Odium (Statergy / 1999)

A unique game that is captivating.

Graphics - 7
Sound - 8
Gameplay - 8
Difficulty - 8
Overall - 9

Although Odium is classified as RPG game its combat method is based purely on turn based statergy. You might even say that the combat in Odium is somewhat similar to the combat of Fallout 2. One of the key aspects in Odium's game play is resource management. You will often have to face situations in which you must decide which weapon or ammunition to use in order to kill the enemy cause if you get it wrong it may be the last choice you make in the game.

The graphics are not bad for a game developed in 1999

The game takes place in the near future in Russia in city near a military compound. Certain mysterious events prompt the UN to send a elite task force to investigate it. You take the role of this team.

The Graphics are not so great but its the combination of game play, sound track and story line that earns this game 9/10 from me. You will find no shortage of enemies in the game, each of which will have its own unique strengths and weaknesses. You also have the option of improving the fighting skills of your own characters making them better at range attacks, small arms or even hand to hand combat. The choice is yours.

Battles take place in a Battle area. Until you win the battle you cannot leave this area.

There are however some bad points to the game. Combat can often be difficult and you require a lot of micromanagement to keep your self on top. This can be a significant problem since the game ends even if once team member is dead, a problem that is elevated since you cant save the game during battles. The Role playing element is also not too evident instead the game focuses more on its combat system to attract players.

The Bottom line

All in all you should really give this game a try. Especially if you enjoy RPG and turn base statergy games.

Zanzarah: The Hidden Portal Review (Adventure / 2002)

A unique game that is captivating.

Graphics - 7
Sound - 7
Gameplay - 7
Difficulty - 8
Overall - 8

Its really hard to describe a game like Zanzarah. Its a mix of action, adventure , statergy and puzzle solving. Zanzarah is a story about a girl who is lost in a magical world. And must use her intelligence and her ability to control the magical fairies to fight her way out and find her way back home. I admit even i found the story line a bit uneventful but after giving the game some time you start to care less about the story and more about the game play.

The graphics are a bit cartoonish and cannot be classified as great. But what is great about the Zanzarah is its game play. The game focuses on the players ability to control fairies. I know it sounds a lot childish, but these battles between fairies requires a fair amount of skill and intelligence and is often challenging enough to keep you satisfied.

The game's focus is on fairies. Some of them however don't exactly look like your average fairy

In the world of Zanzarah you will encounter many types of fairies. The objective is to have a good collection of fairies that are strong and have good variety. The more your fairies fight the better they become through experience. And since some fairies do better against other types of fairies the game requires you to have a pretty good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each fairy so that you can make the right choice during each battle.

Meet Amy. Your character in Zanzarah.

The other aspects of the game are pretty average but for me it was the unique game play style that really hit the spot. The only major drawback of the game for me is the lack of character choice. Whether you like it or not your main character is always a girl. However just like the story line you tend to forget about it and focus your self on the game as you play on.

The Bottom line

If you are into fantasy, magic and believe in fairies then try this game out. Zanzarah is not the type of game that you are gonna enjoy from the start. So be prepared to give the game some time to prove its worth to you.

Loki : Heros of Mythology Review (Role Playing /2007)

Not bad. But Great either.

Graphics - 7
Sound - 6
Gameplay - 5
Difficulty - 6

Lets face it, the Diablo series were probably the only games that provided immense entertainment in the genre of "Hack n Slash" games. Most games that followed in this genre failed in one area or the other to bring out a solid game that is enjoyable by many.

Loki unfortunately is another failed attempt to bring to life what has been fledgling "Hack n Slash" gaming presence. Loki is not a bad game but it is not a great game either. The graphics are not bad and so is the game play but it lacks a great story line and game play at times can get repetitive such that it will easily bore you. But the game does have some cool new features as well. For example the character classes all have different campaigns. And it gives you the option of reloading dead enemies if you are low in XP.

But In the end the game gives you the impression that it was not given adequate development time for it to become a really good game. The biggest drawback with Loki is that it offers very little new features. And the lack of basic features of what a good game should have such as very good graphics, gameplay and storyline ensures that this game falls short of becoming a very good and entertaining game.

The Bottom line

Loki is the kind of game that you play if you don't have any thing else to play at all.

Two Worlds review (Role Playing / 2007)

Great Concept. Average Game.

Graphics - 7
Sound - 5
Gameplay - 5
Difficulty - 5

As a gamer who has played a lot of RPG games over the years i must admit that i was genuinely exited about the concept behind "Two Worlds". But having played the game for almost 6 hours all i can say is that the game is not as great as i expected it to be.

Ill start with the bad points. First of all the story is as horrible as it can get. Clearly the people who came up with it were not successful in creating a story that can even compete with other RPG games that are available. There are also major issues with the 3D objects as it seems that the people in "Two worlds" can actually walk through walls and sometimes even through other humans. You can imagine my surprise when i saw an archer whom i cornered onto a wall was able to walk though the wall and shoot at from the other side. The AI of NPC 's are at a all time low in this game. For instance many enemies will run at you when they see you and just walk away without even looking at you. There were also many instances when people would just ignore a dead body that was lying around as if it isn't something important. And Don't even think of getting onto a horse. Its a absolutely horrible game play experience.

