Carnage

Legend of Legaia (a JRPG) is one of my favourite games for the PS1. Recently finished the second part (for a second time) for the PS2, which wasn't as good as the first, but still very enjoyable. The first part I've finished probably close to ten times and I still come back for more. It can be a bit grindy at times, but I love the story and it has a deeper meaning to it if you're willing to think that far. The battle system is quite unique, as you enter directions and if you enter the correct combination you perform arts, super arts and/or hyper arts. After an X amount of levels you have space for more directions, which leads to more complex and stronger arts and you can even combine arts. The first Spyro I also enjoyed a lot and I still remember the frustration but then after the joy of finding all the treasures. Oddworld, Syphon Filter, Resident Evil series en Dino Crysis are a few other games that I enjoyed a lot as well.

This week's free games on the Epic Store are: Q.U.B.E. 2 You are Amelia Cross, a stranded archaeologist who has mysteriously awoken among the sand swept ruins of an ancient alien landscape. Together with the distant help of another survivor, you must solve the puzzles of this forgotten world to find a way back home. Key Features: Master eleven puzzle areas and solve over 80 individual puzzles Explore diverse environments that expand the Q.U.B.E. world Experience an all new adventure and brand new characters Interact with new and improved game mechanics Original musical score composed by BAFTA nominated composer, David Housden Full color blind support, using symbols as a color aid https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/q-u-b-e-2/home Layers of Fear Layers of Fear is a first-person psychedelic horror game with a heavy focus on story and exploration. Delve deep into the mind of an insane painter and discover the secret of his madness. Layers of Fear: Inheritance expands the plot from Layers of Fear and tells the story of the painter’s daughter, who comes back to her childhood home to face her past. Relive her experiences and witness the full scope of the tragedy that has swallowed up the family. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/layers-of-fear/home

They must be doing something wrong then, because just scrolling ten seconds through their classic pc games category shows dozens of games that are still sold. Maybe they are posting games with expired copyright. So although you can still buy them, the copyright isn't valid anymore? Edit: There have also been several controversies and disputes, so I don't know how legal it really is.

This week's free games on the Epic Store are: Alan Wake’s American Nightmare In this brand new standalone experience, Alan Wake fights the herald of darkness, the evil Mr. Scratch! A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations, combined with a fun and challenging new game mode make this a must for Alan Wake veterans, and the perfect jumping on point for new players! Key Features: Play the full-fledged Story Mode: You’ll be on the edge of your seat as you fight to stop your murderous evil double to take back your life... and change reality itself! Fight till dawn arcade mode: In the action-packed Arcade Mode, you’ll need to master the Fight with Light mechanic to stay alive until dawn and beat your friends on theLeaderboards. Can you survive until sunrise? Face the darkness: Twisted and dangerous enemies stalk you in the shadows. Dispatch them with the powerful arsenal of weapons at your disposal. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/alan-wake-american-nightmare/home >observer_ What Would You Do if Your Fears Were Hacked? You are Dan Lazarski, an elite neural detective known as an Observer, and part of a corporate-funded police unit whose purpose is to hack and invade suspects’ minds. In this future, anything you think, feel or remember can be used against you in a court of law. The year is 2084. If you somehow survived the Nanophage, odds are you were killed in the War. Those who live have turned to drugs, VR, neural implants— anything to distract themselves from this new reality. But they can’t hide from you. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/observer/home If there are any fans of the late Rutger Hauer, then this last one is something for them. Reviews on Steam are mixed, but hey it's free, so there isn't really anything to complain about, right?

As the notorious Twilight CDs and DVDs can also be found on archive.org (link for those that don't know them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_(CD-ROM) I also highly doubt they have the rights or for anything else that they post. Apart from the fact that SE has the rights for the Thief IP of course.

