Game-related ramblings.

Tag: Thoughtful Games

You Should Play The Witcher 2

Today I heard that the Enhanced Edition of The Witcher 2 was released. I fully intend to return for a second playthrough of The Witcher 2 and I’ll definitely write some posts about it when I do, but as I’ve still got a staggering amount of Skyrim to play and a rather big backlog of other games, that won’t happen for a while. But I did want to make a rare timely post and encourage everyone to play The Witcher 2, now conveniently in Enhanced form and with an Xbox 360 release to boot. It has a fascinating world, a great cast of characters and is full of tough choices with true consequences. Rather than simply leading to a few different endings (although The Witcher 2 has those), the player’s choices actually change the game itself, up to and including a choice between two vastly different second acts. Plus it’s one of the best-looking games I’ve ever seen. Along with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, The Witcher 2 was one of the highlights of 2011.

And this Enhanced Edition is no joke, greatly extending the game’s final chapter with new characters and other content, and featuring a slew of other improvements like a new lighting system. Add that to the earlier 2.0 patch which created a completely new tutorial and added an extra-hard difficulty mode with new items, and you’ve got a significantly improved game compared to the initial release, which was already great. And all of this is free to anyone who’s purchased the game.

If you need further convincing, read on for more (brief) thoughts on the game. Don’t worry, I’ll have more to say when I play it again.

Loose Ends: The Missing Link DLC

I don’t usually buy DLC (that’s downloadable content, for those unaware). A lot of it strikes me as silly, like new character skins or some in-game items available for a few dollars. Not things I’m interested in. Then there’s DLC that adds quests or new areas into an existing game, which seems destined to be awkward — an obviously tacked-on affair that doesn’t gel well with the main game. More reasonable are the DLC offerings that are essentially the expansion packs of old: new levels, or separate game areas designed to be tackled after the main game is over. Still, I would need to really like a game to go for one of these, given how many other games I have to play.

But in the case of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I did really like it, enough to grab it’s DLC add-on, The Missing Link.

Master of the Wind Is Finished

While looking for a game to play over vacation, when I’m away from my main PC, I decided to check in on Master of the Wind, and found that it’s now finished. The seventh and final arc is complete and the entire game is now available as a single download, for free.

Master of the Wind is my favorite game made with RPGMaker, a tool designed for creating old-school Japanese-style role-playing games. For those unfamiliar with the style, these games usually feature pre-set characters, a top-down viewpoint with separate turn-based battles, and an emphasis on story. I find that the most important thing for me when playing such games is the writing, and the writing in Master of the Wind is what really sets it above other games in the genre. The game’s themes include prejudice and racism, societal structure, and the true nature of justice and forgiveness, all handled artfully through the game’s narrative.

Try it out by downloading here, or read on for some more thoughts on the game.

Final Thoughts on Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Thinkin'.

I have finally finished Deus Ex: Human Revolution. When I recommended that you play it, I estimated I was only about halfway through, but it turned out it was more like one third of the way through. A long game, especially by modern standards, and I was worried that it might overstay its welcome or lose sight of its focus on human augmentation issues. I am happy to report that neither of these things happened; the game remained engaging right until the end, and I can now recommend it without reservation. Definitely play it.

What I didn’t touch on in my earlier post was the legacy that surrounds the original Deus Ex, which is considered by many (including me) to be the best game ever made. Can Deus Ex: Human Revolution live up to such a standard?

You Should Play Deus Ex: Human Revolution

I don’t always play old games.  For example, I am currently playing Deus Ex: Human Revolution.  I’m taking my sweet time with it, and I estimate I’m only about halfway through, but I wanted to write about it anyway.

If you play games, you have almost certainly heard of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and you’ve likely played it.  You also know that the gaming press has already written quite a lot about it. But if you are that person, this post is not for you.  Rather, this post is for those who have not played it, and perhaps have never even heard of it.  I am going to convince you to try it out.  The following contains only the mildest of spoilers.

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén