Game Reviews
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Last updated: Jan 1, 2022
List of video game short reviews; absolute favorites are highlighted, while games with a full review have a hyperlink.
⭐ Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999) ★★★★★★ / strategy I spent untold hours at this game (and a related forum) in the early 2000s. It helped develop my interest in history, and was probably – more than anything else – what brought me into gaming. I still have plenty of pleasant memories about covertly planting Goth barracks near enemy bases and overwhelming them with bands of Huskarls. |
Battlefield 4 (2013) ★★★★ / FPS-MP![]() #showerthought: BF4 = 1984. The three superpowers – the US-Oceania, Russia-Eurasia, and China-Eastasia – fight an endless and materially expensive war over the same territories on their imperial borders, but always failing to make lasting advances. |
Battlefield 1 (2016) ★★★★ / FPS-MP![]() |
CIVILIZATION (1991+) ★★★★ / strategy Civilization II (1996) is, together with Civ 4, my favorite in the Civilization series – though perhaps that is on account of it being the first one I recall playing. I recall finding Civilization III (2001) rather ridiculous – spearmen could take out modern armor in defense, making the end game an insufferable slog. In the interests of completion, I did at one point try out Civilization I – while acknowledging its preeminence, multiple aspects of it were understandably ridiculous (remember the trick of extending your naval reach by building out “rivers” of cities inland?). |
Civilization IV (2005) ★★★★★ / strategy![]() |
REVIEW 2015 Civilization V (2010) ★★ / strategy![]() |
Civilization VI (2010) ★★ / strategy Apparently, this one is even more of a trainwreck than Civ VI. At best, this is a glorified board game, not a strategy game. Pass. |
Cossacks: European Wars (2001) ★★★★★ / strategy Second favorite RTS game after Age of Empires. The large formations of riflemen were quite the change from the other game, which couldn’t handle more than a few hundred units on the same map. Reducing enemy cities with massed mortar fire was a most vicarious affair. |
Counter-Strike (1999) ★★★★ / FPS-MP Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (2012) ★★★★ / FPS-MP The Counter-Strike games are classics, and the map “de_dust” is the defining masterpiece in its genre. However, I never really got into them. |
Crusader Kings II (2012) ★★★★★ / strategy Unfortunately, I never really got deep into this game. That said, I loved its depth and attention to historical detail. |
Deus Ex (2000) ★★★★ / RPG I only completed this game after Deus Ex: HR, so I don’t have the fond recollections of it that made it into a cult classic. It’s cool how they (inadvertently) predicted 9/11. |
⭐ Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011) ★★★★★ / RPG |
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016) ★★★ / RPG |
Dishonored (2012) ★★★★ / FPS![]() |
DOOM (1993) ★★★★ / DOS This was another huge step up for graphics, this being the first major game to enable movement in three dimensions. You are a Marine in outer space tasked with single-handedly saving humanity from the hordes of demons unleashed when UAC teleportation experiments go awry, opening up an inter-dimensional rift into hell. This game became infamous for the numbers of sad people who set astounding speed run records, even through the hardest Difficulty levels which are beyond the skillz of mere mortals to complete. |
Doom 3 (2004) ★★★★ / FPS Revamps the old linear shooter with excellent new graphics. You are a Marine on Mars in 2145, working for the UAC (United Aerospace Corporation), a military-industrial conglomerate conducting scientific research into esoteric areas like teleportation, biological research and advanced weapons design. However, the teleportation experiments inadvertently open a gateway to Hell, resulting in a catastrophic invasion by demons. As one of the few survivors, you must fight through the base and find a way to stem the demon onslaught from making it to Earth. Very atmospheric… good use is made of darkness, ominous noises, weapons caches, scattered PDAs (personal data assistants) lying in pools of blood from slain UAC workers, etc. Though this is taken too far by the “no duct tape on Mars” problem (you’re not allowed to simultaneously use a gun and a flashlight). |
REVIEW 2017 *doom* DOOM (2016) ★★★★ / FPS![]() |
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) ★★★★★ / RPG![]() |
Europa Universalis 4 (2013) ★★★★★ / strategy One of my favorite strategy games, complete with Paradox’s usual attention to detail. It was very amusing how it had a quasi-HBD mechanic, in which non-European civilizations struggled to develop technologically. |
Fallout: New Vegas (2010) ★★★★★ / RPG |
Fallout 4 (2015) ★★★ / RPG |
Far Cry (2004) ★★★★ / FPS An excellent game with stunning graphics that follows Jack Carver, a US Special Forces operative who is stranded on a tropical archipelago after the boat he was on gets blown up by an RPG. He needs to find and rescue a female journalist who was with him at the time. Dark forces stir within the white-shingled beaches, lush rainforests, fetid swamps and volcanic outcrops… Protected by mercenary camps and hidden amidst the verdant lushness of these isles, the mad scientist Krieger has been busy assembling bio-engineered horrors the likes of which the world has never seen before. |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) ★★★ / FPS I dimly recall hating that helicopter drone mission with a vengeance. |
