We now come to the last five of those Top 30 indie games; those hard-to-categorise games that refuse to be pigeon-holed. Then again, as we shall see, these games can actually be compartmentalised - it's just that there are only a very few others of their kind that they can compete with. Here they are:
Aztaka - It was either this, Torchlight I (or II) or Titan Quest and as the latter two are generally clones of the Diablo series, I thought I'd go with something that mixes the genre up a bit. To be honest, I've hardly played the game but from what I have played, it's one of those which I intend to get involved in when I finally get the time. It incorporates platforming and RPG elements into the Hack & Slash genre and all wrapped up in an Egyptian/Mayan type setting.
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Deathspank is another game that grew out of the Hack & Slash / Diablo phenomenon of yesteryear. The difference is that this humorous, wacky cartoon-like game oozes character and is so much more enjoyable due to its unique graphical style - which kind of unfurls like an ever-unfolding pop-up book as you explore. It really makes you appreciate the environments and has you longing to see what sort of landscape the developers throw up next. Sometimes you can get confused with how and what to use in the inventory (a few consultations with walkthroughs were needed) but apart from this the game is a blast. It comes with a great sequel (Thongs of Virtue) as well!!
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Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is really a platformer-puzzler but put in the miscellaneous section because I wasn't really thinking straight when doing my categorisations. It is very much like Unmechanical in that you control a spaceship with varying abilities in order to move away or destroy enemies and obstacles. It is also a game I've hardly played because I just haven't got round to it but is intriguing enough for me to know I'll revisit it and give it a proper run through when I get time.
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On The Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness - Episode 1 is as awkwardly titled as it is hard to categorise, but I guess you could file it under turn-based/third-person group action game. I'm usually turned off turn-based games just as much as I am by adventure games but in the case of OTRSPOD-E1, like Deathspank and Psychonauts, its environments are the most interesting to watch out of all the indie games in my Top 30 list. You control 3 characters while battling against various enemies like tin cans, clowns, mimes and the like. Yep, it's surreal in parts and, despite the incongruous use of bad language (clearly put in to appeal to the teenage market) it's a fine romp. It does take some getting used to, however, if you're new to this type of screwy game.
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Psychonauts is a third-person action game that is one of my favourite games of all time. I didn't actually purchase it through Steam originally but it's available on Steam so needs to be on this list all the same. You start the game in some sort of summer camp full of oddball and dysfunctional characters. As you explore you enter various worlds where the game takes on a kind of trippy platform-puzzler type of form. Each world has its own uniquely bizarre environment with the level designs being nothing short of genius. The game pulls you in while casting a magical spell over you and the "wow factor", for me, was through the roof. An absolute mind-blast of a game!!
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Honourable Mentions:
Amnesia - Scarey first person sneak 'em up.
Aquaria - Top-down, under-water exploration game.
Botanicular - Weird adventure game that has no talking and no text - jury still out on this one.
Magicka - Hack & Slash dungeon crawl game - jury also still out (aint had time to play it).
On The Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness - Ep 2 - Sequel to above.
Puzzle Dimension - 3D puzzler where the platform can be turned 360 degrees. Looks too hard for this reviewer.
Quantum Conundrum - First-person, Portal- like action game. Good, up to the point where you realise puzzles are all the same based around a theme.
Roboblitz - Platformer game, like Mr Robot, where you control a robot around some sort of research centre in outer space.
Waveform - Control a line while attempting to make it connect with dots as you travel from left to right.
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...And that's it! I hope you enjoyed my little journey through the best games on Steam; maybe you might even try one yourself! I'll leave you with a final list of good, non-Indie games that are available on Steam and which fall under three different categories not covered by the above. (No FPS, turn-based or adventure games here.)
Role Playing Games
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Risen
The Witcher
Driving Games
Blur
Burnout Paradise
Flatout: Ultimate Carnage
Trackmania
Real-Time Strategy
Age of Empires III
Age of Empires Online
Command & Conquer 3
Company of Heroes
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...And now I'm really all done; all on record, all done and dusted on the Steam game front.
Until next time...
Uncle Wobble.
Until next time...
Uncle Wobble.
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