The beginning of the downfall of Crytek.

I'm one of the few guys who liked the original Crysis despite all its flaws. I still remember the hype when Crytek announced Crysis 2 and how disappointing it was.

Crysis 2 is truly a product of its time and reflects everything wrong with the majority of modern FPS titles.

Everything that made Crysis great - is completely gone:

• Clunky movement and generic gunplay
• No more freedom in approaching different objectives.
• No save slots, only inconsistent checkpoints.
• FPS locked to 60.
• Terrible console FOV which you can change with the console but dying, picking certain objects and cinematics reset it.
• Some video effects like constant glow/bloom/shining completely ruin the atmosphere. At the time, this was some kind of standard in a lot of games and I have always hated it.
• No improvements when it comes to bugs and the terrible AI since the first Crysis. Enemies often stand in one place or multiple enemies stack up in one place. Yet they can see you through walls or when you are clocked?
• Non-stop action like it's a Hollywood big-budget blockbuster.


There are still some things Crytek managed to do right. I liked the "city-jungle" environment and the story is great. Crysis 2 has one of the greatest soundtracks ever composed by my compatriot Borislav Slavov and the genius Hans Zimmer.

Overall, It's hard for me to recommend Crysis 2. If anyone wants to try it - wait for a sale, it gets around 4-5€.

Ready for a bit of the old ULTRA-VIOLENCE?
Simply the greatest FPS ever made. A must-have for fans of the genre.

DOOM Eternal is extremely challenging and crushing but also balanced if you know how to play properly. The whole idea of the game is to get you better and better. Every encounter is a new challenge. The arenas are combat puzzles - you have to prioritise enemies, attack their weaknesses and constantly be on the move to survive. Every tool at your disposal has huge strengths, weaknesses and purposes.

The performance and graphics are fantastic. Levels have way more variety and incredible aesthetics. There are lots of secret hunting and collectables. id Software is building a whole DOOM universe and so far it's gorgeous. The story and lore are pretty good. On top of all, we get a new Mick Gordon album.

First, the publisher Deep Silver decided to make a scummy move and make Metro Exodus an Epic store an exclusive couple of days before release.

After a whole year, we get a broken game with terrible voice actors, and no advanced graphic options, in which the only way to remove blur and get a higher FOV is to tweak a config file.

Despite everything, I still highly recommend Metro Exodus because of the story and the astonishing atmosphere. This time we have a mix of linear sections and open-world levels which is a welcomed addition. There is a big focus on managing resources and weapon customisation on the go, inspired by Crysis. Often you will have to choose between medkits, filters for the gas mask or bullets. The combat itself is challenging and immersive. A lot of improvements were made from 2033 and Last Light. I hope this isn't the last title in the series. Glukhovsky kinda confirmed on his Instagram that the story will continue with other games.

And, as always, I highly recommend everyone to read the books!

Dishonored is the true spiritual successor of the Thief franchise (even though it has a different focus) and one of the greatest immersive sims ever made.

As an immersive sim, Dishonored offers you large levels to explore on your own, with open goals that you can solve your way rather than being told what to do. The story is nothing special - you are betrayed by the royal spymaster, helped out of prison by a group of loyalists and then sent on a revenge trip against the traitors. There are two ways you can complete every level - lethal and non-lethal. The amount of people you kill determines your chaos level, giving you a more optimistic or more pessimistic ending, which increases the replay value.

I love the art style of Dishonored. The level design is excellent and the game world is very well crafted. The overall design and aesthetic are very appealing. Not a real surprise since my compatriot Viktor Antonov worked on it - the same art director who build City 17 from Half-life. Antonov is renowned for creating compelling fictional worlds that combine beauty with striking realism. Visually Dishonored looks like a painting in motion. There aren't high-resolution textures or special visual effects but it's still highly immersive and runs more than adequately.

As for the gameplay - the combat is so immensely satisfying. My only problem with Dishonored is how easy it is even on the so-called highest difficulty.

Overall, there is no reason not to recommend Dishonored. It's often overlooked even tho it has overwhelmingly positive reviews and during sales, it gets dirt cheap. I highly recommend the DLC too.

