When Blizzard announced that StarCraft II would be divided into three games, one for each race, the gaming community was a bit preemptive in casting a suspicious eye. Respectfully so. Blizzard doesn’t rush its games, and as such, it can be years before we even hear the word “sequel” from the company. Remember the wait for Diablo III? Yet, with StarCraft II we have received two quality games in a three year span. Luckily, the last three years have flown by for StarCraft players, much in part due to the solid content and re-playability found in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. Multiple playthroughs, multiple seasons, and leagues to compete in — and lets not forget user-generated content — make it an excellent package. This continues with StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, featuring Sarah Kerrigan and the Zerg campaign.
Back in 2001, Nintendo gave gamers one of its cutest and most childish-looking games, Pikmin. The hardcore crowd dismissed it, but quickly retracted said dismissal. Pikmin is one of the most challenging and rewarding games you’ll ever play. It requires intensive micro- and macro-management to navigate through a dangerous world full of obstacles and ferocious enemies. Mixing and matching your army of Pikmin has been a series staple and is extremely important.
It is understandable that this is a RTS for casual players, but I believe it’s catered toward the wrong market. Casual players aren’t going to pick up an RTS; heck casual gamers might not even know the meaning of the term “RTS.” If the difficulty would have been bumped up to a consistent level this would be a sure-fire winner. Instead we’re left with a game that has immense potential, but sadly falls short. I commend its impressive art style, amazing controls, and a unique take on what many consider an overwhelming genre. But for those looking for a deep game with a learning curve Eufloria isn’t for you, it’s for the person that is looking for a distraction from all the loud explosions, stressful situations and chaos found in other games.
Blizzard expands StarCraft 2, but in a way you may not have expected.
Blendo Game’s Atom Zombie Smasher is an absolute steal. It’s a part of the pay-what-you-will “Humble Indie Bundle,” an independent game collection that’s sold to consumers for charity purposes. With a name like Atom Zombie Smasher, one would expect an either incredibly awesome game, or an absolute piece of trash. I’m happy to report that it ‘s the former. Atom Zombie Smasher is a darkly-comedic strategy game that’s both addictive and rewarding, and one that’s sure to hook RTS junkies.
