Nikonoim
2015
I’ve noticed something recently. When someone talks about their favourite or most influential media, it's usually something they've consumed very early on in their encounter with that medium. For example, 4 of my top 5 favourite games (as of writing this) are ones that I played before I started writing these reviews.
As such, I can’t say that Exiled Kingdoms is objectively an amazing game, as my rating would imply. However, I have become oddly attached to it and I very much enjoyed my time with it. It’s very much the opposite of a big-budget title. It’s the closest a one-man team can get to the expansive RPGs we see these days from the AAA scene (like Baldur’s Gate). Exiled Kingdoms tries to have an interesting storyline with many side quests along the way, good combat, and a world with lots of stories to tell.
Does it succeed? Well, it’s a matter of expectations. For me, it did. Even if my view is tainted by nostalgia, I respect the attention and love poured into this game. If you can stomach the low quality of pretty much everything, you will find a fun RPG with 50+ hours of content if you decide to do everything.
Also, the wiki is EXTENSIVE. I have seen AAA games with massive communities that have much less exhaustive wikis. There isn't a single thing you can’t find using it.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
The setting is a fairly standard medieval fantasy. There is plenty of world building throughout the game, which manages to set the world of Exiled Kingdoms apart from others with similar settings.
You play as some rando who has been left with a great inheritance by his ancestor, who is also a powerful wizard. The story spirals from there on. It's not the most creative plot, but still, I was invested in the story.
There are also 100 more side quests you can do as well. They don’t fall into the trap of being just fetch quests and are quite varied. Not a single one felt like a copy of another.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
It has all the parts of a traditional RPG. You gain exp. by doing quests, exploring, and fighting. After enough exp. you level up and can upgrade your stats and skills. In addition, while doing all those tasks to level up, you will probably find plenty of gear to use.
Quests I talked about already.
Exploration, while being on a 2D plane, is still satisfying, as the map is massive and there are plenty of secrets around and about. One thing I very much like, and I wish more games were like this is the way everything is fixed. Going back to the starter area all enemies will be easy to take down, they won't suddenly be endgame level, just because you are. The same goes for the gear, bad gear is in the low-level areas, the most powerful gear on the other hand is at the endgame area. This gives a feeling of constant progression and makes finding unique weapons worth the hassle.
Combat is very simplistic, but it can be heavily exploited. I played as a warrior, so I was exclusively melee. Normal combat is just standing next to an enemy and holding the attack button until one of you dies. One thing I should mention is the healing. You are given multiple free max health heals, but they can only be used when not in combat. You see where I am going with this. You fight a strong foe until low health, then run away until they deaggro and heal to full health. There are numerous other similar exploits, I found while playing. For me, they are the real combat depth.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
The worst part of Exiled Kingdoms. At its best it looks alright, other times the glaring flaws can be seen. For instance, there is an item called a magma axe, which is represented by a normal axe with a flame.jpg background. It’s understandable, you can’t expect everything to be handcrafted in such an ambitious project.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
The atmosphere is the kind of generic fantasy adventure.
It’s not the most atmospheric or immersive game, but it does a lot better than most. At least it doesn’t have any elements to pull you out.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
Listening back to the soundtrack, it's actually good. I don’t know who made it or whether it was originally for this game. I thought it was just mostly regular medieval music, but It’s a lot more varied and has more personality and charm than I remember. My favourite part is “The Complex”. (I don’t know if that’s the real name, that’s just what I found on YouTube)
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
My profile picture is from this game. His name is Uther Flonwe.
As such, I can’t say that Exiled Kingdoms is objectively an amazing game, as my rating would imply. However, I have become oddly attached to it and I very much enjoyed my time with it. It’s very much the opposite of a big-budget title. It’s the closest a one-man team can get to the expansive RPGs we see these days from the AAA scene (like Baldur’s Gate). Exiled Kingdoms tries to have an interesting storyline with many side quests along the way, good combat, and a world with lots of stories to tell.
Does it succeed? Well, it’s a matter of expectations. For me, it did. Even if my view is tainted by nostalgia, I respect the attention and love poured into this game. If you can stomach the low quality of pretty much everything, you will find a fun RPG with 50+ hours of content if you decide to do everything.
Also, the wiki is EXTENSIVE. I have seen AAA games with massive communities that have much less exhaustive wikis. There isn't a single thing you can’t find using it.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
The setting is a fairly standard medieval fantasy. There is plenty of world building throughout the game, which manages to set the world of Exiled Kingdoms apart from others with similar settings.
You play as some rando who has been left with a great inheritance by his ancestor, who is also a powerful wizard. The story spirals from there on. It's not the most creative plot, but still, I was invested in the story.
There are also 100 more side quests you can do as well. They don’t fall into the trap of being just fetch quests and are quite varied. Not a single one felt like a copy of another.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
It has all the parts of a traditional RPG. You gain exp. by doing quests, exploring, and fighting. After enough exp. you level up and can upgrade your stats and skills. In addition, while doing all those tasks to level up, you will probably find plenty of gear to use.
Quests I talked about already.
Exploration, while being on a 2D plane, is still satisfying, as the map is massive and there are plenty of secrets around and about. One thing I very much like, and I wish more games were like this is the way everything is fixed. Going back to the starter area all enemies will be easy to take down, they won't suddenly be endgame level, just because you are. The same goes for the gear, bad gear is in the low-level areas, the most powerful gear on the other hand is at the endgame area. This gives a feeling of constant progression and makes finding unique weapons worth the hassle.
