Happy Holidays and Construction Time!

Hello everyone and thank you so much for having stopped by this year. Whether you’re new to our site, stop by occasionally or are here every day, we appreciate it!

Today marks the start of our holiday period and we’ll be off for the next two weeks as we all relax with family and friends over Christmas and New Years. That said however, we also have a present to both you and ourselves!

Chalgyr’s Game Room turned 10 this year and to bring out some of the fanfare, we threw together a Games of the Decade extravaganza to highlight the ten years of our website. Ten years is a long time and with it the site has seen a few revamps however over the holidays is going to see our biggest one yet.

We are moving!

In order to keep up with the times, be more accessible and usable, especially after the dawn of mobile internet and browsing, yeah I know I’m making myself sound old, we are finally moving from a restrictive platform to a much more open one for our backend processes.

Because of this, things may look a bit funky for a little while. As preparation though, we’ve already revamped our last full year to be in the new style so that it will be less jarring and going forward we’ll also be revamping backwards all the way back to the beginning. Comments on articles could possibly disappear though they are still within Discus that we will continue to use.

There will be a bit of an adjustment going forward but we are looking forward to bringing you new reviews and content in 2020.

Happy Holidays!

Pierre-Yves

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Starpoint Gemini 3 Offers Goodies for the Holidays!

Just before the holiday craziness kicks in, we've reached the third milestone for Starpoint Gemini 3. That means we're offering, just in time, some fresh new ways to expand your experience of the game and fill any free days you might have coming.

This update looks exactly as a December gift basket is supposed to look – a little bit of something for everyone!

You've already explored the available game areas? Good – now you have new ones to check out, including some pretty familiar planets (EARTH anyone J ). Or, you've mastered the combat system and you're unmatched out there? Awesome – Boss mechanics will make sure there is something out there you haven't seen yet and that WILL be an adequate challenge! Also, if you're bored of your everyday bartender – new businesses have opened onboard new stations and planets.


Check out our Steam page here!


Article by Susan N.

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CGR's Games of the Decade - Wild Card

What makes a game stand out against its peers? Honestly? Often it's because if how it resonates with the person more than how it may compare in a by the numbers game.

Continuing on our two week gush fest to celebrate Chalgyr's Game Room's 10th anniversary, here are our Wild Cards because nine other categories clearly weren't enough to get in our Games of the Decade!

Thank you so much and we'll see you all again next year!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

This was one of those titles that impacted video games in so many ways, from memes to covers of songs from the soundtrack and so much more. The first time seeing a massive dragon swooping in was an adrenaline rush of a moment. There was a ton of content - both official and also through the Modding community. Oh, and my review of this game stands as our 3rd most read article at Chalgyr's Game Room, with over 30,000 unique views.

Mortal Kombat

Here's the thing - this series was basically dead before it re-released back in 2011. A series of sub-par games over the prior years had pretty much killed the interest of loyal fans such as myself before Mortal Kombat reinvented itself for a new generation. This was not the same pixelized arcade game I grew up playing at my local 7-11, and it was better for it. Tons of content, fantastic visuals and perhaps best of all, fluid combat that did away with the stiffness of its predecessors, Mortal Kombat has gone on to spawn some direct and (in the Injustice series) spiritual successors and is now alive and well. 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

I enjoyed Breath of the Wild quite a bit, even if I didn't necessarily think it was a perfect masterpiece when it first released. That being said, a lot of people did, and it proved to be the perfect title for moving loads of Nintendo Switches when they were released together. Not many games truly move consoles - but this one did.

Mary Skelter: Nightmares

Mark Skelter, even after the sequel, is one of my all-time favorite Dungeon Crawlers and it deserved a spot on this list. Wizardry first-person dungeon crawlers date back almost to the dawn of video gaming so doing new and unique things is rare when it's a style that's been done to death. Kudos to FatBot Games for Vaporum that turned the style into real-time while keeping in tune with what makes the style the style, but Compile Heart turned it into a full-blown JRPG with parts being real-time and loads of interactive scary features both inside and out of battle with characters going berserk at the worst of times if you were careful. This? This was a fairy tale for the books with its very dark and bloody tale.

Gears of War 4

Since first picking up my COG tags with Louis in my friend's living room before a poker night, I enjoyed the series but even as much as I did, it was always good, not great short of Gears 3's Horde Mode. Once Gears moved from Epic to The Coalition, the story behind the bloody gameplay just got better, the characters got deeper, and the newer Horde Mode was amazing. Now? Now I just need to get around to finishing Gears 5's campaign and starting its horde mode with my friends once they are all free at the same time. Oh, the joys of adult life.

Tales Across Time

Josh? You know how to make a game. Coming from Critical Games, Tales Across Time is a small title clocking in at 4-6 hours that I still keep coming back to on my list of Indie titles done well. Three separate but intertwined stories later, all I wanted was more.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

You would likely be hard to find a "best of" list for RTS games that did not include the biggest fish in the ocean, the StarCraft franchise. While Blizzard may have fallen out of favor in recent years ("do you guys not have phones?"), one thing is certain and that thing is the success of their properties. While many of us are itching for a 4th WarCraft RTS title, StarCraft II more than fits the bill for our RTS needs. Meticulously balanced, amazingly acted, excellently written, and possessing of Blizzard's trademark design language, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty brought one of esports most competitive titles into the 21st century with a bang. From its variable Viking aircraft to a hulking juggernaut, Thor, the Terran-based campaign continues the story of everyone's favorite Space Marshall, Jim Raynor, and his struggles with the aftermath of his on-again/off-again crush, Sarah Kerrigan while mixing in a heavy dose of revenge against the Terran Confederacy. The introductory campaign to a three-part series, Wings of Liberty expanded upon an already-beloved universe but catapulted itself into the spotlight with its focus on competitive esports (where it remains a backbone of the industry). StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is not only one of the most successful RTS games on the market, but proof that single-player games could still maintain market dominance in a time when MMOs were all the rage. Plus, it reaffirmed that Blizzard is the go-to studio for all things Real-Time Strategy.

Company of Heroes 2

Entering the foray near the end of what I like to call the "Burn Out Period" for World War II game titles, Company of Heroes 2 took the world by storm by following up to 2006's utterly fantastic Company of Heroes. Building upon their incredible wealth of knowledge, SEGA and Relic Entertainment delivered a knock-out hit to the longstanding juggernauts in the RTS genre by shipping a visceral, bloody, and dynamically stunning experience through its storied campaign and its heroic companions. Full of moments of sacrifice, tension, loss, and no small amount of fun in its war-torn villages and battered fields, Company of Heroes 2 is the mature older brother to all of its RTS brethren, showing that the genre is more than simply min-maxing your resource allocation and turret placement. Of all the RTS titles out there, the Company of Heroes franchise feels far more about the troops than the commander and that ideal is exemplified in the 2013 sequel.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

Stardock's Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is an interesting beast; one part 4X, one part Grand Strategy, one part RTS. Genre-blending and brutally difficult at times, Sins of a Solar Empire is about expansion and destruction; manage your commercial dominance, scout a vast, meticulously detailed universe, and crush your enemies with military might, all in real-time. Adding to the wonderful and hectic gameplay is a mod-friendly integration that will add dozens, nay hundreds of hours worth of gameplay. From the innumerable Star Wars and Star Trek mods to Sins of the Prophets, a Halo total conversion mod, to other popular franchises like Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, or even Mass Effect; Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion can do it all and that is the founding reason that it has been a mainstay in real-time strategy games for nigh on ten years with no end in sight.

