Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Time-Wasters
Dirk Valentine - Time Waster
by Jason Clarke May 23rd 2008
Recently we've noticed more and more two-dimensional games incorporating use of both the keyboard and mouse, much in the same way that first person shooters do. The latest to catch our eye is Dirk Valentine and the Fortress of Steam, a side-scrolling game in which you play the part of the hero, Dirk. Your goal is infiltrate Lord Battenberg's steam fortress, and destroy it.
The control scheme includes the typical movement buttons including jump, but then you use the mouse for aiming your weapon. Dirk is equipped with a chain shooter that kills enemies, but it also allows him to build short bridges out of the chain between specific types of platforms.
The gameplay is solid, and the look of the game has a sort of quasi-steampunk feel. Rather than giving you a training mode or page of instructions, the game's creator has instead decided to train you as you go. You can stop at specific points to get more information, making the learning curve very comfortable yet giving the game the ability to introduce more depth as you continue.
If you're looking for a five minute distraction from your regular work, Dirk Valentine is not a good choice for you. This game appears to have hours of content. But if you're looking for something a little more engaging that you can come back to again and again, check it out.
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
