CTRL ALT Review

Your guide to the forgotten gems of PC gaming.

  • Heretic kingdoms: the inquisition – a fascinating action rpg with a unique story to tell

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    Recently, I picked up Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition, a Diablo-like action RPG where you play a young inquisitor set on destroying all traces of religion from the world. This isn’t your typical good-versus-evil narrative; instead, the game plunges you into a post-apocalyptic world where the very concept of divinity has been eradicated, leading to a society grappling with the aftermath of a “god-slaying.” The story begins with you and your master seeking a legendary sword, the very weapon that was used to kill god, initiating this world without religion. Your master, a staunch proponent of the inquisition’s radical ideology, seeks to have you destroy this sword as it, too, is a powerful reminder of the old ways, and any symbol or trace must be utterly eliminated in an inquisitor’s eyes. It’s a fascinating premise that immediately sets a somber, almost nihilistic, tone.

    Quickly after starting, you learn of one of the greatest features of this game: The Dreamworld. As you explore areas in the game, you can instantly shift into a spectral “dream world” to interact with the scene in a completely different way. This isn’t just a visual filter; it transforms the environment, revealing hidden pathways, ethereal enemies, and even allowing for tactical repositioning. Something I absolutely loved was switching into the dream world to maneuver around obstacles or gain a tactical advantage in battle, then reappearing in the physical realm to attack at range from an unexpected angle. It’s a genuinely innovative mechanic that adds a layer of strategic depth not often found in ARPGs, encouraging creative problem-solving during combat and exploration.

    The game does show signs of its age, as the interface and the graphics are undeniably a bit rough around the edges. However, if you can look past these superficial elements, the voice acting and atmosphere are surprisingly good, imbuing the world with a sense of grim resolve. The sound design, while not groundbreaking, is serviceable and contributes to the overall immersive experience. The true draws here are the intricate spell system, the compelling, often morally ambiguous story, and of course, the unique dream world mechanic. Another significant aspect is its faction system of sorts, which lets you pick a side during key moments in the narrative. This isn’t just window dressing; your choices have real consequences, leading to one of six distinct endings depending on where you choose to place your allegiances. This encourages multiple playthroughs, as each path offers a different perspective on the shattered world and its inhabitants.

    The controls were easy to pick up, a blessing in a genre that can sometimes be overly complex. The variation of loot and enemies was fun, keeping combat engaging, and the world itself continued to beckon me to explore its many secrets. The settings menu, however, was a bit barebones, and I did find myself a tad confused as to the controls of some things at times. For one, in Diablo, you can push a button and instantly see all loot on the ground. If that is possible in Heretic Kingdoms, I was unable to determine how, so I spent a fair bit of time after encounters waving my mouse over bodies to see what had fallen for me to collect. I would say if you can find the manual for this one, it should ease you in a far sight better.

    Overall, I heartily recommend Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition if you enjoy a dark and thought-provoking storyline, intriguing gameplay mechanics, and great voice acting, as long as you can look past some of the flaws common with this era of gaming. It’s a hidden gem that rewards patience with a truly unique and memorable experience.

    Get Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition on GOG.com (Only $0.99 as of the time of this writing!)

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  • Shivers (1995) – A beautiful and terrifying horror point and click game

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    Point-and-click adventure games, though less prevalent today, remain a testament to the genre’s enduring appeal. Among them, Shivers stands out as a prime example of what’s possible when exceptional writing, masterful storytelling, a full orchestral score, and painstakingly hand-painted artwork converge. The result is a labor of love, an immersive experience, and a masterclass in atmosphere.

    At its core, Shivers blends horror with intricate puzzle-solving. You find yourself trapped overnight in Professor Windlenot’s mysterious museum, a place where ancient evil spirits known as Ixupi have escaped their clay vessels. These malevolent entities now stalk mortals, seeking to drain their life force. The Ixupi conceal themselves within various elements—wood, metal, water, and more—making them a pervasive and insidious threat. To survive, you must repair the magically imbued clay pots, locate their corresponding lids scattered throughout the museum, and use them to recapture the spirits. However, Professor Windlenot, the museum’s eccentric creator, has laid a trail of mind-bending puzzles, designed to impede your progress and leave you vulnerable to the spirits’ relentless pursuit.

