BlueDemon75
Everyone says Anomaly is "the definitive stalker experience" and I agree with that. But the caveat they forget to mention is that Anomaly is not exactly new player-friendly. It is mostly for people already familiar with the universe set by the originals, for players that seek an ultimate customizable sandbox, one that can create their individual vision of what a "definitive experience" should look like.
So if you have the patience to mod Anomaly and tweak every little setting to fit your view of what a perfect stalker game should be, then yes, it is wonderful.
If you got directed to Anomaly by some rando on twitter and are new to the series, just want to see what's up before Stalker 2 hits, I recommend sticking with the originals.
Only delve into Anomaly (and other mods) once you start to feel the OGs are not enough to satisfy your desire to wander the Zone. Once you start to have thoughts like "wouldn't it be cool if..."
So if you have the patience to mod Anomaly and tweak every little setting to fit your view of what a perfect stalker game should be, then yes, it is wonderful.
If you got directed to Anomaly by some rando on twitter and are new to the series, just want to see what's up before Stalker 2 hits, I recommend sticking with the originals.
Only delve into Anomaly (and other mods) once you start to feel the OGs are not enough to satisfy your desire to wander the Zone. Once you start to have thoughts like "wouldn't it be cool if..."
2008
To be fair, what was delivered here is what the developer promised. A pure physics puzzler. I can't fault Frictional at all for it, and I genuinely prefer when developers decide to take chances and do weird stuff, rather than making some pointless prequel DLC or something.
However, even when ignoring the Penumbra IP and the expectations associated with it, I still can't really recommend Requiem on its own as a puzzler. Its mechanics are dull, often poorly communicated, or just simply unengaging. Some things are introduced only to be then unceremoniously discarded by the next level. It doesn't build towards anything, feeling more like a collage of random levels and ideas that show what the engine is capable of, leaving the after-taste of a tech demo.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2022/01/mini-penumbra-requiem.html ]
However, even when ignoring the Penumbra IP and the expectations associated with it, I still can't really recommend Requiem on its own as a puzzler. Its mechanics are dull, often poorly communicated, or just simply unengaging. Some things are introduced only to be then unceremoniously discarded by the next level. It doesn't build towards anything, feeling more like a collage of random levels and ideas that show what the engine is capable of, leaving the after-taste of a tech demo.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2022/01/mini-penumbra-requiem.html ]
While their best titles were still to come, Black Plague further cemented Frictional's reputation for knowing how to make good horror. Despite its abrupt ending, it is a flat improvement in all departments over the previous entry. More than a decade later Black Plague is still highly enjoyable and easily recommendable as a classic of late 2000s PC horror.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2022/01/review-penumbra-black-plague.html ]
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2022/01/review-penumbra-black-plague.html ]
2007
Penumbra: Overture was the studio's debut title, releasing amidst many other horror games in the late 2000s. It picked up a strong momentum through word of mouth and exposure in early gaming youtube. It is considered by many a classic of the indie horror genre. And it was the start of what was supposed to be an episodic series.
While it doesn't quite hit the nail in the head, it lays the foundations for mechanics and design choices that would become synonymous with Frictional Games.
It's far from perfect but remains very enjoyable. Memorable moments, the narrative (while dependent on its sequel) is a compelling mystery, and the atmosphere of the winding tunnels of the underground complex remains as gripping as ever.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2022/01/review-penumbra-overture.html ]
While it doesn't quite hit the nail in the head, it lays the foundations for mechanics and design choices that would become synonymous with Frictional Games.
It's far from perfect but remains very enjoyable. Memorable moments, the narrative (while dependent on its sequel) is a compelling mystery, and the atmosphere of the winding tunnels of the underground complex remains as gripping as ever.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2022/01/review-penumbra-overture.html ]
2005
Serious Sam 2 is not a bad game, it's a victim of publisher meddling and a bad reputation for going in a different direction than its predecessors. Croteam produced and released the PC and Xbox ports simultaneously, alongside the development of Serious Engine 2 which is no small feat to a small dev team, and that alone is deserving of my respect.
Whether you like the direction it went or not, it's undoubtedly a good game, not perfect, but it stands on its own and aged well.
If you are reading this for whatever reason and bounced off the franchise before, maybe you should give Serious Sam 2 a try. Chances are it's different enough that you might like it.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/serious-sam-2.html ]
Whether you like the direction it went or not, it's undoubtedly a good game, not perfect, but it stands on its own and aged well.
If you are reading this for whatever reason and bounced off the franchise before, maybe you should give Serious Sam 2 a try. Chances are it's different enough that you might like it.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/serious-sam-2.html ]
2020
Imagine if you took all the best parts of a live service game and cut off all the bad aspects that come attached to it. Deep Rock provides that dopamine rush of getting shiny loot, fun online co-op, gratifying long-term progression systems, and a well-thought-out end-game. With none of the "aways-online" trappings.