Cities Skylines

Paradox Interactive is a company that seems to have my number, because they publish games that are strategy, 4x, and city builders. Of course, the first wildcard entry for me is Cities: Skylines. It is infinitely better than other titles of its kind like Sim City, the developers allow mods for the game, and continually add new content to the game through DLCs. I have most of the DLCs to this game like Industries, Natural Disasters, and Mass Transit. Each DLC comes with new buildings, a new mechanic, and often scenarios are released. With the use of mods, players can create any kind of city they wish, like a European style with left-handed driving as an example. I've have dumped a ton of time in this game and enjoy every DLC that has been released (with the exception of Concerts. That was a bit of a disappointment because we only received two extra buildings, no scenarios, and not much else added. But, I love that I have a concert venue, so there is that.) Overall, it is one of my favorite city management games that keeps bringing me back. Also, I've managed to get a bunch of other people hooked on the game too, so yeah!

Cypher

Cypher is a puzzle game that most people haven't actually heard of. In fact, if you google the game, it will be stuffed in between the movie content. Anyways, Cypher is a puzzle game focused on code-breaking aka cryptography. It is also a really hard game if players aren't familiar with different styles of creating and breaking codes. Each puzzle gives only one hint to its solution and often that isn't enough. The best help that players get in this game is through the fact that the earlier rooms will have a title and a description of the kinds of puzzles that are present. For example, one room is substitution, which is one of the most basic ways to break a code. It simply requires players to substitute a letter for another, often finding a keyword, to figure out the message. On days where I'm really upset and need to focus on something quite difficult, I end up playing Cypher, because I don't know all the different ways to break codes. It is definitely my runner up game in the wildcard category, and yes, I'm insane because of it. But there is true satisfaction once you figure out the solution.

You Don't Know Jack

Sometime in the 90's a game was released called You Don't Know Jack. It was a quirky trivia party game that I used to play with my best friend. We spent countless hours 'screwing each other' out of money and answering crazy irrelevant/nonsensical questions. It's the sort of game that I really took a liking to, that very few people had played (at least that I knew, at the time). Much later, the Jackbox Party Pack released with You Don't Know Jack and let me tell you because I was used to Schmitty's voice, I recognized it immediately. I needed this game in my life again. It's still quirky and likely doesn't make sense to many people, but it's a trivia game that I love to this day. Do yourselves a favor and get a party pack with YDKJ (I also recommend Quiplash and Trivia Murder Party because they are fun as hell). Just trust me. They are fun and can be played with viewers on Twitch!

Mass Effect 3

This game isn’t on this list for the story or the color-coded ending. Rather it’s here because I broke 4 toes playing this game. No seriously, me and a group of friends were playing online, we were mid-round, and I had to go to the bathroom. Not willing to AFK my buddies, I stuck through it. Upon completing the round, I took off to the lavatory, skidded on the carpet, and bashed my foot off the door frame. Cue me having four broken toes 2 days before a major mid-term. It hurt, it sucked, I was right back playing again the following week. It’s now become a running gag amongst my buddies to say “too many praetorians” whenever a horde of any enemy type starts getting ridiculous.

Criminal Girls

This game is also on my “guilty pleasure” list alongside Moero Chronicle. What Criminal Girls brings to the table though is a battle system where your party members are making the choice and you have to pick one to listen to. The game was a little difficult, especially the last boss, but I really did love playing this game. Also, the callouts for the some of the special attacks in battle are great. Your party members don’t tell you skill names, they just say a phrase and you need to remember what they’re associated with. The callout “Everyone go Brrr” was my favorite, and I’ll admit I lost it at that.

Professor Layton

I love me some puzzles, and Prof. Layton is all about the puzzles. They were almost all reasonable, and there were a ton, so I was a happy camper. While I barely remember anything to do with the storyline, I can state for sure that I enjoyed the plethora of puzzles and minigames that they offered.

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SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays - PC Review

Editor's Note: Not a Gundam but one of the best damned mobile suits. Just TRY to change my mind - PY

While SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays is a title I was hotly anticipating, I found the nostalgic excitement that I have for the franchise was dying down after just a few short hours.

Though it was great to relive some of the most pivotal and exciting moments in the Guman universe from the past 25 years, the painful transition from gorgeous yet repetitive animated scenes and stunning character art, to fourth-rate Flash-game quality art just wore me down. Even with some solid challenge in a handful of the missions, SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays is not entirely sure if it is a Visual Novel, Strategy game, or poor mobile port.

This confusing blend of visual quality is discombobulating at best, downright distracting at worst. Even when I embrace fandom forgiveness, I could find very little to keep me truly attached to the latest Gundam title from Bandai Namco and Tom Create.

Don't let the opening statements fool you though; Cross Rays will eventually grow on you, mutated art style and all. Where it really wins is with its power in nostalgia. With the Gundam universe being 40 years old, there is a ton of content to work with and Cross Rays is huge. Countless hours reliving battles, and conversations with old enemies and friends is quite the trip; it's just a damn shame there is such a weird disconnect between different art styles. It honestly feels like there were four different studios, all working independently and without contact with one another, putting this game together, and it is hard to shake that feeling of uneasiness. 

On a quick side note … SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays continues the trend of "longest most confusing titles in gaming history" that we've seen come from the East these past few years. In its defense though, the name is a pale shadow next to other franchises or mediums, like anime, which tend to have names two and three sentences long. Lost in translation I guess.  Anyhow, imagine this, you load through to the main screen, choose your episode / stage and move in through the various character selection and customization screens (of which there are a few and this is a good thing), and you load into a very quick summarization of the series; for example, the normal 3-4 minute intro for Gundam Wing is broken down into about 45 seconds. While the writing leaves a LOT to be desired, the initial art / "cutscenes" for the intros to scenes is quite nice. Awesome drawings, excellent voice-over, and typical adrenaline pumping Gundam-rock music … then you load into the actual tactical stage.

Now tactics are extremely important and relatively challenging since ranged weapons have minimum ranges along with maximum ranges, and give some solid bonuses pending what you're attacking, but sweet heavenly Char, the change from those gorgeous graphics to the abhorrent in-game graphics. There are these intense attack animations that you can choose to view or skip, and they look awesome, but I cannot get over the fact that the actual graphics look like they are from a 2008 mobile game.

