Jake Hill
I’m an easy mark for a new Civilization, but I have no fear in saying that Gathering Storm is one of the most creative and significant expansions a Civilization game has ever received.
The world is not our own, but the fantasy of it allows the game to dig really deep, and I considered political views I hadn’t had to confront in years.
It’s clear that Crusader Kings is not a game for everyone. It’s dense, complex, at times slow, at other times overwhelming. But there’s a magic here, a storytelling generator that you won’t find anywhere else.
Install this expansion pack and get into the rhythm of this excellent and yes, groovy game.
I was already wowed by Civilization VI, and Rise and Fall only serves to cement my love for this amazing strategy game.
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Basically, this all adds up to Foundation elevating Control in every way. It’s not a new game, far from it, but it’s a rollicking continuation and one that leaves you wanting the next chapter.
Chimera Squad is a great game in its own right, and it has me over the moon to imagine what a proper XCOM 3 is going to play like.
Beyond its two parts though, Control: AWE takes concepts from the previous chapters of the story and heightens them in every way. This is the best-written chapter of Control yet, and one that has me frantically searching wikis to figure out where the story is going next
Streamlined is a good word to describe Expeditions: Rome. Instead of jamming it full of every feature under the sun, it’s lean and mean. Maybe you are making fewer choices than you would in the latest Pathfinder game, but every one of those choices is meaningful. That philosophy permeates every level of the game, from the combat systems, to the art design, to the music, and the writing. A lot of thought went into every part of this game. RPG fans should honor that by giving just as much thought back to this game.
The Banner Saga 3 is a proud continuation of the games that came before it.
If you are willing to overcome a few technical hiccups, and if you are an unrepentant sci-fi nerd, Battletech can be your new favorite game.
Despite being loads more forgiving than the first brutal installment, Sunless Skies is wicked hard.
The slowness of the growth and the beauty of the end result, and the intervening moments, make Green Planet a wonderful game to unwind and relax. But the challenge means you’ll also be engaged. It would have been easy to add a few new projects to the research track and call it a day, but the terraforming is so integrated into the existing game, you’ll constantly find yourself marveling at the design.
I’ve played Pendragon dozens of times. I’ve unlocked most of the characters (I still can’t see to get Branwen the archer to trust me) and I know there are stories I haven’t pursued to their conclusions (Excalibur is out there, and I will find it). So rather than a traditional RPG or strategy game, Pendragon plays like an impressionistic take on a classic Nintendo formula. You’ll tell your own stories and if you play them right, the dream of Camelot will live on.
I will fully admit to getting stuck in a few places. On a few tries, I overextended too quickly or didn’t adapt well to the changing planet. I always mismanage my electrical grid, or my maintenance bots, and build my way into a corner. But I keep coming back. Never before has a strategy game offered me such an involved story in such a staid sandbox. I think I’ll be turning Mars green for a long time to come.
An original gameplay mechanic is hard to come by, and these shapeshifting puzzles feel like nothing else. The parts of the game that are derivative aren’t bad, just second best. The parts of the game that are original are extraordinary.
Its gameplay is familiar and fun, but its world is like nothing you’ve ever seen. You have to work to see it all, and you’ll want to.
By committing to the wonderful setting, Six Ages has more to say than a dozen fantasy RPGs.
But then… how much did it cost to go to the movies last time you went? Do you remember what you saw? Unpacking is going to stick with me at least as hard as the latest superhero movie I saw, and it’s going to make the next time I need to look for a new place that much more tolerable. Maybe even fun. I enjoyed the brief time I spent with Unpacking, and I’m not going to stop thinking about it before my next move.