Games You Might Not Have Tried - ep 2 - Find New Games - Extra Credits

Ladies, gentlemen, it was so much fun the first time, we're going to do it again. Time for another installment of games you might not have tried. Our guest artist this week is Actually, it's me. I used to do all the art myself before we brought Allison on board, and this week's going to be mostly gameplay footage anyway, so why not? All right, just so we all remember the guidelines, we're going to list off a bunch of interesting games. I don't promise all these games are good, only that they're different in an interesting way, and worth checking out sometime. We're also going to try to limit ourselves to fairly recent games. Some will be obscure, and some not so much. The point is that most of these games aren't quite as high-profile, and I expect a lot of people never got around to trying them. Maybe one or two of these will catch your interest. At the very least, we'll have some fun. Let's get started. First up, Outland. Basically, think Ikaruga, but as a

side-scrolling Metroidvania with prettier colors. There are some things that made Ikaruga powerful that just can't be done outside of a shoot-'em-up. And as Metroidvanias go, it's no Symphony of the Night, but if that first sentence in any way caught your interest, this is almost certainly worth dropping a few bucks on. Terraria. You've seen this one around. More or less Minecraft in 2D. It feels like heresy to say it because I love Minecraft, but I kind of like Terraria a little better in some ways. It's just got a little more gameplay to it. It's weird, but the greater emphasis on combat actually made the exploration element seem even more rewarding. If you love Minecraft, but wish that there was more of a game there, Terraria might be the place to start looking.

Kingdom of Loathing. Okay, so this one's definitely breaking our games that are relatively new rule. In fact, it's one of the oldest web MMOs and the only MMO I'm aware of with a meat-based economy. But we're going to give this one a special exception because they are still updating this beast. If you haven't played it, it's great for a lark and actually has a substantial amount of depth if you want to sink your teeth into it. Also, there aren't a lot of games out there that are really genuinely funny and I think this game is one of them. Come on, it's free. Go give it a look. Metro 2033 Like the often maligned Stalker before it, if you love the post-apocalypse setting and are willing to put up with a few bugs and some very weird AI, this game is for you. The bullets as currency bits are pretty nice touch, too. Depths of Peril Do you need a spin on your Diablo fix?

You're running out of things to do in Torchlight? Can't seem to get into any of those Diablo 3 betas? Depths of Peril gives an interesting, if a little unpolished, take on the Diablo formula, so you might want to have a look. Monday Night Combat I know a lot of you have heard of this one, but we want to give it a shout for the local boys at Uber Entertainment. If you always thought to yourself, "Man, Defense of the Ancients would be so much better as a shooter." Look no further. Trenched Have you always wished for a game that blended tower defense, mech shooters, and a World War I era setting? You, sir, have incredibly specific tastes and your day has come. Trenched is great fun, even more so playing co-op. Besides, it's a double fine game and it's pretty hard to go wrong with those guys.

O game. We mentioned this one a few episodes back and a few people asked about it. If you're the kind of guy who wants to play a rousing game of combat spreadsheet, but Eve Online simply has too much getting into a spaceship and doing things for you, this is your game. And I'm not saying that as a negative. If that's your thing, this will really be your thing. World of Tanks. For a free-to-play game, this does a lot of things right. It's not quite as refined as some of the big budget MMOs, but I think it shows us a lot about how some of the other genres might be brought into the massive multiplayer space. The Cat and the Coup.

Is this a game? Is it a documentary about the first prime minister of Iran? Is it an acid trip? Or is it just a story about a cat? I still can't decide. This is definitely on the artsy fringe of gaming and while I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, hey, it's free on Steam if you want to see more. Earth Defense Force 2017. I love this game so much. Sure, it's really unpolished and super cheesy, but somehow that just adds to the goofy retro sci-fi aesthetic. This is a game about blasting giant insects, robots, UFOs, and space dragons with increasingly ridiculous weaponry. And man, is it fun, especially with a friend. They came out with a sequel not too long ago, and while it's not quite as fun as its predecessor, it does have online

