Games - Now Playing/First Impressions - March

A quick round-up of the games I'm playing right now n my laptop with a mini review of each, nice quick post, I'll put some longer stuff up later in the week.

Action:

Biology Battle - It's geometry wars but in cells, and with cool special abilities, not played enough to say more at this point.

Call Of Cthulhu, Dark Corners Of The Earth - Atmospheric, dark and so damn scary, I find it hard to start playing this game as it is quite a deep experience, but once I do, I remember just how good it is, and then remember just how scary it is.

Osmos - Guide cells around in some kind of fliud world, eat smaller ones, avoid bigger ones, simple formula, and quite well executed.

Psychonauts - Great fun, back to classic platforming adventure action which I haven't seen since crash bandicoot (before it went all kiddy on us) and ratchet and clank, and very funny in places.

Shatter - Breakout-ish game, but done really well with enough differences to actually get me playing it, even when I don't usually like breakout games.

Tomb Raider Anniversary - An amazing series, and a graphically superior remake of the first game I loved so much? Sold.

Racing:

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - Like mario kart for people who aren't nintendo fanboys, adds little to the genre, but well made and fun to play.

Trackmania Forever - Trackmania is exactly what I want from a racing game, realistic physics, crazy stunts and tracks, excellent to just drop in and play a few tracks.

RPGs:

ADOM - Roguelikes are a long standing obsession of mine, the detail and imagination, the horror of running from a green S, google it, play it.

Dragon Age Origins - No I haven't finished it yet, yes it's amazing, probably the best traditional RPG I have ever played (and it takes a lot for me to say that).

Lilly and Sasha Curse Of The Immortals - Trad RPG at it's finest, think 2D world, tile based movement and graphics, turn based combat and zelda like puzzles, a well made game, though the dialogue and quests are a bit forced at times.

Mass Effect 2 - With everyone and their dog playing this, I thought it was time I did, I didn't enjoy the first game, I love this one. Quality shooter with some good RPG elements, very detailed universe and dialogue that is very well scripted and actually affects gameplay.

Spellforce 2 - I've not played much of this, but it controls well, and seems to have things I like in RPGs, a bit dated though, just a question of whether the faint sparkle of promise is enough to get me playing it.

Shooters:

Borderlands - I finished it, and now I'm back to play it again, I love it, even if it has repetitive quests where you have to revisit some areas, I love the looting, I love the promise of better guns and I'm liking the first DLC very much indeed, only a shame my friends aren't playing any more, as it was more fun in multiplayer.

Halo CE - That's custom edition, quality LAN gaming with a huge variety of user made maps.

Metro 2033 - Looking like STALKER very much, and playing a lot like it but with a strange weapons system, this game has an immersive story, good acting, and gripping play, it's just a shame the controls are a bit dodgy in places.

STALKER Call Of Pripyat - The first game in the series was very well put together with only a few annoyances, the second was awful, now this one has put things right again, immersive, scary and with some good RPG elements, out of the shooters I'm playing at the moment, this is my favourite.

Team Fortress 2 - See my longer review on an earlier post, good multiplayer fun.

Strategy:

Defense Grid The Awakening - Excellent tower defence clone with great graphics and detailed gameplay, worth a look.

Demigod - In single player, worthless, in multiplayer I've had some good matches, if you have some friends who want to play together, definitely worth a go.

Galcon Fusion - Not really a full game, but having the odd game of multiplayer with a friend is good fun, wouldn't say it's worth getting though.

Heroes Of Might And Magic 5 - Easily the best in the series, amazing multiplayer value leading to some very involved matches over several days sometimes, just a shame there's been no announcement of a sequel.

So there you go, want to hear more about a specific game? Leave a comment and I'll get back to you.