Recent reviews by CommissarBRO

Edit as of 5/1/2016
Those weird lighting issues are gone. This game looks waaaay better now that everything isn't bathed in shadows. Great progress so far.
TL:DR
I'm not going to lie. I've kinda fanboyed out for this game. The sheer potential and the broad focus the game has taken makes it this weird Pirates!/Black Flag/Warhammer hybrid. And yes it's actually as awesome as that sounds. However, being an early access product, the game is clearly rough around a few edges (most notably lighting and shading) and the animations could use a bit more work.

Gameplay Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS0rPwLy2Ug

How does it play?

Think AC's Black Flag combat system (with more depth) , a quest system, special crew members, boats of downright crazy designs that you can use (one boat is basically just a giant cannon in the front which takes up half the boat in size), and a boatload (ha) of other features like Monster attacks. Did you say monster attacks? Yup. Within the first 15 minutes of playing the game you fight Orkz, and a giant ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shark (megalodon) with more spectacular factions and monsters on the way (griffons/wyverns are planned next). You will sail around the coasts and seas of the Old World from the Warhammer fantasy universe while playing through an entire story. The core mechanics are solid and this seems like an amazing start but there is definitely some work to go before this is a full fledged product.

What is planned in the future?
-A (seriously) ridiculous amount of content.
-Fully customizable character (think MnB: Warband type customization)
-Full story Mode
-More monsters
-20 or so factions (seems to include all races from WFB)

What is wrong now?
-Because of lighting and shading, it's kind of hard to see anything in the game at night. It doesn't help that there is an unsual amount of fog in the northern areas that you're in. This makes night battles an absolutely painful challenge.
-Animations are a bit wonky in areas and movement can feel jerky or floaty (depends on if you're walking around on the ship or just sailing the ship). Because of this, it's hard to hit targets in boarding actions or in monster attacks. For example, when you fight a Megalodon, you're supposed to shoot it in the eye... I'm not saying it's impossible, but I am saying that after about 6 megalodon attacks, I've only shot one in the eye with my hand cannon once.

What can be improved?
-I'd definitely start with the previously mentioned lighting and shading. Visibility is a major part of the game and not being able to see through fog and the deck of your ship being coated in pure black despite nearby lighting sources makes it hard to truly enjoy the beautifully crafted ships or to be able to combat effectively against enemy ships.
-Animations that seem fluid or have a realistic weight to them could really push this game up to where it needs to be.
-Couple of graphical errors like blackboxes appearing out of nowhere, standard Early Access stuff.
-Boarding actions could be a bit more forgiving, it's a bit difficult to shoot the right enemies when the ship is bucking and crewmen clip through each other... I'm about 60/40 on shooting my teammates and enemies. I'd also like to see a bit better boarding combat system be implemented if at all possible. Maybe some melee fighting from the main character or something.
-Would love to see the voice acting fully implemented. What's currently in the game is not too shabby but there are moments when voices cut out or it seems lines just haven't been fully voiced yet. Can't wait to see that finished.

In summation
This game is well on it's way to being a damn good title. It's already got a very solid foundation and in it's current format, it's a lot of fun to play with enough surprises and challenge to keep you playing for a few dozen hours. Definitely recommend it to Warhammer FB fans or people who are looking for a Fantasy take on the Black Flag/Pirates! formula.

Not bad. There isn't much to say about Mushroom Wars. It's a strategy game in the same vein as Planets Under Attack! except with Mushroom people who are slaughtering each other wholesale for the enjoyment of us non-mushroom Humans. The gameplay is simple, you start out with a tier 1 mushroom building that is upgraded by sacrificing a certain number of mushroom people to create more mushroom people at a faster rate. You conquer more of the mushroom buildings, creating more mushroom people to violate the lives and property of the opposing mushroom people who dared be born a different color. As time goes on, you'll unlock mushroom towers and mushroom forges which add a bit of mushroom variety but the core mechanics pretty much remain the mushroom... have more Mushroom people than your mushroom opponent.
Eventually, you'll mushroom mushrooms by mushrooms and mushrooms...
In summation, I rate this game Mushroom out of Mushroom. Definitely a Mushroom.
Mushroom Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW2h9Cb_erY

This game is good. Just a simple Tower-Defense/RTS hybrid in the same vein as some zombie survival flash games you might've seen on Armor Games about a decade ago. Like those games, this one has a very addicting nature and you'll find yourself sinking a good number of hours into the Arcade mode, trying to get further and further every time. So far my best playthrough is 22 waves.

