GrailSeeker
DOOM I and DOOM II defined the FPS genre!
Thanks to them later we got shooters like Duke Nukem, Blood, Shadow Warrior, Quake and RTCW. RTCW was the first game I ever played but DOOM II is the game that left an impact on me.
Playing this in 2018 brought me a lot of nostalgia for the times when old-school shooters were simple, smooth, fast, sometimes over the top and always challenging. Times when people were not that sensitive and easily offended. The market was still not flooded with overpriced uncompleted generic looking games.
The gaming demographics were very small, especially in post-communist countries and not many people had PCs. I was one of the lucky kids to have a PC just because my father and his friends saw the potential of computer tech development at the beginning of the '90s. Those were wild years in the ex-communist bloc - the transition from communism to the free market, years of violence, drugs, uncertainty and everybody looking for a way to survive. Getting a PC and video games was far harder and involved having connections with people from Western countries. Except for working with PCs, something rare for that time, my father and his friends have spent hours and hours after work playing DOOM II multiplayer. He didn't believe me that you can still run old shooters on a modern PC until I started the GZDoom port. I brought him 20 years back and additionally showed him Brutal DOOM. Well, you can say he was quite happy.
Thanks to them later we got shooters like Duke Nukem, Blood, Shadow Warrior, Quake and RTCW. RTCW was the first game I ever played but DOOM II is the game that left an impact on me.
Playing this in 2018 brought me a lot of nostalgia for the times when old-school shooters were simple, smooth, fast, sometimes over the top and always challenging. Times when people were not that sensitive and easily offended. The market was still not flooded with overpriced uncompleted generic looking games.
The gaming demographics were very small, especially in post-communist countries and not many people had PCs. I was one of the lucky kids to have a PC just because my father and his friends saw the potential of computer tech development at the beginning of the '90s. Those were wild years in the ex-communist bloc - the transition from communism to the free market, years of violence, drugs, uncertainty and everybody looking for a way to survive. Getting a PC and video games was far harder and involved having connections with people from Western countries. Except for working with PCs, something rare for that time, my father and his friends have spent hours and hours after work playing DOOM II multiplayer. He didn't believe me that you can still run old shooters on a modern PC until I started the GZDoom port. I brought him 20 years back and additionally showed him Brutal DOOM. Well, you can say he was quite happy.
2016
Bioshock just ticks all the boxes. Right from the beginning, it becomes obvious that the people that worked on it are very talented.
Bioshock starts with one of the single most incredible openings in the FPS genre if not video games in general. Fantastic level design and art style inspired heavily by Beaux Arts and Art Deco. You discover and start to understand the story and the lore by exploring Rapture. Even different corpses on the ground tell their own story. Every element around the city is full of details, character and charm from vending machines to the Splicers (the main enemy type), giving you an insight into the events that led them to where they are. The atmosphere is phenomenal and unique.
Gameplay and the shooting are addictive, just like old-school shooters. The fights with the Big Daddies can be tense and brutal until the later levels where you already have enough equipment to deal with them quickly.
Most of the negative reviews are because of the remastered version. I don't know if they patched it or I'm simply playing a different version from the others but I haven't encountered any bugs/glitches. The game never crashed and I was able to run it at a stable 200 FPS. The only "complain" I have is the lack of graphics options but It's not that big of a deal.
So now, would you kindly buy Bioshock?
Bioshock starts with one of the single most incredible openings in the FPS genre if not video games in general. Fantastic level design and art style inspired heavily by Beaux Arts and Art Deco. You discover and start to understand the story and the lore by exploring Rapture. Even different corpses on the ground tell their own story. Every element around the city is full of details, character and charm from vending machines to the Splicers (the main enemy type), giving you an insight into the events that led them to where they are. The atmosphere is phenomenal and unique.
Gameplay and the shooting are addictive, just like old-school shooters. The fights with the Big Daddies can be tense and brutal until the later levels where you already have enough equipment to deal with them quickly.
Most of the negative reviews are because of the remastered version. I don't know if they patched it or I'm simply playing a different version from the others but I haven't encountered any bugs/glitches. The game never crashed and I was able to run it at a stable 200 FPS. The only "complain" I have is the lack of graphics options but It's not that big of a deal.
So now, would you kindly buy Bioshock?
The Witcher hasn't aged well. The storyline and the atmosphere are very well done. It has the darkest atmosphere in the whole trilogy, just as it should be. I love the old-school vibes and mechanics. But that's it.
The combat is clunky and too easy even on the hardest difficulty. If you play it right, you can become immortal. Even the boss fights feel like fighting a normal enemy. It took me around 1-2 min to beat the final boss. The dialogues are bad - did a child write them? At least the voice acting is good.
I encountered some annoying bugs. For example, sometimes I couldn't talk to anyone nor loot or draw my weapon. The only way to fix it was by saving and restarting the whole game. I had to redo the whole last 20 min of the game because of this (and because I didn't feel the need to save). Sometimes instead of a cinematic, I would get a black screen and again have to restart the whole game. In some of the more populated areas, my FPS would drop from 110 to 40. I understand it's an old game but it's still annoying.
