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🟩 Pros

• The art direction strongly evokes the survival horror genre from the good old PSX era. In fact, it's even complemented with deliberate graphical "imperfections" reminiscent of the technical limitations from that time, such as texture warping, a scanline filter, and possibly some dithering (or an attempt of it). It often looks quite convincing.
  
  
• The nostalgia factor can be felt throughout the title, for example, with a Resident Evil-esque inventory tinted with blue gradients, blocked camera angles, or even a typewriter where you can save the game... Theoretically. More on that later.
  
  
• The sound design, albeit simplistic and heavily inspired by Silent Hill, can be effective and may startle some players. Although it doesn't instill the same level of perpetual fear as the aforementioned pillar, it remains serviceable and contributes to the overall atmosphere of decay and claustrophobia.
  
  
• The monster design is, likewise, functional; though not particularly terrifying. This is probably due to desensitization related to the rampant conception of more nightmarish aberrations in media. That being said, these creatures don't look goofy either, so that's fine. Instead, they're simply there to entertain the player, resembling horrid cryptids that, in practice, are walking sacks of meat ready to be sliced or shot. Nevertheless, they're easily stun-locked and therefore do not pose much of a threat.
  
  
• The moveset is definitely on point. You have a few, crucial buttons, and all of them do their job precisely like you want them to... There's even a much-appreciated quick-turn button. Generally speaking, your movements are fluid and responsive (then again, I have the necessary IQ to take full advantage of tank controls). I also noticed that, whenever you aim the weapon at a monster, the protagonist stops in place, allowing you to use the movement keys in order to redirect his arms instead. That way you can attack up, down, or in the middle. This isn't a limitation; it's the way we remember it, the way we like it.

🟥 Cons

• The pacing is definitely one of the weakest points. It's very important for this type of game to build up the tension, and when the brown stuff finally hits the fan, to up the ante and make the player even more disturbed, some way or another. Unfortunately, here, this doesn't happen that much. The moment you get into the sewers, you're not really going forward on the scare-meter, as I like to call it. You aren't advancing through a gripping story, or getting more entertained with an escalation of gunplay and/or exploration. You're simply progressing, spatially, and nothing else; from one room to the next, one dark tunnel to the other. There may be junctions and crossroads here and there, or even the umpteenth hanged body, the blood stains, the ubiquitous rust; alright... But, in the end, it's all the same. You're moving, moving... And not really getting any enjoyment out of it. At least, nothing more compared to when you first started.
  
  
• And this brings me to another facet - the level design. I became disoriented so damn quickly, it's almost comical. After ten minutes or so, I was already yearning for a map, but sadly, Into The Dread didn't grant me the oh-so-coveted wish. If there was one element worthy of emulating from the likes of Silent Hill, Resident Evil, or heck, even Dino Crisis, it was the map system... Which brings me to the question: what if it was there all along and I simply missed it? Still, my earlier examples made it way easier for the player to locate any map. It was pretty much idiot-proof. Why not do the same here, if the intent is making an homage? Who knows. Perhaps I was right, and it wasn't hidden at all. I was really supposed to memorize the layout, or draw it. Perhaps I just didn't pay enough attention to my surroundings, and I could've made it by recognizing the little details... One thing is for certain though: the times of Maze War are long finished. You can't make a labyrinthine level design in today's day and age, at least in this genre, without putting some effort into it. If it's not a map, it should be visual or audio cues; even a bit of variation would do wonders. Instead, I'm presented with an endless tangle made out of metal and cement, with the occasional shrub or wooden box to spice things up a little. Sure maybe there's a room or a hallway that isn't recycled, but it could be better.
  
