Recent reviews by Luke Puke

In this lecture, Kalen Chock distinguishes copying from learning. He explains why understanding an object's shape as a whole is preferable to simply copying it from a fixed angle. Kalen demonstrates his method of studying art, where he answers what makes a particular scenery interesting and experiments with its elements to see how exactly it works. The method is easy to understand and implement in the right way. It does not have specific rules and can be modified to suit one's goals and desires. Rather than showing an exact way to study, Kalen encourages a better understanding of objects around us through research. Overall, the lecture provides practical advice for beginners. I am not sure how useful it would be for advanced artists who have figured out their own way of studying, though. The lesson taught is not self-evident but is worth the price it asks.

On the other hand, the preparation before recording the lecture could be better. Background rap music is unnecessary, annoying, and has vocals. It struck me as unprofessional and negligent. It set low expectations for the content to be presented. I wasn't sure whenever I wanted to hear what Kalen had to say, especially with the somewhat rigid start of the video. However, as the lecture went on, Kalen became more talkative and entranced by his craft. He was able to hold my attention to the very end, and I was satisfied with the knowledge I received. Potential viewers should bear with the bumpy start to the good ride, and Kalen Chock should reconsider his choice of background music to something more subtle and warm up before recording.

A suitable purchase for beginner artists.

Pixel Piracy is a construction and management sim where the player will build a ship, hire and manage a crew, face numerous hostile pirate encounters, visit cozy safe harbors and exotic treasure islands, and attempt to defeat the Four Legendary Pirates.

At the beginning, all the player has is a small boat and a simple blade. Depending on the starter choice, the player might have additional gold, a stronger starting blade, or a companion named Horke. Not much, but that's enough to start your own enterprise by robbing and plundering the ships of pirates less powerful than you. The player will eventually have enough resources to hire additional crew.Rinse and repeat until there is no one stronger.

The complexity of management grows as the number of cutthroats on players' boats grows. The crew has its demands: food supply, regular salary, and occasional rum. Add to the fact pirates are not housebroken and take poop right on the deck. If demands are not met and the floor is indefinitely covered in feces, the crew will revolt. To prevent it, the player will have to buy food and rum from shops on Safe Harbor and regularly pay their salaries to keep morale high. It's also important to teach pirates skills that make them able to perform necessary ship maintenance work, such as cooking, repairs, throwing poop off a ship, etc.

Skills play an important role in ship and crew management. The most essential abilities come from them. Maybe it's impossible to teach pirates proper bathroom etiquette (although they do not refuse to wear diapers), but it's feasible to teach one or two to throw poop off a ship with the "Cleaning" skill. With a fishing rod and the "Fishing" skill, there is an infinite supply of food (although pirates do have to eat fruits occasionally to treat scurvy). Raw fish has to be cooked, so it requires someone with "Cooking" skill. Acquiring skills is essential for proper pirate ship management. There are also combat skills to increase the pirate's proficiency in arms, but these are non-essential buffs. Skills can acquire from safe harbor shops.

Safe harbors offer a random assortment of shops. Shops are specialized: some sell weapons, some sell food, some sell skills, some sell ship parts, etc. Besides shops, there may be a tavern. Tavern is the place to recruit new crew members. The more skilled a potential crew member is, the higher the payment and salary required. This creates a certain dilemma: do you buy skilled pirates to significantly increase your manpower now and consequently pay higher rates, or do you buy less skilled pirates and develop them yourself, delaying an immediate increase in crew strength but keeping the costs low. It's up to you to decide your strategy. The more you have to pay, the more aggressively you have to play to earn enough funds to support your crew. The weaker your pirates are, the more careful you have to be with them. Luckily, Pixel Piracy offers micromanagement options, such as dividing pirates into certain groups and applying healing potions to a single pirate, to separate the weak from the strong.

To sustain your crew, you have to earn money. Money can be earned through plundering hostile ships, raiding islands and searching for treasures, and selling stuff. And that's the adventure: hire pirates, sail through dangerous seas, and reach their furthest corners to defeat the Four Legendary Pirates one at a time. But one must beware, owing to the fact that the Legendary Pirates have heavily armed ships. Even the strongest crew won't be able to defeat them without building a proper ship themselves.

