Displaying items by tag: Exploration

What The Long Journey Home lacks in originality in its gameplay, it makes up for with realism in its characters and extensive narrative. It draws the player into a harsh, unforgiving universe that is as strange as it is beautiful. Wit, skill, and determination are needed to survive, but even with these, success is not guaranteed. Gamers who enjoy a challenge and the thrill of the unknown will get the most out of The Long Journey Home.

RiME is a wonderful experience filled with both light-hearted excitement and touching emotional moments. It invokes the old cliché, “I laughed, I cried,” but, of course, that doesn’t do justice to the amount of effort it took to coordinate the vivid yet dreamlike artwork, the fun and easygoing gameplay, and the dramatic musical score. It’s unfortunate that the graphics can be choppy and the movement can be finicky. Otherwise — especially if you value aesthetics over fun — this is an incredibly satisfying title.

Developer Zoetrope Interactive and publisher Iceberg Interactive are delighted to announce that their Lovecraftian Horror game Conarium, will release June 6th on PC. The game will be available through Steam and other digital retailers, with an SRP of $19.99. A brand new 4K launch trailer, that will lead you to the brink of madness and chill you to the core, has also been revealed.

With Prey,the developer Arkane Studios has built on the proven success of its stealth shooters. The gameplay discourages a head-on approach, slowing down the pace of the action. However, the frustration of having to hide instead of fighting enemies is remedied by excellent graphic and sound design, a strong RPG element, and the possibility to gather resources and build useful devices. An additional perk is the inventive writing, which manages an immersive, haunting atmosphere.

P.A.M.E.L.A. is one of the most visually solid games on Steam today, in the indie market — and possibly including AAA as well. There was a rash of bad reviews for crashing and loading issues, but the issues were fixed very quickly thereafter. Even with a small development team, NVYVE Studios has produced one of the most polished Early Access games I’ve seen, and it bodes well for the future of the title and the studio.

Developer Pixel Night and publisher Iceberg Interactive are proud to announce the release of their first-person adventure game, Empathy: Path of Whispers - releasing on Steam and other digital retailers May 16, 2017.

Everything is an extraordinary journey. It’s Salvador Dali meets Neil deGrasse Tyson meets Eastern Mysticism. It’s art and spirituality brought to life in a medium that transcends the limitations of books and paints. This isn’t the game you want if you’re looking for casual entertainment with which to unwind at the end of a long day. Yet, even though Everything challenges your understanding of self and the universe, it never sacrifices the simple joy of fun.

Given that Planet Nomads is in alpha, some of the issues get a pass, but there are other, more serious optimization problems with this title, and the building mechanic is borderline terrible. Movement felt delayed, graphics looked choppy more often than not when moving, and the game went through a serious bout of crashing until I switched to a windowed-only view.
There’s a lot of room for improvement for this title, but the foundation the devs have built is workable. Keep your eyes on Planet Nomads going forward, but be wary; your expectations might not be met if you jumped into the game now.

The Wild Eternal might be an acquired taste for some players, given its spiritual undertones and mystical themes, but the witty dialog and gripping plot combine with the scenic milieus to make The Wild Eternal a solid recommendation for fans of the genre.

Waking the Glares - Chapters I & II feels like a good first try, but the soft, soothing music and pleasant voice acting weren't enough. The series could grow, as Wisefool Studios gains more experience and support from the community; sadly, though, these are steep requirements for players that already have a score of immersive, truly fascinating walking simulators from which to choose, not to mention puzzle games that actually require deep contemplation.

Phoning Home is an excellent example of what happens when developers think outside the box of their genre(s). While there are dozens of Sci-Fi themed Survival game option for players to choose from, ION LANDS has blended a remarkable combination of elements to create a saga that stands out from the crowd.

A House of Many Doors is a terrifying trek through the unknown, a disjointed story with startling descriptions of lost memories and slow declines into madness. It is beautiful, haunting, gripping… and boring. It is simply hard to identify with it, and complicated to understand, which prevents it from truly capitalizing on its amazing elements which would otherwise stand alone so well.

With AAA Anonymous, we discuss our latest AAA game addiction for a handful of months, until the next one replaces it. This episode is the on the release of Funcom's Early Access release of their survival game, Conan Exiles.

Diluvion tugs at the soul of the land-bound adventurer who longs to experience the mysteries of the deep. It ties together RPG elements, resource management, combat, and the salty appeal of a marine environment in a brilliant blend of whimsical and exciting.

Elena is a promising idea cut off too soon. The music is soothing, the gameplay is entertaining, and the mystery is compelling. If the story had a second chapter to look forward to, I would be excited to play it, but as it is, Elena feels too incomplete to live up to its promise.

All in all, Quern is the ultimate scavenger hunt, and perfect for any exploring puzzle master. It is great for its genre and definitely a must have if you love brainteasers, exploration, and uncovering mysteries. Zadbox Entertainment very elegantly integrated cryptic puzzles into a well-designed and even more cryptic world that any challenge seeker would love to explore for hours on end. My advice to you… leave no stone unturned and CLICK EVERYTHING. Good luck!

Small Radios Big Televisions is a thoroughly exuberant experience. Sadly, lackluster gameplay and a very brief completion time work against the narrative, quickly leaving you to ruminate on your own. As much as I’d love to recommend this title, I cannot at this time. Perhaps it’ll be easier to do so at the next Steam Sale.

Jotun is a beautifully hand-drawn, top-down, exploration and boss-bashing game with some puzzles thrown in for good measure. Scandinavian Mythology is not often presented so well. Unlike those fussy gods, I'm impressed.

While lacking in difficulty, the title is a solid play that anyone can enjoy. It’s simple enough for anyone to appreciate, but only those who pay attention will ever truly understand.

I just can't emphasize how incredible ABZÛ looks.  The gorgeous trailers and screenshots online don't even do it justice; you just need to explore this ocean firsthand. A worthy purchase for anyone that can appreciate a beautiful, at-your-own-pace, exploration game.