In terms of equipment - don't expect much. There are only 3 armours, the last one you get is in the final chapter. Not much choice in weapons either. You end up with a lot of coins... and nothing to do with them.
Despite everything, I will still recommend it simply because it's The Witcher. For people who are just entering the world of The Witcher - don't hesitate! Read the books by Andrzej Sapkowski and continue with the games. It was cheap on sale (2€ only). With an open mindset, it's easy to get used to the old mechanics and clunky combat. The Witcher made me appreciate even more what a masterpiece The Witcher 3 is!
The combat is clunky and too easy even on the hardest difficulty. If you play it right, you can become immortal. Even the boss fights feel like fighting a normal enemy. It took me around 1-2 min to beat the final boss. The dialogues are bad - did a child write them? At least the voice acting is good.
I encountered some annoying bugs. For example, sometimes I couldn't talk to anyone nor loot or draw my weapon. The only way to fix it was by saving and restarting the whole game. I had to redo the whole last 20 min of the game because of this (and because I didn't feel the need to save). Sometimes instead of a cinematic, I would get a black screen and again have to restart the whole game. In some of the more populated areas, my FPS would drop from 110 to 40. I understand it's an old game but it's still annoying.
In terms of equipment - don't expect much. There are only 3 armours, the last one you get is in the final chapter. Not much choice in weapons either. You end up with a lot of coins... and nothing to do with them.
Despite everything, I will still recommend it simply because it's The Witcher. For people who are just entering the world of The Witcher - don't hesitate! Read the books by Andrzej Sapkowski and continue with the games. It was cheap on sale (2€ only). With an open mindset, it's easy to get used to the old mechanics and clunky combat. The Witcher made me appreciate even more what a masterpiece The Witcher 3 is!
2001
The original John Wick.
The Witcher 3 is spectacular!
I have never felt empty after finishing a game before.
The improvements between the three titles are another reason to appreciate what CDPR has created.
I will try to make a short review of the things that made me fall in love with this masterpiece:
• Excellent lore and storyline based on Andrzej Sapkowski's novels.
• Beautifully crafted world where every __cpLocation is unique, combined with fabulous graphics.
• The soundtrack is masterfully composed and it fits just right in every situation.
• Loveable characters and you feel connected to them. This is one of the strongest aspects of the series and novels.
• Well-written dialogues.
• Detailed and immersive cutscenes. The cinematography on some of them is simply phenomenal and breathtaking.
• A lot of choices to make and they do matter. There are 36 different ending variations, 3 of them are the major ends with a cutscene.
• All the main and side quests are high quality and very enjoyable. The monster contracts are also great.
• This is a mature game - there is plenty of nudity and gore.
• The DLCs contain more content than most of the 60$ games. Not to mention there are 16 free DLCs (new quests and gear).
• Enjoyable combat. It's nothing that special but you have to learn your enemies' weaknesses and their attack patterns. The game is quite challenging on a higher difficulty.
• The game is long but you don't feel it because of how much you enjoy it.
• Minor details, quests and conversations that can be easily missed. After 5 years, there are still new things the community finds.
Cons:
• The game has an end.
• Other games become harder to get into.
• Unbalanced on higher difficulties.
• You can get unstoppable on NG+ with the right build, removing any challenge.
• Some small bugs and clippings.
• Movement is sometimes clunky.
I have never felt empty after finishing a game before.
The improvements between the three titles are another reason to appreciate what CDPR has created.
I will try to make a short review of the things that made me fall in love with this masterpiece:
• Excellent lore and storyline based on Andrzej Sapkowski's novels.
• Beautifully crafted world where every __cpLocation is unique, combined with fabulous graphics.
• The soundtrack is masterfully composed and it fits just right in every situation.
• Loveable characters and you feel connected to them. This is one of the strongest aspects of the series and novels.
• Well-written dialogues.
• Detailed and immersive cutscenes. The cinematography on some of them is simply phenomenal and breathtaking.
• A lot of choices to make and they do matter. There are 36 different ending variations, 3 of them are the major ends with a cutscene.
• All the main and side quests are high quality and very enjoyable. The monster contracts are also great.
• This is a mature game - there is plenty of nudity and gore.
• The DLCs contain more content than most of the 60$ games. Not to mention there are 16 free DLCs (new quests and gear).
• Enjoyable combat. It's nothing that special but you have to learn your enemies' weaknesses and their attack patterns. The game is quite challenging on a higher difficulty.
• The game is long but you don't feel it because of how much you enjoy it.
• Minor details, quests and conversations that can be easily missed. After 5 years, there are still new things the community finds.
Cons:
• The game has an end.
• Other games become harder to get into.
• Unbalanced on higher difficulties.
• You can get unstoppable on NG+ with the right build, removing any challenge.
• Some small bugs and clippings.
• Movement is sometimes clunky.
2015
Fallout 4 is the perfect example of why people should stop overhyping anything.
Is it the Fallout title we all wanted? No. Is it a bad game? ♥♥♥♥ no.
