News is usually slow this time of the year but things have been eerily quiet during the last couple of weeks. With the World on the brink of another World War, it’s understandably people’s concern lie elsewhere rather than videogames. Anyway, if you’re craving some long reading for this week and you have dropped in to check my latest couple of reviews, here’s a tasty link for my Field of Glory II: Medieval- Storm of Arrows analysis and another one for a long feature of me rambling on how Gears Tactics could have been a great game but falls short on almost every step along the way.

Distant Worlds 2 Released

I just got my code for Distant Worlds 2 and this weekend will be spent jumping between searching for a new house to live in and playing the most recent iteration of Distant Worlds. Most of the Steam reviews are comparing it directly to Stellaris and in a very positive light! Some describe the game as an actually good version of Paradox’s most recent grand strategy IP by actually going in-depth into areas like managing all the nooks and crannies of your space empire and bolstering a new and improved tactical layer, something Stellaris is still sorely missing; all of this while avoiding the typical DLC banditry Paradox’s is known for. The game has galaxies with up to two thousand star systems and tens of thousands of planets. The area most intriguing to me is how customizable the ships appear to be. Going to finish this write-off and jump right into it, automate almost everything, and focus only on smacking aliens and space monsters! I haven’t played a decent 4X since Civilization IV, so my hopes are riding high for this one. Check the video above for a complete overview.

Battle Cry of Freedom Out Now

If my life depended on how concise I could be describing Battle Cry of Freedom it would be “Shallow but fun”. It’s a massive multiplayer battle “simulator” with up to 500 players fighting simultaneously on large maps during the American Civil War. I actually enjoy it quite a lot as a brain-dead experience to enjoy late at night with a nice podcast or some creepypastas playing in the background. It’s very similar to Mount and Blade Napoleonic Wars and Holdfast: Nations at War but on a larger scale. The community is nice enough and everyone seems to have a great time playing it. Unfortunately, the game has a hard time finding enough players to fill more than a couple of servers, so you’re stuck playing with what you got and if you’re in Europe, prepare to face some ocean-wide lag.

Bundle for Ukraine

The current humanitarian crisis occurring in Ukraine is of concern to all of us. Unfortunately, not everybody has the means to give Ukrainians a helping hand. If you live too far away to help but have 10 dollars to spare, then the Bundle for Ukraine is the perfect solution for you. Not only will you be helping the International Medical Corps to provide medical assistance in the region, and some of that money is going to Voices of Children, a Ukrainian organization that helps children cope with the horrors of war and PTSD. For the low price of 10 bucks, you’ll get access to over 1,000 games, tabletop games, books, etc. Some of the highlights are Cloud Gardens, Superhot and Baba Is You. Make sure to check it out.

WARNO Gets New Maps

It seems that WARNO has managed to turn things around quite fast! After a disastrous release a couple of weeks ago, the steady release of content has elevated the game’s review percentage all the way up to a respectable 77%. This week Mount River and Two Lakes are the two most recent maps to make their way into WARNO Early Access. The first is composed of “a bit of varied terrain, including plateaus, forests, a smattering of urban areas scattered throughout” and the latter is a more narrow experience, “it has two towns in the center, surrounded by fields, which can be turned into easily defendable points. Around this central area, dense woodlands are to be found, which turns everything into a giant kill zone”. The time to jump into WARNO is finally getting close. Maybe sometime during the next couple of months.

Battle Brothers New DLC and It’s Free

Did you know Battle Brothers was released all the way back in 2017? I could swear it came out just yesterday! Overhype Studios have been going strong supporting their little title, launching a new DLC called Of Flesh and Faith that is described as a “love letter” to fans of the game. This new expansion adds two new factions- the Oathtakers and the Anatomists- with their own unique mechanics, equipment, character backgrounds, and story events. The DLC also adds a total of 50 new in-game events. Here is the full list of features:

• Oathtakers – Follow the teachings of Young Anselm, fight for righteousness, and swear oaths that confer advantages and disadvantages until fulfilled.
• Anatomists – Further your research even if they shun you for it, dissect the corpses of your fallen enemies, and devise new ways to empower your men.
• New Banners – Hoist two new banners that thematically fit the new origins.
• New Equipment – Dress in style with new equipment that befits your origin.
• New Events – Experience more than 50 new events on your travels.

Undaunted Normandy Going Digital

Bookmark Games has announced that Undaunted Normandy, the official digital adaptation of the 2019 Golden Geek Best Wargame Winner by David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin is going full digital on PC. The game’s description hints at the fact that it’s going to remain a faithful recreation of the original board game. You can expect:

• A full recreation of the original board game.
• An original card and dice driven mechanic making the game highly replayable.
• All scenarios from the original boardgame plus two additional scenarios.
• Play individual scenarios or a full campaign (on Full Release).
• Play solo against three different levels of difficulty.
• Cross platform online multiplayer or local hotseat.
• Learn the game through a quick and engaging tutorial.
• Scenarios rendered in beautiful 3D maps with animated units.

And this is all I have for you this week!

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