  
• The bugs, though not numerous, are very common and game-breaking. First and foremost, the typewriter... For a moment I genuinely thought I had to find ink ribbons to save, like in Resident Evil. That wouldn't have come as a surprise, since the similarities between these titles are glaringly obvious, to the extent that you may find yourself wishing to play those instead. Having said that, the issue wasn't about needing ink ribbons. The issue was that there isn't a dedicated button to save your progress. No need to go back to that sentence: you read it correctly. If you're using a mouse and keyboard configuration (which actually works surprisingly well for a game that encourages the use of a controller), then you won't have a button that writes the data onto a selected empty file. I went to the extra mile of trying every single button, both on the mouse and the keyboard. Then I tried double cliking, triple clicking... And yet, the end result was still the same: a file with "No Data" in it. You're forced to finish the game without saving, which, given the short duration of Into The Dread, is feasible, but it is nonetheless disappointing that such a basic feature doesn't function correctly. Additionally, there are bonafide door animations where the low-poly intertwine with an ominous first person view. These are both iconic and well-executed. However, by the time one finishes playing, you're rolling dice on where you'll end up to. Maybe the intended room, maybe the one you just left... This even costed me a significant amount of health due to a monster standing just outside the door. It's perplexing how these issues slipped through play-testing, but I'm hopeful they will be addressed in future updates.
  
  
• The plot is, to be quite frank, derivative and thus forgettable. I won't delve into it, for three pragmatic reasons. For one, it is a subjective matter: some people may see it merely as a pretext to further the gameplay (which is acceptable). Secondly, I usually avoid spoiling this kind of things, unless strictly necessary, as I prefer players to discover the story themselves (a brief synopsis is usually good enough). Thirdly, and most importantly, there simply isn't enough content to comment on. So, don't go there expecting the same level of storytelling seen in similar titles, because you won't find it. Normally, this wouldn't translate into a drawback in my book, as I can appreciate games that stick to being games first and foremost. However, this time I've made an exception since, evidently, Into The Dread desperately needs something more that elevates it. Being a carbon copy of a nostalgic memory, only in terms of graphics, is not enough.

So why am I recommending it? All things considered, the price is fair, and for some, there might be a good experience laying somewhere in here. One may interpret the shortcomings as plus sides. Above all else, I give this thumb up primarily as an encouragement - not only for this developer but for anyone else who has considered proposing other callbacks to a genre that, in the end, would really benefit from being properly explored again.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3132193127


https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3134394521

We're back in France, yet this time it is a much more colorful spring, during present times. Here we witness our main character and deuteragonist, respectively George Stobbart the witty American, and Nicole Collard the equally sagacious French, enjoying an art exhibit somewhere in Paris. The former became an insurance agent who manages the exhibition, while the latter came into the gallery for one of her journalist gigs. Things go awry pretty quick, and not only we're made spectators of a theft, but a murder as well. The cheapest painting gets stolen by a gun-toting lunatic with a helmet on his head, and the handler, while trying to avoid this fate, got shot. From here, we attempt to uncover who the man is, why he went to such lengths just to obtain the art piece of lesser value, and before we know it, we find ourselves entangled in yet another global conspiracy...

At the very beginning we're already met with your typical nostalgic charade, comprised of a few recurring characters from older titles. This will be the case even as time moves on, and although that is perfectly fine, it is a bit of a shame how some new VAs completely butchered their appeal. Coupled with the bland and stereotyped writing, we have some very distorted personalities from start to finish. I then asked myself why the lightning in a bottle that was "Shadow of the Templars" couldn't be repeated (and arguably, its sequel "The Smoking Mirror"). What I soon found out, is that a huge part of the fine writing we appreciated back in the day, was tightly knitted by Dave Cummins, who left Revolution after the 2nd game. That explained a lot, and I suspect something similar happened to the animators, their Don Bluth-style art, which greatly influenced the downfall of BS games, again, after the second installation.

For better or for worse, new blood has come to RevSoft, and from this point onwards we'll try to judge their work for this game, without too many comparisons. Let's begin.

As you may have guessed by this point, it's the amalgamation of top notch art-style, suggestive music scores, provocative lines and intelligent game design that make a Broken Sword game, good. The problem with The Serpent's Curse is unfortunately the fact that it doesn't excel in any of those (at least if we judge them as a whole and "ex post", as in, compared to how high the bar of expectations is currently set). What I really mean by this, is that this is a nice Broken Sword and graphic adventure, that nonetheless does not live up to its name.