Graphics aside, you have amateur-ish dialog that fits along with any real Shonen content, which may be why it is that I am struggling with much of what Cross Rays has to offer; solid gameplay mechanics, horrific graphics, and mediocre at best story / content in an anime-inspired world. It's entirely possible that I have just grown beyond the incredible immaturity that the Shonen material embodies and that to me, honestly, is a heartbreaking revelation.

I remember picking up a VHS box set of Mobile Suit Gundam - 0083: Stardust Memory back when it first hit Stateside (well before it was broadcast here) from a Suncoast store that was about a 35-40 minute drive from my house. I saw the pitch black box with tiny stars and a really cool robot on the front and I was instantly hooked. A few years later I eagerly sat in front of my tv awaiting the first episode of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing … I can still hear that intro and it pulls at my heartrings in all the best ways. Hell, I even recall the first Gunpla I ever bought … Wing Zero, 1/100 scale, I still have it, floating around here somewhere (mom thought it was a dumb decision to pick up back in the 90s because of how expensive it was, but I loved it!).

I think that it's moments like these that SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays really plays upon, and plays upon them very well. Sure there are tactical aspects to your decisions, including customizing your troop gear, but where SD Gundam really grew on me … was in its ability to bring forth some of the most precious moments in my early Gundam fandom, and for that I say "well done."

Game Information

Platform:
PC
Developer(s):
Tom Create
Publisher(s):
Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre(s):
Turned Based Strategy
Mode(s):
Single Player, Multiplayer
Other Platform(s):
Sony PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch (Imports)

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Robert

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Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Revelations - PC Review

Introduction

Age of Wonders never ceases to amaze me with its fantastic storytelling, new content, and necromancy/vampirism... I mean, new factions. In November, Triumph Studios released their first DLC for Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Revelations. It added tons of great features to the stellar 4x Strategy game, and it has sucked me in with its beginning plot hook, new tech, new factions, challenging creatures, and new world features. After playing through the game for several hours, I found myself so engrossed in the story, that I didn't notice the time passing. Revelations has in depth lore, has a beautifully interwoven story, and excellent music. Triumph Studios has done well by its fans and I can't recommend Age of Wonders with its DLC enough.

Gameplay

I've dumped a decent amount of time in Age of Wonders: Revelations so far, and I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised by the content in this first DLC. It is very easy to get sucked right into the story of discovery, helping out different factions that you haven't dealt with before, and analyzing the new anomalies scattered throughout the world.

Let's talk about the world, shall we?

Firstly, players begin on a different planet in efforts to help a Kir'Ko friend. While hunting for these secrets that the Kir'Ko speaks about, a familiar face opens communication with you. She heads to your location but crash lands, leaving no survivors. You push forward, hoping to find out about an ancient faction known as the Es'Teq. And this is the point that I was hooked on Revelations, because Triumph Studios gave me a mystery to solve, with potential of hidden riches.

Right off the bat I noticed some new features like resource nods that would give minor boosts in research or energy. These are free for the taking so long as other factions haven't grabbed them before you arrive at the location. Already, I found this to be a great addition to Age of Wonders: Planetfall. Often times, it can be a struggle to keep your energy up when different factions start demanding a certain amount of energy per turn. Every little bit helps, I always say.

Next on the new additions in Revelations are anomalies that players can discover and search through. When the screen pops up, players might note something in the bottom which tells them how many steps there are to completion, like 1/3. For me, this is a helpful bit of knowledge because it allows players to strategize whether they want to take the amount of turns to unveil the mystery or risk forcing through it. If a player goes through the anomaly to get the rewards at the end, then they will not have that group available to defend their territory from the wild creatures roaming around. It's a neat concept that required me to think about my actions, especially at the beginning of the game. I tended to complete the anomalies for the additional rewards.

While playing through Revelations, I encountered some of the new creatures, and painfully got my ass kicked. I have to say that one of them is quite entertaining, if not brutal, like the MegaSow and it's youngens. Yes. The giant pig thing is called a MegaSow and it hurts when you fight it. Trust me. I lost the battle the first time because my units didn't have enough army value. (I mean, it was worth a shot, but I knew that there was a high chance I'd fail the encounter.) Eventually, I was able to take out the MegaSow and its Piglets but not without getting a bigger army!

I spent a fair amount of time immersed in wonder throughout my time in Revelations because I was presented with the mystery of the Es'Teq faction. During my time, I made enemies with people that began as neutral. It ended up that they formed a defensive pact with another faction that I was not on good terms with. The only person that is currently friendly with me is none other than Jack Gelder - the Syndicate member you play in the base game. Well played game. Well played. I guess I understand his motivations better than the other factions? I don't know. Maybe I took on too much. Regardless, I've been having a great time playing through Revelations.

With the new content added, combined with the features already included in the base game, Revelations is a worthwhile DLC because it adds a fair amount for a decent price point. And, not only is there more than ten hours worth of gameplay added, but  there are new mechanics, factions, and technology to sweeten the deal. I may be still getting used to the Age of Wonders series, but I can't help but marvel at its story, gameplay, and features. The Revelations DLC makes an already great game better in many ways - apart from the odd game crash (which hasn't been frequent and I only ever lost one turn or two.)

Revelations DLC Features 

To give readers and idea of the content added to the game, here is a list of things that players can experience in the Revelations DLC - some of which I mentioned above:

• Story Content: The Revelations DLC comes with another 10+ hours of story content through two campaigns. This extra content brings players through the story of the Es'Teq dynasty, a mysterious group that has its secrets. Throughout gameplay, familiar faces can be seen like Jack Gelder - the Syndicate member that you play in the base game of Age of Wonders: Planetfall.
• Secret Technology: Heritor - This is an energy draining tech that effectively makes units act like necromancers or vampires. It consumes energy and can be used to gain creatures like Golems.
• New Faction: The Forgotten - A recruitable faction with new units and abilities that can be helpful against the other NPCs - or potentially terrible because you're allied with them...
• Another Faction: Reapers - Reapers, robotic units, now roam the world in search of Heritor technology. They used to be affiliated with the Heritor cause but will now stop at nothing to get their technology back. This group brings some new threats to the world...
• New Threats: There are brutal wild creatures that can ruin a players day known as MegaSow's. With them come the babies which can take out certain units with ease, known as Piglets. These creatures are bio-engineered and can be quite brutal in combat. Sometimes they swarm and can gain an extra melee attack when fleeing their attacks. I did die to this group at least once...
• Anomalies: On the map, players can see one of the new features at the beginning of the game, which are known as anomalies. These have the potential to reap rewards or trap players with some nasty surprises. Each anomaly is different and tends to take a few turns to explore, depending on the choices that a player makes. In one of them, I dismantled a security system and gained rewards for doing so, instead of kicking open the door to a potentially awful fate.
• Resource Pick Up Spots: Revelation adds a new perk for players. They can now gain a small boost in resources from certain areas of the map. Sometimes this means players gain energy while other times its a boost in research. Though these boosts aren't significant, they help with the players economy in the short term. 
• Essence Gashes: Also present on the map are spots known as essence gashes which will give units different combat effects or abilities. This can players dramatically throughout gameplay.  
• New Scenario: Tomb World: This is a scenario where players can experience the new factions and creatures with a multiplayer quest line. 
• Free Content: Players have the ability to take over imperial defenses by unlocking operations. Combat effects will augment the player colonies because of this fact. 

