Empire of the Ants is a remake of a cult-classic original that tries to simplify the game mechanics and reinvent it for a more modern audience. The strategic depth of the game is reduced a lot, but it does allow for a more casual audience to be invested in it (even though it may not appeal to hardcore fans of the original game). The visuals look really well done and without significant performance issues (which is quite a standard to be held up in today’s games). The game is worth a play if you can afford to get it right now!
Fabledom is a city-building game that borrows heavily from the positive points of previous AAA games yet has its own unique twist and setting to make it stand alone. The game offers some fantastic city-building mechanics to players who are new to the genre, and some well-deserved nostalgia for older fans.
Bulwark Falconeer Chronicles is a city-building game slightly different than the other ones of its genre. It tries to carve its own niche with in-depth world-building and a post-apocalyptic theme that blends very well with its various elements (like graphics and sound). Tomas Sala has created another masterpiece – one that deserves to be played by most people who are into strategy and/or simulation games.
Howl is a masterpiece in writing that takes the features from basic games like chess, adds a touch of childhood nostalgia, and supercharges it with card-based mechanics. There’s very little left to flaw here with this game. The game is quite cheap on the PlayStation store and is definitely worth a try. Players having a PlayStation Plus subscription are encouraged to download the game trial and give it a go – one session should be enough to make one take the nostalgia train back to the time when they were children.
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 “turbocharges” the arcade racing genre and adds to the core of the original game without changing the actual formula of an arcade racer. Players interested in arcade racers who can overlook the microtransaction aspect of the game can get the game at launch. Others can wait for a sale to decide for themselves how good the game really is.
The Valiant is a strategy game marred with a number of problems. Players have the option of avoiding it or picking it up on a sale if they really want to try it out. The game brings back unhappy memories of Dawn of War 2 and how badly it failed, even though The Valiant does have some positive points to write home in its favor including its historical setting. Nevertheless, this is definitely not the game I’ll recommend if someone asks me for strategy game recommendations at a party.
Pharaoh is a fun city-building simulation that is challenging to understand, but very rewarding when players manage to pull it off. It is definitely one of those games where players will either spend an hour and quit, or continue to play until the major half of a day is over. Players looking for a challenge and don’t have a problem with the dated graphics should definitely try this out.
Land of the Vikings is a nice little city-building game that rediscovers the genre with an added taste of strategy and micro-management. It might not be the best game of its genre, but it is guaranteed to give you hours of fun if you decide to press the “Buy” button.
Starship Troopers: Terran Command tries to stay as original to the source material as possible, but that proves to be a hurdle when it comes to experimentation with game mechanics. It seems like very basic point-and-click tactics more than an actual strategy game, since there is little strategy involved in this game other than finding the right unit combinations to counter enemies and using unit abilities at the right time. This is one “real-time strategy game” I’d recommend people to stay away from – there are tons of better real-time strategy games to try out.
Redout 2 provides a unique arcade racing experience that few other games can compete with. If you find the modern trend of open-world racing games disturbing and want to try something a little different – this game’s definitely for you. If you’re a big fan of high-stakes racing, the high-octane experience provided by the game is sure to keep you stirring in your seat like a child. A fair word of warning – if you’re not willing to invest time in mastering the art of arcade racing at insane speeds, Redout 2 isn’t for you.
My Time At Sandrock is a life-simulator that manages to get the soul of a post-apocalyptic world correct while staying cheerful for the most part. The game, even in its current state is indeed something that can be enjoyed by people of every age. If you’re a bit bored of the lack of game releases in the second quarter of this year and want to pick up something that you can play for a while – My Time At Sandrock should certainly be on your radar.
"Crossfire: Legion is currently in a very early stage of “Early Access” and a lot of development is required to bring the game to a state where it is actually enjoyable."
Dune: Spice Wars is perfectly poised to be the meta-defining 4X real-time strategy game in the market. However, the lacklustre amount of game content as well as the repetitive gameplay does hurt the game’s replayability. There also seem to be some performance issues, albeit mild, which hinder the player’s experience. I would definitely recommend waiting out for a sale for this one if you are really keen on trying out another new addition to the strategy genre. If you’re not a big fan of strategy games and just wanted to try the game out because it’s set in the Dune universe, I’d reckon you’d have to look elsewhere.
Medieval Dynasty tries really hard to become the simulation cum survival RPG that people want it to be – and despite a few flaws here and there, does manage it quite well (if you manage to forget the RPG aspect of it). If you want to flex your creative mind organizing a living, functioning village from scratch – this game should certainly be up your alley. But if you want a pure RPG that wants to stand apart from the masses with some different mechanics – be sure to look elsewhere.
Expeditions: Rome is a decent game with a huge focus on micro as well as macro-management that makes its mark in the small genre of strategy games. I’d recommend an immediate buy if you like turn-based games and want one with a decent blend of RPG mechanics in it.
Ghostrunner is an awesome game that is challenging, but fun to play and push for completion.
While it's not worth buying at full price, Observer: System Redux is definitely worth getting it on a sale and trying it out. Be warned that the game might not suitable for people with a history of epilepsy or who had suffered seizures in the past.
Despite having quite a few flaws, the game still stands out in the RPG genre, with the game's writing being instrumental in getting it there.