You may remember that a few months back, a little game called ‘Portal 2’ was released. It was no big deal or anything, just a sequel to an enormous cult success of a side-project game, which was only very slightly hyped up before release, so that a handful of people would be aware of it and maybe buy it later on. Of course – in true GLaDOS spirit – I’m lying, and it was one of the most cleverly hyped up games I have ever committed my wallet to. So naturally, when we finished that game, we did a review-thingy of the robotty co-op mode. Now, several months later, we’ve got round to trying out the brand new – and free! – Peer Review DLC, and spent roughly three hours completing the brain-melting puzzles that came with it.
The least I can say at this point is well done, Valve. Not only did they release the DLC for free through Steam – something rarely seen with regards to DLC for most other full retail games, unless you’re willing to pay through the nose for some extremely short addition to a story you’ve already completed – but they released something that was fully voice acted, cleverly written, incredibly challenging, and bloody funny. We had an absolute hoot making our way through the surprisingly tough test chambers, with an unexpected over-arcing storyline in the background, of which our only knowledge or explanation of was through the diabolical and schizophrenic computer mind of GLaDOS, everyone’s favourite genocidal maniac mastermind.
The micro-story ties in brilliantly with certain events from the single player story, and yet in a way you might never ever suspect. Promises are made, concerns are shared, and instructions are given – profusely – and without GLaDOS’s expert script and hilarious delivery, I’m not sure this DLC would have been even half as special as it is, because for free DLC to convey this much care, detail, and attention, it simply blew our minds. It’s funny, fresh, and kept us playing until 1.30 in the morning, despite our eyeballs damn-near screaming in pain at the unblinking, unrelenting determination to stay focused on the screen and solve every last puzzle.
Speaking of the puzzles – the mind-boggling, portal-laden gameplay at the core of the Portal IP – who ever thought that completing a mere 9 new test chambers could take up around 3 whole hours of gameplay, especially considering we managed to complete the entire co-op story – the one that shipped with Portal 2 – in less than 6 hours. Of course, theoretically somebody much smarter than us who wasn’t fighting to keep our eyelids open against the cries of their scorched retinas might be able to beat it in 1-2 hours, but we also like to look around at stuff, and have a good discussion about what’s next in the puzzle. Then again, sometimes we just run around shouting and yelling and falling through each-others’ portals into pits of acid. It’s total chaos, really…
Get it, play it, enjoy it. Go!
Dome Keeper is an excellent little spin on the tower defense game, in which you play the role of a jetpacking miner defending his base from swarms of aliens, whilst searching for a hidden relic buried somewhere beneath him. And now, with this huge free update, you can play it with friends.
I want to talk about Cloudpunk, a game where you get to be a flying-car delivery driver in a futuristic cyberpunk city. Its world is an incredible achievement of environmental design, and while the gameplay itself may be basic, the city of Nivalis is a thing of beauty to behold. Nivalis is built out of hundreds of hand-modelled cuboid buildings; there’s nothing procedural about it. Apparently it took 3 years for the devs to design the city, and it really shows.
I do love me some quality pixel art, and it doesn’t get much better than this. Cast n Chill is a cozy side-scrolling fishing game by small indie dev team Wombat Brawler, with absolutely gorgeous visuals. It’s simple to play, and you you can dip in and out of it at your leisure, making it a fine addition to our collection of coffee break games.
Format: Sega Mega Drive
Year: 1992
Another rare game in my long list of memories that include my brother, Sam, is Streets of Rage 2. It was the best in a trilogy of side scrolling beat-em-ups on the Sega Mega Drive. (Genesis in America). We would always play as the same 2 characters: I was Axel, and my brother would be Skate. He loved the agility and bombastic acrobatics that the tiny skater dude could pull off. Many of the boss fights would end with Sam leaping onto their necks and pummelling them in the back of the head. I liked Axel’s swinging flaming punch, and his multi-hit special combo. It’s a simple but satisfying game built around stylised hand to hand violence.
The successor to Goldeneye, Perfect Dark improved every possible aspect of the classic shooter and created an original masterpiece. 4-player multiplayer game modes, with the option of adding 8 extra bots made matches frantic chaos and endless fun. The singleplayer was fantastic at the time, featuring such state-of-the-art features as realtime lighting, blood spatter effects, and fully voice acted cinematic cutscenes. It even let you play the story in local co-op with a mate – player 2 got to be Joanna Dark’s weird-looking blonde sister – the first game I ever encountered with a co-op singleplayer mode.
The following took place in 2012, in the beta version of the DayZ mod for ARMA 2. It recounts the story of how I survived the zombie apocalypse by eating 87 cans of baked beans.
Chernarus is not a welcoming place any more. The lush green fields are now infested with hordes of shambling undead. And if the zombies don’t kill you, other wanderers surely will. Being alone is risky, but trusting the wrong person could cost you your life. In this harsh new world, you won’t get far without friends.
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