Atari’s got their games on sale on GOGcom this week, and there’s still time to catch up and get one or all of these.
Rollercoaster Tycoon: Deluxe
Irregardless of your favorite game genre, there is no getting around it. Rollercoaster Tycoon is one of the most popular and highest rated Atari-owned franchises. At least, it’s the most prominent in GOGcom.
Why do the Rollercoaster games hold up? Simply put, Chris Sawyer’s essential design is engaging and addictive. The combination of beautiful presentation, brilliant design, and inherent replayability makes even the original a must have.
The Deluxe edition comes bundled with expansions Corkscrew Follies and Loopy Landscapes. Buy Here Now
Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 Triple Thrill Pack
This one expands on the original, with a veneer of authenticity added thanks to the Six Flags Parks license. Build 25 Six Flags roller coasters and 5 parks based on actual existing parks. The all new Roller Coaster Designer allows players to build as much as 150 rides and attractions. It also adds themes to use on the attractions and rides, such as Giant Garden, Wild West, and Pirates. Buy Here Now
Master of Magic
Master of Magic is a sim in the vein of Civilization, but with a slant towards fantasy, particularly magic. You shift between two worlds; the Earthlike Arcanus and the more mystical Myrror. Using Towers of Wizardry, you pass between the two worlds, and use your powers (magical, infantry, and otherwise) to conquer both. Each game is randomly generated from scratch, and with a wide variety of choices (magic types, races, etc), this game has a lot of replay value. Â Buy Here Now
Blood: One Unit Whole BloodÂ
This first shooter on this list is also a worthy classic of the genre. Contemporaries with games such as Doom, Marathon, and Heretic, it was also one of the first games to offer secondary attack modes, as well as hidden rooms. This one also paid homage to many horror films and media, almost a little too overtly.
You play Caleb, a former cultist gunslinger from the Old West. Mysteriously brought back to life, Caleb sets out to find the dark god who betrayed him, Tchernobog, and kill him.
One Unit Whole Blood is the special edition version of this game, including its expansions Plasma Pak and Cryptic Passage. Buy Here Now
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark AthenaÂ
Yes, believe it or not, a licensed game made it to GOGcom. In fact, this name is a little misleading, as this actually bundles the more famous Escape from Butcher Bay as well as it sequel Assault on Dark Athena. Featuring the voice work of Vin Diesel, the man who plays Riddick, these games fill up the gaps on Riddick’s backstory prior to the movies. Much like the movies, these games flustered expectations by being very, very good. To put it quite simply, if you hadn’t played this game before you will simply have to play it to see for yourself. Buy Here Now
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum!Â
Surprisingly, the 3rd in the series is a huge jump forward from its predecessors, but is generally held in less esteem, mainly because it is not quite perfection. Fans disagree on whether this game is a disappointment or another fine installment in the series, but either way, this remains a fine game on its own. Rollercoaster customization options are now nearly endless here, and add to that the updated graphics and presentation, and this may be the penultimate version of the game. Buy Here Now
Alone in the DarkÂ
You didn’t think we forgot this gem, did you? Alone in the Dark is a masterpiece of adventure horror gaming, and essentially the progenitor of the survival horror genre. It is little advertised here, but GOGcom actually offers this game as a bundle with Alone in the Dark 2 and 3. Detective Edward Carnby (and some alternate protagonists) explores a world festering with voodoo, gangsters, pirates, haunted mansions, the undead, and the unseen hands of Giger and Lovecraft.  Buy Here Now
Blood 2: The Blood Group
The sequel to Blood, Blood 2: The Chosen finds Caleb 100 years later, still fighting the Cabal long after their god has been slain. Now a megacorporation called CabalCo, they hunt Caleb endlessly, unaware of their and his final role in the fate of the world, and the universe. This bundle also includes the expansion The Nightmare Levels.
The timeskip allows for the addition of futuristic tech, and a surprise plot twist that will unravel everything you assumed you knew about the original. Of course, you can also opt to ignore the story completely, and play any of the other characters aside from Caleb, or go for multiplayer. Each character has different markmanship abilities, hit points, and armor level, and finding the right character for you could mean the difference between life and death. Buy Here Now
Independence War DeluxeÂ
We cap off this list with a series of space combat simulators. Originally released as I-War, Independence War allows you to command a 8520 ton, 160 meter long dreadnought. This bundle includes the original game and its sole expansion: Defiance.
Unlike contemporaries such as Wing Commander or Descent Freespace, Independence War employed Newtonian physics, so that you had to deal with inertia from the ship’s mass, as well as the lack of drag in outer space. For the most part, however, you dealt with the simlike side of the game, managing the command station, navigation, engineering, and weapons. Take on a group of rebellious insurgents, in both campaign and quick battle modes.  Buy Here Now
Independence War 2: Edge of ChaosÂ
The sequel to I-War features a stronger story campaign, widely expanded gameplay, and the same Newtonian physics. As Cal Johnston, a failed early attempt at vengeance leads to a hard life as a solider of fortune and a lifelong battle against the Corporations that have overrun human civilization. With four ships, more than 100 upgrades and weapons, nonlinear gameplay, and more, Edge of Chaos was a critical darling but underappreciated in its time. Today, you can enjoy this classic for the masterpiece that it is. Buy Here Now
Published: Sep 29, 2014 08:26 am