Seneste anmeldelser af ShelLuser

This DLC seems very lackluster to me. It provides... 2 OPFOR infantry units (a rifleman and team leader) as well as one vest. Those are the only new assets you're going to get. Nex to these three items you get 3 new single player campaigns and a new Steam achievement.

My problem though is that those missions are seriously crinch. I'm not even necessarily talking about the AI although they sometimes behave in a strange way. No, it's the missions and the design itself which is bizarre at times. So here I am in enemy territory and my team is tasked to find a lost squad. So far, so good. Now, my men are idiots as was to be expected. They have no problem spotting a technical (offroad vehicle) about 300 - 400m away from us, but somehow still manage to overlook 2 enemy soldiers who fortified themselves a bit up a hill.

No, the reason why I think these missions are crinch... so, enemy territory and the enemies are litterally all around us. So what does my character do when he spots the missing squad? He starts yells out to them!

Now, sure, I may be a casual player, still somewhat of a novice here and there, but even I realize that yelling and shouting while you're surrounded by enemies may not be the best of ideas here. Yet that's exactly what we're going to do here!

These missions feel more like the endplay of a chess game to me: one bad move and you instantly lose. So in the end I think these missions are mostly frustrating instead of entertaining, surely that can't be the idea here?

So yeah... I can't recommend this DLC, definitely not as a separate purchase.

Now, this may sound dumb to some of you but... for me the best part of this DLC is getting access to a aircraft carrier, the sentinel drone and some of the turrets. Let's just say that aircraft and me don't go well together in Arma 3. See, the thing is: Arma is a specialized game meaning that you don't "just" drive a tank, you don't "just" fly a chopper (then again... taking off is kinda easy, but the landing...) and this also applies to jets. You don't "just" step into a jet and assume that w,s,a,d will be enough to fly.

Of course this also means that once you do manage to get your fingers behind the mechanics it'll be quite the achievement and will most definitely become a rewarding experience for you.

Anyway, before I continue please keep in mind that the aircraft carrier ("USS Freedom") and the other ship (the "USS Liberty" destroyer) are both static props. So if you add them to your map then don't expect the ability to control them and change their position or something. While the 'Freedom' does provide a small bit of interior its main purpose is obviously to provide a "mobile" airstrip.

About the planes

We get 3 jets in total... The Black Wasp II is designated for BLUFOR, Shikra for OPFOR, the independants get the Gryphon jet. The first 2 jets (so: for BLUFOR and OPFOR) are provided as both fighterjet and stealthplane.

Next to those we also got support units like an actual pilot and deck crew members (crew members are only available with BLUFOR).

All in all... Although I think the aircraft carrier makes this well worth it, at the same time I also think that the price for this DLC is a bit hefty when it only provides 4 jets. Even so I still recommend this because... one way or the other it honestly does provide something really new and exciting to the Arma universe.

I'm not sure on this one you guys. The base game already provides us with the Slammer tank for NATO, and the awesome looking T100 Varsuk for CSAT. So why is CSAT getting yet another awesome looking tank (the Angara) while the 'good guys' (NATO) gets basically ZIP?

NATO gets the Rhino APC which kinda looks like a tank but really isn't. And while the vehicle is quite good I still can't help wonder if this isn't a remodelled Marshal (which... is also part of the basegame).

I'm going to be perfectly honest here... I'm not feeling the 'magic' with this DLC. So honestly: I wouldn't buy this full price if I were you, definitely look into a bundle or better: wait for a discount.

So why still vote 'yah'?

I still recommend this DLC because while I may not agree with its full price it's still an important part of Arma 3. And let's be honest here: there's nothing which says that NATO can't use the Angara as well. The main reason that tank sits in the OPFOR section is because of the crew which is hostile towards NATO. So... add the tank without a crew and you're all set!

Not to mention that the vehicles they do provide are quite interesting, I honestly really enjoy the Nyx for example.

So yeah... mixed feelings for sure but I still think this is one heck of an expansion for Arma!

Thanks for reading!

Your unit approaches a small village which fell victim to the oppression of insurgents. Recon efforts tell you that several patrols are roaming the area but no serious opposition is to be expected. You and your men take in their positions and slowly approach from the main road, it doesn't take long before you're in a firefight with one of the patrols.

Just as expected the second patrol joins their comrads and you slowly, but steadily, push them back when suddenly...

