Recent reviews by geøstigma

I knew what kind of game this is. I was fully aware that it’s a story-driven experience without the stuff that I usually pick my games for. I played other titles that try to do the things which The Suicide of Rachel Foster (SoRF) goes for and ultimately do it much better, so I’m actually disappointed with this one.


Pros:

• The world looks really nice and comfy, and is filled with so much detail.
  
• Sound is amazing. Play with headphones!
  
• Although not fantastic, the story is presented in a way that kept me interested enough to see it through to the end.

Cons:

• You literally do nothing besides walking – not even the simplest of puzzles.
  
• Hardcoded controls that can’t be changed, and minimal choices regarding graphic settings.
  
• Somewhat claustrophobic FOV.
  
• Locked at 60 FPS and feels sluggish at times (despite the framerate not dropping).
  
• Protagonist moves painfully slow

After the death of her parents, Nicole (that's you) returns to her family home. The place isn’t your typical house but a hotel instead, called “Timberline Lodge”, and, being the last living member of the family, Nicole now owns the place. Rather than moving into, and settling in the master suite of this very spacious and rather cozy-looking establishment, Nicole's visiting on business, doing a necessary inspection before she may sell the place. Even though it’s (mostly) functional, built at a remote location in the mountains, and looks like a perfect spot to spend an idyllic winter holiday, for Nicole it’s teeming with bad memories.

Just as she’s about to leave, a big snowstorm engulfs the area, making the road treacherous and nigh impassable. Still determined to leave, Nicole heads back for her car but instead finds that her keys are not where she had left them, putting her in a tight spot, forced to spend the night at the hotel. Luckily, a friendly FEMA agent named Irving contacts her on a very retro-looking cellphone and is there to keep her company or provide help in case she needs it.
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2719013139

From here on out, the only thing that you’ll be doing is walking from point A to point B, listening to a series of dialogues between Nicole and Irving. While you will often be presented with the option to say different things (or to at least deliver them in a certain tone), I felt like it ultimately didn't matter what I chose. I might be wrong as I’ve only played through the game once though.

SoRF is completely linear. There are no two ways to complete an objective, or at least I never got the impression, nor felt like I had any say in how the story develops. The game is a walking simulator, it was tagged as one on the Steam page, but so were other games that managed to tell an interesting story and still make their gameplay incomparably more engaging than this one did.

You won’t be given any puzzles to solve or be tasked with searching forany items. You’ll only be fetching things of which the position you already know or are told exactly where to find them. This means retracing and backtracking through the hotel over and over again, and while there are usually multiple routes to reach the same destination, this doesn’t do much to make the game more fun.
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2719013058

The things that could make your time spent in Timberline more interesting is the amazing visual and audio presentation. The voice acting is just fantastic, even though I wasn’t particularly fond of Nicole's character at the beginning of the game.

And it’s not just the characters voices, but the overall audio quality. I’ve recorded parts of the game and watched them using speakers as my audio output, and let me tell you right now that it doesn’t even come close to the headphones experience. Some sounds are not present unless you use a pair. Also, I feel like I should warn you that what you hear can be pretty unsettling, and you probably won’t know for certain whether it's coming from the game or your room.

Furthermore, exploring the place can be a lot of fun. These little chunks of lore will hint at certain things, if you're observant enough, and discovering the lore this way was more enjoyable than simply being taken through the story.

The hotel also has a couple of items that can be held and examined from all sides, and some of those can even be picked up and used. There’s even an achievement that requires you to “get all items”, which should be an extra motivation for some of you to do some snooping around.


The last thing that I want to mention is the lack of customization in this game. For a 2020 title, it’s absolutely barbaric not to feature the option to rebind controls. Personally, I have huge hands, and bending my pinky to constantly hold down the left Shift is physically painful for me, in the literal sense of the word. Not only that you can’t change that, or any other key, but you can’t even make it toggleable so that you don’t need to keep it pressed at all times. Even though most of you will be fine with the defaults, the lack of this feature is hard to justify, so the controller is probably a better way to play this one.

Furthermore, you’re only able to choose between four visual presets, ranging from low to ultra. Even though ultra preset ran great on my laptop, I was stuck with effects like chromatic aberration and oversaturated depth of field that made the game look worse instead of better for me. To disable these while keeping the other benefits of the ultra preset, I had to write some code in one of the game’s ”.ini” files. Here’s a simple-to-follow guide that I used to do it (all credits go to the original creator).
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2719013102
The field of view is rather narrow and often felt claustrophobic to me. This is probably just a personal preference, as I rarely settle for anything less than 90°, in pretty much any first-person game, but just like with other options, there’s no reason not to include it.

One thing that I wish they hadn't done is to lock the game at 60 FPS. I’m sure that many of you that are using 60Hz monitors will roll your eyes at this one, but understand that once you get used to higher refresh rates, going back to 60 feels unbearable in some games. Again, no reason not to have the option to set custom refresh rate, especially since this game has no mechanics which could potentially be broken by having them go higher (in fact, it has no mechanics whatsoever).


Even though the story – which is the primary reason to get the game – isn't half bad, it's not good enough on its own for me to recommend it. If I’m not mistaken, it also had some inconsistencies that I won’t mention here to avoid the spoilers.

Going through the game would’ve been agonizing if not for my weird but rather customizable and macro-capable mouse, that allowed me to control the game more pleasantly. This, together with the fact that you can’t customize graphics settings would be enough to throw some people off, and if the game was longer than it is, I’d probably be one of them.

So, despite it not being awful, it's unfortunately not that good either, and unless you really like what you see, have a thing for The Shining influenced games, or you can get it for a steal of a price, I really couldn’t recommend The Suicide of Rachel Foster.

For more reviews like this one, check out our curator page: Devils in the Detail

Initially, Control seemed like an OK game that didn’t particularly stand out to me, and pretty much all I knew about it was that it had fancy ray tracing technology. One day, a close friend highly recommended it, so I decided to give it a shot. The more I played, the better it became, and after finally finishing it and both of its DLCs, I can see why he liked it as much...


Pros:

• Fantastic, flexible, and potentially very fast combat.
  
