Desperados III

Let me start this off by saying that if you aren't into trial and error stealth game-play this game is probably not for you. I also cannot speak for fans of the previous games, as I have not played any other The Desperados games. But as far as I know this is a prequel, so you can play it without touching the rest of the series if you choose.
I am not usually into strategy games of a similar nature. I'm usually filtered out from the genre because it doesn't gel well with me. But after picking this one up again I feel like I owe it some credit just for how much content it has. Every level feels like a puzzle, and each character plays their specific role in solving parts of it. While the game can take some getting used to, everything will eventually begin to click. You'll start noticing how to utilize your characters more often or testing new routes and possibilities. It does a great job at teaching you each character's strengths and how use their abilities to your advantage while never feeling like it's holding your hand. Everything in this game was good to me, the banter between characters, the story, the lively beautiful maps, the cut scenes, the music, and the sound design. Everything it does it does well. I have almost no issues with this game other than the abrupt ending but that's about it. I love this game.
Sadly Mimimi games shut down 2 years ago as of writing this review, being shut down less than a month after their final release Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. So we're probably not going to be seeing another game like this for a long while.
Fly High Mimimi

Spectacular game. Desperados 3 (and Shadow Tactics) single-handedly tried to revive a gradually dying genre. And did an incredible job at it too. Sadly, the closure of Mimimi Games seems to prove that there may be no way back... There's just something so deeply sad and melancholic about seeing my beloved childhood genre fade into obscurity. Almost feels like those days were from a different time and a world far away. But on the bright side, I got to experience Desperados III before the end. And I am genuinely grateful that... Farewell Mimimi studios and thanks for the great experience. 🏜️

Geeze, I was halfway through this game when I learned that Mimimi Games have folded, which is disappointing, especially after seeing the love and effort they put into this in Desperados 3. The game starts slowly but becomes much harder as you progress. While I enjoy RT stealth tactics, I haven’t really played many since Commandos back in the day, and I found Normal difficulty a real slog after the first 6-7 missions or so, and switched to Beginner, which was still tough (or perhaps I suck at these games now). The gameplay improves over time, with deep tactical options that you can synchronise with crew’s unique skillsets to perform creative kills. My favourite was the Voodoo Queen.

Overall, it’s an excellent game with strong replay value due to its tactical options, challenges and diverse missions (there's even a bounty hunter mode, which adds new challenges to existing missions). The graphics were really impressive, but the story and dialogue are average.

Rating: 10/10

I thought I was walking into a CRPG. What I actually got was a top-down Assassin’s Creed. And honestly, it’s one of the best surprises I’ve ever had in a while.

Desperados III is pure brilliance. Sixteen big, gorgeous levels, each one a puzzle box where you sneak, stab, set traps, and improvise your way through. The campaign took me over 40+ hours and I loved every second. The soundtrack feels straight out of a Hollywood's wild west, and the gameplay is pure perfection.

What makes it shine is it's freedom. No handholding, no 20-minute cutscenes teaching you how to click a mouse or press F to pay respect. The game just drops you in and says, “here’s the tools, cowboy, figure it out.” I spent 2 hours staring at patrol routes, 15 minutes pulling off the perfect plan. And when that plan actually works, the satisfaction is unreal.

The crew is fantastic too. Hector bulldozes through enemies, Kate plays the trickster, and everyone has their own quirks that force you to mix and match strategies.

It’s a shame Mimimi Games shut down, but they went out on a high note. Desperados III isn’t just a game, it’s the Wild West playground we didn’t know we needed.

Farewell Mimimi, and thanks for the memories.

Shadow Tactics with guns and voodoo.

Absolutely in love with this after playing Shadow Tactics. All the way through mid-game it's still surprising you with new challenges, mechanics and characters that feel so fresh and exciting to play around with. Too bad the devs went bankrupt, I could've kept playing their games for the next 30yrs.

Great games don't necessarily always excel on every front; they simply get the most relevant parts right. Desperados 3 is a great game for that exact reason. Armed with a simple story of revenge, desperados 3 takes gamers on a challenging journey of tactical stealth gaming experience with Cooper and his likable group of friends.
On the surface, it is a simple story of revenge spanning several intricate missions. You're introduced to characters and their handful of skills, shown how they work and left alone to figure things out on your own. Throughout your playtime, you don't acquire new skills but are expected to figure out the different ways of using them. The game truly excels with the varied and nuanced mission designs that offer genuine challenge.
Having played on the hard difficulty, I had several moments where I thought I was stuck only to realize that I was being too reliant on a few skills. This was quickly followed by an "aha!" moment when I was willing to go back, retread and alter my approach with the abilities I used.
Speaking of going back, one of my favorite features from the entire game was the quick save feature. The game tells you right from the start, "you will die ... alot. Make sure to save often." So often, I've played games where I'd die only for the checkpoint to have been unnecessarily so far back that I'm left frustrated. Here, the devs understand that this is a game and the purpose is to let me have fun and avoid as much unnecessary friction as possible. I lost count of how many times I set up my characters "perfectly" for a synchronized take down before that fell apart fantastically. This would not have been fun if I didn't have the assurance of a quicksave allowing me to quickly test out a dozen different variations of the takedown within minutes until I found that perfect approach. Seriously, good on the devs.
Finally, the entire time playing the game, I was really looking forward to what Mimimi Games would come up with next only for my state of giddiness to be shattered upon discovering they were no longer operational. Oh well, at least they left behind a body of work worth experiencing and would hopefully inspire the next generation of tactical stealth game developers.
Score out of 5
★★★★½