Hi,

Humble Store "End of Summer" sale is on.

My first purchases:

- Tropico 4 (Free Giveaway)
- The Walking Dead: Michonne
- Lost Horizon 2

Total bill 10.53€.

Hundreds of other good deals to check later!

Timo

Timo ,
Thanks for the info. Enjoy the games.

Have fun playing, Timo!

Ana

Thanks MaG and Ana!

I hope I will ... been too action oriented lately while waiting for the newest adventure (Sherlock etc.) prices to fall down a bit.

Some games from my backlog have been disappointing due to causing motion sickness!

Timo

for the heads up.

Hi,

"Lost Horizon 2" was a huge disappointment compared to it's prequel. It felt a low budget game in every way.

It was supposed to have gamepad support, but the implementation was almost unplayable. I couldn't even play the opening scene through without drifting several times to a situation where neither gamepad, mouse nor keyboard reacted in game and the only way to quit was to terminate the game process. So best played with a mouse.

There was one really far-fetched puzzle for which I needed to carefully spell the included walkthrough several times to pass. Many people say there are several such odd puzzles in game but I managed with the others quite easily, very similar to "Secret Files" puzzles, running endlessly here and there collecting things.

The game was also shortish, according to Steam statistics I spent 13 hours of which maybe two hours on coffee break and game paused. I simply can't recommend this game even with price tag 6.49€.

But if there is someone who still lacks several or all four "Secret Files" game titles and/or "Lost Horizon (1)", there is a Animation Arts bundle including also "Lost Horizon 2" available for five more days for 11.49€ only. That's a fair deal as all those other games are quite if not very good adventures.

I hope I find"The Walking Dead: Michonne" more satisfying, but before playing it I take a leap on the dark side and "Watch Dogs Complete Edition", my latest purchase from Humble Store "End of Summer" sale, 12.49€ only. Not bad including all the Deluxe Edition and Season Pass stuff.

Timo

Sorry you didn't enjoy it Timo. The first one was so amazing I find it difficult to match.

Hope your next one is better!

Happy Gaming!

Ana

It wasn't completely unenjoyable but my expectations were simply set too high after the amazing first one. The price coming down so slowly also kept up the illusion it was at least as good as it's prequel.

To say something good the game loaded fast and functioned stabily except when trying with gamepad when it often stopped responding totally but this game is best played as point-and-click anyway.

And another good thing is that you can stop and save at any point and there are lots of suitable points for that in the story.

But again, not worth for more than a few bucks compared to many other games on market by my opinion.

Timo

Sorry about Lost Horizon 2, TJL. Based on what I'd read previously, I knew it wasn't going to be as good as the original going in, so I actually enjoyed it a little more than I expected to. This isn't to say it was an especially great game, and I agree that it wasn't anywhere close to the level of the original. I also didn't like how they wrote Kim out of the story like that. My guess is that they hire different writers for different games, and it just so happened they got the best writer(s) for Lost Horizon, as I consider that their best game by far. It seems that their newer games have far less character interaction, fewer puzzles and are just generally much shorter than their original 3. I did like Lost Horizon 2 more than Secret Files 3 and Secret Files: Sam Peters, the latter or which is my least favorite Animation Arts game. All are fun in their way, but it's a shame their quality hasn't been matching their earlier work lately.

I enjoyed The Walking Dead: Michonne. It's a mini series, so I don't think it's on the level of the main Walking Dead games. (Have you played Seasons 1 and 2? I assume you have since you got Michonne. ) Michonne is a great character (I really like her in the TV series), and I wanted to delve into her world more. I understand it was a mini series, but I was hoping for longer episodes. What's there is quite good, though. I liked it better than 400 Days.

Have you played the Runaway games, The Next BIG Thing or Yesterday by Pendulo Studios? Those are all really good games, and I see they are on sale as well - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/focus/. (You have to scroll down a bit to get to them.) Also, Yesterday Origins will be out soon, so the timing is good.

It looks like the new King's Quest is also on sale, though it still may be a bit more than you want to spend - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/kings-quest-the-complete-collection?hmb_source=search_bar. The first 3 episodes are already out, and episode 4 should be out soon. I think it's pretty fantastic so far.

My favorite new game Dreamfall Chapters is discounted - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/dreamfall-chapters-special-edition?hmb_source=search_bar. I consider it to be the best game I've played in years. Also, this game is terrific - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/memoria. Okay, I'll stop recommending things now. Chances are you've probably already played a lot of them (if not all of them) anyway.

venus, thank you very much for your recommendations!