We see a glimmer of redemption in the puzzles, which are all pretty logical in nature, if a bit too monotonous. Still, nothing to write home about, and nothing that gets really stuck in your mind and makes you scream: "Wow, that was a good one! I'm really proud I solved it myself." The reasoning behind this, first and foremost, is due to the fact that in every situation the characters - be the protagonists themselves or other people around us - will telegraph the solution someway or another. At times they can be pretty subtle about it, but they will still point you to the right direction, and so the sandbox feel of it all, vanishes instantly. We, like puppets, are moved by strings, then handholded towards the solution... It's not as tragic at it sounds, but it's still annoying at best. Then, we have solutions to puzzles that make perfect sense in our head, but aren't the real ones. There's a scene, for example, where we have to attach an object on top of a creature. We have a ball of string in our inventory, so it should be easy, right? No. We actually have to smear marmelade on said item, then glue it to the animal. Why the string doesn't work? Who knows!

Then there's the odd conundrum which resembles good ol' moon logic, the same convoluted stuff we had in old point 'n' click adventures and are apparently inescapable. Luckily, I only found a single case of that, and it may not even apply to you. What probably will however, is the feeling that most of the riddles are suspiciously easy and not just because of what was stated earlier. It sort of feels like modern gamers are treated as potentially dumb, which, don't get me wrong, may have a kernel of truth to it, but it's infuriating nonetheless. And it's a roller coaster also: you may have a time-sinker like anything else before, and soon after there's a ridiculously simple puzzle that is solved just by using an item! It's inconsistent.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3132193054

Only for die hard fans.

🟩 Pros

• Even after 20+ years, the gameplay remains unparalleled and addictive. It's not merely a turn-based strategy game with resource management and army coordination, but a genre-defining staple that incorporates innovative mechanics that continue to impress to this day.
  
  
• The story-telling is probably the best I've ever had the pleasure to read and listen to, not just stylistically, but content-wise as well. It truly immerses you in this gritty world and makes you wonder what will happen next.
  
  
• Although a subjective matter, the graphics do not appear that much dated. The art direction is, in fact, comprised of passionately crafted landscapes, original setpieces and aesthetically pleasing characters, all of which make good use of bona fide pixel art and low poly. These have enduring qualities that seem to have passed the tests of time.
  
  
• The dark ambient music is most likely something that will get stuck in your eardrums for days to come, in a good way. At least from my perspective, it never fails to add to the experience of lurking danger and sinister machinations unfolding deep beneath the fogs of war.
  
  
• Replayability is through the roof: a dozen of campaigns, a generous amount of one-shot missions, and last but not least, a level editor which permits you to create new stories; hence, you can play fanmade expansions for years to come.
  
  
• The legacy of this game cannot be understated. Back in the day, there was a triptych of series appreciated all around the globe for their pioneering facets: Age of Wonders, Heroes of Might & Magic, and of course, Disciples. So if you like any of the formers, but never heard about Disciples... What are you waiting for?

🟥 Cons

• The AI, despite being well made all things considered, happens to "cheat" pretty often, especially if you didn't uncover the whole map. This, however, is made so to balance the fact that the player is expected to be more intelligent, and can therefore crack the overall simple math behind the game, as well as abuse certain elements of it.
  
  
• The expansion, Rise of the Elves, is truly deserving of your time. It takes the whole experience to the next level, all while making good use of the engine and what is capable of. However, the new available race, the Elves, come off a bit unbalanced compared to the rest. The developers went for the "glass cannon" trope, but neglected some crucial aspects. Translation? Their units have way too few HPs. I know that's the point, but this isn't a game where you can dodge, and you're expected to tank at least some of the hits coming your way.
  
  
• The diplomacy mechanic is a welcomed implementation, even though a bit spartan in its execution. It's there, it's functional, but very simplistic even compared to the competition of that time.
  
  
• The difficulty balance, from the perspective of a first timer (and I bet even a few veterans), may look shocking to say the least. Very Hard is, for example, exponentially harder than any other "Very Hard" game modes we have in games nowadays. Easy on the other hand, is not a "Kid Mode" either. The game truly expects you to commit yourself, take some time to reflect on the tactics, etcetera. All in all, the balancing is a residue of a different time, debatably, a better time; so it's your call if you want to see this as a negative or a positive. What I can say, is that you should probably start your game at the average difficulty, and rotate your saved games between multiple files.
  
  
• Didn't help my sleep schedule. Too many sleepless nights, making turns with my brother playing this game, made me exhausted.