co-op, so it's a bit of a trade-off. The point is, this game is the best kind of stupid fun. If you can find it anywhere, give it a try. Panzer Corps Do you miss Panzer General? Have you run out of mods for the old PG2? Well, Panzer Corps is your game. It's pretty much Panzer General with a new coat of paint. It's well done, but I was a little disappointed that the initial release only contained German campaigns. Still, if you're into turn-based strategy, the Panzer General games were some of the best, and this modern take shows the formula still holds up. Runespell Overture Think Puzzle Quest, but instead of using Bejeweled gameplay for its fighting mechanic, it has you building poker hands. It's far from perfect, but it is a compelling start. I hope they get to build a follow-up where they can work out some of the kinks.

Nonetheless, if you're interested in ways to make RPG combat more compelling, give this one a look. Catherine I'm a big fan of Atlus's work with the Persona series, and maybe I just went into Catherine with my hopes set a little too high, but I left feeling a wee bit disappointed. But that said, it's survival horror Qbert with morality questions about relationships. You certainly can't fault them for not trying something new. Besides, there aren't a lot of games out there that actually address adult subject matter without being juvenile about it. Whatever draws you to it, I guarantee you, you're in for a unique experience. Next up, Monster Hunter. Just pick any one of them, it doesn't matter. This series has never quite grabbed

Western audiences the way it has Japan, and I can kind of see why. Between the controls, the difficulty, and the really slow first few hours, it's not the most accessible series out there. But once you get past that tough exterior, there's an incredibly rewarding game underneath. The Monster Hunter series is about taking on beasts far bigger and more powerful than yourself, and then crafting new equipment from the spoils and setting out to hunt something even bigger and meaner. And I meant that bit about the difficulty. A lot of these monsters can flatten you in two or three good hits, so it really requires you to step up your game as you progress. Over time, you'll learn all of their tells, all of their behaviors. Veteran players can almost sense the way each wyvern thinks. If you haven't tried a Monster Hunter game yet, find one and play it. And if you can find some friends to team up with, even better. The thrill of chasing down a huge dragon across the wilderness and coordinating with three friends to bring it down is a gaming experience I haven't found anywhere else.

Bastion. If you're looking for an action RPG fix this summer, and I guess summer's over. Uh if you're looking for an action RPG fix anytime, this is it. But what really sets this game apart is the narrator. Sets off for the Bastion, where everyone agreed to go in case of trouble. They actually solved the problem of how to narrate a non-linear experience. The narration is spot-on, always appropriate, and the algorithm for when they pull narration is so well done, you don't end up sitting through the same line again and again. Kid popped him good. Felt like I got a piece of him, though. If I had to level one complaint at Bastion, it does have some pretty mismatched aesthetics. Now, don't get me wrong, all the individual elements are very well done. Beautiful, vibrant light fantasy art, gritty post-apocalyptic storyline, film noir style narration but with a western twinge, a soundtrack that's equal parts country blues and electronic, all thrown in with hack and slash gameplay. It's a pretty crazy mix and certain elements blend together better than others. Still, you're definitely going to get your money's

worth with this one. And finally, The Stanley Parable. And then one day, something very peculiar happened. Something that would forever change Stanley. Something he would never quite forget. We can't bring up narrators without mentioning this. He got up from his desk and walked out into the hallway. It's a Half-Life 2 mod that's the best meta-commentary on the problem of creating non-linear choice in games I've ever seen. Stanley decided to go to the staff lounge to check on his co-workers. He never functioned well by himself and constantly needed support and guidance from others. And it is also kind of hilarious. When Stanley came to a set of two open doors, he entered the door on his left. This was not the correct way to the employee lounge and Stanley knew it perfectly well. Somehow this game manages to be light-hearted, funny, scary, and thought-provoking all in the space of 5 minutes. It's free and it only takes a few minutes to play, but I can guarantee

you you're going to want to play it more than once. And that's about it. Once again, feel free to share your own recommendations in the forums because I'm sure you guys know some good ones we've never even heard of. Thanks for watching. We'll see you next week. Woo! Woo!