August PC Review Round-Up

August 2011 had its share of great PC games, including several instant classic PC-exclusive indies, and at least one AAA mega hit.  Let's take a look back at the games the PC Department reviewed this month at Player Affinity.

King Arthur: Fallen Champions: 7.2
King Arthur: Fallen Champions is intended to be a bridge between King Arthur and the upcoming King Arthur 2 but also promises an all new story following three new characters - a knight, an enchantress and a shaman. The new characters are all very unique and the story itself requires relatively little knowledge from the previous game, although it definitely helps. With each hero's campaign, you take control of a new faction. While things are fairly straightforward as the Knight faction, the Pict faction has more of a focus on spellcasting and the units you control are often influenced by the games day/night cycle. The last faction, the Sidhe have more fragile, but more mobile units. While the three factions have some distinct nuances, they play very similarly for the most part. Read the full review.

 

Achron: 7.5
Achron has been in development since 2001 and the epic science fiction storyline that runs through the single player campaign clearly shows this. The single player campaign involves playing through a set of linear missions that teach you the ‘Easy to learn, hard to master’ mechanics and prepare you for multiplayer. The plot definitely feels epic and it’s well thought out. In it, you take control of an Achron, a being who can see through time, and as you go through the campaign you are introduced to the various characters and the mechanics of time travel that the game puts forward as these characters learn the mechanics themselves.  Read the full review.

Hector: Badge of Carnage Episode 2 - Senseless Acts of Justice: 7.5
Ever since I finished the iOS version of Hector: Badge of Carnage Episode 1 back when it was a brand new release, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the story of the crude but amusing Inspector Hector. While the PC re-release of the game was certainty good, it’s only intensified my desire to play the next episode in the series.  Read the full review.

 

Deus Ex: Human Revolution: 9.0
The world that Deus Ex: Human Revolution creates deserves special mention. It's a world fueled by the trans-humanist debate that augmentations have brought. Pro-purity individuals are concerned that scientists are tampering with humanity itself, and the scientists think that it's the next evolutionary step. It doesn't help that most people reject their augmentations and therefore require a special, expensive drug that is sold by biotech corporations. It's an interesting dilemma, and it's one that is pondered by many characters you meet, with people on both sides of the arguments. It's because of the world that some of the weaker gameplay elements can be easily overlooked.  Read the full review.



Space Pirates and Zombies: 8.0
Space Pirates and Zombies (Or SPAZ as it is called) is a mix between Gratuitous Space Battles,SPORE’s cell stage and open world space games like Elite. The game sets you as part of the crew of a space pirate mothership. In the opening sequence (Which has stellar narration by John Bane AKA Totalbiscuit of Youtube and general internet fame) it’s explained that your crew are beginning a voyage to the center of the galaxy and it’s up to you to help them get there. The story clearly isn’t the focus of SPAZ, but the mission variety is fairly strong and the missions range from the straightforward attack and defend missions to the more colorful missions like harvesting radioactive waste for a fast food company or disposing of waste containers by blowing them up.  Read the full review.



E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy: 7.5
E.Y.E. is an ambitious indie game, which mostly reaches its goal, while stumbling in the process. When E.Y.E. gets good, it's really good, and a testament to how good indie games can be. A lot of the time, however, E.Y.E. feels like it's reaching farther than it can manage, and suffers as a result. If you enjoy stories in gaming, or want a good deal for $20, than E.Y.E. is good for a purchase. Read the full review.

Chantelise: A Tale of Two Sisters:  8.0
Once upon a time, there was a Japanese independent circle called EasyGameStation. They made fan games and independent titles like Recettear. But Chantelise was their first original-content game; it features all original characters and an original story. In Japan, Chantelise has been available since 2006, but it has not been as widely available to overseas gamers until the release of Carpe Fulgur's English localization this past July.  Read the full review.
 
 

Limbo: 7.5
Limbo is a very strong argument both for and against the idea of games as art. The atmosphere and fatalistic gameplay combine to create a very memorable and intriguing world, but the story doesn't do justice to it. Limbo is only an hour and 30 minutes, making it a niche title, to say the least. If you're someone who considers games as art, however, Limbo is definitely worth a purchase.  Read the full review.

Avadon: The Black Fortress
Avadon: The Black Fortress is not your twenty-first century RPG that is full of graphical flash. In fact, to be perfectly honest, Neverwinter Nights had a better graphical engine than this. However, Avadon is solid, fun, and a throwback to the days of yore in which imagination and a good story were paramount.  Read our feature article.