Revealing Final Thoughts

I absolutely love this game because it is in depth and adds so much more to the gameplay and strategy both on the map and in combat. Revelations adds a ton of new content with 10+ hours of story, new factions, new tech to play with, and new strategies to employ. This DLC in the Age of Wonders series has impressed me greatly, even though I had some minor hiccups during gameplay (like the game froze on me. I needed to force close the game and reopen it, but thankfully, I didn't lose more than a turn or two.) As such, it earns an 8 out of 10 because of the sheer amount of content and the fun I have playing it. Revelations makes for a must have DLC, in my opinion, because of the story, the strategy, and the impressive lore added. It is more than I expected for this DLC.

Anyways, be sure to check get it on Steam and don't forget to check out Triumph Studios Twitter as well as the Planetfall Twitter! For more amazing titles published by Paradox Interactive, check out their social media in the following locations: Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and their Official Website.

Game Information

Platform:
PC
Developer(s):
Triumph Studios
Publisher(s):
Paradox Interactive
Genre(s):
Strategy, Turned Based Strategy
Mode(s):
Single Player, Multiplayer
Other Platform(s):
N/A

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Susan N.

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Telltale Batman Shadows Edition with Base Game and New DLC Released!

LONDON, UK —  December 17, 2019 —Today, Telltale and Athlon Games launched The Telltale Batman Shadows Edition. Shadows Edition brings a sinister new look to the Telltale Batman Series adding a noir-style visual makeover and graphical upgrade to the critically acclaimed and much-loved games.

The Telltale Batman Shadows Edition, which includes the Batman: The Telltale Series base game and new noir style DLC, is available for players to purchase now on Xbox One and Steam, Epic Game Store, PlayStation 4 in Europe and Nintendo SwitchTM in the near future, from £23.96. Players who already own the base game can add Shadows Mode as stand-alone DLC from £3.99.

Earlier this year, Telltale and Athlon Games struck a publishing agreement for five popular Telltale Games back catalog titles, including Batman 1 & 2 and The Wolf Among Us, which are currently available for fans to purchase. A leading creator of interactive storytelling, Telltale Games titles represent a collection of unique and powerful story driven narratives that invoke fond memories for fans worldwide.

“We’re excited to be able to build and continue the legacy of this iconic Telltale Games franchise by launching The NEW Telltale Batman Shadows Edition today,” said Brian Waddle, Chief Revenue Officer at Telltale. “For the holiday season, we wanted to offer fans old and new a fun twist on the series with the first of many planned initiatives. All of us at Telltale are working hard to build a great studio, delivering great content. We hope everyone will stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months and, for now, enjoy playing in the Shadows.”

Batman: The Telltale Series cast players into the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne in a dark and violent original story and challenges players with discovering the powerful and far-reaching consequences of choice as the Dark Knight. As Batman, players will encounter classic allies and adversaries, and will learn the true meaning of what it means to be the man behind the cowl as Bruce Wayne.

For further information on upcoming announcements related to Telltale Games, please follow Telltale Games on Twitter.

About Athlon Games

Athlon Games, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited, is a global publisher of free-to-play console and PC games headquartered in Los Angeles. Athlon Games combines its expertise in free-to-play console and PC games with Western development to create AAA cooperative console and PC experiences that gamers will want to play for many years.

About Leyou

Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited is a fast-growing developer and publisher of interactive entertainment for gamers worldwide. The company is a leader in the free-to-play multiplayer market, developing and operating games through its subsidiaries including Digital Extremes (Canada), Splash Damage (UK), King Maker (Beijing) and Radiance (Guangzhou China) and invested associates Certain Affinity (US) etc. Leyou, a publicly traded company on Hong Kong Exchange (1089.HK), also owns a global publishing platform branded as Athlon Games headquartered in Los Angeles. Leyou mainly focuses on high-quality multiplayer online games on PC and consoles, and adopts a “Games as a Service (GaaS)” operating model. The company owns the flagship game Warframe, an award-winning free-to-play game, and is developing multiple other AAA free-to-play games at the same time.  For more corporate information please visit http://www.leyoutech.com.hk.

About LCG Entertainment/Telltale Games

LCG Entertainment is a privately held company, headquartered in Malibu with a satellite studio in Corte Madera, California. LCG Entertainment owns the brand, assets and various IP from the original Telltale Games company. Formerly an award-winning independent developer and publisher of both original and licensed IP games for every major interactive platform, Telltale Games pioneered the episodic delivery of digital gaming content. Initially founded in 2004, Telltale won numerous accolades for its best-selling game series, including The Walking Dead, Batman: The Telltale Series, The Wolf Among Us, Tales from the Borderlands, and more. LCG Entertainment will be operating and marketing games under the Telltale brand going forward. Telltale Games and Telltale are registered trademarks of LCG Entertainment, Inc. For more information on the new Telltale Games, please visit www.telltale.com.

BATMAN and all related characters, their distinctive likenesses, and all related elements are the property of DC Comics. TM & © 2016

BATMAN and all related characters, their distinctive likenesses, and all related elements are the property of DC Comics. TM & © 2017

The Wolf Among Us © Bill Willingham and DC ComicsTM TM Bill Willingham (2013). All Rights Reserved.


Article by Susan N.

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CGR's Games of the Decade - Other (Simulation, Roguelike, Visual Novel, etc...)

What makes a game stand out against its peers? Honestly? Often it's because if how it resonates with the person more than how it may compare in a by the numbers game.

Continuing on our two week gush fest to celebrate Chalgyr's Game Room's 10th anniversary, here are other types of experiences that may not exactly fit neatly into other categories.

Super Mario Maker

Look, the Wii U had a pretty rough reception, but there were a handful of games that stood out on the platform. Perhaps none made better use of the touchscreen technology, however, than Super Mario Maker, which blended platform action and creative world-building beautifully. I have spent oodles of hours with game-maker software in the past, but without a doubt, this was the smoothest console game maker made to date. Considering the massive community that evolved around this game to lend its incredible life after its release, I think it is safe to say that this was one of the most unique and compelling game offerings of the last decade.

