atomicpoet

atomicpoet, 2 days ago to random

I feel like a lot of advice about retro video games apply to other things in life:

• exercise patience
• buy what you can afford
• when everybody is going left, you go right
• do things for their own sake, not for social status
• don’t believe the hype

Above all, examine why some people consider something valuable. Then ask yourself if you, yourself, share their idea of value.

A price is only a price if you, the buyer, agree that it’s the price.

atomicpoet, 2 days ago (edited 1 day ago) to random

I was giving common sense advice about retro gaming.

It was simple things like, “Buy what you can afford”.

This apparently got lots of people upset. One person told me, “How dare you tell people to not buy what they want!”

No, I’m suggesting that people keep a budget and abide by it. Buy what you want when it meets your budget. If you wait for deals, you will find deals. But if you buy things because you must have it now, you will lose your shirt.

Look, I stick to a general game budget of C$40/month ($29/month). This has allowed me to amass a huge library of games. How am I doing it?

Patience.

Take a look at this receipt. I bought Heretic, Hexen, Hexen II – and the Shadow of the Serpent Riders expansion pack – for C$1.09. In American currency, that’s $0.89.

The amount of money I save simply by exercising patience is absurd.

It’s so absurd that a retro collector doesn’t even believe me. They think I’m either lying or “ripped off” an uninformed seller. The notion of paying so little for a “classic” game offended them.

But exercising patience and restraint results in building a gigantic library on the cheap, and more people should be aware that it is possible.

atomicpoet, 3 days ago to random

Today, 68 games were released on Steam. These are the ones I found interesting:

Miko Sniper

• a 2D platformer, tower defense, and shoot ‘em up featuring pixel art graphics
• price: C$4.99

Star Stuff

• a puzzle automation game were you work alongside bots to fix a star factory
• gamepad supported
• Mac port available
• price: C$19.49 but currently has a -20% discount selling at C$15.59

Retro Wave

• an endless runner with vector-like neon graphics
• gamepad supported
• price: C$6.49

Journey to Foundation

• a sci-fi adventure game
• VR only
• price: C$29.99 but currently has a -15% discount selling at C$25.49

Ells Tales: Egg

• a survival horror clicker where you try to save a chicken egg and your own life at the same time
• price: C$2.59 but currently has a -10% discount selling at C$2.33

FINAL SPIN

• a party game about gambling your life at a casino
• gamepad supported
• online PVP and co-op
• Linux port available
• price: C$4.99 but currently has a -40% discount selling at C$2.99

Gemini: Binary Conflict

• a multiplayer, classe based, FPS set in the midst of an interplanetary war
• gamepad supported
• online PVP and co-op
• Linux port available
• price: FREE!

Unlanded

• a space game where you drift your way through hazards
• gamepad supported
• Mac port available
• price: C$6.49

atomicpoet, 3 days ago to random

It’s hard to describe what Poosh XL is.

It’s definitely an arcade game. I’d say it’s somewhere between air hockey, golf, and Geometry Wars. But such comparisons inevitably fall apart.

You control a circle entirely with one button. That button controls the angle of where it moves and how much torque to give your circle. If you collide with any of the shapes or the wall, it’s an instant game over. Oh yeah, and there’s some power-ups that make things slightly easier for you, but only for a limited time.

And I guess another word I’d use to describe Poosh XL is: minimalist. This is a simple game in the truest sense of the word. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I grew up with an Atari 2600, and I was late to the party too. While other kids were busy enjoying Super Mario Bros. on NES, I was stuck with Missile Command and Asteroids. These games had no storyline nor boss fights nor anything resembling scrolling.

Yet, I was addicted. There was nothing more I wanted than to reach the high score, and then beat my old high score.

That’s pretty much Poosh XL. I’m obsessed with getting further and further, playing longer and longer – beating my previous best. That’s pretty much all I need to be happy with a video game.

The graphics are simple. They’re really just wireframes with a neon glow. And yet this works for me. It looks good to my eye. I would change nothing.

