Reviews by Scott Henderson

Desperados III - Digital Deluxe Edition
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Highly Addicting

This is a revamp of Blades of the Shogun with different characters and a new settings and storyline. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but in terms of a "new" game, there's not much to see. I do miss the non-mature rating of Shogun compared to the profanity laced Desperados, but playing without headphones on solved that issue for the most part. Significant dialog is displayed as subtitles, so one is never in the dark about what to do next. How to progress through each episode is left up to you and that is where the diverse set of skills each character has leaves the game advancement open to your interpretation. Strategy also plays a major role in solving each puzzle. The story that flashes back and forth also adds to the interest of keeping the player entertained. Great way to spend several days of your time :-)

by Scott Henderson, - Feb 18th 2021

Bulb Boy
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Fun & different

To say this game is weird would be an understatement, but it's true to its weirdness and easy to navigate. Challenging at times, but not overly so that one gets frustrated. If you're looking for a game that you can play for 20 minutes at a time before playing again the next day, this would be for you. If you're planning on playing it all in one go, then you'll play for less than a day and may be disappointed. While some of the game was centered around bodily functions (think "Forbidden Zone"), it was not too gross to be considered offensive (unlike the aforementioned movie ;-)

by Scott Henderson, USA - Jul 20th 2019

BATTLETECH
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High learning curve

I normally wait until I have completely finished playing a game before writing a review, but with BattleTech, that might take some time. The game world is huge. One can create custom 'Mechs and Lances (group of 'Mechs) to go on Skirmishes and fight head to head against other players online. Then there is the Campaign version which I've just started playing. That interweaves a story arc through various planned skirmishes and requires more time to invest in building, planning and surviving in the BattleTech universe.

Universally, the main complaint I've seen about (and have with) the game is the lack of any kind of help system or decent tutorial. The game has a very high learning curve. A manual for the beta version of the game can be found here...

https://s3.amazonaws.com/www.harebrained-schemes.com/backer-beta/manual.pdf

The UI elements are numerous and complex until you read about how to use and take advantage of them. Watching a lot of videos and reading many Steam articles has gotten me to the point that I actually understand what is going on during a battle and how to best use the information to my advantage. Playing a number of Skirmish battles before tackling the Campaign mode is also beneficial. Campaign mode has some questionable language in the dialog, so if "religious exclamations" bother you as they do me, be forewarned.

OK, but is it fun to play? Yes, once you have an idea of what to expect, the game is quite fun. This is not XCOM with mech warriors though. Gameplay is completely different, so investing the time to learn about the game is necessary. All in all, this is a vast game with many, many elements that could occupy one's spare time for years to come. Well worth the investment of money and time.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Aug 14th 2018

Zombie Night Terror
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Should be rated M

Didn't get very far before running into some offensive language. Would have appreciated knowing that ahead of time and avoided the purchase.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Jul 14th 2018

Bomber Crew
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Frustrating interface

Can't say that I enjoyed this game. How to perform the tasks required are kind of a hit and miss. Documentation could be much better. The training missions could be a whole lot better. Navigation needs to be performed several times during a mission, even if you haven't initially reached the target. The plane breaks down for seemingly no reason. Piloting the plane is limited to raising and lowering the landing gear. Game play is more focused on managing the people in the plane and their individual tasks than on what the mission actually is. Graphics tend to blow out when objects move too close to the front of the screen (Z axis is less).

by Scott Henderson, USA - Jul 14th 2018

1954 Alcatraz
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Controls not functioning

I too could not get the game to select a conversation option nor could I select a menu option within the game to save. Looks like it would be fun to play. Too bad.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Jul 14th 2018

Alien: Isolation - The Collection
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Rated M

I should have paid attention to the rating. Only played for about 10 minutes. Seemed like it would be interesting, but I couldn't get past the bad language.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Jun 19th 2017

XCOM 2
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Disappointing

Having just finished XCOM:EW and Shadow Tactics:BOTS just before starting this sequel, I was excited about starting a new turn based adventure. Excitement however, quickly turned into frustration and ultimately disappointment. This turned based play is eventually enjoyable and reminiscent of the early XCOM games. Getting there though is quite challenging and some might say annoyingly so. I can state a list of my issues: long load times, short frame rates, overly difficult levels at the Normal setting, poor tutorial, exceptionally long soldier recovery time so building a cohesive team is cumbersome, unresponsive UI in some circumstances, enemy tactics that defy the law of physics, plot that is not well thought out in relation to game play, inability for soldiers to provide a coordinated attack... in short, it didn't deliver the experience I was expecting. This may be different for others, but as for me I'd advise passing on this one.

by Scott Henderson, USA - May 24th 2017

XCOM: Enemy Within
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Expansion pack makes the game

As others have commented, the game's main plot is virtually the same as 'Enemy Unknown'. However, I'd say if you're going to play any version, this is the one to explore. The soldier upgrades are more fun and unique and the storyline, again while similar, makes more sense overall. Running on 10.11.6, I did experience a few occasional crashes on startup. Regardless, this is a great, addictive game and well worth the price of admission.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Apr 14th 2017

SUPERHOT
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Super Fun!