Going onto the Good points. The Graphics look great. And the environment is wast. The world of "Two Worlds" is open so you can explore almost anywhere from the very beginning of the game. Stackable items, magic spells and the ability to create potions is also cool. Fighting is not too bad but it could have been better. And thats just about it. Everything else is just pretty average.


The Bottom line

Unless they give you a patch that solves all the above issues dont play this game its just not worth it.

Plane Scape : Torment Review (Role Playing / 1999)

A refreshing game with a lot of bugs

Graphics - 8
Sound - 8
Gameplay - 8
Difficulty - 5

The first thing that comes to my mind when writing this review is the amount of bugs i encountered when playing this game. Torment is a fantastic RPG game with a captivating storyline but the bugs in the game just made it a hell of a less more enjoyable. For a hard core gamer with a lot of gaming experience on these type of games i found it extremely difficult to finish the game without the help of a walk through.

The Game is developed by Interplay and Black Isle studios, Two companies who have very good experience in developing quality games such as "Icewind Dale" and "Baldu's gate" hense it is no supprice that the game play of "Torment" takes on a similar role. Howerver with respect to graphics and sounds "Torment" is in a leage of its own. With these improvements battles in "Torment" look more realistic and the places you visit seem to be more alive. The storyline also deserves its own prase. As it is one of the most sopisticated and well written story lines you will encounter. However this may lead to a lot of confusion at the end of the day and you might have to pay very close attention to even the smallest detail in order get the complete story.

The Battles look much more realistic

You start of the game as a Dead guy in a morgue. And as you go on you can recruit more allies into you team and have them adventure along with you. The sad part however is that your character model is not customizable which was a big disappointment. Even with new amour and weapons your character will always resemble a Dead guy. This has a lot to do with the main story line of the game. And you will soon find out that the concept of death itself is handled a bit differently in the game.

But even with all these new innovations "Torment" still has its downsides in the sheer number of bugs it has. There were more than one occasion in which i had to think and stare at the screen for hours at a time just to figure out how to get to the next place. The games difficulty increases exponentially because of the game designers inability to mark locations more clearly. On more than one occasion i had to sweep my mouse multiple times across the screen just to find out where the exit was.

Uhhh....Does any one know where the exit is ?

But if you are willing to ignore this major flaw "Torment" will surely be a game that can satisfy you for many many hours.

The Bottom line

If you want to play a smooth game without frying your brains then this is definitely not for you. On the other hand if you are the type that enjoy extremely challenging situations then Torment will satisfy your needs to the fullest.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Review (Sci Fi Shooter / 2007)

Another Console Game Transformed for the PC

Graphics - 9
Sound - 9
Gameplay - 7
Difficulty - 7

Lets face it Lost Planet was made to be a Console based game. It is not a game that was made specifically for the PC. And although the transfer from Console to PC is pretty good there are some areas of the game that lack the flair that PC shooters bring about.

Lost Planet is a japanise game and it is no surprise that the game involves the use of Robots which is kinda cool but also a bit difficult. It would have been a lot easier if you had a Console Game pad but its a bit of hazard trying to play it with the keyboard.

Overall the graphics, sounds along with the movies are excellent. The game play also (Although a bit repetitive) is good enough to keep you entertained. But if you are expecting a shooter game with a bit of adventure and puzzle solving then this is not a game for you. The only puzzles that you need to solve is how to kill the boss enemy at end of each level As it may require several tries before you find out the weakness of the boss. And the fact that its modeled on a console game means that you need to restart at the nearest way point if you happen to die mid way though the mission (Something i always find very annoying).

Thats a lot of bugs to kill

The storyline is something that the game developers should have worked on a bit more. Even in context of the game the story is something that really unrealistic. The multilayer also seems to be a bit broken and worthless. Often you will be faced be multiple technical difficulties that may eventually even lead to your game being terminated.

The Bottom line

All in all Its one of those games that you need to try out for the PC. But if you have the option of playing it in a Console then go for it.

Spore Review (Statergy , 2008)

The Universe Should Never be this small.

Graphics - 7
Sound - 8
Gameplay - 8
Difficulty - 7 (Adjustable)

The very notion of being able to create a creature from the beginning of the cell stage to the end of the space stage was a very intriguing one. And i must admit that i had my doubts as to whether such a game can be created that allows you to literary control the weave of life. But to the credit of its developers spore can be classified as a game that archived its goal. But it offers very little of it.

Its not easy being a cell.

Spore is a game that is played in stages. Each stage represents a stage in a creatures evolutionary path. The first few stages provide very little entertainment. In fact you probably could finish the initial stages within a few hours. The objective of the game is to survive and grow. The choice of how your creature grows and what type of a creature it becomes is purely up to you. For example the creature you nurture can be a gentle Herbivore or even a powerful carnivore. One of the best things about the game is the fact that a lot of things about your creature is customizable. From its basic appearance at the initial cell stage to the advanced space ship that you will fly on the space stage, everything can have your own personal touch.