The sound effects do their job. They get me into the action. And there’s the song that plays in the background – I’ve tried playing long enough to get to the end, but I can barely get through one minute in survival mode as it is.

If you noticed that Poosh XL slightly resembles the Atari Recharged series, that’s because Adamvision has made many of the games in that series. Specifically, they made Missile Command: Recharged, Centipede: Recharged, and Black Widow: Recharged. I’ve also reviewed their other games such as Super Bit Blaster XL.

I’m a big fan of Adamvision, they’re one of my favourite indie developers, and I hope to see more of their work.

The Steam reviews are stellar. They currently have a 99% positive rating, and it’s well deserved.

I definitely recommend Poosh XL, especially if you like old school arcade games or grew up with an Atari 2600. This will be up your alley.

Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, Steam sells Poosh XL for C$6.49. It’s well worth it.

Poosh XL screenshot (Steam Deck)
Poosh XL screenshot (Steam Deck)
Poosh XL screenshot (Steam Deck)

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

The problem with talking to game collectors is that they exercise moon logic for why I’m “doing it wrong”.

Apparently, buying from storefronts like Steam and GOG.com means I’m a minimalist who’s afraid of “ownership”.

Also, I’m apparently jealous of the big boys because I can’t afford a $1,000 for a WATA-graded sealed copy of Action 52. 🤣

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

What’s just as annoying as the “I only buy physical games I own it and it’s real” folks are the “I pirate all my games for moral reasons and if you pay for them, you’re a fool.”

Well, I’m not just buying games for the games. I’m buying legal protection.

I don’t have time to waste in courts.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

Currently having a really silly discussion with someone who insists that buying a game physically means they own it forever, while buying it digitally means it can be taken away.

Oh, really?

Here’s The Crew. The box and disc are selling on Amazon right now for C$56.85:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ubisoft-The-Crew-Trilingual-PC/dp/B00KVKOF9Q/

I say “box and disc” – not game – because you cannot play the game. If you put the disc in your drive, you cannot play it. Ubisoft shut down the servers and have made it impossible to play – and owning the disc makes no difference.

The issue isn’t “physical vs. digital”. It’s “DRM vs. DRM-free”.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

Video game collectors hate it when you make your own boxes.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

Home has been in my library for eight years. It’s a side-scrolling point-and-click horror adventure that can also be controlled with a gamepad.

At the time, it seemed pretty neat – almost like a silent film. At least on the sound front it’s really good with audio mixing that is superb.

But after 15 years of excellent pixel art graphics, I’m kind of underwhelmed here. I know that the graphics aren’t meant to blow me away, but at the same time, I find them displeasing. The sprites are way too big, and too much of the screen is blank. Perhaps the developer was going for “spookiness” but this didn’t feel spooky to me, just annoying.

The other thing is, after hours of playing this game, I don’t understand the story. I realize that you’re supposed to discover it as the game goes on, but come on, giving me some breadcrumbs – something that reveals more about who I am and what I’m doing. At the very least, give me a sense of story progression.

Thing is, if you’re not buying a game for the visuals then the game better have a good story. And I don’t see much of a story here, so I have a hard time keeping engaged. It takes a lot more than a few jump scares to keep my interest.

Not every indie-made video game is a transcendent experience, and I’m fine with that. This is what it is – a unique approach in adventure gaming with a retro aesthetic that was novel for the time.

I do appreciate that this game was made by solo developer Benjamin Rivers. There was a lot of love put into this game. And I’d rather play this game than Call of Duty.

Steam sells Home for C$6.49. While I appreciate the effort, it’s hard to recommend Home at that price – especially when there’s so many better games that are more affordable.

But perhaps I’m quibbling. At the end of the day, this is an indie game for less than the price of a happy meal.

Home screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Home screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Home screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)

atomicpoet, 4 days ago (edited 1 day ago) to random

Look, if you want to pay out the nose at used game retailers who keep telling you, “Let me check eBay…” then you do you.

There’s a very good reason that the bulk of my games library is now bought on Steam, Epic, itch.io and GOG.com, and that’s because those are the places where the deals happen.

