Games I initially underestimated #1

Back in 2005 when Splinter Cell Chaos Theory came out I wasn't really excited.  I honestly knew little about the Splinter Cell series, however, I had played the original SC before and for a 12-year old  it was quite hard.

Back then I was the typical teen obsessed with shooting and even the thought of not getting noticed was quite oppressive.  I HAD TO GO LOUD!  The guns had to blaze and grenades had to blast everyone off rooftops and catwalks.   Now you also understand why I couldn't complete Swat 3 without cheats.  I was as tactical as a blind kamikaze pilot.

So in December 2005, I think, I got SC Chaos Theory. 

Er...12 is not that far from 16.

So right from the get-go you get dumped on this shore with the task of finding people and algorithms and that kind of stuff, but the plot never really got to me.  The first 24 hours of gameplay purely had me stuck to the stealth gameplay.

CT was the first game I really enjoyed just knocking people out.  I can remember hitting R1 the first time with Sam breaking the one guy's back.   I turned thermal on and there was no heat.  The body was blueish so I got sad and dumped the body where his comrade could find him so that I could knock out his comrade and throw them both off a cliff.

From then on I knew what I had to do.  I did not exist.  I roamed with the shadows.  I needed wits to survive.  It was all about being there, while not being there.  Get it?

From then on I pretty much stuck to knocking everyone out.  I made use of non-lethal force, but when the time came, I did what had to be done OR I just ran away because I couldn't shoot that well...argh ok I couldn't shoot. 

According to scientists, there's always a Sam Fischer within 3 metres from you.

Only later did I discover the difficulty of going in loud.  Aiming was hard, you never had enough bullets and the enemy was very accurate.

For others always playing First Person Shooters it might also have felt dishonourable to take your enemies out from behind.  In most games you follow the game, but here the game kinda followed your actions.  There were no enemies waiting in a corner or corridor.  You always lurked in the shadows killing, interrogating or knocking out your next victim.  I was the hunter and it felt awesome!

That's pretty much how great my experiences were.  The plot wasn't really made out to be a shocker or stunner, but it took me to some interesting places with corners and alternative paths.   It was well matched with the gameplay.

Remember kids, Sam is watching you.

Top Strategic Paradox Games(GSG)

Top Strategic Paradox Games(GSG)

We all know that Paradox Games need more attention from the developers, but they're still fun and that's why I'm compiling a list.

note: these games are not in any particular order.

First off, we have Crusader Kings 2

Whoah!  Look at that shiny sword which looks rusty in some places!

CK2 is not only a game, but also an interesting dictionary - if you want to learn very rare terms.  I never knew that a word like "demesne" existed.   I can also use "de jure" and "de facto" in debates now.

Anyway, it's a Grand Strategy Game.  If you like board games like Risk, this will be right up your alley.  You can take control of any Christian nation, except Theocracies and Muslim nations.  You basically control the main character of a certain family which you have to lead to glory through gaining a lot of prestige.

When your character dies, one of his children - or a pretender - inherits everything.  So be sure to put the right details in his will!  You then just take control of one of the children or even a nephew or niece some times, as long as the character has kin, you'll survive.

Next up, Victoria 2 and its expansion - a House Divided.

Is that Otto with his silly hat?

V2 is an interesting game.  Even without bugs, it's quite a difficult game with few "life lines".   V2 is also a Grand Strategy Game.  It takes place in the Victoria age, and basically, you can take control of almost any independent nation(including satellites and dominions).  There is good and bad in this game.  It yields a lot of freedom, but kind of forces you to play with "bigger" nations in order to achieve something.

Now that problem was bridged with a House Divided, but still, you shouldn't have to wait for an expansion to be able enjoy minor nations.  It's also meant to be historically accurate, so you realize why history took some paths and ignored others, there's always an external influence in a nation's path to the future.

That officer certainly owns something bigger than a pistol!

  Look at those bloody bullets!!!

 HoI 3 is a controversial games.  It walks a similar path as V2. It's a great game with awesome ideas and mechanics, but it's so buggy and glitchy and difficult!  It's a real time waster, you'll spend days in order to get something done.

Nevertheless, it's a good game, with innovative mindsets.  Any player will explore the "what ifs" in WW2, and that idea is enough to give this game a cookie.  I can't think of any other developer that has created such a game.

Finally, I'm ending this list with Europa Universalis 3

Careful, you'll fall off!

EU3 is awesome. It's a great, if not the greatest Paradox Game I've played.  I can recall many moments of satisfaction.  It's so fun to convert the whole Europe to Protestantism, or to destroy the Holy Roman Empire, or to humble a nation through taking all its territory, or even to colonize the whole Africa - just because you can.

