Another Set of Indie Games You Should Know
Posted by pmglasser on July 5th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
For the sixth issue of Indie Games You Should Know, I'll be reviewing a couple fun and interesting products. My love for classic board games and military history is evident in the games I selected for my first column here. Anybody who loves to play Risk, Stratego or Axis and Allies will enjoy Lux Delux. I hope to continue uncovering hidden treasures and sharing my discoveries in the future.
Lux Delux (Windows/Mac/Linux, $24.95, Demo Available) - Lux Delux is a turn-based strategy game inspired by the classic board game Risk. In fact, it even includes the classic Risk scenario along with thousands of other maps that are available for download. The game is available as a free single-player demo and can be upgraded to the full version, which includes multiplayer access.
Aside from the classic Risk rules, there are tons of neat gameplay features. One map based on the Vietnam war allows players in North Vietnam to infiltrate deep into South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Min trail. Control of the South China Sea also offers players the chance to strike back at Hanoi. Control of capitol cities offers the player a bonus equivalent to controlling a small continent.
Other maps include a World War II scenario and a medieval campaign. The medieval scenario includes strategic towns located on a river that provide army bonuses and allow players to ferry armies across the map. Players can also lay siege to the castle walls and will receive a bonus if they capture it.
The game play is satisfying and breathes new life into a beloved classic. A sequel, which focuses on American history, is also available.
Mexican Motor Mafia (Windows, $17, Demo Available) - This game is a top-down shooter similar to the original Grand Theft Auto games. The player must hunt down “Priest” an escaped convict who murdered your brother and kidnapped his children. Priest escaped with the help of his gang, the Red Texas Four, and sought revenge on your brother because he was the lawman who put him away.
The vengeful motorist drives south in Mexico in his 1983 yellow VW Beetle and must complete missions to earn money and find clues. Vehicles can hold different amounts of cargo, travel at different speeds and sport different amounts of armor. The player navigates a regional map and combats a wide array of desperadoes and banditos. The driver has a limited amount of space in which to mount weapons and can either mount one large gun like a rocket launcher, or a combination of several smaller pistols, shotguns and traps. While in combat, the driver must maneuver his car so that he deals maximum damage while minimizing the amount of fire they are exposed to.
The graphics are not fancy and the system requirements are laughably low, however, the ambience, art and music combine to create a thoroughly enjoyable experience. There are no spoken lines or CG cut scenes in the entire game. Instead, important events are depicted in vivid comic book panels, and the original, spicy rockabilly soundtrack adds flavor. The only drawback is that the storyline is incredibly short and easy.
Firefight (Windows, $20, Demo Available) - Firefight is a top-down tactical World War II game inspired by the popular Close Combat Series. In this version, the gamer actually serves in the heat of battle and is commissioned a junior lieutenant. If the HQ section is killed in action, so is the player.
A wide variety of infantry and armored units are available including rifle companies, machine gun sections, mortar squads, light tanks, anti-tank guns, and heavy tanks. The HQ section must be relatively close to units in order to broadcast radio commands, otherwise, the units won’t respond to orders. Off-screen artillery units also offer support in the form of high-explosive barrages and smoke screens.
Gameplay is occasionally frustrating in so far that enemies are hard to spot and hard to kill. However, the commander must quickly learn to coordinate his units effectively and screen tanks with infantry. However, it’s another enjoyable and lovingly crafted product.
[Editor's Note: Thanks to pmglasser for helping pick up the Indie-Games-You-Should-Know slack. We'll hopefully be able to squeeze out another installment in July, and then be back to being a monthly column.]
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