Latest Game Reviews

Space Empires II

Author: GN Team - Published: 24 February 2018, 9:23 pm

Space Empires is a series of galactic conquest and turn-based strategy games created by Malfador Machinations in the 90s. The first two titles, included in this package, were developed for Windows3.x.

Space Empires I, released in 1993, was a real "indie" competitor of the more famous Master of Orion. Instead of being released for MS-DOS, the game was developed for Windows3.x, using the native UI elements, like the RPG Castle of the Winds. Space Empires II, still for Windows 3.1, was released in 1995, introduced many improvements.

Times of Lore

Author: GN Team - Published: 21 February 2018, 2:23 pm

Times of Lore is an action RPG created by Chris Roberts - author of Wing Commander - and published by Origin Systems. It was released for Commodore 64, Apple II, and DOS. Later, it was ported to Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, and NES.

The game, inspired by The Legend of Zelda, is considered one of the most influential computer role-playing games ever created. It has influenced Richard Garriott's Ultima VI: The False Prophet and Ultima VII: The Black Gate, but also Diablo and many others.

Times of Lore is also a masterpiece of programming on the Commodore 64; it features a massive world made of 13 thousand screens, shown without any need for loading, plus it uses a very advanced technique to display highly detailed sprites (combining a hi-res monochrome sprite plus a low-res multicolor sprite).

Breathless

Author: Tasha - Published: 16 February 2018, 11:08 pm

Breathless is a first person science fiction shooter developed by Fields of Vision and published by Power Computing in 1995 for the Amiga only. The game has a rather Doom-like appearance and is considered the fourth serious attempt at a Doom clone for the Commodore 16 bit platform, after Fears, Gloom and Alien Breed 3D.

Set in a desolate future where aliens have enslaved humanity, you play as one of the last remaining humans willing to fight back. After being caught you are given unwanted surgery to become a cyborg. Playing as this midriff baring cyborg, you have to make your way through alien conceived areas to test your abilities. Battle your way across 4 worlds, with 5 levels a piece, in order to possibly attain your freedom. Armed with a gun you have to shoot your way through enemies, gather key cards to open doors, and make your way to the end. As you play there are opportunities to collect credits that you can use at computer terminals to upgrade your weapons. All the weapons function off of one-size-fits-all ammunition dubbed ‘energy’. The game also has a handy auto-mapping feature to save on schlepping around trying to remember where you need to go.

Beneath A Steel Sky

Author: Tasha - Published: 14 February 2018, 2:56 pm

Beneath a Steel Sky is a dystopian future adventure game developed by Revolution Software and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment in 1994. It was released for Amiga, Amiga CD32, and DOS. It was declared freeware in 2003.

The game takes place in the bleak future version of Australia as you take on the role of Robert Foster. Abandoned as a baby, he is taken in by a local tribe. As an adult, he watches his adoptive family and their village get destroyed as big city goons take him away. He manages to escape after a chopper crash with the help of his little robot friend, Joey, and he has to escape the city. Using a point-and-click interface, you must interact with the world around you to find ways to progress. Networking is also crucial as city inhabitants can aid you in your escape. Utilizing the same game engine as Revolution’s premier game, Lure of the Temptress, it sets itself apart from many adventure games in terms of handling. Your character can also die, another departure from traditional adventure games. Beneath a Steel Sky has a solemn tone but is broken up with well-timed humor and excellent dialogue.

The Need for Speed

Author: Tasha - Published: 14 February 2018, 1:24 am

The Need for Speed is the first racing game in the Need for Speed Series, and it was developed and published by Electronic Arts (EA) in 1994 for 3DO. It was ported to DOS in 1995, and PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1996. It has many sequels and remakes all the way up to 2017. This was the first and last game in the series to utilize staff members from Road & Track magazine to make the game’s simulation physics as realistic as possible.

In this racing sim, you can choose from different sports cars including Toyota Supra Turbo, Acura NSX, Mazda RX7, as well as classic favorites like the Corvette, Lamborghini, and Porsche. While many of the vehicles are available initially, others must be unlocked by winning tournaments (no DLCs here). After picking a car, you can choose your track from among the choices. Some are closed race tracks, while others are merely open highways where you can be intercepted by police. Each track has its unique environment, and it's split into three separate stages.

Castle of the Winds

Author: GN Team - Published: 10 February 2018, 8:02 pm

Castle of the Winds is a roguelike fantasy RPG developed by Rick Saada for Windows 3.1 and released by Epic MegaGames in 1993. It's the first episode of a quite famous series and one of the most successful games ever created for Windows 3.x. Released initially as shareware, the series was declared freeware by his author in 1998.

Saada worked at Microsoft in a team dedicated to DOS, but he thought that the future was Windows. He decided to learn Windows application development, putting into practice his passion for games. Instead of creating a DOS game with VGA graphics, Saada chose to design a game fully integrated with the Windows 3.x operative system, using native UI elements, controlled with a mouse, and the default 16 system colors. The result is a game maybe not exciting regarding visuals but very interesting in terms of gameplay. You will find a strong focus on magic and spells, but also items that can be cursed and enchanted, and even renamed. All the elements are randomly generated, like in Diablo, which makes the level of replayability very high, and it's probably one of the best aspects of this game.