As promised, I was able to get some Artifact time in.  To start, there is a lot of different things going on in this game so this will be a pretty high-level overview.

Introduction

Artifact starts with a couple quick tutorial bot matches.  It looks like there is a lot going on, but once you dig into it, it is pretty manageable.  You get 10 packs to open to start and you can build decks right away if you like, otherwise there are some pre-made decks you can use.  There are some featured decks you can play with to try them out, Solo Play again bots, Social play against friends, Casual matchmaking for Constructed and Draft, and then Expert/Ranked play.  You can have fun and play solo and with friends without spending anything, but for Expert/Ranked play you’ll need event tickets.  You get 5 event tickets with the game that can be used for Constructed, Draft, or Keeper Draft modes.

Gameplay

The gameplay itself is quite fun.  Essentially, there are three lanes and you go through phases of actions back and forth for each lane individually before they resolve in the combat phase (when both players are finished and pass).  Heroes are separated into four colors, and you can only play color coordinated cards in the lane if there is a Hero of that color.  After you go through each lane, there is a buy stage where you can buy items to equip your heroes.  After the buy stage, any dead Heroes (after a full turn) can be placed back into play.  You get to choose that lane you want them in, and in addition you get creeps randomly added to lanes.  You then draw two cards to your hand, which you keep throughout all the lanes.  There is no card maximum for your hand, and no creep maximum in any lanes.  There is obviously tons of strategy behind pushing lanes, defending, buying, etc.  The objective is to destroy two of the other player’s three towers.  Once your destroy a tower another tower (I forget the name) pops in it’s place.  You can alternately win by destroying the 2nd tower, which has double the hit points as the original tower.

Marketplace

One super important topic to understand about Artifact is the marketplace.  The Steam marketplace is built into the game to be able to easily buy and sell card with real money.  You also have the option to trade in excess card for event tickets.  If you are good and accrue 3+ wins before 2 losses in Expert/Ranked, you can win packs for more cards.  If you lose 2 in a row, you’re going to be stuck playing casual games or invest real money to get back into the events.  I’m not sure how well received this system will be since it doesn’t seem like there are any ways to grind out packs like some other card games.

Conclusion

I played a handful of bot matches and one casual global matchmaking game.  I had fun in all of them, and I am a complete newb when it comes to these trading card games.  I look forward to playing some of the bigger events where the wins actually matter, but I don’t expect to do well any time soon.  Unfortunately that means I’ll either have to stick to casual or throw some money at it.  All in all it is a polished game that is easy to play for beginners, but has tons (and tons) of strategy for someone that wants to invest their time (and potentially money) into it.  It also feels great to get into a game like this early, when you know it will be around for years to come.  For $20 I think you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is one of the biggest single-player RPGs released this year in PC Gaming.  I originally purchased this game through their Kickstarter campaign many years ago.  Glad to see it came to fruition!

Overview

Kingdom Come utilizes a classless RPG system in a medieval open-world environment, using a first-person perspective.  It has a pretty minimal overlay (Health, Stamina, and a Compass) and feels a lot like Skyrim when you are wandering around the world.  It does a great job of making you feel like an average person in an epic story, rather than an overpowered superhero.  I’m normally not into big story-telling games, but the combination of music and graphics kept me intrigued.  I was really happy that the game ran so well while rendering so much foliage and trees.  It definitely has some nice scenery to look at as well.

Combat

I am used to RPGs being all about hacking and slashing through enemies for loot.  After several hours into Kingdom Come I feel like I’ve only had to unsheathe my sword a handful of times (and shoot some bunnies with a bow).  The game does provide a good combat system that is semi-complex but not overwhelming.  There is no magic to go alongside your physical abilities, so you’ll need to have some combat skills ready.  I thought I was a pretty good sword-fighter so I picked a fight with a trio of bandits.  They kicked my ass.  This game does a good job reminding you that you are still just a peasant.  Combat is an integral part of Kingdom Come, but you’re really in it for the journey.

Summary

I haven’t yet beaten the game, but I have been able to put many hours into it.  I feel like you could easily sink 50-60+ hours as the game world opens up.  I enjoy many aspects of the game like the day/night cycle, requiring rest and nutrition, and the ability to play however you want.  You can run around being a thief with a bow, or just build into an outright warrior.  I also really enjoy how the game keeps you feeling like a nobody.  At one point I thought I was moving up the ranks since I was tasked to accompany one of the noblemen on a hunt.  He made me run alongside him and his horse all the way to the campsite.  That brought me back down to peasant reality.  There have also been some memorable moments and the story line has kept me very intrigued as well.  However, some of the quests are incredibly slow and drag on.  The pacing of the game has put me to sleep as moments.

Conclusion

This is a great looking game that holds some unique RPG elements.  It has an enjoyable environment and runs well.  I wish I could get paced the slow paced nature of the main story line.  If I had more time I would love to get fully immersed, but as a Past Prime Gamer with a job and kid, I don’t know if I’ll ever have time to go back and finish this one.  I don’t think I would get enough enjoyment from short sessions of this game to ever really enjoy it.  Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a unique experience that would appeal to a niche group of RPG enthusiasts.  Unfortunately, it’s just too slow moving for me.

