adiacone
2010
There isn't much depth to either the gameplay or the story and the graphics are nothing to write home about, but it's not the worst way to kill some time. It's a good pick-up-and-play game for the Steam Deck.
It took me 5 years to finish this game, playing a bit each year. It never grabbed me like others did, for reasons I won't get into here, so I would always put it down and move on to something else. Yet, I managed to spend 60+ hours in that world, and by the end, I was hooked. I look forward to the next 60 hours! There is still so much to explore.
This was more of the same great game that I've grown to love. A compelling story, with cool new characters and a much more interesting romance. There was even a sequence that felt like going back to the prom, a chance for grouchy Geralt to have some good old fun.
2011
To the Moon is more of an interactive story than an actual game, since the gameplay is minimal and not that great. However, the storytelling is terrific and the game manages to convey so many emotions with its clever writing, minimal animations and lovely music.
It has nothing in common with The Last of Us, but it took me on a very similar emotional journey that is equally intriguing, funny, hearbreaking and heartwarming. I'm so glad I gave this one a shot!
It has nothing in common with The Last of Us, but it took me on a very similar emotional journey that is equally intriguing, funny, hearbreaking and heartwarming. I'm so glad I gave this one a shot!
I've had a blast with this game and roaming through Egypt was such a joy! Easily one of my favorites in the series, up there with AC II and Black Flag.
I enjoyed the new gameplay additions and didn't mind that "it's no longer a true AC game". The only gripe I have is that the game forces you to be at a certain level to progress the story. This got a bit grindy towards the end, but nothing too egregious.
Can't wait to jump into Odyssey!
I enjoyed the new gameplay additions and didn't mind that "it's no longer a true AC game". The only gripe I have is that the game forces you to be at a certain level to progress the story. This got a bit grindy towards the end, but nothing too egregious.
Can't wait to jump into Odyssey!
2013
The fact that it took me a year and a half to finish this game says a lot. It certainly looks nice on the Vita, but it doesn't do anything special with either the story or the gameplay. Swipe to melee never stopped being annoying.
I also struggled with aiming, even with one of those Batarang-looking grips. And if you have fairly large hands, you will too.
I do kinda' feel like replaying Killzone 3 though.
I also struggled with aiming, even with one of those Batarang-looking grips. And if you have fairly large hands, you will too.
I do kinda' feel like replaying Killzone 3 though.
Dumb video game fun from the late 2000s. And sometimes that's all you need.
The graphics don't hold up that well, and the performance on the PS3 was pretty bad, especially toward the end. The "story" is nonsense and just an excuse to blow things up, but the gunplay was quite enjoyable.
The graphics don't hold up that well, and the performance on the PS3 was pretty bad, especially toward the end. The "story" is nonsense and just an excuse to blow things up, but the gunplay was quite enjoyable.
A nice little story, more of the same awesome gameplay and some cool new weapons. There's a brand new area to explore that's so well realized it almost gave me the chills and made me appreciate times when I had to go back to the warmer climates. Maybe it's in my head, but it also seemed like the face animations were better. I enjoyed this expansion a great deal, but f**k those Fireclaws!
2018
I dig this format with multiple self-contained mini-campaigns. I enjoyed it in Battlefield 1 and I enjoyed it here.
There wasn't a lot of backstory to the characters you play, and yet they managed to deliver a compelling and even heartfelt narrative that kept me engaged.
Playing this back-to-back with Modern Warfare made me realize how different the games are in terms of gameplay. Sure, it's all left-trigger-right-trigger stuff, but one is more focused, faster-paced, and more action-packed, while the other features large open spaces and a variety of vehicles. I enjoyed both experiences.
There wasn't a lot of backstory to the characters you play, and yet they managed to deliver a compelling and even heartfelt narrative that kept me engaged.
Playing this back-to-back with Modern Warfare made me realize how different the games are in terms of gameplay. Sure, it's all left-trigger-right-trigger stuff, but one is more focused, faster-paced, and more action-packed, while the other features large open spaces and a variety of vehicles. I enjoyed both experiences.
One of the best Call of Duty campaigns I ever played! I came to it hoping for a slick-looking, action-packed thrill ride that I could complete over a week-end and this is exactly what I got.
If not for some frustrating crashes to the dashboard, poor team AI, and the annoying always-online requirement, I probably would have rated this higher.
If not for some frustrating crashes to the dashboard, poor team AI, and the annoying always-online requirement, I probably would have rated this higher.
2013
It's not as bad as many considered it back in the day, but it's not a great game either and the story is pretty forgettable. The combat is satisfying, but it gets repetitive really fast. There's basically no progression and the so-called "upgrade tree" is probably the worst I have seen in terms of UI, just a bunch of squares with little insight into why I should choose one over the other.
Technically it might have been an impressive showpiece when it was released, but now it definitely shows its age. I also experienced straight crashes to the dashboard on several occasions. Luckily the checkpoints are really good and it loads pretty fast on the Series S.
