What I did like:
- The story is good. It's a fairly fresh take and the world design is beautiful and interesting.
- Hitting the weak parts of machines with your arrows is SO satisfying.
What I didn't like:
- The characters. The story is good on a narrative level but I invested in and cared for absolutely nobody. The dialogue is horrific and the speech options don't have any effect on the story. Characters appear and then disappear and you not one character is particularly likeable, including the protagonist.
- Being able to mount 3 or 4 machines. Don't you dare sit here and tell me that riding a stalker or stormbird wouldn't be fire. I've even heard they kept this for Forbidden West DESPITE acknowledging fans crying out for this! What's the point in having taming giant animal mechs if you can't ride them?!
- The combat. I know I said hitting the weak points is satisfying, but that's about it. Stealth doesn't work whatsoever, certain mechs can kill you in one hit by jumping halfway across the map despite you dodging (I'm looking at you thunderjaw and rockwrecker). The other weapons don't do much to enhance the gameplay, even the ones obtained from Frozen Wilds.
- The map, despite being massive, is actually quite empty and vapid. The side quests are fairly scant but either way, most of the quests are boring. You don't invest in any characters you meet on them, as they only exist to serve the side mission's purpose and nothing else.
I reached level 52 and finished Frozen Wilds so I didn't completely throw my toys out the pram, but maybe it was my mistake playing this game straight after God of War.
- The story is good. It's a fairly fresh take and the world design is beautiful and interesting.
- Hitting the weak parts of machines with your arrows is SO satisfying.
What I didn't like:
- The characters. The story is good on a narrative level but I invested in and cared for absolutely nobody. The dialogue is horrific and the speech options don't have any effect on the story. Characters appear and then disappear and you not one character is particularly likeable, including the protagonist.
- Being able to mount 3 or 4 machines. Don't you dare sit here and tell me that riding a stalker or stormbird wouldn't be fire. I've even heard they kept this for Forbidden West DESPITE acknowledging fans crying out for this! What's the point in having taming giant animal mechs if you can't ride them?!
- The combat. I know I said hitting the weak points is satisfying, but that's about it. Stealth doesn't work whatsoever, certain mechs can kill you in one hit by jumping halfway across the map despite you dodging (I'm looking at you thunderjaw and rockwrecker). The other weapons don't do much to enhance the gameplay, even the ones obtained from Frozen Wilds.
- The map, despite being massive, is actually quite empty and vapid. The side quests are fairly scant but either way, most of the quests are boring. You don't invest in any characters you meet on them, as they only exist to serve the side mission's purpose and nothing else.
I reached level 52 and finished Frozen Wilds so I didn't completely throw my toys out the pram, but maybe it was my mistake playing this game straight after God of War.
Reviewed on Jul 14, 2022