![]() Nostalgia for the turn-based RPG led to a remake in 2013, and that's the version we're talking about now. This game, originally released in 1992 or 1993 depending on where you lived, wasn't terribly well-received at the time, although it apparently drew something of a cult following. It’s apparently based on a German tabletop RPG- The Dark Eye-that’s since been translated into other, better games. I must admit to not being familiar with Realms of Arkania’s source material. You can still find exactly this sort of fare-and worse- in any given week of Steam Greenlight releases. But the logic behind them hasn't gone away. THQ has evaporated, and "budget games" aren't what they used to be. They just needed something that looked enough like a full-fledged product to sneak past quality assurance. There's nothing redeeming or fun about USNS:WMD, because the developers weren't out to make something redeeming or fun. ![]() You still walk from one point to the next, through seemingly concussed foes, only bothering to shoot when they remember to fire first (not all of them do). Despite the extra context, however, USNS:WMD remains the same. AdvertisementĪt some point you’re carted off to look for those titular WMDs in North Korea-this being a game set in post-irony society, after all. So there’s a history of faux depth to this storied franchise. The ValuSoft game that came before Weapons of Mass Destruction, Elite Forces: Navy SEALs, sported night-vision goggles that only tinted the screen green. You have silenced weapons, but they're functionally no different than your louder ones. There's no music to cover up the death-curdling screeches, despite the options menu claiming otherwise, so you better shoot these guys quickly. Once you’ve made their acquaintance, they'll either stand still and shoot at you, like Disneyland animatronics that have had their motion sensors tripped, or sprint back and forth on the same four second loop. (Which country? Beats us.) The two guards outside can't see you, despite the completely barren terrain, until you're about 10 yards in front of them. Enemies, weapons, environments: they all exist, but mostly in name.Īt the start of the game you're dropped (apropos of zero context) in front of an enemy base. The game feels like the set of an old movie Western movie-the kind where all the buildings are just flat boards pretending to be buildings. Woe be to the child whose grandparents stumbled upon USNS:WMD. ![]() Before mobile games did their darnedest to sound like and resemble more popular video games, these kinds of bargain-priced CD-rack games dominated the dustiest PC games shelves at places like Target, where unsuspecting, birthday-shopping grandparents would be most likely to find them. During this time, ValuSoft, a subsidiary of THQ, trafficked mostly in the kinds of “budget games” that earn those scare quotes. ![]()
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