The Best PC Games of 2008

The top 12 Indie Games by Anguel Delidjakov - Reviewer

I am not an indie game junkie by any means, but I believe these guys deserve some respect.  After disasters like GTA4, Spore, or NFS Undercover (to name a few), which cost $50 a piece, I decided to just skip retail and compile a short list of some of the nice independent games released this year.  Costing ten or tewnty bucks at most, I believe they are a better investment than over-hyped, DRM-infested and cookie cutter retail games, such as the three I posted.  Funnily enough, none of our three respectable examples even offers a demo version, as apparently the developers are pretty sure of themselves and their reputation, and on that alone one is supposed to decide whether or not to throw $50 their way.  I am not saying the indie scene is exempt from stinkers, however; hence the list.  I find myself spending more and more time with such games, for many reasons, and 2008 saw a lot of great products but my humble list could fit only so many.  My little rant over, here they are. 

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Obulis

Developper: IonFx Studios http://www.ionfx.com/product_pc_obulis.htm

Price: $19.99

Starting off the list is a unique puzzle game which apparently had its roots in the PocketPC gaming market with very successful results.  Ionfox decided to bring it to desktop PC this year, and I'm grateful for this move, since i'm not a big PocketPC gamer (not having one and all…).

Unlike games like Armadillo Run, where you improvise your way towards your goal, this is a hardcore puzzle game with very exact requirements, as far as solutions go.  Your task is to bring various colored orbs into corresponding containers by cutting the ropes they are hanging from.  You only use two mouse buttons, one to select and the other to cut a rope, and the rest is trying to figure out your way through the level.  It is a game that requires a lot of good timing and patience.  There are over a hundred levels which gradually progress in difficulty, and along the way you get to interact with more and more objects such as cannon, elevators, moving tiles, and other types of balls.  The visual presentation is top work, very stylish and pleasant to the eye, and there are numerous unique environments with non-linear paths.  If you like a real challenge, Obulis delivers. 

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Stardrone

Developer: Orb Games http://www.orb-games.com/

Price: $9.99

This is basically pinball, but with added player control of the ball.  Also, it’s actually not a ball but a star drone, and as it flies it can attach itself do gravity spheres which then propel it around and around until it's released.  Depending on when and where you attach your drone, the orbit angles change, so you can fine tune your trajectory, and the drone keeps flying until something gets in the way.  The great thing is that the levels come in all shapes and sizes, and there are tons of bonuses and power-ups to collect, which improves your high score.  You can adjust the speed of ball from super fast to a crawl and stick with a setting which best suits your reflexes and ability.  You can take as much time as you wish balling the map, but it’s not all easy-bouncy, because you can actually die here, by colliding with certain objects or simply flying out of orbit.  Sweeping the levels for bonuses is lots of fun thanks to colorful and sometimes strange graphics and great visual and sound effects. 

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Droid Assault

Developer: Puppy Games http://www.puppygames.net/droid-assault/

Price: $19.95

Coming from the guys at PuppyGames is an arcade top down shooter with a little twist.  You not only shoot enemy droids but can also capture them.  When you do so, they become allies allowing you to create your own army of droids.  However, capturing requires points, which you get from killing.  It all becomes a balancing act, trying to decide which ones live and which die.  As the game progresses, enemy droids become tougher and even more tempting to capture, but at the same it gets easier to die in the process.  Each time you die you take the control of one of your own droids, which essentially represent your total health. 

The game is presented in a striking neon manner, with glowing lines and no textures.  The music is accordingly old-school, and the overall package invokes a decidedly retro feel.  There are lots of levels and things to blow up, plus all kinds of different droids to control.  If amassing an army of cute but dangerous droids appeals to you, this is your chance. 