"CASUALTY!", someone yells behind you and when you look over your shoulders you hear a bullet whoozing past you right before it kills the private who just yelled out with a clear shot through the head.

Sniper!


As you can guess by now this DLC gives you a whole new way of armed combat, you can now get into the role of a sharpshooter. One of the most hated participants of the battlefield which also makes it one of the most dangerous roles (IRL) as well because.. do you really think the enemy is going to let you live on as a prisoner of war whilst knowing that you're most likely responsible for the deaths of many of their comrads? Who never had a fair chance to begin with? I think not!

This DLC gives us snipers and sharpshooters who also come with a variety of different camoflage types (arid, lush and semi-arid). Basically... this DLC from 2015 perfectly fits into a DLC from 2021 because.. this is high quality stuff (IMO). Next we get 7 new weapons: 5 sniper rifles (with different textures) and 2 automated weapons. Don't forget about the suppressors, bipods and optical sights either!

And of course plenty of other props like equipment (uniforms, vests, bags), stuff (timers, shooting mats, targets, etc.) and we even get a new VR object as well.

While this may not sound like much at first I think it's really important right now to keep the specialized aspect of this type of warfare in mind as well. Now, I can imagine that some people will consider my following comment lame, and ey... each to their own. I definitely cannot deny being biased in this case. But... from my pov you're not just paying for the new assets and the missions, you're also paying for the whole effort that went into it. Parts of this DLC also made their way into the main Arma 3 runtime (mostly game mechanics) and that counts for something as well I think.

Having said that though... I do strongly recommend that you grab this DLC as part of a bundle to save up some cash. Or maybe wait for a nice discount. Although I think it's worth the cash I also know for a fact that this DLC is kinda specialized. I wouldn't buy this full price unless you're really into the idea of sharpshooting.

Thanks for reading!

Arma 3 is a game with a massive history behind it. I don't want to pretend that I know much about it because I only got more interested when I stepped in with Arma 3. However, I have learned that a game from my past, "Operation Flashpoint", was developed by the same company behind Arma 3!

And to me this (free!) DLC is proof that Bohemia Interactive respects both their past as well as the Arma community.

Because it gives us "Malden 2035", the same map which was used in the very first Arma game!

About the map

It's an island map which features an airfield and an asphalt road which goes through several small villages. There are also three islands located on the right side; two rather small while the third one even has a military installation on it. A fourth island can be found in the upper left corner ("North-West") of the map.

There are 16 locations (besides the airfield) that can are available for quick selection within the Eden editor.

Assets

We get access to a small taskforce of 16 BLUEFOR men (NATO combat patrol) and the rest is made up for with a large collection of props that can be used in your own scenarios.


Don't worry about whether or not to get this because the Malden DLC is already part of your collection as soon as you grab Arma 3. So why review a free DLC you wonder? Because I'm rather deep into my "Arma 3 fanboy modus" right now and I felt like it ;)

Basically I hope that by reviewing the DLC I might remind some people about the map and its assets again because honestly... it's well worth your while! My "Wolfpack" commando unit just liberated the small village of Goisse which was under the occupation of CSAT (= home made Eden scenario!) and yah, it becomes quickly obvious that serious care was taken to try and make this map worthy of being an official map.

Well worth your attention in my opinion, two thumbs up!

I have been looking forward to this DLC ever since it got announced because this is actually the first time we get an official desert map. Now, I'm well aware that there are some excellent desert maps already out there in the workshop, true, but honestly you guys? There's a good reason why some maps are considered official, and I am happy to report that this map is no exception.

This is absolutely gorgeous!


Now, beware of first impressions because they may (and will!) deceive you. I mean, if you load this map in Eden you'll quickly notice 10 locations and if you skim over those... hmm, mostly small desert villages? Is that what all this fuss is about?

It doesn't even show an airport!

Well.... not in the locations tab, that's true, but this is a map meant for pro's ya know ;) Look around the north-west side of Al-Mahbes and low and behold: an airstrip! ... right next to a solar array. Makes sense to have that in a desert and.. oh dear, is that a scenario popping into my head? Like, you know... having to destroy the solarplant controller in order to disrupt the airstrips defenses so that you can take over?

