looking for Spatial puzzle game then I would recommend this. Even more if you are fan of cyberpunk!

• Nice cyberpunk / hacker story
  
• Fitting soundtrack and graphics / art
  
• Easy to learn but hard to master

• Pacing of story vs game is not balanced

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2 Sisters Generation is sequel to Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 which i liked very much. And i would recommend that you start your journey of Hyperdimension games from there, altough it does not follow the events of the first game (But there is an connection though) since this game is based on different "Dimension" than this one. So you can also start fresh from this installement also since if you do not know anything from first installement everything is well explained and you do not miss alot (other than some recurring characters and some little things.

Like the other series in this game the game story is told via visual novel (however you cannot change the outcome of story in this) and it is pretty nicely done altough not all dialogue is voiced. Story itself was a little bit letdown from first Neptunia but i still got engaged in Hyperdimensions story which is funny and unique, though it has those typical JRPG tropes (and yes, there is a lot of fan service).

Much of time is being spent in world map and you can access all the shops, characters, dungeons, etc. from here. This game offers pretty decent variety of sidequests accessible from The Guild which are nice variety to just blatant grinding (which you will do anyway).

Combat is same as in other games of this series which is real-time dungeon crawling until you encounter an enemy and then it switches to turn based combat. You can have four characters on the field (one more than previous version) and four more waiting for support. Combat is very well done in JRPG standards and joy to play (even the grinding is not that bad).

There is also sort of minigame added with Stella's Dungeon where you can send him to collect loot for you. But there is also the catch that she can die there and you lose all his equipments. Graphics fit nicely in this games style (and that style is amazing!) and animation deserves an praise too. Sounds and music are fitting and good but nothing extraordinary.


8/10

If you have played Hyperdimension games and liked it then this is a no-brainer purchase for you! :]

For others, if you like JRPG's and all the baggage that comes with it (good and the bad) i can recommend this also as this (whole series actually) is better than most JRPG's out there with great battle system and other nice elements like crafting, stella's dungeon, The Guild, etc. And Hyperdimension series nice own humor and unique storyline still remains here :]

Story could have been little better but it is not bad and there are some bugs and crashes but there are some fixes for some bugs just check out discussions.

• Nice minigame, crafting and other systems
  
• Great battle system!
  
• Newcomers to Hyperdimension series can pick this up without playing the first installement before it
  
• For those wanting fanservice there is alot of that here :]
  
• Nice and witty story what you would expect from Hyperdimension series. (Story pales compared to first one though)
  
• Three different endings

• Not all dialogue is voice acted
  
• Some crashes and bugs (there are some custom fixes for some of these, check the discussions)
  
• Grinding (Well it is an JRPG so what would you expect?)
  
• Recycled assets
  
• Could have been longer

Petroglyph[www.petroglyphgames.com](which members created original Command & Conquer among other classic RTS's and new ones like Grey Goo) strikes again after the success of 8-Bit Armies with great 8-Bit Hordes!

This time we go into fantasy theme in vein of Warcraft instead of modern combat. It is basic Orcs versus Humans settings with "simple" gameplay without all the gimmicks modern RTS's use. Both races have their own campaign with 24 missions (and you can also play co-op which has 12 missions among with Skirmish and Multiplayer (up to eight players). If you also own 8-Bit armies your factions and maps can be used in both games which is really nice and exotic touch! Also worth mentioning is that tutorial / help in this game is amazingly done. Tutorial shows you the basics and then there is "help" menu where everything is explained and also you can view videos for everything and also shows what units / building need to be built in order to build something more advanced. Units behave rock, paper & scissors style. And with mouseover with units it tells what it is good for so GUI / UI is top notch.

Playstyle in 8-bit Armies goes back to roots of classic RTS games like original Warcraft where you start with just your base and after building certain structure you have access to more structures and units. There is not any upgrades in buildings or research to do so you expand your base, build your army and decimate your enemy. Simple, fun and refreshing.

Campaign has no story, just seperate missions, but every mission has three objectives that you can try to do which give you something from unlocking new units, adding some starting units or cash and many more things which is really strong point in campaign IMO since you really gain something when you get that mission in gold and get all the bonuses (plus hidden crates and such) and it is worth backtracking missions if you see that you cannot get that mission on gold just try it later when you have more things unlocked (this style of mechanism is often used in tower-defense games if you are familiar with them). Like the classic RTS games this is easy to learn but hard to master!

Game itself like the name suggests has retro style graphics which are voxels in this case and it looks amazing (And if you have played 8-bit Armies it is an step-up in graphics department). Also you can destroy almost everything on map. Music is also top-notch!


9.0/10

Gameplay has been balanced pretty good. Campaign is pretty fun with the whole unlocking objectives mechanic and co-op mission is always an great addition! And voxel graphics look pretty damn good along with superb music. So if you are new to RTS's, want to get that original Warcraft feel again or want easy/more casual to get in RTS just buy the game right now! :]

Also i cannot wait what 8-Bit XXXXXX we get next! This is growing to be an succesful series!

