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RTS Galore! Episode 1: Populous
It was an early December morning. The streets were still engulfed in darkness when I took a sip of fresh coffee. Clouds were gathering above the horizon, and lightning flashes in the distance heralded a coming storm. Then it hit me! I have to play as many RTS games as I possibly can! Because of…
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On Videogame Preservation
If you’re reading this blog, I assume you like videogames. You like playing them, you like reading about them, you care about them. If you really do, you’re probably worried about some particular aspect of this medium. Maybe you worry about high prices on games and accessories. Perhaps it’s publishers’ greed that boils your blood.…
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Heroes of Might & Magic: The Rise and Fall
1999 was one of the wealthiest years for gaming history. Legendary titles spawned one shortly after another, leaving gamers—exhausted but happy—no time for rest. Just think about it: Age of Wonders, Homeworld, Sid Meyer’s Alpha Centauri, SimCity 3000, Planescape: Torment, Dungeon Keeper 2, Quake 3, Jagged Alliance 2, Age of Empires 2, etc. They all…
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Heroes of Might & Magic: The Classical Era
Since the second half of the ‘80s, Might & Magic series have been accumulating the love and appreciation of the masses. World of Xeen, the role-playing behemoth born from the fusion of Might & Magic IV and V, crowned the series with a luxurious quality cap. New World Computing needed new ideas and technologies to continue the series without the risk…
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Atlantis Trilogy: The Remarkability of Unremarkable
Cryo Interactive was a very prolific developer and publisher. During twelve years of its activity, this French company has managed to release so many games, that there is a separate Wikipedia page, listing the most of them. Although you may find quite a variety of game genres in that list, Cryo is mostly remembered for its…
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Cyberia: Weird. Short. Unique.
Cyberia was never the harbinger of cinema and videogames synergy, nor it’s not even a significant or meaningful title for its own medium. It’s just a short, flawed, but quite an enjoyable game. And a pretty unique one, actually. Ambitious and humble simultaneously. That’s why it should be remembered.
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Battleborn: Speaking Ill of the Dead
In the light of the latest news about Battleborn shutting its servers in January 2021, I just had to look back at it. For it is not only for successful games to be remembered: flops also deserve their place in history.
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The Outer Worlds
I do have ambivalent feelings about Outer Worlds. Mechanically it fails to achieve the level of its spiritual predecessor, a masterpiece that this year will celebrate its tenth anniversary. But exactly as in the case of Fallout: New Vegas, Outer Worlds’ main strength is in its vivid, detailed, and highly entertaining story. Or stories, to…
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Might & Magic: Dark Ages
Might & Magic series entered the new millennium with a limp. The Day of the Destroyer, the eighth game in the series has shown severe signs of stagnation and was met rather coldly by the public, which expected a rise to a new quality level from the beloved franchise. Furthermore, the Heroes series were also…
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Might & Magic: Popular Days
The first five games of glorious Might & Magic franchise have received all the love and praise they deserved. But in the mid-’90s, New World Computing decided to put the series on hiatus. Sheltem’s story has ended on an epic note, and all the roleplaying juices seemed to dry out. Might & Magic became strategic: Heroes of…
Baking Potatoes On the Ashes of Society