Hellblade is a game like no other. The gameplay mixed with simple puzzles is not something new or ground-breaking. What makes it a great experience is the theme combined with the visuals and the soundtrack.

Ninja Theory combined Celtic and Norse mythology with the main character Senua, who is plagued by psychosis. She hears whispering voices all the time. Those voices tell her what to do, or what not to do. Sometimes they reveal things from Senua’s past and tell little stories, other times they try to encourage her, or even predict her certain demise.

The whole experience was developed with the help of neuroscientists at Cambridge University. Mental health is an interesting and serious topic that often gets neglected by society and most people don't understand how common most illness is. This in my eyes is Hellblade‘s strongest element.

While having an incredible atmosphere, Hellblade’s combat system is pretty standard. The game does not tell you how to do anything so you have to learn everything on your own which is refreshing. In between the fights you mostly solve simple rune puzzles. The story is short but it ends before getting repetitive.

The only thing I dislike is Senua's dreadlocks. Seriously. Please, stop playing with history. The developer's explanation is “They put a lime in their hair, that would clump up and give them this dreadlock look”. That's partly true. Their hairstyles were never like the African dreadlocks. It was made simply because they thought it looks "cooler".

Amid Evil may be inspired by Heretic and HeXen, but it rises above those!
Amid Evil maintains an identity of its own. The fantasy art style is original and creative, surpassing most fantasy worlds we have seen so far.

You play a nameless hero in a nameless fantasy realm that has been corrupted by a nameless evil, and it’s your job to cleanse this infestation using the most creative and intelligently thought-out weapon set I’ve seen in an FPS for quite some time. Staffs, tridents and morningstars, all imbued with some Eldritch, Arcane power.

Every episode has a unique theme and roster of enemies. Each realm is captivating and beautiful, superbly designed with a complex 3D design. The architecture is striking and despite intentional pixelation, the game remains beautiful.

As for the gameplay - it feels exactly as it should. It's fast and you constantly have to be on the move while strafing around your foes. The shooting is also excellent, with an arsenal of weapons that are effective in different circumstances.

The rocket launcher equivalent shoots miniature exploding planets. What more do you need to buy Amid Evil right away?

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a typical Ubisoft product and a perfect example of what's going wrong in the gaming industry for years now.
I've never liked the AC franchise, even back in 2007. The only reason why I bought Odyssey is because of the historical period and the lack of games which have in it. A lot of people like to point out how much content it offers but in truth is quantity over quality, in an old Ubisoft fashion.

A question, that is often asked when it comes to historically inspired games, is how historically accurate it is.
Although the world is true to history (more about it below), there are a lot of historical inaccuracies for gameplay's sake like Sparta magically having a big navy and Athens can magically hold its own in all these open land battles. For some reason, both armies don't know anything about strategies, doctrines or even combat formations. Big conquest battles are chaotic 1v1 fights. A lot of the weapons look too big and I don't understand why? It doesn't even make the look "cooler" or "more epic". The majority of Greeks look like modern Arabs from North Africa.

The Good:
• Odyssey's world is the best recreation of Ancient Greece that you will find anywhere! This is the main reason why I have spent so many hours. Ubisoft included so many small details that truly make the world-historical accurate. The best example is probably coloured statues. The world is filled with recreations of real monuments and buildings. It is huge and diverse with plenty of content in it. The game also has a database function where you can visit and learn all about the Greek world.

• The inclusion of mythical creatures is done very well and doesn't break the immersion. They are all in remote __cpLocations, can be missed and don't affect the overall story. A fun addition.

• A wide variety of gear. Most of it is historically accurate but some of it is inspired by Greek myths and Greek heroes. For example the Agamemnon or Achilles armours.

• I liked the idea behind the Cult of Kosmos controlling both sides in the war for their purposes.

The Bad and the Ugly:
• The story is weird. But you never really care about any of the characters or feel connected to them.

• Far from being a true RPG! None of your choices matter or have any consequences except when it comes to your family members - kill them or spare them. That's it! You don't even have a role to play. People consider you a demigod. No classes. You can be a good assassin, hunter and warrior at the same time.

• Arcade mechanics and gameplay with little to no challenge. The AI is terrible. Enemies are often blind and deaf. They won't even alarm others when they find bodies. There is no fall damage! You can jump from wherever you want and won't die. You eagle can spot and mark everything even if it's underground. How about being ambushed by 2-5 damage sponge mercenaries? Very good idea, right?