That being said, I'm not gonna lie... when the music swelled and I was mowing through hoards of barbarians, I did get Gladiator vibes, and at the end of the day... I was entertained. ;)
Technically it might have been an impressive showpiece when it was released, but now it definitely shows its age. I also experienced straight crashes to the dashboard on several occasions. Luckily the checkpoints are really good and it loads pretty fast on the Series S.
That being said, I'm not gonna lie... when the music swelled and I was mowing through hoards of barbarians, I did get Gladiator vibes, and at the end of the day... I was entertained. ;)
2016
I started the game on GamePass a while ago, I played through Act 1, but I wasn't able to continue, because the game got pulled from GamePass. It eventually became available again, so I picked up where I left off and finished it in two days.
First of all, the game overall exceeded my expectations, which were based on the general discourse around this game from back when it came out.
I found the TV show sections quite entertaining. I was unable to stream them though and didn't have space to download the 75GB video package, so I had to resort to YouTube. I enjoyed the story, which kept me interested to see what happens next. I just wish that the branching sections were shown from the perspective of the protagonist, not the villain and I wish we got a live-action conclusion at the end.
The gameplay didn't grab me at first, but once I got the time manipulation powers, all the enemy encounters became much more fun and the gunplay felt more satisfying! Unfortunately, there is no progression and the upgrades seem like an afterthought.
In my opinion, the game looks and sounds great, although I had some framerate issues on the Series S and even a crash that took me completely out of the game.
Ok, now for the big negative that took this game from a solid 4/5 to more of a 3:
This game has some of the worst checkpoints I have ever seen in a video game... ever! There were two instances where I nearly threw my controller at the screen and I'm not usually one to lose his cool while playing games.
There's no excuse for having the player fight through multiple rooms full of enemies, watch cutscenes, interact with objects in the environment, and then send him back 10 minutes when he dies. No excuse! And it was also not consistent, cause at some point I was able to get a slightly better checkpoint. Not ideal, but slightly better. How something like this got past QA is beyond my understanding. Especially at Remedy!?!
And yeah, I know, I know... I would probably hate Souls games, sure. But at least there I know what I'm signing up for. This is not that type of game.
But weirdly enough... as much as this part soured my experience, I could totally see myself replaying this game in a couple of years to see how the other choices play out.
So yeah, very conflicted!
Phew... that was a long one.
First of all, the game overall exceeded my expectations, which were based on the general discourse around this game from back when it came out.
I found the TV show sections quite entertaining. I was unable to stream them though and didn't have space to download the 75GB video package, so I had to resort to YouTube. I enjoyed the story, which kept me interested to see what happens next. I just wish that the branching sections were shown from the perspective of the protagonist, not the villain and I wish we got a live-action conclusion at the end.
The gameplay didn't grab me at first, but once I got the time manipulation powers, all the enemy encounters became much more fun and the gunplay felt more satisfying! Unfortunately, there is no progression and the upgrades seem like an afterthought.
In my opinion, the game looks and sounds great, although I had some framerate issues on the Series S and even a crash that took me completely out of the game.
Ok, now for the big negative that took this game from a solid 4/5 to more of a 3:
This game has some of the worst checkpoints I have ever seen in a video game... ever! There were two instances where I nearly threw my controller at the screen and I'm not usually one to lose his cool while playing games.
There's no excuse for having the player fight through multiple rooms full of enemies, watch cutscenes, interact with objects in the environment, and then send him back 10 minutes when he dies. No excuse! And it was also not consistent, cause at some point I was able to get a slightly better checkpoint. Not ideal, but slightly better. How something like this got past QA is beyond my understanding. Especially at Remedy!?!
And yeah, I know, I know... I would probably hate Souls games, sure. But at least there I know what I'm signing up for. This is not that type of game.
But weirdly enough... as much as this part soured my experience, I could totally see myself replaying this game in a couple of years to see how the other choices play out.
So yeah, very conflicted!
Phew... that was a long one.
2011
It's definitely a product of its time. The graphics are fine, but the performance isn't great and the story is pretty underwhelming. I'm glad I eventually finished it though. It made me want to play more Mad Max, which has way better car combat.
I felt like The Old Blood was more of the same, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It starts a bit slow, with some frustrating stealth sections that had me worried I would not enjoy it at all. However, the pace picks up quite quickly, at least in terms of gameplay.
In terms of story, there isn't much there, you're just going through the events that lead up to the beginning of The New Order. Speaking of which, I remember enjoying that game quite a bit more, but maybe it was the novelty of it.
In terms of story, there isn't much there, you're just going through the events that lead up to the beginning of The New Order. Speaking of which, I remember enjoying that game quite a bit more, but maybe it was the novelty of it.
I've been meaning to play this expansion for such a long time and at some point I even considered giving up on it. I finally decided to give it a shot and let me tell you, not only does this game totally hold up today, but it was also a fun walk down memory lane, meeting familiar characters and visiting places from the original Red Dead Redemption, one of my favorite gaming experiences ever.