Daily PC Game Reviews

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2012-03-09T13:03:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

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Behind the Reflection series

2012-03-08T16:50:00.001+08:00

Behind the Reflection
Behind the Reflection 2: Witch's Revenge
Game Category: Casual - Hidden Object, Puzzle, Horror
Developer / Distributor: Veles Studio / Alawar Entertainment
Release Date: 8 Mar 2011 / 23 Feb 2012
Rating: ESRB - Not Rated

Witchcraft!

Beware the witch

Beware the Wicked Old Witch...
Imagine crossing paths with a witch who has evil designs on your son... that's exactly what you'll be doing in the Behind the Reflection (BtR) series of games. There have been two releases so far in the series, with the first game releasing last year, and the second game only coming out last month. Both games are developed by Veles Studio, and published by Alawar Entertainment.

I thought I'd also point out that the game is produced by Denis Sedovich, the person who has helped guide many other great Alawar games (like the Gourmania series, the Heroes of Hellas series, and the recent Natural Threats: Ominous Shores game) to see the light of day. If you've played those games before, then you know that Denis' games seem to contain that extra oomph that will grab your attention. And, this is no different in the BtR series.

Let's take a closer look at both games, shall we?

[Ed: All images on the left are from Behind the Reflection, while all images on the right (except for the Baba Yaga image) are from Behind the Reflection 2: Witch's Revenge]

The Story

Baba Yaga [source: Google Images]

Here's a theory - there's something really mystical and (yet) familiar about the antagonist behind the BTR series. Allow me to introduce to you a story making its circle in Russian folklore for ages past: it's about an evil witch who in all likelihood needs no introduction - Baba Yaga. The name chills you to the very bone, and the fact that she lives in a cabin which sprouts two huge chicken legs, flies around on a huge mortar and pestle, and loves to eat children, is not something you can easily forget.

And that is exactly what the BTR series tries to do: to scare you with the threat of a haglike crone who steals away your son. Although you won't find any cabin sporting chicken legs in both games, you will eventually find out that this (unnamed) witch has spirited your son into an alternate world - a world of magic and fantasy that lies behind an ornate mirror.

Oh oh...

Out for revenge

In Behind the Reflection, you play the role of a loving mother who visits a garage sale with her son, Jacob. While answering the phone, her son wanders off to play. With a blinding flash, her son disappears into a large ornate mirror. After some keen sleuth work on her part, the mother meets up with the witch. Unfortunately, she also gets zapped into the same alternate world as her son. After much trials and tribulations, she successfully rescues her son, and the witch gets her just desserts.

Immediately continuing from the first story, Behind the Reflection 2: Witch's Revenge follows the mother on her second adventure as the persistent witch returns to terrorize her family. This time round, the mother gets tricked by the witch and loses her son again. It will take all her wit and will to find a way to rescue her son from the clutches of the wicked witch one more time.

Now, that's Snail Mail [Ed: Pun intended]!

Lovely artwork indeed!

Game Play
As is typical of all casual games sporting a hidden object theme, you're going to have to explore a number of interesting locations. Very often, you will meet characters who will speak to you and tell you what you must do to move on to the next location in the game. These characters include the witch herself, or characters who know or have been imprisoned by the witch. While the three main characters (the mother, her son Jacob, and the witch) are found in both games, two extra characters also reappear in Witch's Revenge. This surprised me as I wasn't expecting to see them again.

There are four styles of game play in the BTR series:

The first type of task is the typical find-the-hidden-object from a lovely scene of artwork (see screenshots above). Hidden object scenes are easily recognized by the sparkling animation in several places in the game. There are twelve items provided in a list at the bottom of the screen which shouldn't take you too long to complete.

Find all the lovely vegetables for Jacob

Some of the keys are so well hidden

The second type of task has you finding a bunch of like objects (see screenshot above) - for example, find several pill bottles in an old lady's home, or find a bunch of zodiac signs guarded by a ghostly butler, or find a set of keys hidden all over a crypt, or even find several water receptacles for a thirsty tree.

The task you will perform the most is to find parts of an artifact (see screenshot below). Artifacts include things like the seven parts of a map, or the four parts of a voodoo doll. You must click on certain objects in the game to start searching for missing parts; these objects are usually lit up by sparkles, so keep your eye out for them. What happens next is that a circular list appears around the object of interest. If you now find all items on the list, you will find the missing part you need. The items on the circular list are usually found at the same location, although there are certain items (marked by a blue box) that can only be found elsewhere.

The objects are usually hidden on the same screen

Can you handle it?

The final style of play in the game is to complete the puzzles you uncover after finding part of an artifact. The range of puzzles in the BTR series is quite astonishing in its variety and design. There are simple jigsaw puzzles, logic puzzles, swapping puzzles, weighing puzzles, concentration puzzles, and even the rare action puzzle.

I found most of the puzzles to be quite easy only requiring your patience to complete them, but then, there are a small handful that are challenging. If you do find a puzzle to be too difficult, all you have to do is to wait for the Skip button to charge up at the bottom of the screen. Pressing the Skip button does not penalize you in any way.

Be prepared to exercise your brain

A botanist's nightmare

Graphics, Interface, and Audio
The graphics artwork and puzzle design are strong features in the BTR series. There's no denying that the graphics and puzzle design all look beautifully done. The artwork in the second game wins out over the first game, since everything looks more detailed, lively, and definitely more scary. The characters look good with the witch stealing the show. In the second game, the characters actually come to life in several short clips, which is a good step in the right direction (although there is no voice acting).

The sound effects generally give good feedback in the game, for example, you will clearly know if you've been given a new task. As mentioned earlier there is no voice acting, although you do hear the witch cackling in the second game. The music themes (four in each game) are either tense or serene depending on the situation you're in. One of the themes appears to be subtly changed in the second game, so you can feel like there's some form of continuity during play.

An ingeniously implemented puzzle

Elegant and simple

Pros
Behind the Reflection is a neat little hidden object game that targets true casual players.

The series tells an enticing story of an evil and wicked witch wanting to wreak havoc on the lives of an innocent mother and her bubbly son.
There's a great number of locations to explore, with the second game offering slightly more.
You get interesting hidden object scenes that are clear and beautifully drawn. The second game features artwork that is slightly more superior.
Both versions of the game feature an interesting mix of good puzzles to play.
The entire series is not overly difficult thanks to the Hints and Skip buttons.
There's a good sense of continuity when transiting from the first game into the second, although you could start playing from Witch's Revenge if you wanted to.

Where's the next hotspot?

Finding the missing parts of the armour

Cons
Although there is nothing too innovative in the game play, at least the Behind the Reflection series will appeal to those who are looking for a simple game and a bewitching story with at least some substance.

You often have to guess which objects in a scene hide a missing part of an artifact.
All we want is for the mother to find Jacob and beat the lights out of the witch, but some of her actions only make things worse, or the story just prolongs her suffering by placing more obstacles before her. Perhaps that's a way to say with great adversity comes great success... sorry, but I totally disagree - the story just intentionally drags it's feet for the sake of prolonging the game.
There's no way to play any of the puzzles from the main menu once you complete the game.
There's no replayability in the hidden object scenes, it's still the same search lists the next time you play.
Some of the scenes in the second game is rather macabre.
There's nothing new and innovative in the Behind the Reflection series that's already been done in other games.

Rather sparse

What's floating in them bottles?

Conclusion
Though not the best of hidden object games out there on the market, the Behind the Reflection series still make for a decent session of play on a lazy afternoon. And, I must say that the audience the developers are targeting are probably middle-aged female players who prefer games that are neither too easy (hidden object and puzzle-wise) nor too difficult (uhh... there's always the Hint and Skip button).

Do you know why I say this? It's because my mother totally went ballistic playing both games in consecutive order, completing them in just a few days, you could say she enjoyed herself playing them. And, you probably will too... if not, follow what I did and gift it to someone you love.

Here's hoping there will be a third game in an already good series!

You'll need to think laterally

Now, where's that boat?

Daily PC Game Review Score:

Behind the Reflection: 6.5 / 10
Behind the Reflection 2 - Witch's Revenge: 7 / 10

Review Date: 8 Mar 2012

Industry Giant II - Gold Edition

2012-03-06T23:59:00.000+08:00

Game Category: Simulation - Strategy, Real Time, Business
Developer / Distributor: Jowood Entertainment / Nordic Games
Release Date: 31 Oct 2003
Rating: PEGI 3+

Click image to shop online

[Editor: Hi, I'm making some minor changes to the review format. The title of the game will appear as the post title, this will make it easier for you to search for a game review using the Blog Archive in the right column.]

Become the greatest power in industry!
I am absolutely puzzled by the statistics I have been seeing in the past year; the numbers tell me that the review of Transport Giant: Gold Edition on Daily PC Game Reviews is an extremely popular article. [Ed: And I really mean - extremely.]

Why is there so much interest in this one particular game? Is it because we can't find anything else on the market that even plays like it does (not counting the original Transport Tycoon and Locomotion - both games coming from Chris Sawyer)?

Trying to make megabucks in the toy industry

It almost seems like the game Transport Tycoon: Gold Edition from Jowood Entertainment is building up a cult following. Well, one thing's for sure... gamers just love tycoon games. Let's hope that history repeats itself with my review of Industry Giant II - Gold Edition, an industry business simulation that's also from Jowood Entertainment.

Although gone for some time now, the Jowood brand still lives on as a publishing label under Nordic Games. Here's hoping that there will be more niche games like Transport Tycoon: Gold Edition and Industry Giant II - Gold Edition. In the meantime, let's take a closer look at what is called Der Industrie Gigant Zwei in Deutsch.

It's also known as Der Industrie Gigant Zwei in Germany

Playing on a modern rig
For a game that was first released on 20 Sep 2002, I must say that back then Industry Giant II had a lot going for it in terms of game play. However, it had a huge problem that would make most modern players turn red with anger today... the game won't run on Nvidia cards beyond the GeForce 6 series. In fact, the game didn't even run for me even though I was running an ATI card.

[Ed: You can check out our PC specifications on the right bar near the bottom.]

Well, don't fret, there's a solution. If you head over to the Jowood forums... oops, I meant the Nordic forums over here, you'll find that they have preserved the few important patches that are required to make the game run on modern Windows 7 rigs. Thank goodness for great customer service from the new owners of the Jowood label. And, it works swell too!

It's best you go through the three tutorial scenarios

What you'll get within
The Gold Edition of Industry Giant II comes with the main game and an add-on called the 1980 - 2020 Expansion. The original game encouraged you to build your very own thriving business empire and featured 150 products you could manufacture in various industrial buildings. Plus, you could also choose from 50 modes of transportation to effectively transport your goods.

The expansion adds even more industrial choices to an already great game. You get a handful of interesting new industries like a goldmine, a fishing harbour, a refinery, an oversea harbour, and a jewel factory; plus there's 56 new products for you to sell. Not forgetting an additional 17 new vehicles, three of which are helicopters operating out of their new heliport.

There's 6 campaigns with 34 missions between them

You might have noticed in the first screenshot that there's a glut of choices on that circular main menu. Starting from the top and moving clockwise, you can either save your game, choose to play an endless game, the campaigns, the tutorials, or a multiplayer game (up to 4 can play). You may also opt to view the high scores, manage player profiles, and enter the options menu. In the centre of the circle is the Resume Game button while off to the left is where you should press to Exit the game.

The tutorials (comprising three scenarios) are strongly recommended as the game play in Industry Giant 2 is different from all the typical simulation strategy games out there. After that, you can hit the campaigns button and plough through the 6 campaigns or try an endless game. The latter mode offers you 63 maps to choose from, but if that's not enough, there's a map editor you can fiddle with in the Gold Edition box.

The Scenario Editor

Game Play
A typical campaign game comes with set objectives you must achieve. They could be as easy as making several million bucks in profit within a number of years, defeating the competition, or something obscure as selling enough luxury cars or helping out extraterrestrials who need a list of rather exotic spare parts.

You will start most of your games by analysing your scenario map, looking to see where cities are located and where natural resources can be found. Natural resources appear as some cute little icon that usually sticks out from the ground at an angle, so you can't possibly miss them - for example, iron ore is represented by steel girders, quartz sand by a green bottle, and petroleum by a drum.

Lots of natural resources near Farmerville

According to the manual for Industry Giant 2, the game world revolves around the retail outlet. There are several different types you can build in the game, like the common grocery store or fabric shop, to the rare and flashy jewellery store. Once you've placed your retail outlets in a city, you need to place storage facilities nearby. This way, your retail outlet can find a place to retrieve the delivered manufactured goods.

Manufactured goods are transported from factories to city storage facilities through a capable transportation network that you'll have to build (or sometimes through proximity alone). There are four modes of transportation - trucks, trains, ships, and planes; depending on the year, you will get access to different transportation technologies.

Planes, Trains, and Autombiles

To help you along, there is a Product Lexicon available from the menu bar found right at the bottom of the screen. Here, you can check what each industry manufactures. For each product, you can determine which retail outlet sells it, the resources required to manufacture the product, and the demand for the product during spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The lexicon also shows you the types of transportation that has been introduced in the game including the operating costs, maximum speed and load, and repair costs.

There's also a handy News window that signals to you any significant game events that affect your game play - think along the likes of bad weather, depression, special taxes, nasty competition ambitions, or historic stuff like The Man in the Moon event of 1963. Beyond the news window, there's also a Vehicle List, an AI opponent information window, game Statistics, a Balance Sheet, and a Mission Goals window.

Every kid should have one

Graphics, Interface, and Audio
The graphics of Industry Giant II still looks good after all these years. Seen from an isometric viewpoint, the game makes good use of well-drawn sprites that depict the stark landscape, themed buildings tilesets representing the cities, and the plethora of vehicle fleets that scurry over the map like little ants; ferrying the manufactured goods to the respective retail outlets. The interface is accessed through the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, but there are also hotkeys assigned to them.

As for the audio, I have fallen in love with this game so much that the main startup theme is forever ingrained in my head. You can hear the tracks from the game right on Youtube. Since music is very subjective, I leave you to decide whether you like them. Oh yes, before I forget, there's no voice acting in the game, while the vehicle and building sound effects are good enough for the game.

Here, I am playing through the third tutorial

Pros:
Industry Giant II - Gold Edition is a really good old school style simulation strategy game that should be tried by all gaming enthusiasts out there.

As there are many ways to skin a cat, so there's many way to play this game and to achieve your mission goals.
The game mechanics is simple enough but yet challenging in its infinite solutions. Basically, you have to create a viable product chain that reaches the retail outlet and gives you the best profit.
The six campaigns are memorable in terms of the different things you have to accomplish to win a scenario. I thought that the expansion campaigns were much more interesting and attempted to tell a story when compared with the original campaigns.
The endless games give you an entire canvas to explore and to experiment. If you want, you can even set up the mode to compete with up to 3 AI opponents. And no, then ain't that stupid either.
Multiplayer lets you take a ride with your friend via Internet, LAN, or Skirmish mode. Skirmish is quite similar to and Endless Game with AI opponents, but in the former case your AI opponents are truly out to beat the pants off you!
There are actually 10 different AI opponents to choose from, each with the own playing personality. If you know how, you can even edit their characteristics yourself. [Tip: Make a backup of config.gen before you start editing the file using a text editor.]

Struggling to catch up with the competition

Cons:
The game play and graphics style is not everyone's cup of tea.

The game may be quite slow going, so don't come into it expecting RTS mayhem and action.
The graphics may look bare, and there may not be enough animation, but ultimately it's the game play that elevates Industry Giant II to cult status.
You can't really tell whether an opponent is winning.
Even with the Product Lexicon, you're going to have some difficulty deciding what product chain you wish to build.
This game isn't SimCity 3000, so don't develop your industry thinking like a Maxis intern. OK, lame joke aside, what I am trying to say is that I would have preferred the user interface of SimCity over what was done in Industry Giant II.
The game still crashes on me occasionaly, even after I have patched it. Make sure you save, and save often.
There's a bit of work to get the game to work on a modern Windows 7 PC. Make sure you download those patches in the link above.

Hmm... I guess I'm doing OK

Conclusion
Industry Giant II - Gold Edition is truly a charmer of a simulation strategy game. The game play looks quite similar to Transport Giant: Gold Edition, after all both games were from Jowood. But surprisingly, this game is much more fun than building up just a transportation network alone.

So people, can you stop puzzling me with the record hits for Transport Giant: Gold Edition? Industry Giant II - Gold Edition should be the new cult favourite for all simulation strategy fans out there. There's nothing like building your own dynasty in a burgeoning industry - yes, it's nice being an Industry Giant!

You'll really need to think ahead to beat the competition

Daily PC Game Review Score: 7.5 / 10
Review Date: 6 Mar 2012

Preview - Vampire Saga 3: Break Out

2012-03-05T22:11:00.000+08:00

Game Category: Casual - Adventure, Hidden Object, Horror, Preview
Developer / Distributor: Go Games / Alawar Entertainment
Release Date: Mar 2012
Rating: ESRB - Rating Pending

Come Drink your Fill!
The Vampire Saga seems to be carving out quite an interesting selection of creepy vampire stories since its first two chapters, Pandora's Box and Welcome to Hell Lock, graced our computers back on 11 Sep 2009 and 14 Jul 2011 respectively.