• Most NPC look the same and the characters are very poorly animated in cutscenes. Far from AAA quality for 60€. The emotional reactions and facial motions are simply terrible.

• I'm not against representing females more in different media but how exactly does constantly killing women, some of which look like males, help?

• Odyssey is poorly optimized and people have been complaining since launch. Texture popping, crashes and stuttering are common even on a high-end PC.

• Ubisofts greed got bigger with every patch. Increasing the level cap (twice already, almost doubling it from 50 -> 70 -> 99) and lowering resource gain from in-game mechanics with every update is just to be explained with them trying to force you either into a needless, unnecessary grind that is frustrating or into spending money on their helix credits and in-game boosters. This, considering we are talking about a full-prized single-player game is just infuriating and outrageous.

• Don't bother with the DLCs! Uninspired, mediocre and more of the same. Not worth the 40€ (!!!).

Conclusion:
Not a game I will ever replay. Recommend only when on sale because of the world and the amount of content it offers even though it's repetitive.

Singularity is probably the best overlooked and under-appreciated FPS title. I'm sure the team that worked on it was quite talented and had great ideas but was pressured at the end by the big publisher and couldn't finish it the way they wanted to. You can find a lot of inspiration from Bioshock and Half-life plus some original ideas. The atmosphere and aesthetics are very well done. I liked the story - unique and intriguing. It would be great for a miniseries or even a book.

The graphics are good, nothing too fancy. The gunplay is quite generic, nothing new, nothing special. The final chapters feel rushed. The team was running out of time and financing.

Crysis is a special game for me.

This is the first game I ever bought and I still keep the physical copy. It was the reason why I met my best friend from childhood who sadly passed away in 2017. The game was known for having great graphics and a "But can it run Crysis" meme but I always thought it to be underrated.

Graphics aside, Crysis has a lot of bugs and atrocious AI.

On a positive note:

• Not many games give you this freedom of tackling the objectives the way you want.
• Crysis doesn't hold your hands. You can go gun blazing, snipe everyone from a distance, sneak pass or stealthy take down everyone.
• Back in 2007, the option to customise your guns on the go was innovative.
• The story is good. There are some missions where you can drive a tank and a V-TOL and it's a great change of pace.

Overall, I highly recommend getting Crysis outside of testing your PC.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is one of the finest RPGs ever released!
When I heard a realistic RPG about Medieval Bohemia being developed by a small Czech studio, I didn't believe they would handle it. As I have always said, the ex-Communist block is full of talented people.

KCD is one of a kind! Finished every single quest, with every possible option thanks to saving and all the DLCs. If you are impatient and want non-stop action - this game is not for you.

Unlike most RPGs, in Kingdom Come Deliverance you are not "the chosen one" or a powerful mutant or anything special. You are an ordinary peasant, a nobody, a commoner. Uneducated son of a blacksmith with nothing to your name. And you are never handed anything. You have to earn everything and skills must be learned on your own. Fights will be lost before they can be won. All of this combined makes a great experience that is extremely satisfying. After every victory, you are left with a feeling that you genuinely earned something.

As opposed to others, I will start with the cons.
• My biggest problem with KCD is, of course, the combat. At the beginning of your journey, your character doesn't know how to fight and the combat is extremely awkward. That's a great game design and I liked the idea. However, even when you reach a high level of warfare and your preferred weapon, the combat remains clunky, not as much as in the beginning but still annoying. Especially in a group fight. And most of the time you will fight a group of enemies. I know, even in real life is a nightmare to fight multiple people at the same time but here I'm pointing out only the clunkiness. I didn't have problems with destroying Cuman or bandit camps on my own. All I had to do is walk backwards and press Q at the right moment. By the end of the game, I maxed both maces and swords and I can say maces are extremely easy to use. The peasant Henry beat a German knight with one hit because I pressed Q at the right moment. How is this realistic? I don't understand why all "realistic" games have to be clunky. It's funny how all good RPGs have problems with the combat system. I hope Warhorse Studio will manage to improve the combat for the next title and make it smooth.