Combat is very simplistic, but it can be heavily exploited. I played as a warrior, so I was exclusively melee. Normal combat is just standing next to an enemy and holding the attack button until one of you dies. One thing I should mention is the healing. You are given multiple free max health heals, but they can only be used when not in combat. You see where I am going with this. You fight a strong foe until low health, then run away until they deaggro and heal to full health. There are numerous other similar exploits, I found while playing. For me, they are the real combat depth.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
The worst part of Exiled Kingdoms. At its best it looks alright, other times the glaring flaws can be seen. For instance, there is an item called a magma axe, which is represented by a normal axe with a flame.jpg background. It’s understandable, you can’t expect everything to be handcrafted in such an ambitious project.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
The atmosphere is the kind of generic fantasy adventure.
It’s not the most atmospheric or immersive game, but it does a lot better than most. At least it doesn’t have any elements to pull you out.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
Listening back to the soundtrack, it's actually good. I don’t know who made it or whether it was originally for this game. I thought it was just mostly regular medieval music, but It’s a lot more varied and has more personality and charm than I remember. My favourite part is “The Complex”. (I don’t know if that’s the real name, that’s just what I found on YouTube)
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
My profile picture is from this game. His name is Uther Flonwe.
2019
In recent years, the genre of rouge-lite games has had many additions. Out of all of them, Risk of Rain 2 is by far the most ridiculous I’ve seen. It’s a game where there are no limits to your potential set, and you can become as overpowered as you desire.
It does follow the traditional rouge-lite formula. Fight through a level, while collecting as much loot as possible, kill the boss, and continue onwards. The major difference here is that it's actually 3D.
Overall, I highly recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of the genre or just wants a fun time-killer. It also has multiplayer.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
You are a member of a spaceship responding to a distress beacon sent from an unknown planet. In an attempt to find any survivors, you get sent down, completely unprepared for what’s to come.
The story is there mainly to set the scene. There isn’t much of any narrative while actually playing the game. Still, for those interested, there is quite a lot of lore, as every item and enemy has a description.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
As I said, it follows the standard rouge-lite formula seen in many other titles like Enter the Gungeon, The Binding of Isaac, and many others. It is simple, but highly effective and addictive. What sets Risk of Rain 2 apart from the others, and allowed it to become such a popular game, is its lack of restrains.
There aren’t any limits on how many times you can find a duplicate item or how fast you can clear a stage and so on. Becoming overpowered is the point. Being skilful at this game isn’t just about being able to dodge all the projectiles, it's about being able to maximize whatever loot you are given to create a build that can take you to the end and beyond.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
It's simplistic and by no means detailed. Still, I can’t imagine there will be a time when this game will look ugly and outdated. It’s a timeless design that conveys what it has to.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
The atmosphere is all over the place, first, you fight robots and bugs in a tundra, then lizard men and jellyfish in a desert then… you get the idea. Although perhaps because it never takes itself seriously, it works. It's distinctly “Risk of Rain”.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
An incredible soundtrack has been made for this game, and I can’t imagine any other that would fit so well. My favourite part is “The Rain Formerly Known as Purple”.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
Me when the weather reports show that there is a risk of rain.
It does follow the traditional rouge-lite formula. Fight through a level, while collecting as much loot as possible, kill the boss, and continue onwards. The major difference here is that it's actually 3D.
Overall, I highly recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of the genre or just wants a fun time-killer. It also has multiplayer.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
You are a member of a spaceship responding to a distress beacon sent from an unknown planet. In an attempt to find any survivors, you get sent down, completely unprepared for what’s to come.
The story is there mainly to set the scene. There isn’t much of any narrative while actually playing the game. Still, for those interested, there is quite a lot of lore, as every item and enemy has a description.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
As I said, it follows the standard rouge-lite formula seen in many other titles like Enter the Gungeon, The Binding of Isaac, and many others. It is simple, but highly effective and addictive. What sets Risk of Rain 2 apart from the others, and allowed it to become such a popular game, is its lack of restrains.
There aren’t any limits on how many times you can find a duplicate item or how fast you can clear a stage and so on. Becoming overpowered is the point. Being skilful at this game isn’t just about being able to dodge all the projectiles, it's about being able to maximize whatever loot you are given to create a build that can take you to the end and beyond.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
It's simplistic and by no means detailed. Still, I can’t imagine there will be a time when this game will look ugly and outdated. It’s a timeless design that conveys what it has to.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
The atmosphere is all over the place, first, you fight robots and bugs in a tundra, then lizard men and jellyfish in a desert then… you get the idea. Although perhaps because it never takes itself seriously, it works. It's distinctly “Risk of Rain”.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
An incredible soundtrack has been made for this game, and I can’t imagine any other that would fit so well. My favourite part is “The Rain Formerly Known as Purple”.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
Me when the weather reports show that there is a risk of rain.
2013
(I stopped playing around 2023, since then there have been new additions and changes to the game. Still, I believe my opinion still holds value.)
The genre of games that focus on tank-on-tank combat is rather niche. There are only two big-budget titles these days - War Thunder and World of Tanks. They have many similarities, as such they are often compared. I've played both, and I think they are equal in terms of fun. However, if I was a totally new player, I would pick War Thunder, due to the more active community and overall better direction that the game is heading.
I lied, War Thunder doesn't just focus on tank-on-tank combat, there are also planes, ships, and even helicopters. I have stuck mainly to ground vehicles, as that is what interests me most, but I have dabbled in air and naval combat as well. There is much attention put into all of these types, even if you care just about one of them, you will still find an enjoyable and quite in-depth game.
War Thunder is free to play, and with this comes microtransactions. There might be some pay-to-win aspects, but from my experience, its main advantage is skipping the grind.
If you haven't guessed already, you won't be getting your hands on the modern, shiny tanks and planes from the get-go. (Unless you spend money) The grind is looooong. I was a free-to-play player, and I got to 60 - 70% of a tech tree within 250 hours. Now I may be just bad, but still.