Psst... here's a well kept secret by Alawar Entertainment, seems like these folks are breeding an entire army of vampires at their offices in Novosibirsk (that's Новосибирск in Russian). Let's see, we had the first two chapters from the Vampire Saga series, the recent Vampires Vs. Zombies game, and now this.

Vampire Saga 3 is definitely breaking out from the mould

I just played the beta demo of Break Out, the third chapter in the Vampire Saga and I must say the developers - Go! Games, may have outdone themselves this time round. The high quality graphics that you were used to in Pandora's Box and Welcome to Hell Lock is back in full force; and things look much more detailed and undeniably grittier in this horror-fest that's bound to give you the creeps after every few minutes of play.

Quick! Cover your eyes... there's that ghostly apparition again

Furthermore, the plot thickens as you find that the hidden object scenes play differently from the first two chapters. Your search list will appear as circles that surround a point of interest... and this time an object on the search list may appear multiple times in the scene. Take for instance the scene below... there are four delicious chocolate treats waiting to be found.

One of the more delectable scenes that doesn't feature a fresh jugular vein

Here's a quick write-up of what to expect in Vampire Saga 3:

Sink your teeth into the jugular of a heart-stopping journey through the town of Hell Lock in Vampire Saga 3: Break Out, the third chapter in the popular series of hidden object adventure games. As you guide a doctor through the panic-stricken streets of Hell Lock, you will slowly uncover the source of a red-eyed terror that is turning the townspeople into murderous creatures of the night. You will also help the man of science resolve his preference for rational thinking with his visions of his dead daughter, who seems to be taking him on a tour of the horrors of the abandoned town.

Guess I was right - you can't burn the devil with matches

Throughout your quest, you will interact with ill-fated characters, explore decrepit streets and buildings, and solve mind-bending puzzles that pave the way to a confrontation with the evil that resides in the underbelly of the doomed town. Are you thirsty? Then take a bite out of Vampire Saga 3: Break Out and drink your fill!

I could have sworn I was playing an RPG

Here's what you'll be getting with Vampire Saga 3: Break Out:

36 eye locations
Nine hidden object scenes
20 animated story scenes
Hints, tips and tutorial
18 mini-games

Since the game will début sometime in March 2012, I suggest you give the demos of Pandora's Box, Welcome to Hell Lock, and Vampires vs. Zombies, a try. At least, you'll be able to quench your thirst for games featuring vampires!

You get to learn how to jimmy a car door, fix a flat, and survive an accident!

More online games added for your pleasure

2012-03-03T22:24:00.003+08:00

In case you didn't know, we've been adding games for you to try over at our satellite website: Daily PC Game Reviews - Play Online. Head on over to take a look at the 30 plus flash games we have left there for you to while away your time. The games are courtesy of Alawar Entertainment, and if you really like what you play online, most of them can be downloaded from their website as well.

After all, we do our darnedest best to keep you occupied with PC games for every single day of the year!

Try your hand at repairing and selling cars

For March 2012, we've added these five games:

Fix-it-up: Kate's Adventure - An interesting time management game that has you managing the an Auto Dealer Business.
Baby Blimp - Expecting a child anytime soon? Try your hand at this cute time managment game as you help the storks with managing the babies rolling on the conveyor belts.

Time management chaos in Baby Blimp

Governor of Poker 2 - Premium Edition - A great card game that needs no introduction.
Cradle of Persia - A match three game that makes for a good relaxing morning (or afternoon and evening) of play.
Skies of War - Here's something different... an arcade action game that has you controlling a fighter plane as you battle enemies in the air and on the ground.

Try your hand (pun intended) at Governor of Poker 2

Enjoy the new games, and if you have not visited before, do try the games that were uploaded earlier as well.

Have a great day!

Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers (Collector's Edition)

2012-03-01T13:54:00.003+08:00

Game Category: Casual - Adventure, Hidden Object, Horror
Developer / Distributor: Friday's Game / Alawar Entertainment
Release Date: 16 February 2012
Rating: ESRB - Rating Pending

Be captivated by Dark Strokes

Introduction
Casual games that tend to strike a chord with us are usually the ones that come hand-in-hand with a great story. Often, such games have you taking on the role of a protagonist who faces overwhelming odds and teases you with subtle hints of darkness and death.

Take for example, the latest offering from Friday's Game and Alawar Entertainment - Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers. This, as you will find out from reading the rest of the review, is a game that epitomizes one of the better games in the casual hidden object adventure genre.

Game Play
Shadows abound in the world of Ethan Black, a suave young gentleman who will embark on one of the most convincing and exciting stories ever. Sinister events take place during Ethan's journey to see his father back in his home town, Cedar Falls. Along for the ride is his fiancée Clair, but evil waylays the couple and Clair is lost to some mysterious supernatural force.

It will be up to brave Ethan to rescue his damsel in distress, but he faces threats from a group of masked beings who doggedly thwarts his every move. Our brave hero must eventually make his way into a dark and forbidding Tower found at the edge of the town, and meet his destiny there.

Listen... I can hear it softly playing - Clair de lune

Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers plays like most adventure hidden object games out there. The game has a great number of adventure locations and hidden object scenes, plus there are many occasions when puzzles are thrown your way. It's unlikely you will stay stumped by any of the puzzles since there's a handy skip button.

The game is divided into several chapters and each of these has quite a varied mix of adventure locations that you will visit. You won't see any numbers to indicate you are transiting to the next chapter, but usually an all important cut scene will take place to indicate this is happening. The Collector's Edition comes with the complete walkthrough, and you can always refer to it to see where each chapter ends and the next begins.

Pay attention to all the visual clues

At the start of every new game, you will be asked to choose from two difficulty levels - a casual mode where the hint button recharges in 1 minute and all interactive areas get highlighted, or an expert mode where you must wait a full 2 minutes for hints to recharge. With no indication to the interactive areas at an adventure location, the expert mode is definitely no walk in the park.

There is a simple tutorial of sorts that you will encounter as the story sets off. Just a couple of instructions that you can easily read and breeze through. The first chapter places you on what seems to be a pleasant train journey, however something strange happens halfway through this train ride. As conveyed to you through a most nerve wrecking cutscene, you will probably shake your head in disbelief at how vivid the entire movie sequence was. To put it bluntly, both Ethan and Clair are now in over their heads.

You'll also need to think during hidden object scenes

Hidden object scenes are marked by a glowing eye symbol. Once you enter one, you are greeted with a scene that is littered with a reasonably good amount of objects. A list of twelve objects will appear at the bottom of the screen. Some of these objects are featured in white colour text - that means you will need to solve a mini puzzle to reveal the object.

Take for example, the screenshot above - the worm can be found if you pick up the knife and click on the apple. An animation appears showing the apple being sliced in half and the worm comes crawling out waiting for you to pick it up.

What a sordid mess!

You'll find a lot of items in the game that you will help you along in the story. Some of these may be handy tools like a crowbar to prise open locked compartments or a screwdriver to open up a panel. Prized items include keys and figurines. The former usually unlocks an area of the game that you have not yet visited, while the latter is placed in a fantastic box that will paint you a story explaining the mystery behind all the strange happenings in Cedar Falls.

On top of the items you find, you will also chance upon news snippets, notices, and letters containing some important titbit of information; all of these will be logged into your journal. This handy little book found at the bottom left of the screen contains everything you have learnt while playing the game. It also contains a map of Cedar Falls (which in my opinion is not of much use).

Don't forget to read your Journal entries

One of the best parts of Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers is the story. Some chapters may seem derivative of horror or supernatural novels, but otherwise the overall story is a very good one. The character development is very good and most of them are so life-like in appearance that you'll probably feel for them. So if you like story driven games, do consider getting this game.

Once you complete the main adventure, the bonus chapters of the Collector's Edition are unlocked for you to play. The story found in the bonus chapters takes you on a little prequel playing the role of the antagonist in the story; this presents a great opportunity to experience first hand the genesis of a great villain. Once you complete the final chapter, you have officially won the entire game; you will then get access to a section featuring concept art, character portraits, wallpapers, and media (movies and music).

A location from the bonus chapters

Graphics and Interface
The art direction in Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers is excellent. It's like looking at a digital canvas featuring artwork that is lovely to behold. Even the cutscenes that you watch are done with such dedication and quality that it feels like you are watching an actual movie. Mind you, the cutscenes can be quite long, and they retell every crucial moment in the game with equal clarity and beauty. With such excellent production qualities, I won't be surprised if this game wins some awards this year for all the hard work put in by the developers.

The design of the interface looks pretty good for a casual game of this genre. Everything is placed towards the bottom part of the screen, and messages appear in a small area right at the top. You will have to click on little X's to exit from windows that pop up now and then, and the journal provides controls for you to flip the pages.

Absolutely flabbergasted...совершенно изумлен

Audio
The tense and spooky music soundtrack fits the game's theme like a glove. There are four different tracks you'll hear in the game and I must add that all are very well done.

The sound effects also do a good job of instilling atmosphere and indicating feedback; with the former relying on ambient sounds - for example, the rain, rumbling thunder, the howling wind, and the sounds from a waterfall.

The voice acting is generally good, however there was one point where Clair's voice almost gets drowned out by the soundtrack.

Uh... Hi Dad!

Pros:
Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers is an excellent casual adventure hidden object game that is strong in the graphics and story department.

The story featured in the game is a very strong one. The theme may be horror based, but it's really the plot, the story structure (which includes one or two interesting surprises), and the characters that all add up to make this a truly satisfying experience.
The production values for graphics is incredibly excellent. So, make sure you gawk at the artistry and marvel at the cutscenes; they are really that good.
The adventure like game play, hidden object scenes and puzzles all work together to make this a great cohesive package of fun, fun, and fun.
The hint system is very direct in leading you to the required solution.
This game is quite long and is going to take you at least 3 to 5 hours (on Casual mode) to complete; and that includes the bonus chapters too.

An elaborate locking mechanism that's actually a puzzle

Cons:
There are two issues that I didn't like about the Collector's Edition.

I played the game a couple of times and even tried both difficulty settings. I have to report that the hidden object lists are fixed (that is to say, the list of things you must find are not randomized). And I think the same also applies for all the puzzles... So I ask, where's the replayability? I feel the main reason is because the solution to the game must exactly match the strategy guide write-up, otherwise the strategy guide would be of no use to the player.
Other than being a handy reference to the story, the journal is of not much use. Even the map feature didn't provide any added value.

Playing the game a second time... and the list is the same

Conclusion
Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers is a compelling game to play. It comes with a strong story, excellent graphics, and features great fun for casual players. The Collector's Edition extends your game by letting you play the role of the antagonist, which in my opinion was a brilliant idea. Though the story has now ended for me, I still feel that there is one loose end to answer - perhaps it shall one day be answered with a sequel to the game.

In the meantime, enjoy Dark Strokes: Sins of the Father now by downloading it today!

Daily PC Game Review Score: 9 / 10
Review Date: 1 Mar 2012

The long awaited sequel to Crusader Kings surpasses all expectations!

2012-02-29T13:40:00.001+08:00

Crusader Kings II
Game Category: Strategy - RTS, Simulation, History
Developer / Distributor: Paradox Interactive
Release Date: 14 Feb 2012
Rating: ESRB - Teen

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Introduction
Almost a year ago, I did a review of the grand strategy game Crusader Kings and the Deus Vult Expansion. The first version of the game is already very impressive and I felt that there was nothing that could possibly replace it. And then, I heard that Paradox Interactive was working on a new version of the game. As I sat in front of my PC stunned by the news on Paradox's forums last year, I could only sit and wonder as to what the developers would do to improve on the first game.

Well, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised... for with the release of Crusader Kings II (on of all days - Valentine's), you will finally see why all other Grand Strategy games pale in comparison with this superior title.

Crusader Kings II is so much more improved from its predecessor that it would probably take me a month long to write an article revealing the differences compared with the first game, as well as a revealing look at the complex intricacies of the new game engine. There are so many exciting things happening in this simulator of medieval life that it begs to be played by all serious game players and strategy game lovers.

Come now, let's take a closer look at Crusader Kings II...

Gaze upon the land of the Crusader Kings once again

Game Play
After starting up Crusader Kings II (CKII), I was treated to a highly detailed 3D terrain map of Europe. It encompasses the whole of Europe, including modern day Iceland and as far north as Norway; you get to see the upper half of North Africa, which stretches all the way from modern day Morocco to Ethiopia; then there's the entire Arabian Peninsula, all the way south to modern day Yemen; and all the way East to just after the Aral Sea (that's somewhere in modern day Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan).

Beckoning you onwards on the main screen are several choices - Single Player, Multiplayer, and the Tutorial. You'll also find links to Paradox Interactive's forums for CKII, their Facebook page, and a Twitter channel dedicated to the game. Plus, there's a link to the In-game Store should you want to purchase any DLCs. As of this writing, the following DLCs are already available for purchase - Dynasty Shield Pack and The Mongols.

Prepare for a comprehensive series of tutorial lessons

If you've never played a Grand Strategy game before, then it behooves that you click on Tutorial and take a look there. There are nine tutorial lesson categories divided into three levels of complexity - Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. If you don't know which you should try first, there's always a handy "Start from the beginning..." button that you could try clicking.

There's quite a lot of text and some accompanying pictures to guide you along in each lesson. Make sure you read the instructions carefully as they contain some valuable pointers within. At the end of a lesson, a window pops up giving you the choice of either skipping to the next level of complexity for the current lesson, or to skip entirely to a new lesson category.

Learning about getting a casus belli (justification for war)

Multiplay is offered through LAN, direct Internet IP connection, or through Paradox Interactive's very own Metaserver matchmaking service. You must first configure your router though, to allow incoming and outgoing traffic at a specific port range for both TCP and UDP. Access to the Metaserver also requires that you officially register your game. If you do it correctly, you will get access to multiplayer gaming sessions that allow up to 12 players on the Internet or Metaserver, and a cap of 32 players on a LAN.

Irregardless, be it Single Player or Multiplayer modes, you get to choose to play the game from four scenarios. They are: Stamford Bridge, William the Conquerer, The Third Crusade, and The Hundred Years War.

Pick a scenario and ruler to play

Each scenario provides you several stock characters to choose from. For example, the Hundred Years War scenario gives you two interesting choices: King Edward III of England or King Philippe VI of France. You are however, not restricted to choosing between these two; by clicking on a row of icons at the top centre you can zoom in on independent realms, or realms run by dukes, counts, kings, or even emperors. Go ahead, you can pick any obscure ruler and try to manage his happiness and his woes.

Once you start a game, you will have a window popping up that gives you further hints on playing the game. You can later disable this and only rely on the interface tool tips, which I feel do an excellent job of explaining the hundreds and thousands of bits of information that make up and describe your realm and your character.

Gaze at your family tree or check out the Wiki entry

The game's interface is quite an impressive feature, with the main window is divided into six distinct areas. They are:

The Quick Link buttons at the upper left corner provide you access to the main interfaces of the game. Your portrait brings you to the Character Interface, while the remaining blue buttons will call up the following interfaces: Council, Laws, Technology, Military, Intrigue, Diplomacy, Religion, and Character.
The Information Bar found at the upper right corner shows you your Wealth in terms of gold coins, your Prestige, your Piety which signals your relation with the Church, your Desmesne Size and Limit which represent the holdings you can control, your Realm Size indicating the physical number of holdings, and your current game Score. Below all this information is the pause / play button as well as + / - icons to speed up or to slow down play.

I finally got myself a son!

Between the Quick Link buttons and Information Bar is an area where Alerts will appear. Pay attention to these or risk giving yourself a headache later on.
Just below the Information Bar (and usually hidden from sight) is a Message Dialogue area. Pay attention to some of the things that pop up here. If a particular type of message appears to frequently, you can even filter it out through the settings found here.
At the bottom right is the mini-map with quite a number of drawing modes that alter the look of your map. A row of system options appear below the mini-map, the most important of which is an icon that bring you back to the Main Menu, and another to view your Ledger. The latter is something you will occasionally peruse to see the state of your realm (as well as your surrounding enemies).
In the centre of it all is the glorious 3D terrain map representing the World of Crusader Kings II. You can zoom in and out, pan the map, select your armies and navies, and view a County's holdings in detail (via the Province interface).

You'll have to deal with frequent events

A typical game play session would entail the following activities:

After picking a ruler, you check his character to see if he has any heirs. The game continues with you taking over the heir when your current ruler passes away, so make sure there's one. Otherwise, if you don't already have one, find a wife and select the plot to get yourself a son (Intrigue interface). If you keep at it, you will be able to play the game all the way until 1453 where you will be forced to retire and to compare your final score with the high score list.
Check to see if all Council appointments have been filled (Council interface) - there's the Chancellor, the Marshall, the Treasurer, the Spymaster, and the Lord Spiritual.
Tweak your laws - decide levels of taxation and levies (Laws interface).
Head on over to check out your realm - look at each County in turn, check to see what holdings have been built (Province interface).
Decide if you need to invest in technology (Technology interface) or the military (Military interface)
You'll also need to know who adores and abhors you; I'm sure you won't some enemy breathing down your back. You can opt to execute shady deals like assassination, but usually granting some honorary title may pacify an enemy's ego (Diplomacy interface).

I need a son to inherit my realm!