Who would have thought that you'd have your very own space ship?

The graphics look decent but nothing flashy, and the sound isn't bad either. The game play offers something unique but very little of it was there to be offered. Clearly the game comes up short in terms of the content provided. It could have been a lot more better and probably would have gotten better reviews if the game had more to offer especially in the earlier stages.

The Bottom line
All in all Spore is the kind of game that deserves a try out. But its not the kind of game that you'll be still playing for months to come. However the uniqueness of the game will probably encourage you to try it out one more time from the beginning.

Dawn Of War 2 Review (RTS / 2009)

Everything You hoped it would be.

Graphics - 9
Sound - 8
Gameplay - 8
Difficulty - 8 (Adjustable)

The Original Dawn of war series was given a few expansion that didn't really change the game but added more factions and content. So when DOW2 was announced i wasn't really sure as to what to expect. But being true to its roots DOW2 is a game that will provide you a unique experience that will stick with you for a long long time.

The game differs from its predecessors in the fact that there is no resource collecting or building. Rather the game focuses purely on the player handling a few elite squads. This i have to admit was a bit of a disappointment for me. But the game makes up for it by providing a rich, story driven and unique gameplay experience.

The Single player Campaign is... well its different

The graphics and sounds are excellent and the game can be easily scaled downed to run smoothly on low end systems. The game also gives you a lot of choices as to how play each mission. Each squad can gain experience and can also be upgraded by collecting war gear. You can also select which squads to deploy for the mission allowing you to explore different strategies. There are also a fair amount of secondary missions that if you complete will make things a little easier for you. However most of these missions are similar and gives you a sense of repetition.

The Single player campaign consists only of one campaign. And that is for the Space Marines. However it is likely that more campaigns can be added through future expansions. The campaign is played in days in which you can play one mission(deployment) per day. You can earn additional deployments on the same day by completing missions with more efficiency. This is based on how fast you complete the mission, How many enemies you killed and How many squads survived. Often you have make choices as you which approach to use to get the maximum efficiency per mission. For example you may opt to finish the mission as soon as possible scoring high on speed but this might lead to a situation where a few squads are killed in which you loose points in that aspect.

The game also consists of a multi player and skirmish section that is completely different from the Single player Campaign. Here the game gets back to its RTS roots. Theres such a difference from the single player campaign that it can make you wonder if its actually 2 games in 1.

The multiplayer section gets back to its RTS roots.

The Bottom line
Love or Hate Strategy games, DOW2 is a game that you should play. Its worth every penny.

Neverwinter Nights 2 : Storm of Zehir Review (RPG / 2008)

A complete ruining of a classic game.

Graphics - 7
Sound - 8
Gameplay - 5
Difficulty - 5 (Adjustable)

When you think of a expansion for a game like NWN 2 the thoughts that would generally come to your mind would be new quests, new story line and perhaps new items and classes. which was pretty much offered in its 1st expansion "Mask of Betrayer".

But alas this expansion falls short of even coming close to the greatness of the original and its first expansion.

While playing the game you cant shake the feeling that the developers were more or less experimenting with stuff. And the game it self feels more like a beta release than a final release. New concepts such as trading and the overland map system are interesting but the lack of quality quests and a extremely poor story make this game a complete disaster. It appears that the developers were more interested in testing out the new concepts than actually creating a worth while game.

Most of the quests are pretty straight forward and can be completed in a matter of minutes. The battles also a point of concern as most just last a few minutes. Leaving you wondering if this actually is a RPG game? And unlike its predecessors the locations are very small yet it takes a very long time to load the locations. The game is also filled with its fair share of bugs.

The Bottom line
This is the kind of game that you should not waste your money on. Unless you get it for free, don't play the game.

Dynasty Warriors 6 Review (Action / 2008)

The more you kill...the more you love it

Graphics - 8
Sound - 8
Gameplay - 8
Difficulty - 7 (Adjustable)

Ill start of by saying that im not really a Fan of this genre. But i tried it out anyway just for the fun of it. And didnt that turn out to be the right choice.

Having tasted disappointments playing games of similar genre i was a bit skeptical about this one, But from the moment i played it i was in love.

The best part of the game is its simplicity and free flow nature. The game is modeled on a real time battle and once you play it you do feel like you're actually part of a great battle, rather than just a plain old hero bashing the hell out of the enemy.

The games objectives are balanced enough and change as the game progresses. This requires the player to always be on his toes. The objectives vary from killing a enemy general to capturing a key outpost. Be warned however that there are also certain objectives that if you fail, will result in your defeat. These objectives keep the game in balance and gives the player a real sense of a battle.

The action is non stop.

Even on low end PC's the game ran fairly smoothly giving the player a taste of non stop action. However the game lacks a strong story line and battles can sometimes be confusing with the sheer number of opponents and allies all fighting it out at the same time. The graphics and sound are not something to write home about but its good enough to let the player feel very comfortable within the game.

The Bottom line

This game is an absolute must to play if you are a fan of arcade style action games. Others also may find the game interesting if not fascinating.