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Category: Early Access

Age of Darkness: Final Stand – Early Access Hands On

Age of Darkness: Final Stand – Early Access Hands On

One of my favourite aspects of the campaign in Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 was that it allowed you to embrace your inner turtle. Or at least, hunkering down and building a powerful base to fight back the enemy was my favoured playstyle. The problem I’ve found with many RTS titles since those halcyon days is that single-player titles are focused on small-scale squad management, while multiplayer and RTS is an oxymoron in my lexicon.

All in all, when I finally got around to starting up Age of Darkness: Final Stand – having initially installed when released in Early Access last October – I found myself feeling very comfortable.

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ReIterate() – Exceedingly British Spike-Jumping

ReIterate() – Exceedingly British Spike-Jumping

The word ‘Reiterate’ is defined as being the act of repeating a task or action until hitting a set of spikes for the thousandth time causes you to scream and throw something.

ReIterate() on the other hand is a fast-paced 2D platformer by Zayne Black of Black Country Games. Citing his influences as Kuso and N++, it’s a game with simple graphics but a focus on precision and fluidity, two things I’m not particularly good at. Controlling a tiny little man in his endless quest to go to the right, you must overcome a series of deadly obstacles in order to reach the end of the level.

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Fights in Tight Spaces: The Early Access Verdict

Fights in Tight Spaces: The Early Access Verdict

I’ve been looking at ‘Fights in Tight Spaces’, a tactical deck-building combat rogue-alike from GroundShatter and Mode 7 that has just hit Early Access.

The acronym FITS is maddeningly close to FIST’s which would be infinitely more suitable given the game, though swapping the S and T around does ruin the name- so I understand their reasoning. You see the name does exactly what it says on the tin, albeit a bloody, violent tin. The FITS acronym does open up some glorious options for alternative names such as the ones already mentioned in Week 129 of Our Week In Games here.

A more professional games journalist would leave that joke there and concentrate on doing the review. I am not a professional games journalist (but what makes a game journalist a professional? – Ed)……

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The Last Stand: Aftermath Impressions

The Last Stand: Aftermath Impressions

I’ve somehow found myself in another post-apocalyptic wasteland, scrambling for survival against an ever present virus, hope dwindling away steadily as time goes on. I’ve also been playing Con Artists Game’s Demo for The Last Stand: Aftermath that popped up during the recent Steam event, so you know, that’s nice. But does it cut the mustard? (Why you’d cut mustard I wouldn’t know. It’s not exactly tough and is more of a paste than anything…)

The Last Stand: Aftermath, aside from being a ungodly mouthful is (and I quote)…

“an all new, premium singleplayer standalone action adventure rogue-lite!”

…which come to think about it is also an ungodly mouthful. Happily though, things are a bit clearer when you’re actually in the game.

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Dual Universe, Beta : Initial Impressions

Dual Universe, Beta : Initial Impressions

I’ve been lucky enough to gain access to Novaquarks Dual Universe Beta through the use of shadowy connections (PR reps), arcane ministrations (email) and downright subterfuge (asking politely).

It was a game I only became aware of relatively recently, but one that instantly captured my imagination. I’ve therefore been very keen to see if what appeared in my head matched the reality in any way.

So, while a full ‘review’ covering my thoughts of the Beta and where the game is going will be a week or two off still, I have nevertheless reached a point where I think I can start sharing some of my initial thoughts.

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Dual Universe: Beta Release news

Dual Universe: Beta Release news

Dual Universe somehow managed to fly under my radar for a long time.

I wasn’t even aware that it was a thing until, bored one day, I was searching for upcoming space-games and it popped up on a Reddit thread as something to look at. Look at it I did, and then after I’d picked my jaw up off the floor we sent out for more info from Novaquark, the Canadian developers of the game.

It looks good…

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