So would I recommend it? Unfortunately, it's one of those games that only really gets fun once you get good and start consistently getting kills each battle. My main problem with War Thunder and these type of games is that after all these hours, I can barely remember any of my playtime.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
None.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
I will mostly be talking about ground combat, since that's where I spend most of my time. It is one of those games with very unique gameplay, it's to the point where I am hard-pressed to name any other that does what War Thunder does. One could point to its main rival, World of Tanks, but even then there are glaring differences.
The key word in War Thunder is realism. The developers have tried to make combat as realistic as possible, while still keeping it engaging. So, what do you imagine happens when a shell penetrates the armour of a tank? That's right, it's almost or completely destroyed. This leads to combat feeling quite fast-paced and hectic, since a single mistake could cost you your life. But it also makes every kill and every opponent you outsmart that much more rewarding. Your impact on the battle overall can be major. Give a fast-firing tank an advantageous position and 20 seconds, and an entire flank could be wiped out. Even if you do die, it's not like you can't respawn, however, how many times you can do that is dependent on your performance.
My main problem with the ground mode is the presence of planes. It seemed as though around a third of my deaths were simply because of a bomb, I could do nothing to stop.
As I said, the microtransactions are there mostly to provide a way to make the grind shorter. You can also acquire some exclusive vehicles this way, but I've never heard of any of them being very OP.
All the other game modes - air and naval, are also pretty good. I didn't spend much time on them, since I never had much interest in those types of vehicles.
So why did I abandon War Thunder? Well at one point while playing it just hit me that what I am doing is so incredibly pointless. While I had yet to reach the end of the tech tree, none of the later vehicles seemed particularly interesting. In addition, the moment-to-moment gameplay felt more and more unsatisfying. In the end, I was left disappointed with the time I spent.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
Graphically it's not bad, there is plenty of detail in the vehicle models and the environment. My problem is that the presentation is so dull and flat. Rarely is there anything visually interesting in any of the maps. I know it's supposed to be realistic, but that doesn't make it not boring to look at.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
War Thunder has little to no atmosphere. It doesn't really try.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
The soundtrack is damn good, unfortunately, I don't know when it plays. I don't know whether I am misremembering, but genuinely can't recall ever hearing it, except for some short pieces. So OST itself - good, its utilization - bad.
My favourite part is "Waltz of the Tornado".
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
Did you know? Recently, team damage was disabled. Go ahead, try it.
The genre of games that focus on tank-on-tank combat is rather niche. There are only two big-budget titles these days - War Thunder and World of Tanks. They have many similarities, as such they are often compared. I've played both, and I think they are equal in terms of fun. However, if I was a totally new player, I would pick War Thunder, due to the more active community and overall better direction that the game is heading.
I lied, War Thunder doesn't just focus on tank-on-tank combat, there are also planes, ships, and even helicopters. I have stuck mainly to ground vehicles, as that is what interests me most, but I have dabbled in air and naval combat as well. There is much attention put into all of these types, even if you care just about one of them, you will still find an enjoyable and quite in-depth game.
War Thunder is free to play, and with this comes microtransactions. There might be some pay-to-win aspects, but from my experience, its main advantage is skipping the grind.
If you haven't guessed already, you won't be getting your hands on the modern, shiny tanks and planes from the get-go. (Unless you spend money) The grind is looooong. I was a free-to-play player, and I got to 60 - 70% of a tech tree within 250 hours. Now I may be just bad, but still.
So would I recommend it? Unfortunately, it's one of those games that only really gets fun once you get good and start consistently getting kills each battle. My main problem with War Thunder and these type of games is that after all these hours, I can barely remember any of my playtime.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
None.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
I will mostly be talking about ground combat, since that's where I spend most of my time. It is one of those games with very unique gameplay, it's to the point where I am hard-pressed to name any other that does what War Thunder does. One could point to its main rival, World of Tanks, but even then there are glaring differences.
The key word in War Thunder is realism. The developers have tried to make combat as realistic as possible, while still keeping it engaging. So, what do you imagine happens when a shell penetrates the armour of a tank? That's right, it's almost or completely destroyed. This leads to combat feeling quite fast-paced and hectic, since a single mistake could cost you your life. But it also makes every kill and every opponent you outsmart that much more rewarding. Your impact on the battle overall can be major. Give a fast-firing tank an advantageous position and 20 seconds, and an entire flank could be wiped out. Even if you do die, it's not like you can't respawn, however, how many times you can do that is dependent on your performance.
My main problem with the ground mode is the presence of planes. It seemed as though around a third of my deaths were simply because of a bomb, I could do nothing to stop.
As I said, the microtransactions are there mostly to provide a way to make the grind shorter. You can also acquire some exclusive vehicles this way, but I've never heard of any of them being very OP.
All the other game modes - air and naval, are also pretty good. I didn't spend much time on them, since I never had much interest in those types of vehicles.
So why did I abandon War Thunder? Well at one point while playing it just hit me that what I am doing is so incredibly pointless. While I had yet to reach the end of the tech tree, none of the later vehicles seemed particularly interesting. In addition, the moment-to-moment gameplay felt more and more unsatisfying. In the end, I was left disappointed with the time I spent.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
Graphically it's not bad, there is plenty of detail in the vehicle models and the environment. My problem is that the presentation is so dull and flat. Rarely is there anything visually interesting in any of the maps. I know it's supposed to be realistic, but that doesn't make it not boring to look at.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
War Thunder has little to no atmosphere. It doesn't really try.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
The soundtrack is damn good, unfortunately, I don't know when it plays. I don't know whether I am misremembering, but genuinely can't recall ever hearing it, except for some short pieces. So OST itself - good, its utilization - bad.
