Balance of Power: The 1990 Edition (1988)
Genres:Strategy, Tactical
Themes:Historical, Warfare
Game modes:Single player, Multiplayer
Story:Balance of Power is a computer strategy game of geopolitics during the Cold War, created by Chris Crawford and published in 1985. The game is notable for engaging the player in brinkmanship.
The goal of the game is simple: the player may choose to be either the President of the United States or the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and must lead the chosen superpower for eight years, seeking to maximize "prestige" and avoiding a nuclear war. Each turn is one year long; at the beginning of each year, the player is presented with a set of incidents and crises in various countries around the globe, and must choose a response to each one. Responses may range from no action, to diplomatic notes to the other superpower, to military maneuvers. Each response is then met with a counter-response, which may vary from backing down to escalation. The player then gets a chance to initiate actions, and deal with the opponent's responses.
This core mechanic is similar to that of Bruce Ketchledge's 1983 game Geopolitique 1990, published by SSI. One difference from the earlier game is how negotiations are resolved. In both games, backing down in a negotiation results in a loss of prestige, which will reverberate politically. Likewise, in both games brinkmanship may result in a global war. In Geopolitique, such wars were actually fought in-game, after which the game continued. In Balance of Power, such a war ends the game instantly, with the following message: "You have ignited a nuclear war. And no, there is no animated display of a mushroom cloud with parts of bodies flying through the air. We do not reward failure."Show more
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I was fifteen when I first played this on my Amiga and learned so much about politics and influence. Though aesthetically as minimal as it gets, like a good book this was so immersive and evocative. I'd love for there to be an updated edition depicting the modern world, but would settle for being able to play the 1999 Edition again too!
Dune 2000Real-time strategy taking place in Frank Herbert's "Dune" universe. The game is a remake of a classic RTS game "Dune 2". Player can play as a commander of one of three different factions: Harkonnen, Atreides or Ordos.
Do you like the feeling you get when you have won over someone? If it was something that we had really worked hard, then the fell of victory is something precious and incalculable. The game Dune 2000 could help in giving your competitive spirit a new edge. It is an updated version of the Dune II. In this game the player would have to fight for an interesting thing; the control of the spices in the galaxy. The spices control could make you the most powerful there. The player has to choose to be one of the three houses first: Atreides, Harkonnen, or Ordos.
Each house has its own vice and virtue and the right selection could give the player right start to the game but he could learn as well as, later in the game with time. Once you choose a side, you to win the King’s challenge of producing the most amount of spice. It won’t be as easy as it sounds. For getting the control of the spices, the player has to fight over the other two houses by all means.
Dune 2000 is done with enough of stunt and live-in scenes to pep up the theme and there is a soothing sound score to add to the overall theme. It’s a game based on the Dune series book of Frank Herbert and gives the player a real pleasure of both combat and competition.Action Science fiction
SirenThe story revolves around an interconnected cast of characters that possess a power which enables them to see and hear what a nearby character sees. The game was followed by a PlayStation 2 sequel, a reimagining for the PlayStation 3 and a film adaption.
Siren is divided into stages, each taking place in one of ten areas in the village of Hanuda, and organized chronologically in a table called the "Link Navigator". In order to complete a stage, the player must accomplish a primary objective that usually involves reaching an exit point, subduing undead enemies called "Shibito", or finding an item. Objectives in different stages are interconnected via a butterfly effect, and a character's actions in one stage can trigger a secondary objective in another stage.
There are miscellaneous items scattered throughout each stage that give the player further insight into the plot's background. Once obtained, these items are archived in a catalog and can be viewed at any time during the game's duration. The game's player characters possess a psychic power named "sightjack," which enables them to see and hear what a nearby Shibito or human sees and hears, and thus pinpoint its position, as well as gain knowledge of their activities and of the position of obtainable items. The clarity of each target depends on the distance from the player character. Once a point of view is located, it can be assigned to one of certain buttons of the controller to easily switch between multiple points of view. However, the player character is unable to move during use of the ability and is thus vulnerable to attack.