I stopped caring about “physical” 10 years ago when putting a disc in a console prompted me for an “update” that took me two hours of downloading. And the whole retail experience put a bad taste in my mouth when Game Stop started selling boxes that contained no discs – only download codes.

But for me the nail in the coffin is when I see a DRM-free games sold at a pittance online, and the boxed copy sells for 10x more. At a certain point, I realize all we’re paying for is an “official” box. The actual game is a few dollars.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at Thief: The Dark Project.

PriceCharting.com lists the average “complete-in-box” copy for $77.

https://www.pricecharting.com/game/pc-games/thief-the-dark-project

Meanwhile, GOG.com sells it right now for $1.16.

https://www.gog.com/en/game/thief_gold

When you buy the GOG.com copy, you get:

• manual
• wallpaper
• reference card
• soundtrack
• avatars
• concept arts

It would generally be cheaper to just buy the box and assemble all the stuff GOG.com gives me and put it in my own box! Just the box would cost me $30.

Or hell, if I want to make it more personal and save even more money, I can just make my own damn box! Because, you see, after I pay for my copy of Thief on GOG.com, it would still be cheaper to go to my local printers and have them print and assemble a box.

That is, if I want to be fancy. I can always just order a DVD case and print my own glossy paper.

In fact VGBoxArt.com has lots of box art designs for Thief, making it very easy to go that route:

https://vgboxart.com/search/?q=thief

By now, I know that collectors are shaking their fists.

“What if you sell these bootlegs and don’t inform people they’re bootlegs?”

Well, I won’t. They’re for me.

“What about compensating the developers?”

The developers make no money from re-sold copies of a game, but I guarantee that they’re making money from GOG.com, Steam, itch.io, and other storefronts.

“What if you die, and during an estate sale someone buys your bootlegs?”

Then I hope someone enjoys the game and doesn’t attempt to flip it on eBay because games are meant to be played.

I’m done with sketchy used game retailers trying to milk as much money out of me as possible. Other people might enjoy participating in this circus but as for me, unless I find a good deal, I’m going digital.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago (edited 1 day ago) to random

I love Tonight We Riot!

In this game, you take part in a proletariat revolution to dismantle the capitalist state! You do it by taking to the streets, throwing bricks and Molotov cocktails at the police, and freeing more workers to join your revolution.

Some folks might feel that a game like this is distasteful and “too political”. Yeah, and Call of Duty is not? Or what about America’s Army – which is literally made by the U.S. Army?

In this game’s fictional world, the State has it coming. They enslave workers, perform medical experiments on them, and treat them like complete chattel. So yeah, I don’t mind toppling a few vehicles.

In terms of gameplay, this is fantastic. It’s a cross between a beat ‘em up and an RTS. You take control of one worker who feeds the pigs some brass knuckles. And you direct your workers to a strategic area to take care of the trash.

It’s as though Streets of Rage and Command & Conquer had a baby – and I’m all for it.

But wait! There’s more! You’re not just taking on police and the dirty capitalists – you’re fighting mutant kaiju! And you, along with all the workers you’ve organized, are going to take them down!

The graphics are superb. Like many video games, it uses 8-bit pixel art with lots of sprites. But it is also incredibly beautiful. There’s this one level at the docks where you fight through a heavy blizzard, and it is sheer eye candy.

Just as awesome is the sound design. As you’re skulking down the streets, dismantling authority, you’re accompanied by pulse-pounding synthwave music. I wish the soundtrack was available as DLC because I would buy this and listen to it in my car.

Is this game made by a bunch of capitalists who want to exploit the aesthetics of revolution? Nope!

It’s made by Pixel Pushers Union 512, a worker-owned co-operative. And it is published by Means Interactive – also a worker-owned co-operative – and a member of U.S. Federation of Worker Coopatives. In other words, all the profits made from this game go back to the creatives who made it.