My favourite part is "Waltz of the Tornado".
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
Did you know? Recently, team damage was disabled. Go ahead, try it.
2011
(I stopped playing around 2022, since then there have been new additions and changes to the game. Still, I believe my opinion still holds value.)
Games that heavily revolve around tank-on-tank combat are rare. In fact, there are only two big-budget titles that fill that niche – World of Tanks and Warthunder. There has been an eternal debate about which of the two is better. As someone who has played both, I would say that they are equal in terms of how much fun I had. If you are wondering which of the two to pick, I would say Warthunder due to the bigger community, and it seems to be going in a better direction overall.
WOT is a free-to-play team-based PVP game featuring a gigantic number of armoured vehicles (mostly tanks). It can be said that this is the more arcade-y and unrealistic one of the two. That is mainly due to it having mechanics like health bars and enemies being invisible until spotted, and the uncountable number of historical inaccuracies in the tanks featured, some of which are straight-up made up. Those are only flaws depending on how you look at them.
The real problems lay in the free-to-play aspect. There are pay-to-win mechanics, like being able to spend money to get a tank better in every way than the one that you can get for free. In my experience they aren’t THAT bad, I would say it’s more pay to get an advantage.
Overall, World of Tanks offers a unique gameplay experience that I have yet to see an equal. Unfortunately, it’s one of those games that only gets really fun once you get good, and the barrier to entry seems to keep getting higher.
Can I recommend it? Well, I had fun, but from the hundreds of hours I’ve sunk into it, I can barely remember any of it. Make of that what you will.6
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
True to its genre, there is no story.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
When I say unique gameplay, I mean it. Even its rival Warthunder is very different. The closest comparison I can make would be a hero shooter like Overwatch, even then the differences are glaring.
There is a heavy amount of strategy that goes into skilfully playing World of Tanks. You have to utilize your own tanks' advantages, knowledge of the map, knowledge of your and your enemies’ tanks, and you have to constantly watch how the battle develops. That seems like a lot to take in, but WOT is a slow-paced game, quick reactions aren’t as important as in most other PVP titles. The main objective of every battle is to win by either destroying all the enemy tanks or capturing the base. Generally, if you play well, you will win more than you lose.
WOT also reminds me of mecha games in the way that there are so many stats to consider. Every aspect of your vehicle has a stat determining how good it is. In addition, every vehicle has a detailed armour model, which if not taken into consideration may lead to you dealing zero damage to your opponents.
Once you start playing, you will notice that the cool tanks on the cover aren’t unlocked. That’s where the grind comes in. You start at tier 1 and go all the way to tier 10, along the way you get introduced to various mechanics. For me, it took more than 2000 battles before I got to the top tier. (that’s a lot of time)
Various other game modes come and go, some fun, others not so much. The game gets consistent support and will probably continue to do so for the coming years. This has caused the barrier to entry, i.e., the amount a new player has to learn, to keep increasing. So, in the beginning, it may be quite overwhelming.
Overall, WOT is fun, it just requires patience to get good at it and also to ignore all the various pay-to-win mechanics. I stopped playing because I felt unsatisfied after so many hours spent on a game with no end. I could be doing better things with my time, what I thought to myself.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
The graphics are good, not next-gen or anything, but they still hold up. A major reason for that is the artistic direction taken when creating the various maps. There isn’t a single boring-looking one.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Out of all the PVP games I’ve played, not a single one has managed to invest me in a battle as WOT has. The music, the way all your teams’ tanks are lined up, the voice line telling you to roll out, it all somehow creates a feeling that this is serious and you have to win.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
At one point, I dropped the game, only to start playing again after hearing the soundtrack. It’s the best part of WOT for me.
Every map has different music. This begins with a short but intense intro while still waiting for the battle to start, after which it fades out and stays quiet. Not many know this, but the game has dynamic music. If you are winning the music becomes more heroic, if you are losing it becomes intense and fierce, in a way pushing you to keep trying.
Another reason why I love this OST is how well it fits into each map. A map with a train station has the sound of trains as its main motif, a map with a factory has machinery incorporated into its theme, and so on.
My favourite part is “Kraftwerk”.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
If you are good at this game, you will win more than you lose. You can’t get bad teammates thousands of battles in a row.
Games that heavily revolve around tank-on-tank combat are rare. In fact, there are only two big-budget titles that fill that niche – World of Tanks and Warthunder. There has been an eternal debate about which of the two is better. As someone who has played both, I would say that they are equal in terms of how much fun I had. If you are wondering which of the two to pick, I would say Warthunder due to the bigger community, and it seems to be going in a better direction overall.
WOT is a free-to-play team-based PVP game featuring a gigantic number of armoured vehicles (mostly tanks). It can be said that this is the more arcade-y and unrealistic one of the two. That is mainly due to it having mechanics like health bars and enemies being invisible until spotted, and the uncountable number of historical inaccuracies in the tanks featured, some of which are straight-up made up. Those are only flaws depending on how you look at them.
The real problems lay in the free-to-play aspect. There are pay-to-win mechanics, like being able to spend money to get a tank better in every way than the one that you can get for free. In my experience they aren’t THAT bad, I would say it’s more pay to get an advantage.
Overall, World of Tanks offers a unique gameplay experience that I have yet to see an equal. Unfortunately, it’s one of those games that only gets really fun once you get good, and the barrier to entry seems to keep getting higher.
Can I recommend it? Well, I had fun, but from the hundreds of hours I’ve sunk into it, I can barely remember any of it. Make of that what you will.6
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
True to its genre, there is no story.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
When I say unique gameplay, I mean it. Even its rival Warthunder is very different. The closest comparison I can make would be a hero shooter like Overwatch, even then the differences are glaring.