The game encourages the player to avoid Shibito rather than fight them. Characters can walk silently, avoid the use of a flashlight, and crouch behind objects to elude detection. Certain mission objectives require the player character to use items and/or the environment to distract Shibito from their activity, in order for them to achieve a goal. Others require the player to escort a non-player character. Player characters can also shout at any time in order to get the attention of nearby Shibito. Within most stages, the player character can hide in certain places such as cupboards and lock doors to prevent Shibito from entering. When a Shibito hears a sound made by the player character, it will search in the direction from which they heard the sound. If a character is seen by a Shibito, the latter will pursue the character to kill them either with a melee or ranged weapon or by strangulation. The Shibito will also shout to alert other nearby Shibito. Once the character has remained out of the Shibito's sight for a period of time, the Shibito will give up and resume its usual habits. Weapons are available for the player throughout the game, ranging from melee weapons to firearms. While Shibito can be knocked out in combat, they cannot be killed and will reanimate after a short period of time. If a character is injured, they can recover after some time has passed. Characters will lose stamina during combat and while running.Horror Stealth Survival
Aliens Versus Predator: ExtinctionAliens Versus Predator: Extinction is a real-time strategy game featuring three different species, all vying for control of the planet LV-742. Players can command an elite force of Colonial Marines, stalk their prey as a member of the Predator clan, or scurry along in packs as the acid-spitting Aliens. Gameplay involves advancing through a series of missions ranging in locale from jungles and caverns to futuristic battlefields and space colonies. Each faction offers ten types of combat units that can be upgraded over time with new attributes or equipment specific to the species. Predators, for instance, increase their number of vision modes, Aliens impregnate their victims with facehuggers, while Colonial Marines receive new weapon enhancements. As in titles like StarCraft, units range in scope from standard grunts and infantry to specialized forces and massive troop transports.Action Horror Science fiction Survival
Warcraft III: Reign of ChaosWarcraft 3: Reign of Chaos is an RTS made by Blizzard Entertainment. Take control of either the Humans, the Orcs, the Night Elves or the Undead, all with different unit types and heroes with unique abilities.Play the story driven single player campaign, go online to play default- or custom maps against people around the world or create your own maps with the map creation tool.Top Fantasy Warfare
Brigandine: The Legend of RunersiaEnemy nations aim to conquer the continent as well and will attack your bases to do so. The battle for the continent will differ with each play through. Accumulate stories and events from the six nations in the Records.
A new game based on the 1998 PlayStation game Brigandine, which was remade in 2000 as Brigandine: Grand Edition, that will probably be revealed as part of the 2019 Tokyo Game Show in September.Fantasy Warfare
Growlanser IV: Wayfarer of the TimeGrowlanser IV: Wayfarer of Time is a mix between a real-time and turn-based strategy RPG that was released on the PlayStation 2 in Japan on December 18, 2003. The title was the fourth entry in the Growlanser series and was the last entry to use 2D sprites before transitioning to 3D with the next installment. An enhanced port for the PlayStation Portable was released in Japan on August 18, 2011 under the title Growlanser IV: Over Reloaded, which featured a new animated opening as well as several new story paths, characters and other gameplay improvements. Atlus USA localized the PSP port as Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time and released it in North America on July 31, 2012.
Never before released outside of Japan and widely considered the best entry in the long-running franchise, this PSP system iteration of the fourth chapter in the Growlanser saga delivers visuals remastered for PSP system's 16:9 widescreen, a vastly expanded script with tons of new characters to meet and quests to complete, a wealth of new ending possibilities, and much more, making it the first and only version of the game North American fans will ever want!
Growlanser III: The Dual DarknessGrowlanser III: The Dual Darkness is the third installment to the popular series Growlanser created by Career Soft and published by Atlus, as well as one of the two games released in the United States in Growlanser Generations.Sandbox Romance
Growlanser VI: Precarious WorldGrowlanser VI: Precarious World is a strategy role-playing game, for the PlayStation 2. It was developed by Career Soft and published in Japan by Atlus in 2007. It is the sixth installment in the Growlanser series and is a direct sequel to Growlanser V: Generations, which was released in 2006.
Growlanser GenerationsGrowlanser Generations marks the first time this Turn-Based Strategy RPG series made it to the States. Growlanser Generations is a compilation of 2 games from the series, Growlanser II: The Sense of Justice and Growlanser III: The Dual Darkness. Growlanser Generations can give RPG fans over 60 hours of gameplay between the two games as well as multiple endings so pure RPG fans can play through a few different ways to try to see them all.
In combat, the player controls each party member by giving them orders in the beginning of each turn. Each game also includes an auto-battle feature which will let the computer fight your battles for you.Sandbox
Growlanser Generations: Deluxe EditionGrowlanser Generations marks the first time this Turn-Based Strategy RPG series made it to the States. Growlanser Generations is a compilation of 2 games from the series, Growlanser II: The Sense of Justice and Growlanser III: The Dual Darkness. Growlanser Generations can give RPG fans over 60 hours of gameplay between the two games as well as multiple endings so pure RPG fans can play through a few different ways to try to see them all.
In combat, the player controls each party member by giving them orders in the beginning of each turn. Each game also includes an auto-battle feature which will let the computer fight your battles for you.