Silent Hill 4: The Room - Konami's 4th game in the horror genre gets a review from Cola Powered Gamer

Silent Hill 4 was considered the black sheep of the series for a short period and caused one of the first schisms among the fans. A somewhat new approach to the series, but still retaining the spirit of the series. However, the approach isn’t without merit and manages to deliver in surprising ways. Released in 2004 for PS2, Xbox, and Windows, contrary to the popular internet myths, it wasn’t developed as a separate game that later became part of the series. Silent Hill 4 was always meant to be part of the series and news of its development was made official in October 2003.

Silent Hill 3 - Konami's classic horror gets a review from Cola Powered Gamer

Silent Hill 3 can be considered a fitting end to the original trilogy, showing how far the series has come. It is actually a canonical sequel to the first game, making the Silent Hill 2 more like a spin-off game that can stand on its own. Released just two years after Silent Hill 2, the game was originally planned to be a rail shooter, following somewhat slow sales of SH2 in Japan. Once again developed by Team Silent, the game this time draws inspiration from the movie Jacob’s Ladder and works by Stephen King. Development this time around, was shorter compared to the one that developed SH 2 a few years prior.

Konami's Horror game Silent Hill 3 gets a Cola Powered Gamer review update!

Silent Hill 3 can be considered a fitting end to the original trilogy, showing how far the series has come. It is actually a canonical sequel to the first game, making the Silent Hill 2 more like a spin-off game that can stand on its own. Released just two years after Silent Hill 2, the game was originally planned to be a rail shooter, following somewhat slow sales of SH2 in Japan. Once again developed by Team Silent, the game this time draws inspiration from the movie Jacob’s Ladder and works by Stephen King. Development this time around, was shorter compared to the one that developed SH 2 a few years prior.

Silent Hill 2 - Cola Powered Gamer reviews a classic Horror game!

It’s not often that a genre-defining game that’s also a sequel becomes such a massive success. You might think of games such as DOOM 2 and Street Fighter II, but when it comes to horror, one title will always come up, Silent Hill 2. After the success that was Silent Hill on the Playstation 1, Konami quickly decided to create another game in the series. You will probably notice that I didn’t use the word sequel because SH2 isn’t exactly a direct sequel to the first game.

Developed by Team Silent, immediately after the completion of Silent Hill, in June 1999. The story was written by Takoyashi Sato, with the help of Hiroyuki Owako who wrote most of the lore and dialog. Silent Hill 2’s story was inspired by Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and elements of it, can be seen throughout the game. The budget for the game was small compared to today’s standards, and according to Sato, the budget was around 7-10 million dollars.

Circuits and Shields – The Next Generation MOBA, previewed by Cola Powered Gamer

MOBA is one of the most popular new genres in recent years, is about to get its newest entry. Circuits and Shields, is as the developer Koza Games puts it,  “The Modern Gamer’s MOBA”.As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, is also applied here. Circuits and Shields (or Circuits, for short), is a 5v5 team combat game, but with a few twists. Centered around game modes with non-stop action, the games also feature “Blessings”, a sort of rogue-lite buffs and mini-games, which will make each game more memorable.

Selaco - A GZDoom masterpiece in the making?

With the resurgence of old-school shooters in recent years, we also saw several games being made using old engines, which is a commendable feat. Selaco, is the latest retro FPS, but this one is being developed in GZDoom (a source port of the original DOOM engine), with devs citing DOOM, Quake, and FEAR as its primary influences. One of the main features is that the AI of DOOM has been vastly overhauled and is now much more tactical and clever, similar to the AI seen in FEAR. They will adapt, and behave differently depending on your playstyle.

An exclusive adventure interview with Dave Gilbert, founder of Wadjet Eye Games!

We've featured many of Wadjet Eye's games over the years from the very enjoyable ghostly adventure series of Blackwell, to the Apocalyptic Shardlight and my personal favorite Unavowed. In fact I don't remember an adventure game released via Wadjet Eye Games that I haven't enjoyed. Well here's were it gets interesting, as recently, our good friends Cola Powered Gamer had the opportunity to interview Dave Gilbert, the founder of Wadjet Eye Games; a company behind those brilliant titles with an exclusive interview and the challenges of game development.

An exclusive interview with StarSector lead developer Alexander Mosolov.

StarSector is probably one of the best sci-fi open-world games ever created. Even if you don’t consider it one of the best, it’s still one complex game and a real hidden gem. If you've followed my previous write up for this game and wanted to know more, you'll pleased to know that as of today, you can read my exclusive interview with the lead developer of 'StarSector'; Alexander Mosolov.

Tomb Raider - A hugely successful retro gaming classic gets a Cola Powered Gamer review

Video games have many recognizable characters and mascots, but one of the most successful female characters and heroines is Lara Croft. Lara Croft is a titular character of Core Design’s most memorable franchise Tomb Raider. Developed by experienced game developers from Derby, England, Tomb Raider was released in 1996. Initial development was started in 1993, with various ideas and concept art. The game was finished in just 18 months, by a team of six people. It was originally envisioned as a game where the player would have a choice between playable characters, and Lara was designed to be a female alternative. Lara Croft herself, went through various design and concept changes, during development.

