GrailSeeker
Expected a fun cinematic horror experience, but Man of Medan is nothing like that — a boring and predictable story with some of the clunkiest controls I have ever seen.
By Sigmar, the Hammer, and the Empire!
Fatshark did an amazing job in creating an immersive, easy-to-learn but hard-to-master intense co-op experience like no other. Vermintide 2 has a high skill ceiling and rewards team play but also elevates personal skills. Supporting each other is essential but a single great player can save the run and clutch the moment. The community is very friendly and welcomes new players. The player base is still active and there is plenty of content!
Sigmar! Bless this review!
Fatshark did an amazing job in creating an immersive, easy-to-learn but hard-to-master intense co-op experience like no other. Vermintide 2 has a high skill ceiling and rewards team play but also elevates personal skills. Supporting each other is essential but a single great player can save the run and clutch the moment. The community is very friendly and welcomes new players. The player base is still active and there is plenty of content!
Sigmar! Bless this review!
Wolfenstein: The Colossal Cringefest
I grew up with Return to Castle: Wolfenstein and Enemy Territory. RTCW remains one of my all-time favourites and It's not just nostalgia - I replay it quite often and consider it a timeless FPS. I can't say the same about the MachineGames's Wolfenstein.
The whole Nu-Wolfenstein saga is extremely mid and The New Colossus is a waste of time:
- The majority of the game consists of cutscenes.
- New characters are infuriating.
- The villains are comically evil (which was not the case with past Wolfenstein titles and it feels completely out of place) and barely relevant to the flat plot.
- Level design reeks of wasted potential. Some of the locations at first glance are stunning but soon you are put in the same grey corridors, bombed-out buildings, and warehouses we have seen so many.
- Side missions are a joke and shouldn't be here.
- Worst story pacing I have seen so far. The gameplay gets interrupted by cutscenes quite often. There is almost zero world-building or anything different than shooting (in the same galleries or corridors), watching cutscenes, and repeating. There are a couple of difficulty spikes that happen out of the blue in which on higher difficulties you need to cheese the (atrocious) AI to progress.
- Almost zero enemy and weapons variety. Atrocious AI which simply doesn't work.
I'm just glad I bought the Nu-Wolfenstein saga bundle for dirt cheap. At least the next instalment in the series is better... right?
I grew up with Return to Castle: Wolfenstein and Enemy Territory. RTCW remains one of my all-time favourites and It's not just nostalgia - I replay it quite often and consider it a timeless FPS. I can't say the same about the MachineGames's Wolfenstein.
The whole Nu-Wolfenstein saga is extremely mid and The New Colossus is a waste of time:
- The majority of the game consists of cutscenes.
- New characters are infuriating.
- The villains are comically evil (which was not the case with past Wolfenstein titles and it feels completely out of place) and barely relevant to the flat plot.
- Level design reeks of wasted potential. Some of the locations at first glance are stunning but soon you are put in the same grey corridors, bombed-out buildings, and warehouses we have seen so many.
- Side missions are a joke and shouldn't be here.
- Worst story pacing I have seen so far. The gameplay gets interrupted by cutscenes quite often. There is almost zero world-building or anything different than shooting (in the same galleries or corridors), watching cutscenes, and repeating. There are a couple of difficulty spikes that happen out of the blue in which on higher difficulties you need to cheese the (atrocious) AI to progress.
- Almost zero enemy and weapons variety. Atrocious AI which simply doesn't work.
I'm just glad I bought the Nu-Wolfenstein saga bundle for dirt cheap. At least the next instalment in the series is better... right?
2021
A great way to explore Chornobyl and Pripyat virtually!
It seems it’s almost obligatory to start a review of Chernobylite by saying how this is a completely different game to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. While this is true, people fail to mention how the studio, The Farm 51, since the beginning of their Kickstarter right until the final release compared their project to “nuclear horror games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” (this phrase was also used in emails when sending review codes to some YouTubers).
I’m one of the early backers on Kickstarter and this is exactly what caught my intention. I’m glad Chernobylite is nothing like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. If I was to say “Chernobylite is like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” then I wouldn’t give justice to the project and the team behind it.