• Enemy variety will force you to mix up your playstyle.
  
• Interesting story, set within a weird world, filled with details and chunks of lore.
  
• Many secrets and hidden content.
  
• Great graphics and overall art direction.

Cons:

• Upgrade system feels unnecessary and forced.
  
• Most of the lore is told through hundreds of text documents and some audio logs.

Jesse Faden (the protagonist) is searching for her brother inside of “The Oldest House” - a mysterious, everchanging Place of Power, which also serves as the headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC). The house itself may or may not be a sentient entity, but it definitely isn’t your typical piece of real estate.

Almost immediately, she gets a hold of the “Service Weapon” - an Object of Power (OOP) with a twofold purpose - a personal weapon, and the key for the House. Wielding it makes Jesse “The Director” of the Bureau, active immediately.

Unfortunately, there’s no time to celebrate this unexpected promotion, as the building is being invaded by ”The Hiss”. This resonance-based, sentient, and very hostile life form can possess the minds of the FBC’s employees, making them lose themselves in the process. Humans who hear The Hiss are turned into either enemy combatants, or suspended mid-air, chanting its tune, and acting as conductors that amplify its resonance.

However, Jesse is far from helpless...

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2681134573
If there’s one thing that I value in my games, it's fluent and creative combat, and Control absolutely delivers on that!

Not only is your gun capable of shifting into different forms, all of which have unlimited ammo, but the world itself can also be used as one. Just like the Service Weapon, there are other OOP’s that will grant you unique powers.

Thanks to these, the Director is capable of feats like telekinetically hurling objects at the enemy, and almost everything you see can be used as a deadly projectile! If you’re out of objects, the crazy amount of destructible environment lets you tear apart nearby pillars and other parts of level geometry, to use as improvised weapons. Grabbing enemy rockets and grenades before they hit you, and returning them to the sender is also a nice and stylish way to take them out.

You can summon nearby debris, suspending them in front of you to intercept and negate any incoming projectiles and melee damage. It's also possible to charge into enemies while having those summoned, practically shield-bashing everyone along your way.

When it comes to movement, other than jumping, dodging, and sprinting, Jesse may levitate as well. This traversal utility is useful when you need to get to high ground and give yourself some tactical advantage. From there you may violently come down at full speed, smashing into the ground and severely damaging everyone around you, picking off the leftovers with a deadly melee strike.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2710754212
To make short work of enemies, you’ll have to master Jesse's abilities and get familiar with numerous Hiss-corrupted opponents, which all have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, those with shields will mostly soak up any damage done with the Service Weapon. Hurling physical objects at them, however, will do more than just put a dent in it, if not completely destroy their shields in one hit, depending on both the size of the object and the strength of your telekinesis ability.

It is also possible to modify and improve all your weapon forms, as well as to enhance Jesse herself. Defeated enemies will sometimes drop mods that you may equip — they can increase your HP, speed up the energy regeneration or reduce its consumption when using specific abilities, etc. Others are used to increase your weapon's damage, speed-up its fire rate, add zoom levels, grant a chance to immediately refund ammo on hit... You get the idea. This is by far the worst feature of the game in my opinion, and I’d like it more if it was handled differently. It comes down to RNG and is pretty much what you’d expect to see in a looter-shooter title.


What came as a surprise to me was that Control isn’t a game with linear progression. All of the bureau's floors, departments and offices can be revisited. There’s actually a very good reason to do that as there are numerous lore documents and audio logs scattered all around, and they provide extra information (although usually vague) about the world of Control.

However, as much as the world intrigued me, I couldn’t really bring myself to read through all of those files. In fact, I’m pretty sure that I skimmed through more than half of them. It's not like they're bad or uninteresting, but because they’re in written form...

I can’t think of a bigger sin that a fast-paced action game can commit, than to completely stop the player in their tracks to make them read a document, over and over again. It would be okay if it happened ever so often, but at times, it felt like that’s all that I was doing. So, I’ve mostly ignored them upon discovery, reading those that seemed interesting to me, while skimming through the rest.
To make matters worse, audio logs in this game are tied to the object that plays them, which means that you’ll need to stay close to it, or else you won’t be able to hear it.
I ended up treating both of these primarily like collectibles that gave me an excuse to wander around, take in the detailed level design of the game, and look for environmental storytelling pieces, all while searching for actual secrets.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2708362110
Speaking of secrets, they’re something that The Oldest House is very familiar with: from walls that you can destroy and pass through, hidden rooms well outside any walking-limited human’s reach and gaze, and containers with extra loot, to optional puzzles/quests - this place has it all. During my almost 50-hour long playthrough, I’d say I’ve probably spent at least 10-15 of those just exploring the levels, which usually proved to be fun, and therefore worthy of my time.


Recommending Control is quite easy. Although I wasn’t really absorbed in the story during my run, it was undoubtedly well written and presented. For me, the lore was more interesting, and I only wish that there was more environmental storytelling, rather than filling the world with all those text files. Still, exploring The Oldest House, going all out in combat, making a mess out of neat offices while utilizing all of Jesse’s abilities, and hunting for secrets in those sprawling complexes of brutalist masonry was a damn good time!

Using DLSS to render the game at 1280x720, and upscale it to 1920x1080, made it run fluently on my laptop, completely maxed out, with every single ray tracing option enabled. It managed to maintain a high framerate of at least 90 FPS throughout the game, which made this already silky-smooth experience that much better.

For more reviews like this one, check out our curator page: Devils in the Detail

Although definitely not the masterpiece that some outlets would want you to believe, going back and forth through the loop, figuring out new, more effective ways to eliminate your targets, and being on the lookout for invading players has made my time in Deathloop fun and rather enjoyable.


Pros:

• Fun, creative gameplay that Arkane is well known for
  
• Fantastic OST that really stood out to me
  
• Good graphics and overall pleasing aesthetics

Cons:

• Performance can be awful after a couple of hours (Denuvo?)
  