And this is only the beginning.... Did you know that the "Livonia incident" actually started in Sefrou-Ramal (= name of this area)? No, of course it officially didn't; when Contact came out this map wasn't even a thing yet (as far as I know)! But now look around the military installation south-west of Quadane. It's a military installation with 3 storage facilities (at least that's what it looks like to me) and ... 3 round buildings made with a triangle pattern. That makes it look futuristic enough for me to make it believable that those guys are experimenting with a new alien core!

But that's just my imagination running wild ;)

Anyway, as mentioned: at first glimpse this map look 'so so', especially when you're hovering over it from a distance within Eden. But I dare you: now place a few units here and there, dump your character in there and go explore. You'll soon realize that there's a lot to enjoy here and that you can honestly get actually lost if you don't have a map and compass on you. Because many hills and dunes... seem to look alike.

I actually set up a small enemy camp (2 container units, an AA tank and a group of infantry walking around) and then put my sniping unit across a small dune. I was convinced I'd spot the enemies easily but... nope!

Map assets

Apart from the map, which truly is something else, there are also a lot of extra props here but in full honesty a lot of that stuff is basically retextured stuff. Or worse... if I compare the Hunter, HEMTT or Quad bike then these props are mere copies!

What gives?!

Well... there's honestly a good reason for that. See, while the vehicles may be copies, their drivers (or crew) actually wear different desert-styled uniforms and/or clothes which makes it pretty obvious why the devs. did this.

Remember first impressions and all? ;)

But when you look at the actual props (yellow icon) you'll soon see that there's plenty original stuff to work with here. From cameras to eastern styled carpets, palm fences and exotic pillows, there's even an actual Mosque in here! Or... ruins thereof.

Yes, I already have another campaign in mind...

NATO forces bombed the living daylights out of your village and most of the houses and the mosque now lies in ruins. Your community were frickin' camel farmers for crying out loud! But not anymore you're not because now it's time for revenge!

In other news... insurgents have been reported to organize an uprise against the airstrip near Al-Mahbes. Special forces have been deployed to check out rumors about this uprise yet haven't reported back. You're now tasked to drive out to the radio tower south-east of Mehamize and try to make contact. Reinforcements are standing by and will deploy if needed.

Man, I love this game :-)


Why haven't you already bought this? :P

The atmosphere of this thing is outstanding. When you start the game you now got Arma with camels (I am not making this up!). So it's the Arma interface we all know and love, but this time with camels and a desert. There's only 1 scenario provided with this DLC called "Extraction"; you need to free a kidnapped correspondent from the hands of a warlord. However, I cannot comment on the scenario itself because I've been way too busy checking out the map and its props in Eden.

So do keep this in mind: don't buy this DLC in expectations for an awesome new campaign to play, there's only 1 mission.

But seriously, who cares about that if you got Eden, dozens of new props and troops and then that awesome sahara map?

As mentioned in the title: two thumbs up, this is a must have in my book!

Thanks for reading!

So for the record: I love this game, I honestly think it's one of the best racing games available right now. Not perfect, there are still plenty of issues to cope with, but man... so darn close!

Having said that though... Yah, while I do consider myself a fanboy of some sorts, just not one in the negative sense of the word. And because of that I cannot recommend this DLC as an individual purchase.

First of all: it's broke (at the time of my review!). Meaning that if you start your game then you may see a crown behind your name but that doesn't mean anythihng. You're not a real VIP at all. Something I quickly learned after I bought a house for free because I was a VIP and in my next gaming session I had no active home anymore and couldn't enter my house anymore. I could only buy it again, yet when I picked the "Free for VIP" option it told me I had already bought it.

Second... E 20,- for this? While you do get some nice goodies I just don't see how this validates the rather high price. Not to mention that "wheelspins" are purely based on luck so one could even consider this a bit of a "lootbox", and we all know how crappy those are I hope?

Now, as you can see by my review I own this DLC, but only because I grabbed the Premium version of the game (as mentioned: fanboy and all...). But I would never buy this as an individual DLC... it honestly is not worth it.


My suggestion is that you only get this DLC as an addition to your purchase with the Premium edition. Either that, or wait for a Steam sale period, but this is in my honest opinion not worth the full price.

Thanks for reading!

Sorry for what is going to become a lengthy review. But I intend to review the game and my experiences vs. just spouting of my opinions about it. For the impatient amongst us: this is by far one of the best racing games in my Steam library. Not perfect, but oh so darn close!