Graphics and Interface
The graphics in Crusader Kings II is simply breathtaking - with all its splendor and intricate details, the map is perhaps the most colorful and detailed 3D terrain map ever of Europe during medieval times; the terrain features what can only be termed as mountains and hills, and the rippling water effect reflects in a way the dynamism of the game. You can't help but also admire the 3D models of your armies and navies, and they look exceptional when you zoom in all the way. The little buildings that dot the landscape tends to obscure the names of counties, but you can always switch to another map view from the mini-map interface.

Next, the little windows that pop-up from time to time usually feature some lovely 2D artwork depicting the dire event that is about to take place. And each Quick-Link interface is designed with a user friendly approach that tries its best not to be too overwhelming on doling out all that information. The tool-tips that pop-up are perhaps the most useful feature of the entire interface.

Quelling a rebellion

Audio
The first few notes of the main soundtrack you hear upon starting Crusader Kings II sounds vaguely like Braveheart's main theme. But after that all similarity ends, as the music (composed by Andreas Waldetoft) sweeps into an epic piece that really captures the spirit of medieval times. Playing the game is like living with an orchestral choir, so if you can't take it, you could always adjust the volume.

The sound effects do a good job of presenting feedback. Take for example, while deciding which realm you want to play from the scenario screen, a single note twangs out for each county you click. If you keep at it by clicking several counties fast enough, you can actually hear an underlying theme of the game's music; that was a nice touch. The war battles and sieges you conduct sound effectively rowdy, so you can bet that battles you sit through will have you riveted to your seat in anticipation of another win.

No, you won't find the Midnight Train to Georgia here

Pros:
Crusader Kings II without a doubt represents the pinnacle of grand strategy simulation gaming. In attaining such a lofty height with this pièce de résistance, one can only imagine what greatness will come next from Paradox Interactive.

Crusader Kings II could perhaps be described as a grand strategy game equipped with an excellent dynasty simulator that presents to you with a wealth of "what if" situations. The best part is, you can try anything under the sun and see the repercussions of your laws and edicts in a few years (of game time) down the road.
The game play is quite intuitive once you get the hang of things, that's because the design of the interface is very approachable and friendly to use.
The graphics is par excellence when compared with all other grand strategy games released thus far by Paradox Interactive. In fact, the graphics look even more lively than Sengoku, a similar dynasty simulator type of game based in feudal Japan.
You can't go wrong with the Clausewitz Engine, the new 3D renderer for all current incarnation of Paradox Interactive grand strategy games.
You actually get channelled to the corresponding Wikipedia entry for some of the rulers that you portray in the game. You can even disable this feature if you don't need it.
The game can be easily expanded with the wealth of DLCs that shall be coming our way - I can't wait to see what's being added.
Keeping with the excellent quality of games from Paradox Interactive, Crusader Kings II is also a highly modifiable game.

Clausewitz Engine at its utmost best

Cons:
You could say that I'm being a fool for even thinking up a list of cons, but you just have to appease the naysayers, wouldn't you agree?

The content of the tutorials are very good, but I kind of feel like I am being lead through every thing like a dog on a leash. What I mean is if you don't follow instructions to the letter, you may reach a state where you must either skip the tutorial, or resign and restart it. Nevertheless, this shouldn't detract too much from playing the game.
The game takes a long time to load at the start of the game, but it's most definitely worth the wait.
The game is very complex with lots of subtle layers upon layers. Luckily there's a handy tutorial, lots of tooltips, a manual you can download from the official website, and a friendly forum to ask any burning questions you may have. Bottomline is, you need to invest a big chunk of your time to thoroughly enjoy the game; it's definitely worth it.

Read... read... read...

Conclusion
I have never awarded a perfect score for any game so far on Daily PC Game Reviews, but Crusader Kings II definitely deserves this distinction. It is by far the best strategy game I have had the chance to play for some time; this game goes above and beyond all my expectations - in terms of great game play, gorgeous graphics, and pure gamer gratification.

I could almost get down on my knees and genuflect at the development team who did a marvellous job on Crusader Kings II, here's hoping for even greater heights for games from Paradox Interactive!

This will surely play to his ego

Daily PC Game Review Score: 10 / 10
Review Date: 29 Feb 2012

An arcade game powered by your music!

2012-02-25T23:59:00.000+08:00

Beat Hazard
Game Category: Arcade
Developer / Distributor: Cold Beam Games
Release Date: 15 Apr 2010
Rating: ESRB - Everyone

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Introduction
Have you ever wanted a game that was powered by the music track currently playing in the background? I don't know about you, but one thing's for sure, my wish has come true with Beat Hazard, a cool arcade game from Cold Beam Games.

Feel the beat!

Beat Hazard throws bucket loads of arcade shooting fun at you - there are segments that brings back fond memories of Asteroids, frantic space battles against waves of nasty alien ships, and mega battles with huge bosses. You could play the game with a single music track, or go against your entire musical album library in Survival mode. You can also take a friend along for the ride, or just chill out when you are absolutely bored with nothing else to do.

Take a look within, you won't be disappointed!

A number of interesting game modes

Game Play
One glance at the main menu and you will see four different play modes available to you. They are Play, Play Survival Mode, Two Player, and Chill Out Mode.

The first mode is the one you would normally choose if you want to play a typical short game, this is also where you can select the difficulty level (easy, normal, hardcore, and more). It lets you choose any track in your library and you play the game until the end of that song. Choose Survival mode if you want to see how long you can last; this mode has you picking any song, but will automatically load the next song in your library the minute the current song ends. Two Player is similar to the first mode, only that you will be playing with a friend. Chill Out mode is for those who just want to play the game with infinite lives while listening to every track in your album. So if you've nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon, then it's time to Chill Out dude (or dudette)!

Pick a song from your album

After loading your song, you will notice a spaceship appearing on a starry background. The game plays best with a dual stick controller, but if you plan on using the keyboard and mouse configuration, then you should know that you move your ship with the WSAD keys and guide a targeting cursor with your mouse; holding down the left mouse button fires your ship's weapons continuously.

The first wave you will encounter are asteroids that drift across the screen. You can start blowing the asteroids into smithereens, but each successive hit, divides them into two (at least twice). Subsequent waves will usually bring you alien ships that fly in to attack you from all corners of the screen. These alien ships range from tiny fighters to large sized slow-moving starships that are harder to destroy.

Oh oh... Here They Come!

The hardest wave you'll likely encounter are the huge boss ships. These monstrosities are equipped with hard points that wield different types of turreted weapons. There are regular bullets shot in a typical arcade pattern that radiates outwards, homing bullets, and an evil looking laser beam. Watch out for these big guys, for more often then not your ship will explode in a violent blast after being overwhelmed by all the weapons of mass destruction.

At your disposal is a standard weapon that fires regular bullets. Your weapon's power varies with the music. If the music is louder and more rhythmically exciting, the more powerful will be your shots. Don't jump for joy though, because your enemy will also be similarly affected by the music.

Your ship is also equipped with a bomb. You can pick up extra bombs that regularly appear from the top centre and exit at the bottom of the screen.

Sometimes two "mini" bosses will appear

You get a small handful of interesting pickups in Beat Hazard. First is a red Power icon that levels up your ship's regular weapons. The second is a yellow Volume icon - this only serves to increase the volume of the track you selected for your game; the game starts off quite soft at first, so collect more of these icons if you prefer it loud. The third pickup is a white +1 icon enclosed in a blue circle; these serve to increase your score multiplier.

If you successfully fill up the volume and weapon power bars found at the bottom of the screen, you will enter Beat Hazard mode which grants you even more firepower. If you ship ever gets destroyed however, your multiplier is reduced while your volume and weapon bars return to zero; and your music becomes muted again. Luckily the game isn't too punishing, as there will also be a couple of pick-ups left behind after your demise. Grab them quick!

I'm a beat hazard

The points you score at the end of the game are added to your tally. You go up in rank as you earn more points and each rank will award you something, for example: "a red Power icon will always appear at the start of every game". Earn enough points and you may even unlock the higher difficulty levels of insane and suicidal.

Graphics
As you can see from the screenshots, Beat Hazard is visually stunning. There are all sorts of colours in play, and it all feels like you are dancing in a discotheque. The asteroids, alien ships, and boss ships are nicely drawn but they are not animated in any way; so you don't get to see any engine trails or blinking lights. All you see are shapes that turn to always face towards your ship. At least the weapon shots are lighted up and dazzling enough to distract you from the aforementioned facts.

A dazzling array of colours

Audio
The explosion sounds are just slightly muted for my tastes. I would have preferred something louder, but then I guess it wouldn't be nice to drown out the music.

The music provided is quite a mix of fast songs - I received 19 of these indie pieces for the game. You can always search your hard disks and play the MP3s found in your album folders. In my opinion, the game is much more difficult with slow songs. When the music enters into a slow and calming phase, your weapons are almost like pea shooters - ineffective unless you keep hitting your target multiple times.

Spiralling like a maniac doesn't always help

Pros:
Beat Hazard is sure to delight fans of arcade shooters who yearn to play a game that reacts to the music playing in the background.

A delightful little arcade shooter of a game that offers bright colourful visuals, an interesting selection of enemies, and thumb thumping music.
You can play your own MP3 singles.
Or even an album of your own MP3s.
The game has innovative scoring mechanics such as: Be a daredevil - try not to fire your weapons to earn multiplier points.
There are a bunch of interesting achievements waiting to be unlocked.
You get a free Visualizer mode that plays your music in the background.

Colourful and loud indeed!

Cons:
After playing Beat Hazard for awhile, you will find that there really isn't that much variety within, and the game is also quite repetitive; it's just wave after wave of asteroids, ships and bosses.

As mentioned above, the game is repetitive.
There isn't much variety in terms of enemies and even asteroids.
It seems to me that the louder your music, the easier the game. That's because your weapons fire with so much more ferocity that your enemies are destroyed before they can even take aim.
I found no way to change the settings for your controls. If there's a way to do so, tell me about it... I'm one of those few who prefer to use the arrow keys.

More of the same...

Conclusion
Despite what you read in the Cons, I still like Beat Hazard quite a bit. Luckily, there have already been improvements made to the game... it's called Beat Hazard Ultra and there seems to be quite a lot of features in that version. Although my final score for Beat Hazard may be 7, I think the Ultra version brings the game play up another notch.

Whatever the case may be, you should consider getting the latest version of Beat Hazard today for a fun filled arcade shooting experience while rocking to your music.

I have rather eclectic tastes... there's nothing like Bocelli

Daily PC Game Review Score: 7 / 10
Review Date: 25 Feb 2012

Preview of New Yankee in King Arthur's Court

2012-02-24T22:13:00.000+08:00

New Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Game Category: Casual - Time Management, Strategy, Tower Defense
Developer / Distributor: Rionix / Alawar Entertainment
Release Date: Likely March 2012
Rating: ESRB - None

Hear ye! hear ye!
It's heartens me to announce that Rionix and Alawar Entertainment will be releasing a new casual time management game with a unique dash of tower defense fun added to it. Titled New Yankee in King Arthur's Court, the game looks sets to charm us with game play reminiscent of the Rescue Team series.

You can check out an earlier review of Rescue Team and Rescue Team 2 before taking a closer look at their upcoming release.

The Story
It has been quite some time since I last read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; I must have been just a bumbling kid with a big mind for fun and games then. The original story by Mark Twain bears some similarities to the game from Rionix; in New Yankee, the game tells of a tourist who gets brought back into the past by a lightning bolt... Ouch!

I noticed in the preview release that our hero and his troop of peasant workers were so smoothly animated that they really look cool and slick in all their Arthurian armour and gear; and don't forget the bad guys too - the nasty green goblins and white pasty skeletons. It really seems that Rionix have outdone themselves this time with the lovely artwork seen in this game. Boy, I really can't wait to get my hands on the official release of New Yankee in King Arthur's Court... it's going to be fun!

Talking about fun, you can bet your bottom dollar that there'll be heaps of it while playing New Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Here's a writeup of the game by Alawar Entertainment, plus a selection of screenshots to whet your appetite:

Fetch the king Living Water in this tower defense game with a time travel twist! When a bolt of lightning sends you back to the days of King Arthur, you trade in your farmer's hat for a suit of armor and set off on a journey to find the Fountain of Youth - or at least make it back to the present by supper.

To complete your mission for the king, you will need to remove obstacles, gather resources and build buildings in an effort to tame the wilderness. You will also have to fend off or avoid goblins and skeletons as they try to steal your treasure and capture your workers. As you gather mana in this land of magic, you'll be able to cast spells that speed up your workers or freeze your enemies in their steps. Build lighthouses to guide the way, erect towers to defend your settlements and try to keep your cool when the big twist comes! Can you guess who the princess is?

New Yankee in King Arthur's Court delivers the tactical thrills of the best tower defense games and the ease-of-play casual gamers enjoy. Are you ready to begin your quest?

John Tiller's Campaign Series

2012-02-21T21:42:00.000+08:00

John Tiller's Campaign Series

Previously known as Talonsoft's World at War (comprising Eastern Front II: Gold Edition, Western Front: Combat Pack, and Rising Sun: Gold Edition)

Game Category: Strategy - Turn-Based, History
Developer / Distributor: Talonsoft / Matrix Games
Release Date: 5 Jun 2007 (way back in 1999 / 2000 for Talonsoft's original versions)
Rating: ESRB - Rating Pending

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A wargaming extravaganza!
Just as Love Symbol #2 was recognized as the artist formerly known as Prince, I am glad to inform you in today's review that John Tiller's Campaign Series (JTCS) should be known as the games that were formerly called Eastern Front II: Gold Edition (EFII), Western Front: Combat Pack (WF), and Rising Sun: Gold Edition (RS).

All latter three games (inclusive of their respective expansion packs) were developed by Talonsoft in the last year leading up to the end of the 20th century. The three titles were released together in a bundle known as Talonsoft's World At War (see image at right).

After Talonsoft's untimely demise, Matrix Games acquired the rights to publish all games from what would collectively be known as the Campaign Series. The guys at Matrix Games added new game play elements, units, scenarios, and campaigns to the existing bundle; everything was then collected, re-polished, and released as one mega compilation set, known as John Tiller's Campaign Series. Hats off to John for creating excellent PC wargames that allow us to relive the exciting battles of World War II and beyond, and thanks to Matrix Games for releasing this treasure trove to gamers all over again!

The main menu for Rising Sun...

Game Play
First, let's cover the basics. JTCS is a tactical level turn-based wargame played on a hexagon grid game board. Each tile on the map represents 250 metres and a turn lasts about 6 minutes of real time. You can play against the computer player or a human opponent and have the choice of playing a single scenario or a full fledged campaign. Additionally, you can duke it out on the Internet in matches that feature up to 16 gamers who own a copy of JTCS.

The Eastern Front features maps that take you back to Eastern Europe (Byelorussia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine) and mother Russia herself. The Western Front takes you to the other side of Europe where France, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Norway get roped into bloodbaths involving the Allies versus the Axis. Rising Sun on the other hand brings you on a grand tour of the Pacific featuring far flung places like the Philippines, and dozens of unheard of atolls and island chains.

Choosing a scenario to play in East Front

Here's a chart that breaks down everything in East Front, West Front, Rising Sun, as well as the latest patched version of John Tiller's Campaign Series. As you can see, JTCS is the more superior version as lots of content have been added to the mix over the years.

	Talonsoft's Gold Edition				JTCS Original				JTCS version 1.04
	EF	WF	RS	Total	EF	WF	RS	Total	EF	WF	RS	Total
# of Scenarios	170	143	62	313	180	176	65	421	189	220	101	510
# of Campaigns	22	19	9	50	23	19	9	51	23	19	9	51
# of Countries	9	13	3	25	12	25	11	48	14	25	14	53

In case you were wondering about map sizes, the largest scenario map I've seen thus far is one featured in Rising Sun - at a whopping 149 by 199 hexes, you're going to have a great time with And... They Came from the Sky!

PS - According to the manual, the largest you can go is a map that is 500 hexes wide.

And... They Came from the Sky!

Now that you've an idea of what to expect in JTCS, let's look at the game proper. After watching an interesting opening video that features live footage from the respective war arenas, you are placed before the Main Menu that presents you with 6 choices:

Play Scenario - play any of the scenarios available in JTCS.

Play Campaign - after creating a character, you can choose from two kinds of campaigns on offer. Dynamic Campaign Games (DCGs) will lead you through random scenarios while Linked Campaign Games (LCGs) follow some important war campaign or operation.

Follow this Band of Brothers as they paradrop in Normandy

The more memorable campaigns for me were the following:

Operation Citadel (Kursk) and the mega campaign Operation Barbarossa (divided into three campaigns) from East Front;
The Screaming Eagles (think Band of Brothers and Normandy) and the hypothetical Operation Sealion (you play the bad guys here) from West Front; and
Operation ShoeString (Guadalcanal), and The Fall of Philippines from Rising Sun.

Scenario Battle - the third choice on the main menu allows you to create for yourself a random scenario. You can change things like Weather, Size of Units (Battalion, Regiment, Brigade, Division, Corps), Map Type, and Engagement Type (Meeting Engagement, Delaying Action, Static Line, Pocket Breakout, Armoured Breakthrough, River Crossing, Bridgehead, Mopping Up, Highway Clearing, Recon Attack, and Mountain Pass).

Assaulting enemies in the Bootcamp (a series of tutorials)

Have a hand at editing an existing scenario or creating one from scratch. The tools that have been provided are the actual ones used by the designers to create the scenarios in the game. There are three tools available and I will present them in the order that you will likely use them.

