Khvostik
Probably, one of the most important videogames in the history of mankind on multiple levels. The core idea of combining the style and narrative of Ultima 6 with concepts from Duneon Master clones but in higly advanced full 3d engine was revolutionary. This game, being in development since 1990 to 1992 inspired id Software to make their first person games, same as mix of genres in this title created famous "immersive sim" philosophy. And directly, this game engine was used by the team to create such famous titles as Ultima Underworld 2 and System Shock. In retrospective, UU1 was that milestone which over time killed traditional 2d first person RPG games and changed the direction of CRPG genre as a whole.
For new players, I'd say, this is the title which is still worth to be played as it is. Interconnected dungeon world of the game is an interesting place to explore, with lots of foes, friends, puzzles, dialogues, npcs and secrets. Probably, you will be confused by interface, resolution and controls, however, I must say that control scheme plays major part in immersive and survival elements of the gameplay: complications of action and movement gives freedom of item and NPC interation beyond what games with mouselook can offer. And managing your food, bags and boxes in inventory, sources of light are important part of the overall experience. Despite the low resolution, render of the game and objects in it are stylized the way that everything is clearly visible without pixel hunt. Dithering for light effects perfectly blends flat shaded 3d models with sprites and eviromets.
Hapy dungeoneering!
For new players, I'd say, this is the title which is still worth to be played as it is. Interconnected dungeon world of the game is an interesting place to explore, with lots of foes, friends, puzzles, dialogues, npcs and secrets. Probably, you will be confused by interface, resolution and controls, however, I must say that control scheme plays major part in immersive and survival elements of the gameplay: complications of action and movement gives freedom of item and NPC interation beyond what games with mouselook can offer. And managing your food, bags and boxes in inventory, sources of light are important part of the overall experience. Despite the low resolution, render of the game and objects in it are stylized the way that everything is clearly visible without pixel hunt. Dithering for light effects perfectly blends flat shaded 3d models with sprites and eviromets.
Hapy dungeoneering!
Short, but still good add-on for HL1. Can't really describe it as a standalone thing, and it may feel disappointing after Opposing Force, but as an additional bonus to the original game - it is fun, especially for GoldSrc engine fans!
1998
Very good classic arcade racer game. One of those more "late" PlayStation 1 titles, which started to squeeze better image and detail out of the system. While Ridge Racer on N64 looks bright and colorful, this one is on a more grounded realistic side in terms of visuals.
The ability to take teams and car manufacturers with unlocks of new cars gives it a bit more replayability. Tracks are generally nice and memorable too, especially the last one, even if its really simple one.
The soundtrack as usual for the series is a banger, main theme combined with high quality for the time CGI intro is very memorable.
Not something you will spend years after years playing repeatedly, but good pick to spend some time racing against your friend probably. If you have PS1 and CRT - pick this game, it will be a nice experience.
The ability to take teams and car manufacturers with unlocks of new cars gives it a bit more replayability. Tracks are generally nice and memorable too, especially the last one, even if its really simple one.
The soundtrack as usual for the series is a banger, main theme combined with high quality for the time CGI intro is very memorable.
Not something you will spend years after years playing repeatedly, but good pick to spend some time racing against your friend probably. If you have PS1 and CRT - pick this game, it will be a nice experience.
2004
A very interesting title in retrospective. A game that came out in 2004, that feels like a late 00s-early10s blockbuster from the PS3-Xbox360 era. This game was kind of a precursor to all Gears of War and Resistance games. It indeed feels like "AAA from the future" in terms of presentation, style, and visuals.
Graphics are nice for PlayStation 2, and for 2004 in general. It is completely different from the early titles on the same hardware. And I can understand why it was so hyped back in the day.
Sadly, because of the hardware limitation, hard cuts should've been made to fit it all and it shows. This game has all the sins of ps3-gen FPS titles, but much bigger. Small levels, big loading times, slow character movement, 2-3 types of enemies on the whole game, re-use of sections of the levels.
More than that, the game starts with spectacle, but then kind of half gives up and turns into a regular average corridor shooter with spongy enemies you need to pass. And bosses, if I can even call them bosses, are no different.
Still, it is not entirely boring, it tries hard to change the environment and do the plot and cutscenes, but be warned that it might get very tiring in the 2nd half.