• While the story isn’t bad, the ending is underwhelming
  
• PvP invasion could use a bit more thought and polish
  
• Some achievements are buggy and won’t unlock

Whether we’re talking about Arx Fatalis, or the more recent Dishonored, and Prey games, Arkane Studios is best known for creating a multi-layered approach to problem solving. There’s always a couple of ways to complete a puzzle, assassinate the target, or reach a specific destination, and it is up to the player to discover them and choose the one that suits their playstyle the most.

Ghosting the entire game and completing it like a pacifist, or going on a murder-spree are both valid options, and so is everything that falls in between. This has always been the case with their game design, and Deathloop is no exception.

While probably not my favorite, Deathloop might as well be what I’d describe as the most Arkane game so far. Even if things haven’t changed much from their previous titles, the overall approach to them did.

What was previously reserved for subsequent playthroughs is now available from the get-go. Instead of presenting you with a typical, linear journey, Deathloop allows you to play and replay any of its levels in whatever order you choose. In fact, this is the idea around which the entire game is built.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2695932946

You play as Colt Vahn who is your typical amnesiac protagonist, struggling to remember anything about himself, the place he’s in, as well as the role which he has to play. He meets a mysterious woman named Julianna who seems to be hellbent on ending his life, or resetting his loop, to prevent him from breaking it.

Being the resourceful guy that he is, Colt soon finds out that in order to achieve his goal, eight targets need to be eliminated within a single day, or else the loop will restart. The thing is, these targets have their schedule planned out and will be in different parts of the game world during different times. To make your quest even harder, player or A.I. Julianna will be trying to stop you whenever she gets the opportunity.

The loop is split into four time periods. Similarly, the world features four hubs, all slightly altered depending both on the time you visit them, and the actions you’ve taken earlier during that day. The time doesn’t flow until you make a trip from one hub to another or wait it out in your hideout.

Colt and Julianna will constantly be commenting about the things that are happening, usually taunting one another. The banter between these two is phenomenal, with top-notch voice acting and funny jokes for the most part.

Breaking the loop will require you to get familiar with the world, your targets, and their daily routines, in order to be able to lure them out, and ideally, get them together. You’re mostly given several options and encouraged to experiment until you’ve found a perfect route and playstyle. The story itself is quite interesting, finding chunks of lore is always fun, often rewarding, and usually necessary for progression. It also feels great when you figure something out and make it work. My only complaint is that the rewards from the secret/optional parts of the game would've been better if they were unique. Instead, they seem to be randomized, and you can easily get them elsewhere. Still, the puzzles themselves were worth it.

Exploration and experimentation are a lot of fun, thanks to the movement system and combat, but also the game’s presentation. The visuals are nice, the environments detailed, and the soundtrack, especially the radio songs, just complete the entire 60’s feel that the game is going for. The only thing keeping it from being even better are the frequent drop in performance. If you’re playing in long sessions, after around three hours, the game becomes unplayable, dropping to what feels like 15 FPS, even though the frame rate counter will tell you that everything is fine, and it persists until you restart the game. I think it’s Denuvo...

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2695933162

Deathloop feels much more focused on shooting rather than sneaking, unlike Dishonored from which it draws a bit more than just inspiration. Note that it is not a bad thing, as you won’t be penalized with a “bad ending” if you choose to fight your way through, using one of many weapons, and slabs at your disposal.

For the most part, the weapons are what you’d expect them to be, but some unique guns come with special traits and morphing abilities. One of those is a shotgun that can shoot both slug and buck-shot, making it viable for both close and long-range encounters. You can get two pistols that attach to one another, creating an SMG or simply choose to dual-wield any pair of one-handed guns, at the same time, allowing for some creative and fun combos. Furthermore, depending on their tier, weapons can be enhanced with up to three mods which can further improve them.

Then there are slabs, which are, simply put, spells. Each of these can be improved and customized using up to two modifiers, whichs will add new functionality to your slabs, making them more efficient or extending their utility.

Different load-outs are good for different situations, and due to the game’s (optional) PvP sequences, my biggest dilemma was whether to focus more on the invading players or the PvE side of the game. Eventually, I found a sweet spot between those two that worked perfectly for me.

Keep in mind that some playstyles are stronger than the rest. Using Havoc slab with an automatic shotgun is pretty much a guaranteed victory unless the other player is well aware of what they’re doing. Getting hammered like that can be a bit frustrating given how much time it usually takes to find a PvP match, and because dying to an invader will completely negate any progress that you’ve made during your current loop.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2695933933

Playing as Julianna is also an option, in case that wasn’t clear. She has her own progression and one rather short intro sequence. Although the game sells it as protecting the loop, it’s basically griefing on other players' progression – and it is a lot of fun!

She quickly gets access to some of the most powerful weapons and perks, but the main difference is that she only has one “life” unlike Colt who has a permanent slab that brings him back from the dead, twice.

Julianna’s mode is primarily for those who seek PvP, but leveling her up will also unlock up to 15 extra costumes for both characters. If that’s your thing, you should check it out after finishing the tutorial.

Getting Deathloop at a discount should be a no-brainer if you’re a fan of Arkane games. It’s not a “10/10” experience, it probably won't dethrone your favorite Arkane title, and it most likely will perform horrendously during long sessions, even if your system is above the requirements - just like mine.
Despite these flaws, Deathloop was a fun game, with fantastic voice acting, great music, and some creative and crazy PvP encounters, and I do recommend it.

For more reviews like this one, check out our curator page: Devils in the Detail

When I originally played Outer Wilds (OW) once it became available on Steam for the first time, it didn't take much for me to fall in love with pretty much everything about that game. Completing it time after time for different endings, exploring its worlds for all of the things that I might've missed or overlooked, learning the quantum secrets, collecting all clues, and getting all of the achievements prolonged my time with the Hearthians. But I, like many others, was left wanting even more. Now, with the Echoes of the Eye (EotE), that is exactly what I've got.

Before I go any further, here's my review of the base game.


Pros:

• Everything that made Outer Wilds fantastic is back with this DLC.
  
• Doesn't reuse assets or mechanics from the original. Everything feels fresh.
  
• Expands upon the interesting lore of the base game.

Cons:

• Still no photo-mode.