Edit Map - Create maps like those you find in tabletop wargames; you have five tilesets to choose from (except for East Front which has only one). There's a built-in random map generator which is quite handy. Afterward, you can fine tune your map and even add contours as well.

Edit Order of Battle - This tool allows you to create an OOB that will appear in the Forces dialog of the Scenario Editor. From there, you can place units into your scenario using the pre-saved OOB.

Try your hand at scenario creation in West Front

Edit Scenario - The Scenario Editor is a complex tool that allows you to select a map and an OOB to create a scenario. You will need to define victory conditions as well as place things like off-board artillery and reinforcements.

When playing a scenario, you can choose to play either side and to enable an AI opponent. You decide who gets the advantage as well as choose optional rules. Once in the game, moving units is easily done with a right click. There's an Info Box in the upper right corner that summarizes all the important data you need: action points (AP) and unit data including Strength, Morale, Assault, and Defense. You can also opt to turn on the Info Panel with the hot key "U".

A tool bar appears at the bottom of the screen. It provides you the most important commands that you will use in the game. This is sufficient for play, but if you really need some fine tuning, then the menu bar provides you access to a whole slew of options that you can tweak.

Maybe rotating the map will bring me good luck this time

Other than the new scenarios, tons of country OOB information, and a single new LCG appearing in East Front (titled Black Arrows and Red Guards), JTCS comes with some other shiny new improvements:

There are new Naval units to field; these are units that have the special ability to move freely in deep water hexagons.
On-map aircraft are either Bomber or Reconnaissance aircraft that can fly anywhere on a map. Unfortunately, they cannot fly over enemy forces nor capture Victory Point locations.
You can now employ pontoon ferries and self-propelled boats. These units require a shallow water or marsh hex to operate from.
There are now snipers and special anti-tank teams you can use to harass your enemies.
You can now field Green or Veteran troops.
There are special units that can help you remove wrecks.
Bridging engineers can now be deployed to assist your troops.

This will be better that the Bridge on the River Kwai

Graphics
The graphics has not changed that much; although there were changes to the sprite artwork, the game still looks and feels like something that was released in the year 2000. The interface looks the same as before, which can either be good or bad depending on your personal tastes.

The five view modes - three in 3D and two in 2D have carried over to JTCS. You will not likely be using the extreme zoom out modes as the units are barely comprehensible (especially in the high resolution). In the end, you will either play the game in 2D or in 3D. In 3D mode, I still had problems trying to spot my units, luckily I could turn on the unit bases so I can find them.

A desperate gambit on the East Front

Audio
The music featured in East Front, West Front, and Rising Sun have all been preserved for a new generation of players. You will enjoy the variety of music - from ponderous military songs and marches to the exotic Asian music featured in Rising Sun. Sound effects are already doing a good job and have stayed pretty much intact as well.

Pros:
John Tiller's Campaign Series is the king of content for wargames... get this and you're set for life. Let's see, if you play one scenario everyday, you'll be able to finish the game proper in about two years. Oh yes, the built-in editors will keep you going for the rest of your life. Plus there are plenty of dedicated wargaming fans out there to play with.

Need I say more about content in JTCS?
The game play mechanics is excellent.
Scenario descriptions recommend the side you should play as, although you could choose to play the disadvantaged force as well.

Halfway through the scenario and victory is still uncertain

The Campaign Series is excellent for PBEM play. There's also Internet play as well as Hotseat mode where two players can take turns on the same computer.
You get a hefty 178 page PDF user's manual and a whole plethora of other tutorial documentation found in the Manuals folder.
The AI is pretty decent, and you can always give it an advantage if you think you are winning.

Cons:
A couple of minor problems aside, John Tiller's Campaign Series still comes highly recommended!

Despite patching to version 1.04, there were still some minor interface bugs and graphical glitches. At least most of the glaring errors from the Talonsoft release have been nailed.
The interface for the entire Campaign Series feels truly old - this would have been a good area to improve the game, but unfortunately not much has been done.

Playing the LCG: The Big Red One in Sicily

Conclusion
John Tiller's Campaign Series is a game that is akin to fine wine; the older it gets, the greater the experience will be. With a whopping 510 scenarios, 51 campaigns, and 53 countries found in the latest patched version of JCTS, there's enough within to last you for ages... Make sure you sip slowly and savour the strategy within!

If you love wargames or are seriously contemplating getting into the hobby, then this comes highly recommended!

PS - It's a good thing I still own a copy of the gold edition pack from Talonsoft featuring all three games. I have also included the review scores for these vintage games. However, it's best you get John Tiller's Campaign Series since the improvements and added material made since then are worth every single cent!

Checking out my OOB

Daily PC Game Review Score:

John Tiller's Campaign Series - 8.5 / 10

Talonsoft's World at War - 8 / 10

Eastern Front II: Gold Edition - 7.5 / 10
Western Front: Combat Pack - 8 / 10
Rising Sun: Gold Edition - 8.5 / 10

Review Date: 21 Feb 2011

Have a smashing fun time!

2012-02-18T23:58:00.002+08:00

Mega World Smash
Game Category: Casual - Arcade
Developer / Distributor: Owl Studio / Alawar Entertainment
Release Date: 14 Feb 2012
Rating: ESRB - Not Rated

Introduction
From the makers of Strike Ball 1, 2, and 3 come their latest Arkanoid style game - Mega World Smash. Owl Studio have come a very long way with their string of Arkanoid games, with each new version having more fun filled features and powerups than the previous ones.

In the original Arkanoid game (from Taito), we controlled a spaceship known as Vaus and were required to bounce a ball around a game level. The level would be stocked with bricks laid out in an interesting pattern. All the bricks had to be broken with the aid of the ball and Vaus; you usually had to complete this objective quickly since the speed of the ball increases with each hit that Vaus takes.

Arkanoid featured special bricks (there are bricks that require multiple hits, moving bricks, etc.) and power-ups that would give Vaus the advantage in clearing the level. Power-ups included the ability to expand your space ship so that it is wider, you could equip your space ship with a laser weapon to shoot at bricks for a precious few seconds, or you could even obtain a multi-ball power-up to make your life more exciting.

Take a mega-wonderful trip

In transiting to 3D, I must say that Owl Studio have done an excellent job of keeping the spirit of Arkanoid alive. Their experience shows, after all they have released at least three Arkanoid style games under their belt so far. You get to choose from four characters in this game, each with their own abilities; plus, there are 36 kinds of power-ups to marvel at. This is definitely a huge leap over what was offered back in 1986.

Mega World Smash is an exclusive on Alawar Entertainment, so head over there now to download a copy and try it out for one hour. While you are downloading, you can continue to read the review of the game below.

Choose from 4 characters

Game Play
Once you've created your profile, you can choose from four characters to play the main game. When you start the game, you'll only be able to choose the first two in the list. They are:

Roboy 6, the helpful cleaner robot whose job is to demolish the amusement rides in the park. If you pick to play him, you get control of the blue paddle whose innate abilities (also read as "starting bonuses") are attuned towards protection.
Arabella, the Space Pirate is here to steal some loot. Pick to play her and you'll control the red paddle; this character has an affinity towards attacking, so if you find the game difficult, you won't go wrong with choosing her!
Ako Akhom, I'll leave you to find out more about him by yourself - he's the green paddle.
Dr. Chapek - let's just say he's suddenly seen the light, and the colour of his paddle is a new and shiny violet. Complete the game to find out more!

Take the blue or the red paddle?

Once you've selected your character, you get dropped into your very first level. You will notice a couple of things as you play the first few levels in the game:

The entire level is in glorious 3D: No longer are bricks seen from a top view. You can actually hold the right mouse button to rotate your point of view - an interesting feature indeed for those odd angles where you must shoot under a huge plane of bricks that are balanced by a couple of strategically located pieces.

The level is animated and alive: Your bricks have been nicely arranged into 3D vehicles and other 3D structures (like tanks, robots, windmills, and so on). Often, these 3D objects are animated and move by themselves. For example, I absolutely adore the gyroscope that twirls around and around in the centre of the level (see screenshot below) - it's a remarkable feat to do that in 3D!

That thingamajig is spinning on two axes!

There are tons of critters: When you destroy bricks that have a coloured circle surrounding it, you will release a little creature who marches around the level. In other levels, there are even creature generators that churn out these little guys. When your ball hits them, some of these guys will even explode. If you ask me, they only serve to make a mess of how your ball travels.

There are tons of interesting power-ups: The minute your ball starts hitting bricks, you will see power-ups drift slowly to the bottom of the game level. Green coloured power-ups are the stuff you should collect - they award you with wonderful bonuses. Avoid red coloured power-ups at all costs as they only serve to make life harder for you.

Collect the green power-ups, and avoid the red

Stars are the currency of the game: You must do your very best to collect the stars littered throughout the levels. In between levels, you will visit the upgrade screen. This is where you will award yourself with more special abilities to survive later levels in the game - see the screenshot below to take a look.

You will be quite surprised by the variety of power-ups available in the game. Though most of them have been seen before (in the Strike Ball series), I shall assume you have not played any products from Owl Studios before. Here's a list of the power-ups available in Mega World Smash: Deadly Double (double ball), Triple Ball, Expand Paddle, Machinegun, Heavy Cannon, Rocket Launcher, Orbital Strike, Mines, Air Strikes, Fire Ball, Power Ball, Crazy Ball, Hexagon, Energy Shield, Magnet, Totem, Cutters, Energy Wave, Rubber Bombs, Helicopter.

Spend your stars wisely in the Upgrade Laboratory

New to Mega World Smash are these power-ups (there are a couple more and I leave you to discover them by yourself):

Grenade Launcher - this weapon actually shoots little grenades that bounce around the level. Most of the time the grenades will bounce back towards you, unless you aim carefully.
Bomber - A bomber aircraft will fly past and drop one nasty bomb right smack in the centre of the level.
Meteors - Meteors will come crashing to the ground at random spots in the level.

Also new to Mega World Smash are five incredible bosses. Each of these unique beasts are filled with lots of health and armor. With some perseverance, you will be able to chip away at them with your ball and the power-ups you collect. Watch out though, as the bosses will spawn little critters, mines, and even shoot at you or release an ability to hinder you.

Yoda must have been his teacher

Graphics
The 3D graphics is absolutely brilliant in Mega World Smash. I kept on playing it just to see the next level. Just spending that initial few seconds staring at a newly loaded animated level before you release the ball is a must - they're that beautiful!

After the ball goes flying, watch as you literally wreak havoc on the level. You see, every time your ball hits a supporting pillar, the object collapses and all the bricks are then strewn over the level. That's thanks to the lovely nVidia PhysX engine incorporated into the game. Absolutely doozy!

Audio
Luckily, the music is catchy and addictive, so I don't expect you to be switching it off. I feel it kinds of complements the arcade action quite well. The sound effects are also something to listen to; it's great getting all this aural feedback as you move your paddle around quickly with your mouse.

Watch the green paddle in action!

Pros:
There's lots of Arkanoid-style arcade action in a beautiful 3D presentation.

With one hundred levels, you won't get bored anytime soon. It took me at least 3 hours to finish them with just one character alone.
There's four characters to choose from. The game play is subtly different for each, so don't go away thinking it's the end after seeing the one hundredth level.
The nVidia PhysX engine does marvels to the game. The levels are beautifully animated, and during play you get to see structures collapse and debris litter the game level... it's that impressive!
There are lots of power-ups to collect (green bonuses) and also to avoid (red penalties).
The upgrades for your characters are wonderfully thought out. Purchasing them with stars you collect in the level make for a more challenging game.
Mega World Smash let's you "win" a level if you've only left three bricks or less in the level. Collect the auto-win cup to move on; this is a great time saver.

Guide these rubber bombs with your mouse

Cons:
The same problems seen in Strike Ball 3 come back to haunt us in Mega World Smash.

3D height affects gameplay, sometimes in a negative manner: Most 3D objects are several bricks tall in height, your ball will however only hit the brick right at the bottom of a stack. This height factor also applies to power-ups. If for example, you use the Cutters... they will fly at only a certain height; you simply can't adjust the height at which they fly. The cutters are useless if all tall objects in the level have already fallen down. There are some other power-ups also rendered useless because of this.
If you don't want to change your viewing angle, make sure you don't accidentally hit the right mouse button... sorry folks, but you can't reconfigure that yet.
The flashing repulsor and attractor fields tied to certain bricks (or critters) are really very irritating. It makes your ball fly very haphazardly and this makes the game more based on luck than anything else.
Some of the levels seen in Strike Ball 3 have been reused in Mega World Smash!
Some levels don't present much of a challenge. To make matters worse, Mega World Smash gets really easy-peasy to play when you finish upgrading yourself to the max (somewhere near level 90 and above).
The game is very mind-numbingly repetitive (as are all Arkanoid games).
There's still no level editor from Owl Studios.

Didn't I see this level design in Strike Ball 3?

Conclusion
If you've never played the Strike Ball series by Owl Studios before, then the score I have given below stands. You will definitely feel excited by all the impressive Arkanoid-style 3D action that Mega World Smash throws at you.

If however, you have played these Arkanoid-style games from Owl Studios before (and especially Strike Ball 3), then I suggest you slash off 1 point from the final score. All I can say is that there really isn't much new in Mega World Smash. If you need something to convince you, then think about the five new bosses found in this game; that may be palatable enough to dish out some cash to buy this game. Other than that, it's just more mind-numbing breakout style smashing all over again.

Lovely visuals... but of the "been there, done that" category

Daily PC Game Review Score: 7.5 / 10
Review Date: 18 Feb 2012

We are a Featured Tech Site!

2012-02-18T10:44:00.000+08:00

Dear readers, we are truly honoured to be a listed as a Featured Tech Site on Green Gadget. The fine folks over there have recognized Daily PC Game Reviews as a great resource that offers exceptional information on technology. We are happy to have been presented with an official badge for our site that will distinguish us as a Featured Tech Site. You will find a copy of the badge on our right bar nearer the bottom of the page. Here's a picture of it:

We shall continue our efforts in providing you even more great PC Game reviews, previews, and articles to read. Our journey in making this a site for the discerning gamer has only just begun and we look forward to your continued readership and support.

Again, thank you!

Come decide the Fate of the World

2012-02-16T23:59:00.000+08:00

Fate of the World: Tipping Point
Game Category: Strategy - Cards, Science Fiction, Simulation
Developer / Distributor: Red Redemption
Release Date: 29 Sep 2011
Rating: ESRB - Not Rated
Reviewed by: Editor

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Introduction
There are nights when I fancy playing a game that strikes me as being original, refreshing, innovative, and yet at the same time dramatically sobering in a way that hammers to the core of your being with the unyielding truth that our Earth will one day succumb to a long and painful demise worse than what the naysayers predict for 2012 and the supposed Apocalypse. Fate of the World, a strategy game from Red Redemption, fits the above-mentioned italicized adjectives to a glove.

Luckily, things don't just stop there. Released in September last year and identified with the tagline of Tipping Point, the two DLCs released last year have been collected together, plus new features have been added to the game that make it more fun to play.

Coming hot on the heels of the prequel web game - known as Climate Challenge (and featured on BBC's website), you will find echoes of the game's original theme and game mechanics reappearing in a visually appealing form in Fate of the World: Tipping Point (FotW: TP). Maybe with your help, you can find a way to stop the world from teetering over at the next Tipping Point.

Let's take a look within, shall we?

Watch the Gaia Hypothesis in action

Game Play
FotW: TP comprises the Migration and Denial DLCs combined together with the core game of Fate of the World. This means you get 9 missions to choose from, of which only the first is unlocked from the start. This tutorial mission starts you off simple with only two areas of the world to manage - North and South Africa.

A handful of real missions become unlocked when you complete the tutorial; so don't wait, complete the tutorial as soon as possible; after all it will probably take you about 15 minutes to complete it. Hopefully, you'll fully grasp the concepts behind the game and will be ready to advance to the next level of missions; which incidentally are like around five times longer and much more difficult than the tutorial.

Look at the mission's title... these guys must have played Halo

Upon starting a mission, you are treated to an interesting movie sequence that explains the backdrop to FotW. Your game view orbits around Earth as you are told that the planet is in bad shape. Starting from 2010, a series of global events show us that mother nature is not a force to be trifled with. The situation reaches a climax as the dramatic rise of sea levels leads to the end of the Maldives, and they get unceremoniously wiped off the world map.

Humanity responds with the formation of an organization that will one day (we hope) save the world. Set up in 2020, you shall take on the role as the leader of this organization - the GEO, or Global Environment Organization. It will be up to you to personally take care of the worsening situation in several regions across the globe.

The World responds with you leading the GEO

The game is played out in turns. With each turn lasting 5 years of game time. Most missions will conclude in the year 2120 or 2200, and if you do the maths that means each game can last from about 20 to 36 turns.

In the tutorial you only get to manage two regions - North and South Africa. However, for the rest of the missions, you are charged with controlling the entire globe, which comprises of 12 regions. The regions are North and Latin Americas, Europe, the two regions of Africa, Russia, the Middle East, India, China, South Asia, Oceania, and Japan. Each region have their own agenda and problems to contend with.