Fortify plays in a very simple manner. You have a fort that starts out very low tier with just a couple of slingshooters to hold back the tides of evil. As you gain more gold, you'll unlock new units. You'll upgrade your fort and build outposts which produce 1 of 3 resources that are used to further upgrade your fort. You'll progress through three tech levels; Iron Age, Medieval Age and Imperial Age. Starting from slingshots and ending with rifles and grenades. Aside from the 2 campaigns in the game (Northern, West) you also have an endless Arcade mode and a multiplayer mode where you can battle against 1 other player.

In summation, a very solid title that I've had an absolute blast with. And for 4.99, you can hardly beat it! A lot of indie titles price themselves out of the market, assuming they have plenty of content for the price. This title can actually carry that boast.

Gameplay Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV6mwbgL4bM

I remember when these games were just flash games and free apps on mobile phones, so it's funny to see where they've ended up. That's not saying that's a bad thing, this game is pretty fun. For me 20 minutes turned into 2-3 hours of games. It's cool to see the formula has been applied with a bunch of different skins that you can unlock by playing more of the game. For those of you unfamiliar with these types of games, you essentially get a certain amount of gold which you use to buy more troops. The more land you have, the more troops you can hire. To defeat your enemy you will certainly need far larger numbers of troops, generally double or so if you're attacking.

This version of the game has added in different unit types, economic upgrades and even buildings that can be built which provide bonuses to all of your troops generally in defense.

In summation, this is a fun game, just as addicting as the ones I used to play on my ipod touch in French 2 back in High school. The additional features aren't many but they are just enough to keep the formula fresh to give it a go a few more times.

Gameplay Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZudgMu8NM

This is an incredibly interesting game. It's very similar to Battle Brothers except there is magic and various classes aside from just badass merc character (both are also really good games). In Overfall, you create your own characters (start with 2) and you explore a world that is primarily water with scattered islands throughout (think Wind Waker). On each island you will run into quests, races, aggressive and nonaggressive beings that all seem to offer an interesting little story or quest for you to complete. Combat is all turn-based in this game and operates similar to games like Heroes of Might and Magic or again, Battle Brothers. However, this game is noticeably different as each combatant has 3 phases to their turn. The movement phase (where they have two moves they can perform but must pick 1), utility phase (3 moves, pick 1) and combat phase (3 moves, pick 1). Skills vary from bleeding effects, AOE effects, skip phase effects or just healing/buff effect. Every fight requires intricate input from the player and even lower level enemies can kick your tail if you're not careful. Also, this game definitely has permadeath and a random map seed every time you play so it's definitely got elements of a Roguelike. Your goal is to make it further each time and try to beat your previous scores.

Aesthetically, this game is great. It's got a strong, adventurous soundtrack that blends seamlessly with the open sea areas but also keeps you invested in the combat. Graphically, the game has a nice artistic style... while nothing especially unique it is definitely a very beautifully designed game.

In summation, this game is looking good for an early access game. While it doesn't feel like it's done anything particularly new, a whole bunch of the quests that are featured in the game are very well woven... for example, the Deceiver's Questline. Really, really enjoyed that one and that alone makes me put this game a head above the other roguelikes I've played lately.

Gameplay Footage (first impressions):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEmj7ICb_24

Let's just lay it on the table. This game is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ weird. One of your technologies is getting Mao Ze Dong to inspect buildings to stop idle workers. It's a puzzle game mixed with a city builder with a very abstract way of looking at city management. And it's also really freaking difficult with concepts that are not quite explained in a way that promotes a player-friendly attitude. Essentially, it's forcing you to figure it out yourself (which is kind of a pain in the ass) while still attempting to balance the various "resources" in the game.

This just makes the game far more difficult than it really needs to be. There is no clear definition of how to get to your objectives, nor does there seem to be an easy way to do it. You will restart... a lot. Seriously, in just an hour I restarted over 8 times because I had too much terror, or not enough terror or I ran out of Rubels. That brings me to my next point, this game is very, very abstract in the traditional city builder sense. For example, how do you initally produce coal? Well you zap them with Soviet lightning and harvest their bodies to be burned in a crematorium which thusly produces coal, of course! Like I said... just weird.

However, figuring out this game and how it works is actually... kind of fun. It's almost like a Roguelike, where the only way you can get better is to try, try again. After every mission you complete, you generate points which you can then buy upgrades that make the game easier from the main menu. I also really like the aesthetic of the game. Seriously, the watercolor paintings and the artwork in this game are downright freaking gorgeous. The music is pretty damn catchy too... never thought I'd say that about a Soviet-esque game.

Seriously though, I recommend this game to only a select type of people... those who like intentionally frustrating systems or fans of roguelikes, very hard city builder fans or just people who like to make fun of Soviet culture and it's ridiculous brutality... if you like watercolors, you'll probably be a fan of this too.

