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Essays 24 September 2021, 20:50

author: Karol Laska

Not Just AAA - Small Games We Can't Wait For

The calendar of game premieres is already known years ahead. In the editorial team we tried to choose from it productions less obvious, and some even tempted to select titles yet unannounced.

Table of Contents

Sid Meier's Pirates 2

  1. Officially announced? No
  2. Genre: combination of strategy, adventure and action game

When Hollywood released the first part of Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003, the world was in for quite a shock, as it had to face a truly epic, humorous story, this time breaking away from the image of the modern times, the greyish medieval times or the already boring Wild West. Sea battles, lots of rum, and Jack Sparrow were a breath of fresh air in the field of blockbusters. Beyond that, however, there is a vain search in the pop culture world for noteworthy titles with this theme, especially in the video game market.

These can be counted on the fingers of one hand – we're talking about the warmly received Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the constantly developed and cooperative Sea of Thieves or the classic Monkey Island adventure series. However, not everyone remembers about the existence of Sid Meier's Pirates. This game debuted shortly after the aforementioned Disney film, in 2004, perfectly matching the rising tide of popularity of this genre.

It was an extremely original game, strongly different from all others bearing Meier's name. The strategic elements were enriched here with a few adventure and action elements, and although not everything turned out perfectly, we have no doubts that a potential sequel could turn out to be free of its predecessor's imperfections and gain considerable popularity.

Kingdom – a new part

  1. Officially announced? No (although a feature DLC titled Kingdom Two Crowns: Norse Lands will be released soon)
  2. Genre: strategy with RPG elements

There's no denying that Kingdom has taken the video game world by surprise. From a charming, yet inconspicuous browser title, in a few years it became one of the most intriguing, addictive and polished series in the crowded and constantly bombarding indie market.

And I'm well aware that people who haven't yet checked out any of Kingdom's installments may be skeptical about it, because we're talking, purely in theory, about another title from the generator of two-dimensional, pixelart "indies". Meanwhile, these are productions capable of absorbing a good few dozen hours, offering a vast world that begs forexploration (something for the RPG enthusiasts), and we can't forget about the leading strategic aspect (very accessible, which will be accepted even by people who shun the genre). Many of our editors got hooked on the series. And what can I say – they want more!

Karol Laska

Karol Laska

His adventure with journalism began with a personal blog, the name of which is no longer worth quoting. Then he interpreted Iranian dramas and the Joker, writing for cinematography journal, which, sadly, no longer exists. His writing credentials include a degree in film studies, but his thesis was strictly devoted to video games. He has been writing for Gamepressure since March 2020, first writing a lot about movies, then in the newsroom, and eventually, he became a specialist in everything. He currently edits and writes articles and features. A long-time enthusiast of the most bizarre indie games and arthouse cinema. He idolizes surrealism and postmodernism. He appreciates the power of absurdity. Which is probably why he also tried soccer refereeing for 2 years (with so-so results). He tends to over-philosophize, so watch out.

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