Pixel Piracy lets you build a ship out of various blocks. The player is free to create a fantastic work of pixel art or simply build a box big enough to accommodate the crew. It is beauty vs. functionality (and laziness). Although, if one does not have an artistic urge to draw a ship out of pixels, it is possible to steal a ship from hostile pirates. Instead of plundering the captured ship and receiving building materials and money from it, one can claim ownership. The higher the level of hostile pirates, the bigger and greater their ship. At some point, hostile pirates start to have cannons, which can end the battle before it even starts against unprepared ships. It's generally recommended to have more cannons than your opponent. The Legendary Pirates have many cannons, so one has to come very well prepared.

On the other side, as soon as you defeat a pirate of a certain level, you can be sure you will be able to defeat every other pirate of the same level. They are all nearly the same. This includes the Legendary Pirates. So, after defeating one, the adventure becomes a tedious crawl from one edge of the map to another. Every hostile encounter becomes mundane and undesirable. There is no way for lower-level pirates to escape you. Step-by-step, mile-by-mile, the player makes his way and repeats the process of defeating a Legendary Pirate three more times.

Although the game became tedious in the end, I did enjoy it most of the time. I recommend playing it on the hardest difficulty, since as soon as it becomes "too easy", the game also becomes "too boring".

"Blue Shift" is a standalone add-on for the original "Half-Life". It allows to experience Black Mesa events from a different, but not less heroic, point of view of Barney Calhoun, a security guard. This role works really well in the beginning: Black Mesa falls apart, monsters are the main enemies, ammo is scarce, and there is a struggle to survive. However, the role of a confused security guard is neglected as soon as army men come into sight. Defeating battalions of highly trained killing machines creates a sudden shift in tone. Now Barney is a victorious conqueror, armed from the toes to the teeth, and is able to overcome any obstacle with ease. The previous sense of danger evaporates. Monsters are exchanged with hit-scan enemies, and their dead bodies provide enough ammo to supply an army base. The original Half-Life had a good mix where it used soldiers sparingly and positioned them strategically. Blue Shift doesn't have such subtlety. It throws packs of enemies at the player. It would be better if there were few soldiers who presented great danger, with monsters and environmental hazards being the most prominent threats.

Immersion issues aside, this add-on has solid gameplay, engaging level design, and an interesting enough story to rationalize shooting an interdimensional alien with a magnum revolver.
It's an enjoyable experience for the ones who miss the original Half-Life but crave something new. I'd recommend playing it on normal difficulty.

Immersive Medieval Warfare

Intro
Chivalry doesn't go beyond the name. There is nothing chivalrous about the medieval warfare that lies ahead. People don't hesitate to stab in the back, deceive, gang on, or run-away altogether. Wouldn't it be naïve to expect otherwise?

Battles are ruthless. One mistake is one too many. Swing in a wrong time, lose your head. Make a wrong step, get stabbed to death. Put shield down just for a second, enjoy an arrow in the head. These are not bookish exaggerations, but mere routines. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare has a high skill ceiling. Penetrating it will take enormous dedication. But once it's done, the doors leading to the most epic battles will fling open!


Basic Combat
Each weapon has three forms of attack: stab, swing, and over-the-shoulder slice. Swing and slice can be performed from different sides. Advanced players are able to time their attack by dragging a mouse, making their weapon strike faster or later, which is used to throw the opponent's block off.

Blocking requires precision in timing and position. The general rule is to follow the opponent's strike direction, so weapons "clang" together (it is not necessary, but, otherwise, there is a greater chance of taking a hit). Blocking too early or too late will result in being hit. Blocking right before the opponent's weapon strikes is called a "perfect block." It allows for an immediate counterattack (parry), which is a highly effective way to deal damage.

Overall, combat is arcadish but enjoyable. However, there are exploits in the system, such as reverse overhead (turning around and doing an overhead attack where the tip of a weapon hits the opponent immediately after commencing the attack, which is fast, not clearly animated, and hard to block), which may ruin the experience. "Tricks" like these are rare on a battlefield and mostly come from competitive-oriented players.


Timing and Movement
Making yourself appear at the right time and in the right place is the key to victory. Going alone, swinging a battle axe in all directions won't do the trick, even against the most inexperienced players.

