In the shadow of Giants: Reus is a casual strategy game with no instruction manual. Perfect for people with an over-eager God complex.Take control of your three giants and go crazy on your own 2-dimensional planet. Help humanity rise or fall. Raise mountains, burrow seas, create your own paradise.
The game is accurately named ‘Reus’ which coincides with the German word ‘Riese’ and the old Norse ‘risi’, both meaning ‘Giant’. The game starts at the beginning of time, with the awakening of the planet’s four giants – fairly straightforwardly named after the four elements they control – The rock giant, the forest giant, the ocean giant and the swamp giant. Looking upon a barren plain, the giants take it upon themselves to breathe life into it, making it habitable, thus giving humanity a chance to grow and thrive.
The game has two modes. The Era mode and Freeplay. The Era mode puts a time limit on your game; the minimum being thirty minutes, the maximum being two hours. The freeplay mode gives you a free reign when it comes to time, letting you go crazy developing, but limits your in-game achievements.
Summarized, Reus is not the kind of game most gamers would find worthwhile. It is, however, a great game to sit back, relax and just enjoy, with its surprisingly fluid visuals and almost unpredictable gameplay. A must-have for the casual gamer. The game is available for download on Steam.
Genre: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Developer, Publisher: Abbey Games
Release Date: 16 May 2013