If Disciples: Sacred Lands laid the foundation of what could potentially be a norm-breaking strategy game, Disciples II realized and surpassed that very goal. It is a title where four epic stories masterfully intertwine with one another, offering some state-of-the-art gameplay systems. You don't need to play the first installment to understand the plot, and the tutorial takes care of explaining the aforementioned systems; so , you're good to go the moment you get the game.

To expand on this, I'm not the type to assiduously play strategy games, and yet for Disciples I made an exception. The amalgamation of easily digestible features, unique artistic style, and technical excellence had me coming back to it, no matter my natural aversion to the genre. As they say, it's easy to learn but hard to master, and it doesn't waste your time nor it makes things overly complicated along the way.

What people probably remember with the fondest of memories is, in fact, the battles themselves: not just the gorgeous screens but, again, the intuitive design. You attack or defend, have front rows and back rows. You can use items, and make good use of your natural immunities. There's elemental damage, and weapon damage. All this info is readily accessible with a right button press on the various characters, and said stats will change as they level up. If you've spent a good chunk of money in your hometown and bought specific buildings, then these level-ups will not be a simple matter of "numbers going up" - the ally will actually evolve and change form. The feeling of seeing your weaker minions become walking armageddons is just phenomenal.

About the hometown itself, also known as The Capital, here you can do many different tasks. Administrating your wealth and forces in meaningful ways, but most importantly, build new areas. These aren't only good for the abovementioned mutations, but also to gain a variety of perks and spells. I'll let you discover them. What I can say, however, is that the assortment of improvements is, in fact, one of the many precursors to the skill trees we have today, in the sense that sometimes you must choose an outcome while the other one will be precluded for that specific scenario. The game seems to be balanced to work with every choice you make, though (admittedly, there are times where one choice is better than the other depending on the predicament you're in).

I want to stress the fact that you must see for yourself what this game has to offer, so really, I can only tell you so much.

At the end of the day, Disciples II gathered a solid cult following for a reason: it's oozing with creativity and expertise, thus, if you like what I stated above even remotely, do not miss out on this timeless classic... Yeah, I just uttered the buzzword. It's a timeless classic though, shut up!

A title that gave me a better understanding of a genre that, generally, I abhor, can only mean one thing: it's freakin' good.

Imagine forcing people to pirate your seminal masterpiece because you are too insecure about your origins. I suppose that Unreal is an eyesore compared to the unbeatable, unreachable, unlimited (...and uninspired) Fortnite, hm? But the true irony in all of this, is that no one who developed Unreal -- which almost single-handedly revolutionized the videogame industry (for better and for worse) -- was actually responsible for this dumb decision of removing it from the stores. The people who did, think that a money-making rip-off with corporate-style graphics and predatory marketing schemes is something way more deserving of pride. Congrats Epic Games, not so epic anymore. The thumbs up goes to your dead carcass, not the brain rotting zombie you've become.

It's For...
✅ Users who don't mind a dice chucking game where skill is virtually nonexistent and luck is omnipresent.
✅ Players who can appreciate good art style, simple gameplay systems, bard-like soundtrack and typical fantasy lore.
✅ Completionists who have the itch to succeed in every single mission, be it primary ones or special goals.
✅ People who loved the board game, be it physical or digital, despite its fair amount of shortcomings.
✅ Those who're looking for a more bite-sized experience and do not have the time nor the will to play a complete session for hours on end (You will play a set amount of linear missions in Origins, contrarily, the OG version is all about reaching the goal which can be pretty far away in terms of requirements and paths you can take).

It's Not For...
❌ All those people who expect anything more than what was said above.
❌ The type of gamer who desires deep mechanics that reward a keen eye. There's only a very thin surface of this, but mostly, it's about praying the right sum of the dice comes up and playing the magic cards the moment you get them.
❌ The user who wants the most bang for its buck with a single purchase, since clearly there are DLCs that were created by stripping away some pieces from the main game. (Luckily, the whole bundle is cheap while on discount).
❌ Anyone looking for a multiplayer experience (for that, the OG is one or two clicks away).

Check out my Talisman: Digital Edition review by clicking this text.