    As you delve deeper into the museum’s labyrinthine halls, you’ll uncover a myriad of fascinating exhibits, each harboring its own set of challenges. The game’s evocative music and exquisite artwork work in concert, weaving an eerie tapestry that, despite the game’s age, will undeniably raise the hairs on the back of your neck. The constant threat of the unseen Ixupi, combined with the museum’s oppressive silence broken only by subtle environmental cues and the game’s chilling score, creates a palpable sense of dread.

    What truly sets Shivers apart is its dedication to world-building. Every exhibit, from ancient Egyptian tombs to the surreal depths of Atlantis, feels lived-in and meticulously detailed. The puzzles, while challenging, are organically integrated into the museum’s lore, often requiring you to interact with the exhibits in unexpected ways. This seamless blend of narrative and gameplay ensures that every solved puzzle feels like a genuine step forward in unraveling the museum’s dark secrets. The game doesn’t just present you with obstacles; it invites you to become a part of its unsettling narrative.

    Shivers’ lasting appeal lies in its ability to create a truly unforgettable atmosphere. It foregoes cheap jump scares in favor of a creeping sense of unease, a constant psychological tension that keeps you on edge. The masterful use of sound design, from the distant whispers of the Ixupi to the creaking of old floorboards, amplifies this feeling, making the museum feel like a living, breathing entity with its own sinister intentions. It’s a game that proves that true horror isn’t just about what you see, but what you feel.

    At the time of this writing Shivers is just 5.99 on GOG.com – If your looking for something unique this is it so give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments!

    Get Shivers on GOG.com

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  • The Perfect Heist: Why Thief 2: The Metal Age is My Forever Favorite.

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    There really aren’t any games like the Thief series, and for my money, the standout is Thief 2: The Metal Age. There have been some attempts since Looking Glass Studios released this masterpiece, and trust me, I’ve played them all, but I still find myself coming back to the original Thief experience. When I was a kid, my dad brought home a demo for Thief, and I was hooked ever since. I was used to first-person shooters; running in and fighting demons and blasting Nazis was my comfort zone, but Thief immediately turned that all on its head. If you attempt to rush the guards, Garrett, the main character of the Thief series, would be cut down in a heartbeat. Brawling isn’t Garrett’s style; he is a thief trained by the Keepers and a true master of his craft. The shadows are your home, and to accomplish your goals, you need to use wit and cunning rather than brute force.

    Thief 2 starts with Garrett needing money for rent, but you quickly learn through the amazing world-building and story that this world is changing, and the old ways Garrett was finely tuned to handle are evaporating by the minute. Garrett was born and raised in a world that is, for all intents and purposes, medieval in nature, but the Mechanists, a group of technology fanatics who treat metal and gears as holy objects, are pushing for rapid progress. They install cameras and robots that make the humble thief’s job a lot more challenging than just dealing with a rabble of drunk, out-of-shape guards.

    Garrett isn’t going down without a fight, however. As you play, you have an arsenal of unique and interesting tools at your disposal. Water arrows, for instance, put out torches (though with the increasing use of electric lights, this becomes more situational, it can still be invaluable in a variety of situations). Moss arrows cover hard metal surfaces with soft moss, allowing you to silence your footsteps. Scout orbs let you peer into rooms ahead and scope out the security. Flash bombs get you out of sticky situations quickly, blinding chasing guards. Fire arrows will put down most enemies if things go really bad (use them carefully, however, as they tend to be very rare).

    On each level, your primary goal is to gather enough loot to keep Garrett fed and out of the poorhouse. While you creep about in the shadows, filling your pockets with shiny things, you’ll overhear conversations and come across confidential information that tells the tale of the world around you and where it’s headed. As you progress, you learn that multiple factions are vying for power in this world.