Try to stay in the green each turn

At the beginning of the game, you should read the new global news to see what has reached a tipping point and is now poised to create chaos in the world. Tipping points include accelerated global warming thanks to the release of methane in the Arctic, the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet which causes sea levels to rise, or something even worse.

You will then need to recruit agents to take charge of each region. Each recruit fielded in a region gives you the ability to use a game card in that region; this essentially means the more recruits you have, the more cards you can play for that region. Each game card you put forth is actually a GEO policy that will affect that region.

Time to play a sixth card in India

Game cards represent GEO policies and are divided into several types. Each card has a specific cost, number of turns, and special abilities reflected on them:

Project Cards (have a multi-colour background) - these cards represent projects that will have a long term positive effect on a region. For example, there is the Protect Land, Soil, & Forests card and the much coveted International Space Programme.
Environment Cards (green colour) - these cards play an important part in saving the beleaguered environment; you will definitely want to play these often to save a region from some plight.
Technology Cards (blue colour) - unlock for yourself funding and new technologies that will help you out in times of need. Play cards like the common Regional Technology Office or the rarer Acquire 1st Gen Fusion or Acquire 1st-Gen Nanotech cards.

Lost of neat stuff in the Tech Tree

Resources Cards (yellow colour) - these yellow cards help to grow or shrink your supply of resources in a region. You can choose between oil, coal, natural gases, and other types.
Social Cards (red colour) - as part of the game is about preserving humanity, you should use these cards generously to improve the living conditions of your people.
Political Cards (grey colour) - there are cards here that will improve stability in a region, reduce the population size, or even affect migration influx and outflux.

Each card you play in a region saps your funds, you can check how much you have left in the panel found at the upper right corner. The four numbers at the extreme left of this panel reflect the current year of play, the temperature difference, the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, and your funding. Keep a close eye on them.

Time to hit the Next Turn button at the bottom right

After committing your cards for each region, you return to your Headquarters by heading back to the global view. From there, you access the Next Turn button found at the bottom right corner. After you activate it, FotW: TP will determine what happens for that turn based on the cards you played.

The game starts off by showing you the World Headlines; this includes two bars that show you the emissions and temperature. You are then treated to an update of all events taking place in the 12 regions; these include major news like discoveries of new technologies, or the beginning of war in a region, and so on. After clicking through all of events, you will be presented with a report that shows you the emissions from each region, as well as the support that each region gives you.

The game continues on to the next turn, and you'll keep at it until you either meet the win or lose conditions.

Oh no! That don't bode well

Graphics
Mother Earth has never looked more lovely than what Red Redemption did in FotW: TP. You can just place your mouse over the globe and click to spin the planet around like it's a jewel worth ogling at. The artwork on the cards are good but they do look a bit small; that's due to the lack of screen estate for displaying so many of them together. By the way, the card artwork is not animated. The game interface is smooth and slick and really looks cool for a card game.

Audio
The sound effects for the interface is generally good and not too jarring. As for the music... let me say here that there's actually no need for any fanciful music in a turn-based strategy simulator like this, but it seems Red Redemption has gone a step further and added a glorious soundtrack that will accompany you as you take to solving the world's worrisome problems. The soundtrack also comes as a download if you purchase Tipping Point.

Explore the ramifications of playing the wrong cards

Pros:
Red Redemption has taken one of the most unlikely of themes and turned it into a highly accessible and enjoyable strategy game that will need all your skill to master.

The game is based on a card drafting - you pick from cards available from the pool and pay to deploy them each turn.
There are many types of cards to choose from. Each card is nicely illustrated and feature many interesting abilities that will help (or sometimes hinder) you.
A collection of 32 achievements await you in the game.
By purchasing Fate of the World: Tipping Point, you don't have to worry about purchasing individual DLCs (Denial and Migration), or the need to patch the game. Everything has been consolidated and released in a newer, better version of the game.

It will take you quite a while to win every achievement

The new Tech Tree wasn't of much use, other than to present all your researched technology in a nice screen.
You get the full soundtrack to listen to as well as the Designer's Notes that contains a wealth of information in 126 pages.
This game is great for fans of card games like Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!
Be boggled by terms like the Human Development Index, Hypercane, and Tobin Tax. Luckily, there's a handy Encyclopedia in the game.
You wouldn't believe the effect the game has on your ego... go ahead, pick "Your Excellency" and see how you like the feeling of playing god for a day.

Address me as Your Excellency

Cons:
Despite the success of translating the subject matter into a great strategy game, there will surely be some who will still feel detached from the entire experience.

Trying to fathom the many layers in the game will be an almost insurmountable task. It will take a genius to understand all the numbers, graphs, and charts... or lots of playing to see what is happening under this interesting world simulation engine. Otherwise, make your way to the Fate of the World Wiki, that will also help.
It would have been great if we could decide the length of a mission, and to design (or choose) our very own win and lose conditions.
There's no easy way to modify the cards in the game (that is, you can't change the policies)... unless you happen to know Lua. Check the forums for further details.
The lofty theme of saving the world because of its mishandling of global warming may not appeal to many, and the policies you enact have political and social underpininngs that may question your ethics and values. Just remember, this is all just a game.

I still can't see why I lost the game...

Conclusion
Fate of the World: Tipping Point is a superior geopolitical / geosocial simulator that will surprise you with its depth of play. You can equally approach the subject matter purely as a game or as a serious simulation; either way you will very likely come away learning something new each time you give the globe a spin.

The simple act of selecting cards and drafting them to enact your policies is such a unique premise that the game just begs to be played; and when you do, you will realize that this game is truly a unique and refreshing experience. The game is so special that there is no equal to it at this time of writing. So, get yourself a copy today and be surprised by the love and quality that has gone into this wonderful game.

Recruiting well - the fine line between success and disaster

Daily PC Game Review Score: 8 / 10
Review Date: 16 Feb 2012

Preview - Solve a chilling supernatural mystery!

2012-02-14T22:56:00.002+08:00

Dark Strokes: Sins of the Father
Game Category: Casual - Adventure, Hidden Object, Horror
Developer / Distributor: Friday's Game / Alawar Entertainment
Release Date: February 2012

With the dark shadows shrouding the path before him, the suave gentleman looks up and stares ahead into the moonless twilight sky. His name is Ethan Black, and he stands for a moment confused by the strange things that has happened to him tonight. Standing before him lies the intimidating silhouette of the Tower that seems to claw its way upwards towards the sky. Somewhere within must be Clair, his beloved fiancée.

Can Ethan save her in time?

A truly ambitious and great looking game

After playing through one third of the demo, I must say I came away terribly pleased by the way the game Dark Strokes: Sins of the Father was shaping. This is a horror-filled adventure cum hidden object game that you will surely not forget. The things that impressed me most was the story and the quality of the game - from artwork to music and sound to game play.

This game is simply oozing with lots of fun!

Listen... I can hear it softly playing - Clair de lune

Here's the story by none other than the people from Alawar Friday's Game:

When Evil comes for the people you love, what will you do? That moment of reckoning has arrived for Ethan Black, a young man whose bride-to-be was snatched up in the blink of an eye by a terrifying menace known as the Faceless Ones. In the distance looms a menacing Tower that casts a shadow over the town to which he and his fiancée had traveled. Before him lie the streets of an abandoned and decimated city. And around the corner, he hears the desperate cries of his beloved Clair.

Can't find the circle? Think again...

Guide Ethan as he explores the city, interacts with its remaining inhabitants, searches for clues that will lead him to Clair, and peels back the layers of a chilling supernatural mystery that began with the stroke of a paint brush and will end in a dramatic confrontation near a fiery abyss.

The Collector's Edition of Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers comes with 58 stunningly detailed locations, 20 cleverly constructed hidden object scenes, 16 mind-bending mini-games, an intriguing Bonus Chapter, a step-by-step Walkthrough, beautifully drawn Concept Art and 15 high-definition Desktop Wallpapers. Begin your journey into the lair of the Faceless Ones today!

I myself can't wait to review this stunning game!

The Magic Marker is mightier than the Sword

2012-02-11T23:59:00.000+08:00

Max and the Magic Marker
Game Category: Casual - Platformer, Puzzle, Kids
Developer / Distributor: Press Play
Release Date: 8 Feb 2010
Rating: ESRB - Everyone, PEGI 7
Reviewed by: Editor

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Introduction
Max and the Magic Marker belongs to a new breed of games - kid games that foster innovation beyond the norm. Yes, that's right daddies and mummies, boys and girls... this game definitely deserves the heaps of accolades placed upon it.

Let's see, there's the Independent Games Festival D2D Vision Award, the European Innovative Games Award for Innovative Game Design, the Unity Awards for Best Overall Game, and the Nordic Game Awards for Best Children's Game of 2010. Not forgetting... the developer Press Play, also won the Talent of the Year at the Danish Game Awards.

Even though Max and the Magic Marker bears a cute kiddie look and features platforming game play reminiscent of the inimitable Super Mario Brothers, this game is also an excellent treat for adults and probably (dare I say it) core gamers as well.

Come along and enter the world of Max and the Magic Marker and maybe, just maybe, you will begin to understand why we adults keep on spouting "The Pen is mightier than the Sword."

Well, minor correction, make that "The Magic Marker is mightier than the Sword."

A bright new day begins...

Game Play
The Main Menu gives you access to three profile slots, plus a couple of extras you can unlock if you collect some of the pickups (clear bubbles) and secrets (black bubbles) in the game, or beat 5 speed records set by the designers of the game.

Once you start the game, you get treated to a little movie: It's just another day and Max is busy drawing pictures in his book when he receives a letter addressed to him. Max tears it open, revealing a plain looking orange marker within. The next thing that comes to his mind is to draw a pear shaped humanoid with a large mustache using the new marker. To Max's surprise, his drawing comes to life and goads him, and thus the villain Mustacho is born.

Max's drawing comes to life

Magic... the marker must be a Magic Marker!

Mustacho takes over the rest of Max's drawing and creates purple little fiends (Gobos) that seem to be replicas of himself. It's up to Max to stop the evil Mustacho (who incidentally sports a nasty ink vacuum machine). So, with his trusty Magic Marker in hand, Max sets off to stop Mustacho in three different worlds. Each world holds five levels for Max to puzzle over, to stop the purple minions, and to thwart Mustacho's machinations.

As simple as ABC

The three worlds you encounter in the world are:

Sweet Home - this is where you start the game. The artwork actually depicts Max's neighborhood, but it's also a place of surprises, so be on the alert.
The second world will remind you of swashbuckling, rollicking fun. Oh yes, do mind the volcano you'll find in this neighborhood!
The third world shows us Max is a very imaginative boy. He has probably been influenced by all the sci-fi cartoons that feature glassy eyed automatons; there are plenty of devious and downright heinous traps here... so you had better make sure it's Max who shall be nimble, and Max who shall be quick!

The purple Gobos are the minions of Mustacho

Playing like a straight platformer, you will use the WSAD (or cursor) keys to guide Max around the world he has drawn up. In this game, the Space bar does not act as a jump key. Instead, jumping is achieved with the action of the W key (or the Up key) and pressing either the A or D keys (Left or Right keys) simultaneously to make Max jump to the left or right.

You will meet green and purple coloured blobs during the game. Green coloured blobs will explain to you game concepts, so pay attention. It is however the purple blobs that you must avoid at all costs; touching them means you restart the game from your last checkpoint. Checkpoints are denoted by a sign that says Max in bold orange (see the screenshot below). All you need to do is to run past them.

Mustacho sucks away your ink... again

I've left the Magic Marker's power for last. You collect little bubbles of orange ink to fill up your marker. When there's ink within the marker, you can draw whatever pleases you. Well, for starters, here's a simple tip - you could draw a straight line, think of it as a "plank", and draw it high in the sky. You begin drawing by holding down the left mouse button, drag out a straight line in the sky, then let go of the mouse button, and your plank is formed.

To add more complexity, if you hold the mouse pointer at a location long enough, you make that spot in your doodle more heavier in mass. Now, if you time it right, your falling plank could fall a distance and hit a purple blob who happens to be just under it, thereby killing the said creature.

You won't believe the things I drew to get across this chasm

Wait a minute... so what's the space bar for? Why, it freezes time in the game; and the screen changes into a kid's drawing - how surreal can that be!

During this phase, you can use your marker to draw whatever shape you want. You have all the time in the world when in this mode, so use it to catch your breath.

Unfortunately, you usually can't get to fill up your Magic Marker full of ink. Because every time you reach a checkpoint, you can bet that Mustacho will pop down (yes, he pops down) and sucks all your ink away with his vacuum machine. This doesn't really present much of a problem, because orange ink bubbles will usually be found a short distance ahead in the level; it's an ingenious way to create a clean slate for setting up new puzzles for you to solve.

Quick! Take shelter from the volcano!

And boy, are the puzzles interesting! Max and the Magic Marker is not only a platformer, it's also a puzzler at heart. You will require lots of creativity and some logic to advance in the game, so make sure you come equipped with your thinking caps on.

As you play the game, you will be using your Magic Marker to kill enemies, climb walls, jump up to a high platform on a see-saw, avoid deadly acid rain, bridge yawning chasms, ride a plume of water, do some skiing, create makeshift rafts, activate buttons, avoid nasty lasers, plus a whole lot of other tasks that will challenge you to the limit. Don't forget, other than the Magic Marker, you can also rely on Max's strength to push or pull objects as well - this will be crucial in some of the puzzles.

Freeze time and start drawing till you're satisfied

Graphics
The graphics in Max and the Magic Marker is really sweet, just like a kid's drawing - just press the space bar to see what I mean. Of course, the platforming art is just as great, with everything drawn from a skewed view; after all the three worlds you visit are based on Max's imagination. There are square trees, exaggerated cartoon-like buildings, ships, robots, and a whole lot more, so do enjoy the visual feast as you advance through the fifteen levels of the game.

Audio
The audio soundtrack is by Analogik which features an interesting mix of rhythmic beats and a mish mash of synthesized music that makes everything very surreal. The music doesn't serve to overwhelm the game's playful nature and in fact seems to complement the game pretty well - in fact, it's almost like all the pistons and mechanical sounds seem to be impersonating your mind hard at work. The sound effects are also just as great!

No matter what, don't stop!

Pros:
Max and the Magic Marker is one-of-a-kind creative game. It contains many neat puzzling tasks waiting for you to solve as you guide our little hero on his quest to stop Mustacho!

The platforming element of the game is downright fun.
There are many challenging puzzles waiting to be solved in the game.
In fact, if you ask me, there's just the right balance of puzzles and platforming fun.
The Magic Marker draw-as-you-please concept makes for many inventive solutions to the myriad puzzles and platforming obstacles you will face.
There are lot's of pickups and secrets to hunt.
Plus, the speed records are challenging to beat.
If you collect enough pickups, secrets, and beat enough speed records, you will unlock... well, see the screen shot below for your first (very important) unlock. The rest is waiting for you to discover.

My very own Moai... see I'm imaginative as Max too

Cons:
I have a couple of gripes concerning Max and the Magic Marker. Nothing too serious that detracts from the game.

The puzzles get from simple to downright challenging. That unfortunately is not everybody's cup of tea.
Max doesn't always move smoothly on the stuff you draw. Especially if they are slanted by more than 30 degrees from the horizontal, that's when gravity starts to make things really difficult for you.
Drawing with a mouse can be a challenge at times; guess it would have been more fun to play with a graphics tablet.
The game's fifteen levels spaced out between three worlds would have been much more appreciated if it had been fifteen levels spaced out between five worlds. Shoot! More levels would also be great!
Make sure you patch the game to the latest version or you may experience some problems with the game - I sure did.

Things are really heating up here

Conclusion
Max and the Magic Marker is an exciting game that requires you to be smart and (sometimes) artistically creative to solve the many interesting platforming and puzzle type challenges it throws at you. Although the game may be targeted for kids, adults will also get a kick out of the game. Core gamers will be at home with the arcade action, however not everyone in the casual crowd will appreciate the platforming elements of the game.

As I play one final round to conclude my opinion of the game, I can now see why this game deserves all the awards heaped upon it. You see every kid has a bit of Max in him; in fact, as you play the game, you will become one with Max. So, grit your teeth and heartily draw another stroke here, and another slash there with your Magic Marker. We've only one objective to meet - let's once and all put a stop to the evil Mustacho and his army of Gobos!

Close to seven minutes later and my palms are already sweaty

Daily PC Game Review Score: 7.5 / 10
Review Date: 11 Feb 2012

Preview of Mega World Smash

2012-02-10T19:33:00.001+08:00

The review of Mega World Smash is over here...

Mega World Smash
Game Category: Casual - Arcade
Developer / Distributor: Owl Studio / Alawar Entertainment
Release Date: 14 Feb 2012
Preview by: Editor

From the makers of Strike Ball 1, 2, and 3 come their latest Arkanoid style game - Mega World Smash. Owl Studio have come a very long way with their string of Arkanoid games, and each new version comes filled with more features and powerups than the previous ones.

Get ready for a mega-wonderful trip

I had the opportunity to play the press release demo version of the game and must say that I came away very impressed by it. Very impressed!

The physics model being used in the game is none other than nVIDIA's PhysX, and boy does it look awesome. Hit the ball right and you'll see a column of bricks tumble; the resulting aftermath will be debris strewed across the game board! Talk about 3D realism...