Luckily, you can get the original version here on Steam. Unluckily, you'll have to buy this edition first and have it stuck on your library like a sore thumb. This adds unnecessary and hideous changes, and it also cuts parts of the game that were either fundamental from a narrative aspect or simply good for character development.

Even though it comes from the tail end of the point 'n' click golden era, I put this game on a high pedestal since everything is on point: story, pacing, writing, characters, music, puzzles, pixel art. Shoutout to whoever had the sane idea at Revolution to add this version for all of those patricians who can't be bothered with the Director's Cut, which adds unnecessary if not even hideous changes to an already perfect game.

This is a preview. Check out my FULL REVIEW of Deathwing here.


Space Hulk (and by extension Deathwing) was initially conceived back in 1989 as a tactical board game where two players challenge each other in a fierce battle. Who plays as the Space Marines will delve into an amalgam of cosmic debris and artificial structures - or Space Hulk, in short. Said locations are so immense that they boast their own gravitational pull and atmospheres; so sinister in nature that, undoubtedly, someone or something is already using them as an abode. If the Marines have specific reasons to roam inside a place so perilous - which may be retrieving an artifact, or simply destroying what could very well collide into an inhabited planet - the vicious Tyranids are the total opposite. These fanged, sharp-toothed aliens can hide and proliferate inside these stellar dungeons and, while doing so, they'll be moved solely by their natural instincts of killing everybody on sight, or preferably, infect them with their seeds. This way, they can mutate the host and become stronger - which is undoubtedly the more nightmarish prospect for a poor human being. In this case however, the Space Marine isn't a simple human. Those who are in charge of purifying the hulks are mostly Terminators: a very experienced faction of marines, serving The Imperium of Man. Genetically enhanced and armed to the hilt, a Terminator isn't exactly the easiest meal for a Genestealer, in fact, ANYONE in the Marine/Tyranid dichotomy can be a glass cannon; Deathwing is no exception to the rule. You'll be just as weak as the enemy is, just as powerful as they are. Be ready for a carnage: the first who strikes, is likely the winner.

Olethros, an enigmatic Space Hulk, has randomly warped in this dimension and our job is to get rid of it. Before that however, we are made aware of the twisted visions of a renowned Dark Angel Librarian (the protagonist). According to the vivid imagery, something far more mysterious is concealed beneath the bowels of Olethros. A dark secret about our ancient past, heavily guarded by hordes of Genestealers. I won't go much deeper into plot territory in order to avoid spoilers, but one thing that can be said is how the campaign heavily revolves around this cardinal truth and our journey to uncover it. That will happen over the course of nine chapters spanning from 30 to 50 minutes each - although the biggest chunk of time is greedily gobbled by a simple action: movement. This isn't the average FPS where you can blaze through scenarios, rather, you're a slow and bulky cyborg who has to wisely decide when to run or even when to reload a weapon. The waves of hostile creatures are simply that relentless, hence coordination is key. Luckily - or unluckily - two allies will follow you throughout the disadventure while making things easier - or harder. On one side they can cover you, or take care of your wounds (albeit with a limit); on the other side they can move when you want them to stop, open doors even if you don't ask them to, or worse: stand stiffly like a damn stockfish in a storm of projectiles.

Fortunately, Deathwing lets you customize tons of different aspects: not only cosmetics, it also gives you the opportunity to withdraw from combat to a safehaven where you can resupply on medkits and switch inventories. This action is known as "opening a Psygate", but you'll be limited to only 3 Psygates per chapter or 4 in case you collected a set amount of relics per level. Relics on the other hand are hidden objects whose function is - apart from the one just mentioned - to increase the skill points you earn at the end of each mission. Obviously, managing your skills will vastly benefit the group in a moltitude of ways (more armor points, bonus to your allies and even new powers for you). Similarly, there are progressive unlocks towards stronger weaponry - and let me reassure you right away: the 40k staples are there. Plasma cannon, assault cannon, flamer; the good stuff. As I stated earlier though, the foes are just as strong and you'll soon encounter never before seen strains of Tyranids. Expect ravenous alien quadrupeds spitting acid at you, going invisible before your very eyes, or generally being more and more dangerous as you go. New monsters are introduced with a generous dropper, in the sense that it's a regular event of a steady supply. After the cards on the table are all laid out, Deathwing pretty much throws everything you've already known and feared at you, filling each claustrophobic hallway or ample engine room with diverse, perennial crowds. And this brings us to a whole other topic: level design.

