Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Developer: Crystal Dynamics | Released: 2014 | Genre: Platform, Isometric

This is the sequel to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light which I completed back in 2015.

It was basically more of the same. Platform jumping from an isometric viewpoint, solving puzzles and occasionally shooting monsters. Because I was playing solo, the other three coop characters were always left behind. I even had the staff that one of the other guys usually wielded. The staff was good for blasting vases for gems, but could also raise specific platforms when held up.

Better weapons and amulets could be found and equipped in an old-fashioned inventory that looked like it was nicked from an RPG. I also had access to a torch for lighting braziers, and a rope for ascending a wall when clicking on a specific wall ring. Big spheres returned to be pushed onto switches or into cages. There was even a time bomb version that could have its timer slowed down by raising the staff.

I must confess I wasn’t always a fan of using the mouse to move a cursor for indicating the target of my weapon fire. When the going got tough and there were a lot of monsters chasing me around, I sometimes couldn’t see the cursor and I ended up firing away from the monsters.

April 13, 2023April 16, 2023PC Games Abandoned

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Short Sessions, Part 11

This is another post in my series about the odd games that I have decided not to complete, although I will at least try them out for up to an hour or two.

April 1, 2023PC Games Abandoned

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3PS

Brütal Legend

Developer: Double Fine Productions | Released: 2013 | Genre: 3PS, RTS

This is another one I should have played ages ago but kept postponing – mostly because I was worried about the real time strategy elements that pops up later in the game. Now, that I have finally visited it, I can only slap myself silly for not having tried this truly original heavy metal game some time earlier. So many things to like – Jack Black, the humor, well directed cutscenes, lovingly weird ideas…

…and then they just had to put those dreadful RTS elements in it. More about that later.

I was playing as the roadie Eddie, voiced by the marvelous Jack Black. He got sent to sort of a heavy metal heaven, an open world landscape with dark themes everywhere, as inspired by the best heavy metal vinyl covers you can imagine. It was third person hack-and-slash to begin with, using a big axe and a guitar for attacks, later teamed up with a hot girl, and assembled an equally hot car for racing the roads.

I got a map of the world with primary and secondary objectives. Tab slabs – sort of shrines – could learn me new solos to be activated with a hot key, after which I had to hit the right notes for a few seconds to fire it off. It could be to e.g. summon the car, awaken supports, etc.

March 25, 2023April 5, 2023PC Games Abandoned

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3PS

Mafia II: Definitive Edition

Developer: 2K Czech | Released: 2020 | Genre: 3PS

I played more than 2 hours of this one before bailing out, so I decided to let it have its own blog post. The version I played was the Definitive Edition from 2020. I never played the classic from 2010 so I can’t say how much better it looks. I did play the first one, but that was more than 20 years ago. Way too long to report on its graphics now – the rose-tinted glasses get in the way.

What I can remember is that the game was a third person shooter driving in a city between mafia jobs. This second game was more of the same. I was in control of the handsome Vito, starting out with a little bit of military action in Sicily 1943. Back in the USA, Vito gets jobs from his friend Joe, such as stealing a car for Vito himself, getting money for a barber, and stealing gas stamps from a safe.

March 19, 2023April 10, 2023PC Games Abandoned

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Short Sessions, Part 10

This is another post in my series about the odd games that I have decided not to complete, although I will at least try them out for up to an hour or two.

February 18, 2023March 19, 2023PC Games Abandoned

 1 Comment

Short Sessions, Part 9

This is another post in my series about the odd games that I have decided not to complete, although I will at least try them out for up to an hour or two.

December 27, 2022May 28, 2023PC Games Abandoned

 2 Comments

Short Sessions, Part 8

This is another post in my series about the odd games that I have decided not to complete, although I will at least try them out for up to an hour or two.

December 17, 2022March 19, 2023PC Games Abandoned

 2 Comments

Short Sessions, Part 7

This is another post in my series about the odd games that I have decided not to complete, although I will at least try them out for up to an hour or two. Sometimes it also includes games that I did complete, but were too short to warrant writing a separate blog post about them.

July 12, 2022March 19, 2023PC Games Abandoned

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Short Sessions, Part 6

This is another post in my series about the odd games that I have decided not to complete, although I will at least try them out for up to an hour or two.