Whenever I bring up a co-operative entity that does something cool, a “real” socialist pops up to tell me how they’re not actually socialist. And you know what? I don’t care. I talk about blatantly capitalist developers all the time, and nobody tells me they’re not “real” capitalists. For some reason, socialists are addicted to purity tests.

Nevertheless, I hope Pixel Pushers Union 512 makes another game because Tonight We Riot is so good. Definitely one of the most unique games I’ve ever played, it shows just what a co-operative video game developer is capable of producing.

On GOG.com, Tonight We Riot sells for C$17.49. I think it’s worth buying – not only because it’s a good game, but because how it’s made.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

Four words a used video game retailer should never say: “Let me check eBay.”

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

Today, 60 games were released on Steam. These are the games I found interesting:

Lumnis

• a Souls-like game with emphasis on exploration and climbing
• gamepad supported
• price: C$21.99, but currently has a -10% off discount selling at C$19.79

Rune Gate

• a rogue-like deckbuilder centred on card customization
• demo download available
• playable on Steam Deck
• price: C$12.99, but currently has a -10% off discount selling at C$11.69

Maple & Rufus: The Water Robbery

• a point-and-click adventure game with escape room elements where you try to discover who is stealing water from the citizens of Pumpkin Hollow
• Mac port available
• price: C$2.59, but currently has a -10% off discount selling at C$2.33

Beat in Zero

• a turn-based dungeon crawler card battler where you go on a quest to find the Card of Zero lying at the bottom of the floor
• price: C$12.99, but currently has a -10% off discount selling at C$11.69

DETECTIVE - Minerva case

• a first person crime deduction and solving game where you visit the crime scene, look for evidence, and try to udnerstand what happened
• gamepad supported
• price: C$13.99, but currently has a -20% off discount selling at C$11.19

Blockbuster Inc.

• a filmmaking simulation where you build your own movie studio, scout for stars, and produce TV shows and films
• price: C$32.50, but currently has a -10% off discount selling at C$29.25

EYE TO ME

• a short adventure game where a large eye stares at you, with walking simulator characteristics
• gamepad supported
• price: C$1.40, but currently has a -25% off discount selling at C$1.05

Amazing Grace

• 2D platformer about jumping down from heaven to rescue your child from hell, based on the PICO-8 virtual console
• gamepad supported
• Mac and Linux ports available
• price: C$7.79

Crabity

• a platformer about two crabs stranded in the vastness of space
• share/split screen co-op
• Mac port available
• price: FREE!*

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias will likely forever be a hidden gem because it was never released physically. It was originally a WiiWare title. And as anyone who’s ever followed Nintendo knows, Nintendo tends to shut down their console storefronts – which means WiiWare no longer exists.

This game was also available on iPhone and iPad. But Apple, being who they are, removed LostWinds from the App Store during what’s now known as the 32-bit Apocalypse.

PC is now the only legal way to play LostWinds 2. I mean, sure, you can find Wii and iPhone ROMs on various dodgy sites. But legally speaking, PC is the only way to play LostWinds 2.

People regularly talk about “hidden gem” video games. Oftentimes, I’m skeptical about how hidden these gems actually are. Now I understand that one person’s obscurity is another’s person’s childhood. However, if barely anyone remembers it, and it’s good, then it’s probably a hidden gem.

LostWinds 2 is a unique metroidvania platformer. Instead of jumping from platform to platform, you are carried by a gust of wind. One the Wii, this wind was the WiiMote; while on the PC, it’s you’re mouse.

Unlike the original LostWinds, LostWinds 2 primarily takes place in a cold setting called “Melodias”. The bulk of the game is about controlling fire and snow and using these two elements to solve puzzles.

Control is mostly intuitive. However, I think LostWinds 2 is harder to grasp than the original LostWinds because now we have to contend with vortices and manipulating object with them. This can often slowdown the pace of the game, and can get quite frustrating when it doesn’t work as planned. But other than that, the game is quite enjoyable to control.

The graphics on PC are not all that different from the Wii version. Essentially, this is low poly 2.5D. For a game that was originally 480p, it looks quite good.