There is a heavy amount of strategy that goes into skilfully playing World of Tanks. You have to utilize your own tanks' advantages, knowledge of the map, knowledge of your and your enemies’ tanks, and you have to constantly watch how the battle develops. That seems like a lot to take in, but WOT is a slow-paced game, quick reactions aren’t as important as in most other PVP titles. The main objective of every battle is to win by either destroying all the enemy tanks or capturing the base. Generally, if you play well, you will win more than you lose.
WOT also reminds me of mecha games in the way that there are so many stats to consider. Every aspect of your vehicle has a stat determining how good it is. In addition, every vehicle has a detailed armour model, which if not taken into consideration may lead to you dealing zero damage to your opponents.
Once you start playing, you will notice that the cool tanks on the cover aren’t unlocked. That’s where the grind comes in. You start at tier 1 and go all the way to tier 10, along the way you get introduced to various mechanics. For me, it took more than 2000 battles before I got to the top tier. (that’s a lot of time)
Various other game modes come and go, some fun, others not so much. The game gets consistent support and will probably continue to do so for the coming years. This has caused the barrier to entry, i.e., the amount a new player has to learn, to keep increasing. So, in the beginning, it may be quite overwhelming.
Overall, WOT is fun, it just requires patience to get good at it and also to ignore all the various pay-to-win mechanics. I stopped playing because I felt unsatisfied after so many hours spent on a game with no end. I could be doing better things with my time, what I thought to myself.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
The graphics are good, not next-gen or anything, but they still hold up. A major reason for that is the artistic direction taken when creating the various maps. There isn’t a single boring-looking one.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Out of all the PVP games I’ve played, not a single one has managed to invest me in a battle as WOT has. The music, the way all your teams’ tanks are lined up, the voice line telling you to roll out, it all somehow creates a feeling that this is serious and you have to win.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
At one point, I dropped the game, only to start playing again after hearing the soundtrack. It’s the best part of WOT for me.
Every map has different music. This begins with a short but intense intro while still waiting for the battle to start, after which it fades out and stays quiet. Not many know this, but the game has dynamic music. If you are winning the music becomes more heroic, if you are losing it becomes intense and fierce, in a way pushing you to keep trying.
Another reason why I love this OST is how well it fits into each map. A map with a train station has the sound of trains as its main motif, a map with a factory has machinery incorporated into its theme, and so on.
My favourite part is “Kraftwerk”.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
If you are good at this game, you will win more than you lose. You can’t get bad teammates thousands of battles in a row.
1987
(Played the PC port)
After playing Metal Gear Rising: Revengence I wanted to play the rest of the Metal Gear franchise, so obviously I had to start at the beginning – Metal Gear.
So how does a game from 1987 hold up? (If I could capitalize numbers, I would) There is no point in even asking the question. Of course, it doesn’t hold up. The only reason to play it is to just see where the legendary series started.
Still, I don’t hate it. At the end of the day, I did finish it. (With a guide) While throughout most of it, I was quite bored, there were some genuinely intriguing moments where I thought that, had I played it when it came out, my jaw would be on the floor.
Honestly play it. It's worth it to see just how far gaming has come.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
Apologies, I didn’t pay much attention during history class, so my Metal Gear lore knowledge isn’t that deep. I don’t know whether this game connects to the wider universe of the series.
You play as Solid Snake, a special forces operative, who is tasked with infiltrating the Outer Heaven to destroy a weapon by the name of Metal Gear. Getting déjà vu?
There isn’t much of a story, but there is still more than I expected for 1987, and it did surprise me at a few points.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
It attempts to be a stealth game, and it only succeeds when you have the patience to take the “stealth” seriously. You see, the combination of multiple exploits, awful AI, and unexplained mechanics led to me becoming bored with trying to play as intended and just brute-forced the rest of the game.
The use of a guide is highly recommended. There is very little that is explained properly and unless you want the authentic 1987 experience of banging your head against a wall, look up the solution.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
2D-pixel graphics were the pinnacle of quality back then, the same can't be said for today.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
There isn’t much of an atmosphere or immersion in Metal Gear. I do wonder whether the people who played it on release had a different experience.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
Back then the hardware used to play such games could make many sounds as such the soundtrack had to accommodate that. This led to it being a bit hard on the ears. Still, it is better than I expected. My favourite part is “Red Alert”.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
As for my quest to complete the Metal Gear series, I stopped at Metal Gear Solid (the first) as I realized stealth games just are not for me. Maybe someday I will return.
After playing Metal Gear Rising: Revengence I wanted to play the rest of the Metal Gear franchise, so obviously I had to start at the beginning – Metal Gear.
So how does a game from 1987 hold up? (If I could capitalize numbers, I would) There is no point in even asking the question. Of course, it doesn’t hold up. The only reason to play it is to just see where the legendary series started.
Still, I don’t hate it. At the end of the day, I did finish it. (With a guide) While throughout most of it, I was quite bored, there were some genuinely intriguing moments where I thought that, had I played it when it came out, my jaw would be on the floor.
Honestly play it. It's worth it to see just how far gaming has come.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
Apologies, I didn’t pay much attention during history class, so my Metal Gear lore knowledge isn’t that deep. I don’t know whether this game connects to the wider universe of the series.
You play as Solid Snake, a special forces operative, who is tasked with infiltrating the Outer Heaven to destroy a weapon by the name of Metal Gear. Getting déjà vu?
There isn’t much of a story, but there is still more than I expected for 1987, and it did surprise me at a few points.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
It attempts to be a stealth game, and it only succeeds when you have the patience to take the “stealth” seriously. You see, the combination of multiple exploits, awful AI, and unexplained mechanics led to me becoming bored with trying to play as intended and just brute-forced the rest of the game.
