Kentucky Route Zero: An episodic adventure in a mystical South that focuses on storytelling and atmosphere, this game has had me intrigued for months. I've played through Act 1, but Act 2 is set to be released near the end of April, and I would love to see what other people think about the story and the characters. Apparently, dialogue choices you make have a direct impact on the story you get, and I'd love a chance to chat with people about the various routes they took, and what they think the meaning behind it is.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent: I've been told - by practically the entire Internet - that this is THE horror game. I love me some scary shit, and this game promises to deliver. Whether we play this version, or wait a bit for Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs to be released, doesn't matter to me - I just want to begin my foray into the realm of horrow gaming, and this looks like the best place to start.
Civilization 5: I'm not going to lie, I LOVE the Civ franchise. I've played them all, and logged a fair number of hours in Civ 5 already. However, I have never truly experienced playing a multiplayer Civ game, and that just sounds like fun. Obviously, that would take some coordination from the rest of the Club, but if the desire is there, I'd like to tap it.
Dark Souls: Not much more to add about this game that hasn't already been covered in Danny's post. I've logged just under two hours in this game, and I've died. A lot. I'm pretty sure I've developed some sort of sadism, because I still love this game. Also, it will be nice to have someone to cry to after this game kicks my ass. Again.
Dungeons of Dredmor: This slot was a toss up between FTL and this game. I really enjoy Roguelike games, and the reason this one made the list and FTL didn't is that I've beaten FTL. This game has a fantastic sense of humor, if you look for it, and offers a TON of different playstyle options that makes the monotony of dungeon crawling very enjoyable.
Kinetic Void: This game hasn't been released yet, but you can get early access for it via Steam. Space sims are a genre of gaming that I've wanted to try, but been too scared by the (usually) intense learning curves required to play well. This game seems to offer a good balance between exploration, ship design and customization, and the randomly-generated content that makes games like this so much fun to play with other people, simply because your experiences can differ so wildly.
Torchlight II: Ah, Torchlight. This game is simply fantastic. I love the fast paced but simple combat, the art style, the relatively unique take on classic rpg character archetypes - but this game really shines, I think, in multiplayer. There is something immeasurably satisfying about stomping a mob of forty spiders with a buddy or two that only a game like this offers.
War of the Roses: Kingmaker: This game and Chivalry came out around the same time, and at first glance its hard to tell what sets them apart. I've played games like Mount and Blade, but havn't touched either of these two. I've done a bit of research, and Chivalry is more akin to a Call of Duty sort of game - a drop in, drop out hack'n'slasher that, while fun, may get stale pretty quickly. War of the Roses offers a ton of character customization options and unlocks that keep you interested in the game for far longer.
Sid Meier's Pirates!: This is one of my favorite games of all time. Period. I love pirates, cannon battles, and plundering. And yet I don't know if I've ever even talked about this game with anyone. Its dated, some of its mechanics are shit, and I havn't touched it in years - but it is just so damn fun, and I'd like to share this game with others who are maybe turned off by the games age. If a piratey rpg/adventure game sounds appealing to you in the least bit, give this game a try.
Starseed Pilgrim: A recent indie title, Starseed Pilgrim caught my eye for its simple design that seems to mask a much deeper and thought-provoking game. I've read a little bit about it (not much, I don't like reading about games before I play them) and most of the people who have played it come away feeling like they've reached something - they just aren't sure what it is. Any game that evokes this kind of feeling deserves a try.
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Well, there's my list! All of these games are available via Steam, and most of them aren't too graphically robust, so running them shouldn't be an issue. Let me know what you think! I love story, and I love games that evoke feeling in the player, or allow the player to create their own narrative. So if you have any recommendations, feel free to give suggestions - and if you're a Club member, let me know what you want to play!
Kentucky Route Zero looks really cool. Too bad it's not all out yet.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried Civ Fives Multiplayer either. We could give that a shot.
Amnesia is pretty spooky. I know I got some good spooks playing through it.
Pirates looks fun. It's one of those old games I never got around to playing.
Also Dark Souls.
I love episodic releases, and think Kentucky Route Zero is a more appealing game due to the fact that not all of its episodes are out yet. I played through Telltale's Walking Dead and loved it, but I didn't get to it until after all five episodes had been released. I got to marathon the game and didn't have to wait for cliffhangers to resolve, but I'm bummed I missed out on all the conversations that erupted during the wait times between episodes. I'd like to jump into Kentucky Route Zero sooner rather than later and take part in the speculation about what might be coming next.
ReplyDeleteStarseed Pilgrim reminds me a lot of Fez with its seeming focus on exploration and discovery. Playing Fez was the most joyous game experience I had last summer, and if Starseed Pilgrim can evoke anything similar, I want to dive into it immediately!
I'm hesitant on Kinetic Void for reasons similar to Dark Souls. The learning curve almost seems too steep for me in this setting to enjoy climbing. But, I'm still recommending Dark Souls because for me, fantasy action role-playing is more appealing than a space simulation.
Finally, I love the old games that are getting proposed - Sid Meier's Pirates!, System Shock 2, and the original Fallout. There are so many highly regarded games from my youth I never played growing up. I fear I will never experience these old games if I don't play them with other people. So, I too am down w/ hanging out w/ Sid Meier and his band of Pirates!
Kentucky Route Zero is really really good. The focus on atmosphere is spectacular, and even if we don'y play it as a club I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys games for more than just action-oriented gameplay.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm really glad you guys are open to playing Pirates!. Its a great old game, and I think it would give us a lot to talk about in terms of what mechanics worked, what didn't, etc. I hope it is as good as I remember it being :) Its also a little open ended, so the game can be done whenever you decide its done.
I'm down to play most of these games. Some of them I already own, others I don't know much about. Good list.
ReplyDeleteIf you like Civilization, and the build-your-own-ship idea in Kinetic Void, have you ever tried Galactic Civilizations II?