I also enjoy the music, the ambient background sounds, and the sound effects – especially when the wind interacts with the environment.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this game is that it was made by Frontier Developments. Most famously, they are known for the Elite series. But they’ve also developed the Jurassic World and F1 Manager series.

One of the things that sets LostWinds 2 apart from so many platformers isn’t just the use of the wind mechanic but also its unique world. Despite all the baddies making your day miserable, it has a cozy feel. I’m glad it’s still available to play, if only on PC – and it should be played.

LostWinds 2 is available on Steam for C$10.99. I recommend it. It’s probably the best Wii game nobody talks about.

LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

I can’t believe a 9-year-old girl sang this song so well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwFloCPXzCs

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

Today, I learned that Screamin’ Jay Hawkins wanted to be an opera singer, not a blues singer.

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

If Duke Nukem 3-D is a hidden gem, then what is my entire PC game library?

I can’t be the only one playing these games.

atomicpoet, 5 days ago (edited 2 days ago) to random

YouTube title: “DOS Hidden Gems”

Thumbnail: Duke Nukem 3-D

Okay, if Duke Nukem 3-D is a hidden gem on PC, have you ever actually used DOS ever?

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

I’ve heard of go-go music, I know many people who say it’s fantastic, but I’ve never sought it out for myself.

Then I stumbled upon the Crank Brothers today, and damn! This is high energy and funky as hell! And it’s played with live instruments too.

These guys are the definition of “in the pocket”. They got chops and chops galore! The rappers that accompany them are pretty damn good too.

I listened to their album “Welcome to Cranksville” in its entirety – and I’ve become a fan!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_3lGWx8z_o

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

Savage Messiah is one of the most disturbing films I’ve ever seen.

Keep in mind I’ve seen some truly horrific movies but Savage Messiah takes the cake. It’s truly as unsettling as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. At least with Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer I can take comfort knowing that it is a work of fiction. However, Savage Messiah is based on a real person Roch Thériault.

Roch Thériault must be one of the worst human beings to have ever lived. That man formed a cult, mostly of women, who were – for all intents and purposes – his “concubines”. Collectively, they were known as the Ant Hill Kids.

He had sex with all of them and fathered 22 children. While all these women were in love with him, he would do unconscionable acts of abuse to them. But he wouldn’t just abuse the women, he would abuse the children as well.

I don’t want to get too descriptive here because it’s truly stomach-churning stuff but it’s all documented on Wikipedia if you’re curious.

Now you might be thinking, “This is a TV movie. How unsettling can this possibly be?”

Don’t let the low production fool you. This whole film has some of the most raw performances I’ve ever seen. And sometimes, it gets gory. Keep children away.

Full credit goes to Luc Picard who manages to showcase both Roch Thériault’s charismatic nature that drew people to him, but also his unhinged rage that made him a monster. Luc Picard made me truly understand just how terrible that asshole was, and it is beyond outrageous that this cult continued on for 12 years without the authorities putting any stop to it.

The problem I have with a lot of “true story” films about psychopaths is they lean on the salaciousness of it all, and almost romanticize the killers. For example, I can’t believe Netflix tried to make Jeffrey Dahmer sexy. Seriously, what the hell?

Savage Messiah is not salacious. There’s no attempt for us to see Roch Thériault’s “good” side. Certainly, we see why so many women fell under his spell. But at no point are we ever invited to sympathize with Roch Thériault and none of his crimes are glorified.

I’m also glad this movie was told from the perspective of social worker Paula Jackson who had, herself, been abused by her ex-husband. I don’t know if that social worker was real or if she is fictionalized. If she’s a real person, I’d like to thank her for all her work in bringing that monster down.

This movie isn’t for everyone, but I’m glad I saw it – if only to understand one of the worst crimes to have ever happened in Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niruHYGNCJg

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

I guess today is an Australian-themed day!

Today, we’re looking at Koala Kids, a puzzle platformer where you must rescue your koala friends from hunters.

Often, I get asked, “Have video games improved over the past 10 years?”

