Half-Life: A Place in the West
There’s a logic in Hollywood that video games can make good movies, despite the fact that few if any films actually bear this notion out (and believe me, I’m being kind by saying “few”). Similarly, it’s questionable to what degree a video game is liable to translate into the medium of comics.
Theoretically, probably a little BETTER than movies…but I’m still not quite convinced. A good “story” in a video game is a completely different thing to a good story in either film or literature, and a video game’s notion of “character” is more often than not a good-looking and functional avatar designed to move the “plot” forward, and give the player an adequate excuse to kill things or solve puzzles. I’m sorry, but Leon from the Resident Evil franchise ISN’T a “character”, boys and girls. He’s a floppy fringe with a gun, and a libido sufficient to make him willing to rescue cute young girls on the back of his speeding jet-ski. You want character, try Taxi Driver (it’s an “old” movie from the 70s, look it up).
– Real player with 6.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Comic Book Violent Games.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 11 seconds
Half-Life: A Place in the West teases the Half-Life fans by delivering a very compelling story based on the Half-Life universe, presented as a fan-made digital comic featuring a total of 13 chapters which are planned to be released over several years. By the time of writing this review, 5 of them are available on the Steam store (the first one being free).
Even if the comic uses the Half-Life setting, its story follows a completely new path, unrelated to the characters featured in the series so that it’s not centered on Gordon Freeman’s adventures. I haven’t played any of the Half-Life titles, yet I greatly enjoyed reading the comic which didn’t require any prior knowledge about the franchise. The few intro pages describe this setting very well and the info provided is enough to get you started: at Black Mesa Research Facility, scientists discover a new alien life form and while attempting to analyze it, they accidentally cause a dimensional rift to open; as a consequence, Earth becomes exposed to an alien invasion. Seven hours later, the extra-terrestrial race known as the “Combine” conquers the planet entirely and kills most of humanity. Gigantic towers, called “Citadels” are sent out by the Combine to the major cities of the Earth, in order to enforce their will on the remaining living people.
– Real player with 6.5 hrs in game
Meanwhile: An Interactive Comic Book
Jason Shiga’s amazing comic in digital form. While the book is still my preferred method of navigating, I’m really glad that more people are able to experience this for the first time. If you liked this, be sure to check out his other work that’s available online for free, the math mystery thriller Fleep and his sprawling epic Demon, they’re both worth your time.
– Real player with 2.0 hrs in game
this game is very fun but i completed it in a hour somehow well this game is very fun go buy it
– Real player with 1.6 hrs in game
Spectrum: First Light
The great anime promo art drew me in, but unfortunately the gameplay was mind-numbingly boring and needlessly difficult. In addition, the in-game art was extremely lacking, there was no voice acting…Ugh. Not worth $10, and not really worth buying at all.
– Real player with 3.8 hrs in game
Smashed keyboard simulator
Unmentioned system requirements:
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A keyboard (or controller) stronger than your fists
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Lots of lube
– Real player with 2.5 hrs in game
ComixPlay #1: The Endless Incident
its a turn based combat super hero game wrapped up in a story driven comic book. Alot to like here, and alot of interesting tactical choices to make. The first tactical fight is a quick tutorial, so you understand the basic concepts going forward and can jump right into the gameplay without alot of reading manuals. There are 3 difficulties - easy, normal, and hard. You can also easily go back and refight a wave or the entire mission to work on an achievement if you didn’t quite get it. There is alot to like here, and all the achievements work at the time of this review.
– Real player with 9.9 hrs in game
I have been a comic book fan for much of my life. Even when they weren’t super popular among my group of friends growing up I was a fan. With the resurgence of super hero movies over the past decade or so my social circle has occasionally relied upon my knowledge and input in regards to the back stories and the histories of the franchises that have hit the silver screen. It’s been a nice change. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been very many comic book style games that have been of a very high quality released. The best that I can remember are the Freedom Force games. Thankfully, ComixPlay have brought the genre back to life with the superb ComixPlay #1: The Endless Incident.
– Real player with 9.9 hrs in game
Dark Gates
THE LOWDOWN:
Dark Gates is a grid-based party dungeon-crawler, with lite RPG elements. It is essentially a virtual boardgame representation based on the ‘classics’ of many years ago. The objective is to explore the dungeon reach the Dark Gates and destroy the “Unnamed” beast that threatens to destroy the lands.
Exploration take place on a procedurally created dungeon across multiple levels and resembles a grid containing rooms. Encounters occur with creatures that can inhabit a tile. Encounter options consist of either: combat, negotiating or bribing. Combat takes place using WEGO-UGO, otherwise the party can pass unhindered. Characters attack using melee, ranged or magic spells.
– Real player with 18.3 hrs in game
Game can kill a few hours. It’s not a total disaster. You pick 6 characters, enter a Dungeon, do linear turn based fights.
Gain experience, up your skills until you hit the Dark gate battle. Break the gates, win. Takes ~2 hours to win. I had no idea what to expect so I did “easy” and won easily. So I did Normal and won easily. So I did hard and won easily.