The use of a guide is highly recommended. There is very little that is explained properly and unless you want the authentic 1987 experience of banging your head against a wall, look up the solution.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
2D-pixel graphics were the pinnacle of quality back then, the same can't be said for today.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
There isn’t much of an atmosphere or immersion in Metal Gear. I do wonder whether the people who played it on release had a different experience.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
Back then the hardware used to play such games could make many sounds as such the soundtrack had to accommodate that. This led to it being a bit hard on the ears. Still, it is better than I expected. My favourite part is “Red Alert”.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
As for my quest to complete the Metal Gear series, I stopped at Metal Gear Solid (the first) as I realized stealth games just are not for me. Maybe someday I will return.
2022
(At the time of writing, the full game has yet to come out)
Incision is a boomer shooter. That’s it.
Out of all the games of this genre I’ve played, this one felt the most generic. While that is not a bad thing on its own, these days given how oversaturated the genre is, a game needs something for it to stand out from the rest. Incision unfortunately doesn’t have that.
Can I recommend it? Well, it’s not a badly made game – the weapons are good, visuals are OK – don’t come in expecting anything you haven’t seen before.
Story
As is tradition, there is no story. Perhaps there is some lore, but that’s it.
Mechanics and gameplay
Gameplay-wise wise the game is fine. It follows the standard formula for a throwback shooter and doesn’t do much else. The only non-standard part is the use of lives instead of checkpoints, which is a negative more than it is a positive.
Weapons feel good to shoot and they are some unique ones. Level design can be quite confusing at times, but is generally OK. Enemies are also just OK.
It's hard for me to say anything because it's all just fine, there is nothing particularly bad or good on display in Incision.
Graphics/Artstyle
The graphics are what is to be expected from the genre – low poly, blocky, with textures of similar quality.
The aesthetic that the game is going for is technically unique, it is a metal/blood city with plenty of body horror. However, the way it is presented reminds me a lot of hell, which is the most generic setting for a boomer shooter.
Atmosphere/Immersion
I wasn’t that immersed, mainly because I was bored. Not enough to stop playing, but enough to not care that much.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack fits perfectly into the aesthetic of the game. It’s like listening to scraping metal. Unfortunately, I don’t have a favourite part.
Final Thoughts
✧ 🎀 𝒦𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓃 :𝟥 🎀 ✧
Incision is a boomer shooter. That’s it.
Out of all the games of this genre I’ve played, this one felt the most generic. While that is not a bad thing on its own, these days given how oversaturated the genre is, a game needs something for it to stand out from the rest. Incision unfortunately doesn’t have that.
Can I recommend it? Well, it’s not a badly made game – the weapons are good, visuals are OK – don’t come in expecting anything you haven’t seen before.
Story
As is tradition, there is no story. Perhaps there is some lore, but that’s it.
Mechanics and gameplay
Gameplay-wise wise the game is fine. It follows the standard formula for a throwback shooter and doesn’t do much else. The only non-standard part is the use of lives instead of checkpoints, which is a negative more than it is a positive.
Weapons feel good to shoot and they are some unique ones. Level design can be quite confusing at times, but is generally OK. Enemies are also just OK.
It's hard for me to say anything because it's all just fine, there is nothing particularly bad or good on display in Incision.
Graphics/Artstyle
The graphics are what is to be expected from the genre – low poly, blocky, with textures of similar quality.
The aesthetic that the game is going for is technically unique, it is a metal/blood city with plenty of body horror. However, the way it is presented reminds me a lot of hell, which is the most generic setting for a boomer shooter.
Atmosphere/Immersion
I wasn’t that immersed, mainly because I was bored. Not enough to stop playing, but enough to not care that much.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack fits perfectly into the aesthetic of the game. It’s like listening to scraping metal. Unfortunately, I don’t have a favourite part.
Final Thoughts
✧ 🎀 𝒦𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓃 :𝟥 🎀 ✧
2022
(At the time of writing, the full game has yet to come out)
One of the classics from the 90s era of shooter is the game Blood. Due to its excellent atmosphere, naturalistic level design, unforgettable main character, and overall great gunplay it managed to stand out from the rest. Cultic takes those same elements and attempts (and succeeds) to replicate and improve upon the experience originally provided by Blood.
There isn’t much more to be said, it’s a really good shooter seeped in atmosphere that takes inspiration from the right places. If you played and enjoyed Blood or are just a fan of the genre, then I highly recommend Cultic.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
You are a detective who has dug too deep into a supposedly harmless cult, now you wake up in a pile of bodies and have to fight your way out.
It's not a story-focused game, but still, I was invested. The numerous pieces of lore scattered throughout the levels certainly helped.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
It’s the standard throwback shooter formula with some additions. If you’ve played any other FPS of this genre, you will know pretty much everything there is already.
Gunplay is solid, weapons feel satisfying to use, especially since headshoting is a thing. There are also upgrades you can get for said weapons. Level design is excellent, offering natural feeling environments and a smooth transition between levels.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
Cultic is by no means photorealistic. It pays homage to the 90s era of gaming while still looking like something that was made in this decade. The colour pallet chosen here gives a unique aesthetic that adds a lot to the retro feel.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
The atmosphere is perhaps the strongest point of Cultic. It's not horror, but the feeling of playing Cultic is similar. This is due to the cult theme (men in robes, ritual circles, those kinds of things) the game takes on.