Now this sounds simple, but I'm afraid you'll have to work for every piece of sand you conquer.  Every decision has consequences and you later learn to successfully build up, before you build out.
EU3 taught me a lot of life lessons.  You don't have to conquer or acquire to be satisfied, money is valuable, stay away from Russia,  don't get too liberal, make the wise decision and rest fully before moving on.

I have not had time to conquer all regions in EU3, but I believe that you don't have to in order to enjoy it.  It's also not made for a wide variety of people and personalities.

Lastly, if you struggle, use cheats....totally justified ;)

Thanks for reading

Sniper Elite V2

I think a lot of gamers(especially those into war sims like ARMA) would agree with me when I say that a game with a "license to camp", is a great game.  Sigh no more because Sniper Elite 2 is that game!

I am a stone...I breathe slowly...

Rebellion has veered off the main road with the release of "Sniper Elite V2".  This is the sequel to the original Sniper Elite, which was one of many underrated PC titles back in 2005/2006.

SE2 as the name suggests concentrates on sniping.  You play as an American sniper who has to kill a few generals and save nuclear tech in war-torn Berlin just before the end of WW2.  Your role in the game will supposedly be significant for the future wars.

Game play
Basically you crawl around Berlin , on a linear map, while shooting enemy soldiers.  For each kill, you get points and there are also some bonus items you can collect if you feel like exploring the linear map.  Each mission has its own objectives: from assassinating a general to stealing important information about rockets from German scientists.

Doing the above mentioned objectives in a stealthy manner is in your best interests, but occasionally, hordes of enemies will have to be mowed down  as the map does not give enough space to sneak by.
With your sniper(Kar, Springfield and SVG...or something Russian like), you also get a SMG( usually MP40 or Thomson) and pistol.

Mowing down countless enemies with your sniper is fun, but close quarters combat with your secondary loadout can prove glitchy and too inaccurate at times.  Your enemies will also sometimes get as close to you as possible to kill you from point-blank.  Moving around also feels sticky and you will be unable to crawl in some open spaces. 

The core of the game though is the sniping.  With spot on shots you are rewarded with a "kill cam" which shows you where the bullet hits and also the anatomy the bullet penetrates.  This feature really aids your skills, but also gets a bit too repetitive as time progresses.  

X-ray goggles! Awesome!

Graphics:
The graphics of SE are decent.  You'll see blood splatter and lots of detail on the "kill cam".  The surroundings looks a bit unpolished at times, but for the most graphics won't be a problem.

Sound:
With accurate weapon sounds, German voices , explosions and a decent soundtrack you'll enjoy the game audibly.

Replayability: 
Unless you're looking to collect an extra item, SE is best off left as an once-off experience.  The story and gameplay itself does not provoke nostalgia and the linear map limits a dynamic experience.

Difficulty:
The game is more arcade style, but it has some features such as ballistics and wind which come into play with higher difficulty levels. 

Overall:
Sniper Elite is a decent and unique shooter.  SE is not to be compared to CoD or Battlefield, but rather to its promise, namely providing a Sniper game to the masses.  Some of the concepts of SE can be worked on for a future title and the game would also be better off if they balance everything out.
I would recommend this game to anyone interested in slower paced game play and sniping.

Get it from friends.
8/10

7554

Vietnam's first call of duty style shooter is here!

People running, smoke, shooting, fireballs and Vietnam bundled together!

I was quite surprised when I saw a FPS coming from Vietnam.  The timeline is around the late 1940s to the late 1950s.  Basically the game takes you with a CoD style interface through a series of campaigns and battles.  Cut scenes consist of the standard map and archive-footage salad.    You play as a Vietnamese soldier fighting against the French colonist through attacking and defending a variety of positions.  A variety of weapons is available and the ammo rarely runs out.  One of the unique weapons you get to fire is an "insta-kill " crossbow.  The game has no multiplayer gameplay, but you can kill zombies in single player bonus missions.  The game length is also more than 6 hours, so you get to kill more people than in Call of Duty Black Ops!!!

There still is some disappointment.  The game presents itself as type of memoir, but in reality it plays out as just another shooter.  The lack of a Brothers in Arms type story-line and persona  really cripples the game's intentions.  The game play is also a bit buggy at times with poor path finding and graphics glitches.  The game also slows down its pace when you want climaxes. Lastly - NO MULTIPLAYER!

What!!?? I don't get to jump out of a C47!  Where is Operation Market Garden when you need it?

The graphics are quite outdated, but overall the textures, shadows and light effects make the atmosphere bearable.

The game is also translated into English.  The translations can regularly become awfully funny.

The game can be proud of a fitting soundtrack and standard warmongering sounds.  The sound just like in CoD adds a lot to the atmosphere and makes the game fun to play.

  "I could really use some ammos write now!"

All in all this non-mainstream game offers some fun gameplay.  There is some historic value added with every mission and I believe that Vietnam itself can be satisfied with their new creation.  Nothing about the game shines, but it adds an interesting aspect to our perception of war.