Gameplay Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kHKLY0Kcqc

An interesting game to say the least. Some parts infuriating, some parts hilarious. Aesthetically, it's downright beautiful. The epic catchy looping music, the beautifully designed map (literally a map) with all manner of objects scattered around. I step into The Inner Sea thinking I was going to be a Pirate like in Sid Meier's Pirates! An hour later, I became the most prominent walrus trader in the New World (made sooooo much money from their tusks). Bet you didn't see that coming.

The game is simple, you sail around a randomly generated map, trading, exploring, and blowing up other guys ships. The combat is unforgiving and difficult but it has a lot in common with Windward. You travel from port to port, doing missions against very powerful foes. You upgrade your ships, get new ships and try to survive. Unfortunately, the combat is UNFORGIVING AS HELL and you will die a lot until you figure out which ships to not ♥♥♥♥ with. That's alright though, part of the challenge I suspect. Seriously, in about 5 minutes, I went from having a Caravel, to a lifeboat, to a Viking Longship and then back to a lifeboat. Twas hilarious but mildly annoying. It teaches you that maybe Piracy isn't the answer... and that life is better spent gathering Walrus Tusks as a career.

Gameplay Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Acye9iOAE

Of all the games that have been rereleased on steam, this is not only the most playable but definitely my favorite. I love Rogue Squadron and I'm glad to see old Star Wars games are finally getting some decent treatment on newer systems. I'll admit, the mouse and keyboard controls are just a little wonky but all in all this is a freaking blast and I hope everyone can relive some awesome Rogue Squadron memories with me! Also I want to point out, even after like 18 years, I still ran a gold on the first three missions! Booyah!

Definitely recommended.

Gameplay Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ6hPR-0BuI

I've always been a HUGE fan of Seven Kingdoms 2: Frythan Wars yet I never got the chance to play the original Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries. I must say, as a classic games enthusiast (and a lover of 90's games) this well-polished strategy game is exactly what I would expect of a well done refurbished classic game. Want a comparison of what this is like? Take Age of Empires and merge it with Warcraft 2 and dash in the 4x-ness of Civilization. You're now probably wondering how these games weren't more popular? That's a great question... see Seven Kingdoms Conquest and you'll get your answer. Seriously though, if you're a fan of indepth RTS's or just classic games, SKAA is a great place to start! Plus I hear there is an active modding community for this game despite it being almost 20 years old!
Gameplay Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZqXphIwOrI

This game is good. I've spent a lot of time playing it over the past few months (beta testing and all that) and I'm glad to see it has finally been released. I provide 2 versions of reviews, a first impressions video version and a written version. A little something for both camps.

Gameplay Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-mk3TXp3Vk

So let's get right down to business. What is Polaris Sector? Polaris Sector is a 4x Real-time Grand Strategy game in the same vein as Distant World: Universe or a real time version of Space Empires or even Endless Space. It features a real-time battle system where you command ships and fighters against pirates and all manner of Xenos Scum. There are 9 races which all feature unique ship types and can be customized via point distribution in over 13 passive buffs. As is usual with these sorts of games, you have research (an exhaustingly extensive research tree might I add), exploration, espionage and ship customization. You can also rename planets and systems. It's your standard run of the mill 4x Space game.

What sets it a part from other games of the same vein?
Not much to be honest but it does something very well that a lot of 4x Space Strategy games forget... it feels streamlined and the gameplay is relatively fast paced. You always have something to do but because you can just pause the game or slow the speed to a crawl, you never feel overwhelmed. What's better, is a lot of the processes can be automated like planet colonization, invasion planning or just building up your planets so the game doesn't become overly tedious. You've also got about 6 resources that you have to manage. While that may seem like a lot for this type of game, it's surprisingly not. It's fun trying to find planets that produce the resources you need and meeting production. For a one man project, this game feels INSANELY well done.

What's wrong with the game?
Not much. The game itself is pretty fine tuned. There are few things that bother me with this game like the overpowered fighters. It doesn't seem to matter how technologically advanced your ships are, fighters are practically impossible to beat in large numbers. Seriously, just field a fleet with about 10-20 carriers and build 200 fights with heavy ion guns and I guarantee there is nothing that can stop you. I'd recommend bringing down the power of fighters considerably as they are just a cheap tactic at this stage in the game.
The game can also feel a bit tedious later on. For example, in the later stages of the game, it can become a bit tedious having to colonize everything or invading large empires (but remember you can automate that process so that's just me being too lazy to automate it).

In summation, this is a solid 4x Real-Time Space Strategy game that I've really enjoyed my time with. The streamlined and relatively fast pace at which the game flows means I happily spend dozens of hours glued to the screen managing my little Space Empire. I highly recommend this one for fans of the 4x genre.