CLUNKY =/= REALISTIC

• I hate how opponents die. They don't make a sound or anything, they just tumble over silently. When you hit them, you won't see any impact. No gore, nothing. It's like hitting a tree.

• No real armour and weapons progress. All you have to do is rob shops during the night, sell the loot and straight away buy the best armour and weapons. You won't receive any special equipment from finishing quests. The best gear is simply sold in bigger cities. If you want to roleplay, kill as many bandits and Cumans as you can and you will have the money in no time. That's what I did, at least. You can equip any armour even if it's a higher level than you are and you will get a small buff but nothing serious.

• KCD had a rough release with a lot of serious technical problems and glitches. Most of them are already fixed. However, some glitches are VERY annoying. Like for example if you want to destroy a Cuman camp during the night while they sleep and after saving - suddenly all the Cumans have changed their positions and are awake with their torches lit. Or the bushes - I hate the bushes. They are like walls but you can get stuck in them. During one of the DLCs, the main character decided to fight only with their hands. That's quite...medieval.

• If you want to get the DLCs - wait for a sale. They are not worth it much, except for A Woman's Lot but I will write about it in the pros. The DLCs are short and don't add to the character development or the story. Just a couple more hours to spend in-game.

• The ending was... bad. I expected more to be honest. And the plot twist was predictable. It ruins the whole point of the story. I have the feeling that Warhorse Studio was just out of time or ideas and didn't know how to finish it. Also, a big part of the last quests was waiting. I suppose it was meant for the player to do side activities or quests before the ending but I had already done everything and had to wait.

Now with the pros:
• Most immersive RPG I have ever played. Hours feel like minutes. The world is masterfully crafted. You truly feel like you are in 15th-century Bohemia. Warhorse Studio spent a lot of time on the details - from the houses to the clothes, armour, weapons, shields, everything! When you hit an armoured enemy, you will see how his armour gets damaged and dents from your weapon.

• Sleep, energy and hunger mechanics are well thought out and never annoying. They add to the immersion. We see everything through Henry’s eyes, which supports the immersion, and lets us identify even more with the main character while we have to face the same challenges as we would in real life.

• The stealth system is so satisfying. All bandits, Cumans and NPCs sleep during the night and you can easily sneak up and kill them in their sleep or poison their food. I usually hate stealth in games but this time I plan a full stealth build for my second playthrough.

• Unique sidequests. Since you play as a commoner, there are some simple yet compelling and refreshing quests. For example learning to read, write and translate Latin. Or getting drunk with a priest. How about sneaking into a monastery and pretending to be a monk? In another quest, you can help a charlatan scare the whole village by dropping fake blood in the bathhouse, switching fresh meat with rotten meat in the butcher shop, switching eggs with charcoals... and maybe killing a random villager in his sleep. You probably have noticed - combat is not necessary. Most quests are all about the choices you make and the story rather than fighting dozens of enemies.

• A woman's lot is truly a great experience. At least the Theresa part. A female character done right without shovelling any feminism in our trouts. The story is about a woman and her challenges during and after the war, where she has to use all her skills to survive and help other villagers. I enjoyed it a lot and would say it's one of the best DLCs I have ever played, right after The Witcher 3 DLCs.

Conclusion
If my ode didn't already make it clear, Kingdom Come Deliverance is far from being perfect but I still adore it with all its flaws. If you are itching for a challenging RPG or you are simply a medieval-era fan, then you will not regret it. There is no denying that Warhorse Studio has created something special here. KCD is a triumph by any standard and certainly earns every bit of praise it gets.

When CDPR announced a new Witcher game, I was disappointed to find out it was a card game. I simply hate card games! However, after reading a couple of reviews and watching gameplay, it turned out to not be a typical card game so I decided to once again support CDPR.

No regrets! The art style is phenomenal. The gameplay - is addictive and fun to learn. A lot of the Gwent fans criticize it for being too easy but that's certainly not true for people new to this genre. I beat the game on the medium difficulty but I have to admit - I read a lot of guides. Liked the idea of the puzzles.

Most importantly - Thronebreaker gives the fans of the books even more depth to the Witcher lore, particularly events and characters. For the hours you get, it's worth the price. It was also very satisfying to finish all the achievements.