Author: Joe Q Public

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher Square Enix/Eidos
Platform: PC/360
Price: PC version not for sale

(2018-09 Update: The PC version was pulled from steam in advance of a PS4 remaster.  I suspect they’ll also release a remastered PC version, but there’s no confirmation of that at this time.)

This is a short special feature I’m inflicting on y’all. Deal.

The Last Remnant (henceforth TLR) is along with Infinite Undiscovery, part of Square Enix’s ill-fated new property initiative of 2007/8. What it comes down to is they took some of their developers who weren’t working on their A-list franchises, and let them go wild. What we got were underrated – and somewhat flawed – games that got a fairly lukewarm reception.

Continue reading JPWPI 2010 – Special Feature – The Last Remant

Developer: BWF/Dreamlore/N-Game
Publisher: Mezmer Games
Platform: PC
Price: Not currently for sale (thank Mother Russia for that)

Home Page  (2018 Update  The home page is currently advertising the failed Kickstarter for SvM3 – no there was no SvM2.)

Gather close, comrade. Today, we tell you of not of game. But of history. Of glorious Soviet offensive against foul invaders from… America. No, wait, I meant Mars, This story, comrade, is told in game. Stalin vs. Martians is name.

Continue reading JPWPI 2010-03 Stalin vs. Martians “Game of The Year Edition”

Developer: Arise/KranX Productions
Publisher: 1C Company
Platform: PC
Price: $29.99 on Steam (as of 2010-02-01 – as of 2018, not available any longer)

Steam Links Removed – Game No Longer Available

A Farewell to Dragons is an Action/RPG that hearkens to the days of Baldur’s Gate and Dungeon Seige. An Eastern-European-developed game based on the works of fairly famous (in Russia, anyway) authors Sergey Lukyanenko and Nikolay Perumov. The focus of the story is on Victor, a man who is brought into a fantastic place called the Middle World, where he will find his destiny.

Continue reading JPWPI 2010-02 A Farewell to Dragons

Developer: Hijinx Studios
Publisher: Konami
Platform: XBLA or PSN
Price: 1200 points or $15 (Prices at 2010-01-23 – unchanged 2018-09-15)

Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgement is a turn based strategy RPG, along the lines of Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea, albeit far less involved than either. As I understand it, this game is a prequel to the venerable Playstation 1 game Vandal Hearts.

See more

Back in 2010-2011, I tried a project where I went through some games that were less well known to the general Colony of Gamers community.  Some were indie titles, some were not, but in general, I had some fun with it.  I also wasted a ludicrous sum of money, as one of the themes of the entire exercise was “I play it, so you don’t have to risk it.”

In next little while, I’ll be reposting those reviews.  Without editing them too -except to fix them for WP – because as cringeworthy of some of them are, it’s what I wrote.