Class B
Dyson Sphere Program
This ambitious factory builder spans an entire virtual galaxy full of resources waiting to be exploited to fulfil an ambiguous goal typical to the genre.
As implied by its title, the goal of the game is to construct a Dyson Sphere over a nearby sun to collect its energy in the most efficient way possible. Achieving this requires building an interplanetary factory empire. Travelling long distances is not an issue for the player character, which is a mecha-stylized robot able to reach enormous speeds—at least after fitted with required upgrades and packed with a plenty of energy. A major obstacle in the player’s mission is so-called Dark Fog: an ambiguous enemy faction settled in various planets and solar system that regularly pays vicious visits to player’s factories.
Although the game’s scope is undeniably massive, the level of micromanagement remains the same as in many other factory builders. Even deep into to the late game, most of the gameplay consists of laying miles and miles of conveyor belts through forests and oceans. Considering the mostly unrestricted placement of belts and factories, the game is surprisingly easy despite its immense premise. Most bizarrely, the game’s true end goal is to produce thousands of ambiguous science resources that simply requires massive amount of resources, making the building of the Dyson Sphere something of a secondary objective.
Despite its unsatisfactory end goal, Dyson Sphere Program provides a factory building experience unrivalled by its many brethren.
Legend of Grimrock I & II
Two faithful recreations and newcomers to the classic dungeon crawler genre come from Finland.
As typical to the genre, a four-member group of different classes and races fights and thinks through a multilevel dungeon filled with bloodthirsty monsters and mindhungry puzzles, all while carried by a simple plot. Despite the facelifts in resolution and special effects, the norms of the genre keep rearing their head throughout the game, with few new ideas to freshen out the experience. All battles are the familiar dance macabre around the enemies whilst clicking the attack buttons and hoping for a hit. Lever and teleport puzzles are an everyday encounter, nasty traps keep putting one off, and the odd urge to eat a piece of loaf necessitates inventory management. Nevertheless, the foundation is solid, and both games are a pleasure to play if only just once. While the first game is entirely constrained to a dungeon with a varying colour palette, the second game offers many a beautiful vista with more diverse locations.
Although both games can be recommended to all interested in the genre, the sequel is the preferential choice for its richer content.