This week's free game on the Epic Store is: Surviving Mars Colonize Mars and discover her secrets, with minimal casualties. Welcome Home! The time has come to stake your claim on the Red Planet and build the first functioning human colonies on Mars! All you need are supplies, oxygen, decades of training, experience with sandstorms, and a can-do attitude to discover the purpose of those weird black cubes that appeared out of nowhere. With a bit of sprucing up, this place is going to be awesome! Surviving Mars is a sci-fi city builder all about colonizing Mars and surviving the process. Choose a space agency for resources and financial support before determining a location for your colony. Build domes and infrastructure, research new possibilities and utilize drones to unlock more elaborate ways to shape and expand your settlement. Cultivate your own food, mine minerals or just relax by the bar after a hard day’s work. Most important of all, though, is keeping your colonists alive. Not an easy task on a strange new planet. There will be challenges to overcome. Execute your strategy and improve your colony’s chances of survival while unlocking the mysteries of this alien world. Are you ready? Mars is waiting for you. Main Features: Building a sustainable colony in space Building on a planet not fit for human life challenges you to build a smart, functional colony. Bad planning isn’t about traffic jams, it’s about survival of your colonists. You really don’t want rolling blackouts in a city constructed in a place without oxygen. Individually simulated colonists Each colonist is a unique individual with problems and strengths that influence the needs and behavior of the other colonists. Things can get really interesting if your chief scientists develops alcoholism after one too many long nights in the lab. Futuristic Space Dome construction Retro-futuristic super structures housing colonists, factories and commercial buildings with their own “neighborhood personality.” Create colonies that value science over everything else, while tired workers drink their pay away at a local bar, or attempt a utopia among the stars. Exploration of Mars’ secrets Inspired by the classic sci-fi of Asimov and Clarke, Surviving Mars holds many secrets. During each playthrough players may encounter one of Mars’ individually crafted mysteries. Uncovering these secrets might bring your colony great fortune, or terrible ruin. What is that sphere that manifested itself outside colony HUB B, and is it friendly? Randomized research tree Combine static and random research through experimentation, which allows for a different experience for each journey through the game. Attain new scientific breakthroughs by exploring the uncharted terrain of Mars's surface. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/surviving-mars/home

This week's free game on the Epic Store is: Minit Minit is a peculiar little adventure played sixty seconds at a time. Journey outside the comfort of your home to help unusual folk, uncover countless secrets, and overcome dangerous foes, all in hopes of lifting a rather unfortunate curse that ends each day after just one minute. Minit is a collaboration between Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio & Dominik Johann. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/minit/home

This week's free games on the Epic Store are: Metro 2033 Redux In 2013, the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earth’s surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age. The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station Cities struggle for survival, both with each other and the mutant horrors that await outside. You are Artyom, born in the last days before the fire, but raised underground. Having never ventured beyond the city limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat. Your journey takes you from the forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions will determine the fate of mankind. But what if the real threat comes from within? https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/metro-2033-redux/home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUOCBCTRNl0 This is one of my favourite post-apocalyptic games. It's not an easy game on the normal settings (because ammo and air filters can be quite scarce) but there are also settings that give you more of those, so that you don't have to worry so much about them. Everything Everything is an epic, award-winning reality simulation game - where everything you see is a thing you can be, from animals to planets to galaxies and beyond. Travel between outer and inner space, and explore a vast, interconnected universe of things without enforced goals, scores, or tasks to complete. Everything is a procedural, AI-driven simulation of the systems of nature, seen from the points of view of everything in the Universe. Narrated by the inspiring philosophy of Alan Watts, and featuring a rich score from composer Ben Lukas Boysen, Everything will give you a new perspective on life. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/everything/home

You must be a fun person to have on parties... Mate, if you don't like the country you live in, then move. I can tell from experience though that there will always be something that you don't like in a different country. Take some time off, do some work and travel abroad (Australia and New Zealand are very good in this regard, but obviously not the only options) and try to find a country that suits your specific needs enough. It doesn't have to be perfect, as long as you can live in it and feel at peace.

This week Epic Games is giving away 6 free games. Batman Arkham Collection https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/bundles/batman-arkham-collection LEGO Batman Trilogy https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/bundles/lego-batman-trilogy I don't think these need any explanation. If you haven't played the Arkham games yet, then I highly recommend them as they do an awesome job of giving you a badass Batman feeling.

For a limited time and till stock lasts Humble Bundle is giving away a free Steam key for Endless Space (a 4 X strategy game). This is for one more day so act fast if this is your kind of game :).

