Conquistadork

"Bizarre, cynical, and full of stories–truly, Amplitude Studio’s Endless Legend is the Hunter S. Thompson of 4X games. In a year that boasted some heavily-desired strategy and civ-based games (including one from the granddaddy of all civilization franchises), isn’t it funny that the one that absolutely stands out the most is the one with the strangest lore, most unique characters and creatures, and most fleshed-out, fun-to-explore world. It’s almost as if players enjoy a unique polish to their games every now and then. Not that I mean to give the finger to Sid Meiers and Firaxis and all those wonderful people. They’ve put out dumptrucks of amazing games over the years, and I’ve gobbled every bit of it up like an obese Texan toddler. But merciful blue Christ: Endless Legend is steadily making itself into my favorite civilization game since Civilization V released Brave New World." Read the full review at Notes From The Conquistadork: ****/2015/01/05/long-winters-gathering-dust-thoughts-on-endless-legend/

"Alien: Isolation takes its time. More than that, it takes long, languorous steps. Steps that are perverse and filled with shadows and something inexplicably gorgeous and something primal and afraid. Before going any further, it’s important to point that out. This is not a run-and-gun. This is not the screeching jump scares of Five Night At Freddy’s. Nor is it the ripping, tearing, maw of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Isolation is slow and atmospheric. You’re not playing a badass marine with a machine gun–you’re not a moody, misunderstood loner with an endless belt feed of ammunition and a chip on your shoulder. You’re an engineer. Amanda Ripley. Who has volunteered to join a doomed mission to retrieve the black box of a lost ship, the Nostromo–quite possibly her mother’s last words and the only clue she has to her fate. The fear that accompanies this search for a loved one follows you throughout the entirety of the game. It paints itself on the walls–it taps chisels into your breathing as you join Amanda in holding her breath in order to avoid detection." Read the full review at Notes From The Conquistadork: ****/2015/01/18/this-is-about-survival-thoughts-on-alien-isolation/

""Its a deceptively simple-looking game, with a freshly-opened SNES sensibility that makes the aged gamer among us **** and dewy-eyed. However, if Citizens of Earth‘s greatest asset is the 16-Bit heart that gives it life, then its flaws can be found not far behind. This game is a grind. On your quest to do everything, you will go everywhere. This a big positive. At first. But as you complete one fetch quest, fourteen others will rear their heads, and at times you’ll swear that this is some sort of roguelike quest generator, with no end in sight. The Vice President and his retinue spend so much time wandering aimlessly and pestering others that they might as well be dabbed with patchouli oil and covered in GG Allin **** a deceptively simple-looking game, with a freshly-opened SNES sensibility that makes the aged gamer among us **** and dewy-eyed. However, if Citizens of Earth‘s greatest asset is the 16-Bit heart that gives it life, then its flaws can be found not far behind. This game is a grind. On your quest to do everything, you will go everywhere. This a big positive. At first. But as you complete one fetch quest, fourteen others will rear their heads, and at times you’ll swear that this is some sort of roguelike quest generator, with no end in sight. The Vice President and his retinue spend so much time wandering aimlessly and pestering others that they might as well be dabbed with patchouli oil and covered in GG Allin tattoos." Read the full review at Notes From The Conquistadork: ****/2015/01/20/hit-politics-thoughts-on-citizens-of-earth/