    The Hammerites are the original metal fan club, believing in the Great Builder who, with his hammer and the forge, crafted the world. Through their work with metal, they honor him and achieve enlightenment. They oppose Nature and its ‘filth,’ believing dirt fouls the holy gears and roots tangle the great machines.

    The Mechanists are an offshoot of the Hammerites, even more fanatical to the point of alienating their predecessors. They believe even flesh is an abomination, and that all should be of metal and machine.

    The Pagans are the voice of nature and the planet. You might think they would crumble before the might of the other factions, but through their attunement with the planet, they wield powerful magics that help them repel and foil the Mechanists’ expansion.

    One of the most critical figures in Garrett’s life is Sheriff Truart. He is on a mission to stamp out all thieves and criminals in his city, and he inches closer every day towards achieving his goal.

    Garrett, an orphan pickpocket, was caught attempting to steal from a Keeper, a faction dedicated to maintaining balance among the others. They saw his potential and trained him to be a master thief, intending for him to steal relics and items of import for them. Once Garrett got older, he understood he was being used and left the Keepers. However, as this situation evolves, he is roped back into this overarching struggle, becoming another moving piece in this grand chess game for control of the world.

    Every level in Thief 2 is crafted in such a way that truly allows the player to solve challenges in their own unique way, contributing to immense replayability. The sound design and atmosphere truly immerse you in this well-thought-out and masterfully crafted world.

    Thief is part of a rare breed of games called immersive sims. In a nutshell, an immersive sim aims to truly put the player into the shoes of a character in another world, allowing them to approach challenges with unparalleled freedom. The focus is on player choice in all things. Looking Glass Studios was renowned for its immersive sim games, but unfortunately, they were way ahead of their time, and this kind of game didn’t resonate with most gamers at the time.

    Thankfully, Thief has since found the praise and love it deserved, now a cult classic that many still play avidly. My favorite thing about the games, of all things, is Garrett’s voice actor. He truly sells the character and his motivations, helping to immerse me in his way of thinking and getting me into the mindset to pull off high-stakes capers and make off with the upper class’s valuables.

    If you haven’t played Thief but enjoy stealth games or games with amazing world building and lore this is one for you and honestly I envy you because you get to experience this incredible classic for the first time as I once did all those years ago and hopefully you will fall in love with it as I did.

    If you haven’t played Thief but enjoy stealth games or titles with amazing world-building and lore, this is one for you. Honestly, I envy you, because you get to experience this incredible classic for the first time, just as I did all those years ago, and hopefully, you’ll fall in love with it as I did. As of the time of this writing, Thief 2: The Metal Age is only $0.96 on sale! For less than a dollar, you can experience this masterclass in stealth gameplay! (Don’t worry if you’ve never played the first game; it’s not required to enjoy the second. In my opinion, Thief 2 is a better entrance to the series as it shows fewer signs of age, but if you enjoy this one, I would definitely play the first and third games as well!)

    Buy Thief on GOG.com

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  • Master of orion (1993) – my favorite 4x game ever!

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    When it comes to strategy games nothing comes close to the amount of depth and complexity that a 4x game provides and for my money no game comes close to the brilliance that is the original Master of Orion.

    Master of Orion is a empire management game set in space. You can choose from a wide host of alien races to play as each with unique properties. The Silicoids for example can survive on planets not suitable for other life forms. The Humans are the most diplomatic and my favorite are the Klackons a race of giant ant people who excel at industry and production.

    The goal of the game is to become the master of Orion, an ancient planet said to be the host of incredible technology that will ensure your rule as emperor of the galaxy is not challenged. How you take that throne is up to you and there are many ways to get there! The main way is building your economy via factories and researching weapons and tech to allow you to out gun your rivals and be the last man standing but that is not the only way to accomplish domination of the galaxy. Another way is to make friends with your rivals and sway them to vote for you in the galactic council to become the emperor or you can seek Orion directly and face the fearsome guardian and take the throne by force.