From now till the 19th the free game on the Epic Story is: Conarium Conarium is a chilling Lovecraftian game that follows the gripping story of four scientists and their endeavor to challenge what we normally consider to be the "absolute" limits of nature. Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's novella At the Mountains of Madness, but largely set after the original story. You, as Frank Gilman, open your eyes inside a room filled with strange, pulsating noises. Patterns of lights executing a Danse Macabre on the walls is presented by a queer device on the table. Having recalled nothing other than that you’re in Upuaut, an Antarctic base located near the South Pole, you find the place deserted and have a distinct feeling of something being terribly wrong. Somehow knowing that your memories cannot guide you enforces a strange feeling of vulnerability, a familiar yet alien sensation of being a part of a peculiar whole... Soon you will discover that having used the device during the expedition, you have died but then returned subtly changed, speaking of strange memories and of strange places. You have lost something important or gained something sinister... Explore the Antarctic base, as well as dreams and visions. Study clues and unlock secrets, whilst avoiding macabre beings at all cost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNUzrWv50EI https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/conarium/home

The Epic Launcher certainly isn't the most polished yet when you look at Steam, but I'm willing to give them a shot. Quite a few games are a lot cheaper than on Steam and I know Steam has a lot more to offer socialwise and with reviews and all. But to be fair a review is just based on opinions of other people and there have been several games with horrible reviews on Steam that I actually enjoyed. And yes like stumpy said, you can obviously subscribe to receive emails, but even then it can't be difficult to remember sometimes if you don't take a look right away because you have just a week to 'buy' the game.

Quite a few people probably don't know or don't remember that the Epic Store is giving away free games every week. As most people have very busy lives nowadays it can be difficult to remember to check the store every week. They have been giving away some pretty good games and it would be a shame to miss these. Therefore I will try to update this post every week with the games they are giving away until they stop doing it. This is obviously meant for people that are interested in downloading something from the Epic Store. This week you can download: The End Is Nigh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8DUps2QKA0 The End Is Nigh is a sprawling adventure platformer where you die a lot, but that's ok because you are probably already dead anyway. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/the-end-is-nigh/home ABZU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9d8YjpJgiU From the art director of Journey® and Flower®, ABZÛ is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/abzu/home

In my own defense, I've never said such a thing and would never think that either. Being skeptical or wanting to see proof doesn't mean I dismiss her perspective. It's absolutely horrible if it is true (even though after reading about her work life you'd think her life couldn't get any worse). I just want justice to be served, whatever side that is. Did you take a look at some of the sites linked at the bottom of the article? Some of them had the option to comment and I couldn't find one comment that wanted to wait for proof first, he's already crucified. After being on the other side of the story, I know how horrible it can be to be falsely accussed. We'll see how this will turn out in the end.

I get what you're saying peter_spy, but just like any crime it's difficult to prove so many years after the act. And just because someone writes down a detailed description of what happened, it still isn't anything more than just that: a detailed description of one person. Crucifying one person because of that doesn't seem to be the way for me. How many men have actually had their careers destroyed because of false accusations, but they are just collateral right, for the greater good. I don't try to sympathize with the actual rapers, I'm just trying to say that like every crime it has to be proven first. And if there isn't any proof, then you just have to hope that the guy stepped out of line more than once (what a lot of times is the case) and these women come forward as well with their stories. The good thing about MeToo, is that it will improve the live of women now. As rapists will think twice to step out of line. For the victims of these crimes years ago it unfortunately might not change anything, because like you said, it isn't just a car accident that can be proven easily. Edit: Just because there are people that don't immediately believe a detailed story like you and want proof first, it doesn't mean they choose the side of the rapists. I know that is kind of the way discussions are done nowadays (if you're not with me, you're against me), but I condone rapists just as much as you do. The only difference is that I first want some kind of proof before I look different at one person. One of my best friends was falsely accused for sexual conduct with an underaged girl and he can't live in his home town anymore, he lost almost all his friends, lost his job and recently left the country to start a new life. Because even though the charges were false, people had already crucified him. That might explain why I don't believe a story that easily, no matter how detailed.