Unfortunately, writing about OW is not an easy task, mostly because the less you know, the better the game is. Revealing even the slightest clue or the simplest mechanic would actually take the pleasure of figuring it out away from the player. Once again, learning about the world and how things work is the biggest part of the game. Once you know how to, nothing is stopping you from speedrunning the whole thing in 10-15m, while learning about it might take around 15 hours.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2667435206

A lot of things actually, as the EotE is pretty much what I'd describe as a perfect DLC, a proper expansion. For the reasons stated above, I'll have to be rather vague and simply say that it adds a new "area". Arriving there, you're undoubtedly going to have a feeling of déjà vu, as you're being confused and overwhelmed by multiple new concepts and possibilities. From where do you start your search and where do you go? Actually, what are you even looking for, and why are you here in the first place?

So, you start moving around, pretty much in the same fashion as you did before, yet there's something off about it. This whole new area feels familiar, yet completely different from anything we've seen so far. Given your previous knowledge, you feel confident enough, but it's just not the same. So what is happening?

And this is where the DLC shines the brightest in my opinion. It has the same idea, or design if you will, but the elements are completely different. It is unique, and differentiates itself, both mechanically and thematically, from the rest of the game. It feels like fresh content.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2667435120

As you might've gotten a hint from the trailer, the atmosphere of the EotE can be pretty ominous at times. While I wouldn't go as far as to label it as a traditional horror, for the most part, the eeriness will be present, if only in undertones. The developers themselves are well aware that not everyone is a fan of this, so they even give you the option to "Reduce Frights" by ticking the respective box in the gameplay options. As for what it does, and how big is the "reduction", I can't really say since I never used it myself. What I will say is that, if you've played through the original content, this shouldn't be any different or scarier.


One thing that's cool about the integration of the DLC into the base game is that it allows you to seamlessly go between the content, as if it was always a part of the main experience. Considering the nature of this title, its multiple endings, and the many ways to achieve them, it doesn't really matter whether or not you choose to play with or without the EotE content for the first time. There are many different outcomes and most people will experiment with a variety of mechanics to see what happens, as finishing OW doesn't require a lot of time, once you know what needs to be done.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2667435156

Furthermore, the mechanics from EotE are unique to it, and won't make any segment of the game obsolete or too easy, regardless of whether you play it before or after you've finished the original.

Personally, I'd say that playing through it makes the entire experience feel complete. Players who don't replay games should definitely try to do it all before hitting the end-game, but then again, they should also make an exception to their habits, if only for this title.


In case it's not perfectly clear by now, this DLC is worth your money at full price if you've enjoyed the contents of the original game.

For more reviews like this one, check out our curator page: Devils in the Detail.

World of Darkness - a setting I would’ve never expected to accommodate a genre like Battle Royale (BR). This weird, but bold move from the developer, piqued my interest, and in a way, earned them my respect. So, I’ve decided to give Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt (BH) a try, and I’m glad that I have.


TL;DR:

Pros:

• Fluent, fast-paced, and very vertical movement.
  
• All weapons are useful, depending on the situation.
  
• Clans and classes have unique, fun, and gameplay-defining abilities and traits.
  
• Character customization is cool.
  
• Good overall video and audio presentation.
  
• Although in early access, this is more than playable.

Cons:

• Performance is very inconsistent.
  
• It can crash randomly.
  
• UI is not quite there yet.

Many people downvote this game for the same reason - optimization. I agree that BH requires quite a bit of polish, but there’s one thing that you need to understand: Bloodhunt is still in early access. While its performance and polish might not be stellar, as a game, there’s nothing wrong with it.


As of right now, there's no matchmaking system, at least from what I’ve heard. It is not based on skill, but on battle pass level, which is the only indicator of how much you’ve played. In other words, it can and will be pretty rough for newcomers.
There is only one map and most people already know it like the back of their hand. You can only play solo or as a trio since there’s, sadly, no duos game mode yet.

So, other than its shortcomings, how does it differentiate itself in a market oversaturated with BR games?

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2636408433

First off, there’s the thematical difference. You’re not a soldier who dropped from the plane and into the hot zone, no. You’re a vampire. A creature of the night, a bloodthirsty beast that’s preying on the citizens of Prague and is actually hunted by the militant forces known as The Entity.
Then there's this thing called "The Masquerade". It boils down to the philosophy of hiding your nature from mortals. So, if you're ever seen feeding, or using supernatural powers, and even if you kill an innocent bystander, a Bloodhunt will be called upon you. This will show your exact location to everyone on the server for 60 seconds, making you a very easy target.
Another cool departure from the conventional BR rules is that the shape of the “zone” is arbitrary, unlike the well-established ring that’s present in every other BR game that I‘m aware of.

Right now, there are three clans (fourth already announced) and they all have two classes. The clans have their signature ability, classes add one additional passive, and one active ability to that.
While this is all cool on its own, what really sets BH apart from similar games is undoubtedly its movement system.


I cannot think of another multiplayer game that allows for such seamless and freeform movement. Other than being able to effortlessly scale any vertical surface, BH also lets you slide and wall-jump. You may do it on the ground, the rooftops, and on both the inner and outer walls of the buildings. Things get interesting when you realize that it’s possible to chain together infinite jumps and slides, as long as you keep your momentum going.

This is not just a method of traversal, but an invaluable combat technique. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that moving targets are harder to hit, right? Now imagine a target that zig-zags through an alleyway, jumping from one wall to another while also shooting back at its assailants. How’s that for target practice?
Additionally, clan skills are mostly movement utilities. A specific class and also one of the melee weapons provide more movement options to cover additional ground and deal some damage along the way (quite literally).

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2636408472

I don’t like the idea of getting owned by someone that I could’ve probably taken out if only they haven't found that overpowered legendary weapon.
Unfortunately, that is still a thing in BH. However, weapon rarity doesn’t really impact its damage output at all, and I love this.