StarSector - A sci-fi open-world game reviewed by Cola Powered Gamer

StarSector is probably one of the best sci-fi open-world games ever created. Even if you don’t consider it one of the best, it’s still one complex game and a real hidden gem. Initially called “Starfarer”, Starsector is being developed by Fractal Softworks and is still technically in development since it was initially released on April 26, 2013. It’s being developed by a small group of people, and the amount of dedication and attention to detail is amazing. Unlike most games that are still in development, StarSector feels more like a finished product and is only being more and more polished.

Street Rod - Race classic cars in this new Cola Powered Gamer review

Most racing games focus on modern cars, formula one races, and other exotic vehicles, but very few games are about racing old cars. Released in 1989, Street Rod is based on a concept conceived by Magic Partners and developed by the Polish game developers P.Z. Karen Co. with help from Logical Design Works, and published by California Dreams (a publishing label of LDW). The game has a unique style and gameplay than most racing games at the time.

Space Quest IV - Animated adventure classic gets a Cola Powered Gamer review

Space Quest IV marks a change in the Space Quest series, most notably in its presentation in both graphics and audio. Space Quest IV continues its tradition with self-referential humor and fourth-wall-breaking. Developed by Sierra and once again its duo Two Guys From Andromeda, unfortunately, their last game, that they worked on together. Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers or simply Space Quest IV, is the first Space Quest game to use an icon-based menu.

Under The Radar: Comedy Games (Sci-Fi) A Retro look by Cola Powered Gamer

Planetfall and Stationfall are two interactive fiction games developed by Infocom and Planetfall is the first game to be designed by video game legend Steve Meretzky. Released in 1983 and 1987. Both games are fantastically written text-adventures, and you can expect witty dialog, funny jokes and similar things if you played any Steve Meretzky game. Despite similarities with Space Quest (both games feature a janitor that saves the day), in several interviews, the creators of Space Quest stated that they were unaware of the games.

Redneck Rampage - 1997 first person shooter gets a Cola Powered Gamer review

When talking about games on the Build Engine, there are three major ones: Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood. These are usually considered the best Build engine games, but right behind them is Redneck Rampage. Developed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay Productions, Redneck Rampage was released in 1997, right around the time that 2.5D shooters, were slowly falling out of style. While the gaming industry was innovating with 3D graphics, almost all of the Build Engine games offered more interactivity and in turn, has a unique style.

Fallout 2 - Sequel to a post nuclear classic gets a Cola Powered Gamer review

Almost immediately after the release of Fallout, Black Isle begin developing Fallout 2. This game is probably one of the most popular games that Black Isle developed. Released in 1998, and developed by Black Isle and published by Interplay, it is an improvement on almost every aspect from the first game. Fallout 2 uses a modified engine from the first game, and a lot of reused assets, like graphics and sound. The biggest improvement from the first game is the game’s scope. Fallout 2 offers more freedom, choices, weapons, multiple optional quests, and more.

Wing Commander III Heart of the Tiger - 1994 Origin classic gets a review by Cola Powered Gamer

After the success that was Wing Commander and Wing Commander II, Origin wanted to create something truly epic, spearing no money in the process. Wing Commander 3 also brought change to the industry and even started several trends. Developed once again by Origin Systems and released in December 1994, Wing Commander was a cutting edge game at the time. While the core gameplay stayed more or less the same, Origin set new standards in the industry, at the time. Wing Commander III switched from previously used sprite-based graphics to software rendered texture-mapped polygonal 3D graphics.

Review: Duke Nukem – 1 Year Anniversary Special by Cola Powered Gamer

Long before he became a video game icon, Duke Nukem had humble origins. So, let’s take a look at the very first game, of this legendary video game icon.Duke Nukem (or sometimes Duke Nukem 1) was developed by Apogee Software and released in 1991, Duke Nukem was one of the many Apogee platformers at the time. Created by a small team, the game was programmed largely by Todd Replogle, with the graphics and additional work being done by Jim Norwood (Bio Menace), Allen H. Blum III and George Broussard, and was produced by Scott Miller. Duke Nukem’s development was also helped by id Software (mainly John Carmack), who helped with some minor programming issues.

The Gateway - Cola Powered Gamer takes a look at classic First Person Shooters!

Welcome to The Gateway by Cola Powered Gamer! The Gateway is a new series of articles from myself, that presents the best games to start you in the said genre. This time the games covered will be, FPS or First-Person Shooters such as Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein 3D and even Quake!

Games Under The Radar: Eastern Europe – Balkans

Under The Radar is back, and once again is bringing you games that might have gone under your radar. This time we will take a look at the games from Balkans, specifically Serbia and Croatia. While not developed with AAA budgets, they were developed with love and passion for video games, often on a small budget. So, let’s begin!

Under The Radar: Eastern European Edition Retrospective by Cola Powered Gamer

The majority of games that people usually play are either from the West or Japan, but what about Eastern Europe? The term “euro-jank”, is often used when describing games from this region, but these games are usually well-meaning, over-ambitious and buggy as hell, but the most important thing is that they try to do things differently. In this article, the games covered will be good (possibly buggy) games, from Eastern Europe. Unlike most of the Under The Radar articles, I will try to present as many games as it’s possible.