The atmosphere is mindblowing

I haven't seen any better start to a game than this... you're litereally dropped into the game and by doing so you'll also get a solid first impression of the general racing types it provides: from street / circuit races on tarmac ("asphalt") right down to rally racing and let's not forget the rough offroad challenges either!

But first, for those unfamiliar with the series: what's Forza Horizons? Forza is Microsoft's flagship game when it comes racing. Forza is to Microsoft what 'Gran Turismo' is to Sony. Forza Horizons though is an open world with a more casual approach to the racing genre. It has simulation options for tweaking your cars, and there's plenty here to make your racing life seriously challenging. But at the same time the overal focus of the game is on an "arcadish" gameplay where fun and excitement go absolutely first. And boy, oh boy did they deliver on that!

Horizons then is also an in-game racing festival where the organization went completely overboard by boldly reserving a huge chunk of land to host all their festivities in. 24/7. Going by storyline there are cameras and radio relays everywhere which makes it possible for the general public to basically follow every driver they're interested in. Of course that's storyline; it basically boils down to you, being a driver, becoming part of the racing event of a lifetime. And it'll be up to you to decide how you're going to experience all this.


The general idea is simple: explore the massive landscape and go find the races and challenges which mostly appeal to you. Win, earn credits and get better. This game has it all... from street races (with or without traffic!) to challenging offroad races where you'll have to fight both your opponents for your place in the field as well as the elements to keep your car on the road. And more... don't be alarmed if you drive across the road minding your own business when suddenly... <flash>, you've been snapped! No, don't worry about a speeding ticket, instead worry about not passing this section of road fast enough for you to qualify ;) Or... just don't bother of course if you don't want to. The choice is always yours to make.


Now, in order to race you're going to need some cars. And Horizons provides! oh dear... First you'll get a car for every racing type that's available, but that's only the beginning. As you progress into the game you'll unlock other cars as well. You can go "car hunting": trying to find a barn where a car wreckage is hidden (which, fortunately for you, your mechanic can fix up!) or... you can try your luck with the wheelspin: a chance game where you can win grand prizes, such as ... new cars.

And then there's the car shop where you can buy new or used cars. And don't forget about the car auctions either! This is a really cool feature IMO because it allows you to sell your car(s) to the highest bidder. Or... try to place a bid on a car yourself while hoping that no-one outbids you.

Once you have a collection you can always change into a different car every time you want.

A place to call home

Houses then are landmarks where you can "relax" and sort things out with the events and your character (like customizing your character with new stuff). While they definitely look nice you can't really interact with them, so don't expect to get access to garages or garage boxes which might showcase some of your cars. At best you can consider these houses points for fast travel and to get full access to the game customization options. And... they're also rewards which will grant you a perk, depending on which house you got and have set as your home.

Besides, sleep is for the weak, there are races and events to be done! :P


When you're in freeroam cruising around you'll come across other players. Don't worry; they're sillouettes at best so you don't have to worry about running into them. Of course... you're always free to challenge someone to a race to see who's best ;) Events then provide you with races to do and it'll be fully up to you how you want to approach them... either you go solo and take on the AI drivers, or you can (sometimes) hop into co-op or pvp mode where you'll work together or against other players. The game has it all!

Difficulties

What I personally enjoyed the most about the Horizon series (I also played 4) is that you can fully decide on your difficulty settings. And gradually make things harder on yourself. By doing so you'll also get some extra difficulty bonusses when you win some of your races. For example, right now I don't play with a line that always marks the best place on the road (I only use these in corners to indicate braking points) and I've also set my damage to simulation vs. cosmetic only.

But as is common for this game: you're always in full control! Did you slam into an obstacle and now your car is almost totalled? No problem! You can just hit rewind, take the race back to a point before your crash and then try to avoid it. Or... you could also consider just dealing with it to see where it leads you to. Your race, your choices.


No, this game isn't perfect, there are plenty of issues going from small to big that still need to be resolved, but I have full confidence that it's being worked on. There's also the issue that not everyone will be directly affected. I've read stories about people suffering from the game crashing on them while I haven't had any issues with that at all. So... your milage may vary, as the saying goes.

But honestly? This game truly comes close, really close to perfection and one way or the other can definitely be considered a masterpiece of its own. If you enjoy cars, if you enjoy driving and "experiencing" cars then I really think you're going to have the time of your life here. It doesn't only have to be about races and fast driving you know... what about taking a beetle (Volkswagon Beetle) out for a relaxing drive around the countryside where you simply admire the massive landscape of Mexico stretching out before you?