    The amount of customization that comes from being able to build your own starships and equip them with whatever you like really adds a ton of replay value to the experience. Combat in space is centered around 3 main types. Laser, Missile, and bombs. (Of course there are more option but it mostly boils down to those in practice.) Lasers are your main guns and with tech upgrades you can fire bigger lasers farther getting the edge in your battles or with missiles you can keep far from the enemy and send waves of death to them from across the battlefield. Bombs are special as they are used to wipe out planet populations and defenses to clear the way for your colony ships to settle there instead. You can also use bio weapons but that won’t make you very popular with the other factions as it is considered a war crime to do so.

    You can also send troop transports to take a planet via ground invasion which has the benefit of keeping the workers and infrastructure intact so you do not need to rebuild it all. If you go this route however, be warned that rebellion is possible from your newly subjugated populous. Another fun way to play is spy warfare. You can train and deploy spies into the empires of your enemy and use them to disrupt industry and steal technology and even cause revolutions which will put a planet out of commission until they can seize back control.

    Something I really love about this game is that it does not limit you in anyway. If you want to forgo tech and just make a million cheap low tech fighters you can still do some decent damage that way as long as you have the economy to back it up and if the rest of the galaxy votes for someone else to be the emperor that does not instantly end the game, you may refuse the decision which starts an all out way between yourself and the rest of the empires which likely will end in you going down fighting but it really all depends.

    I have played this game for over a decade now and I still find myself coming back to play it time and time again and every time I play it always feels fresh and exciting.

    As of the time of this writing GOG has this game for just $5.99 and it comes with the sequel (Also a great game which I will be sure to review but the first one is my favorite.)

    Buy Master of Orion 1+2 on GOG.com

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  • 7th legion – a cool realtime strategy game with a twist

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    Alright, full disclosure: 7th Legion was the first RTS game I ever played, so yeah, I might be a little biased. But honestly, there are very few real-time strategy games out there that capture the same kind of quirky flair and unique mechanics that 7th Legion brought to the table.

    The game drops you into a bleak future for Earth, a time when rampant pollution and overpopulation pushed our home planet to the brink of collapse. The “solution” for the elite, the super-rich and powerful, was simple: pack up and jet off into space, leaving the rest of humanity to perish on a dying world. For centuries, these privileged few, known in-game as the Chosen, drifted among the stars, assuming the planet and its remaining inhabitants would simply fade away.

    But here’s where the story gets interesting (and a bit inconvenient for the Chosen): not everyone died. Against all odds, the Earth slowly began to heal, and the “poor” who were left behind managed to survive and even thrive. Now, the Chosen have returned, intent on reclaiming Earth as their birthright. The only problem? The planet is already inhabited, and its current residents aren’t too keen on giving it back.

    In 7th Legion, you get to pick a side in this epic struggle. Will you command the 7th Legion, a tribe of the resourceful survivors fighting tooth and nail to repel the invaders and keep Earth for themselves? Or will you lead the Chosen, returning to conquer the planet you believe is rightfully yours?

    While both campaigns offer distinct storylines and missions, the differences go beyond just narrative. Each faction boasts its own unique roster of units. The Chosen, having been augmented for the harsh realities of space travel, are generally stronger, possess more health, and wield superior technology. Think quality over quantity. The 7th Legion, on the other hand, relies more on sheer numbers and clever strategy to gain an edge. Playing as the Legion truly forces you to be strategic, leveraging every advantage you can find against a technologically superior foe.

    One of the most innovative features that truly sets 7th Legion apart from other RTS games of its era is its ingenious playing card system. These aren’t just cosmetic additions; they function like powerful spells or unique abilities that can dramatically shift the tide of battle.