Took me awhile to figure out the whole game within a game concept, but the real fun is getting through the different scenes intact. Loads of fun and great replay value.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Mar 19th 2017

SteamWorld Heist
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Just want it to end

I normally only write reviews for games I've played all the way through, but I'm not sure I'll make it with this one. Game play is somewhat repetitive, level up points cannot be allocated as one would wish (your steambots are assigned predetermined traits), the variety of weapons and utilities is limited and winning some levels, since they are randomly generated, is based more on luck than skill. The way in which some of the weapons fire is quite different from one another and it's frustrating to have to decide what weapons to keep and which to discard (storage is limited in the beginning) before having full knowledge. A tutorial would have been much appreciated to get a feel for the game before launching into combat, especially since one's purchasing power is reduced everytime a mission is aborted or failed except at the easiest setting. Fun for a little while, but not very addictive or engaging.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Feb 22nd 2017

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
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HIghly addictive!

One of the most enjoyable games I've played in a long time. The artwork reminds one of a Japanese ink-wash painting. Truly beautiful landscapes. Audio work from the voices to the waves crashing along the rocks is first-rate. Game play is definitely challenging at the Normal level. For the price and the number of hours you will be involved in this adventure, it is well worth the investment.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Feb 10th 2017

Dark Parables: Ballad of Rapunzel Collector's Edition
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Good addition to series

While this is overall a great series of games, I got the feeling this one was not given the usual care in development as the other games I've played. The usually well thought out game design was a bit lacking and it didn't have as much detail as seen in other efforts. Not a bad addition to the series, but far from the best.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Oct 18th 2016

Dark Parables: Jack and the Sky Kingdom Collector's Edition
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Confusing story

I don't often complain about the storyline, but this one was a bit convoluted. The post mini-game was a prequel that setup the main game and perhaps that information would have been helpful to know. Still, this is a very entertaining game and fits into the series well.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Oct 15th 2016

SKYHILL
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One time only

Skyhill is a rudimentary RPG set in a hotel where one has to survive 100 floors to escape to the street below. In regards to the plot, given the hints throughout the game, the twist at the end wasn't a big surprise. Since the type of objects placed on the various floors are randomized, one could either have a relatively easy or hard time of it, with no fault (or skill) of their own. Still, this was a fun way to pass some time, but I doubt I'll be playing it again. There is some profanity in the game, which is disappointing considering it wasn't necessary.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Apr 16th 2016

Dark Parables: The Final Cinderella Collector's Edition
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Thoroughly enjoyed

Kudos to game designers on this one. The animation on all the scenes was very well done. Interacting with the wrong object didn't generate the same tired response, but was actually unique to the object attempted. Also to the game's credit, it was pretty obvious what object works with each intended scene. Hidden objects were pieces of objects needed in the game, not just random objects one would find in a junk room. The story was well thought out with assorted mini-stories within the game. Well worth the price of admission.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Apr 3rd 2016

Mysteriumâ„¢: Lake Bliss Collector's Edition
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Some logic issues

Unfortunately, the cursor never changed to indicate if an area on the screen was interactive or not. Most of the time it was obvious, but there were times when I was required to use the hints just to know what to do next. My pet peeve with most of these games is the lack of a tailored response to a given set of objects interacting with each other. A crowbar won't open a glass cabinet? A chisel can't be used to reveal a tile, but a big chisel will? There is also a moment when you are left "stranded" in an underwater cave. However, since one can use the map to jump around town, one is never really stranded. Aside from the logic problems, the voice acting is fine and the images are well drawn. The story is fairly linear and one can't move too far ahead for fear of giving too much away. Thus fog, preventing a path from being traveled, miraculously disappears when necessary and a arcade machine, which for some reason cannot be plugged in, is suddenly able to be energized when the time is right. If the cursors work for you, be patient and enjoy the game.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Mar 26th 2016

Fairy Tale Mysteries: The Beanstalk
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Great story and gameplay

While there are some traditional hidden object type scenarios, most of the gameplay revolves around the story of finding Tim who accidentally awoke a giant with his magic beans. Hidden object pieces are scattered throughout each scene which can be acquired when the time is right. I suppose that is my only complaint about the game in that it is fairly linear and clicking on things can generate the response, "Maybe I should come back later." There are some other mini-games within the story as well, but they are very easy to solve so you don't feel like stopping. Starting where one left off is also very straight forward, no cut scene to skip every time one launches the game. That is appreciated.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Mar 20th 2016

Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)
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Can be frustrating

I agree with others in that the game provides insight to a culture that few people know much about. A culture, I imagine, that is dying off due to modernization. The provided video clips are fascinating and left me wanting to know more about the people. The videos are locked intially and allow play once one progresses in the game. I must not have hit all the plot points though because two of the videos remain locked after completeing the game. I imagine it's possible to go back and play a chapter of the game again in an attempt to unlock the video, but it's not easily discernable which chapters release which videos. In regards to the game, I enjoyed the game play initially, but as the game progresses (and gets harder), I found the location of the controls to be cumbersome. The Q key (which switches between characters) is located next to the Tab key which plays a video. All are near the WSAD movement keys and the Left Shift key which is also needed. Given the critical timing of some of the puzzles, hitting the wrong key at a crucial moment over and over again got to be a bit maddening. After the fox transforms, I found controlling his character's movement unnatural and that added to my frustration. Overall, that left me wanting to just get the thing over with rather than enjoying the ending.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Mar 12th 2016

Dark Cases: The Blood Ruby Collector's Edition
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Better than most

This game has enough mini-games and a moderately interesting plot to almost make one forget why normal objects end up in weird, random places. Also, despite how logical you may think your choice of objects to solve a puzzle happens to be, the game mostly responds with "I don't know why I thought that would work." Hmmm. Still, this game has a good level of difficulty and a well designed Hint system should one ever get stuck.

by Scott Henderson, USA - Aug 5th 2015

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