Sega Genesis Classics

This doesn't fit in a singular box, because it is a compilation of some of my favorite games of all time. There was a Sonic collection back on the prior generation of consoles, and there were a couple of things about that collection I liked just a smidge better than this one, but by and large, this 2018 release did many things better. More than 50 games to choose from, a wide variety of formats and some great quality of life additions make this a must-have for Genesis fans such as myself.

Guitar Hero: Metallica

Just barely making the cut as a 2009 game, Guitar Hero: Metallica was (along with Guitar Hero III and Aerosmith) among my favorites in the oversaturated series. Worth noting due to the huge, if brief, popularity spike Guitar Hero (and to a lesser extent, Rock Band) had on the video game rhythm genre. Metallica took one of my favorite bands and allowed me to play along with their music. Unfortunately, the period after this release saw the downfall of the Guitar Hero series as well.

Danganrompa 1-2 Reload

How... does one even describe this? Battle Royal meets a visual novel / murder mystery? Other than being bat shit crazy, Danganrompa plays host to the excellent dialog, great narrative gameplay, who done it jury trials and a crazy assed bipolar bear who would kill everyone just because they decided to test him. Having played 1-2 and Ultra Despair Girls (2.5), the only thing left is to finally go into Danganrompa 3 and see if it holds up to the first as I wonder if all the surprises have been let out of the bag.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles

I have never relaxed so much to a game like I have to Yonder. Zero combat, just exploration and side quests on a relaxing island, this is a cute little adventure that everyone should experience as the only emotions short of awwwww are the feeling of zen as you explore and solve the mystery of the island that you have found yourself on.

Stardew Valley

Harvest Moon farming? Check. Dungeon Crawler? Check. Animal Crossing friendships? Check. Stardew Valley for a 16-bit inspired and looking adventure had it all and it was so easy to lose hours upon hours to it even before the updates and the inclusion of multiplayer. How you decide to run your farm and go about your days? That's entirely up to you!

City Skylines

With the colossal mistake that was SimCity (2013) there was a void left in the city-building world of gaming; enter simulation/strategy super juggernaut Paradox Interactive with 2015's highly anticipated Cities: Skylines. It was literally everything aspiring city planners the world over wanted, plus some. Harnessing their longstanding history in strategy and its penchant for detail, Paradox brought to the masses an incredibly deep, highly sophisticated, easy to pick up, city-building simulation that anyone of any skill level can play … And you can have curved roads! With Cities: Skylines enjoying nearly 5 years of excellence, a number of excellent expansions, and a dedicated modding community, Paradox broke additional boundaries by bringing an excellent port of it to consoles in early 2019 where it continues to enjoy a rabid fanbase. From the tallest of towers to the lowest of water pipes and from the largest airport to the smallest bus stop, Cities: Skylines delivers on every level for both fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

Elite Dangerous

Frontier Development's Elite: Dangerous is a unique beast; the sequel to a 30-year old franchise, Elite began development in the early 2010s, say widespread "Early Access" in 2014 and full release a year or so later, all to critical acclaim. Working with experts at the European Space Agency and NASA, Frontier developed and released a to scale model of our Galaxy with hundreds of billions of planets to scan, nebulae to explore, and black holes to see. Along the way, we received the ability to land on planets in our SRVs, fight in open PVP for control of the Bubble, and chase the intimately dark history of the Elite universe and the longstanding Thargoid threat. Years later with development updates are pouring in and the fandom no less feverish for content, Elite: Dangerous is a force to be reckoned with in the space-faring simulation genre and will be THE title that all new titles in the genre are compared to.

Forza Horizon 2

I have been a longstanding fan of the racing genre; from the original Cruisin' USA and Top Gear games to Need For Speed: Underground, to more simulator focused Asetto Corseca and Gran Turismo, so when Turn 10 studios, of the Forza Motorsports fame, dropped a wholly different type of racing game in 2012 with Forza Horizon, I was hooked. While the first was fun, 2014's Forza Horizon 2 was spectacular. With better framerates, gorgeous graphics, more detailed vehicles, and a wholly more natural "arcade racer," open-world racer Forza Horizon 2 was an instant favorite. Blistering speeds through fields, tight city corners, or through the valleys and vistas brought a marriage of speed and beauty that few racers can match. Being a fan of automobiles that I am, I would find myself toiling away to find the next great Barn Find or spend countless hours just … designing my car; from tweaking its performance to slapping on a new paint job, this baby can do it all. 

Antichamber

The best game I've ever played took me a really long time to get through. It is called Antichamber and my god did it break my brain for a long while. Antichamber is the sort of game where many people have played it and not everyone found certain rooms on the map (which, by the way, isn't exactly a linear map.) There are puzzles that require you to walk backwards or look away from something in order to get into other rooms. And throughout the game, players are seeking different gun upgrades that allow for other types of manipulation of matter. While I loved this game in its entirety, the only thing that I would caution players on is the brightness of the game. My eyes do not like all-white spaces, and at the time I wasn't using f.lux or gunners or anything like that. Anyways, it is top on my list for walking simulator/escher-like games.

The Witness

Another walking simulator style of puzzle game on my list is none other than The Witness. Unlike many players of this game, I actually made sense of the game. It is abstract and relies on players to learn puzzle solutions from 'learning boards' and observation. Much like with Antichamber, the game requires players to carefully observe their environment to complete various puzzles like the trees or the shadow puzzles. It is also a game that has a couple of different endings. One of those endings reveals a cut scene of Jonathon Blow getting up from his couch. I'm not going to go into details about that cut scene, and will only say that it made perfect sense to me - despite the fact that Jonathon Blow mentioned something about the game not having a greater purpose and that players read too much into the game. Moreover, it may be a small detail but in one of the movie theater rooms was a clip from a TV show that I used to watch when I was younger. The moment the guy appeared on the screen and started talking, I was immediately enthralled. I knew this man. Anyways, The Witness is a game that is truly interesting for puzzle nerds and people that enjoy abstract concepts, so it is obviously on my list as a runner up.

Return of Obra Dinn

My second runner up game, which is also a puzzle game, is the Return of Obra Dinn. Not only was I fascinated by the art style, but I loved the idea of seeing a few seconds of events that occurred right before a person died in order to solve what happened. Everyone on the ship is dead, and your objective is to look at the people around, listen to the hints given in a flashback, and put the pieces together regarding who is who. It's a unique game where players cannot get their clues from other characters because everyone is dead. Obra Dinn requires observation and detective skills to find out the truth about what happened, and I absolutely love it. Obra Dinn is such a unique game that it has to go on my list of all-time favorite games of the decade.

Crypt of the Necrodancer

Came for the music, stayed for the music, was pleased with the gameplay, might be the best description I can offer here. If you’ve been living under a rock, Crypt of the Necrodancer is an awesome Rhythm game with a soundtrack that you’d buy in a heartbeat, smooth rhythm-based gameplay, and a roguelike dungeon spawning that makes each delve into the crypt a little different from the last. You can bop to the beating of your undead heart either alone or with a friend, and I had so much fun playing this, despite my awful skill level.