Hits must be surgically precise; landed only when the opponent's guard is down. Since every attack has an exaggerated animation, it's very difficult to achieve while dueling one-on-one; face-to-face. The hard way involves complex body movements, masterful weapon handling, and mind games. The easier, and thus smarter, way is to march with comrades and engage in combat together. Even the most skilled players can block only one hit at a time. Second one is guaranteed to pass through, if landed promtly. The difference between a successful strike and a blocked one lies within seconds. All the more, shields, which are able to sustain enormous amounts of damage, can be defeated by cooperation with ease. A general rule of thumb is to avoid engaging in confrontations without numerical superiority. Larger numbers allow for more timing opportunities and are more forgiving of mistakes. As the game puts it itself, "Strenght is in numbers, STAY TOGETHER!".

However, unique gameplay mechanics are not the only trick that Chivalry has up its sleeve.


Design
Chivalry is beautiful and atmospheric. The game is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and is able to mesmerize anyone on the highest graphics settings. Models, maps, sounds, and music are top-quality.

Models of weapons, warriors, and miscellaneous items look authentic and impressive. Weapons function exactly as you'd expect from their appearance. Dagger is quick, cheeky, and malicious. Maul is slow, weighty, and devastating. A spear is a long-ranged weapon that requires precision. A longsword is for hack-and-slash action, which requires practice. The list goes on.

Models of warriors are easily distinguishable and give a certain impression about their fighting style. Heavily armored knights are slow and well-defended, leather armored men-at-arms are quick but vulnarable, chainmailed vanguards running with two-handed weapons are damage-oriented, and archers are better off far away, since they have no armor at all. If damaged badly, blood appears on the player's model, sending a message about vulnerability. The ability to easily distinguish one class from the other and judge health status based on appearance offers great room for tactical decisions regarding fighting approach, damage estimation, and split-second decisions. In general, warrior models are good-looking and fit the environment.

But where Chivaly really shines is map modeling. I cannot find enough words about how mesmerizing Chivalry's scenery and landscapes are to look at. It is truly possible to start the game with a canvas and a brush in your hand and start drawing beautiful spots and scenes. Unreal Engine 4 was utilized to its absolute best, with regard to imagery. It's a pleasure to observe complex lightning effects applied to realistic nature and grand architecture. Simply being in Chivalry is an experience in and of itself. Each map feels like a step into a masterpiece painting. Without the constant thunder of war, one is able to better see and hear all the grand work that went into each of them. Chivalry maps are able to evoke all sorts of emotions, ranging from the emerging will to engage in something brave and crazy to bittersweet nostalgia about times and places long gone. The heart cannot remain indifferent to the view of medieval castles, crystal-clear water shores, rainy forests, and the grave of a fallen warrior against the background of faraway snowy mountains.

The maps are stunning, not only visually but structurally as well. The size of each map is gigantic for a melee-oriented game; however, maps are divided into little sectors that unlock with objective progression. Spawn points are cleverly placed to prevent long, unnecessary journeys. There is always a feeling of a grand battle going on as a result of this progression. But battles wouldn't be as exciting without contextual objectives.

Every objective in Chivalry has meaning and context behind it. Naturally, objectives could be broken into typical multiplayer games objective archetypes, such as "capture the point," "push the cart," "deliver the flag," "kill NPCs," "deliver a certain amount of damage to the object," etc. However, Chivalry manages to cleverly decorate them: open the castle gates, push the cart full of decaying bodies into the enemies' water supply, start the signal fire, slaughter peasants, burn the village. It's never a matter of "standing in a circle until the bar fills up." It is always meaningful, epic, and atmospheric.

Another huge contributor to the atmosphere is sound design. It goes beyond simple weapon and armor clanking; it creates the distinct location mood. Soundtrack, world sounds, even subtle noises! On one map, there is a church door, behind which one can hear women's and children's cries. It's astonishing to find details like this on maps. Of course, the soundtrack is on point. It has a nostalgic feeling to it. Trumpets, flutes, drums, and war horns combine into an energetic call to fight or a melancholic medieval melody. My beloved example is the track "Reminder." It begins to play two minutes before a round finishes. The purpose of this track is to create a sense of urgency. It has a peculiar effect on people: after it begins to play, suddenly the attacking team turns from disorganized bloodlust barbarians into objective-focused soldiers that are able to conquer any castle in the one remaining minute, and the defending team comes up with crazy strategies, like building a wall out of shields, to stop them. Usually, the last minute is the most fun and adrenaline-inducing part of the round.