And for those that want this same experience but in C&C settings check out 8-Bit Armies!

http://node2.projectplanet.cn/@store.steampowered.com/app/427250/

• Great looking voxel graphics (upped from 8-Bit Armies)
  
• Great soundtrack!
  
• Co-op campaign!
  
• Easy to learn but hard to master
  
• Good campaign with objectives that unlocks that adds much depth to game and is an really good mechanism
  
• You can destroy almost everything you see!
  
• Good AI
  
• Full interoperability with 8-Bit Armies' factions and maps

• At this time there were not many people playing the game online which might chance in future
  
• No building rotation
  
• Needs more factions! (There should be coming more in future)
  
• Timers on some campaign missions are really frustrating / hard

As i think you have already discovered from trailers and game description that SteamWorld Heist is an Turnbased 2D game where tactics are like in XCOM series with obstacles where to hide, move to certain distance and you can shoot or sprint and be done with the turn and then shooting mechanism (for most guns) is like from Worms series where you can aim and see where the bullet will land and you can use walls, objects, etc. as a way to ricochet your bullets!

Basically game's objectives are mostly breaking into ships and do objectives (and side objectives) and you can adjust your difficulty before entering mission (more harder difficulty you choose more exp you gain so being greedy can cause you death and lose lots of currency) and replaybility on same missions is huge since every time you do the same mission the ship is procedurally generated so no ship is alike. There is also limit how many crew members can you have per particular mission. After you defeat mission you are given stars (1-3) depending on how did you do and it is also used as currency for certain things, so there is real incentive to get your missions done perfectly. There are all kind of stuff you can collect from the ships too. There are starbases where you can buy weapons/equipment/others, recruit new crew members and more.

Your crew who joins missions gains exp and they level up and gain skills (they are premade upgrades so you got no choices what ability you want to unlock though) and you can equip them with one weapon, two equipments and an hat.

Games story is pretty good (with lots of humor) and graphics and sounds fit very nicely to this game! Also helping with replayability is that after you complete the game you get new game+. SteamWorld Heist: The Outsider DLC is recommended purchase since it adds new character, items and missions with storyline!


9.0/10

This is pretty unique game and if you like turn based games that require tactical thinking with some RPG elements mixed in with good story (and humor) and good replaybility and DLC's worth their prices you should buy this ASAP!

• Really good replay value!
  
• Content is being updated and game receives attention from developers
  
• Good storyline along with great humor
  
• Great mashup of different genres
  
• Good graphics which do not require powerful PC to run and great music
  
• The first DLC is almost must buy and good for it's price!
  
• Addicting!

• Addicting!
  
• Could be a little longer

Table Top Racing: World Tour is like Micro Machines for this generation! You race with RC cars with six different game modes (Races with or without weapons, Hot Lap, Time Trial, Elimination, Pursuit and Drirft) or play online with 8 players in 20 different track sets. This game runs pretty well and looks pretty fine for this kind of game. Car models itself require special mention since they look really good. Soundtrack is awesome, but that of course depends on what kind of music you like (in here you get blend of Hip-Hop, EDM, Dubstep, and Dance tracks). Sounds are decent standard racing ones but serves their purposes.

You got 20 tracks in this game but actually it is more like 5 tracks and variations of those. You can also customize and upgrade your car and there is a lot of customization features! Gameplay itself is pretty solid and you get powerups (if enabled in that gamemode) and get to use weapons against your opponents. You also have some shortcut routes that you can activate by firing missiles at them (and you can find hidden coins from tracks also). "Feel" of racing is somewhat strange for me. Turning specifically feels odd. But overall controls are responsive and fluid.


8.0/10

Table Top Racing: World Tour is like Micro Machines for our generation and if you like games like Micro Machines, Mario Kart, Sonic All-Star, etc. You are going to like this! You get plenty of customization options, many game modes but there is the issue of very few tracks (DLC's brings in more tracks though).

• Weapons!
  
• Vehicle customization
  
• Nice graphics which also runs really well

• Too few tracks
  
• Turning!
  
• Boring weapons

Crea is pretty much alike Terraria and people who like Terraria i can say right now that you would like this! Something that sets Crea different from Terraria is that your character levels up (and you have lots of things to put your skill points and more), researching, magic and more.

For those unfamiliar with Terraria, Crea is an 2D Sandbox / Roguelite / RPG with elements like exploration, mining, crafting, building, fighting and much more. Think at is like Minecraft in 2D. You also have multiplayer which is kind of an requirement in games like these nowadays. Crea also support Steamworkshop (Mods) which is really good thing and we can expect some nice mods to come along.

Graphics and sounds are good for this kind of title but nothing extraordinary.


8.5/10

This is like Terraria with RPG elements and more put into it and also has Workshop support. If you like Terraria and games like these you should get this now!

