What an interesting month for releases, the indie summer is long gone. The remasters and big titles once again dominate the Steam charts. It’s always sad to see innovative gameplay and bold decisions not turn into chart success. But it’s okay indies, we’ll always have the summers.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition – Purchase on Steam
It’s time to revisit Skyrim in the remastered Elder Scrolls V. There’s not a lot to say about this release really, the same game with a few texture and lighting upgrades. Unlike the original release the executable is now 64bit for better modding support. However, the audio sounds worse than the original and it’s still full of bugs.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI – Purchase on Steam
A great addition to the Civilization series that should’ve been number 1. Unstacking cities takes some getting used to, but once it clicks the older civs seem just that, old. Unlike previous entries this feels like a complete game in it’s vanilla state. A few AI bugs and barbarian aggressiveness on lower difficulties does spoil it somewhat though. – Read our full review.
Rocksmith 2014 – Purchase on Steam
I’ve no idea why this is suddenly a new release, but apparently it is. If you want to learn to play guitar and have a guitar and the required jack then Rocksmith is supposed to be really good.
Mafia III – Purchase on Steam
NO – Read our impressions
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location – Purchase on Steam
Finally a Halloween game in the Steam charts. The fifth game in the series that I’m too scared to play. The gameplay has stepped away from the familiar survival aspects and replaced them with more of an objectives based game. Freddy Fazbear has also been replaced with a new main character called Circus Baby. Even with all those changes it somehow retains the same creepy feel and sense of tension.
Shadow Warrior 2 – Purchase on Steam
The sequel to a reboot of a 90’s FPS. Use a sword or gun to take down hordes of demons from another dimension. Things like no falling damage and it’s fast pace show it’s roots, but what glorious roots. Like 2016 Doom, the mix of gameplay and modern graphics updates your rose-tinted glasses for the original release.
Farming Simulator 17 – Purchase on Steam
Carmageddon: Max Damage – Purchase on Steam
A Carmageddon, Civilization and Shadow Warrior game in the Steam chart in the same month, it’s feeling a bit 1997. Like the others in the chart it’s a new coat of paint and gameplay on an old idea. This time run over pedestrians, destroy other players or try and finish a race. Reincarnation failed to really push the formula and had more than it’s fair share of issues. Look out for our review next week to see if Carmageddon: Max Damage is better than it’s predecessor.
THOTH – Purchase on Steam
THOTH was an ancient Egyptian god of writing and knowledge. It’s kind of fitting that THOTH the game is a minimalist twin-stick shooter, with a puzzle element. I’m sure he would’ve approved of using level numbers as backgrounds and the sheer variety of puzzles based on a simple twinstick mechanic.
My Summer Car – Purchase on Steam
The last entry on the Steam charts for this month is an eating, drinking, and urinating simulator that also has you building a car. Not just a little bit of car building either, you start with a garage full of parts and a shell. From there you build whatever sort of car you want. This game scares me as my track record with cars includes seized engines and exploding tyres, knowing my luck I’d destroy the car in game and fry my PC, after all it’s still in early access.