With a strong atmosphere comes strong immersion. This is definitely true in this case.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
The soundtrack is pretty good, it has the same cultish, horror theme that permeates throughout the rest of the game. My favourite part is “Abomination”.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
No one-liners :(
One of the classics from the 90s era of shooter is the game Blood. Due to its excellent atmosphere, naturalistic level design, unforgettable main character, and overall great gunplay it managed to stand out from the rest. Cultic takes those same elements and attempts (and succeeds) to replicate and improve upon the experience originally provided by Blood.
There isn’t much more to be said, it’s a really good shooter seeped in atmosphere that takes inspiration from the right places. If you played and enjoyed Blood or are just a fan of the genre, then I highly recommend Cultic.
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
You are a detective who has dug too deep into a supposedly harmless cult, now you wake up in a pile of bodies and have to fight your way out.
It's not a story-focused game, but still, I was invested. The numerous pieces of lore scattered throughout the levels certainly helped.
𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
It’s the standard throwback shooter formula with some additions. If you’ve played any other FPS of this genre, you will know pretty much everything there is already.
Gunplay is solid, weapons feel satisfying to use, especially since headshoting is a thing. There are also upgrades you can get for said weapons. Level design is excellent, offering natural feeling environments and a smooth transition between levels.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞
Cultic is by no means photorealistic. It pays homage to the 90s era of gaming while still looking like something that was made in this decade. The colour pallet chosen here gives a unique aesthetic that adds a lot to the retro feel.
𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞/𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
The atmosphere is perhaps the strongest point of Cultic. It's not horror, but the feeling of playing Cultic is similar. This is due to the cult theme (men in robes, ritual circles, those kinds of things) the game takes on.
With a strong atmosphere comes strong immersion. This is definitely true in this case.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤
The soundtrack is pretty good, it has the same cultish, horror theme that permeates throughout the rest of the game. My favourite part is “Abomination”.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
No one-liners :(
2019
Is this just another throwback shooter in the sea of games of this genre we have today? Yeah, pretty much.
Nightmare Reaper’s quirk that sets it apart are the randomly generated levels and variety of weapons that can be found. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough for me. Indeed, it was fun for a while, but then all the levels started blending in together, and I got more and more bored as I kept going, so instead I just quit.
Overall, it’s alright, I had fun, I just wish I continued to have fun. Someone who is a bigger fan of this genre will have a better time than me.
Story
You play as a woman (I forget whether she has a name) who is insane, to the point where every time she goes to sleep, she dreams of a retro FPS game. It's nothing more than a framing device for the gameplay. At times there are doctor’s notes that can be found in your room (you are hospitalized) which can be interesting, but they come very rarely.
Does anyone else get tired of a boomer shooter with an almost non-existent plot, I find it the biggest flaw in the genre.
Mechanics and gameplay
It’s the standard throwback shooter formula. The level starts, kill all enemies while making your way through it, kill a boss if there is one, and end the level. The randomly generated levels that Nightmare Reaper uses are also its biggest flaw. They are better than a badly designed level, but they all feel the same, since there is rarely anything to set them apart. I guess the way this could have been avoided is by just making the game shorter, since as of now it's long, like very long.
Another variation to the formula is the way weapons are handled. There are a lot of them, but instead of having a slot for each one, you have to choose two or three and discard the rest. Weapons are found through levels, either being dropped from monsters or just found randomly on the ground. They come in various rarities and the higher the rarity, the more quirks they have. This is great and all, but there is one problem. Once you find a high-rarity weapon, replacing it becomes difficult. Since if you were to replace it with something worse, you suddenly made the game much harder.
There are other gamemodes like minigames and an arena, but none of them caught my interest.
Graphics/Artstyle
2.5D graphics are similar to old FPS games like Wolfenstein and Doom. There is improved lighting and effects compared to them, but still, the graphics are a bit bland.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Unfortunately, any type of atmosphere or immersion the game tries to build is held back by the randomly generated levels and the RPG-like weapon rarities.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is made by Andrew Hulshult. (Who could have guessed!?) Classic metal FPS OST, it's alright, not much more I can say. My favourite part is “Lucid Mayhem”.
Final Thoughts
I wish my dreams were as epic as this, instead, I kidnap doctors and take pictures of cars.
Nightmare Reaper’s quirk that sets it apart are the randomly generated levels and variety of weapons that can be found. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough for me. Indeed, it was fun for a while, but then all the levels started blending in together, and I got more and more bored as I kept going, so instead I just quit.
Overall, it’s alright, I had fun, I just wish I continued to have fun. Someone who is a bigger fan of this genre will have a better time than me.
Story
You play as a woman (I forget whether she has a name) who is insane, to the point where every time she goes to sleep, she dreams of a retro FPS game. It's nothing more than a framing device for the gameplay. At times there are doctor’s notes that can be found in your room (you are hospitalized) which can be interesting, but they come very rarely.
Does anyone else get tired of a boomer shooter with an almost non-existent plot, I find it the biggest flaw in the genre.
Mechanics and gameplay
It’s the standard throwback shooter formula. The level starts, kill all enemies while making your way through it, kill a boss if there is one, and end the level. The randomly generated levels that Nightmare Reaper uses are also its biggest flaw. They are better than a badly designed level, but they all feel the same, since there is rarely anything to set them apart. I guess the way this could have been avoided is by just making the game shorter, since as of now it's long, like very long.
Another variation to the formula is the way weapons are handled. There are a lot of them, but instead of having a slot for each one, you have to choose two or three and discard the rest. Weapons are found through levels, either being dropped from monsters or just found randomly on the ground. They come in various rarities and the higher the rarity, the more quirks they have. This is great and all, but there is one problem. Once you find a high-rarity weapon, replacing it becomes difficult. Since if you were to replace it with something worse, you suddenly made the game much harder.
There are other gamemodes like minigames and an arena, but none of them caught my interest.