Lower tier weapons in BH simply have smaller magazines and longer reload times. While this does technically lower its DPS output, even the most common weapons have more than enough ammo to quickly take down a single enemy – as long as you make your shots count.
In the case of long-range weapons, higher rarity will also increase its effective range. This will, instead of increasing the damage, decrease its falloff, making it just as effective against distant targets.
Shotguns do a similar thing where every increase in rarity slightly groups the pellets closer to each other, effectively increasing their range. Make no mistake, it’s still a shotgun and only usable in close-range shootouts.

Other than an arsenal of mid to close-ranged assault and DRM rifles, CQC favored shotguns and SMG, marksman's trusty sniper rifle, and even a minigun, BH also has some melee options.
It’s probably the only shooter where going melee is actually a completely valid playstyle. I’ve gotten so many kills with a katana, and sometimes I wasn’t even swinging it. Thanks to its special ability to deflect the incoming bullets back onto the attacker, this weapon’s DMG potential is, in the worst-case, equal to that of your enemy.


Another thing that BH does to make you feel like a bloodthirsty and insatiable vamp is to put you on a constant hunt for blood. And not just any blood will do. You’ve got to get the one that’s just right for you.
Every player has four, initially dormant, resonant blood stats. These correspond to the types of blood found throughout the city. You can feed on any of these blood types up to three times, and each time you do, your power will increase. After getting three buffs, you will hit the cap and won’t get any additional power, even if you find more of the resonant blood of any type.

If you want to keep getting stronger, you’ll need to find another player, take them down, and instead of traditionally finishing them off, drain them of their vitae. This is an extremely taboo act in the World of Darkness, and it is known as the diablerie. Unlike the ruling sects of the kindred society, BH handsomely rewards you whenever it is performed, so do it whenever you can.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2636408509

Not only will you completely heal yourself (and gain additional XP at the end of the match), but you’ll also be able to get an additional resonant blood buff for every diablerie you perform. In other words, this is basically how you “level up”. If you want to max out your character for the match, you’ll have to perform a total of nine diableries.

Feeding on the hostile Entity A.I. will also grant you the same benefit of the diablerie. However, doing so is difficult to pull off. The sounds of both your and their weapons will attract a lot of unwanted attention. Furthermore, the act of draining them takes a lot of time, during which you’re an easy target. Best not to rely on it if you don’t have to.


Bloodhunt surely has a long way ahead of itself. If you’re looking for a polished game to take seriously and play competitively, this isn’t it. Move on before you go salty in the comments and reviews, complaining how the game lags and matchmaking isn’t fair. Once again, the “early access” tag is there for a reason.

If, on the other hand, you’re looking for some fresh blood, with fast-paced, breakneck movement, chaotic shooting, hacking, slashing, and skill cap so high that no one probably reached it yet, then this is most definitely worth checking out.

To be honest, Horizon: Zero Dawn (HZD) was nowhere as good as the people were saying, and if I’m to count hits and misses, it missed a lot more marks than it hit. So why the thumbs up then? It’s simple, really, because where it hit, it absolutely nailed it!


Pros:

• Combat has to be the best in any open world (OW) game I’ve ever played
  
• Graphics are breathtaking
  
• Story was alright

Cons:

• No exploration whatsoever. Just follow the map/compass icons
  
• Upgrades, trading, and some crafting rely on randomized loot
  
• Voices are compressed, and it’s pretty obvious
  
• Side quests are all pretty generic chores and offer no unique rewards
  
• Mounts are terrible
  
• Some bugs here and there

The first disappointment that became evident very early on, was the absolute lack of exploration. Considering that HZD is an OW game, I was hoping for at least some sense of adventure and player-driven exploration. It has none of that. You will never stumble upon something that wasn’t already marked on the map and has to be found by exploration or deduction. I did all of the side-quests and collected every single collectible, simply by going from one map-marker to another.
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2506234746
It means that there are no hidden items that you can find by exploring the world or following some sort of clue.
This is a huge missed opportunity as the world of HZD is beautiful. These are some of the best graphics that I’ve seen in a video game, and I’ve got screenshots to back that claim. Making the game a bit more about exploration, removing the lazy quest/item markers from the map, and replacing them with landmarks would encourage the player to look around and get absorbed in the wonderful world of HZD.

Oh and for the love of God, rework your mount controls, Guerilla. They’re atrocious! Whoever thought that it’s a good idea to do them this way made a terrible decision.


Considering the amount of available gear, the randomized upgrade system is worse than it would normally be, as you’ll need to get upgrades for multiple gear pieces. These items are something that you can have in your inventory at all times. Simply open it up and switch your loadout at any given time – even during combat! This is why I’m confused why the devs didn’t think of some convenient way to swap between different loadouts on the fly. In fact, the entire UI is full of missed opportunities.

For example, why force us to go through a tubular inventory when picking items when there is a weapon wheel already in the game? Why not allow us to sort the items in the inventory, and include filters and search criteria in a game with 120 items in a single item category? Why couldn’t we get a comparison of the currently equipped item/upgrade versus the one that we’re highlighting? Why split equipping and modifying items into two separate inventory categories instead of just making a separate key for equipping and another one for modification of the selected item? These decisions make no sense, and it feels like the game was rushed.


All of the side-quests are uninspiring. They come down to going from point A to point B and defeating the enemies that you find there. Sometimes you have to use your Focus gadget to follow the tracks or examine the surroundings for clues, but ultimately, they’re all the same in form.

To make matters worse, the only reward you will get from pretty much all of these quests (except one if I remember correctly) is a bit of XP and a loot-box containing random items that you can get or buy elsewhere.

The only thing that’s somewhat good about them is the extra lore that they all provide. We get to learn more about the world, factions, and machines through these quest stories so, if that’s something you care about, you might actually like them.

This single-handedly makes HZD a game worth picking up and playing through, and thankfully there's tons of it. It’s so good that I found it hard to let the game go until I’ve beaten it, and then started and finished another playthrough.

I’m sure you’ve seen footage of large, robotic beasts and how Aloy uses her bow to hunt and defeat them. They come in different shapes and sizes, from horses and rams that you can mount to a freaking raptors and basically T-Rex! While all of them are machines, they all require different approach to combat/hunt. The more you play and the more unique enemies you encounter, the better hunter you’ll become.
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2533022107
First off, there are numerous types of damage in this game. For example, Tear will deal less damage but will rip off parts of the machine more easily, like armor plating or its weapons. Once you do that, you can use its own weapon to hit it where it hurts the most, deal some massive damage and make short work of the otherwise deadly foe.

