Path: ...!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!2.eu.feeder.erje.net!feeder.erje.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Dimensional Traveler Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action Subject: Re: FREE GAMES: "Arcade Paradise" and "Maid of Sker" Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2024 18:05:14 -0700 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 71 Message-ID: References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2024 03:05:15 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="4c412790f081c93bb140179895040d5f"; logging-data="3393253"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/NfRqOrX1k+Fw/tFpW+oo0" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:GW4KXdoxWIij0SkiBXnv90x+2Tk= In-Reply-To: Content-Language: en-US Bytes: 4455 On 7/19/2024 4:43 PM, Ant wrote: > candycanearter07 wrote: >> Spalls Hurgenson wrote at 15:05 this Thursday (GMT): >>> >>> We summon thee, oh ye fiends of Epic, in our weekly ritual! Bring unto >>> us the unwanted games that we may add them -freely and with no >>> obligation to anyone- to our libraries, that they may become bloated >>> and untenable. Come, come, shower us with thine cursed beneficence! >>> Tell us now, what hath thou in store? >>> >>> >>> * Arcade Paradise >>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/arcade-paradise >>> "Arcade Paradise" is a game I wanted to enjoy a >>> lot more than I ended up doing. It's conceit is >>> that you're trying to transform an '80s laundromat >>> into, well, the eponymous arcade paradise. It's >>> part walking simulator, part business management, >>> and a lot of badly-made arcade games. And it's >>> the latter where the game really fails, because >>> advancement in the story (and the business!) >>> depends on how well you can master the arcade >>> games, which are all obvious knock-offs of better >>> known titles like Pac-Man, Centipede and Missile >>> Command. And I don't much enjoy playing those >>> games to begin with, much less the inferior >>> clones. Even if you can endure all that, the >>> narrative then screws you over and takes it >>> all away anyway. It's just a mess all around, >>> which is a shame because it captures the /feel/ >>> of an 80s arcade quite well. Except for the >>> parts that are, you know, actually fun. > >> Not into arcadey games myself, but that is a shame. > >>> * Maid of Sker >>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/maid-of-sker-2ae24e >>> It's a first-person survival horror game; you >>> know the type. The sort where you're completely >>> defenseless against the monsters, where you're >>> barely able to stand even looking at them. The >>> type set in olden-times (1898 in specific for >>> "Maid"). The one where you stumble about looking >>> for crafting materials and bumping against >>> simplistic logic puzzles. It's basically a more >>> modern take on the "Amnesia" franchise. It's not >>> /bad/, per se, but it adds very little new to >>> the genre (this game's gimmick is that the enemies >>> are blind and rely on sound to find you... which >>> means you have to slooooowwwwwly walk everywhere) >>> and doesn't really do anything exceptionally well >>> either. Fine if you love the genre, but if you've >>> ever played any of "Maid's" competitors >>> ("Penumbra", "Amnesia", "Soma", and dozens of >>> others) then you might as well give this one a pass. >>> >>> >>> You know the drill; you've got the usual 7 days to claim these games. >>> No rush. And if you don't want these games? Don't worry; the fiends >>> will be back with a new selection next week. > >> Fiends? > > Foes! Foo Fighters!! -- I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky dirty old man.