There is no overpriced DLC missions, no premium currency, no cosmetics cash shop, and seasonal content is free and available for all. It's a full game through and through, 30 Dollars for the complete package.
And as the cherry on top, it doesn't lock your progression to a central server as a cheap form of DRM as most do, which is a blessing. And it even received mod support recently. If we take anything away from the longevity of a title like Left 4 Dead 2 we know that mods added an immense level of replayability to it. These mods also allow for custom cosmetics, further cementing the developer's intent of keeping the game free of microtransactions.
Honestly, I have no idea why this flew under the radar of so many people, while Valheim (from the same publisher) exploded in popularity. I guess it really depends on the current social media zeitgeist.
Doesn't matter if you are a weekend casual, or a daily hardcore player, be it one or ten hours of gaming a day, I can guarantee you that Deep Rock Galactic can offer more than enough fun for the price you are paying. Unless you have arachnophobia that is, then it's not that fun I guess.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-deep-rock-galactic.html ]
There is no overpriced DLC missions, no premium currency, no cosmetics cash shop, and seasonal content is free and available for all. It's a full game through and through, 30 Dollars for the complete package.
And as the cherry on top, it doesn't lock your progression to a central server as a cheap form of DRM as most do, which is a blessing. And it even received mod support recently. If we take anything away from the longevity of a title like Left 4 Dead 2 we know that mods added an immense level of replayability to it. These mods also allow for custom cosmetics, further cementing the developer's intent of keeping the game free of microtransactions.
Honestly, I have no idea why this flew under the radar of so many people, while Valheim (from the same publisher) exploded in popularity. I guess it really depends on the current social media zeitgeist.
Doesn't matter if you are a weekend casual, or a daily hardcore player, be it one or ten hours of gaming a day, I can guarantee you that Deep Rock Galactic can offer more than enough fun for the price you are paying. Unless you have arachnophobia that is, then it's not that fun I guess.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-deep-rock-galactic.html ]
2009
Released at the height of the modern military era of FPS games, Ace Team's debut game brought something unique to the table. Not a groundbreaking genre-defining game, but a damn good job for a first title.
With a massive display of creativity, Zeno Clash is a short but satisfying first-person brawler experience, one of many key indie games that proved the movement's worth. A unique trip through a bizarre world.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/zeno-clash.html ]
With a massive display of creativity, Zeno Clash is a short but satisfying first-person brawler experience, one of many key indie games that proved the movement's worth. A unique trip through a bizarre world.
[Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/zeno-clash.html ]
2014
When I first added Talos Principle to my wishlist back in 2014, I thought: Hey neat, a puzzle game made by the Serious Sam dev team, maybe I will check it out someday.
And so I did, 7 years later, in 2021, I finally bought and booted up the game. I was expecting yet another simple game puzzle game trying to emulate Valve's Portal series, like the many out there. I was wrong. It has clear inspirations from Portal but it is a rare beast of its own.
The most fantastic part of this game honestly is that it deals with one simple question: What does it mean to be human?
Many games try to approach similar topics before only to fall flat in their face, coming off as pretentious and shallow in the process. Here it is handled fantastically by the Writter of Penumbra and Subnautica.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-talos-principle.html ]
And so I did, 7 years later, in 2021, I finally bought and booted up the game. I was expecting yet another simple game puzzle game trying to emulate Valve's Portal series, like the many out there. I was wrong. It has clear inspirations from Portal but it is a rare beast of its own.
The most fantastic part of this game honestly is that it deals with one simple question: What does it mean to be human?
Many games try to approach similar topics before only to fall flat in their face, coming off as pretentious and shallow in the process. Here it is handled fantastically by the Writter of Penumbra and Subnautica.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-talos-principle.html ]
2000
[This is for the patched version of the game]
Over time, diving into Daikatana's development history and the gameplay itself became a guilty pleasure of mine. I wish I could give it a higher score, but even when patched it still has a ton of issues.
To say that I didn't have fun at any moment in Daikatana would be a blatant lie. Is it a bad game? No, not really. It's an ok, sometimes really engaging shooter when everything clicks into place. It ultimately suffers from crippling AI issues, erratic level design, awful first impression, and a shoddy reputation predominantly for its development drama.
It is a hard pass for anyone not interested in its history or without a thick skin for jank games.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/review-john-romeros-daikatana.html ]
Over time, diving into Daikatana's development history and the gameplay itself became a guilty pleasure of mine. I wish I could give it a higher score, but even when patched it still has a ton of issues.
To say that I didn't have fun at any moment in Daikatana would be a blatant lie. Is it a bad game? No, not really. It's an ok, sometimes really engaging shooter when everything clicks into place. It ultimately suffers from crippling AI issues, erratic level design, awful first impression, and a shoddy reputation predominantly for its development drama.