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Trials 2 Second Edition

Developer: Redlynx http://www.redlynxtrials.com/

Price: $9.99

I covered the game pretty well in my review, and it has actually gotten bigger and better since then thanks to a few updates and downloadable levels.  It's just a really cool and well done "simulation," where you need to traverse difficult terrain full of obstacles and reach the end with as few faults as possible and in the least amount of time.  There are numerous checkpoints along the way, so no matter how many times you mess up, you can still continue playing.  Messing up is actually a fun affair of its own, since the rider rag-dolls humorously as he falls.  A nice touch consists of his screams of pain and an indication of how many bones he's broken.  The controls and physics of the bike are extremely well done, and it's great fun trying to better your time and perfect your skills.  There are different level types, achievements, high scores, and best of all times are uploaded automatically to the server, and you can instantly download and view other people's runs through the levels.  Seeing a hard level you did in two hours beaten in 50 seconds without a single fault really shows what the game is all about. 

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Peggle Nights

Developer: PopCap http://www.popcap.com/games/peggle-nights

Price: $19.95

If want to keep your criminal record clean, here is crack cocaine’s digital version, completely legal!  All you do here is shoot carefully placed pegs in hopes of clearing the orange ones before you run out of balls.  Sounds simple enough, but when you add special powers, all kinds of bonuses depending on what move you pulled, and actually strategically aiming your shots so your ball bounces in the best direction while scoring the most pegs, simple goes addicting in a blink.  When you go through the main campaign, there are the challenge series to keep your withdrawal symptoms in check.  They work a bit like achievements in regular games, in the sense that scoring the highest points is not your priority, but completing special objectives such as finishing a whole level with just one ball or beating five levels in a row without restarts is.  Peggle is for the casual players out there who have had enough of puzzles and action and all that stress.  It’s a game which continually rewards you even if you make the wrong moves. 

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Multiwinia

Developer: Introversion http://www.introversion.co.uk/multiwinia/

Price: $16.60

If the name sounds familiar, then no doubt you’ve heard of Darwinia, Introversion’s hit from 2005.  I say hit because the game was not only well received by the indie community but by a lot of mainstream gamers thanks to 90%+ reviews from most major gaming sites.  One thing was lacking, however, and that was multiplayer.  I personally enjoyed the little skirmishes against the red Darwinians, especially during the later levels where you battled around various choke points and could operate armor and turrets.  Well, all of this is back this year in a strictly multiplayer format.  It’s one of most accessible RTS games out there, and herein lies its charm.  The camera and controls are brilliant, and the little Darwinians are irresistible, as always.  There are a lot of game modes offered such as king of the hill or assault, and the gameplay is made more interesting with the addition of random crates falling out of the sky brining special powers and weapons.  You saved those little guys three years ago, and now it’s time to put them to some good use. 

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Zombie Shooter

Developer: Sigma Team http://www.sigma-team.net/games/action/zombie-shooter.html

Price: $19.99

I don’t think there is anyone on the planet with qualms about killing zombies, and here is a perfect opportunity to indulge in a little, or a lot of, zombie carnage.  The developers have packed as much of these clueless sacks of target practice in a single room as they could and have given you a vast arsenal of weapons to show them who’s boss.  Throughout the massacre, you can upgrade your stats and purchase new equipment, giving you a good chance to strategize.    Control makes or breaks a game of this type, and the developers have nailed it here.  You look around with the mouse and move with the keyboard; the action is fast paced and there are zombies a-plenty.  So, yeah, uhm, it’s a zombie shooter. 

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World of Goo

Developer: 2DBoy http://2dboy.com/

Price: $20

Little did we know that the surprisingly fun Tower of Goo (http://www.experimentalgameplay.com/game.php?g=17) was nothing but a concept for much greater things to come.  I remember reading a comment on the site expressing regret that there wasn't a complete game built around the idea.  Well, 2DBoy not only built around it but in every possible direction and then some.  It's another physics-based puzzle game at its core, but it's also a gaming experience you wouldn't expect just another physics game to provide.  2DBoy have crammed characters, background story, themed environments and a lot of soul to their game.  The main goal of each level is to get your balls of goo from one location to another, usually a mysterious pipe, all of which are at the center of the plot.   The way you move your goo balls is by connecting them with one another to construct your way around the level.  There are many kinds of goo balls serving different functions, and each and every level offers something new and unexpected, both visually and gameplay wise.  It’s one of those games that keep getting better and better as you go along.  Don’t miss it even if you’re not a puzzle fan. 

