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.
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.
Format: PS1 & PC
Release date: 1997
I’m not sure what to tell you about FF7. Simply put, it’s one of my all-time favourite games, and the hordes of fans it has makes me feel like a bit of a cliché to even include it in this feature. But I have to. It changed my life, I think. Before this, I had not played a game with such a deep and engaging story, an epic tale about a host of very likable characters, all unique and fleshed out with interesting back stories. It’s just wonderful.
It’s difficult to describe the levels of hype that I felt leading up to the release of Half Life 2, and I know I wasn’t alone. This was a generation-defining moment in gaming, the likes of which has never really been replicated, and likely never will, for multiple reasons. Not only was HL2 a huge leap forward for its artistic and technological design, it ushered in an entirely new way to buy games and changed the gaming landscape forever.
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