1. Dear Esther - Um... I don't really get it. I knew it wasn't much of a game, but i thought it would have more exploration than it actually did. The script seems rather random and disjointed, but I might have to give it another go to see if it clicks better.
2. the 7th Guest - Amusing. I had to use a FAQ for one or two puzzles, but overall it was nice to see what the 90s had to offer.
3. Realms of the Haunting - Really cool hybrid of Adventure/FPS/Horror. It's pretty meaty, with a bunch of different locales and puzzles, and the FMV scenes were decently acted. This was one of the more pleasant GOG surprises for me.
4. FRACT OSC - My favorite game this year so far. First-person puzzle-exploration game, with a synthesizer theme. Exemplifies the value of indie gaming to me.
5. Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes - Like the previous Edna & Harvey, a point-and-click adventure with dark humor. Also like E&H:The Breakout, I wasn't really into it in the beginning, but was pleasantly surprised at the puzzle, humor and creativity of the gameplay. Enjoyable!
6. XIII - Bought this because it was leaving the GOG.com catalog. Stylistically, it's amazing. They play-up the comic book visuals and cinematics very well. Other than that, it was a decent but solid entry to the genre. It had a lot of different things to do: Kill everything, stealth, explore, escort... and I liked the fact that it had boss fights. But I'm a bit hard to please if it doesn't do anything new. Still, it was entertaining for the time I spent with it.
7. Blackwell Epiphany - End of an era. If you like character-driven stories, the Blackwell point and clicks are the best, and Epiphany wraps up the loose ends stirring from the other entries. My next goal: Replay them all.
8.Sanitarium - On the downside, the UI is poor and it started to crash majorly at the end. But the grotesque surreal setting and imagery make it quite a unique romp, as far as adventures go. I enjoyed the puzzles, and the mystery of what was happening was also a plus.
9.Spycraft The Great Game - Kind of a FMV point-and-click, but that does it a bit of disservice, because there's FPS action sequences and top-down strategic sequences. The jist of it is, you are a CIA agent whose main role is to protect a peace treaty between the US and Russia. You talk to people and search for information. That information helps you make conclusions and report to your supervisors, which triggers new events. Sometimes you'll be in the position of commanding an infiltration mission. Other times, you're caught in a shootout. It's the most spy simulator-like game you could play.
10. Corpse Party - Finally finished this RPG-Maker horror adventure. It definitely has a creepy, unsettling vibe, and retaining the original Japanese voice cast helps a lot in that regard. The best part about the game is that even when you lose, you "win" as there are a number of ways to die or progress the story based on your decisions and actions.
11. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream - Found out about this game when it came here. Very interesting point-and-click, with an unsettling backdrop, odd imagery, and dark story. I did have to "cheat" via walkthrough, since there's no way to get the good ending unless you do the scenarios perfectly. But even the bad endings are interesting.
12. AI WAR - Great space strategy game. I don't like the twitchy nature of RTS, but AI WAR has the ability to issue commands while paused, making this more a strategy game than most real-time games. I love that even the skirmish tutorial took me a good 7 hours to clear. I started a real game and cleared a scenario in just about 10 hours. Can't wait to do it all again!
13. Shadowgate (2014) - I remember playing the original, as it was one of the most unique NES games. Similarly, as Shadowgate 2014 attempts to be a semi-modern homage, it ends up being very unique among PC point and clicks today. It maintains a slightly cumbersome UI, but having said that, it does allow you a bit of freedom. If you want to stab yourself to death with a sword, it lets you. Other than UI, though, I love how the game is a mix of adventure puzzles and puzzle-puzzles. I appreciate the game even more having completed it in Apprentice mode. I've started up the game in Journeyman difficulty, and there are new items, new enemies, access to rooms I couldn't go before and remixed puzzles. It's got a lot to offer.
14. Hatoful Boyfriend - Find romance with a funky premise... until you keep playing and things get real, real fast. It's totally unrepresentative of visual novels. It's totally representative of visual novels. An unexpected surprise.
15. Outlast - Very well made survival horror game. It's gory and unsettling. I've never been as tense playing a game before.
16. Hostile Waters - Antaeus Rising - Really neat RTS/3PS vehicle hybrid! I never really liked RTS because of the micromanagement, but this game gives you only ~5 - 8 units to work with, and you can take control of any of them at any given time. Great for control freaks like me!
17. Kings Bounty The Legend - Similar to HoMM, but also different. Can be addictive and a timesink. Ultimately though, it was too long for its own good. I got bored about 1/3 - 1/2 through the game, and even though I pushed through the 100+ hours to play it, I wasn't really enjoying it.
18. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl - After being bored initially, and finding some fun later on, this isn't the kind of game I enjoy. It's one of those open-world thingies, but it does have a main story. People love the gunplay, and that is probably the best part of the game. But it's AI-driven rather than scenario-driven. Just not my thing.
As of: 12/27/2014
Post edited December 27, 2014 by thuey