The featured game demo’s this month are Spec Ops: The Line, Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013, Risen 2: Dark Waters, Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Gods and Kings Warlock: Master of the Arcane, and LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.
Follow these links for our other ‘issue 269 web packs:
Laptop security
The gamers toolbox
Essential free home office alternatives
Issue 269 game demo roundup!
Spec Ops: The Line is a mechanically stock third-person cover and fire game with that ‘console’ feel, making the movement a little more clunky than a mouse and keyboard game should be. That aside, there is a decent story within presenting players with a few moral dilemmas along the way. You’ll still be letting the lead fly, but you might feel a bit more emotion after a head shot!
Download from here (Steam required)
Trading card games have a big whiff of nerd attached. Transformed it into a computer game and the whole idea becomes a bit more palatable. As do some of the more complex interactions between cards that are now dealt with automatically. Just like the physical edition, virtual Magic: The Gathering is a game of decks, where each one hosts a unique set of creatures and spells. Decks unlock as you become more experienced opening possibilities of building your own mixed decks to suit different opponents.
Download from here (Steam required)
Risen 2 takes an ambitious departure from its first outing and takes to high seas in a very pirate-inspired RPG. What remains are the familiar game mechanics and vast world to explore. The timeline is set several years after your adventures in Risen, and latest threat is a race of gigantic titans that threaten to destroy humanity. So off go, setting sail on your epic task to find a way to stop them, stumbling across themed islands, watery dangers and the odd titan boss fight to keep you on your adventuring toes.
Download from here (Steam required)
Gods and Kings is the first fully loaded expansion pack for the 2010 release of Civ 5. I double-checked to make sure it simply wasn’t a stand-alone game because of it’s premium price. And yes, you will need Civ 5 to play the retail release. But for this demo at least you don’t need anything else. Gods and Kings throws nine new races into the mix, religion and espionage, plus improved artificial intelligence.
Download from here (Steam required)
The £15 price tag is a fair asking price for this fantasy 4X strategy title. Don’t expect an epic Civilization experience; which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Master of Arcane suits the more casual strategist, with enough depth to keep things interesting as you strive to advance your empire though expansion and invention, but no overly complex micromanagement systems to confuse.
Download from here (Steam required)
Made for kids, but this utterly charming action platformer will appeal to all comers. You’d think we’d all get a bit bored of the similar visuals and gameplay elements of this LEGO franchise, but no we haven’t! Loads of fun to play by yourself or with friends, humorous, and packed with clever little touches. It’s Batman too, making it that bit much cooler.
Posted on Monday, July 30th, 2012 at 8:23 am under Web Packs. You can subscribe to comments. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.
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