Beautiful 3D levels await you in Mega World Smash

Here's the premise behind Mega World Smash:

Mega World Smash raises the bar for brick breaking games and makes Arkanoid FUN again! Tear through stunning 3D scenes using your ball and paddle, unleash weapons of mass destruction, and collect stars for upgrading the bonuses. The more you play, the more powerful your character will become! As you progress, you'll marvel at how the wildly creative animated levels realistically crumble to the ground and enjoy dazzling special effects that ignite your screen. The long wait for the next great Arkanoid game is over! Mega World Smash is here!

Power-ups galore!

To complete the picture, here's what you'll get with Mega World Smash:

100 smashable 3D levels
Four characters with unique skills
Five breathtaking boss battles
36 explosive bonuses
26 towering achievements

Catch the power-ups as they fall

So, if you enjoy the Strike Ball series, come along for a mega world tour as you attempt to win at Mega World Smash! Gape and gawk at the creatively designed levels; they are really sweet looking. And, look out for the mean bosses that will take all your skill and perseverance to defeat.

And to think, the idea behind this game started off with only a paddle, a ball, and hundreds of colourful bricks...

The next few levels are definitely eye openers

Prepare yourself for a Time of Wrath!

2012-02-08T23:43:00.003+08:00

World War II - Time of Wrath
Game Category: Strategy - Turn Based, History
Developer / Distributor: Wasteland Interactive / Matrix Games
Release Date: 16 Jul 2009
Rating: ESRB - Not Rated
Reviewed by: Editor

Click image to shop online

Introduction
Let's hearken back to the seventies when wargames were played on large hexagon tiled maps and came with huge handfuls of tiny square coloured cardboard counters. Those were the days when wargames were published in huge boxes by game companies such as Avalon Hill and Simulation Publications, Inc.

With titles such as Stalingrad, Gettysburg, PanzerBlitz, Blitzkrieg, and War in Europe, and Battle for Germany, you can see where all the love for such games were nurtured.

Today, we have also have digital wargames appearing (usually) on PCs. There are games like Panzer General, The Operational Art of War, Eastern Front, Western Front, and Rising Sun. All these great games were published by companies such as Strategic Simulations Inc., Talonsoft, and of course Matrix Games; mind you the latter company is still around and a very strong contender today for fine wargames on the PC.

Appearing only two years ago, World War II - Time of Wrath (WW2: ToW) is a division/corp level wargame which features four grand campaigns and two smaller scenarios. WW2: ToW covers the tumultuous period from 1939 to 1948 and let's you try your hand at waging war on land, in the air, or by sea; planning military production and research; and choosing from a selection of diplomatic actions.

WW2: ToW doesn't play like any of the above-mentioned PC war games, it's pace is slightly faster. Plus, there is an underlying complexity that you can dive into to enrich your experience. You will easily enjoy the thrill of moving your units, and building up your army and country as you try to be the victor in World War 2. However, there were a few design and some niggling quality issues that you must be aware of...

Allow me to peel off the layers one by one so you can see whether WW2: ToW is a game you should purchase.

1939 to 1948: Welcome to the Time of Wrath!

Game Play
The game comes with 6 scenarios plus 1 tutorial. It's best I give you an idea of each of them so you know what you'll be getting:

Tutorial - a 30 turn game with set objectives you must achieve. You can either play as Poland or Germany in this little matchup against the AI. You get dialogue boxes each turn asking you to complete an objective (like panning your map, opening the Purchase window, etc.), which should be just enough to help you understand the game mechanics.
Fall Weiss - this little scenario lasting only 10 turns is a great way to get started. You'll put what you learnt from the tutorial to good use and try to either capture or defend Warsaw.
Overlord - clocking in at 25 turns, this scenario has you reliving the Battle of Normandy as either the Allies or the Axis. If playing the Allies, all you need to do is capture Paris and Strasbourg to win.

These introductory scenarios (excluding Fall Weiss) only allow you to choose from a limited selection of countries - for example, you can only choose from Germany or the Allies while playing Operation Overlord.

"The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home."

The next four scenarios are the serious stuff. These are lengthy games that will really test your mettle; the stuff of legend that great battles will evoke. Here are the four grand campaigns:

1944, Gotterdammerung at 226 turns,
1941, Barbarossa at 360 turns,
1940, Fall Gelb at 420 turns, and
1939, The Grand Campaign at a whopping 450 turns.

Unlike the first three scenarios, you usually get to choose from a host of countries that belong to one of three alliances. The three alliances featured in WW2: ToW are the Allied, the Axis, and the Comintern. Anyway, I mentioned the word "usually" because you only have one option for the Comintern - mother Russia of course.

There are also a number of neutral countries that you can control, although it does make me wonder if this was added to give us the opportunity to alter the war in our own way - sort of like a giant sandbox waiting for a surprise stimulus.

The Grand Campaign will take you quite some time

WW2: ToW is played on a hexagonal map that can be easily zoomed in or out via the mouse wheel. In the larger scenarios, the map encompasses Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. If you look carefully, you will be able to count about 250 cities on the entire map, and that weather is even depicted by clouds. Anyway, it's a rather huge plot of wargaming real estate with each hex measuring approximately 20 km across.

The game is played in the manner of turn based games that feature you-go-I-go mechanics. When it's your turn, you select your troops with your mouse (look our for your country's flag on the bottom left corner of your units), and then move them by clicking on the hexagon you desire. Their action points (depicted by the tan number on the right) will then be decremented until it reaches zero; this means the unit cannot move any further. A colourful region surrounding the unit helps you visualize the extent of how far a unit can travel.

That chunk of land supposedly represents
the land of the red, white, and blue

The game interface arrays before you a wealth of information:

The general information bar straddling the top of the screen displays the country, date, number of turns left, your PP (Production Points), your DP (Diplomatic Points), SMP (Strategic Movement Points), ST (Sea Transport Points), AIP (Amphibious Invasion Points), and the number of nukes you have. I am not kidding, but that last one reads "nuclear bomb"!
On the right panel, the conditions for the current hex is explained at the top (whether it represents plains, forests, swamps, or something else; who controls and owns the hex; and the weather status).
Below that is information regarding your unit - you will find things like your Action Points (AP), the unit's level (which can be improved with research), the state of its supply, and even the strength, effectiveness, plus the bonuses it has accrued.

Time to move my Tankovyj Korpus

As you can deduce, the depth of choices available in WW2: ToW is very good. Here are some of the other features you will find in the game:

As you move from turn to turn, you may encounter events that will affect (pre-scripted) countries. If you've never heard of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Vienna Dictate, or the Lend-Lease, then this game will bring these events to light.
You also get to fight sea and air battles, although the former seems to be abstract and simplified. Instead of using the hex map to fight sea battles, you will fight them in a different manner and on a poor looking interface that looks more like a shooting gallery at a carnival.

Anyway, there's a handy 87 page PDF manual if you feel lost and overwhelmed by all the war lingo. It does an okay job of relaying the important information you need to survive the game, so it's best you spend some time reading through it before you embark on any of the longer campaigns.

The "what" pact?
And what's "abregate" - do they mean "abrogate"?

Graphics

The sprites look good even when zoomed in, and there's also a set of NATO counters (plus a few other choices) available from the preferences screen. But, that's basically it; remember, they are just sprites that are copy and pasted all over the map - just like their cardboard counterparts from the boxed wargames of yesteryear.

The interface looks pretty decent, but I do wonder whose idea it was to have the Unit Action buttons on the inner right side of the map area; that's rather unwieldy in my opinion.

Only 449 more turns to go

You get just a scant few WW2 photos integrated in the scenario selection screen, which was quite a disappointment; there could have been more to add some much needed ambience to the game. Plus, where's the obligatory opening video sequence?

Audio
There's one long piece of apt battle music that you'll hear playing in the main menu screen, so if you like military themed pieces, do crank up the volume. The other sound effects get to be quite repetitious, which goes to show there isn't much in the way of audio... in my opinion, it's just enough to live by. Anyway, probably no one needs a garish soundtrack for a turn-based war game, right?

Kind of like the game that goes - Castle takes Pawn

Pros:
The final verdict - there's lot of strategy to be had in World War 2: Time of Wrath.

This is a complex game that can be quite riveting once you get the hang of things.
The grand campaigns are... for lack of a better word... grand!
The grand campaigns have a surprising way for determining the winner: You may be playing a specific country, but it's the alliance who has the most victory points that shall win the game. Make sure you support your comrades!
You have a wealth of starting countries to choose from in the four grand campaigns.
The interface shows everything you need at a glance...
And, there's tooltips to help you out as well.
The map will be something of a dream for wargamers who still remember the time when battles were conducted using tiny square counters and large geomorphic map tiles.

Here's a little diplomacy for you...

The AI seems pretty robust, and near impossible to beat at higher difficulty levels; there are by the way, 5 levels of difficulty.
You can actually perform research in the game and pay to upgrade your units with Production Points.
The diplomacy interface looks simple and elegant.

Cons:
There may be just a bit too much complexity for some players, and the little quality issues like game crashes and minor spelling/grammar errors may totally ruin your day.

As usual, wargames tend to present too steep a learning curve for most players; World War 2: Time of Wrath is no different from them.
The tutorial is a little wonky at times, so I suggest you just read through the manual if you should get stuck.

Time to move my troops over to Normandy

There's no hotkey to find a unit that still has not yet moved. This results in a feeling that there is just too much mouse-clicking and panning around the map searching for visual clues.
There's a pathetic selection of scenarios available in the game. I would have preferred many more smaller scenarios with a number of turns bearing only two digits.
If you are playing the campaign, you will find yourself having to click away dialog boxes that show the result of battles - this is kind of irritating.
The map and unit art may look good, but that's about as far as it goes... where's the introductory movies, the animated units, shimmering water, and so on... one thing's for sure, don't come into this game expecting the world of it when it comes to graphics.
Many small spelling and grammatical errors abound in the text.
The game is still buggy, even though I patched my copy to version 1.81. For example, I was trying out Belgium in the Grand Campaign when I encountered a CTD at turn 2. All I can say, is save, and save often!

A poor man's version of a naval simulator

Conclusion
In the end, I did reap quite some fun from playing the scenarios. I even learnt a good deal of unit management tricks while playing the grand campaign. Fans of wargames will likely enjoy this game, but I have marked down the final review score slightly because of the many little problems and bugs that all combine to affect game play.

Nevertheless, if you love complex wargames that are played on a grand scale, (just like World War 2: Time of Wrath is,) and can live with the simple non-animated look of the units, plus you don't mind the other shortcomings (like the naval battle simulator), then I suggest you give the game a try.

If you ever need some convincing, there's always the demo that is waiting for you over at Matrix Games.

Roll the dice please... ahh, I win!

Daily PC Game Review Score: 7 / 10
Review Date: 8 Feb 2012

Preview of Team Assault: Baptism of Fire

2012-02-07T00:41:00.001+08:00

Team Assault: Baptism of Fire

Game Category: Strategy - Real Time, Military
Developer / Distributor: Zeal / Matrix Games and Slitherine
Release Date: 24 Feb 2012
Rating: ESRB - Rating Pending
Preview by: Editor

After taking in every second of their game play trailer for Team Assault: Baptism of Fire, I sincerely believe that Matrix Games, Slitherine, and Zeal (a developer from Sweden) may very well have a winner on their hands.

Take a look below for yourself and decide whether this 3D turn-based tactical game is worth your hard earned cash and precious time.

Get a feel for the gameplay

The most recent teaser trailer for TA: BoF

Here's what publisher Matrix Games has to say about their upcoming game:

Team Assault: Baptism of Fire is a 3D turn-based tactical game where players take command of infantry squads to engage the enemy in intense close combat.

Using an objective-control system, players must use wits and the geography around them to secure tactically important points and dominate the enemy. Although the combat system is turn-based, the game play can be as fast paced and dynamic as you’d like. Dynamic turns, counter actions and continual feedback keep you constantly engaged while still giving you enough time to make important decisions to change the course of battle!

Screenshot #1

Team Assault boasts an in-depth combat system that booth favors realism and exciting gameplay. Weapon accuracy and penetration, cover versus weapon penetration, recoil, encumbrance and wounded soldiers are only some of the included features. Also included are near limitless customization options.

The included map editor and force creator will allow you to design finely tuned squads that perfectly suit your needs and command styles. A map editor is also included so constructing all new tactical puzzles and environments is possible as well!

Screenshot #2

Just a few of the features include:

Area Control Gameplay – Control various key areas spread throughout the map to gain the tactical advantage.

Realistic Combat - Weapon accuracy and penetration, cover versus weapon penetration, recoil, encumbrance and wounded soldiers and more!

Turn-Based With Good Pacing – You’re never far from the action with dynamic turns, counter actions and continual feedback keeping you constantly engaged.

Force Builder - Create your own custom squads with various gear and upgrades for endless customization.

Screenshot #3

Look out for Team Assault: Baptism of Fire... Can your green assault team survive their baptism of fire? Only a true leader will survive the trials and tribulations placed before you.

I think this game is going to be one hot item come 24 February 2012!

Preview of Behind The Reflection 2

2012-02-06T00:42:00.001+08:00

Behind the Reflection 2: Witch's Revenge
Game Category: Casual - Hidden Object, Adventure, Horror
Developer / Distributor: Veles Studio / Alawar Entertainment
Release Date: Feb 2012
Preview by: Editor

Hi all, I am back from an overseas trip and am ready to add more reviews and previews to Daily PC Game Reviews.

Tonight, will be a preview of part two of an interesting casual hidden object adventure from Veles Studio, and published by Alawar Entertainment. Can you remember the game that featured a mother losing her kid in a mysterious mirror?

Yes, it's Behind the Reflection, a hidden object adventure released in January last year.

Back then, you helped poor mom investigate the disappearance of her son by hunting and searching for hidden objects and puzzling over challenging logic puzzles and mini-games. Quite early into that adventure, the mother realizes that her son has fallen prey to an evil witch and is now held in some other worldly machine in another dimension.

I have attached three screenshots from Behind the Reflection to jog your memory. As you can see, the presentation of the first game looks pretty good. However, I found the game to be rather short, and furthermore the game's ending was horrendously disappointing.

I'm not going to spoil your fun by telling you the ending, you can give Behind the Reflection a try by downloading it from Alawar's website over here.

Now, on to the subject at hand - Behind the Reflection 2.

The Wicked Witch is back for revenge!

I had a go at the game, and was thrilled that the story in Behind the Reflection 2 immediately continues from the abrupt ending seen in the first game. All I can say is that the Wicked Witch is back, and boy is she mean!

Here's the introduction of Behind the Reflection 2 by the great people at Alawar Entertainment; it's best that I let them tell you about the game in their own words:

A witch's quest for revenge spells trouble for a young mother and her son in this haunting hidden object adventure! Guide the mother as she pursues the witch through time and space to save her son from a fate worse than death.

The hidden object scenes are more challenging this time round

Interact with a variety of characters, find useful objects, and then use the items to solve cunning puzzles. The variety of quests you must take on will keep you pressing forward to the game's shocking conclusion: Collect battle armor for a talking skeleton, assemble a special key belonging to an exorcist and save a witch from burning at the stake, all in an effort to stay on the trail of your nemesis!

Beautiful artwork brings each scene to life, while the use of pictures instead of word lists simplifies the process of looking for hidden objects, even as the creators of the game employ clever new ways of hiding things in plain sight. Can you rise above every challenge and triumph over evil?

You will be exploring five large settings in Behind the Reflection 2

There are definitely a lot of improvements in the second game. You get lovely cutscenes that tell the story of mom's urgent and frantic adventure to recover her son. You will explore 36 locations where you will spend quite a bit of time hunting for hidden objects. Additionally, you will also discover 20 hidden object scenes.

If you like the puzzles and mini-games from the first game, well I can happily report that you will be encountering no less than 45 uniquely designed puzzles and mini-games that will keep your brain ticking on overtime as you try to solve them. And if you're ever stuck, the Skip button will be enabled after some time for you to bypass a real stumper.

Interesting puzzles and mini-games

I was definitely impressed by what I saw in the beta release version of Behind the Reflection 2; this game has improved quite a lot in terms of game play and quality. Even, the music adds to the creepy atmosphere this time round as you help mom find her son and stop the Wicked Witch!

Behind the Reflection 2 should be out soon in the month of February, so do watch out for it on Alawar's website.

Welcome to Spooky Mall

2012-02-02T12:25:00.003+08:00

Spooky Mall
Game Category: Casual - Time Management
Developer / Distributor: Melesta / Alawar
Release Date: 26 Jan 2012
Rating: ESRB - Not rated
Reviewed by: Editor

Introduction
Ever wanted to run your very own store in a mall?

Well, you sure can... in Alawar's latest offering from Melesta (a game developer based in Minsk, Belarus). It seems that Spooky Mall contains several little twists that is bound to get you all excited in a tizzy.

Twist #1 - What makes Spooky Mall so different?
Just less than a month into 2012 and here we are with a cute Halloween contender. One thing's for sure, there aren't any abject horror scenes in this game. In fact, it looks like there's a horde of happy, friendly, and inquisitive ghosts that would probably make great friends with Casper.

Twist #2 - What on Earth are ghosts doing in Spooky Mall?
Why, they need to shop for food, of course!

Twist #3 - What makes this time management game so different from the rest?
There are strange little game play twists that are bound to surprise you. For example, you must stock up produce and goods on shelves, stop shoplifting customers, entertain your ghostly guests by serving them with drinks or giving explanations of food products, keep the place spic and span, and upgrade your stores in Spooky Mall.