It's a weak title from the series because of the simplification of the RPG elements and making it far more casual. Still, it has the best gameplay in the series, a beautiful world with a lot of lore, and small stories.
Truth be told, Bethesda never understood the Fallout universe. The first two Fallout titles were clever examples of retrofuturism. In Bethesda’s games, the idea seems to be that Fallout takes place in a world where the bombs fell in the 1950s. Or rather, in a world where the culture of the 1950s lasted an extra 120 years and even endured through the apocalypse. And that’s what the world of Fallout is. It’s not the 1950s. It’s the year 2077 as the people of the 1950s would have imagined it.
A great video explaining the ideas behind the original Fallout lore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8U4k2Ik6yk&feature=emb_title
To enjoy it, you have to look at it as a great shooter in the Fallout universe. To this day, New Vegas holds the top and I hope Bethesda can learn from their mistakes.
Is it the Fallout title we all wanted? No. Is it a bad game? ♥♥♥♥ no.
It's a weak title from the series because of the simplification of the RPG elements and making it far more casual. Still, it has the best gameplay in the series, a beautiful world with a lot of lore, and small stories.
Truth be told, Bethesda never understood the Fallout universe. The first two Fallout titles were clever examples of retrofuturism. In Bethesda’s games, the idea seems to be that Fallout takes place in a world where the bombs fell in the 1950s. Or rather, in a world where the culture of the 1950s lasted an extra 120 years and even endured through the apocalypse. And that’s what the world of Fallout is. It’s not the 1950s. It’s the year 2077 as the people of the 1950s would have imagined it.
A great video explaining the ideas behind the original Fallout lore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8U4k2Ik6yk&feature=emb_title
To enjoy it, you have to look at it as a great shooter in the Fallout universe. To this day, New Vegas holds the top and I hope Bethesda can learn from their mistakes.
Before playing Metro 2033 or Last Light, I highly recommend reading the books. You won't regret it!
As for the games - other developers need to take notes. It's just a phenomenal-looking game. The atmosphere is immersive and engaging. From the lighting and sound effects to the models of the mutants and all the factions (except the female characters which for some reason look bad). I also recommend changing the audio to Russian.
The shooting is satisfying and challenging especially on "Ranger Hardcore" difficulty. The game has a system where with certain actions you earn or lose moral points which determine the ending. Some of the mechanics I haven't seen in any other game. The watch in the game is synchronized with your PC. When taking damage, your gas mask starts to crack and break. Rain, blood or mud will often cover your mask and block your vision so you can simply wipe it.
It's just amazing what a small Ukrainian studio managed to create. Most of the complaints about the Metro series are that they are too linear. Well, they are made linearly on purpose to tell a story.
As for the games - other developers need to take notes. It's just a phenomenal-looking game. The atmosphere is immersive and engaging. From the lighting and sound effects to the models of the mutants and all the factions (except the female characters which for some reason look bad). I also recommend changing the audio to Russian.
The shooting is satisfying and challenging especially on "Ranger Hardcore" difficulty. The game has a system where with certain actions you earn or lose moral points which determine the ending. Some of the mechanics I haven't seen in any other game. The watch in the game is synchronized with your PC. When taking damage, your gas mask starts to crack and break. Rain, blood or mud will often cover your mask and block your vision so you can simply wipe it.
It's just amazing what a small Ukrainian studio managed to create. Most of the complaints about the Metro series are that they are too linear. Well, they are made linearly on purpose to tell a story.
I never had the chance to play Republic Commando when I was a child but loved the trailers. So the nostalgia factor doesn't have an effect on me. I'm expecting to get a lot of hate but I don't really understand why is there such a big praise for this game.
I will begin with the cons: bad AI even on the hardest difficulty (squad mates doing damage to you, getting on your way and even enemies just standing and doing nothing), nothing special about the gameplay - enemies are bullet sponges, the shooting is dull, weapons don't feel impactful (except the shotgun) but melee does the most damage. The game doesn't support widescreen resolutions and has terrible mouse acceleration but thanks to the modding community there are fixes. There is no lore, the campaign is just 3 linear and repetitive missions. Just as it gets interesting - the game ends.
However, there are still some pros - great OST, the game is actually quite challenging even on normal difficulty, cheesy dialogues, the HUD is very well made, and this is so far the only Star Wars game from a soldier's perspective and not from force-sensitive characters.
I will begin with the cons: bad AI even on the hardest difficulty (squad mates doing damage to you, getting on your way and even enemies just standing and doing nothing), nothing special about the gameplay - enemies are bullet sponges, the shooting is dull, weapons don't feel impactful (except the shotgun) but melee does the most damage. The game doesn't support widescreen resolutions and has terrible mouse acceleration but thanks to the modding community there are fixes. There is no lore, the campaign is just 3 linear and repetitive missions. Just as it gets interesting - the game ends.
However, there are still some pros - great OST, the game is actually quite challenging even on normal difficulty, cheesy dialogues, the HUD is very well made, and this is so far the only Star Wars game from a soldier's perspective and not from force-sensitive characters.
Where it all started!