It simply cannot be understated how meticulous the developers were whilst crafting this gorgeous scenery. Each chamber or corridor is brimful with details, and the visual effects - such as lighting or even the HUD itself - truly makes them justice. Overall, you can really feel like these places have seen lots of activity; different armies wandered here and their corpses are a testament to it. Furthermore, from a technical perspective, the design boasts some truly complex shapes and verticality is a well implemented concept throughout. This is somewhat emphasized by the mission briefings happening before starting a chapter, when the entire map is shown to us while Grand Master Belial comments over it. Speaking of which, Belial is one of those few characters whose voice acting is superbly executed. A certain ally sounds as if he were dubbed via text-to-speech, but other than him, pretty much everyone get their points across with a correct intonation of voice, rightly placed pauses and an overflowing sense of zeal.

Last but not least in this fistful of lists, game modes. I've covered the main campaign, however the replay value doesn't come from there. Instead, you'll spend most of your time with the special missions: a set amount of random tasks taking place in the exact same levels (again, choosen at random). These are playable both in single player and multi-player; in either case, you'll be leveling up your marine and unlock goodies, such as skins for the character and the weapons. This growth is sort of grindy, but since you'll be earning merely a bunch of fancy trinkets and/or bragging rights about your level, I wouldn't say it is unfair.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2859825618

First of all, why is it called Star Trust? Initially I thought it was a play on the word "Thrust", because really, there isn't any damn trustworthy thing in this game. The fact that it is a mobile port in disguise confirms my point. Or that cyborg-looking fellow who clutters your screen at the start of the mission with vague lore hints? Yeah, he's also fishy. Anyhow, let's explore these same two points in further detail, shall we? The game greets us with too much use of a Comic Sans-like font right off the bat; but I don't mind that too much. What bugs me is that, clearly, Star Trust's DNA stems from smartphones and that's to the detriment of the PC's edition. Not always a porting automatically translates into a bad game, but unfortunately, this isn't one of said exceptions. Just look at the control scheme (which can't be edited, in case you were wondering): you move with WASD or the arrow keys - and that's okay - but you mouse click on those big round buttons on the right side of the screen just like you would with the right thumb if you were playing with a portable device. This of course won't cut it in the long run, considering how frantic the genre can get. There are many other signs suggesting this is an inferior version - mainly graphical ones. However, for the sake of fluency, I won't cover them; instead, I'd like to talk about the plot of the game... Which is non-existent, of course. What did you expect from an indie shmup? Yet, the game does try to indicate there is, in fact, some sort of storyline - but it just falls flat because nothing is ever fully explained. Even the entity's message from the beginning says something along the lines of: "Hi soldier. Destroy the H.A.T.E.". What kind of soldiers are we? Who are or is the H.A.T.E.? Am I supposed to read the plot elsewhere or the latter is just a side flavour which is never truly addressed? I tried looking at the store page in search of answers, but all I got was the rambling text from the developer, who used the info section as a place to write his awkward strategy guide.

While in the store page, I saw something captivating though. It seems there are nine different ships and, considering how much of a sucker I am for unlockables, I jumped right back into the game to take a look at the Shop. I click the first locked ship and yeah, not only the aesthetics but the stats are different compared to the standard hull. Then I check the third one, the fourth one, the fifth... Wait, why can't I take a gander to the other ones? I'll tell you why. Hang on tight, because this is one of the most mind-bogglingly asinine game designs I've ever seen. Checking a spaceship in order to visualize the differences, will automatically buy whatever you clicked. I don't have any more words to describe something so genuinely stupid, so let's move on to the roux which forms this debatable dish, this so called "Star Trust"... The gameplay.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2859825597

I have inadvertently bought some new ships, so I guess I'm ready to enjoy a few more levels. There are only six of them, but the asking price is so low you can't really complain about the small amount of content. That being said, the flawed control scheme and the inconsistent framerate are making my experience unbearable at times, however I manage my way through the end thanks to the sheer power of phasers, missiles and even special abilities unique to the ship you're using. Oh and let's not forget the barrel rolls: those are a must. Anyway, up until this point the difficulty balancing is not stellar but not bad either, and it really favours seasoned players. It does ramp up drastically with the final boss though, so you're almost forced to farm more money, buy the best ship and go back at it. All in all, there is a challenge to be had despite the overall simplicity, that's for sure. The thing is, at this state, I really can't recommend the title. It desperately needs to iron out its problems - for starters, a rework to the UI, a good old fix to the stability and hopefully a tiny bit more content.