Come manage the stores of Spooky Mall

Game Play
Spooky Mall starts off a new game with a series of cutscenes that helps set the mood and story for the entire game. You play the role of Alice, a determined and hardworking lady who has just graduated from college and has put out an ad looking for a job to pay off her student loan. Late one night, Alice receives a mysterious phone call.

As far as we can see, this mysterious figure has a pumpkin for a head and is dressed up in a tall coat. He tells Alice that he would like her to manage a mall, and very soon a letter materializes at her door step with the job offer. Apparently, the mysterious pumpkin man wants Alice to start immediately; right in the middle of the night. So, Alice heads out to the mall, all determined and ready to prove that she can make it.

Life will get more interesting for Alice tonight

Spooky Mall will take you through 100 levels of time management fun. You will be managing 5 stores in the mall, and the produce and goods on offer will surely tickle the palette of your customers. The stores you get to manage include:

The Grocery Store - where ghostly customers can buy a selection of fruits, vegetables, and more.
Butcher's Market - there's a variety of meats available for sale here.
Fish Market - you'll feel like a fishmonger by the time you finish with this store.
Bakery - this is a place of sweets and treats; and it probably reminds the ghosts in Spooky Mall of Halloween - trick or "treats". No wonder, the ghosts just can't stop coming in.
Delicatessen - there's an interesting selection of gourmet for your customers waiting in the deli.

Alice attempts to manage the second store in the mall

Game play in Spooky Mall is luckily not overly complex for a casual game. Allow me to elaborate the game's underlying concepts:

You have a number of displays that sell a variety of produce in the store. You will be controlling Alice and she has a cart with a starting capacity of three slots. Your first objective in all rounds is to start stocking the displays with food produce; you do this by simply clicking on a display. Alice will then run over, and if her cart is full (that is, it still has at least one slot - see bottom right of screenshot), she will then proceed to fill the display with the indicated produce. If the cart runs out, you simply click on the storeroom, and Alice will scamper over there to replenish her cart.

Here Alice is filling up the display for oranges

Ghosts will eventually start sauntering in to the store and head over to one of the displays. A ghost's shopping list is indicated by a thought balloon floating over his head. When a ghost arrives at a display and finds it empty, a circular mood indicator will start ticking. As the mood indicator reduces, the ghost will become unhappy. If a ghost becomes too unhappy, he will leave your store in disgust.

Once a ghost has finished picking up all the required goods, he heads over to the cashier and waits to pay you. Click on the cashier and Alice comes running back to collect the money.

As you can see, Spooky Mall has you shuttling between the displays, the store, and the cashier.

Stop, thief!

I shall next describe the innovative game play mechanics that makes Spooky Mall stand out above the crowded time management scene:

"Where do these bananas come from?" - Ghosts sometime stop by a display and a question mark appears above their head. Click on the display and Alice runs over to explain the product to the ghost.
"Shoplifting time!" - Ghosts can steal produce from the displays. This is indicated by a black mask that appears over a ghost's head. Click on the ghost to catch him in the act and get a small cash bonus; the ghost will continue to shop as if nothing happened (there's no ghost police obviously). If you don't stop shoplifters, you will lose precious cash which can be used to upgrade your store.
"Best offers at our Rush Hour Sale!" - There will be occasions when you will conduct a rush hour sale. Be prepared for a huge rush of customers barging in to buy products from your store. Serve them well and reap all that lovely money.

The mad rush hour sale

Finally, there is a large variety of VIP figures that you must take care in the game. If you keep them happy, you will earn some special bonus in the game. Here's a sample list of VIP figures:

Mall Man - if this superhero leaves the store in a good mood, he shall fill all your displays with food.
The Clown - the clown will improve the mood of every customer when he leaves in a happy mood. Unfortunately, the clown will juggle products when bored, and if you don't click on him in time, the product will fall onto the floor creating an ugly mess that affects other customers' mood.
Pirate Girl - she will give you a treasure chest full of coins when in a good mood.
Jack O Lantern - he will occasionally drop his head. Quickly pick it up and return it to him and get a reward for your efforts.

There are many many more VIP figures like a mummy and a spaceman. Plus you will eventually meet famous people like Einstein and even Napoleon if you play the game long enough.

Mr. Clown can be quite helpful at the right moment

What's a time management game if you can't upgrade items found in your store? Well, it seems like a core element in Spooky Mall is to use your hard-earned cash at every level to either upgrade displays (by buying bigger fridges, tables, or display stands), the shopping cart (refill displays up to five times) special in-store areas that supply customers with "happiness" (like buying a juicer, or a sandwich maker), checkout counters to calm your customer's patience, or even employ staff to help you.

The store upgrade interface is easy to use. The list of available items for purchase is listed at the bottom of the screen. Mouse over an item to see what is improved in your store. You can pick and buy as many store upgrades as you can afford before exiting to continue the game.

Look... there's a new fruit fridge for the store

Graphics
The graphics in Spooky Mall is colorful and lively. It comprises of a large number of sprites thanks to the many innovative components in the game. The main character of Alice was drawn with quite a lot of care, but I did not quite like the look of one of her helpers - the scrawny looking guy that looks like someone who could have been used as a bad guy in other games.

The decor found in the stores are absolutely lovely. There are shiny floors, flowery plants, detailed display stands, and an interesting selection of products to sell. Even Spooky Mall itself looks great in the comics you see at the beginning introductory cut scene.

Audio
There may be only four tracks in the game, but at the least they sound exciting enough to maintain the mood in the game. You could always switch them off if you tire of listening to them. However, I'd suggest you don't turn off the sound effects, there's quite a variety you'll get to hear while playing through the many levels of each store. I especially love the cute sounds that some of the VIP guests make (for example, Napolean).

Help! I'm being overwhelmed here!

Pros:
This is a light-hearted and simple casual time management game that has you frantically queuing instructions for Alice as she scrambles to satisfy her incorporeal customers.

The five stores are packed with many types of produce and goods that you can sell to your customers.
There are lots of store upgrade options to choose from and the interface for this part of the game is neat and elegant.
Game play may be simple, but at least the queuing system makes for a fun little time management game.
There are many innovative concepts in the game like VIPs and shoplifting customers.
Spooky Mall features a good tutorial system that pops up whenever a new concept is introduced.
There are one hundred levels to play, which is more than enough to last you a couple of hours.
Earn gold awards for every level to win the game completely.

Pirate girl rewards me for all my hard work

Cons:
The game can get to be quite repetitive.

There's lot of queuing of orders required that it may eventually get to you after playing a large handful of levels.
Trying to juggle between serving customers, refilling displays with produce, fulfilling orders, cleaning up messes, and manning the checkout line can be quite stressful later on.
There aren't any achievement screens, nor are there summarized help screens to read.

Conclusion
Don't go away thinking that Spooky Mall is a game laden with scares and should be bought only during the Halloween season. It's a good time management game that introduces a couple of innovative concepts that will interest the casual crowd who yearns for such game play. And, at any time of the year too!

Come on down today to Spooky Mall and meet the friendly ghosts who just love to buy products in large quantities, and if you are lucky, you may even get to meet an Egyptian lady!

Look! There's Frankenstein!

Daily PC Game Review Score: 7.5 / 10
Review Date: 2 Feb 2012

Be a Champion of Ianna

2012-01-29T12:17:00.000+08:00

Severance: Blade of Darkness
Game Category: Action - Third Person, Fighting
Developer / Distributor: Rebel Act Studios / Codemasters
Release Date: 19 Feb 2001
Rating: ESRB - Mature, PEGI - 18
Reviewed by: Editor

Introduction
Here's a blast from the past (and a great blast it is too)... If you want to talk about great old games, then this one definitely fits the bill!

Severance: Blade of Darkness was released more than a decade ago to an unsuspecting audience who were swept away by other games such as Clive Barker's Undying, Tribes 2, Serious Sam: The First Encounter, and Black and White.

Out of nowhere appeared an unknown Spanish developer known as Rebel Act Studios whose debut game was a hack-and-slash game that featured game play reminiscent of that seen in Die By The Sword and Rune.

Although backed by a well-known publisher, I felt that Codemasters could have done more to drum up interest for the game. Anyway, the high system requirements, a ho-hum story involving an arcane weapon needed to stop an encroaching evil, game play that was too challenging for most, and a poor multiplayer mode were all factors that helped to worsen the reputation of Severance: Blade of Darkness. Even the wealth of glowing reviews was not enough to save the game.

Over the years, people have given Severance: Blade of Darkness a chance and through word of mouth, this game has attained a sort of cult status for what it ultimately sought to achieve - to give us an excellent action-based blood-spurting experience that borrowed elements from dark fantasy. Today, the game still holds itself rather well in terms of graphics and game play. Not everything is smooth however for Windows 7 users, as you will need to do a little work to get it to run.

Behold the Blade of Darkness!

Playing in Windows 7
Yes, I had a whole lot of trouble getting Severance: Blade of Darkness (or S:BoD) to run under Windows 7; the game simply failed to proceed once I reached the main menu. I had tried all sorts of options that appeared on the small configuration tool that pops up when you start the game, before resorting to tweaking compatibility modes in Windows 7. Failing that, I finally decided to look to the Internet for an answer to my dilemma.

It turns out that there is a solution after all. You can proceed over to this website that incidentally also contains a review of S:BoD. Once there, download raster.zip and unzip the contents into the following folder: Codemasters/Severance/Bin/Raster. Make sure you right click on S:BoD's icon and set the Windows compatibility mode to this - Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5). When you next run the S:BoD configuration tool, select the Video option as rOpenGL and choose the desired resolution you wish to play in. That's about it!

One of the characters available in the game - Tukaram

Game Play
S:BoD comes with a long single player campaign and fields four player characters for you to choose from. Each character performs quite similarly in terms of movement and other general actions (like picking up objects and throwing them). These characters differ however by the different sets of weapons they wield, and the different attack combinations they can employ.

There is also a multiplayer mode known as Arena in S:BoD. This mode however feels like a half-baked affair. For starters, you only get to play from 5 available maps and each character comes with only 3 skins to choose from. Furthermore, although you could theoretically have up to 10 players joining in on the mayhem through LAN, only two players can duel it out while the others just wind up as observers. However, if it's just one-on-one, you should reap quite some fun from this mode.

The arena interface

The four characters in S:BoD are quite a varied pack. You have 3 males and 1 female in the mix, while one of them is a non-human character. Let's see them in more detail:

Sargon is a King's Knight from the Empire of Armina, Captain Sargon is a master combat strategist who has been left to starve in the dungeons of the Krak of Tabriz. If you choose to play Sargon, you will get to help him escape from his prison cell. He is most adept at wielding a combination of a light weapon and a shield.
Naglfar the messenger has been sent on a mission to travel to the dwarven city of Khazel Zalam to relay disturbing news - the copper vein in Yötenheim has begun to (for lack of a better word) bleed. Little does our dwarven friend know that something terrible has befallen Khazel Zalam and it will be up to this stalwart axe wielder to defeat the forces of chaos.

Naglfar will decimate his enemies with ease

Zoe is a female human adventurer who nets herself a mysterious map leading to the lost city of Marakamda. An expert with polearms and staves, Zoe will need all her skills to survive a city that is far from deserted... can she win herself the lost artefacts that she so desperately seeks, or will she wind up murdered by the denizens hiding in the lost city?
The elder of Dabaghiyeh has recently had strange prophetic dreams requiring one of their lot to travel to Kashgar where the sacred stones of the ancestors rest. Tukaram, a strong and courageous male barbarian warrior earns himself the right to this dangerous quest. Prefering two-handed weapons or axes, the Chosen One of the Irkanois will be a force to contend with as he makes his way to destiny.

Personally, I prefer the male characters as the attacking sounds Zoe makes is just a little too distracting for me. We'll cover more of that in the Audio section below.

Zoe's an expert with polearms and staves

Combat is the best and most fun-filled feature of S:BoD. You can employ standard attack and blocking features that require you to be pretty dexterous with using the keyboard and mouse. The set of keys you use to move around will be the WSAD or cursor keys; while the battle keys are designed around the set you prefer to use. If, for example, I was using the WSAD keys, then I will have to remember that pressing the Caps Lock key will enable me to draw or sheath my weapons, and to use the Q key to throw objects in my hand.

There are also special attack moves you can refer to by pressing the F1 key to open up your Journal. The screenshot shown below shows the Abilities tab of your Journal. You could experiment with the listed moves to try launching a devastating Cyclone special attack or some other special attack move.

The journal is quite handy

Irregardless of the character you pick, you can play through the tutorial once or to head straight into the unique first level for each of them. All story lines merge from the second level onward, so this gives you an excuse to return and try out a new character.

As for the tutorial, it's quite a thorough introduction to playing the game. You will at first learn basic movement, followed by running (this requires a double tap of the up or down keys to initiate), and jumping. Later lessons introduce you to activating triggers, destroying an obstacle (like a crate of walls) by burning them with a torch, picking up objects (such as food, potions, and keys) and using them, and battling with enemies.

Oops! I obviously can't burn that crate

The monsters you fight in the game are quite an interesting and smart bunch. There are ugly short deformed cretures, creepy spiders, evil orcs and trolls, mindless zombies and skeletons, enraged minotaurs, and much much more. They will employ tactics and converge on you to bruise, hack, or stab at you. Wait till you meet the bosses though, these guys are truly nasty brutes that need you to use the best weapons, attack moves, and judicious use of food or healing potions to recover your lost hit points.

To attack your enemies efficiently, you can return in kind by locking on to them and taking them out one at a time. You run the risk however of getting hit by a flanking enemy, or worse still, by an enemy attacking from behind. The camera view doesn't help you a single bit when it comes to getting hit by an enemy from behind, and it's best you learn the command to turn around 180 degrees in a jiffy.

Ding! Earn experience to go up in level
and unlock more moves

This game easily earns an ESRB rating of Mature (or PEGI rating of 18) thanks to the copious amounts of blood that spurt out whenever the hits points of an enemy are reduced to zero. As part of their death-throes animation, you will see limbs get hacked off and fly in random directions, accompanied by a gory spurt of blood that stains the ground. There's even the occasional decapitation, with the torso standing upright for a precious few seconds before collapsing in a useless heap.Incidentally, the same death sequences can also happen to your character, and it's something you don't want to see happening too often.

Later on in the game, you will chance upon obstacles and traps you need to remove. Obstacles usually require burning (like the aforementioned removal of crates), or finding keys that are carried by certain enemies, or just lying around the level. Traps will however require some careful timing on your part to avoid them.

Carefully does it

Graphics
The graphics in S:DoB is extremely good for it's time. It is still great looking in this age, what with the real-time shadows, smooth animation of 3D actors, and rippling waves on water surfaces. The game is truly a work of beauty in terms of all the mathematical algorithms that have been implemented to make everything work seamlessly.

However, if I had complaints to make, it would be that some parts of the levels look quite bare, there's just not enough dungeon dressing; there's also the occasional minor clipping, plus each of the levels are just too large. For the latter point, at least you can save your game at any time to continue your adventure romp at a later date.

Visit exotic places

Audio
The audio is quite strong in this game, with each enemy having their own attack and death cries. Your player characters are generally well acted except for Zoe whose grunts and yells tend to be a bit too shrill for my tastes; your mileage may vary though. Here, listen and see if you don't mind her style.

The music is very good and contributes well to the overall fantasy atmosphere of the game. The voice acting in the introductory movie was a bit overshadowed by the music, but otherwise everything else turned out to be not too bad.

The bosses are pretty intimidating

Pros:
If there is one thing that Severance: Blade of Darkness capitalizes on well would be the amazing battles you get to fight in this epic cult game of hack-and-slash.

You get to pick from four characters to play in a campaign that will take you quite some hours to complete.
The graphics is excellent, even after eleven years. I just love the shadows that are cast on the dungeon wall, they look so realistic.
The combat is absolutely satisfying. With the ability to lock on a particular enemy, circle around them, dodge attacks, launch cool attack moves, level up, and more, you sure will never tire of boredom from the game play.
The enemies you fight are quite smart; be extra careful when enemies gang up on you.
If you like exploring large levels, then you will enjoy this game.
As the game ships with an editor, you may like to know that the community has already released quite a number of levels on the Internet for you to download.

Choose the next level you wish to play

Cons:
The minor problems listed below are more like issues that wind up dissuading you from playing what is evidently a great game.

You can't adjust the difficulty level in the game. If the game is too difficult for you, the only solution left is to either totally avoid the game or to resort to cheating; none of which I would condone.
The violence is absolutely brutal, which can be the deciding factor to keep you away from the game.
The camera angles may be a bit cumbersome in enclosed spaces.
The levels may be a bit to large for some, and you may find yourself getting lost. And if you can't find where a key lies to access the next area, you will often wind up wasting time hunting around for a way to move forward.
Don't think that collecting experience points equates to a great RPG... the role-playing element is not strong here. The game is more action oriented than anything else.
Multiplayer is poor, with the arena mode feeling like an awesome disappointment.

Quick, pick up the gladius and hack the advancing brute

Conclusion
Severance: Blade of Darkness should be a game of distinction that garners more attention from core gamers. Even after more than a decade, I can say that the game holds up pretty well. You can't go wrong in a game that has you quickly thinking on your feet, and adopting the best combat tactics in defeating a horde of monsters bent on hacking you to pieces.

