It’s Monday again, which means that the nine-to-fivers are back to the office, and we’re back with the latest batch of Xbox Live Indie Games new releases. This week’s crop includes some Avatar games, a Silver Dollar Games release and a few totally off-beat games; in other words, it’s a perfectly normal week for XBLIG. Read on to find out what’s worth playing and what will make your Avatar curse the day you molded it in your image.
Game of the Week - Tacticolor – Mike
Tacticolor is a lot like a game of Risk except everyone plays their pieces and attacks simultaneously. That might sound like madness to those who prefer their global conquest to be a patient, methodical exercise, but for the multitasking generation, it’s a welcome change of pace. The maps are randomly generated hubs of linked squares, and the initial settlement has more of a ‘land rush’ feel than its brethren’s lackadaisical selection model. It was stressful to jump back and forth between fronts as I was attacked on one while invading another, but it was the good kind of stress, and it’s the chaos that makes this game intense and exciting. There are plenty of game modes and online & local multiplayer, so ignore its rather modest appearance and give this one a shot.
Our Picks
Astro Cluster – Dave
Astro Cluster is a simple, yet charming title. Players control a colored orb of their choice as it makes its way through space while trying to destroy everyone else in this twin-stick shooter. As players destroy enemies, they inherit their orbs, which in turn allow the player to shoot more orbs at a faster rate. A variety of modes are available, which change with each round as you progress, including last man standing, get a certain number of kills, and first person to collect enough orbs. I would definitely recommend this to be one of our Community Night titles as the game supports 16 players online players and also 2-player splitscreen.
Sudo-Quick – Dylan
Sudo-Quick is a rather different approach to playing Sudoku on a game console. Instead of allowing players to add numbers to any blank box, the game commands players to fill certain ones in a linear order under various time constraints. It removes some basic freedoms associated with the original game, but it simplifies the control scheme by using the left thumbstick to select numbers from a numpad. For Sudoku enthusiasts who need some practice, give this a try.
Esoterica America – Mike
Esoterica America rivals Get Rich or Die Gaming in terms of pure wackiness, but it’s actually a far more competent game. You wake up on your 21st birthday and learn that you father, who mysteriously disappeared years ago, left you with a tome called Esoterica America. Your star-gazing mother rambles for awhile and then you begin your adventure to discover the truth about your father’s disappearance. The game will explore secret societies, mysticsm, aliens and other conspiracy-theorist lore. It definitely seems like a unique experience, and although the interface is a bit clunky, conspiracy theorists and adventure fans should dig this one.
Monsters in Neon Space – Taylor
This is a pretty good side-scrolling shooter, although it doesn’t do anything new as far as the genre goes. If you’re into that breed of games, go ahead and give the demo a shot; if not, you probably won’t be missing much.
Bunker Buster – Taylor
This is a fun little arcadey title. It mixes the classic helicopter game (hold a button to go up, release to go down), throws in a limited fuel supply, and adds in blowing stuff up. I’d say play the demo before passing or buying.
Abmastrophy – Taylor
There’s always room for another twin stick shooter. And while this one isn’t the best – the graphics are completely low tech, and the gameplay is simple – it’s consistently rewarding and fun, and my time with the demo flew. It’s a bit one-dimensional, but would be fine for pick-up play.
Other Releases
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