I can’t speak much regarding console games but PC games have definitely improved! And I notice this quite often when I play games that are more than a decade old.

Let’s consider controls. Nowadays, most games support gamepad. But even if they don’t support gamepads, they use a standard WASD for movement. Most people agree that WASD are the best keyboard configuration for movement. And even if a game doesn’t provide WASD by default, you can usually change the key bindings.

Another thing that has improved is graphical configuration. Most games can go full screen no problem. Even fewer of them have troubles adjusting resolutions. And there’s lots of options available for optimizing your monitor.

But back in 2014, this could not be assumed. Developers often chose weird control defaults. And you would be surprised how many games would force window mode – you couldn’t really go full screen.

Koala Kids is a case in point. It uses arrow keys for movement, and “J”, “K”, and “L” for action keys. I have no idea why the dev didn’t want me to use the left side of the keyboard. The whole control scheme is unergonomic.

The settings also implies you can change the resolution – but not really. Instead, it just changes the scale. And while you can can go full screen, it’s not really full screen. It really is the same as windowed mode but with lots of black space.

All of this sounds like I don’t like Koala Kids. In fact, I do. It’s a fun little puzzle platformer reminiscent of Lemmings and Toki Tori. When I actually get into this game it gets addictive.

But just to get started, I still have to go through a whole lot of pain on the configuration front, which kind of interrupt my flow. When I’m in gaming mode, I want to game – not troubleshoot.

The graphics are charming in that 16-bit pixel art sense. I like the character models and sprites.

In terms of sound, I also like the effects. And the music is great. Some day, I might even buy the soundtrack.

It is also really nice that this game came with a level editor. This extends the replayability. Many people would get a kick out of it.

If you can ignore the many distractions, Koala Kids is excellent.

It is worth acknowledging that Koala Kids is Doomster Entertainment’s first game. They’ve come a long way. Since then, they’ve made Oh No! Bugs!, This Strange Realm of Mine, and S.U.M.: Slay Uncool Monsters.

Koala Kids is a great game, though modern PC gamers may find the configuration frustrating. Selling at C$2.59, it’s worth overcoming a little frustration to play it.

Koala Kids screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Koala Kids screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Koala Kids screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

I don’t know what it is about Australia and post-apocalyptic fiction. For some reason, writers always choose Australia as a setting for a dystopian future.

Released in 1994, Beneath a Steel Sky is one example of this. It is a point-and-click adventure game originally released for DOS and Amiga.

It’s heavily implied that the Earth has been decimated by pollution and nuclear fallout. Australia has been carved apart by six city-states, all run in concert with corporations and/or trade unions. And they are all perpetually sabotaging each other.

At the beginning of the game, we encounter Robert Foster (named after Fosters Lager). He has, until this point, been living in a no man’s land called The Gap where he was adopted by locals as a child. As time goes on, he becomes an excellent engineer with a predilection for building robots.

Suddenly, a military group swoops in, abducts Foster, and kills his entire adopted family. But things go awry when the helicopter he’s abducted in crashes.

This game was described as a cyberpunk adventure. At first, I had my doubts since Beneath a Steel Sky doesn’t really abide by cyberpunk aesthetics. Instead, it has a style more reminiscent of golden age comic books and Flash Gordon serials.

But then you encounter LINC, a very powerful computer that controls the whole city. And, well, LINC is very interested in Foster. It’s within this interest that the whole cyberpunk aspect builds.

The graphics are mostly par for the course for adventure games in 1994. There’s lots of chunky pixels. And does it ever look cool – especially when accompanied by the comic book aesthetic. I wish there was a revival of chunky pixel graphics, which was all the rage on DOS back in the day. It really was a unique look.

We got some excellent SoundBlaster music too! The soundtrack is great. The voice acting isn’t the best, and the recording has some flaws, but the general cheesiness is totally up my alley. It works for an adventure game like this!

Revolution Software developed Beneath a Steel Sky. They’ve made a lot of adventure game classics including Circle of Blood and the Broken Sword series. They still exist as an entity but haven’t made much new recently.