There's also large areas for you to explore in each of the game's expansive levels, so be prepared for what could be the adventure of your life.

Look at the lovely water... oh so inviting

Some think the game's story is too convoluted, but I leave you here with these closing notes... a prophetic poem taken from the manual:

The Moon shall be tinged with blood,

The Sun obscured,

The Earth shall be covered by waters,

And the brilliant stars shall fall from

their sanctuaries in the heavens.

Fire and smoke shall rise up until they reach the very skies.

Will you be the one to stop the approaching evil? Will you find Ianna, the Blade of Darkness in time? Get yourself Severance: Blade of Darkness today, it's definitely a gem of a game worth playing.

Time to play as Sargon

Daily PC Game Review Score: 8 / 10
Review Date: 29 Jan 2012

Welcome the Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-22T23:36:00.001+08:00

Liong - The Dragon Dance
Game Category: Mahjong - Casual, Match Three, Puzzle
Developer / Distributor: AlwaysNeat
Release Date: 27 Aug 2007
Rating: ESRB - Not Rated
Reviewed by: Editor

Introduction
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, tonight is Chinese New Year eve. Preparations for this grand day has been ongoing (sometimes as much as a week before). This usually includes a thorough spring cleaning of one's home, and buying of new clothes -- usually in bright red colours symbolizing good luck and fortune. It's also a time of hustle and bustle as the busy Chinese people go about doing their last minute shopping in Chinatowns all across the world.

The most important event on Chinese New Year eve will be the reunion dinner. This is where all members of the family make it a point to come home together for a joyous feast that comprises dishes of chicken, pork, and fish.

The Chinese character for Dragon appears above

After downing all the wonderful food and feeling wonderfully satiated, the younger generation of Chinese kids will come together to sit down around a PC to play a Chinese themed game. For instance, there's Liong - The Dragon Dance, an exciting oriental game that mixes elements of mahjong with a match three shooter. If there was a showcase for matches made in heaven, then Liong - The Dragon Dance belongs there.

There's one other trivia tidbit you have to know - happening only once every twelve years, this year will be rather special for the Chinese zodiac calendar; it's going to be the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is a strong and majestic beast, so it makes it doubly auspicious to get your hands on Liong - The Dragon Dance, a game developed by AlwaysNeat.

PS - The actual pronunciation of the word dragon in Chinese is lohng (you can fake it by pronouncing the English word low with the nasal component ng added at the end); it is not pronounced as liong as the title of the game suggests.

This game features dragons, dragons, and dragons

Game Play
The story behind Liong - The Dragon Dance is a rather innovative one:

In what appears to be ancient China, a mysterious dragon (whose name is Liong) bestows fortitude and fortune on the ruling Emperor. His kingdom prospers, so the Emperor decrees that all magical masks bearing resemblance to the dragon be kept under strict guard.

One day, the guards notice that all the dragon masks have apparently been removed from the treasure vaults. Actually, the masks seem to have come alive and transformed into long snaking dragons. You are assigned the onerous task of stopping the theft of these masks; that would mean closing the gates before all the dragons can escape.

In the Land of the Dragons

You have two modes to choose from in the game - Puzzle and Mahjong. These two modes may be quite similar in concept, but the subtle difference in game mechanics give you a totally different experience.

In both modes, a dragon will be following a fixed path; this is similar to match three shooter games that has you making matches by firing a solitary ball at a long string of balls moving along a fixed path (for example, Sweetopia). In this game, the dragon is trying to escape through a set of double doors placed at the end of the path. Also on the screen will be a block of mahjong tiles stacked atop one another in a particular pattern. These tiles are cleared using the rules found in Shanghai, also known as Solitaire Mahjong.

You have three difficulty settings and
six tile sets to choose from

You must clear the board of mahjong tiles before the dragon reaches the gate. In Shanghai, you are required to perform matches of a pair of like mahjong tiles. However, not every tile on the game board can be matched; you can only match free tiles. Free tiles are those that can slide free by moving either left or right.

In Mahjong mode, every pair you match on the board that also matches a tile on the dragon will cause that segment on the dragon to disappear. This would mean the dragon goes shorter in length, which makes life easier for you.

In Puzzle mode, you can only clear the board by matching tiles against those on the Dragon. You do this by clicking once on a free tile found on the game board, if there is a matching tile on the dragon, both will be removed from the game. Otherwise you hear a scary sound and the dragon jumps ahead to thwart your efforts.

Stop the dragon!

Depending on the game mode you are in, you will find special tiles on the mahjong board; these grant you special powers that aid you in your game. Here are some examples:

Pearl of Wisdom Tile (Puzzle mode only) - this purple tile marked with a red X will make 5 tiles disappear from the mahjong board.
Lucky Cat (Puzzle mode only) - this feline allows you to select any free tile from the mahjong board for a joker type match; the joker being the lucky cat.
Hint Tile - a matching pair will be shown to you.
Pause Tile - this stops the dragon dead in its track for a few precious seconds.

Am I too late to engage the two red Magic tiles?

There are a few other minor features that all add up to make Liong - The Dragon Dance a good game. They are:

Shuffle - What is a mahjong game without a board shuffle feature? You must use your shuffles wisely as you only get a new one with 20,000 points in Puzzle mode and 10,000 points in Mahjong mode.
Memory Tiles - These pesky memory tiles will open up to reveal what mahjong tile is hidden beneath; they really test your memory.
Mahjong help galore - You can either select to show free tiles (they will be in a different color), show colorful tiles (tiles get different colors depending on their suit), enable slow motion (the dragon crawls along in slow motion), and allow hints (removable tiles are marked if you can't find any matches).
Mini-game - Every few levels, you get to play a thrilling bingo mini-game or a concentration memory game.

I hate those gold/black memory tiles

Graphics
The six tiles sets that come with the game make for quite an interesting mix and give a different feel to the game, so make sure you try them all. The strongest feature in Liong - The Dragon Dance however, are the unique game concepts and of course, the colorful and lovely graphics. Each level features a lovely backdrop with animated features (like guards that keep constant vigil), and of course, a dragon that looks absolutely stunning!

Audio
The music in the game has a strong oriental flavour and the sound effects are charming..

The captivating Oriental Tiles tile set

Pros:
Liong - The Dragon Dance oozes originality and quality. It also makes a good start to the Year of the Dragon!

Marrying mahjong with a match three shooter is a match made in heaven.
The lovely high quality graphics make this a great game to look at.
There are many levels and achievements waiting to be won in Liong - The Dragon Dance.
The mahjong, match three fun, and puzzling elements make for a good challenge. There's even some strategy involved in winning some of the later levels.
You get detailed help pages that will help you understand and appreciate some of the more obscure features of the game.
The oriental music really adds to the quality of the game; they are soothing and lovely to listen to.
The bingo mini-game can be quite satisfying to play.
The Chinese theme, background story, graphics, and music all add up to make for an excellent experience. You even get to read interesting quotes for every level you complete.

Here are the instructions for Puzzle mode

Cons:
Mahjong may already be difficult to grasp for some... adding in a match three shooter component will further alienate some players; the game is difficult enough as it is.

The game is not easy to win, even at the easiest setting.
Achievements can only be unlocked at the Normal or Hard difficulty levels.
If you still can't grasp the idea behind the game (and I don't blame you), then I suggest you read the help pages thoroughly.
Unlike other mahjong games on the market, you can't change the board layouts in Liong - The Dragon Dance.

Not again!

Conclusion
Help usher in the Year of the Dragon by playing a dragon themed game... For me, the Year of the Dragon is only thirty minutes away, and I am still busy playing my copy of Liong - The Dragon Dance. This is a really great casual game that will hopefully make a convert out of people who don't like mahjong games.

Try it today!

It's time for another round of Bingo

Daily PC Game Review Score: 7.5 / 10
Review Date: 22 Jan 2012

Time for a Walkabout!

2012-01-21T16:04:00.002+08:00

Paws and Claws Pet Vet -
Australian Adventures
Game Category: Simulation - Educational, Kids
Developer / Distributor: Radon Labs / THQ Valusoft
Release Date: 28 Jun 2008
Rating: ESRB - Everyone
Reviewed by: Editor

Introduction
G'day mate, we're really glad to see you heading Down Under on the adventure of your life! Here in the middle of nowhere, you shall endeavour to set up your very own Paws and Claws Pet Vet clinic. Being a veterinarian, your expertise is to take care of animals... luckily for you, animals abound in the Australian Outback.

There are six lovely types of animals you will help take care in three distinct areas. Feast your eyes on close-up views of kangaroos, koalas, brumbies (wild horses), numbats (banded anteaters), and more, as you try to treat them of their illnesses out in the wild, or back at your clinic.

If you do things right, you can even attract guests from all over the world. These people will clamour to stay in your well furnished guest houses and yearn to go on that wild Outback Safari with you acting as the local guide.

So... come one, come all, and employ your entrepreneurial skills to build up your Pet Vet clinic into a booming business for nature enthusiasts, laid back tourists, and animal lovers alike.

You'd probably be gobsmacked too by all the fuss

Game Play
There's a little tutorial you can play through to understand the underlying concepts in Australian Adventures. It's all very simple, really! You start off by creating your alter ego. There's only a few features to choose from, but it's good enough for you to customize your character.

Once you are done, you find yourself outside your practice. Standing nearby is a park ranger who will give you instructions on what you must do next; this is definitely one guy you must come back to very often, so get used to it. Most often, you will take out your SUV and drive to one of the three areas in the game to complete a small handful of missions or tasks there. The three areas in the game are the Steppes, the Eucalyptus Forest, and the Mountains; however, only the Steppes will be available to you at the start of the game.

Trying on the jeans for my alter ego in the game

Each area will feature two animals that you will be interacting with. They are:

Steppes: Kangaroos and Brumbies
Eucalyptus Forest: Koalas and Numbats
Mountains: Dingos and Wombats

The map is accessed by clicking on the compass found on the panel at the bottom of the screen. Each area shown on the map will have four locations you can visit. Locations are marked with either a blue, red, or yellow circle. Blue markers indicate a viewpoint has been set up where you can spend some time admiring the roaming animals. Red markers means there is a rescue mission you must complete, while yellow markers provide you with a more challenging set of tasks (like reuniting a young one with its mother).

Mr. Ranger says its time to venture out onto the Steppes

You have to travel by SUV out to these remote locations. All you have to is to click on the vehicle (which is always parked in front of your practice), choose an area, and the game will deposit you at the starting point in the area. Later in the game, you can even drive from say the Steppes, all the way over to the Mountains.

Driving the SUV feels quite thrilling, especially in the narrow confines of the Eucalyptus Forest and the Mountains. The vehicle dynamics is however very simplified, and you may at times also find yourself colliding into unseen walls that mark the boundaries of where you can or cannot drive in an area.

The Steppes

You won't be able to exit your SUV unless you arrive at a marked location. In these instances, the game shifts from driving mode back to a third person view.

Since you can't do anything but admire animals at blue markers, we will cover the other two types of markers. Yellow markers feature a series of at least two missions - the most common one I encountered was finding a lost baby animal and driving over to another location to return the baby back to its mother. Red markers also known as missions, however form the heart of the game.

Oh no... the poor critter ain't in good shape

When you enter a mission, you are told that the location you are in contains a sick animal. You must then walk (or run) around the entire place trying to find it. It's usually hidden behind some tree or rock, and almost always at the same few "hiding" places at a location. Upon finding the animal, you will then enter what I call the veterinary mode.

Playing a veterinarian in Australian Adventures is fortunately not as difficult as the real thing. You get a small handful of icons to use to gently probe, prod, and investigate the nature of an animal's distress. There is a hand icon for probing (just click all over the animals body, you won't hurt it), a magnifying glass for making diagnoses, a stethoscope for checking more advanced illnesses or injuries, and a thermometer for confirmation of any prevailing ailment.

Let's see... stay still you naughty boomer

Once you have confirmed a diagnosis, a window pops up telling you the problem as well as how to treat the animal. Treating animals is quite straightforward, just follow the instructions step-by-step, right down to the letter. So, if it says you must first disinfect the wound, you click on the swab icon and select the disinfect option. You then apply the swab on the correct red target that has been placed over the sick animal.

Once, that one step is done, you continue following the rest of the instructions until the animal is completely healed. If you forgot your what you needed to do, just click on the notepad icon at the bottom left to refresh your memory. You will be awarded cash at the end for all your efforts.

Now, what must I do next?

The cash you earn for successfully completing missions and tasks can be used to buy more medicine, improve your practice with extra facilities, adding extra guest rooms, and building lovely enclosures for animals to be nursed on your home turf. Let's cover each briefly:

Medicine: Your stock of medicine, swabs, bandages and other medical items will run out quite fast; you will see certain illnesses quite often, especially those that require you to clean or disinfect your patient. In addition, you will require lots of antibiotics, vitamins, and bandages, so it makes sense to buy more of these.
Main House: You can construct extra rooms like a bedroom, an x-ray machine, and so on.
Guest Rooms: Tourists are like cash cows... they give you cash for staying with you, and will thrill to the safaris that you take them on. So, don't hesitate to build more rooms when the opportunities arise.
Cage: Make sure you buy enclosures for every animal type in the game.

Time to stock up

There are several opportunities to bring animals home to be nursed in your enclosures; this is especially for more serious illnesses like salmonella or even the rare animal with an onset of equine paralysis.

Once it is brought back to your clinic, you can walk over to an animal enclosure and interact with it. You must select the option to perform friendly and non-threatening actions like feeding the animal, stroking its fur, cleaning its enclosure, or giving it a treat. Once you have befriended the animal, you can bring it into your treatment room to examine it. A fully treated animal can stay on in the enclosure indefinitely as long as you care for it on a daily basis.

Alright, next I shall apply some ointment on your back

Graphics
The centre of attraction in Australian Adventures are neither the people, the buildings and enclosures, nor the virtual areas of the outback; that sole distinction goes to the animals. Every single animal type is gorgeously animated and they look really life-like.

Perhaps the next aspect I loved was the buildings and enclosures; there is a sense of belonging because all my hard work taking care of animals has paid off with these lovely additions to my real estate. The virtual outback looks rather dated graphical wise, but as this is a game from a line of budget software, I wasn't pinning too high an expectation on it. It at least did it's job with a lovely rendition of the Eucalyptus Forest.

Hey there Dingo!

Audio
I must warn you that the background music provides a mind-numbing loop of Waltzing Matilda. There's no doubt that it sounds reasonably sweet and lovely - exuding everything that is Australian. Too much of that one solo musical track can drive a person to frustration though. Luckily, there's a mute button for music.

The interface sounds feature bell-like pings and dings which serves its basic purpose, but at least the ambient sound effects add to the game; although I do wonder why crickets keep on chirping, even at noon. The voice acting is decent for the park ranger, but the person reading the encyclopedia section sounds rather muted. Last but not least, the guests spout some of the corniest and clichéd phrases ever.

And that folks, is a numbat!

Pros:
A fun and educational make believe game about running a veterinary clinic in the Australian wilderness!

The best part of Australian Adventures would be the animals; they simply look excellent.
Everything is introduced in little baby steps, so you won't get overwhelmed by it all.
Animal diseases and injuries are explained in some detail, and you also get to read all the steps needed to address the problem.
You have three areas to explore in the game plus quite a number of interesting things to do.
You can even play a mini-game of taking care of animals within an enclosure; just make sure you return everyday to shower them with tender loving care.
Later in the game, you get to play the safari mini-game which is sort of a race against time to visit locations over several areas as quickly as possible. The views in the safari are great to watch!

Aww... they're so cute and cuddly

Cons:
Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of repetition involved.

You will find yourself repeating a lot of steps. Get prepared for a lot of needed driving to reach the different locations in an area, spending a few seconds searching for the sick animal, probing and then healing them, and then heading back home by SUV. The last step can theoretically be avoided by clicking on the day and time button found at the bottom centre of the screen.
The game is truly slow to build in momentum. In fact you will only get to see kangaroos for the better part of your first half an hour with the game.
As this is not a hunting game, don't expect the animals to run away in fear; they will just sit quietly by a corner waiting for you to come over. If this is not what you'd expect from a game, then it's best you shy away from this.

My clinic

There's only one track to listen to, and it's Waltzing Matilda - again, and again, and again...
There are only six types of animals available in the game... it makes me wonder where are the kookaburras, platypuses, and tasmanian devils?
The interface is not that well arranged... you must access the statistics page to see how much stock you have before pressing the button that takes you over to the shop to make your purchases; if only everything could have been placed on one screen.
Each area is quite small and the four locations all look pretty similar.
There are slight grammatical and spelling errors.

Crikey! Where shall we go next?

Conclusion
Paws and Claws Pet Vet - Australian Adventures is a reasonably fun little game that teaches kids (and adults) that being a veterinarian is not something that should be taken for granted. There is a lot of responsibility required of you and you will learn that it makes for a rewarding career; especially if you have a love of animals and nature.

Another aspect of the game that pleasantly surprised me was the wonderful Australian flavour of the game; it's strong enough to make this experience an interesting introduction to that lovely continent Down Under.

And, don't forget to check out your very own dunny in the backyard!

Bringing my guests on a safari

Daily PC Game Review Score: 6.5 / 10
Review Date: 21 Jan 2012