Steampunk games?

[HunterOfJello]

Are there any good steampunk video games that anyone knows of? I'm considering buying Rise of Nations: League of Legends and wondering if anyone has other suggestions.

Steampunk just seems like such a great style for a video game to adopt.

[Domochevsky]

Hum... Technomage, mayhaps? It's kinda old though.

[Mirrinus]

Nostalgia for the DS: alternate 19th-century earth with machine guns, airships, and magic. Intentionally plays almost every RPG trope by the book. And you're Indiana Jones' son.

Did I mention it has lots of airship-to-airship aerial battles?

[Vitruviansquid]

I would say Rise of Legends if it wasn't a dead game (multiplayers servers have shut down).

Good run while it lasted, though :(

[Forbiddenwar]

What about "On a rain slick precipice of death", wasn't that stempunk? shame the sequels got canceled.

[KnightDisciple]

I would say Rise of Legends if it wasn't a dead game (multiplayers servers have shut down).

Good run while it lasted, though :(:smallconfused:

Granted, no multiplayer sucks, but that doesn't mean the game is in any way "dead".

The campaign mode still works, as does the skirmish mode against computers.

I love running through the campaign now and again, just to get all the extra hero units you don't get in multiplayer/skirmish.:smallbiggrin:

[Mirrinus]

Here's the trailer for Nostalgia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_MWdVEKxlk

Don't play it if you can't stand JRPGs, though. Yes, it's 19th century European steampunk, but it's still your typical JRPG.

[xp194]

There's, uh, there's a fairly obscure Japanese made Mech-rpg thing called Steambot Chronicles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO2__cqBplk) which is fairly Steampunk-esque. Basically, the world's stuck in industrial revolution era because some scientist guy decided to put legs on a car and everyone realised that this was an awesome idea. Or something. It's quite a fun game, where one minute you can be beating up enemy mechs for fun and profit and the next you can be playing a Harmonica on a city street corner for fun and mild profits. Also, you're part of a travelling band, and played correctly, you have a hand in inventing the world's first electric Guitar.

So, yeh, pretty awesome. TV Tropes page for a bit more info and stuff. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SteambotChronicles) May want to check it out.

[Mikeavelli]

Arcanum, of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.

As the name implies, there's both magic and steampunk (and, honestly, while the steampunk angle is very important in the story, it's downplayed in the actual gameplay)

Planescape: Torment has little or nothing to do with actual technology, but the artists put in a steampunk aesthetic to a lot of the scenes.

[Trazoi]

The Thief series had a magic mixed with steampunk feel. It's strongest in the second in the series (which coincidentally is the best). Old but (very) good.

[Triscuitable]

What about "On a rain slick precipice of death", wasn't that stempunk? shame the sequels got canceled.

I'm pretty sure you're talking about "Penny Arcade Adventures: Episode 1&2: On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness". And no, that was more of a play on the 1930's.

[Triscuitable]

What about Machinarium? Excellent point and click game. It's on Steam. Get it there. It's also part of a $20 indie game pack. Five for twenty. That's how I bought it. (I actually only bought it for World of Goo, but Machinarium was a gem I got the idea of playing after a while. Very satisfying choice.)

[shadow_archmagi]

Bioshock much?

[Cogwheel]

Arcanum. Can't second that enough, one of the best RPGs ever made.


Just, y'know, patch it. Horribly buggy and unbalanced. But you can get a magnetic top hat that deflects bullets and a lightning sniper rifle.

I guess the magic's neat too, if you don't want steam-powered mecha-platemail..

[Zevox]

Here's the trailer for Nostalgia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_MWdVEKxlk

Don't play it if you can't stand JRPGs, though. Yes, it's 19th century European steampunk, but it's still your typical JRPG.
You might not want to play it even then. I like JRPGs for the most part, but didn't like Nostalgia.

Zevox

[Forbiddenwar]

What about Machinarium? Excellent point and click game. It's on Steam. Get it there. It WAS also part of a $20 indie game pack. Five for twenty. That's how I bought it. (I actually only bought it for World of Goo, but Machinarium was a gem I got the idea of playing after a while. Very satisfying choice.)

Fixed the verb tense there. I cannot find that indie pack anymore, I think it was a temporary deal, which makes me sad. Both world of goo and machinarium are now $20.

[MrPig]

Septerra Core was steampunkish.

[Razaele]

Hammerfight is steampunk-ish I guess. Gameplay is amazing though, and it's a lot of fun to play with a friend.:smallsmile:

[Calemyr]

Steambot Chronicles was... interesting. The game has a tricky control scheme to master (left analog stick for left leg, right analog stick for right leg) and has a rather silly feel to it, but it's more or less a sandbox game. And let's face it, playing the harmonica while standing on top of a mech while wearing a white suit and fedora is just style.

[GolemsVoice]

Arcanum. Can't second that enough, one of the best RPGs ever made.

Hell yeah Arcanum! This game rocks so hard, it's a shame it isn't among Baldur's Gate, Torment and Fallout. Granted, it had bugs to supply all the other mentions and still ahve some left, but it is STILL being patched by fans, ne wcontent is added, old content restored, and that alone should tell you that this game is worthy of a lot of love.

[JeminiZero]

Just, y'know, patch it. Horribly buggy and unbalanced. But you can get a magnetic top hat that deflects bullets and a lightning sniper rifle.

Its not really a "snipers" rifle seeing how the fixed angle isometric view makes it impossible to actually pick off enemies in the far distance. That and most fights are in traditional cramped dungeons.


I guess the magic's neat too, if you don't want steam-powered mecha-platemail..

For what is supposedly an art in decline, Magic is surprisingly powerful. You can effectively beat the game using just 3 spells (Harm, Shield and Heal), some companions to distract the enemy, and the occasional potion. This is probably the easiest way to play, since Harm does not require Line of effect (to borrow the D&D term), and is what the LP on youtube does.

Although you will still need to buy more spells to raise your magic rank (and because you've got nothing better to do with your points).

[GolemsVoice]

Yep, magic rules hard, at least from player perspective, but being a technological character is just so much FUN. If you just want to win, sure, amgic is the way to go, although technology has some neat gadgets as well, especially later on.

[Eldan]

Yeah, I mean, that goes against the entire point of the exercise: why play a mage in a Steampunk game? If you want a mage, you play a fantasy game. You play Arcanum for the gadgets.

[Deth Muncher]

Yeah, I mean, that goes against the entire point of the exercise: why play a mage in a Steampunk game? If you want a mage, you play a fantasy game. You play Arcanum for the gadgets.

Also, it's uber cheap - Good Old Games has it for like 6 bucks.

[JeminiZero]

Yep, magic rules hard, at least from player perspective, but being a technological character is just so much FUN. If you just want to win, sure, amgic is the way to go, although technology has some neat gadgets as well, especially later on.

I'm not saying technology is weak. Indeed, Technology has some really powerful options (although you do need some spoilerish knowledge to get the best out of it). There is something to be said about being able to raise a Steam-Robot Army to stomp any opposition.

Rather Magic is simply easier to use. The game takes spacing too seriously, and since your party companions are mostly fighters, which you exert practically no control over and that have terrible AI to boot, all sorts of gameplay problems arise.

Not least is the fact that fighter block line of effect for guns. And when that happens, you frequently find your squishy scientist running up to the enemy to fire at point blank range. Magic on the other hand is simple, as mentioned you don't need line of effect, so fighters don't block you, and you can safely cast from afar.