Once was enough for me with Alien: Isolation, but what about you? Have you ever gone back?
The Epic Games Store is giving out two freebies this week — one title you’ve no doubt already played (if you were ever going to try it), and one you might’ve missed that’s worth a fair look. Today through April 29, 2021, you can claim Alien: Isolation and Hand of Fate 2 for free for your bustling PC library.
This isn’t the first time Alien: Isolation has been free on the Epic Store, but it’s worth highlighting just in case. Plenty of people adore this first-person horror experience — it has one of the tensest “stalker” enemies you’ll ever encounter — and I adore the lived-in craftsmanship of the world, doubly so given that it’s such a beloved movie property done right. That said, I’ve always found Isolation to be too stressful and long-winded to warrant a replay. Several years later, I still feel like once was plenty.
I do love revisiting player photos from time to time, though. What a looker.
I haven’t played the lesser-known of these free games, Hand of Fate 2, but I’m intrigued by its nontraditional structure as a “living board game” blended with real-time fantasy action combat.
Here’s how Destructoid reader TreasureCat summed up Hand of Fate 2‘s central hook last week: “It’s not really a roguelite, but you do go play it by embarking on structured quests (runs) where you acquire equipment and resources while navigating randomized events. The gameplay is a one part board game, where you manage resources and play simple games that mix together skill, chance, and preparation and then one part Arkham-style third-person action combat encounters.” Like I said, intriguing!
As for next week (April 29 to May 6), it’s a weird one by Epic’s standards: Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, otherwise known as the D&D clicker game. This idle RPG is normally free, so this promo is really for a bunch of champions, chests, and two familiars — a supposed $100 value. To get these items, you just have to log-in during that period to claim the Epic Champions of Renown pack.
[Image credit: DARKBLADEXE]