• Really good replay value
  
• RPG system brings more to the table of for 2D Sandbox games
  
• Steam Workshop support (Mods)

• Inventory management could be better

Skyhill is an turn based Roguelike turn based game with crafting and RPG elements. You start at really nice hotels penthouse and you try to make your way to bottom. You have hunger (which reduces by one every time you move) and HP along with six stats that can be upgraded when leveling. Your penthouse also serves as your base since you can only craft there (penthouse itself and other crafting) and also sleep (converting hunger to hp).

In every floor there is two rooms which you can search for loot (some are locked though and some other things) and in some floors there is working elevator which you can use to quickly get to your base (after you obtain VIP card) and vending machine (which gives you some item if you have coin). Also there are some special encounters. Every now and then you will find enemies and combat is pretty basic (you can target enemy bodyparts where some deal more damage but have lower chance to hit). There are also certain "story" elements in the game and you also find hints of some caches, etc. Also after you died you may gain perks depending on what happened during your gameplay and after that in beginning of each new game you can allocate one active and one passive perk to you.

Hand drawn graphics fit very nice to games atmosphere and music / audio is pretty atmospheric and also fits to game very well (and you can enhance these with few perks too).

Overall i think the game needs more substance to it and hopefully there will be patches / DLC's.


7.0/10

If you are looking for nice rogue/rpg game that does not take too much time per playtrough you are going to like this. It is pretty simple though and may be a bit repetitive in the long run.

• Good crafting system
  
• Nice gfx/audio
  
• Good replay value
  
• Good story

• RNG
  
• Repetitive gameplay
  
• No leveling! (depends on your opinion if this is good or bad thing)
  
• Price related to content
  
• Pretty simple game

This game uses Talisman's rule system and is set in WH40k universe, it's not just an reskin but there are multiple things added too. Biggest chance is that this game is co-op loyalists vs traitors (Emperor vs Horus). Normal stats and other things like goals and board is taken from basic Talisman but brought to life in fantastic WH40k setting and graphically is much more better looking than Talisman.

Talisman has pretty steep learning curve but tutorial/tooltips explain good amount of things to get hang of this game. For those not familiar with Talisman (board game transferred to digital form) first you choose your hero which all have special abilities and six different stats: resolve (hp), fate (rerolls mainly), resources (money), close combat, ranged combat and strategy.

At the beginning of each turn you roll the dice to see where you move and every space has different kind of encounters (and usually need dice roll to determine what happens) and they also are different to each faction. You will travel around battling enemies and other players, buying gear, units etc. Board is divided into three parts: outer, middle and center and to complete the game you must reach the center of the galaxy. When combat happens it is usually done by dice rolls (with added bonuses of equipment and such) but there are some specific special abilities also.



8.5/10

If you do not like Talisman then you do not like this either! But if you are fan of WH40k universe and Talisman then this is your dream come true!

• Really good graphics for Talisman game!
  
• WH40k with Horus Heresy!
  
• Really great conversion of Talisman to WH40k world
  
• Hotseat mode along with other online modes
  
• Much depth
  
• Co-op
  
• Great artwork!

• DLC's cost too much and there are many of them (just like in original Talisman)
  
• Not much online players

In Combat Air Patrol 2 you get to fly AV8B Harrier II subsonic attack aircraft in areas around Straits of Hormuz (250,000km2 geographically accurate area) in and later in fully dynamic open ended campaigns with flight / naval mission planner. CAP2 is simulator and it's not recommended for arcade pilots but great choice for people who want realistic simulator (and HOTAS setup is recommended but not necessary) with lots to offer! I would say this is not as realistic as DCS (it sits between DCS and Strike Fighter / Novalogic F-16 / Total Air War games) series but how it has modeled many things is just amazing like flight model is really good with and you can really feel the speed when flying low with 3D waves. Also this game is pretty easy to get into if you have not played much simulators.

In your Harrier's cockpit most of the of them are clickable (left and right panel, upper keyboards) and MFD's like navigation / HSD, FLIR, radar, etc. And it also supports TrackIR (I hear it also supports OpenTrack). Dynamic will be campaign really awesome and remarkable feature and with mission planner you can create your own objectives to do. This game also let's you enjoy Harrier's nice features like VTOL and Thrust Vectoring.

Graphically this looks very good and also does not require high-end machine to run it. Especially terrain looks gorgeous and weather effects are great which adds to immersion among other things. Sounds also serve their purpose pretty well.


9/10

As this is still in Early Access many features are not in yet and there are great features to come. Game itself is pretty much bugfree and well optimized though there are some elements missing and you wont just yet get to play the full experience this game will offer in future but i think this game has huge potential to become really good game! So if you are into this kind of simulators i recommend it with my full heart!

Gameplay has been balanced pr

• I WANT DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN!!!11
  
• Good performance with great graphics!
  
• Updates come really fast and dev is reponsive in discussions
  
• Really good flight model
  
• Pretty easy to learn
  
• TrackIR support (TrackWorks also but not tried)
  
• Pretty polished in bugs / optimization
  
• You really feel like flying!
  
• Great features upcoming

• Some EA issues contentwise (this is an EA title so why does this belong here?)
  
• We have to wait for this game to get finished