"Star Trust - 3D Shooter Game". It's even in the title, the genre, because the experience is simply that generic. It doesn't try anything new - nor does it want to. Actually, there isn't a single aspect that keeps you glued to your screen - no matter if it's original or not. It somehow manages to screw up even consolidated canons because everything is hindered by dubious decisions (therefore sterile gameplay, issues and whatnot). Finally, some mechanics are never explained (like the different bars in the HUD). So, do I recommend the game? Not even to die-hard fans of third person shoot 'em ups, no. But before putting it aside, perhaps wait, because there are indeed the glimmers of a few good ideas. The enemy design can be interesting at times, the game world might get more fleshed out in the future; who knows. Maybe some day, I will have a few more reasons to change this review into a positive one.

Ignore the game at the moment, but come back later. It might redeem itself.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2859825563

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1282865911


https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=415609297

Let's cover the roux that keeps this dish together: the story. Our protagonist is Sareth, the pupil of a great wizard named Phenrig. To prove his loyalty and expertise, we're finally granted the opportunity to go on an expedition, where we will recover a magic artifact - the Shantiri Crystal - and bring it back to Menelag (Phenrig's associate). All goes according to plan, until a powerful undead cyclops attacks the peaceful land of Stonehelm, Menelag's town. Having consigned the amulet, we find ourselves among the city's casualties, but thanks to our prowess and ingenuity we manage to stun the fiend with a ballista. From here onwards, quite a few things will happen, several new characters will be introduced, plus our mission will sporadically change until the final meeting with someone who is despotic... And vaguely familiar.

The game starts with a tutorial where different combat approaches are already put into perspective: in Dark Messiah, the best way you can tackle those terrifying foes is to utilize your body well, rather than your arsenal. What that really means, first and foremost, is to make good use of your kicks to stun or make others trip from ledges. Secondly, you should run across the map and search for goodies you can grab and smash on their heads. Alternatively, set up a few traps or employ some magic tactics that work in tandem with said traps. Your possibilities are virtually endless, and the title feels more like a sandbox for Kevin McCallister wannabes than anything else, coupled with the predictable enemy behaviour. So, you can pull off some spectacular synergies – not so much with boss fights, which are pretty dull in comparison.

The level design is exactly what you would expect after noticing the setting; yet that doesn't detract one bit from the sheer majesty of spooky castles, dark catacombs, arid deserts and how they're handled. Of course, the developers are portraying something archetypal, but I love how it's fully interactive in practice. I've never seen a game so polished to the point where everything can be used as a tool of destruction. Even the little details stand out, literally popping up in your eyes to make you gawk - meaning that graphics are on point: from the bigger texture to the smallest particle punctuating the intricate levels. In that regard, Dark Messiah delivers a set of both linear and complex maps, with some verticality and crossroads as well (albeit the latter is rare). That being said, you'll never get lost: the bloodbath awaits you room after room, cave after cave. Speaking of which, an honourable mention goes to the Spider Caves: a claustrophobic section of the game that, despite its well-known themes, manages to really set the tone for an enthralling experience.

There's not much else to be said about Dark Messiah without going into spoiler territory. On the other hand, I haven't covered the gameplay aspects due to them being implicit (i.g. the monster design is great, to some degree even the AI, but they're simply too stereotypical to even mention them).

Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is a Source engine staple you must recover; if only for its combat gimmicks (and trust me, it's worth it for that alone). Sure, the RPG elements are downplayed (for better or worse), while the FPS genre is, more than anything, treated like an FPM (First Person Melee), but both things aren't necessarily that bad. You simply need to take them into account before buying it... Bear in mind however, that it's only one dollar on discount; do you really need that many reasons to try this? Do so blind-folded, that's what I'd say.

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