Magika 2

This…thing, was a free game on PSPlus a while back. I and my roommate picked it up. It was the longest 4 hours we ever spent. I believe we walked away from this game looking at each other and saying, quite literally “what the heck did we just do”, and to this day I still can’t answer that question. In a game where you die to your friends more often than the enemies, and being called “bathrobed ones” at every turn, I don’t know what I expected from Magika 2, but nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced.

Rock of Ages 2

Tower defense meets bowling with the art and comedy stylings of Monty Python. That’s what Rock of Ages 2 is, and yes that’s a confusing concept to get your head around. With co-op modes available on consoles other than the switch, rock of ages 2 is the weirdest, kookiest, yet most adorably entertaining game I’ve probably ever played that I can’t rightly put in any category at all. The previous 2 entries can be thrown into “rhythm” and “adventure” technically, but this? I don’t even know. What I do know is that it was more fun than it had any right to be.

Danganronpa

*friend come over* "Hey, ever heard of this game? No? Well, if you like anime tropes, murder and puzzle-solving then you'll love this game." LORD OF THE FLIES... I really loved this game. The fact that I gotta find a murderer, in a sealed school, full of ultimately talented students via death trials... hot!

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

Ok, so, let's make a long story short... a friend told me to play this series. God bless that friend. The Layton series is one of my go-to brain teasers. I love solving puzzles, it scratches the perfect itch. However, out of the many titles, this series has produced my all-time favorite is the 3rd game. Unwound Future just took everything the 1st and 2nd game had and made the perfect, saddest, funniest sandwich I have ever tasted. Thanks, Level 5!

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Planetarium Announces a New Free to Play RPG

16 DECEMBER 2019 - Innovative developers, Planetarium today announce the release of a free public alpha for their ambitious RPG, Nine Chronicles -  a vast adventure set in a fantasy world governed by its players. The news is accompanied by a teaser trailer that introduces players to the radical ideas and unprecedented freedom that will form the core of the game's design.

Offering the perfect introduction to an RPG built with community in mind, Nine Chronicles aims to put the power firmly into the hands of its players. Players are encouraged to join the Discord to gain access to the alpha and take part in the exciting opportunity the game presents.

Nine Chronicles is a free-to-play RPG set in a vast fantasy world - governed by its players, and supported by a complex economy where supply and demand are the greatest currency. You take control of a fresh-faced adventurer ready to carve a name for yourself in the Nine Realms collecting unique loot and battling the deadliest of foes.

Featured among the first companies in Asia to be selected for Ubisoft Entrepreneurs Lab, a global start-up program fostered by Ubisoft, Planetarium has shown themselves as drivers of innovation in technology within the gaming space. Working from a close mentorship with key Ubisoft staff, Planetarium hope to be a pioneer in bringing their blockchain gaming technology, Libplanet to a mainstream audience.

Kijun Seo, CEO of Planetarium - "It's been about a year since we started developing the game and the underlying technology, and we’re very excited to reveal it now. Since Nine Chronicles will be released as an open-source project and owned by the player community, we hope to find many like-minded gamers who’ll support us on our journey ahead!"

Catherine Seys, Start-up Program Director at Ubisoft's Strategic Innovation Lab - "The focus this season is in line with our goal to explore potential blockchain use cases for the gaming industry, and see how the technology could enhance players' gaming experience,"

"Planetarium has already demonstrated its technical expertise with its open-source project and caught our attention with their new user-participatory gaming paradigm using blockchain."

For more information on this season of Ubisoft's Entrepreneurs Lab check out an update here.

About Nine Chronicles

Play, mine and battle. The Nine Realms are yours to explore.

Nine Chronicles is a free-to-play RPG set in a vast fantasy world - governed by its players, and supported by a complex economy where supply and demand are the greatest currency.

Take control of a fresh-faced adventurer and carve a name for yourself in the Nine Realms collecting unique loot and battling the deadliest of foes.

Explore the Nine Realms and face a vast array of monsters on your quest to establish order and become stronger than you could ever imagine.

Create special items and trade with other players forming one part of a greater economy based on supply and demand.

Create your own unique strategies through a combination of items and abilities to tackle the greatest of challenges in the way you want.

KEY FEATURES

• Unique and challenging dungeons to explore spread across nine realms
• A robust trading economy that gives the time you put into the game real value
• Infinite possibilities for player-made content

About Planetarium

Planetarium is an open-source blockchain platform set to transform the longevity and the profit model of games. Rather than simply introducing blockchain technology into games, they intend to make the games run forever through decentralization and pioneer a new form of community-powered games.

Article by Susan N.

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CGR's Games of the Decade - Indie

What makes a game stand out against its peers? Honestly? Often it's because if how it resonates with the person more than how it may compare in a by the numbers game.

Continuing on our two week gush fest to celebrate Chalgyr's Game Room's 10th anniversary, here are our top Indie titles. Not all greatness needs millions in budgets!

Limbo

There are so many possibilities here, and I bounced back and forth between quite a few titles, but at the end of the day, there was always something about Limbo that just stuck with me. The stark visual style was certainly a huge factor in it, but the ambiguous story leaves so much to the imagination as well. Some of the puzzles were cleverer than others, but it is not all that often a game stick with me after I put down the controller - but Limbo certainly did.

Journey

Look, I know Journey wasn't for everyone, but as I said in my review, I found this one to be a breathtaking experience. It took a little getting used to right at first, but in the end, it was absolutely worth the investment. Developer Tricky Pixels knocked this one out of the park.

To the Moon

This is not the highest scoring game I reviewed, and basically having begun life as an RPG Maker project, not the most impressive of visual productions either. Heck, this was a short - probably too short - game also. So how in the world does it wind up in a compilation like this? Because the moving music and touching storyline took a fascinating approach to some difficult topics and gave To the Moon a sort of mental stickiness not often found in AAA productions, let alone indie titles like this.

Picking a number one indie title was anything but easy as there have been loads of amazing titles in the past ten years. So what it really came down to, what stuck out the most? What have I gone back to repeatedly?

Cross Code

The top of my list and my #1 goes to Radical Fish Game's CrossCode. Bringing me damn near .Hack magic at the end of a decade was something that had been on my list and wow was it ever done well. I'm not an MMO person but I like the simulation of it and CrossCode's world felt alive and lived in with all of the character sprites running around. Add in some metroidvania elements and action adventure platforming and it's definitely at the top of its class.

Ara Fell

Here is another title that I just loved and would absolutely flat out buy a switch version if it ever came to the consoles. Made in an older RPG Maker, Stegosoft made magic with this adventure adding in loads of elements never seen in the style much less in an RPG Maker! Custom just about everything, what has stuck with me are the environmental effects and how you can explore it by crawling through openings and climbing through other openings which are all animated and not just fade to black transitions.