Dislike: Characters ALWAYS go First. Most of the time, the monsters never get a turn to fight. When they do fight they almost always do 1 point of damage . You’re equipped with basically infinite Heal spells. Speels cost life to cast. So your backline has Heal and can heal themselves + heal frontline. Basically it is really really really hard to die.
– Real player with 9.3 hrs in game
Electronic Evolution
The Imitator Protocol was developed to be the perfect assistant to virtual combat simulation, capable of adapting to the user’s input and forcing him to change strategies. Unfortunately, the girl-genius Bastille did such a good job that the program went rogue, and now her robot companion B3X3 is trapped in the virtual landscape. The only way to get out is to destroy the Alpha-Imitator from the inside while trying to survive the hordes of malware he sends in B3X3’s direction. Get ready to fight for your binary life as AI faces AI in deadly combat. Who will use the Electronic Evolution to get the ultimate advantage?
Play Inside a Comic Book!
Electronic Evolution is inspired by classic superhero stories, and the whole adventure takes place on the pages and panels of a comic book issue. With hand-drawn animation and filled with comic book effects, Electronic Evolution will allow you to take control of a superhero and feel powerful while beating up an evergrowing army of enemies. So get ready for an epic adventure to take down a supervillain and save the world!
Arcade Roguelite Experience
Electronic Evolution is an action roguelite, inspired by arcade experiences, and with a permanent progression system that reflects modern game design sensibilities. Electronic Evolution features:
Random Levels
Permanent Progression System
Customizable Weapons and Attachments
Blueprints
Evolving Difficulty
Anomalies
Return NULL - Episode 1
Calling this a point and click adventure is stretching it a little bit. It is more like a choose your own adventure book. Theres very little interaction, your character is just drawn as part of the background. The writing is fan-fiction quality, maybe its better in german. The “gameplay” consists of clicking on 3-5 items in each room, which are drawn as part of the background, and choosing whether to look at them (which gives a 1 line description of the object), pick them up (or move to another room), or use an item. Theres no options menu, which is annoying because the game is insanely loud and only runs in fullscreen borderless, and there are no resolution options either.
– Real player with 16.7 hrs in game
Quick review:
This is a low budget but nicely envisaged BEGINNING to a story set in a dystopian future. The art is of a comic book style and reasonably well drawn. There is no animation and no voice acting (I don’t find this a big problem) but the plot so far makes me hope that this could turn into an engaging and enjoyable story. The puzzles are traditional point and click style inventory puzzles that are sensible but too easy. You’ll get through the chapter in around an hour. I don’t feel chapter 1 was worth paying for on its own purely because it is so incredibly short.
– Real player with 9.8 hrs in game
Usagi Yojimbo: Way of the Ronin
Like they said, an uncomplicated retro brawler a la Double Dragon or TMNT.
Nothing fency like Mortal Kombat, less violent and good for younger audiences and like the wonderful comic series recommended to those who enjoy Sakai’s art and story telling and who don’t need enemies being stripped of their spines or needless other gore fests.
I got my fun out of it for that price.
– Real player with 8.0 hrs in game
I love this game.
I owned the very first game on the C64. It was one of my favourite games back then. Im glad to see it back again.
It stays close to the feel and atmosphere of the original and is graphically better. I love the additional combat moves.
I do wish it was longer, however.
If you liked the old version, pick it up, if not only for the nostalgia.
– Real player with 3.6 hrs in game
Lovecraft Quest - A Comix Game
Summary:
(longer version below)
Despite being somewhat short, the game offers a fair amount of content for the price. My only other complaint is the lack of randomisation in escape sequences.
| Achievements: | Cloud Saving: | Trading Cards: | Workshop: |
| YES | NO | NO | NO |
Click here to see my other Reviews or follow my Curator Page for more recommendations.
– Real player with 7.7 hrs in game
So many people are using words like “Lovecraft”, “Cthulhu” and “Dagon” in their games in the hope of appealing to an already existing fan base. Fans of Lovecraft’s writing may purchase this game for a rich narrative experience in the form of a comic with a few interesting narrative based puzzles or decisions. Watch, as your preconceived expectations are strangled to death in front of you by the hands of a smiling developer oblivious (or perhaps not) of their own wrong doing. I didn’t know what to expect for a couple of bucks, but Dev’s, don’t think for a SECOND that two bullets will down Dagon or that having Cthulhu show up in your game makes it a “Lovecraftian experience”. Like a scared anime girl with a short skirt and no knickers I expected to enter into a room filled with hundreds of pulsating flailing tendrils, which I did at first… I then later realised the tendrils were all blushing and turning away from me shyly. I got hot, angry, flustered and could have easily stormed out in hopes of finding larger and more virile monstrosities.
– Real player with 4.7 hrs in game
ORIMON.1 - Bilfy & Krotroklon
A pacman with new elements with a little story.
– Real player with 2.2 hrs in game
Classic pac game reimagined with new elements, plus funny moments in the story dialogs
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game