Of course... it's also perfectly possible to grab a Ferrari, Lamborghini or maybe a McLaren or whatever other sportscar you fancy and just start burning some rubber. Or maybe you're more into getting a huge four wheel drive and go cross country straight through swamps or dense jungle terrain? Or maybe a desert is more to your liking while you're imagining to be in the Paris - Dakar rally?

One way or the other I cannot help but be convinced that you're going to be blown away by the atmosphere of this game, just like I was. I definitely recommend getting this game. Unfortunately I cannot give it the two thumbs up it deserves because... then I fear crashing into something! Don't review & drive kids! ;)

Thank for reading!

I grew up with the WWF as a kid where the absolute highlight for me was when "Sky Channel" decided to broadcast WrestleMania III live which was completely unheard of at that time. Sky being a commercial channel which always had advertisements in between programs. But WMIII was apparently an "important enough" sports event (ey, I was a gullible teenager back then) to do this live. And they did... only 1 block of commercials in between, lasting 15 minutes.

Of course it's now WWE and I bought my first WWE games on the PS3. Raw vs. Smackdown, a WrestleMania title which name I forgot (it focussed on Hogan vs. Andre) and yeah.... I figured that I should get a WWE title on Steam as well.

Lousy mechanics

So I set up a dream match: Rusev vs. Kane where I controlled Rusev. I get a lot of offense in, even do a taunt and then... Kane grabs me, slams me, and tries a pin. Instead of using stamina or such to determine how well you can get out of a pin this game does things "differently". A frickin' mini game! I now see a slider going back and forth and I need to press a key at the exact right time. Tha heck?! I'm still in my button mashing mode to destroy Kane, so I obviously fail (by milimeters!) and the match goes to Kane.

Are you telling me that Rusev can be defeated by one single bodyslam from Kane? Kane is a powerhouse, but come on here.... This is just... too stupid. And the next moment the game is gone. Crash to desktop, please try again.

Yah, I asked Steam support for help, a "different" kind of help: my first refund in 2021.

Cashgrab

So I see names which every WWF / WWE fan would recognize: Jake "the snake" Roberts, Jim "the anvil" Neidhart. Yah, separate purchase characters. I'm not impressed.


Earlier this week (time of writing) I bought "another American based sportsgame" (American Football) and... why do they feature commentators which almost make me want to drop my controller just to pay more attention to them? Why do they actually sound genuine at first glimpse while you only later on (after a few hours into the game) start noticing some repetiveness?

From the moment my first WWE match started I already noticed the obvious: the commentating was just bad. When I accidentally threw the ball away in my "other game" the commentators immediately chewed me out: "#1: what IS he doing?" and "#2: I never seen something like THAT before".

In this game otoh... they didn't even recognize the fact that it just wasn't normal at all to get pinned after one single bodyslam.


On the positive side the loads go faster. The WWE game I'm used to (on PS3) took around 30 seconds to load the next introduction whereas this title made the opponents intro blend in pretty seemingly. That's good.

But a sports game where you have to play stupid mini game in order to protect yourself? I always figured that a kick-out was based on stamina, not the ability to play stupid games.

Yah, I know I've only played this game for a really short time. But the things I saw so far convinced me: this is not a game I'd be enjoying and that crash after the first match is just pathetic.

I definitely can't recommend this one.

(and a lot more things coming later!)

Wnen 'Midnight Ride' was just released the developer started talk about plans for an upcoming DLC which would feature a Galactic Detour ;) In the base game Serena is trying to make her way home, and when you add the DLC to your game then you risk getting Serena abducted by aliens!


Well, first of all to get access to all current and upcoming DLC. At the time of writing we have "Galactic Detour" but the developer has already told us that they're working on two more... As you can see in the screenshots on the product page "Storyteller" is an upcoming DLC as well, and included with this season pass, and it'll be followed by "Mad scientist" (eeeew!) which is also going to be included.

And second... well... even though I normally don't do pre-orders there are situations when I do think it'll work out. And this is one of those ;) You'll also be saving up some cash this way in the longer run.

Simply put: if you want to get the most out of the Midnight Ride game then I think this is an excellent purchase.