The main gameplay loop of Chernobylite is simple – you build a base, manage resources, shoot soldiers and nuclear ghosts, and recruit and manage different characters who help you find your wife. The base building and NPC management are very integral to what the game is about. However, It seems like The Farm 51 didn’t have a clear vision. There are a lot of mechanics added and all of them are quite basic, middling at best. After playing for 3-4 hours I started to feel like I’d seen all there is to see and do. The combat is laughable. On higher difficulty, enemies are bullet sponges while being aimbots and see you through walls, trees etc. The game never truly pushes you to collect more resources. You can easily beat the game without ever exploring even on higher difficulty which is a missed opportunity.
You are exploring devastated land by one of the greatest disasters in human history yet It’s a pretty forgiving landscape. All there is really to worry about is pockets of radiation which can easily be cured and the gas clouds… for which you have a gas mask. There are no mutated wild animals or anomalies to worry about. The survival elements of Chernobylite are missing.
The story of the Chornobyl site is persistent. When you die, you don’t get back to a checkpoint (although the game allows it, again – why?). Instead, you get captured and the story continues. Your failure becomes another part of the story and you even get the chance to meet new characters and finish side quests. The strength of Chernobylite lies not exactly with the story itself but more so with how flexible it is. There are a lot of decisions you have to take and your decisions have consequences. From time to time, you get the chance to change your decisions if you have enough “Chernobylite” resources.
Another great mechanic on paper but ruined because of the lack of clear vision is the mental state of you and your team. You play as a nuclear physicist so all the shooting and stabbing is too much for your psyche. But that simply makes the edges of the screen dark and has almost zero influence on the gameplay or story. How do you fix your psyche? By eating a bowl of soup or swilling down some alcohol which is quite clearly supposed to be vodka. A clear spirit in Ukraine – it’s not going to be a Beefeater gin or Bacardi rum. What about the psyche of your team? Just build more comfortable accommodation, clear the air and give them more bread.
“The Zone” is gorgeous and dreadful, and Chernobylite squeezes an impressive amount of variety out of each __cpLocation. This is truly a photorealistic game. Honestly, this might be one of the best-looking indie games I have ever seen. The environments are made with 3D scans of Chernobyl and Pripyat and this is for most people the closest you’re ever going to get to exploring the area. The ambient soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly. Radiation pools expand. NAR soldiers arrive better equipped. Tempestuous "Chenobylite storms" grow more intense.
Despite being a very middling experience, at the end of the day, I recommend Chernobylite because of the weight it gives player choices and the flexibility of the narrative makes it compelling and the atmosphere is truly well done. Congrats to the team for all the hard work and I’m glad I backed the project on Kickstarter.
It seems it’s almost obligatory to start a review of Chernobylite by saying how this is a completely different game to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. While this is true, people fail to mention how the studio, The Farm 51, since the beginning of their Kickstarter right until the final release compared their project to “nuclear horror games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” (this phrase was also used in emails when sending review codes to some YouTubers).
I’m one of the early backers on Kickstarter and this is exactly what caught my intention. I’m glad Chernobylite is nothing like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. If I was to say “Chernobylite is like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” then I wouldn’t give justice to the project and the team behind it.
The main gameplay loop of Chernobylite is simple – you build a base, manage resources, shoot soldiers and nuclear ghosts, and recruit and manage different characters who help you find your wife. The base building and NPC management are very integral to what the game is about. However, It seems like The Farm 51 didn’t have a clear vision. There are a lot of mechanics added and all of them are quite basic, middling at best. After playing for 3-4 hours I started to feel like I’d seen all there is to see and do. The combat is laughable. On higher difficulty, enemies are bullet sponges while being aimbots and see you through walls, trees etc. The game never truly pushes you to collect more resources. You can easily beat the game without ever exploring even on higher difficulty which is a missed opportunity.
You are exploring devastated land by one of the greatest disasters in human history yet It’s a pretty forgiving landscape. All there is really to worry about is pockets of radiation which can easily be cured and the gas clouds… for which you have a gas mask. There are no mutated wild animals or anomalies to worry about. The survival elements of Chernobylite are missing.