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) ★★★★★ / FPS You’re Carl “CJ” Johnson from the hood in the state of San Andreas (California), out to gain respect from your niggas. To do this you need to travel around Los Altos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco) and Las Venturas (Vegas) completing missions like robbing banks, making hits on rival gangstaz, and other anti-social behavior. What’s so entrancing about this game is that the environment is so immersive and malleable; you can drive (or fly) around the map for hours on end, while at the same time running over innocent bystanders and gunning down police officers if the fancy takes you. One bro’s ardent pursuit of the American Dream… |
Grand Theft Auto V (2015) ★★★ / FPS Can’t really go wrong with its budget, but failed to leave a strong impression. |
Half-Life (2001) ★★★★ / FPS A particle physics experiment goes very, very wrong. There appears an inter-dimensional rift into Hell through which all kinds of monsters pour into the research base you’re working on. You have to don your Hazmat suit, strap on your countless weapons and go forth and kill those alien bastards. The feature allowing “Barnies” and other friends to tag along with you in a fire-team is helpful, but in general the AI is quite disappointing. Though I know it was only 2001, I still think RtCW was a much better game at that time. |
Half-Life 2 (2004) ★★★★★ / FPS What is there to add? This is a classic that deserves its status. |
Hearts of Iron 4 (2016) ★★★ / strategy![]() |
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002) ★★★★★ / FPS![]() |
Insurgency (2014) ★★★ / FPS-MP I actually likes this game better than Counter-Strike due to its greater realism/less gamification. |
Loom (1990) ★★★★★ / DOS![]() |
Manhunt (2003) ★★★ / FPS This is one very, very disturbing work. This was perhaps the only game to ever give me nightmares. Say what you will about the effects these games have on the moral fabric of society (or whatever), but I loved the storyline. You are John Cash, a brutal felon condemned to lethal injection; however, you are only sedated, “rescued” by a sinister, shadowy figure called the Director…who directs snuff movies. You are going to be the new “star” in his films. You need to fight your way through the post-industrial wasteland of Carcer City (supposed to represent a collapsed Rust Belt city), performing “gruesome executions” on the common gangstaz, bounty hunters, white supremacists, occult members and plain psychotics for the benefit of the Director’s security cameras who record your stunts for his clients and personal enjoyment. The more “gruesome” your “executions”, the more points you get. You foil the Director’s plan for your own demise and turn against him, but find that even the city police and SWAT are on his checkbook. |
Mirror’s Edge (2008) ★★★★ / puzzle![]() |
⭐ Mount & Blade: Warband (2010) ★★★★★ / RPG |
Mount & Blade: Bannerlord (2020) ★★★★★ / RPG |
Portal (2007) ★★★★★ / puzzle Portal 2 (2011) ★★★★★ / puzzle ![]() |
Prince of Persia (1989) ★★★★★ / DOS![]() |
PUBG (2017) ★★★ / FPS-MP![]() |
STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007) ★★★★★ / RPG American post-apocalyptic RPGs: Here’s a nuclear bazooka, go have fun. Russian post-apocalyptic RPGs: Here’s a knife, a pistol, and a couple of bullets: Good luck. This is perhaps the game that more than any other popularized this quirk of comparative culture. |
Tetris (1984) ★★★★★ / DOS Tetris. This game is a true classic and absolutely addictive. You have to drop differently-shaped blocks so as to completely fill up horizontal layers, upon which they self-destruct, thus clearing space for more. The speed at which they drop gradually increases throughout the game until it is no longer possible to keep up. There are many variants to this game. One that I remember enjoying had a small gay going walking around at the bottom and you had to maneuver and drop the pieces in such as way as to to not crush him. The game was originally developed by a guy called Alexei Pazhitnikov who was working in a Soviet computing R&D facility. There were a lot of ugly squabbled over proprietorship of its IP, about which you can read more here. |
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon (2001) ★★★★ / FPS This game infamously “predicted” the South Ossetian War of 2008. I recall playing it in 2003. |
REVIEW 2019 Underrail (2015) ★★★★★ / RPG![]() |
Universe Sandbox 2 (2015) ★★★★ / simulation![]() |
Wolfenstein 3D (1992) ★★★★★ / DOS This shoot-em-up featured revolutionary graphics for the time, that is, rudimentary 3D (which they boasted about in the title). You are B.J. Blazkowicz, a captured US special forces soldier who must escape the prison at Castle Wolfenstein, kill the Nazis and their dogs, steal their gold, eat their chicken, thwart their twisted experiments and eventually assassinate Hitler. Observe a crazy speed run through Episode 1 here. |
⭐ Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001) ★★★★★ / FPS![]() If you live through all that, you can download the free follow-up Enemy Territory, an excellent multiplayer where you can join the Axis or the Allies and fight to fulfill certain objectives within a limited time period. This game used to be one of my “solitaire” replacements. |
Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014) ★★★ / FPS![]() On the negative side, the timeline mechanism was questionable – cheap way of bumping up replay value. The dialogue with Anya during the submersible mission was intrusive and annoying. Stealth is completely broken. That said, so much money was sunk into it that it can’t help but be good, but it won’t – and didn’t – stick in my mind like previous titles. |
Zombie Panic!: Source (2007) ★★★★★ / FPS-MP![]() |