Tag: Zabek

05/2/12

PC Game Review of Naval War Arctic Circle

By Jim Zabek, 2 May 2012

Developed by Turbo Tape Games and published by Paradox Interactive

The world has needed a good entry-level modern-era naval wargame. Now we have one.

Planned Obsolescence

Any review of a game published by Paradox is going to be obsolete in short order. Why? Simply put: patches. Whether you are a fan of Paradox or not, it is indisputable that they have an outstanding record of publishing patches for games. These often go far beyond fixing bugs. It is not unheard of for Paradox to release a patch for a game years after its release and long after the major bugs have been killed. The goal of these later patches is simply to improve on the gameplay. With that kind of record, any review is in danger of becoming obsolete with the next patch. Not only is it likely that bugs will be killed, but gameplay may change (for the better) along with any fixes. So as of this writing everything is correct – but readers are advised to check in on our forums as well as the Paradox forums for changes…because change will come.

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04/6/12

PC Game Review of Unstoppable Gorg

By Jim Zabek, 6 April, 2012

Grumpy Grog Says: Flying saucers from space…what’s not to love? Just don’t mix up Gorg with Grogs.

I really enjoy tower defense games where my job is to weave a complex layer of defenses and watch mindless enemies walk into my trap. They aren’t easy to play, either. They generally have some kind of puzzle solving component – the winning solution needs to have a mix of different units. Unstoppable Gorg is no exception, but what sets it apart are the map and the atmosphere.

From soundtrack to graphics, Unstoppable Gorg has a wonderful 1950s style to it. The music could have been written for the original Lost in Space series, andthe writing has a perfect balance of cynical humor that will appeal to modern gamers. The graphics and sound are highly polished and satisfactory.

The story isn’t complex: aliens are attacking Earth and the player needs to defend it. Battles take place around various planets, moons, and space stations and it’s here that the map sets the game apart from other tower defense games. Continue reading →