It’s worth mentioning that Beneath a Steel Sky is completely free on GOG.com, and it has no DRM! So if this game appeals to you, pick it up. It costs you nothing and will likely work on your machine without a hitch.

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atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

Today, 68 games were released on Steam. These are the ones I found interesting:

Rebel!

• a top-down shooter where you rebel against an oppressive regime and fight waves of SWAT teams
• gamepad supported
• price: C$3.89, but currently has a -40% discount selling at C$2.33

Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo

• a 2D platformer where you’re a new ghost trying to make your way back to the land of the living, featuring black-and-white pixel art graphics
• gamepad supported
• price: C$6.49, but currently has a -20% discount selling at C$5.19

Nightmare Kart

• a horror-themed vehicular combat theme, featuring low poly 3D graphics
• shared/split screen PvP
• price: FREE!*

PATHS OF VALOUR

• a 2D turn-based JRPG where you gather friends to defeat the Demon King
• price: C$4.99, but currently has a -10% discount selling at C$4.49

The Unseen Fears: Fortune’s Consequence Collector’s Edition

• a hidden object point-and-click adventure game about escaping an ancient ice spirit
• Mac port available
• price: C$17.99, but currently has a -10% discount selling at C$16.19

Dimensional Animals

• a 2D metroidvania platformer about uniting five animal friends to recover a dog’s lost play ball
• gamepad supported
• demo download available
• price: C$11.79, but currently has a -40% discount selling at C$7.07

Omega Knockout: Punch Boxing

• a spectacle fighter, similar to Punch-Out!, featurring 16-bit pixel art graphics
• gamepad supported
• price: C$6.49

Doodle Adventure of Chameleon

• a 2D side-scrolling platformer where you play as a chameleon created by a young boy’s imagination, featuring hand-drawn doodle-style graphics
• gamepad supported
• price: C$11.79, but currently has a -20% discount selling at C$9.43

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

Things that should definitely be connected to the Internet:

• hinges
• zippers
• coat hangers
• jars
• spatulas

atomicpoet, 6 days ago (edited 2 days ago) to random

What a weird game F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is!

It is a fun game, though. The enemy A.I. is on point. I enjoyed the tactical aspect of the game.

But you sure do hallucinate a lot. The creepy girl shows up more often than in the first game. And it’s often hard to keep track of what’s going on in the story.

The environments are a lot of fun, though. I got to admit that I wanted to spend a little more time on the first level because the business executive’s penthouse apartment – who I’m supposed to be protecting – is extremely swank. I really wanted to hang out in the pool and watch the sunset.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend nearly as much time there as I wanted to since, in the next level, I wound up in a hospital.

Speaking of which, this whole top secret experiment is completely suspect. Everyone involved in this mess has some explaining to do because the guy I’m controlling clearly isn’t doing too well.

I played this game on my Steam Deck where you used community key bindings. It’s a pretty smooth experience. Dare I say that, due to the built-in trackpads, this is almost as good a keyboard and mouse.

The graphics are also pretty good. They’re a step up from the original game, though it’s par for the course in terms of a AAA title made in 2009. I really love the environments and how you can interact with them.

In terms of sound, meh. The voice acting is okay, but there is copious use of a radio buddy – which must be one of the most annoying tropes in video games. Radio buddies really do need to shut the hell up and stop being so chatty.

Project Monolith developed F.E.A.R., and this is the same team that made the original. I’ve long spoken about how much I appreciate this studio since they made the likes of Blood, No One Lives Forever, and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

While I do enjoy F.E.A.R. 2 immensely, I don’t think it’s as good as the original F.E.A.R. There are some improvements, especially in terms of controls and environments. However, F.E.A.R. was a breath of fresh air when it came out – there was nothing like it. And while F.E.A.R. 2 is an evolution of the first game, there’s nothing too surprising about it.

I do recommend this game, though. It’s well crafted and inexpensive. On both Steam and GOG.com, F.E.A.R. 2 sells for C$14.99.