I think this has to do with the amount of MeToo accusations that were false. The false accusations unfortunately have kind of destroyed and discredited what the movement should actually stand for, which is helping the women that are really being sexually abused, harassed, etc. In this case I have read Nathalie's whole post from top to bottom and although the way she has been treated during her early career is horrible, there's no sort of proof that she has been raped by Jeremy Soule. The way she says he has treated her and almost destroyed her career and life could be enough incentive to falsely accuse him of rape (to get back at him for how her fellow colleagues treated her, for discrediting her, for putting her in a bad daylight, etc.) The hatred for what that one person has done to her, to live in a hell for so many years, can be more than enough for a personal vendetta. She obviously has the skill to create such a story. Now, I'm not saying that this is the case, but I'm also not a person to judge another person just based on one post. I still believe in the innocent until proven otherwise. The largest part of her post is about how bad she's treated and how Jeremy Soule is responsible for this. The part about the actual rape is just a tiny part of the post and could easily be fabricated by someone with her skills. She doesn't want any money out of this (as far as I understand), but nowadays an accusation of rape is enough to destroy the life of one person, just like how Soule almost destroyed hers. So although it could all be true that Soule raped her, it could also be true that he made her life a living hell (without raping her) and she wants to get back at him and knows that accusing someone with a rape story is enough to destroy a career. I personally find it disturbing how fast someone nowadays is found guilty by the world for something that hasn't been proven yet. All the men that are proven guilty deserve all the hatred that they receive/have received and for the ones that go free (even though they are guilty), I believe the bill will always be paid in the end (one way or the other). But burning everyone like witches after a rape accusation that hasn't been proven is not the way IMO.

Something I read recently as a tip is using a first part of a password that is the same for all the sites you use and then adding the website behind it. For example: passwordTDM. When you then change your password you can add a number to it.

I'd love to hear your opinion after you've finished the game. As I've read several reviews that said that the later part of the game (after about 5 hours) isn't as good as the first part (like the developers ran out of money). Some of these reviews are more than a year old though and quite a few patches have been released since then, so I wonder if it has improved. There are expections like chakmann said. I still love to play the Soul Reaver games, the story is just amazing. I have a potato laptop, so graphics are always last on my list of priorities. The Tomb Raider games you mentioned were great games because gameplay-wise that was kind of the standard at that time. I wouldn't mind playing them if it was just the graphics, but IMO they haven't aged very well on the gameplay part either as there were a lot more limitations at that time.

Yeah, it's a shame really. I remember playing the demo of Thief 2 endlessly while I saved enough money to buy it. Demos are a perfect showcase of your game. If they would have released a demo for Anthem though, it would have sold even worse I think, so it's probably a strategic choice to not do it.

You could always download the demo and see if it is something that you can get into or not. I'm not sure how up to date the demo is, but it will atleast give you an idea what to expect. Yeah, visually it's very basic, but as long you find the gameplay good I think you should be able to enjoy it. I've had lots of fun with it and still play it sometimes (have the game for years now), even though top-down isn't my favourite perspective either. Development of the game is pretty slow (on the feature front), but they release new updates quite often.

The sandbox mode that Project Zomboid offers might be something for you if you don't mind a top-down perspective. The 'normal' game mode is pretty hardcore and makes it very difficult to escape from the zombies (as that is the vision of the developers, to kill you). In the sandbox mode you can change pretty much change all the settings to your liking though, such as speed, sight and the amount of zombies and a lot more. Whatever your preference, you still have to be smart fighting zombies, as one bite usually means the end (which can be adjusted as well).

Thanks for sharing this, as I didn't know about these. Those are now weekly free giveaways till the end of the year I think. Next week Rebel Galaxy will be free and that was just a game that I wanted to buy.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps finally has a release date. The release has been pushed several times, but now it finally seems to have a set date. The game is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Ori and the Blind Forest (a platformer), which IMO is a mustplay for everyone who's into platformers even a little. The story, gameplay, visuals, music and level design will keep you entertained till the end and wishing for more (which finally is coming). A controller is probably the best way to play it as the game becomes pretty difficult (but not impossible) towards the end, but I finished it with a mouse and keyboard.

Cyan got it right IMO with their Myst games and the point and click adventure games are kind of the predecessors of the interactive fictions we have now. Or rather the interactive fictions are an evolution of point and click adventures, where people prefer the story and not so much the puzzle solving. It's difficult sometimes to get the storytelling through readables right in games, as you don't always know if someone will be able to find them. In the Metro games for example a lot of story is told through readables, but they are not all easy to find and even during my second playthrough I can't find them all. Because of that you miss a part of the story, which could make it less interesting.