Portal Knights

There no denying my love for Dragon Quest Builders, and Dragon Quest Builders 2 was even better. Before the sequel though, Keen Games made an open worlded with multiple world RPG Simulator that could be played in single and multiplayer. With different classes for the RPG elements and then get crafting possibilities, the hours and the combinations were endless. With constant updates still going on, this should be on everyone's list. Now like Bloodborne I just need a few trophies for a platinum.

The Gardens Between

A couple of years back I came across a game called The Gardens Between, which I ended up reviewing for our site. Players follow two boys through puzzles that can be solved by temporarily shifting time. It is a quirky puzzle game that actually tells a story while players progress, although, that fact isn't readily apparent at first. The Gardens Between is a game I fell in love with, through its storytelling without words and its unique presentation of puzzles. It is a sweet game that I am glad I had the opportunity to play and well worth the couple hours of time to play through it (depending on how good your puzzle-solving skills are). Thus, it is my indie game of the decade.

Shovel Knight

God, I love the music in this game. I always get so pumped up when I start a new level and the music there, encouraging me. Then I walk into boss fight and the music ramp up to a whole new level. I also appreciate the simple art style that seem to take me back to my days of Ghouls & Ghost.

Brothers: A Tale of two Sons

The cover stood out as 'different' when I pulled it from the shelf. Plain yet, compelling. I was shocked to find out that you're require to move both characters with both analogs. Its tripped me out at first, but it was a new mechanic that I enjoyed and it pushes me to finish the game.

Undertale

My original thought on this game when it first surface the internet was 'An RPG Minecraft? That can't be good..." Boy, did I jump the gun. The game is anything BUT THAT! Not only is the scriptwriting genius, but the fighting was waaaaay out of left field. HEY GUY! LET'S MAKE THIS A BULLET-HELL STYLE COMBAT! ALSO... the music dope.

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Ski Jumping Pro VR - PSVR Review

To its credit, Ski Jumping Pro VR is actually an entertaining game that works pretty well as a virtual reality sport. However, as refined as the gameplay is, the relative lack of content does make bring into question the value of the overall offering.

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AO Tennis 2 Releasing in January of 2020

Lesquin, France, December 11, 2019 – BIGBEN and Big Ant Studios are proud to introduce the second AO Tennis 2 developer diary. Come and meet Big Ant’s team in Melbourne to know everything about the career mode of the second game in the official Australia Open series, coming to consoles and PC on January 9th.

Earn your reputation!

The reworked AO Tennis 2 Career Mode offers brand-new perspectives to players seeking a challenge. While performance on the court remains crucial, players will also be rewarded based on their behaviour during external events, immersing them even deeper into the world of professional tennis. During press conferences or discussions with your manager, maintaining good relationships with those around you is important to gain favour among the public and the sponsors. Each public speaking event can have an impact on your career advancement, thus giving the player the freedom to build their own identity.

A comprehensive interface

In the AO Tennis 2 Career Mode interface, players can check their personal profile to see their progression status, as well as the evolution of their attributes and physical skills. All these elements need to be taken into consideration in order to pursue a successful career throughout the season. Players will need to navigate matches, their travel schedule, and training sessions, while giving themselves time to rest and prevent injury. An injury limits performance on the court, while time spent traveling the world to follow the tour induces fatigue. In this narrative-driven career mode, everything has been done to let fans experience the reality of daily life as one of the greatest professional players.

AO Tennis 2 is planned for release on January 9, 2020 on PC, PS4™, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch™.

* * *

AO Tennis 2 is the second game in the official Australia Open series. Developed side by side with the team at Tennis Australia, the game gives tennis fans an intense experience of the first of the year's four Grand Slam events, which begins on 20 January. In AO Tennis 2, players can take themselves from the outside courts to centre-stage glory in the all-new narrative-driven career mode, enriched with a reputation system, or choose to customise every element of their game through Big Ant’s content editor. Above all, they will be able to play in the shoes of many tennis stars, such as Rafael Nadal, Ash Barty, Angélique Kerber and more.

About Big Ant Studios

Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd, a privately owned and operated independent game developer and publisher, is one of Australia’s largest and longest-running game development studios, having developed and published games from historic platforms including the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation®Portable, through to PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch™. Best known for producing high quality sports titles, Big Ant Studios have developed the highest selling AFL, Rugby League, Lacrosse and Cricket games of all time.

About BIGBEN

BIGBEN, a leading publisher of video games on PC and consoles, is known for its creativity and innovation. After its acquisition of four development studios (Cyanide, Eko, KT Racing and Spiders), which are all internationally recognised for their expertise in different genres, BIGBEN is strengthening its position as a developer and publisher of premium games and is aiming to become the world's leading AA publisher. www.bigben.fr

Company listed on Euronext Paris, compartment B – Index: CAC SMALL – Eligible SRD long | ISN: FR0000074072 ; Reuters: BIGPA ; Bloomberg: BIGFP |SALES 2018-2019: 245,5M€ | HEADCOUNT: 600 employees | INTERNATIONAL: 13 subsidiaries and a distribution network in 115 countries. www.bigben-group.com


Article by Susan N.

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CGR's Games of the Decade - Strategy

What makes a game stand out against its peers? Honestly? Often it's because if how it resonates with the person more than how it may compare in a by the numbers game.

Continuing on our two week gush fest to celebrate Chalgyr's Game Room's 10th anniversary, here are what we each thought reigned supreme from turned based to real time tactics!

Fire Emblem: Awakening

I enjoy all kinds of strategy games, though the turn-based with RPG elements definitely tend to hook me in more successfully. I had been playing Fire Emblem for years. It had a very niche following that appreciated the hardcore difficulty, anime-style visuals and interesting characters. However, something happened with Fire Emblem: Awakening. It was made more accessible and it was given a bit more fanfare by Nintendo than in the past. What followed was a game that catered to multiple audiences, providing what is still to this day arguably my favorite 3DS title.

Sid Meier's Civilization V

The second Civ ate up oodles of my time years ago when I was first introduced to it. For some reason, the next couple of games never quite tickled my brain in quite the same way. Then came the fifth installment, and I happily sunk tons of hours into the series again. For me, the magic had been recaptured.

Halo Wars

Proof that strategy games (and RTS games no less!) could not only be made and played on a console - but that they could be incredibly well done as well. Until this time, just about everyone said that a proper RTS required a keyboard and mouse, but Ensemble Studios proved otherwise with Halo Wars

Disgaea 4

I said it in my Switch Review, didn't I? Disgaea 4 is my strategy game if the decade. Refined turned squad-based tactics on a square grid with some of the craziest things you'll ever see dood. Making fun of vampires, werewolves humans and exploding penguins in a political coup, this remains at the top of my favorite Nippon Ichi Software titles!