Then there are more specific weapons like the Ropecaster which is used to ensnare the machine and pinpoint it to the ground, allowing you to lob a couple of sticky grenades onto its vulnerable spot before it picks itself up.

Tripcasters make (elemental) traps, which can be used to prepare the terrain when you go up against some of the more dangerous foes. Aim and shoot two anchor points, and the weapon will make a rope between those two. Once tripped, it can trigger a simple booby-trap or exploit one of your enemies' elemental weaknesses - setting them ablaze or stunning them. Depending on the enemy and the situation, you might want to use one or the other.

There are also traps that you may place for extra advantage and control in a battle. Corruption arrows can make machines go berserk and attack everyone around them for a short time. Special elemental weapons similar to a flamethrower or its siblings of a different elemental affinity, Tearblast cannon, Rattler, and even more, but let's stop here.


I actually liked it quite a bit and cared to see it through to the end. The overall presentation made it great, and the unique post-apocalyptic setting was rather refreshing to play in.

I did not read all of the logs that I found throughout the game, as most of those seemed irrelevant to the game or were some code excerpts. The main story, side-quest, and NPC dialogues were good enough to keep me going.

The part that could use quite a bit of improvement is character development, as there’s basically none of it. This isn’t a problem for me, but the game does offer you to speak in different tones on specific plot points, and it is implied that, depending on your choices, Aloy’s personality will also change. This turned out not to be the case. It is definitely not an RPG as it is stated by Steam tags, but an action-adventure with very minimal character progression, no character development, and a pretty basic level-up system, so keep that in mind.


If you’re still unsure, here's what I’d boil it down to:

• If dynamic, creative, and (potentially) challenging gameplay, with an original setting and an interesting story is what you value in a game, then definitely get Zero Dawn.
  
• If you’re looking for an RPG game with a world to explore and adventures to be had above else, definitely skip it, as you’ll find none of that here.

At first glance, Metro: Exodus (MEx) might seem like a typical FPS with a couple of twists, and while it doesn’t really offer anything groundbreaking, it is a perfect example of a whole package being greater than the sum of its parts.


Pros:

• Excellent player immersion
  
• Bleak yet beautiful and incredibly atmospheric world
  
• Exploration and discovery feel amazing thanks to almost no hand-holding
  
• Although completely optional for the most part, player progression is meaningful and noticeable
  
• Enjoyable and believable story with tons of optional dialogue to listen to
  
• Pacing makes the game feel fresh from beginning to the end

Cons:

• Certain parts, even though very few, are simply not balanced for the highest difficulty
  
• Sprinting on uneven surfaces can make you slide, fall or slingshot off of terrain and even die
  
• NG+ is buggy and doesn’t transfer weapon upgrades

Unless you want yet another FPS with some extended features, you should most definitely play this game on Ranger Hardcore with Minimal Interface option. Having played through the game twice, I decided to try Normal and, let me tell you straight away that this is most definitely not the way you should experience MEx.

Not only is the game too forgiving but the immersion, survival, and scavenging, which makes it stand out in the oversaturated FPS crowd, become basically non-existing. Just imagine if Dark Souls had Skyrim’s quest pointer.

If you’re uncomfortable with a very challenging setting, pick the one that you’re OK with and go a step above in order to maintain the pressure and the idea of a harsh and unforgiving post-nuclear world. I’ve heard someone saying how “Metro is at its best when you’re at your worst”, and I could not agree more. With that being said, let’s dig in, shall we?


The Franchise previously known for its predominantly claustrophobic and linear levels becomes very open-ended in its latest iteration. From this, it’s easy to assume that there are going to be some big changes, and, I for one, welcome and absolutely loved those. Thematically, this is still a Metro game. There are even a number of linear sections and levels, such as the game’s opening, where you have to play as it is intended and have little to no say so in how things develop. Gameplay-wise, the foundation is there, just that it has been expanded and improved upon, but the overall feel was quite different for me.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2449782394

Being dubbed the best scout in the unit, Artyom, the game’s protagonist, has a lot to live up to, and MEx provides plenty of opportunities to do just that. Wandering the outskirts and the wilderness, scouting for points of interest and noting them down on your map for later exploration is a very important and big part of the experience. In fact, depending on your playstyle, scouting, exploration, and scavenging might as well be the major part of your MEx playthrough, and this is actually pretty cool.

Now let’s add a high level of immersion to this. I’m talking about no HUD. This means no objective tracker on your screen, or a mini-map full of colorful icons to pop. No distraction whatsoever while exploring. You go where you think that something of interest might be.

Of course, you can still access the map and check the objective tracker. You have your visibility indicator for stealth and the Geiger counter as well as many other indicators. The thing is, they’re presented in a very immersive way. They’re all gadgets, mostly on your wrist, audio and visual cues which are a part of the game world, and when you see or hear those, nothing is reminding you that while all of this is cool, you’re still playing a video game.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2492005889


Even though MEx puts you on an open level, it is still not an open-world game. In fact, these open areas are big levels that, once you’re done with, you may never return to. This is why you might want to let your FOMO take over and take your time to make sure you’ve visited every nook and cranny. Why? Because this is how you progress, for the most part. The game will not explicitly make it clear that you’re about to move out so pay attention to what your comrades are saying!

You don’t exactly level up in MEx. There are no perks to unlock or XP to grind. However, there are still ways to improve your character, like gadgets, suit upgrades, and weapon parts. Finding new weapon parts is a big deal, as the game lets you customize guns in the field. Considering various enemy types, different weather conditions and the impact that the time of the day has on the world of MEx, this is quite useful. Need a medium-range rifle instead of a silenced pistol? Strip down your revolver, and make a couple of adjustments! Swap the silencer for a long barrel, add the 2X Scope on it's rail, and you've got yourself a rifle. If you've searched thoroughly, you will have everything you need, and can improvise to adapt to any given situation. Once obtained, these upgrades can be used through the entire game.