    Throughout gameplay, you’re randomly dealt these cards, and each one has a distinct effect. We’re talking everything from stealing enemy units and unleashing devastating damage on enemy forces to cloaking your own troops for surprise attacks. The sheer variety of effects is impressive, and because you receive them randomly, every mission feels fresh and unpredictable, constantly forcing you to adapt your tactics on the fly. It’s a fantastic layer of strategic depth that keeps you on your toes.

    Beyond the unique gameplay, 7th Legion also delivers in the aesthetics department. The game boasts some truly amazing music and sound effects that really enhance the atmosphere. The art style, while perhaps a product of its time, remains unique and interesting, giving the game a distinct visual identity.

    However, it’s not all sunshine and roses. The game does have its flaws, and one of the most prominent is the unit pathfinding. It’s notoriously awful, and if you want to get anywhere, you’ll need to adapt to it quickly. Try to select too many units or send them too far, and they’ll often take random, illogical routes, even if they’re not near each other. This can lead to your forces trickling into enemy lines and getting wiped out – that is, if they even decide to go to the place you told them to at all! Success in 7th Legion absolutely demands meticulous micromanagement of your units. It can be frustrating, but it’s also part of the game’s unique charm (or challenge, depending on your perspective).

    Despite its pathfinding woes, 7th Legion offers a genuinely engaging experience. Between the cool cutscenes that flesh out the compelling story, the awesome music, and that truly unique card system, I still wholeheartedly recommend checking it out. You can usually find it for a very low price these days, and it’s well worth a look for any RTS enthusiast or retro gamer looking for something a bit different.

    Get 7th Legion at GOG.com

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  • Capitalism plus – the best business simulator i’ve ever played.

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    Business sims are a niche genre and there are not a ton of them out there that allow you to create a corporation and run it the way you want to. Maybe the reason few exist is because Capitalism did it so well it was one and done. Capitalism lets you really fine tune everything about your company and the world you will be playing in. The really amazing thing that sets this game apart is there are few if any limits on playstyle. You can make a company that mines raw resources and sells them to other companies so they can manufacture goods or you can run a factory selling products to retail stores or even be the retailer yourself or all of these together. You could run a farm or even just play the stock market and never produce/sell any products and still win that way! There is complex branding system in the game which you can either produce or buy products and brand them with your own company branding and then market those products via TV and Newspaper to beat your competition. To win the game you need to be the last company standing, the best way I have found to do that is to monopolize resources to prevent the other companies from creating products and push for research and development to create products they don’t know how to make.

    I have looked for years for business sim games and this one is really the best there is. The second game in the series is great as well but in my opinion it doesn’t have the same charm as the first game. The controls and the UI are simple and easy to follow and understand and the charts and graphs give such great information you can easily tell how well you are doing against your competition. The most fun thing to do I think is to use your wealth to buy shares in your opponents company until you have enough to own a controlling interest and then merge them into your company stealing their properties and research and knocking them out of the game.

    The amount of complexity in this game really gives you a good idea of what it is like to run a real world corporation. From setting up production and supply lines to marketing and issuing shares there is so much available that you can really sink significant time into this one easy.

    Since this is a DOS game it is small (around 141 MB for the GOG Offline installer but I think its way less than even that if installed via GOG Galaxy.) The price for this game is always a bargain as well. I always judge if a game is worth the money by taking the price and dividing it by the number of hours I played the game. For this title I bought it at $5.99 and have played 120 hours so far so I have only spent $0.04 an hour for all the fun I had!

    As of the time of this writing Capitalism Plus is 50% off on GOG at the moment and selling for just $2.99! For the price this game is a no brainer. Head over and pick up a copy and become a titan of industry today!

    Link to GOG – Capitalism Plus

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  • Welcome to ctrl-alt-review

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    Welcome to CTRL-ALT-REVIEW! We are dedicated to finding and reviewing awesome retro PC games and helping with getting those hidden gems running on modern hardware. We have a strong interest in RPG, survival, simulation and strategy games as well as roguelikes but we are open to most anything DOS or vintage PC. Be sure to check back often to find awesome games to try and thank you for visiting.

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