I have played the "Runaway" trilogy years ago and liked every game a lot. I have never even looked deeper "The Next BIG Thing" as the poster gives me idea it's something politics related but now I see it's really not so, stupid poster. I don't know why I have always passed "Yesterday" as well, but reading the desription woke my interest and I believe I will fetch both these games to my basket before the sale ends.

In general medieval/fantasy themes do not turn me on. I'm more after some realism and time either ancient or from industrialisation to near future.

"Dreamfall Chapters" woke my interest but I think I should start from the very beginning and try my "The Longest Journey" (downloaded version) to run on Windows 10.

I have played all the previous releases of "The Walking Dead" and liked the a lot. I especially like the way my choices affect how the game continues. For the same reason I also liked "Life is Strange". I'm sure "Michonne" won't let me down.

In general I like adventures with some detective/mystery/horror elements - "Dark Fall" series, "Amnesia" titles, Dracula 1-3, "Black Mirror" trilogy, "Sherlock Holmes" titles to mention some. I like more realistic looking graphics than cartoon like. And my most beloved era is from 19th century to 50's.

If you or anyone else would like to give new hints of games released in past five years or so I would appreciate it very much. And if those games were currently on sale, the better. I'm trying to collect something for the long winter.

Timo

TCL you haven't mentioned Cognition, or Face Noir but if you haven't played them I think they would be right down your alley.

John, thank you very much for your recommendations!

I have already played both "Cognition" and "Face Noir" and enjoyed both very much. What a pity "Face Noir 2" never got out.

Timo

Fantastic, I'm glad you decided to give those a try. Yesterday is short, but it has a really good story, and I suspect the sequel will be longer. (Keep in mind, I don't really know this for sure. It's just an impression I get based on what I've seen and read.) If you like it, you may want to get the sequel at some point. I've already pre-ordered it. The Next BIG Thing is a lot of fun, and I really like the two leads, particularly Liz. And no, it's not politics related at all.

I didn't realize you hadn't played The Longest Journey. Yes, you should definitely start with that one, and then if you like it, continue with Dreamfall and Dreamfall Chapters. Chapters is also choice based, so if you like that style and enjoy the other games, you should enjoy it as well. The Longest Journey is my favorite game, along with Chapters now.

I also loved Life is Strange! I thought it was one of the better games I've played in recent years, up there with The Walking Dead. Have you tried Oxenfree? It's much shorter and not on the same level as Life is Strange, but it's still a pretty great game, and it's choice based. It was made by some former TellTale employees, but you have a wider area to explore than you do in TellTale games.

It's a little older, but have you tried The Lost Crown? If not, I definitely recommend it. If you have, it has a short follow up game called The Last Crown: Midnight Horror, which was fun. The sequel, Blackenrock, will hopefully be out soon, though I haven't heard any news lately.

If you don't mind older looking graphics, and haven't played them yet, the Blackwell games are fantastic, as is Technobabylon. All are by Wadjet Eye games. Kathy Rain is also really good and has some detective elements to it - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/kathy-rain?hmb_source=search_bar.

If you don't mind really dark games, The Cat Lady is one of the better games I've played as well, and it's included in the sale - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/the-cat-lady?hmb_source=search_bar, as is the developer's newer game, Downfall Redux - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/downfall?hmb_source=search_bar. It's a remake of a game he made before The Cat Lady. I've never played the original, but the Redux was great, though I still liked The Cat Lady more.

And I assume you've played this, but as you haven't played TLJ, I'm going to recommend it in case. Have you played Grim Fandango? It's one of the best adventure games ever made, and it has a noir atmosphere. It's on the Humble site, though it's not included in the sale - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/grim-fandango-remastered?hmb_source=search_bar.

Thanks venus for these new recommendations!

I like the style you desribe every game a little and shrink the essential in a few words and sentence. Thanks for their links too.

I have no doubt that Blackwell series, Technobabylon and Kathy Rain have great stories to tell but unfortunately that retro-look pixel graphics is definitely not my thing. I started playing computer games only a cecade ago and in my mind those belong to the far past and don't bring any pleasant or nostalgic memories.

The Lost Crown is one of the early games I played and I consider it as an ultimate masterpiece. I'm still not convinced if anything played after it has ever reached the same level. Like many of us, I've been waiting for the full length sequel ever since and once again the hopes are high as Iceberg Interactive still states Blackenrock is coming in Q3/2016, but better not be too optimistic. And yes, I've played The Midnight Horror too.

I've read a lot good of Grim Fandango Remastered and now it's got my interest but I guess I'll wait until it's on sale.

I'll think about The Cat Lady, I hope it's not too depressing, only dark in a good way? Should I take it, I'll consider buying Downfall Redux later.

