We’re back with the next Monthly Game Smackdown! As a reminder, the MGS is where 4 games are picked at the beginning of the month and every week each game is played for an hour. Every Friday I’ll discuss what I find fun, or not, fun about each game based on the previous week’s game time.

It’s a new month and we have 4 “new” games attempting to win our affection. Here are the games and the results of the first hour of play for each.

Game #1

Darkest of Days (XBox360)
• Reviewer Bias: against

(from the game’s website)

“In Darkest of Days, you’ll get to experience some of the most varied gameplay ever released in one title. Things will never get stale as you travel to distant times and fight alongside people from that time period. Fighting in Antietam (the bloodiest day of the American Civel War) feels much different than fighting on the side of the Russians at Tannenberg (where the Russians withstood 140,000 casualties in WWI).”

Current Rating: Sorta Fun

What was played
This is a fps campaign so went through the tutorial and picked the first area of the Russian chapter.

Thoughts so far
The ideas behind this game are pretty good; the premise and the primary story about the lost doctor/inventor of time travel is a little intriguing, and the history around the objective I picked is interesting. I can even overlook the use of template sound effects and “older” feeling graphics. But, the game really stumbles around some basics that just make it feel like nobody really tested it before it went out the door.

I get the idea behind needing to look at someone speaking to you, but in real life when your back is too them, you should still be able to hear them (unless your ears are on the front of your head, I suppose). Not so in this game, as turning your back effectively makes you deaf. The subtitles are typed onto the world instead of having they’re own background box making them hard to read; which is what you have to try to resort to because of the directional sound problem. And how many times do we need to press start? If I haven’t paused the game, it should continue to play, right?

Game #2

Penumbra: Overture (PC)
• Reviewer Bias: neutral

(from the game’s website)

“Penumbra is a first person horror adventure focusing on story, immersion and puzzle solving. Violence and combat is hardly an option – the player has to use wits to guide Philip through his final test, and this makes the series unique in offering a truly dangerous and terrifying experience.”

Current Rating: Fun

What was played
Linear game so pressed start and headed on in.

Thoughts so far
The atmosphere they have created in this game is brilliant. I was tense for all but the opening bit on the boat where you learn the controls, expecting something to jump out and eat my face at every turn. Even when you see the first beasties and realize they’re not that frightening, the game is still spooky. Looking forward to the next hour of the jibblies.

Game #3

Fairytale Fights (XBox360)
• Reviewer Bias: neutral

(from the game’s website)

“Once upon a time through the clouds floating high above the seas there lay a gathering of story books, waterfalls, and fairytales. Fairytale heroes once renowned and much talked of have grown restless and twisted in their search to reclaim their Fariytale status.

And so Fairytale Fights tells the twisted account of four infamous heroes and their pursuit of recognition. A dark shadow hangs over the magical kingdom aas evil forces move ever closer to stealing the Fairytales for good. . . are you up for the challenge?”

Current Rating: Sorta Fun

What was played
Linear game so pressed start and headed on in.

Thoughts so far
In a word: gruesome. I kept going back and forth on how much I actually like this one in the first hour of play. On the one hand, the idea is hilarious, the graphics are cute yet deranged, the levels are getting more challenging. On the other just wiggling the right toggle stick around to perform every attack seems, if anything, too mindless. So, while simplifying the game, they accidentally made the majority of my time a little boring. Also, maybe there’s something I’m missing about the “rest area” of the game but it feels way too big for the little bit that I’ve found to do.

Game #4

Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim (PC)
• Reviewer Bias: neutral

(from the game’s website)

“In the world of Majesty, you are the ruler of the kingdom of Ardania. At your service are your loyal and somewhat obnoxious subordinates, who have their own minds about how things should be done. Majesty is the only game where your heroes decide on their own what should be done and when, leaving you to try to control them through monetary incentives.”

Current Rating: Sort Fun

What was played
Played through the tutorial and am working on the first area after that.

Thoughts so far
I thought I knew how to play this game, as it looks like your standard “Age of” RTS (maybe better art in this one, though). And, with that in mind, proceeded to blast my way through the tutorial and on to the first map where I’m on my own. It looks, however, as I will need to revisit the tutorial as I am at a loss as to why my market isn’t producing a tax income.

Still, it feels like there is a lot of potential for this one.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 6:00 am and is filed under Editorial. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.