Recent reviews by ProfDeCube

Not a bad little idle game, nice amount of interaction even late into the game

Absolutely fantastic game even with the bugs.
One of the best adaptations of D&D to video games we've seen to date

Cat, need I say more

Really cool game, love playing on maps I know and seeing events that take place nearby etc.

Really enjoyed this little gem, art style is really cool and the gameplay is fun. The story is told with no dialogue and it actually works well.

Absolutely love this game, very similar to Antichamber in both style and certain in game dynamics. The smooth flowing from one plane of existance to the other makes for immersive puzzles. Trying to get perfect on every level seems attainable and the sound and abience really tie the game togehter.

Diehard fans of the first game will enjoy what Dungeon Defenders 2 has to offer. Although it is currently in early access, The gameplay is solid and there are no major issues I have run into. with the game being updated and influenced heavily by the community I feel Dungeon Defenders 2 will really come to life in the following months.

Escaping from the void, trying to become more than you are and risking the world you seek in order to do so. This is the story of Nihilumbra, a puzzle based 2D platformer from Beautifun Games.

The game follows a vey narrative series of events travelling from the cold Icy hills through the forest, the desert, the volcano and finally to the city. Each location brings with it new challenges and a new skill to brave them. These skills come in the forms of colours, paints that can be spread around the environment at will. The first colour you obtain is blue, allowing the creation of ice. Then comes the green followed by the brown, creating bouncy and sticky surfaces respectively. From the volcano comes red, the ability to burn some things and supercharge others. Finally there is yellow, the ability to create conductive lines to transfer power from energy sources to unpowered machines. It's the combination of all of these that will let you progress and aid in your escape from the void.

The gameplay is well established as you play, with a "tutorial" for each new colour. The levels are relatively easy on the first play through but after finishing once there is a new "Void" version of the levels, being more difficult and involved. The controlling of the colours is intuitive and easy to do, and if you make a mistake it's just as easy to undo your moves.

The visual style is fantastic with detailed painted backgrounds and foreground objects that have a parallax effect. When applying colours it is always easy to distinguish. The soundtrack is one that is extremely well fitting and only adds to the atmosphere. The voice over is a crucial part of the game and it wouldn't be the same without it. The tone of voice is one that makes the player feel safe while traveling and discovering.

Overall the game is solid and everything seems to work as intended, some sections seem to be reliant on trial and error. There is a large difficulty curve between finishing the first playthrough and starting the second, it could have eased into it more.

It's has a good bang for your buck and the only thing I would like to see is a level editor with steam workshop integration. Other than that it's a great game.

The Half-Life franchise has bought the gaming community many things, setting standards for countless others. Modding has been a big part of the attraction with games like Counter-Strike and Black Mesa spawning from the series. Hidden amongst them was a game by Unknown Worlds called Natural Selection, a cross between FPS and RTS. It was publicly released in late 2002 and was well received.

Development of a sequel was announced back in 2006 and Natural Selection 2 was released very recently, keeping all key aspects from the original. The game focuses on two races; The Frontiersmen and the Kharaa. The Frontiersmen are your classic space marines wielding guns and mechs. Kharaa on the other hand are microscopic life forms that spawn the units.

On each team there's a "Commander", although slightly different for each team their main duties are coordinating the rest of the team, building structures and for the Kharaa, spreading infestation.

As for the FPS elements, playing marine is everything you are used to with any other shooter. There is a "shop" system to acquire the new weapons and the mech as you play. The foot soldiers have to physically build the structures the commander plans and thus communication is vital.

On the flip side, playing as the aliens is slightly different and more complicated. There are five "Classes". Everyone spawns as the basic skulk, a quick dog-like alien capable of climbing on walls and ceilings and being able to utilise ventilation systems as a quick way around the map. Their only form of attack is a bite. Once you have played for a short while you will be able to evolve into the other classes. Gorges are a support class, able to build walls and healing teammates. Then there is the flying Lerk, the stealthy Fade and the enormous Onos. Each have specific abilities such as flight, Blink and Door ramming respectively.

The core gameplay is solid, it's heavily teamwork based and it has a good built-in communication system which makes it easy to work together. The engine was built from scratch for this very game and so it works as intended, I notice no bugs during my play time and the teams seem to be well balanced. The Kharaa seem to be more fun to play as but that may just be the greater speed and the unique traits of each evolution.

The graphics look great and with a reasonable amount of customisation allowing for lower end computers to run it smoothly. There is a nice little rookie system that tells people that you may be new to the game and might need a little bit of help.

It's not all great though, during a routine game playing as the Kharaa, a number of our team decided to leave. At this point, any other game would use matchmaking to fill the gaps however the game was abruptly ended giving an "Aliens Lose" message due to our lack of players. Something I wasn't expecting and it made me question the stability of further matches.

The levels all seem very similar and finding your way around can be tricky. It's all set inside spaceship type corridors and rooms; I suppose to allow for the infestation spread. I found myself running round with the map overlay on just so I knew where I was going. I mean, It looks nice for spaceship hallways and the spread makes the landscape dynamic, and one I had been playing for a bit the map seemed pretty familiar.

The loading may be painfully long but that is an issue that the developers are working on because it is due to a bug, but apart from that, getting into a game is very simple.

Overall I really enjoyed the game, and it's something I see myself playing a lot of in the future.

Imagine it's the 80s, you have been inspired by the popular new video games such as Pong or Zork and you want to create your own. It's not that hard, you've even got a computer you can use set up in your garage. So, all that's left for you to do is come up with the next bestselling game. This is where Game Dev Tycoon drops you in. It's going to be a tough path to the top, spanning 25 years and a great number of game systems your journey through gaming history begins. Starting with text based games on the PC moving on through SEGA systems, Nintendo and then onto PlayStations, Xboxes and back round full circle to the PC again.

The game has been kicking around for a little while but has just made its transition to Steam with an updated game and built in steam achievements. The move has brought new life to the game and got me playing again. It was strangely enthralling when I first played it but certain key things were missing. The ability to generate a report of the game will help you a lot; giving you a better idea of which theme/genre combinations work and what aspects are important in said game.

Game creation consists of sets of three sliders, allowing you to divert time and resources to different parts of game development. For example; racing games will need a good engine with good gameplay, but the story and quests are likely to be down low on the billing. Once you’ve released a few games and earned a little cash you can move into a new office and hire some staff. More staff means bigger games and faster growth. The next step is to put some money into developing a game engine allowing you to put more focus into key sections of development and adding new aspects such as character development, save games and new peripherals.
Game Dev Tycoon

To build hype in upcoming games, there are a number of things you will be able to do. Firstly you can advertise in magazines or on television (or both), the basic rule of thumb here is sinking more money into advertising means more hype. Another big hype builder is to show off games at the “Games Games Games” expo, or G3 for short. With this not only is the money important but also the caliber of the games you are showcasing. So remember when doing anything with advertising; nothing ventured, nothing gained. The last way to build hype is to develop game sequels. Fans of the previous games will help spread the word and the expectations of besting its predecessor.

As you progress you have the option of taking on contracts to earn some extra cash and publishing deals to help build your fan base and increase sales. Eventually you’ll unlock the research & development lab allowing bigger projects such as an internet distribution system designed to decrease piracy and allow indie publishing for smaller companies.

All in all the games is entertaining, features a slew in great jokes and keeps you playing over and over. Each time you play you learn more, your starting genres are randomised leading to different game choices and a different development timeline. Having a pen and paper handy for jotting down tips and other useful information is something I would recommend.