Conclusion
Chivalry was inspired by epic battles in Hollywood's medieval movies. It promised to bring this experience to gamers. Chivalry held true to its promise true. I will cherish the experiences Chivalry allowed me to have.

What else is there to say? FOOOR THE OOORDAAAAAH!

If you enjoy Nordic Folk bands like Wardruna, Danheim, and Heilung, this is a must-buy. Instrumentals and choruses excel in conveying the intensity of ancient battles and the suspenseful "calm before the storm" atmosphere.

Given the setting of the game, it is definitely a bonus that the music is prosaic. It does not attempt to depict epic fights with jaw-dropping gymnastics and war elephants. Instead, it turns the paradox of "an unstoppable force meets an immovable object" into "an unstoppable force confronts an unstoppable force head-on," the musical personification of ruthless battle between strong men. However, this form of the paradox has a solution. And it isn't attractive.

You've come across the ideal product if you're looking for a dose of raw masculinity devoid of fantasy makeup.

Super Hipster Lumberjack has the feel of a draft rather than an accomplished work. It is a straightforward platformer with just enough difficulty to keep you entertained. However, the lack of a narrative, sound design, or visual appeal results in a lifeless, boring experience that cannot be valued for anything other than passing the time.

SHL is a learning exercise for game developers that, with more time and effort, could have been a legitimate game. It is not worthwhile to play as is.

UPDATE: Review applies to 2016 version of Fistful of Frags. As for 2019 state, most of the points written below do not hold true. 


  Fistful of Frags was made by a huge western genre fan. The whole game breathes out hot, wild-west air right in the face as soon as it is launched, and the menu score kicks in. Buildings look right, weapons feel good, and character models are authentic. Must play if you are into "Good, Bad, Ugly" kinda movies. The Steam Store trailer presents accurate in-game footage that showcases the basic gameplay concepts of FoF. This review is aimed at communicating some of the less obvious, yet nonetheless essential, aspects of the game.

  Fistful of Frags is a frustrating encounter. You are not the main protagonist, so when it comes to a bunch of people wanting you dead, the outcome is predetermined. What makes it different from any other multiplayer-based FPS is the reason for your defeat. When someone kills you, it's plainly obvious that you've been outskilled.  You can't get lucky here, nor can you practice fast reflexes. You lose because your opponent shoots better, knows how to use his body more efficiently, or is wittier than you. Needless to say, the feeling you get after defeat is different from the feeling you get when somebody snipes you all the way across a map, which you can shrug off with: "Damn camper." No excuses in FoF: to kill  you must come close and personal, engage in a deadly tango which ends with one laying still and the other walking tall.

  Combat system in FoF is easy to underestand, hard to learn and neckbreaking hard to master. If you want to lay shots accurately, you have to stand still. Running, jumping, climbing - all this reduces bullet chances to hit a target to 1%. To shoot, you must slow down. Slowing down makes you an easy target. In other words, you may have a considerable percantage for your bullet going where you send it, but this percentage is in an inverse relationship with survival. You have to be constantly on the move, stopping only to lay a perfect shot. Every miss may cost you a victory. Deadly tango wasn't just figurative speech; the combat does have a strong resemblance to dancing. Step right, step left. Slow down. Speed up. Shoot. Pass some whiskey. Predicting your enemy is an essential defensive skill, and pressing shift to slow down is as important as landing headshots.

I've taken a valuable gift from Fistful of Frags. The ability to relax even in stressful situations and approach the problem with a relaxed yet firm grip. And no, I don't promote some ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ "positive thoughts lead to positive actions " kind of idea. I mean to say that this game is harsh, and if you want to enjoy it, you have to relax to the state of a monk sitting in a temple full of aroma candles. I observed not once, not twice, but hundreds of times when people in chat were swearing their nerves out, cursing this game and everyone who plays it. Take my advice: do not attempt this game if you hope to show everyone Clint Eastwood's talent for shooting. You will be put to dirt rather quick.