The Spirit Engine 2 Released as Freeware

By: Derek Yu

On: February 17th, 2010

Mark Pay has decided to release his RPG The Spirit Engine 2 for free, citing poor sales as one of the primary reasons. Which is a shame, really, since it’s a lovely game and was a steal for $10, I thought (initially $18). You can read Mark’s announcement here.

TSE2 – Selections

By: Derek Yu

On: January 29th, 2009

Josh “TwiTerror” Whelchel has just released The Spirit Engine 2 – Selections for free (as torrent or direct download). “Selections” contains 22 songs from the massive 101 song soundtrack of TSE2 (which is available for $16). You can read a highly favorable review of the latter on RPGFan.

There’s also this great live recording of a 28-track TSE2 arrangement, for those interested. Thanks, Josh!

TIGdb: Entry for The Spirit Engine 2

The Spirit Engine 2

By: Derek Yu

On: July 31st, 2008

Mark Pay’s long-awaited sequel to his classic RPG, The Spirit Engine, is finally here! The Spirit Engine 2 is available for sale at a very reasonable $18. You can also download the ~64 MB demo (the saves are compatible with the full version).

Having played through most of the demo, I’m happy to say that TSE2 already improves on the original in almost every way (though Mark claims the first two chapters are the weakest!). The production values, storyline, and combat are all to high standards. I’m incredibly impressed by the fact that, with so much dialogue in the game, you can pick from 9 different characters, each with their own backstory and personality. There’s no small amount of detail put into every aspect of the game (love how the title screen changes depending on your party!).

The combat, in particular, feels much better than the first game. It’s been awhile since I’ve played TSE1, but battles seem faster-paced in this game. With all the numbers on the screen, it can still be difficult to figure out exactly what is going on, but it’s a minor quibble. Overall, the battles feel epic but not tiresome.

As is to be expected from Josh “TwiTerror” Whelchel, the music does not disappoint, either. You can get the full soundtrack (101 songs!) for $16 or a selection of the 22 “best” songs for $8. Head over to Josh’s site for more details.

It’s been, what, 5 years since the first game came out? That’s dedication… and the final product does not disappoint. 18 bucks well spent! Congratulations, Mark and Josh!

TIGdb: Entry for The Spirit Engine 2

The Spirit Engine 2 Arriving in July

By: Derek Yu

On: June 24th, 2008

Josh Whelchel wrote to inform me that you guys helped raise over $800 for his cancer drive. That’s wonderful news!

And there’s more: The Spirit Engine 2, the long-waited sequel to Mark Pay’s much-loved RPG, is slated for a July 30th release, as revealed by the teaser above. There are also two older videos (1|2) that demonstrate the game’s combat system.

TSE2 will not be freeware, like its predecessor, but the final price is unknown. For more info, head to the official website.

Congrats, guys!

The Spirit Engine 2 Soundtrack – Relay for Life Promotion

By: Derek Yu

On: April 3rd, 2008

Josh Whelchel, aka “TwiTerror,” the musician behind such classic games as Bonesaw and The Spirit Engine, is currently raising money for the American Cancer Society, in a program called Relay for Life. Josh is offering free, digital copies of The Spirit Engine 2 Soundtrack (when it’s done) to anyone who donates over $5 to him for Relay for Life. Donors will also be listed in the credits of the soundtrack, and possibly the game (which is hopefully coming out soon).

All the money is going to the ACS, it’s a good cause, and you get some great music (and karma) for your kindness!

Multiplayer on One Keyboard 2: Tremor

By: Jordan Magnuson

On: February 20th, 2008

Okay, this week I’ve got something that I’m guessing you haven’t played: Tremor 3 by Mark Pay. This little gem came out eight years ago (yikes, I’ve been playing this for eight years?!?), and went largely unnoticed by those outside of the “Click” community. A shame, because the game is wonderful.

Tremor is essentially a bloody multiplayer deathmatch game in the vein of Quake and Unreal Tournament, but re-imagined in a 2D top-down world. And instead of blowing each other to bloody bits over a LAN, with a safe eight feet of distance between you and your opponents, you’re all sitting at the same keyboard.

Deathmatch, King of the Hill, and Gladiator modes are all available for 2 or 3 players (3 is much better in my opinion), and you can play the game to the soundtrack of your favorite CD. The controls may seem strange at first, but once you get used to them you will find they work pretty well. The game’s interface is fantastic (very sweet how your damage shows as graphical sections around you), and the graphics in general are pure joy.

Download Tremor 3 from Mark’s MMF Bunker (Free, 6.21 MB).

Also worth noting is Mark’s earlier release Tremor (2) Gold. The interface and graphics are inferior to the sequel, but it features 4 player support and a fantastic survival mode that were both sadly chopped for Tremor 3. I used to have this one on my computer, but it’s been lost over the years, and I could not find an active link anywhere on the internet. Was ist neu? Perhaps someone else will be more successful. EDIT: qnp comes to the rescue! Download Tremor Gold here: http://www.mediafire.com/?exsbbixwlxj.

EDIT: Keyboard jamming? Try hooking up a usb keyboard and ps2 keyboard in tandem.

New TSE2 Video up.

By: Shabadage

On: January 30th, 2008

Mark Pay has uploaded a new video of his beautiful upcoming role playing game, The Spirit Engine 2. This video showcases the combat portion of the game, which is refreshingly different from a large portion of other RPG’s. So bask in the beauty that is TSE 2! It’s coming soon-ish!

(Source: Total-Klik)