You can pick up your copy of Kingdom Come: Deliverance at Green Man Gaming.

Opus Magnum is a programming puzzle game from the team at Zachtronics.  This is my first time trying a game from their PC gaming library of puzzle games.

Overview

I was looking for a typical Past Prime Gamer game.  Something that is easy to learn but hard to master.  Something that I could squeeze in for an hour here and there.  This game definitely fits the bill.  Watching some of the preview videos looked overwhelming and complicated.  How could a game like this even be fun?  Turns out (so far) it is a blast.  That’s probably while it has an overall ‘Overwhelming Positive’ feedback on Steam.

Gameplay

It starts with a great tutorial that is short and to the point by introducing each of the basic mechanisms one at a time.  Pretty straight forward stuff.  Once you complete the tutorial it drops you into a blank space with the products, reagents, and all the mechanisms you need.  You simply program the mechanisms to move/modify the reagents to create the final products… easier said than done.  One neat part is that it tracks your cost (how many parts you use), cycles (how many moves), and area (how much space you take up).  It’s great because you can ignore it and move on, or you can increase your efficiency by trying to lower these numbers.  You can also have multiple saves for the same project and compare their stats.  This seems great for replayability once you learn more about efficiency.  The controls are simple drag and drop onto the map area, with an area at the bottom for “programming”.  There are very intuitive hotkeys and ways to group items for when you need to shuffle items around.  It is just very intuitive overall.

Why am I enjoying this game so much?

I’ve only put a couple hours into it at this point, but I fully intend to continue.  The last two puzzles have really driven me.  I started the puzzle, looked at the product required and thought, “I can do this”.  It was a good challenge without being overwhelming.  I am sure the puzzles will increase in difficulty but I am also sure the satisfaction will as well.  I look forward to squeezing in a one puzzle for a short gaming session, while saving more difficult ones for longer sessions (or even breaking the more difficult ones into smaller parts/sessions).  This has been a great change of pace from my current regimen of Rocket League, PUBG, and Monster Hunter World.

Summary

This is a PC gaming gem.  It even has a built-in .gif recorder and a marble-like optional side mini-game!  I would recommend this game to anyone looking to exercise their brain, even just for a short session.  Even at the full price of $19.99 I vouch for it.  This one is Past Prime Gaming approved.

 

You can purchase a copy of Opus Magnum at Green Man Gaming, or if you hurry, on the current Overwhelmingly Positive Humble Bundle.

The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour is the latest iteration of The Golf Club from HB Studios.

Overview

If you have played the original or second version of The Golf Club, this game’s mechanics will be easy for you to pick up.  If you aren’t familiar with the franchise, there are a few things you must know.  This isn’t a Tiger Woods arcade style game.  This is a golf simulation.  There is no leveling up or buying equipment with better stats.  It all comes down to your swing mechanics.  If I weren’t a casual golfer in real life I can’t imagine having much interest in this game.  It actually gives me a lot of the same feelings as golfing in real life, like the frustration of hitting what you thought was the perfect putt, just for it to lip out of the hole.  If you are into golf, you’ll really enjoy the gameplay of TGC 2019.

Gameplay

I want to talk more about the gameplay because it is the heart of TGC 2019.  First you decide on your club and set up your aim point.  Next, you can adjust your loft and add some fade or draw to your swing.  Now you have to execute.  I use a controller for this game because swinging with a mouse just feels unnatural.  So you pull the stick back as straight as possible, then push it all the way forward as straight as possible.  It seems simple, but on TGC 2019 it shows every sliver of movement from that stick.  I thought it was pretty simple to go straight down and up, but now I see what my real action looks like.  In my case, it looks like a kindergarten child drawing a straight line, but as long as it is within the limits of a solid hit it shouldn’t take your ball too off-course.  Obviously missing the sweet spot will end up with a pretty bad shank shot, but even within the solid hit range your ball flight will still change based on your subtle stick movements.  Hitting driver onto a fairway isn’t a big deal, but when you are trying to stick approach shots close to the hole you really have to concentrate on consistently great shots.  There are stick mechanics, wind, ball lie, elevation, roll-out (based on green firmness), and I am probably missing other factors.  These all need to be taken into consideration for a great shot.  The only changes to this formula is the option to choose between three sets of clubs that vary in distance/forgiveness.  The default set is the shortest distance but offers the most forgiveness, while the professional set offers the greatest distance with little room for error.