Graphics are nice for PlayStation 2, and for 2004 in general. It is completely different from the early titles on the same hardware. And I can understand why it was so hyped back in the day.
Sadly, because of the hardware limitation, hard cuts should've been made to fit it all and it shows. This game has all the sins of ps3-gen FPS titles, but much bigger. Small levels, big loading times, slow character movement, 2-3 types of enemies on the whole game, re-use of sections of the levels.
More than that, the game starts with spectacle, but then kind of half gives up and turns into a regular average corridor shooter with spongy enemies you need to pass. And bosses, if I can even call them bosses, are no different.
Still, it is not entirely boring, it tries hard to change the environment and do the plot and cutscenes, but be warned that it might get very tiring in the 2nd half.
2005
A nice little dungeon crawler for J2ME phones and BREW. Very neat for a mobile game - quite long and entertaining. Maybe, a bit simplistic and linear but still enjoyable.
I liked silly moments and liked the overall design and feel, how classic doom-style monsters were mixed with a custom-designed texture set, which reminded me about System Shock and Doom 3.
May recommend if you like Doom, or the dungeon-crawler genre and want to waste some hours on a silly videogame.
I liked silly moments and liked the overall design and feel, how classic doom-style monsters were mixed with a custom-designed texture set, which reminded me about System Shock and Doom 3.
May recommend if you like Doom, or the dungeon-crawler genre and want to waste some hours on a silly videogame.
1999
This is the game from two eras: the era of spy movies and spy military adventures and things like that, as well as the era of limited 3d controls of weird or digital pads of the time.
In terms of presentation game kind of nails it: it indeed feels like movies "Speed", "True Lies", "Mission Impossible" and James Bond movies of the time. The presentation is a bit simplistic, world is more abstract. You can see the game's budget by seeing cutscenes made with in-game models. It is silly but I dare to say that I liked it more than MGS in that regard even.
In terms of gameplay, it is in the alley of first and third-person adventures and shooters on consoles of the time. The limits of the original digital pad forced alternative gameplay mechanics which I enjoyed for what they are. Don't expect it to be as simple as 3rd person FPS as Max Payne, but rather something in the spirit of Tomb Raider mixed with Golden Eye. I generally liked it for what it was, and how those mechanics were utilized. I used leaning and cover, learned to use aim, etc. Bosses and tactical situations force you to adapt to this game's gameplay mechanics.
Not a super hit, but very solid and enjoyable title from the original PlayStation. If you liked Medal of Honor 1 or Perfect Dakr on N64 - you may try this one.
In terms of presentation game kind of nails it: it indeed feels like movies "Speed", "True Lies", "Mission Impossible" and James Bond movies of the time. The presentation is a bit simplistic, world is more abstract. You can see the game's budget by seeing cutscenes made with in-game models. It is silly but I dare to say that I liked it more than MGS in that regard even.
In terms of gameplay, it is in the alley of first and third-person adventures and shooters on consoles of the time. The limits of the original digital pad forced alternative gameplay mechanics which I enjoyed for what they are. Don't expect it to be as simple as 3rd person FPS as Max Payne, but rather something in the spirit of Tomb Raider mixed with Golden Eye. I generally liked it for what it was, and how those mechanics were utilized. I used leaning and cover, learned to use aim, etc. Bosses and tactical situations force you to adapt to this game's gameplay mechanics.
Not a super hit, but very solid and enjoyable title from the original PlayStation. If you liked Medal of Honor 1 or Perfect Dakr on N64 - you may try this one.
2012
One of the best co-op action experiences out there and a very enjoyable third-person shooter. Very detailed and memorable environments, very good looking thing for its time. Good spectacle and diverse gameplay.
This is not your "survival horror" at all, keep in mind, that there are silly moments and silly style decisions, but not that much over the top compared to some other titles in the series.
If you want to play a plot-based good-looking third-person shooter in Co-op with a friend or your loved one - this is your choice. Just don't expect "Resident Evil 2" from this.
This is not your "survival horror" at all, keep in mind, that there are silly moments and silly style decisions, but not that much over the top compared to some other titles in the series.
If you want to play a plot-based good-looking third-person shooter in Co-op with a friend or your loved one - this is your choice. Just don't expect "Resident Evil 2" from this.