It is a hard pass for anyone not interested in its history or without a thick skin for jank games.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/review-john-romeros-daikatana.html ]
2019
Valve monetized the game with a battle pass and promised new content and ''New season soon'' back in early 2020.
Guess what? The pandemic hit. Rumors claim that interest in the game on the part of the dev team faded, especially after the Artifact 2.0 beta got officially canceled, communications ceased, and the lead dev Adrian Finol left the team.
Its last major update was in April 2020 and the last balance and bug fix patch were in November of 2020. While Underlords still has a tiny chance, it seems that Valve pulled the plug.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/dota-underlords-post-mortem.html ]
Guess what? The pandemic hit. Rumors claim that interest in the game on the part of the dev team faded, especially after the Artifact 2.0 beta got officially canceled, communications ceased, and the lead dev Adrian Finol left the team.
Its last major update was in April 2020 and the last balance and bug fix patch were in November of 2020. While Underlords still has a tiny chance, it seems that Valve pulled the plug.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/dota-underlords-post-mortem.html ]
2013
Project Zomboid is a tremendously fun time and a challenging survival experience.
Disguised under a simple look, Zomboid aims to be the most detailed zombie apocalypse simulation out there and I think it achieves it. The sandbox aspect is a gift that keeps on giving; just when you think you've figured out everything, you discover fresh interactions.
While many would frown upon the long early access, without it the game wouldn't exist at all. It is a massively ambitious project, the type of project that destroys a dev team six months into development. But Indie Stone stuck with it to fulfill their vision. They refine and polish each update to a tee.
Zomboid is actively worked on to this day, with weekly news updates, even seven years after launch.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-project-zomboid.html ]
Disguised under a simple look, Zomboid aims to be the most detailed zombie apocalypse simulation out there and I think it achieves it. The sandbox aspect is a gift that keeps on giving; just when you think you've figured out everything, you discover fresh interactions.
While many would frown upon the long early access, without it the game wouldn't exist at all. It is a massively ambitious project, the type of project that destroys a dev team six months into development. But Indie Stone stuck with it to fulfill their vision. They refine and polish each update to a tee.
Zomboid is actively worked on to this day, with weekly news updates, even seven years after launch.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-project-zomboid.html ]
2008
Far Cry 2 stacks the deck against you at every chance it gets, but the sum of these harsher mechanics provides for an incredibly engaging and immersive experience.
Its systems when combined focus on player disempowerment, things are not under your control, you are not a god of death in this world, you are just as susceptible to disease, gun malfunctions, and general misfortune as everyone else.
This brings a level of unpredictability to things. It keeps the game fresh even more than a decade after its release. All while its story presents a more subtle approach to its themes and antagonist. Something that was completely lost in the series.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/far-cry-2.html ]
Its systems when combined focus on player disempowerment, things are not under your control, you are not a god of death in this world, you are just as susceptible to disease, gun malfunctions, and general misfortune as everyone else.
This brings a level of unpredictability to things. It keeps the game fresh even more than a decade after its release. All while its story presents a more subtle approach to its themes and antagonist. Something that was completely lost in the series.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/far-cry-2.html ]
2011
Serious Sam 3 doesn't achieve the same level as First and Second Encounters, but still have the essentials for a serious title.
However I ask you to not play the vanilla version, play through Serious Sam Fusion. It comes with several improvements including bug fixes, 64bit executables, Vulkan API support, multi-threaded rendering, global leaderboards, modding support integrated into Steam Workshop, and basically fixes all the issues related to performance, bugs, balancing, and visual style.
This is the definitive, how it should have been, version of Serious 3 and bumps the score from a mediocre 5/10 to a 7/10.
It is nowhere near as bad as some youtubers make it out to be. Come into Serious 3 thinking that you are going to just circle strafe everything to death with a double barrel like every other shooter, and of course you are bound to have a bad time. Just like the originals, respecting the game and learning it's combat flow can be incredibly rewarding.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/serious-sam-3-bfe.html ]
However I ask you to not play the vanilla version, play through Serious Sam Fusion. It comes with several improvements including bug fixes, 64bit executables, Vulkan API support, multi-threaded rendering, global leaderboards, modding support integrated into Steam Workshop, and basically fixes all the issues related to performance, bugs, balancing, and visual style.
This is the definitive, how it should have been, version of Serious 3 and bumps the score from a mediocre 5/10 to a 7/10.
It is nowhere near as bad as some youtubers make it out to be. Come into Serious 3 thinking that you are going to just circle strafe everything to death with a double barrel like every other shooter, and of course you are bound to have a bad time. Just like the originals, respecting the game and learning it's combat flow can be incredibly rewarding.
[ Full review at https://bluedemonarchive.blogspot.com/2021/07/serious-sam-3-bfe.html ]