Score:

Gameplay: 7/10

Graphics: 7/10

Sound: 8/10

Replay value: 5/10

Bonuses:

Insta-kill crossbow: +100 points

No jumping out of a C47: -100 points

Total: 67.5%

Conclusion:  Get it if you can find it.

  

World War 1

World War 1 is one of those games no one has heard of.  It’s a really cheap game, similar to Blitzkrieg and Stalingrad.  It’s basically a RTS combined with some historical information I didn’t even bother to read.It was created by 1C by the way!

Stunning graphics, I was stunned from disappointment!

Game play:

Game play is pretty straight forward, control your troops, complete the objectives and earn your promotion.  You can play as a few factions like Britain, Germany and Russia with some bonus scenarios with Russia’s revolution all over them.  This game is boring.  If you want to be the British general and send mass troops on suicide missions, if you want to send thousands of Russians to their death and if you want to kill everyone else by being the German, this game is for you.

Sound:

Nothing serious, it all sounds too familiar.  Mediocre soundtrack and your average battle sounds.

Graphics:

Not something to cry about, but you’re better off with Blitzkrieg.

(Seriously) Moderately good graphical user interface

Overall:

A mediocre game only appealing for historic content and the feeling of fake progression.

Score:

Game Play: red/10

Graphics: square/10

Sound: house/10

Replay value: tree/10

Play it at your friend's house!

My top CSI games

CSI is a renowned TV series and in my book, a very nice PC game series.  The act of solving murders is in itself interesting and CSI gave everyone the platform to do so.  Here goes my favorites .

Crime Scene Investigation is hands down the first and best CSI game for me.  The cases were original, all with a twist and multiple locations to investigate. The tutorial was fun and it was one of the hardest games of the series.  The game has a hint system, but your cursor doesn't really flash green when you find something.  The examination of all the evidence was also very interesting with a good variety of tools and apparatus.

Fatal Conspiracy is the latest in the series.  It's my second favorite CSI game because of the plot.  The story just got more interesting with every level, soon you find out that almost everything is connected.   FC's graphics are mediocre and sound is the same, but in terms of originality and difficulty, FC deserves a second spot.  I could still have hours of fun with a much easier game. 

CSI Miami really provided a unique feel.  The TV series itself is my favorite and I have found the connection between the player and characters to be more profound.  Miami had interesting cases and like Fatal Conspiracy, a few things were connected.  The plot wasn't really original and game play is much the same as the other games, but Miami's sunny feel was worth the effort.


That's it folks!  A number of CSI games have been created, but in terms of originality, plots, twists and cases, these are my top favorite.

Steel Armor: Blaze of War

If the tanks succeed, then victory follows.

Heinz Guderian

Developed by Graviteam, Steel Armor promises an in deph tank simulation combined with a bit of strategy. The first impression I got from Steel Armor was, it looks like Achtung Panzer. The user interface looks much the same and everything plays out much the same.

The core of Steel Armor is tanks, but through a tactical map you can command a whole army. I was impressed by the fun and simple strategic command mode. The game allows you to play as any crew member in a series of mostly Russian tanks in the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately, there is no USA and you mainly find yourself fighting in campaigns and battles where you really don't care what the outcome of the war is.

The game requires some strategic and tactical knowledge as it is compulsory to command all your troops. It makes the game more interesting, but people looking for a simple simulation will be agitated by the amount of mechanics and systems you have to consider before jumping into action. It's all up to you to balance out the battles, so every strategic move on the main operation map contributes to your game play experience.

It is quite disappointing that a lot of tanks are shared by factions. You soon get bored by repetitive game play and there is no sense of accomplishment or really sense of satisfaction after you play missions. There is no real ranking system or epic music playing after you win .

The tank game play itself is very impressive. The interface and controls makes controlling the tank a lot simpler and calls for a streamline experience. The amount of options there is in the tank is very impressive and playing as any crew member is a big bonus! The AI overall is pretty intelligent. Your crew mates will take their own initiative, except if you give the wrong orders.
You can choose ammo type, driving speed, if you want to turn out of the tank, night vision view and a zoomed in view. Still, I've seen better in other tank sims, the scope and views lack a good zoom system. The tutorial consists of a bunch of pop-up messages which really irritates and the manual I got is in Russian.

The graphics are considerably good for a tank sim. A huge variety of graphical options is available to make your game play experience as smooth as possible.

The sound is very authentic and it gives an atmospheric feel to the game. The music though is repetitive and really annoying.

So what?
Steel Armor Blaze of War goes deep into tank action. It is enjoyable as a simulation game, but also a bit boring. The scope of playability may be big and non-linear, but the fact that a lot of mechanics are repetitive makes this game a misfire.

Bottom line:
Don't go Russian off to buy it, wait for discount.