Saturday 30 April 2016

Pathfinder Adventures another card game that ... no

There is quite some time since am trying to find a CCG that really catches me. And I've tried a lot of games.
I like real card games am playing with my siblings and parents since I was little. Wist, Canasta, Poker, and many others. But the video games somehow not.
There are good games out there but none as said got under my skin. Not even the most played, most acclaimed still trendy Hearthstone. I don't think is really the game's fault. I like RPG games for 2 main reasons: I like the stories and the action. And when I say action I mean the actual moving, jumping, slashing, whatever combat requires. This brings us to my biggest problem with the RPG card games. Most of them are very much static. Even the ones that are featuring fighting scenes are more of skills deploy then actual fighting. Example The Gate features some quite nice combat scenes.
Newly released Pathfinder Adventures should have hit it's target with ease considering it has a solid base to launch from.


 Yet it fails. It's a quite good game except that should change it's name into Glitchfinder.
I've read mixed reviews tho most of them stating about the glitches there were some saying they played with no problem so I decide to try. The game installed fine and connected to my Google account with no problem. There is a very nice tutorial and tho may sound a bit tricky at start you can quickly learn the game mechanics. Which I liked. Yes the playing is static type - card skills deploy based on sheer strategy which is not exactly my preference but still enjoyable. 
First time the game threw me out and closed at the second tutorial location. Well it could be an internet hiccup of my connection so I relaunched. It connected and offered the option to continue and I could go from where I left. Finished the tutorial and up to the most mentioned glitch the drag the hero onto your party. Well after fiddling a bit I managed and quite quickly. Now am sorry for the game defenders but is still not right. Yes there is a solution as in you have to softly lift the hero avatar drag it a bit upwards and then drop it down into the party slot but one of the main requirements of a game is easy handling not fingering skills for a simple drag and drop operation that should be flawless. There is a reason is called "drag and drop" and not "lift and drag slightly upwards and drag then down and drop". And I played on a tablet so no excuse as this is meant for tablets not for phones.
As the game is interesting and I liked the multiple card choices, the strategic thinking, the different mechanics, the design and even the story I could overlook this minor glitch. But unfortunately after getting the party and playing the first mission location the game closed again. No internet hiccup as I had a game opened on my phone and one on my laptop for control. And I do have a good wi-fi. Anyways the biggest problem was that after relaunch tho the Continue button was displayed it did nothing. The only option was to make a new party and start all over. Imagine if this happens after you have played for quite a while and you have to start all over. Unfortunately as I read in the reviews it does happen.
Too bad because otherwise it is a game worth playing that could get me really interested. It has well defined characters and well drawn cards, clever mechanics and cards powers and skills but it's glitched.
Everyone to it's choice but for me the 2 main requirements to keep me playing are: great story/gameplay and playing flawless. Not the case here. But if improves I may reconsider. Will keep an eye on the updates.
Rating goes 4 stars gameplay/story but 2 stars for the play going. So overall 3 stars. Not bad if your goal is to float in the lukewarm of the games market.

No Saturday roundabouts this week as busy with real life but next time. :)
See ya around and happy gaming.

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Battlezone 98 Redux ... reMASTER

I'll start by saying that regardless of my title my favourite reviews are the ones that are not starting with "what has this brought new compared with the old one". I hope you realize that are many players that never played the other one.
So at the question: what is Battlezone 98 Redux? there is a simple answer: it's a really good game. Atta moment thus you should stop reading and go buy it. Not enough, oh well, then here we go.
BZ 98 R it's a nice blend of building strategy and shooter perspective fighter. It combines 2 genres that requires tactical skills, patience and good coordination. If you ain't have that is not for you.
If you are new into it would be a good idea to read the strategy guide on Steam. No really, seriously, do it.
Generally the controls are easy handling and with the exception of some minor glitches (most of them quickly patched) you ain't gonna have trouble running away. Err, I mean flying around and shooting the enemy.
And you are in space. Picking bio-metal. And yes you can pilot a space tank.
You can put your men on the Moon, or Mars, or Titan, or wherever. Who doesn't want that?
Just build your base and go take over the enemy. The missions are gifted with a lot smarter AI so the level of challenge will keep you busy for some time. You ain't gonna build the world in one day.
You have to learn how to handle your resources and your units like in any strategy game but the single player missions are there to train you on that. You get assault units, and defense units, and carriers, scavengers and mines layers (I really like those). My favorite hunter tho is Grendel :) And of course you have factories, and silos, and hangars and so on.
The visuals are updated to the XXI century of your current being (not on the plot time being which is a '60 alternative future ... well past, well doesn't matter). It is a real pleasure to admire the graphic interface, the newly painted skins, and the visual effects - boomer can an explosion look better?. Hats-off to the video design team.

And it has obviously added the online multiplayer (as on Steam).  Once you've trained the strategy / assault+defense tactics and chasing /shooting skills go play with your friends. It will be fun if you are into this. I'm not much of a multiplayer fan but each to its own.
Overall it is obviously that someone who appreciated and cared about this game worked on it.
It's a fulfilling experience that hits the shooting-strategy spot right on target. It's not perfect but a worthy 4 stars out of 5 for bringing or more precisely re-bringing this type of games into the modern era.
Still reading? ... shoo ... go buy.
Space Cadet Ogre to report ... happy gaming and see you soon.


Saturday 16 April 2016

The bank of games ... why you should impress me :)

To start with the ... "I am the gamer you want".
No really, seriously, I am because I like buying games and investing in games.
The "bank of games" (just a name by the way not a true real bank with safes and employees),  is a pretty neat idea that came to me out of the blue and started with a jar. To make a jar into a "bank" requires close, reliable, trusted friends. So I'm not posting it here to promote it but maybe others will adopt the idea.
Tho I like buying game I can't buy all of them, I can't play all of them, as I have a life. A quite busy one lately.
So it may happen to overlook some good games and only notice them when on sale, or if the promos are becoming more frequent, or it just pops under my eyes.
As so the "bank" idea came to me one day when I bought a game on sale. It was a very good game for which I would have payed the full price with no regrets. And then it hit me. Well if I would have payed the full price why not use the difference to buy another game, or something like that. I haven't had anything planned at that time . I just tossed the money (the price difference from the sale cost to the full price) into a jar. It wasn't a large sum to begin with but I repeated that every time I bought a game that I really liked, on sale. Even better 2 of my games friends I have told about my "games jar" decided to join in and do the same thing. So when the jar was full it was quite a nice amount of money - nice enough to count for someone. We searched for games that needed support, on funding platforms, media promos or other internet platforms like this and picked the one that looked the most interesting and promising. And we backed it.
So it went on and it extended in a larger environment (yup it's not a jar anymore) with a larger bunch of friends. It goes on the same principle it started with. Every time one of us buys a game on sale and is that good that we would have payed the full price, the difference goes into the "games bank".

It was a bit of work in the beginning to establish what and how we vote for. All projects related to making a game, making a games related site, games events, are eligible. As long as involves games :)
The "bank" members are searching for projects on the internet and then those are submitted for approval.
When the sum is big enough the project with the most votes gets the money.
Is as simple as that, but again, as said - you need close, trusted, reliable friends to do this, and it works.
With that being concluded this is just an info to give you the idea, please do not send requests. 
Happy gaming and keep in mind, you have to impress me if you want my money :). I am the gamer you want.