Others are given to you as the story progresses. You might actually want to stick to the main objective until you’ve obtained the binoculars, at which point you’ll be properly equipped and have everything you need to explore the world on your own.


When it comes to the story, perhaps more than the content of it, I like the fact that it’s rather believable. Listening to the Artyom’s comrades speak about what was going on is what I enjoyed the most, as they were all lovable characters with a lot of personality.

https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2492092923

The adventures of Aurora’s crew and their objectives feel like they are happening spontaneously. They were logical conclusions and decisions based on the current events and situation that I never found to be forced on the game simply because the developers needed some excuse to blow things up or shoot someone.

Player choices and their consequences, which the game always had (to an extent), are done better and more clearly telegraphed to the player this time around, although there’s still room for some improvement.

The exploration, which I’ve brought up so many times already, also extends to the story as some story-related things require to be found first. It is also the best way to gain additional Karma points which will determine how the story unfolds and eventually ends.


Of course, I am recommending this game. I’ve played it multiple times and actually plan to give the recently released raytracing-only version a go sometime down the road.
However, keep in mind what I’ve said at the beginning: unless you make this game unforgiving, you’ll be mowing down enemies and playing a post-apocalyptic shooter, which is not really that impressive nowadays anymore.

My impressions are based on the very specific Ranger Hardcore mode with Minimal Interface. This made the game slow, methodical and unforgiving, which is something that I very much enjoy. Ammo was scarce, just like the resources, I had to make every bullet count, and when I made a mistake, it was punished severely. At times it reminded me of the good times when I played Metal Gear Solid 3 back in the day on my PS2. When I scoured around for resources and ammo, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. MEx is, in many ways, just like that, and if this sounds like something you’d like to experience, then, by all means, get it, play it, and love it.

Even though the market was long oversaturated with "zombie games", Dying Light, contrary to its name, stands out as a shining example and brings innovation to a somewhat stale genre. Although imperfect, it was easily one of the more interesting games that I've played in the last decade and here's why...


TL;DR

Pros:

• Adrenaline-pumping, fast-paced, high-risk/reward SP/Co-Op/MP hybrid gameplay
  
• The entire game is playable in up to 4-player co-op
  
• Satisfying and freeform movement unlike in any other game
  
• Fantastic, almost photo-realistic visuals even more than half a decade after its release
  
• From banger beats to atmospheric background tunes – the OST is spot-on!
  
• Satisfyingly violent but never disgusting or in poor taste
  
• Tons of content to keep you occupied quite literally for hundreds of hours after the credits have rolled
  
• Unyielding support and frequent addition of new content and events from the development team

Cons:

• Although not bad, the story is definitely the weakest link
  
• Parts of, especially the post-game, can be quite grindy
  
• Control mapping, UI and Inventory system, game-balancing... These could all use some love
  
• Although regularly maintained and, as far as I can tell, a bug-free experience, mechanically, DL can be a rough diamond

Even though I’ve completely disliked everything about the boring and repetitive experience that was Dead Island, which was Techland's previous title and, in many ways a predecessor game to this one, something about DL caught my eye and I knew that I wanted to take it for a ride, or should I say run?

Before moving on, I would like to mention that, in my honest opinion, this game is best experienced on Nightmare difficutlty. It will make bruteforcing throgh the undead impossible and instead makes you think about outrunning or completely evading them, bringing out the best that the game has to offer. It will also disable instant heal, thus preventing the "heal cheesing" abuse and in turn do that much better job to communicate the feeling of being severly overwhlmed to the player.


Perhaps more than the game’s protagonist Kyle Crane, the fictional City of Harran in which the game takes place, albeit devoid of life, somehow manages to be full of character.

Its many districts, both visually and structurally different from one another, will quickly become familiar to you. You’ll learn that while some of them offer much needed sanctuary, others will make it harder to survive and force you to run. If you are to have a chance to run again, don't hold back and utilize everything you’ve learned and gathered up to that point.

This urban-jungle death-trap is one of the best virtual playgrounds that you can find yourself in. Built in detail both horizontally and vertically, in a way that nothing is unreachable for the daring and skilled runners. You'll want to get familiar with it as the city’s skyline provides relative safety and absolute joy to traverse.

During your stay in Harran, you’ll get to know all of its zones and compounds, streets, roads and back-alleys, building exteriors and interiors as many of the constructions can be entered to search for valuables, but most of all, you will get to know its rooftops.


Playing as a Runner, which is a fairly common nickname for a Parkour practitioner, you're expected (even though you'll rarely be forced) to stay on the move and keep running. Thanks to Kyle’s excellent physical condition, you’ll have no problem evading hordes of not so docile undead that roam the streets below but don’t shy away at the thought of coming up to a rooftop to take a bite at you either. This is especially true for human enemies which you'll also have to keep an eye out for.

Simply by running, fighting, crafting and using weapons, tools and gadgets, you’ll earn experience which will make you better at one of the three skill trees. Survival, Combat and Agility all have a decent amount of progression milestones for you to grind out and strive for. Naturally, simply by playing the game for a while, you will basically be given enough points to upgrade some of them, but if you want them all and if you want them now, the city provides numerous events, side stories, bounties, free-form arcade challenges and much more to keep you busy. Make sure to stay alive as death permanently voids any level progression that you might’ve had prior to dying.

Possibly the best thing about all of this is that everything can be done with friends or other random players thanks to the drop-in/out co-op, which, at least for me, makes things incomparably more enjoyable. Furthermore, co-op is not just an afterthought feature as many missions and activities will allow you to play and compete with your teammates for higher scores, shorter times and additional XP. Even though you might be a lone wolf, teaming up with other players might be a good idea because...


I might’ve said that Kyle can easily outrun zombies, and that’s mostly true - "mostly" being the keyword here. At night, the Volatiles will come out to play, and they’re the kind of crowds you’re better off without.