I really have to check whether my The Longest Journey works on Windows 10. I can't even remember yet where it's from but if my memory serves right it's from GOG, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Timo

You're welcome, TJL and thanks!

I can understand about the retro graphics. Even though I started playing games in the 80's, I'm not necessarily nostalgic for VGA graphics. It took me awhile to get started on the Wadjet Eye games, as it felt like "going backwards," but I'm glad I eventually did. I do think their latest games have gotten a lot prettier; they can probably afford to make them a bit nicer now. I'm also glad I started late, as the earlier Blackwell games are really short. That way I could dive into the entire story at once. But understandable if the graphics aren't your thing.

I agree with you on The Lost Crown, it is a masterpiece. And yes, it doesn't look like Blackenrock is coming out when originally anticipated. I'm hoping we'll at least get some more news on it this year.

I definitely recommend picking up Grim Fandango when it's on sale.

The Cat Lady is depressing; I would call it more profound than anything else, and there are a lot of horror elements. Though others did, I never found it scary (I found The Lost Crown a lot scarier), but it is very dark. So keep that in mind if you decide you do want to give it a try.

GOG is usually very good about getting older games to run on newer computers, so I think The Longest Journey should probably work for you. It's my personal "ultimate masterpiece," so maybe you'll consider it up there with The Lost Crown. It does have a lot of fantasy elements in the Arcadia world, though, so you'll just have to see what you think. I'd definitely recommend giving it a go, though, as it's one of the best adventure games ever made.

Let's see, have you played the Gabriel Knight games? The original has a remake with prettier graphics - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/gabri...rce=search_bar. GK2 looks older but uses live actors, so it may not be as jarring to you as VGA. I think it has the best story in the series, though they're all outstanding. GK3 is very early 3D, so not as pretty, but it has an amazing story and what I consider the best puzzle in any adventure game, Le Serpent Rouge.

There's also Jane Jensen's 2011 game, Gray Matter, which I thought was really strong, even if not quite up with the GK games. It's available on GOG for $9.99 - https://www.gog.com/game/gray_matter.

The Moment of Silence is a fantastic game as well, and it's included in the sale - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/the-moment-of-silence?hmb_source=search_bar. It's a futuristic conspiracy game. The writer of this game is working with Daedalic now, and he has a new game coming out next year called The State of Mind, which also looks really good.

Culpa Innata is another of my favorites. I could only find it on Steam - http://store.steampowered.com/app/12310/. It's another futuristic, philosophical type game, where the characters live in a supposed "utopia." Later, the protagonist starts to see the cracks. The only problem is that this game needs a sequel, and they were unable to make one, as the publishers never paid them. It does wrap up, so to speak, but there are a lot of unanswered questions going on in the background that were supposed to have been addressed in the sequel.

I assume you've played the Syberia games? If not, I definitely recommend them. Part 3 is supposed to be out in December.

Also, I assume you must have played The Wolf Among us since you've played The Walking Dead games and enjoy detective elements. But just in case, here is the link for that one - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/the-wolf-among-us?hmb_source=search_bar.

Thanks again venus!

Gabriel Knight series - what a pity I missed the Humble Bundle Sierra Bundle only couple of weeks ago. I haven't played any of them but they all seem interesting. On the other hand, I believe it's better to fetch them from GOG for Windows 10, they also have a bundle discount. Are original Sins of the Fathers and 20th Anniversary Edition practically the same what it comes to the story and it doesn't matter which one to play before other two titles?

I already own Gray Matter but haven't played it yet.

The Moment of Silence also has my interest and is on sale at the moment, I think I'll fetch it before the sale ends.

I'll skip Culpa Innata because of lacking sequel, what a pity it never came out.

Syberia 1 & 2, owned and played and eager to see the third one.

The Wolf Among Us - owned and played, didn't like as much as The Walking Dead series.

Thanks again for your recommendations, it seems we share quite similar taste with games. And now I know an endless source of recommendations should I ever need help selecting good adventures again!

Timo

You're welcome, TJL, I'm glad I could help! It does seem like we share similar taste in games.

As for Gabriel Knight, I definitely think it's better to play them in order. You could start with one of the sequels, but then you miss the whole origin story. Even though the games are standalone, Gabriel has a definite character arc that's best experienced from the beginning. I'm sure the games will be on sale again at some point. GOG often has some good ones, and I've seen the GK games at very low prices in the past.

