PAX Online has unleashed a host of exclusive demos on Steam, and – being the indie enthusiasts that we are – we felt the need to once again try a whole bunch of games… and then write about them. That’s kind of what we do around here, after all.
Developer Starward Industries has announced The Invincible, a sci-fi thriller inspired in large part by the works of Polish author Stanislaw Lem.
Marrying fast-paced close quarters action with stylish parkour mechanics, Ghostrunner takes place in a futuristic dystopia ruled by the tyrannical Keymaster – so you, taking on the role of a highly-trained warrior armed with a deadly katana, must climb the colossal Dharma Tower, face off against the Keymaster and stop them for good.
The game will have you take up arms as the Sellsword, an immortal warrior who joins the titular Guild of Darksteel and embarks on a daring quest to uncover a sinister plot underneath the city of Ravenrock.
Players will take on the role of a lone priestess called Lily, whose homeland has been affected by a supernatural rain that transforms people into undead creatures called the “Cursed Ones” – after waking up with no memories of what happened to her, Lily sets out on a journey to find a way to stop the mysterious rain and save her home from ruin.
Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, a tale about a man turning into a hideous insect in his own bedroom, is probably one of the most iconic and important literary works of the early 20th century – as such, it comes as no surprise to me that a video game would attempt to use it for inspiration.
What Happened, a psychological horror game from developer Genius Slackers, touches upon a topic that I feel needs more exposure – it tells the story of a disturbed high school student, Stiles, as he struggles with severe depression and anxiety, highlighting his unstable mental health through a series of a surreal, symbolic experiences.
If you only know one thing about developer Cradle Games’ sci-fi action-RPG Hellpoint, it’s probably that it’s essentially Dark Souls in space. And honestly, I can’t even argue with that.
When United States president Theodore Roosevelt is kidnapped by mysterious forces, it’s up to you, a stalwart little robot agent, to head out and save him – that’s the basic premise of Bartlow’s Dread Machine, a charming twin-stick shooter that’s just launched via Steam Early Access and is ready to take the mechanical world by storm.
The ratio of indie versus AAA games has seemingly shifted in the past few years, at least judging by the recently-held Steam Game Festival. However, a numerical advantage in itself – no matter how much gamers longing for an indie renaissance desire it – is hardly a guarantee that the majority of the games we end up getting will offer more than a regurgitation of the easily marketable formulas so prevalent in the industry. With that said, our staff set out to fish out some of the more promising titles from the crowd – below are my brief impressions of all the games I’ve personally tried, from best to worst.