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Gravitron 2

Developer: Puppy Games http://www.puppygames.net/gravitron2/

Price: $5

Puppy Games are on a roll this year.  This is another nod to the good old days, and like Droid Assault it feels and plays very retro.  You control a small and nimble ship, and using its thrusters you navigate the planet's surface in search for things to blow up.  The goal of each level is to find and destroy its reactor, and immediately after that bail out of the planet before the countdown timer runs out.  There are tons of defense installations to make your job harder, and you can also pick up stranded space men, if you're up to the task.  Due to the nimbleness of your ship, you need good reactions and gentle use of the controls; otherwise, you'll be bouncing off the walls a lot, which drains your health.  This is pure old-school arcade shooting, and it even looks appropriately, so if you’re in a retro mood, don’t miss it. 

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Aquaria 1.1

Developer: Bit Blot http://www.bit-blot.com/aquaria/

Price: $19.99

Technically, this shouldn't be on the list, because the game was released in 12/2007, but to mark its updated release on Steam and just to spread the word around some more, I thought I’d include it here.  Like World of Goo, this was made by a team of two and likewise is a work of dedication and love.  This is the biggest game listed here in terms of content.  It's a side scroller which takes place underwater, so your movement is not limited to the "ground."  As soon as the adventure starts, you realize the game is something special.  You are entirely free to go wherever you go and explore the cavernous world of Aquaria.  As you progress, additional powers become available, and you can roam additional sections of the vast underground map.  Your character can shape-shift to another form depending on the circumstances, and most of the special actions are performed by a combination of music symbols.  There is exploration, puzzles, boss fights, great storytelling, and meticulously crafted and diverse levels.  It's one of the most ambitious indie games I've played so far; the amazing thing is that it's superbly executed.  On top of the rich gameplay you get to witness pretty hand-painted artwork and hear original music and professional voice-overs.  It is a top-notch work in all respects.

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Crazy Machines 2

Developer: FAKT Software http://www.crazymachinesgame.com/

Price: $19.99

This a game for the genius in all of you, and along with the original Crazy Machines (2006) can be considered a spiritual successor to the superb The Incredible Machine.  In the game, all you do is solve Rube Goldberg style puzzles, which are in essence very complex series of machines but which perform very simple tasks, like putting a basketball through a hoop.  Unlike The Incredible Machine, this version is in full 3D and is based on real-time physics.  Each puzzle is presented from a side view, and each one is incomplete.  You have a certain amount of puzzle pieces at your disposal, and from that point on it’s up to you to make the machine work and perform the given task.  These pieces are all kinds of everyday and not-so-everyday objects such as  wood, elecrical wires, TNT, barrels, treadmills, and even anti gravity devices.  Unlike a game like Obulis, there are many different and ingenious ways to complete a puzzle, and, thanks to the real world physics, coming up with the solution is blast.

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Savage 2

Developer: S2 Games http://savage2.s2games.com/main.php

Price: $9.99

Here is another game built from the ground up for multiplayer, so if you’d rather spend your time online then this one is for you.  Unlike all of the games on the list, Savage 2 resembles a retail game in the sense that it’s running on a beautiful 3D engine with all of the modern bells and whistles and has more familiar gameplay.  The neat thing is that essentially you’ll play two games in one.  If you choose to be commander, prepare for some real time strategy gaming; if not, it’s a 3^rd person action game.  The commander builds a base and controls resources like in ordinary RTS games, but also gives orders to his “units,” who are the other players in the game.  Battlefield 2 had a similar feature where an elected commander could issue orders and call in air strikes, but here the role is fully fleshed out and feels like a separate game.  It’s also advisable to actually follow your commander’s orders if you want any chance of winning.  Best of all, this is not some experimental gameplay: the whole hybrid idea is executed perfectly.  This is not surprising as the developers already had experience with Savage 1 which was already a nicely done game. 

With that, I thank the developers for all the work they did in 2008. Happy holidays and happy indie gaming to everyone!  (Not you, Rockstar – I want some AA, first!)