The original Sins of the Fathers and the 20th Anniversary are essentially the same, however the remake has some changes. The voice cast is entirely different. The game had to be recast, as they no longer had the original recordings that could be cleaned up. While I do think the original cast was better as a whole, the new actors did a very good job; they hired TellTale actors, so you'll probably be familiar with several of them. Dave Fennoy (Lee from The Walking Dead) played Dr. John, and he did a fantastic job. The game is divided into days, and it used to be that you could go wherever you wanted with no restrictions, so I would always go to Gabriel's grandmother's house first. In the remake you can't do this, so the narrative flow is a bit different. Also, there were some added puzzles, mostly unnecessary. I could take them or leave them personally. There is one added creepy scene in one of the later days that I really liked; it was one aspect I liked more than the original. All in all, I consider the original the definitive version, but they did a great job with the remake, and you're getting essentially the same game and story. Plus you get the benefit of the updated graphics. I've seen a lot of people prefer the original graphics, but I personally think the new screens are prettier. As you prefer newer looking games, I recommended the remake for you rather than the original.

You should definitely try Gray Matter when you get the chance.

Great, enjoy The Moment of Silence! If you like it, keep an eye out for State of Mind, which is coming out next year.

It's a shame about Culpa. It's one of my favorites, and I was hoping it would continue.

I'm also looking forward to Syberia 3.

I agree, I enjoyed The Walking Dead series more than The Wolf Among us as well, though I still thought the latter was a great game. Their newer games, Tales From the Borderlands and Game of Thrones were also fun, and I'm enjoying the new Batman so far, even though I'm having some lag issues with it on my computer. I still consider The Walking Dead their peak, though, and I doubt they're ever going to top it for me. Have you tried their older game, Back to the Future? Not sure if you're a fan of the movies or not, but if so, I definitely recommend it. It plays more like a traditional (although easy) adventure game, and it could easily qualify as a very long Back to the Future 4.

Thanks venus for your latest recommendations!

Only hours before the sale end I made up my mind and fetched The Cat Lady. I hope the story is not too depressing.

Thanks for clarifying the differences between GK Sins of Fathers versions. They often sell all three original games in one package for the cost of two individual games. So if I want to play the 20th Anniversary Edition I may well have to buy both or at least it is more economical that way. I will wait for the next GOG sale including them.

I decided not to buy Steam version of The Moment of Silence from Humble Store and wait until it comes on sale on GOG. Main reason is that Steam says it may not run on Windows 10. I count on GOG having made their standard good work with this one too.

I was about the same age as Marty in the Back to the Future when the movie came to the theatres. Those were the days spending time together with friends! Nowadays everyone's got big screen and fancy audio set at home and not even teens go to the movies so often any more. And there's no need to leave the couch to get the latest movies, just rent it and begin streaming. Back to the Future looks fun as a game too so I'll keep it in mind for the future sale on GOG, I don't trust Steam versions of older games and Windows 10 getting along so well.

I used to watch a lot of movies when I was a teenager and in high school years I was a member of one of several movie clubs for stufdents. They had weekly performances during terms. In adult years then came renting and buying VHS's and DVD's and gradually visiting movie theatres became more and more rare.

I can't remember having played other movie based games than Alien: Isolation. That was like an interactive movie and It was as thrilling experience as the original movie. You could really feel how vulnerable you were against such creature having so few and sparse means to fight against when not able to avoid contact.

The Humble Store sale is over now but with your kind help I was able to find several new interesting games for the coming long winter. Thanks again!

Timo

The "Encore" sale is still going on for 2 days.

Great, TJL, hope you enjoy The Cat Lady. It is depressing, but I think it's uplifting in the end, at least if you get one of the better endings. And it's pretty hard not to. Also, since you enjoyed The Walking Dead, which I also found very dark, hopefully The Cat Lady should not be a problem.

You're welcome for the GK info. Hopefully, they'll be on sale soon. The holiday sales will probably start not too long from now, so maybe you can pick them up then.

The Moment of Silence is on sale for $3.75 on GOG's site now if you're interested - https://www.gog.com/game/the_moment_of_silence.

That must have been fun to have seen the movie at the same age as Marty. I was only nine when it came out, but I remember going to see it in the theater and loving it. And then waiting years for the sequel to come out.

I know what you mean, I used to go to the movies all the time as a kid, and now I rarely go. The last movie I saw in the theaters was the new Star Wars movie, and before that, it had been several years since I'd been in a movie theater.

By the way, I checked for you, and Back to the Future is also on sale - https://www.gog.com/game/back_to_the_future_the_game.

You're welcome again, and enjoy your games!

Thank you ever so much, venus!

Couldn't be a better time for "Back to School 2016" sale on GOG.

And these two games I was waiting being on sale right now!

You don't happen to work for GOG, he he

Anyways, now both games can be found in my game library.

Timo

Fantastic, you're welcome, TJL. No, I don't work for GOG, but maybe I should. Enjoy your games!