The story of the Chornobyl site is persistent. When you die, you don’t get back to a checkpoint (although the game allows it, again – why?). Instead, you get captured and the story continues. Your failure becomes another part of the story and you even get the chance to meet new characters and finish side quests. The strength of Chernobylite lies not exactly with the story itself but more so with how flexible it is. There are a lot of decisions you have to take and your decisions have consequences. From time to time, you get the chance to change your decisions if you have enough “Chernobylite” resources.
Another great mechanic on paper but ruined because of the lack of clear vision is the mental state of you and your team. You play as a nuclear physicist so all the shooting and stabbing is too much for your psyche. But that simply makes the edges of the screen dark and has almost zero influence on the gameplay or story. How do you fix your psyche? By eating a bowl of soup or swilling down some alcohol which is quite clearly supposed to be vodka. A clear spirit in Ukraine – it’s not going to be a Beefeater gin or Bacardi rum. What about the psyche of your team? Just build more comfortable accommodation, clear the air and give them more bread.
“The Zone” is gorgeous and dreadful, and Chernobylite squeezes an impressive amount of variety out of each __cpLocation. This is truly a photorealistic game. Honestly, this might be one of the best-looking indie games I have ever seen. The environments are made with 3D scans of Chernobyl and Pripyat and this is for most people the closest you’re ever going to get to exploring the area. The ambient soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly. Radiation pools expand. NAR soldiers arrive better equipped. Tempestuous "Chenobylite storms" grow more intense.
Despite being a very middling experience, at the end of the day, I recommend Chernobylite because of the weight it gives player choices and the flexibility of the narrative makes it compelling and the atmosphere is truly well done. Congrats to the team for all the hard work and I’m glad I backed the project on Kickstarter.
2020
ELDERBORN is promoted as a "Metal AF slasher with brutal FPP melee combat" and let's be honest - nothing of that is true. I tried hard to like it but I had enough. There is no depth to any of the mechanics.
I'm confused by the many reviews claiming that the gameplay is "fluid and fun" because all I could find was slow, clunky and boring melee gameplay. For the first boss, I just had the scythes and parry all his attacks until he dies. Zero challenge even on the highest difficulty but you often die from one-hit kill traps (which sometimes you can't even avoid). This is definitely not " souls-like" in the slightest and it barely has any RPG progression (add meaningless points to increase damage or attack speed by tiny percentages).
The overwhelming success of indie titles shows that being an indie title is no longer an excuse for shallow gameplay. ELDERBORN feels like a unity cash-grab in many ways.
I'm confused by the many reviews claiming that the gameplay is "fluid and fun" because all I could find was slow, clunky and boring melee gameplay. For the first boss, I just had the scythes and parry all his attacks until he dies. Zero challenge even on the highest difficulty but you often die from one-hit kill traps (which sometimes you can't even avoid). This is definitely not " souls-like" in the slightest and it barely has any RPG progression (add meaningless points to increase damage or attack speed by tiny percentages).
The overwhelming success of indie titles shows that being an indie title is no longer an excuse for shallow gameplay. ELDERBORN feels like a unity cash-grab in many ways.
Frustration Island: Refund Edition
I remember enjoying Dead Island when it was released back in 2011. I have beaten it 3 times CO-OP with different people and we enjoyed it. But playing it now brings only frustration.
The so-called "Definitive Edition" is worse than the original and you can't buy the original:
• The original had many bugs but this one has even more
• Removed some weapon mods
• Strip-down gore
• Broken physics
• Removed nudity
• Uglier graphics & runs poorly
Act I is okay, even fun. It's better to just roll the credits after the end of it and never come back. Anything beyond that is not only a waste of time, it'll actively ruin whatever enjoyment you've had with the game up to that point. Act II almost immediately becomes glitchy, stupidly unbalanced and incredibly frustrating. Endless swarms of respawning zombies. Some of them can one-shot you by throwing knives like it's a CoD game. Mobs of zombies will constantly clip through walls and floors. Don't get me started on the gunplay - it's atrocious.
The story is as generic as it can get. The characters look and talk like shit. Quests are boring and repetitive, go from point A to point B, return to point A and repeat.