2006
Finished on PC, using a controller in coop mode. It is a very mediocre game - short, simple structured semi looking levels with obvious arenas. Enemies are bullet sponges and poorly reacting on hits. Not to mention that some elements are poorly balanced, like one-hit enemies with explosive bolts which stick to you. It feels like the bare bones of the game, which initially was a UE3 engine showcase and not much more. In addition to that, we encountered many collision and AI bugs. I guess the game gets such popularity because of graphics and visuals for being one of the most earlier Xbox360 games which showcased its power, but it is not aged well as a game in my opinion. It is playable and okay to waste time, but don't try to find there something special.
1996
Not very long, but indeed a sweet FPS game. This was the first game by famous Insomniac and the start of their partnership with Sony. More on the linear side, levels looking really nice and unique, so it not gets boring visually, as a lot of FPS games from the era do. Definitely a more enjoyable experience on PS1 than terrible ports of Dark Forces or Duke Nukem 3d. The game also has cheezy FMV cutscenes and simple character abilities system, which is still, utilized in gameplay. Old chunky controls aimed to fit the original pre-analog PS1 controller may scare people who do not get used to "Traktor" control schemes.
Very nice game and a good evolution of the 4th game in the series. Sadly, controls and mechanics are still tanky, like they were in the 4th game, the series has not yet decided if it wants to be 100% modern third-person shooter or retain some aspects of the "classic" series.
Like many games in the series, it starts relatively grounded (for what it is) but later goes to a more absurd environment and plot design ideas.
Still, a solid title to play with your friend or loved one in co-op on a lazy evening.
Like many games in the series, it starts relatively grounded (for what it is) but later goes to a more absurd environment and plot design ideas.
Still, a solid title to play with your friend or loved one in co-op on a lazy evening.
Really nice game developed by Snowblind Studio. Not very long, and not very complex - original target resolution and controls forced it to be what it is, unlike some later more complicated PC diablo-like games. However, effects, animations, and visuals are totally awesome for the release date. This game truly has shown the power of the sixth generation of consoles and was truly ahead of its time in this regard.
Actual 3d open world RPG Elder Scrolls game for the handheld device in 2004. Much more "true" elder scrolls than Blades or whatever they made for smartphones nowadays.
It has its plot, quests, characters, and atmosphere. I have not enjoyed previous installments of the "travels" series for J2ME mobile phones, but this one truly lives up to the "Elder Scrolls" name. It was a great and memorable experience, especially for a fan of late90s-early00s TES.
I recommend playing on an emulator since on the original N-gage device it works at a very low FPS.
It has its plot, quests, characters, and atmosphere. I have not enjoyed previous installments of the "travels" series for J2ME mobile phones, but this one truly lives up to the "Elder Scrolls" name. It was a great and memorable experience, especially for a fan of late90s-early00s TES.
I recommend playing on an emulator since on the original N-gage device it works at a very low FPS.
Star in the crown of classic CRPGs. A genre, which, is perhaps, forgotten nowadays. World of Xeen is a combination of Might and Magic IV and V entries in the series into one giant game. In CD version - with full voice acting. This game will be the last "classic" Might and Magic game before series moved towards other directions.
For those who don't familiar with subgenre - it will be very hard to describe what it is, sadly, all I can tell are things from conext of the time when it was made. And at the time, game had wonderful visuals, with colorful maps and covers, made by Mike Winterbauer, lots of awesome in-game art (especially in the dark side), lots of colorful and varied places with lots of fully animated NPCs. This game has user friendly fully mouse driven graphical interface, awesome for the time voiced cutscenes. While combat-action driven, the game has no "grind" in classical RPG sence of this word - all monsters are hand placed and gone once you killed them, this is not infinity encounter-based grinder like older CRPGs (including Might and Magic 1-2) or JRPGs. Same time as being fully open world, as you can explore anything on both sides of world of xeen from the start.
Game made on Might and Magic 3 engine, but makes a number of incremental improvements to anything, in particular, to difficulty curve - starting cloud side of xeen is most easy and accesable from all classic Might and Magic series. Some remnants of old engine still present, however - inventory is still pure text and tiny icons in list. There are no mouse drag and drop for items or character paper dolls, like in some other CRPGs of the time, Dungeon Master clones such as Eye of the Beholder and Dungeon Hack in particular. Same as you need to learn item stats in shops, for a price. However, this is not hard to memorize as its have fixed base set of weapons and armor + modifiers. This is probably the only major complaint for this game from me.