These brutish, agile monstrosities will patrol the streets and rooftops at night, traversing any obstacles with ease while looking for you. Once they spot you, they will alert nearby Virals and allow them to spawn until you manage to break the line of sight and hide away in the night once again. The more they chase you, the more aggressive they become, and the harder it will be for you to evade the pursuit.

Definitely not something that I would recommend doing, at least not until you’re experienced enough and confident to undertake such a task. But why would you even want to?

The thing is, when the night falls everything that you do will net you twice as much experience as it normally would! Even "simply" surviving the night comes with a hefty XP boost of its own, so play it safe or raise the stakes - it's up to you.


During night time, the game will allow invasions by a player-controlled zombie called The Hunter. This almost Spider-Man-like creature can pretty much fly across the entire city in a manner of seconds, and all it needs is a single moment of you not paying attention to instantly kill you. In turn this will bring them a step closer to victory, netting them some XP and allow them to eventually level up and evolve themselves and gain new abilities.

Without going into too much details, I’ll just state that the MP was fun, rather unique and very easy to get into. If PvP happens to be your thing, give it a try as a survivor or as the Hunter.


Although enjoyable, DL is not without its flaws. The biggest ones are definitely the balancing-related issues and some item diversity ones.

Some weapons are clearly better than others, and usually it doesn’t really make sense. This will probably make you stick with one that works while ignoring the new, potentially better ones as they’ve been proven inferior over and over again.

During the late game, the enemies become extra spongy, and you need to grind absurd amounts of XP to be as effective with weapons as you were up to that point. Of course, there are clever ways to deal with them, but mindless grind is always a bad thing in my book.

In multiplayer, you will often meet cheaters who won’t even try to hide the fact and will outright ruin your experience, and often times you with it as well.


Despite all of its shortcomings, Dying Light is an extremely fun game, and if you’re a fan of freeform movement and combat like I am, it is guaranteed to entertain you.

What an absolute blast it was to play this game. Even though I had pretty high expectations after watching some gameplay and promo videos, Jedi: Fallen Order only managed to exceed them. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we want more!


TL;DR

Pros:

• Combat feels great and is actually challenging
  
• A lot of enemy variety and cool boss fights
  
• Exploration is fun and rewarding
  
• Smart but not too hard environmental/physics puzzles
  
• Games graphics and level design are fantastic
  
• The story was good and I actually cared for it as...
  
• ...the characters were lifelike and quite lovable
  
• No EA DLC BS stuff that locks tons of game behind a paywall

Cons:

• Map (in-game map, not the world) is convoluted and this is coming from someone who never had a problem with orientation
  
• There could've been more shortcuts or some sorts of fast travel on planets, maybe as a late game unlock

Jedi: Fallen Order obviously borrows heavily from Souls games - mostly Sekiro. It becomes evident once you finish the intro segment and arrive on your first planet. This is however, not a bad thing as the game never tries to blatantly copy that series mechanics and ideas but instead uses them as an inspiration or a foundation and starting point for something new.

Here's how it works...



You're presented with a semi-open world. To be precise, it is a sprawling network of interconnected areas with multiple entry and exit points. While the exploration is rather limited and your path pretty linear for the first couple of hours, things quickly take a turn for a more open-esque approach as Cal (the game's protagonist) gains new Jedi abilities that allow him to traverse the terrain. Think of a typical Dark Souls world and add Metroidvania ability-based exploration, mixed with numerous secrets and shortcuts to find and unlock.


Throughout the world are checkpoints which heal and restore healing item use, but also respawn all enemies in the game. Sounds familiar? The game will have you grinding for XP by killing Imperial troops and hostile lifeforms so you can upgrade one of you unlocked abilities, increase your health or Force pool or learning a new trick for your lightsaber. Be careful though as in the case of death, you will lose all of your uncapped XP and only get a single chance to retrieve it by fighting an enemy that killed you. Speaking of fighting...



Let me begin by stating that, considering its simplicity, this combat system has no right to be as entertaining as it is.


It is the simple yet unforgiving, lock-on and positioning-focused combat. One of the core mechanics is parry and it has a rather high skill floor but relatively low ceiling. Since there is no stamina, highly aggressive play is completely viable. Personally, I'd say it's even encouraged as I've only started kicking major a$$ once I became relentless and pressed hard on my enemies, not allowing them to breathe.

Frequent attacks will drain posture meter and break guard of humanoid enemies, allowing you to strike true and deliver a killing blow, or in case of boss battles and tougher enemies, land a couple of guaranteed hits as they're picking themselves up.


While there are no complex combos to be had here and the combat primarily consists of pressing one button, the attacks are contextual which means that how and when your press it will make Cal perform different actions. So, for example, attacking after a successful dodge will allow you to kick an enemy, break their combo and counter-attack; attacking while sprinting will cover great distance and do a more powerful version of an opening attack and jumping from above allows for an aerial, instant takedown, just to name a few.



Last but not least, it’s worth mentioning that this game is presented phenomenally.

While the score is rather forgettable as far as I’m concerned, familiar leitmotifs and iconic themes were present throughout the game and are guaranteed to make SW fans feel at home.

On the other hand, visually it looks really, really good from both technical standpoint as well as considering world and level design.

I’m not really that familiar with the SW universe, in fact, I find the movies to be absurdly bad, but I’ve played pretty much all major SW games (and loved most of them) and can say that, Jedi: Fallen Order absolutely feels like something out of those games and movies.

As for the story, while it won’t win any “best story” awards, it was interesting enough to keep me invested and pushing forward. In my opinion, better than the story itself were the game’s characters which I actually grew to like and care about throughout this relatively short game. My favorite has to be BD-1, Cal’s droid companion who doesn’t say a single word but still manages to have so much character that you simply cannot help but love it.


As for the overall impression and the recommendation, well, you’ve already seen the giant blue “thumbs up” and, for the price of EA Play subscription, you can’t really go wrong with this one.

If you want to play as Vergil, this is all you need.
If you're looking for his side of the story or basically anything other than simply playing as the guy, this is not it.

I love the DLC as I pretty much don't care about the story but, keep in mind that this is exactly what it says it is - a playable character and literally nothing else (except for the slightly different ending cinematic). But hey, who's here for the story anyway, right?