I remember enjoying Dead Island when it was released back in 2011. I have beaten it 3 times CO-OP with different people and we enjoyed it. But playing it now brings only frustration.
The so-called "Definitive Edition" is worse than the original and you can't buy the original:
• The original had many bugs but this one has even more
• Removed some weapon mods
• Strip-down gore
• Broken physics
• Removed nudity
• Uglier graphics & runs poorly
Act I is okay, even fun. It's better to just roll the credits after the end of it and never come back. Anything beyond that is not only a waste of time, it'll actively ruin whatever enjoyment you've had with the game up to that point. Act II almost immediately becomes glitchy, stupidly unbalanced and incredibly frustrating. Endless swarms of respawning zombies. Some of them can one-shot you by throwing knives like it's a CoD game. Mobs of zombies will constantly clip through walls and floors. Don't get me started on the gunplay - it's atrocious.
The story is as generic as it can get. The characters look and talk like shit. Quests are boring and repetitive, go from point A to point B, return to point A and repeat.
Buy S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, support Ukraine!
If you've played this far into the series you know what you're in for. A cult classic with the still active and creative mod community!
Слава Україні! Героям слава!
If you've played this far into the series you know what you're in for. A cult classic with the still active and creative mod community!
Слава Україні! Героям слава!
2020
A remaster nobody asked for which is worse than the original. Beated it in one sitting for the 25+ time. It's a special game for me but better stick to the original version.
2013
Battlefield 4 is arguably the best Battlefield infantry experience you can get!
It had a disastrous launch and it took DICE LA (not the developers) years to polish it out. The movement system is fast and fluid, combined with addictive gunplay. There are some exploits like ZouZou jumping which take some time to practice but can make the difference in most situations. There are tons of HUD customizations and this should be mandatory for all FPS titles but you won't find it outside BF4. I started playing it actively back in 2017 and I have spent 300+ hours playing mainly Operation Lockers 24/7 and other good infantry maps.
From here on, everything goes downhill. Battlefield 4 is FULL of annoying gadgets, grenades, etc. Most of the maps are terrible or made for vehicle combat where a good pilot/tanker can dominate the entire enemy team. Before it was full of terrible admins who would ban every good player because of "cheating". Currently, most good servers with proper rules and weapon/gadget restrictions are offline so It's a lot harder to find a proper server.
Battlefield 4 is also the last "good" Battlefield title. Everything after it has been a shitshow and DICE is trying to attract casual players and forcing political correctness, Swedish style. I'm a fan of the series ever since Bad Company 2 where I spend 1000+ hours. I pre-ordered Battlefield 3 (where a lot of bad changes were implemented like suppression), Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1 (which I couldn't play for more than 100 hours). After so many disappointments, the whole franchise is dead to me and I couldn't care less for the future titles.
It had a disastrous launch and it took DICE LA (not the developers) years to polish it out. The movement system is fast and fluid, combined with addictive gunplay. There are some exploits like ZouZou jumping which take some time to practice but can make the difference in most situations. There are tons of HUD customizations and this should be mandatory for all FPS titles but you won't find it outside BF4. I started playing it actively back in 2017 and I have spent 300+ hours playing mainly Operation Lockers 24/7 and other good infantry maps.
From here on, everything goes downhill. Battlefield 4 is FULL of annoying gadgets, grenades, etc. Most of the maps are terrible or made for vehicle combat where a good pilot/tanker can dominate the entire enemy team. Before it was full of terrible admins who would ban every good player because of "cheating". Currently, most good servers with proper rules and weapon/gadget restrictions are offline so It's a lot harder to find a proper server.
Battlefield 4 is also the last "good" Battlefield title. Everything after it has been a shitshow and DICE is trying to attract casual players and forcing political correctness, Swedish style. I'm a fan of the series ever since Bad Company 2 where I spend 1000+ hours. I pre-ordered Battlefield 3 (where a lot of bad changes were implemented like suppression), Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1 (which I couldn't play for more than 100 hours). After so many disappointments, the whole franchise is dead to me and I couldn't care less for the future titles.