Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City

If you enjoyed GTA IV then you will love these two new episodes. It might have taken a while to reach the PC, but the wait was definitely worth it and together these two games represents excellent value for money. A must-buy for every Grand Theft Auto fan.

Gameplay: Same awesome new additions to an already great game.

Graphics: Needs a hefty PC, but is worth it.

Sound: Still one of the best soundtracks and voice acting in the business

Enclave

Enclave

It might be a typical console port, but Enclave has enough action to keep players hooked. Don’t play this one for the puzzles as you will be disappointed, but if you want some nice hacking and slashing you can’t go wrong.

Gameplay: A typical console port but still fun.

Graphics: Very good for their time.

Sound: Epic music score and decent voice acting

Adam Wolfe

Adam Wolfe

Adam Wolfe is definitely one of the more varied and unique titles in the hidden object game genre. It features many detailed locations, an intriguing storyline, and interesting gameplay elements that set it apart from similar titles. If you enjoy a good mystery with supernatural elements and don’t mind a bit of action in your hidden object games, this one is highly recommended.

Gameplay: Good hidden object scenes as well as plenty of other puzzles.

Graphics: Lots of very detailed scenes, and the game looks very polished overall.

Sound: The voice acting is above average for the genre, while the atmospheric music is a big plus

Fortix

Fortix

Cheap and short but you’ll definitely get value for your money. Fortix is a variation on a age old concept but adds a few nice twists of its own and is the perfect “in-between” time waster. You won’t be spending hours playing it and will probably get most of the achievements on your first play through, but at the price it’s being offered there’s no reason not to pick it up.

Gameplay: A very simple concept, but quite fun.

Graphics: About as Indie as they come, but has a certain charm to it.

Sound: Catchy but limited

Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins

While many claims have been made that this is the spiritual successor to Baldurs Gate, I think Dragon Age has enough to it to stand on its own. Its, got some flaws but overall it is a superb game that should be played by all RPG fans.

Gameplay: Bioware always comes through with compelling role playing games and this one is no exception.

Graphics: Clearly held back somewhat by the consoles, but still good.

Sound: Great voice acting and stirring music

Cat Girl Alliance

Cat Girl Alliance

If you like your visual novels with plenty of sex scenes and very little plot, then I guess Cat Girl Alliance will be appealing. The limited amount of characters, futanari elements and lack of anything interesting happening beyond the sex scenes will however limit the audience of this game. While not the worst visual novel that I have played it is nothing special either.

Gameplay: Non-existent and with a bare bones storyline as well.

Graphics: Quite dated and the art style is a bit hit-and-miss.

Sound: A few nice tunes, but overall unremarkable

An Assassin in Orlandes

An Assassin in Orlandes

Tin Man Games have done a great job porting over classic gamebook adventures, but this is their first attempt at bringing something brand new to the table. With its fantasy setting and interesting storyline, An Assassin In Orlandes definitely feels like it could have originated from the same era as gamebooks like The Forrest of Doom. However, it is a very enjoyable and gripping tale in its own right. The heavy reliance on dice throws and luck might annoy some players, but thanks to the “Casual” mode, this is an adventure that can be enjoyed by anyone.

Gameplay: The story is quite good, but prepare yourself for plenty of dice rolls to test your luck.
Graphics: Faithful to the look of the old gamebooks, but we would have liked to see more illustrations.

Sound: The audio remains fairly mellow and unobtrusive throughout your adventure

9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek

9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek

Join a paranormal private investigator as she rushes to the aid of her friend, who runs into some trouble in the town of Serpent Creek. The Secrets of Serpent Creek is probably a little too short and easy for veteran players, but casual players or those new to the genre will still find plenty to like. It is not a groundbreaking title in any way, but the story is entertaining, and the cast of interesting characters makes it worth a second look.

Gameplay: Quite short and very, very easy, but still offers plenty of entertainment.

Graphics: The usual hand-painted scenes, but nothing really memorable.

Sound: The music is good, and the voice acting much better than what the genre typically has to offer

Starship Traveller

Starship Traveller

Starship Traveller offers a nice departure from the usual swords and sorcery settings that the gamebooks are known for. It is a science fiction tale that borrows heavily from Star Trek, but packs a lot of humor as well. Completing the story requires a lot of luck or trial and error, which might annoy some players. However, it remains entertaining and engaging throughout, even if the replay value is not as great as we would have liked. Still, you can’t really go wrong with its low asking price and it is worth it for the nostalgia factor alone.

Gameplay: Lots of reading along with the occasional choices and dice rolls.

Graphics: A couple of nice full color drawings add some flavor to the text.

Sound: Not many sound effects, but the music capture the mood nicely

BloodRayne

BloodRayne

If all you want is some mindless action along with plenty of blood, then BloodRayne has got you covered. The B-movie plot isn’t exactly gripping, but provides a good excuse to tear apart plenty of foes. The game is quite dated at this point, but action junkies might still have fun with it.

Gameplay: Action packed but very repetitive.

Graphics: Not bad, but rather dated.

Sound: Average at best