Valkyria Chronicles 4

Sega, thank you. Valkyria Chronicles was one of my favorite PS3 titles and remained one of my favorite squad-based tactics title. Moving one unit at a time from a static map, you zoom into the action where everything is real-time and everyone is shooting at you as you. Only refined through the versions, Valkyria Chronicles 4 was stellar in its storytelling. It was stellar in its combat. And it was stellar for bringing the series back to today and bringing it back in force!

The Banner Saga

Stoic Studio, I have to thank you for an amazing summer of gaming last year when I restarted the first Banner Saga and played right through into the conclusion. Epic storytelling. Amazing combat. Wonderful characters and I don't know how many tears I shed as people I loved died and there was nothing I could do about it. Thank you so much for this amazing trilogy.

Stellaris

I am honestly not sure where to begin with Stellaris… It comes from a 4x/Grand Strategy development studio with one of the most incredible pedigrees on the planet; with titles like Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Crusader Kings, and Majesty under its belt, veritable juggernaut Paradox Interactive entered the hard science fiction strategy game foray in 2016 with Stellaris and it took the genre by storm. From the gorgeous graphics to the deep political mechanics, everything about Stellaris is as close to flawless as a game can get. Though it has historically dominated the genre, Paradox outshone even its own brightest lights when it shipped Stellaris, cementing it as THE strategy game developer to beat. 

Set on a galactic scale, Stellaris is about establishing superiority over your enemies and allies through subversion or military might; hundreds of systems, each with their own unique planets and orbital bodies are ripe for the taking, and with one of a few dozen customizable races, the choice is up to you on how to take it all for yourself. Add to it the slew of immense expansion packs (both free and paid), and you will rarely come close to playing the same game twice. Add to the expansive title and its official DLC the fact that Paradox is extraordinarily Mod-friendly and you will easily find yourself putting thousands of hours into your galactic domination. Few titles have the staying power that a Paradox title has, and Stellaris is the strongest of them all. 

Total War: Shogun 2

The Total War franchise is long and storied with some utterly spectacular releases and some spectacularly terrible releases. None though, stand the test of time as well as Total War: Shogun 2. Honestly, by way of pure, traditional, 4x games, Shogun 2 is without peer. Meticulously balanced, extraordinarily detailed, stunningly approachable, and possessing some of the most storied moments in my personal gaming experiences, Shogun 2 is perfect. 

Set in feudal Japan during the Sengoku Period (Ashikaga Shogunate, Ōnin War), you take control one of a dozen or so warring clans in a vie for the rule of Japan. Shrewd political tactics, trade dealings, and a mind for military strategy are key factors for victory in Shogun 2 and given the incredible balance between units and political or trade actions in the game, a combination of all three facets of gameplay are necessary not just for victory, but survival. Nearly ten years on and the title has an immense following and dedicated modding community that breathes new life into the game with every new day. Total War: Shogun 2 is the highlight of a storied franchise where the passage of time holds no sway.

Distant Worlds: Universe

So few 4x, Grand Strategy, etc. games have a level of depth while maintaining simplicity the way that Distant Worlds: Universe has managed. Eschewing hyper realistic graphics and fanciful art for a more utilitarian design language, the approach to player-accessible information is stunningly simple yet incredibly deep. Like Stellaris, DW:U sits in a realm that's not truly turn-based while maintaining the deep universe-planning gameplay of more traditional Grand Strategy and 4X titles. To be frank, the format works and works quite well. By focusing on the more simplistic art style there is something of a timeless quality to it; in 5 years, in 10 years, in 30 years, Distant Worlds: Universe will still look and feel nostalgically great while maintaining the deep sophistication and complexity that it is known for, all the while staying true to its approachable and accessible nature.

Battletech

Those of you that read my review of BattleTech know that it became my game of the year when it came out. I love the game because of the different levels of strategy, both the financial and the in-mission strategies, the story, and the customization of the mechs. It is a game that has existed for a very long time and ended up with a bunch of spin-offs like MechWarrior and Mech Commander. The series has dozens of books released in its universe and it continues to live on as a miniature game, book series, video game series, etc.. What can we say? Mech battles are awesome. How could it NOT be number one on my list? I have spent countless hours in this game already and will spend a ton more.

Civilization V

I have enjoyed the Civilization series for many years, and though I can't recall which one I started with, I have always loved turn-based strategy games that give players options to win through military dominance or diplomacy. There are other victory conditions like the tech race, but it just goes to show that the game can be won in multiple ways without forcing people into one type of win condition. Civilization V is also at the top of my list because of Baba Yetu. I'm not going to sugar coat that fact. The music is brilliant and as a theme song, very little tops it for me. But beyond that, I enjoy games that can be played with friends with some casual mayhem, diplomatic strategies, and the ability to be mad at Gandhi (because he's a dick in Civilization. Trust me. He's not to be trifled with.) I also really love the ability to chase after monuments and exploring the land around your initial city. All in all, I love Civilization V and it is my runner up under strategy.

Starcraft 2

If you don’t know about Starcraft, then I’m gonna be really disappointed. I was never very good at micromanaging, or even working out a winning strategy in the original starcraft, so when a buddy of mine told me to get Heart of the Swarm, I was a little skeptical, but still got it anyway. Hoo boy, I was not disappointed. With a lot of updates and upgrades and even a co-op mission mode, Starcraft 2 has to hit this list somewhere, and at the top seems most appropriate. It felt great getting back into the swing of RTS warfare with alien creatures and monstrosities of death with my Ultralisk rush. Mwuhuhuhuhu.

X-Morph Defense

An interesting tower defense style strategy game where instead of the humans defending against aliens, you’re aliens invading the humans. While the basic tower defense aspect is pretty standard, being able to use the ship to shoot down enemies was pretty cool, as was the huge boss fights that throw an interesting spin at the tower defense genre. With the option of a second player joining in for a couch co-op mode, Xenomorph defense makes a great entry for killing some time with a friend, as well as eliminating those squishy human pests.

Fire Emblem: Awakening

This was the first time I ever picked up this series. The only reason, and I kid you not, I bought this game was because I found out you could marry dreamy anime boys AND have their children. SOLD! PLUS, you know, it's actually super fun to take the time and think about your next move carefully or else you could lose your dreamy anime husband, PERMANENTLY.

Dota 2

When I first got my Steam account my brother and a good friend started me off on Dota. That game is structure around how strategic a 5 player group can be. It was extremely tough to master, but with some very patient teammates, and a great sense of humor, it became one of my favorite pastimes.

Fire Emblem: Echoes

Another Fire Emblem? Yes! Since I don't play many Strategy games I gotta double up, but that's ok because Echoes was awesome. I can't choose my husband this time around, but don't worry, the game does a great good at telling this tragic love story. It also introduces a bit of dungeon exploration with lots of sweet little goodies and power-ups if you looked high and low.

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