Everything Else

TGC 2019 does offer many modes and improvements from the last version of the game, however there is a lot of room for improvement here.  For example, there is a single player PGA Tour career mode that takes you through the ranks of Q School, Web.com, and eventually getting you on the PGA Tour.  It’s fun, but because there are only 6 or so real courses (though there are thousand of unique and re-created courses you can download), and no real players, it leaves a lot to be desired.  The difficulty doesn’t adapt to you, you essentially just pick the difficulty level and it adjust the CPU scores accordingly.  There is matchmaking for online matches and training modes that seem to function well.  The other major mode is Online Societies.  Here you can create of join multiple Societies, or golf clubs.  This is where you can create custom seasons and invite large numbers of friends (or randoms).  Basically you can set an event to last a certain number of days and a certain number of rounds.  Players will play the rounds on their own time, within the scheduled dates.  Stats and scores are posted on a leaderboard, and winners are paid out according to the payout policy.  It is a very neat concept and way to meet new people online, while still playing on your own schedule.  The UI and cosmetic upgrades are a welcome edition to this version of the game as well.

Summary

Overall this is a nice facelift for The Golf Club franchise.  The graphics run and look great.  The UI is pleasant and works well.  The gameplay is refined.  The core of the game is just fun to play.  There are some negatives though.  This version of TGC comes after only a year since the release of TGC2, and with a $50 price tag.  If you played TGC2 it may be hard to rationalize the $50 for the minor improvements.  Another negative for me is that there are still a number of nagging issues that should be easy fixes (different tee boxes when playing online match mode, crazy roll-out on short irons, when leading the tournament on PGA Tour mode you aren’t in the last group, etc.).  While it is nice having 6 licensed courses, there are still many more desirable courses that people would like to see added, in addition to real players.  PGA Tour mode would be much more intense being tied with Tiger Woods, rather than a generated player named G. Smith.

Conclusion

If you have some golf experience or outside interest in golf, you may be interested in TGC2019.  It really captures some of the intricacies of the game.  I would be hard pressed to recommend this to someone who recently bought TGC2 and is hoping for a major upgrade.  From the perspective of a Past Prime Gamer, this does offer a lot of single player and pause-able online Society play for squeezing in game time during a short window.  Overall though, I would only recommend this game when a deep discount is offered.  I am also concerned that they may turn this into an annually released game like the EA franchise games.  I certainly hope not!

Edit: I hit my first hole-in-one!

 

You can purchase a copy of The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour at Green Man Gaming.

 

 

 

It is time for the first review of the new site!  Why not start with one of the biggest PC gaming releases of the year?  Bear with me while I develop a better review format over the coming weeks!

Overview

This is my first time experiencing the Monster Hunter universe so I didn’t know what to expect going into it.  Everything I looked at before release was to expect great combat with some grindy progression.  That’s exactly what I got.  The progression revolves around killing bigger monsters and unlocking better armor and weapon sets.  The grind comes in when you need a specific item for a piece of armor.  You’ll see that you need two gems that drop off a certain monster, so you track him down and kill him.  The “fun” part is that there is only a % chance of getting the gem you desire.  There is a deep system of armors, weapons, and charms that each have their own stats and abilities.  Luckily, the combat system is very satisfying because the items do require a significant amount of materials to craft.

Combat

The heart of this game, and what keeps you coming back for more, is the combat.  It is extreme satisfying landing a series of attacks on huge beasts, especially when you visually weaken or break parts off of them.  With 14 unique weapons to choose from, you are sure to find something that fits your play style.  The is a wide spectrum of larger slow weapon, to faster-paced dual blades, and even ranged options.  On the surface it looks like a button-mashing action game.  In reality it becomes a lot more tactical as you move on to the more difficult beasts.  You eventually have to start considering resistances and defensive abilities to prevent getting destroyed (and potentially failing a quest).  At some points through the game it can feel like a satisfying mindless grind, while other times you need to be alert and reactive.  I thought that since I am now over 70+ hours put into my character I would have snowballed into an unstoppable monster-hunting expert, but even now there are times I let my guard down for a moment and get slaughtered instantly.

Summary

While the game revolves around it’s combat and gear progression, there are a few additional topics that are important to note.  There is no real open world to explore.  You spend most of your downtime in a city with vendors, blacksmiths, and chef cats.  When you are ready you queue up at a quest board and get put into one of the many different biomes.  Multiplayer works well with friends on Steam once you get past the lengthy “tutorial” (which is a 12 hour mostly single-player campaign at the start of the game).  It is easy to drop into a friend’s game, then jump into their quest for rewards.  Coordinated groups can definitely benefit from efficiency through certain weapons and weapon abilities.  Everything I have come across so far is still do-able with a random, uncoordinated group as well.

Conclusion

Monster Hunter World looks great, feels great, and plays great.  Even as a AAA full-priced $60 game I would recommend it to anyone, PPG players especially.  With a monster battle rarely lasting more than 20 minutes, and the ability to drop-in/drop-out, this game is perfect for people that don’t have long play sessions available.  Even with 70+ hours invested there are still many things to do: try new weapons, kill Kirin, grind for better ability gems, build new specialized sets within my current weapon, etc.  Even though I have been avoiding the end-game grind, I still enjoy jumping into friends games for an occasional monster slaughter.

 

You can pick up your copy of Monster Hunter World at Green Man Gaming.