2017 may well turn out be the Year of Diversion, when citizens of the weary of politics, economics and conflict turn ever more inward to increasingly engaging, realistic games and HD entertainment. Here are some of the games which experts think are worth your time and, sometimes, your money. You may even find some ways to make cash from gaming!
MOBILE GAMES
Forbes recently surveyed some of the latest games on the go. Before you plan summer camp for the kiddies, you may (at your own risk) want to check out Friday the 13th: the Game, a player vs. player horror survival game, in which you can choose to be a teen camp counselor just out to have some innocent fun, or the hockey-masked Jason Voorhees, who has a talent for swinging axes and clubs, or just good old hands-on neck-snapping. High definition animation and graphics not for the squeamish! For a different kind of cinematic experience, check out the just-released Guardians of the Galaxy Telltale series, based on the blockbuster Marvel series, in which the Guardians discovers an ancient relic of unimaginable power and must protect it with their lives from a ruthless enemy. Put yourself in the boots of Star-Lord in this first in a five-part series.
ONLINE SLOTS
Another online game category enjoying ever-increasing popularity is online slots. With higher payout rates and more game-play sophisticated than their real-world counterparts, there is an amazing variety of free online pokies available. Among the best sources to choose from for New Zealand players is Casino Kiwi, which provides a handy guide for picking out the hottest games in various pokie categories, including free ones where you can practice at no expense. More lucrative for serious real-money players are lists of casinos offering free spins and no-deposit bonuses as well as progressive jackpot pokies where payouts are multiplied, sometimes into the millions. Check out the Aliens slot, which is based on the movie with the same title, and blast those bad boys in outer space.
SOCIAL GAMES
The MMO Bomb site, focusing on free massive multiplayer online role playing games, leads its 2017 list with Mindark’s Planet Calypso, a sci-fi adventure in world-building. Powered by Cryengine from Crysis, the player assumes the role of a human colonist on a remote alien world, responsible for building its economy, infrastructure and society using more than two hundred unique skills, weaving your own story together with others around the world (Earth, that is, at least for now). It’s a gorgeous open-ended high definition virtual planet 1500 square kilometers (579 square miles) in size. You have a sandbox to practice in, but when you get serious, you can use the PED currency (each PED is worth US$0.10), with the ability to deposit and withdraw real money acquired during your adventures on Calypso.
Another recent worthy entry in the MMORPG category is Crusaders of Light from Netease, reviewed here, in which mystics, rangers, and warriors must battle demon hordes and raid dungeons to secure the freedom of fellow crusaders. PC-quality HD game play for mobile phones and tablets.