WoX, combined version of the game also have additional content and concludes story of all 5 previous games to the end. But don't worry, since Might and Magic 6 linked Heores series and old MM series, their foundations of the universe will continue to evolve beyond Xeen. If you like classic dungeoncrawlers, or a novice for the genre and want to start your turn-based action-driven adventure in VGA 256 color world of xeen - good luck, I hope you will love it!
Game, including CD version can be played vide ScummVM, modern engine port, natively. Sadly at the date of this review made it does not supports Mac version, that one had higer resolution and had more portraits, but anyway, it is not much different.
For those who don't familiar with subgenre - it will be very hard to describe what it is, sadly, all I can tell are things from conext of the time when it was made. And at the time, game had wonderful visuals, with colorful maps and covers, made by Mike Winterbauer, lots of awesome in-game art (especially in the dark side), lots of colorful and varied places with lots of fully animated NPCs. This game has user friendly fully mouse driven graphical interface, awesome for the time voiced cutscenes. While combat-action driven, the game has no "grind" in classical RPG sence of this word - all monsters are hand placed and gone once you killed them, this is not infinity encounter-based grinder like older CRPGs (including Might and Magic 1-2) or JRPGs. Same time as being fully open world, as you can explore anything on both sides of world of xeen from the start.
Game made on Might and Magic 3 engine, but makes a number of incremental improvements to anything, in particular, to difficulty curve - starting cloud side of xeen is most easy and accesable from all classic Might and Magic series. Some remnants of old engine still present, however - inventory is still pure text and tiny icons in list. There are no mouse drag and drop for items or character paper dolls, like in some other CRPGs of the time, Dungeon Master clones such as Eye of the Beholder and Dungeon Hack in particular. Same as you need to learn item stats in shops, for a price. However, this is not hard to memorize as its have fixed base set of weapons and armor + modifiers. This is probably the only major complaint for this game from me.
WoX, combined version of the game also have additional content and concludes story of all 5 previous games to the end. But don't worry, since Might and Magic 6 linked Heores series and old MM series, their foundations of the universe will continue to evolve beyond Xeen. If you like classic dungeoncrawlers, or a novice for the genre and want to start your turn-based action-driven adventure in VGA 256 color world of xeen - good luck, I hope you will love it!
Game, including CD version can be played vide ScummVM, modern engine port, natively. Sadly at the date of this review made it does not supports Mac version, that one had higer resolution and had more portraits, but anyway, it is not much different.
A very, very unfinished game. Crusaders on PC were done by the remnants of Cyclon studios inside crumbling 3DO with a tight budget, no motivation and no time to finish the project. While engine and ideas, 3d models, and some elements are promising, this game is laughably raw. Don't waste your time if you want fun action-adventure, you'll end up killing the same enemies on the same three unfinished locations. Game connection to the main MM series is almost non-existent.
2021
It is a complicated game to make a honest review as it is one of those things which really lacked a budget and time to be what it wants to be. On other hand, it never even planned as something big, AAA, super advanced. This game is a mid-budget RPG-tactics title from eastern europe, which implementation while borrowed some more modern stuf, by spirit stayed somewhere in 00s.
If you think about some 00s european RPG title like Two Worlds you will be more close to the idea of what King's Bounty II is. But, never the less, the game for what it is crafted really well, it has lots of content everywhere, world does not feel empty or dead. Each battle and quest are carefuly staged to deliver specific experience, so it is probably not something you are going to replay a lot.
This game is also not in any way like old Katauri King's Bounty "The Legend" series games, even tho it borrows some ideas from it. In the end, I'm sad that ending of this game is quite rushed, some things are not polished, some other were not implemented properly. Since game not sold well and.. other real life events, we will not see new add-ons or sequels. Which is indeed unfortunate.
If you think about some 00s european RPG title like Two Worlds you will be more close to the idea of what King's Bounty II is. But, never the less, the game for what it is crafted really well, it has lots of content everywhere, world does not feel empty or dead. Each battle and quest are carefuly staged to deliver specific experience, so it is probably not something you are going to replay a lot.
This game is also not in any way like old Katauri King's Bounty "The Legend" series games, even tho it borrows some ideas from it. In the end, I'm sad that ending of this game is quite rushed, some things are not polished, some other were not implemented properly. Since game not sold well and.. other real life events, we will not see new add-ons or sequels. Which is indeed unfortunate.