Graphics/Artstyle
2.5D graphics are similar to old FPS games like Wolfenstein and Doom. There is improved lighting and effects compared to them, but still, the graphics are a bit bland.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Unfortunately, any type of atmosphere or immersion the game tries to build is held back by the randomly generated levels and the RPG-like weapon rarities.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is made by Andrew Hulshult. (Who could have guessed!?) Classic metal FPS OST, it's alright, not much more I can say. My favourite part is “Lucid Mayhem”.
Final Thoughts
I wish my dreams were as epic as this, instead, I kidnap doctors and take pictures of cars.
2018
(TW for graphic violence of every kind and nudity of the type you wouldn’t want to see. This is an 18+ game.)
There are two types of ways to make a game difficult. The first way is to have the player overcome the challenge by requiring skill and mastery of the mechanics. The second way is to make it cruel and brutal, like putting very few checkpoints or having to rely heavily on luck. Fear & Hunger is the second by a lot. It’s an uncaring and depraved game that doesn’t mind wiping your entire party from a single mistake and then showing you get mutilated by your captors. It’s all presented with RPG Maker graphics, so it's mostly left to the imagination, mostly. That doesn’t mean that the game is lacking visually. The art style keeps you on edge as it makes everything look unwelcoming, even normal humans look uncanny and macabre.
Overall, I would recommend it to fans of the horror genre who want something a little more unconventional, but still terrifying. I warn you, though, that the trigger warning is there for a reason. Also, there is a censor mod out there if you don’t want people asking questions.
Story
Surprise, Fear & Hunger is the name of the dungeon. You get to pick from multiple characters, that all go to that dungeon searching for a king that has been captured there. As you descend deeper, you will uncover the cruel, twisted nature of this world.
The story’s tone and presentation are on the same level as the rest of the game, e.g., depraved.
Mechanics and gameplay
I don’t know whether it’s made on RPG Maker, but it sure as hell plays like it would. There are some changes, that set it apart. For instance, the game isn’t even an RPG. Killing enemies for the sake of killing is pointless, as you get no exp, and there isn't any way to level up your character. Still, you can find better equipment and learn new skills, but they are few and far between. Another change is that during combat, you can select which of your foe's limbs to attack and thus amputate. This goes both ways – you may encounter an enemy that you’ve faced many times, only to get unlucky and finish the fight with no legs.
Indeed, luck plays a big part in your success in the dungeon and the game is well aware of that. So much so that a critical mechanic is the coin flip. At times, you will have to pick heads or tails. Pick correctly and everything is fine. Pick incorrectly and all your limbs disappear, or you get decapitated, or any other dishonourable way to meet your end.
I understand that without its brutal gameplay, F&Hs wouldn’t work so well. However, I can’t deny that at times I was getting quite impatient with the constant restart, just so that I could be lucky enough to get past a certain encounter. I feel like my enjoyment would be much higher if I had someone next to me who has already played, nudging me in the right direction.
Graphics/Artstyle
As I said before, the unwelcoming feeling that the game instils in you is no small part thanks to the art style used. Everything is twisted into a macabre version of itself.
Also, praise has to be given to the unique designs of the various creatures in the dungeon. Never did I expect to be scared of a man with a crow head.
Atmosphere/Immersion
There are multiple endings in F&H, but simply escaping isn’t one, doing that just gives you a death screen. It's ironic, you seek salvation, yet your only path is deeper into this nightmare.
In the beginning, it's mostly just a grotesque dungeon with very viscous inhabitants. But as you continue, it turns more and more to cosmic horror and fear of the divine. It's very effective in conveying that fear. Utilizing sound design, art style, and gameplay to make every new leg of your journey seem like the next worst thing.
Soundtrack
It is hard to really call it a soundtrack in the traditional sense. It's mostly ambient noises to enhance the atmosphere. In that endeavour, the ost is very effective. My favourite part is “Ma'habre Streets”.
There are two types of ways to make a game difficult. The first way is to have the player overcome the challenge by requiring skill and mastery of the mechanics. The second way is to make it cruel and brutal, like putting very few checkpoints or having to rely heavily on luck. Fear & Hunger is the second by a lot. It’s an uncaring and depraved game that doesn’t mind wiping your entire party from a single mistake and then showing you get mutilated by your captors. It’s all presented with RPG Maker graphics, so it's mostly left to the imagination, mostly. That doesn’t mean that the game is lacking visually. The art style keeps you on edge as it makes everything look unwelcoming, even normal humans look uncanny and macabre.
Overall, I would recommend it to fans of the horror genre who want something a little more unconventional, but still terrifying. I warn you, though, that the trigger warning is there for a reason. Also, there is a censor mod out there if you don’t want people asking questions.
Story
Surprise, Fear & Hunger is the name of the dungeon. You get to pick from multiple characters, that all go to that dungeon searching for a king that has been captured there. As you descend deeper, you will uncover the cruel, twisted nature of this world.
The story’s tone and presentation are on the same level as the rest of the game, e.g., depraved.
Mechanics and gameplay
I don’t know whether it’s made on RPG Maker, but it sure as hell plays like it would. There are some changes, that set it apart. For instance, the game isn’t even an RPG. Killing enemies for the sake of killing is pointless, as you get no exp, and there isn't any way to level up your character. Still, you can find better equipment and learn new skills, but they are few and far between. Another change is that during combat, you can select which of your foe's limbs to attack and thus amputate. This goes both ways – you may encounter an enemy that you’ve faced many times, only to get unlucky and finish the fight with no legs.
Indeed, luck plays a big part in your success in the dungeon and the game is well aware of that. So much so that a critical mechanic is the coin flip. At times, you will have to pick heads or tails. Pick correctly and everything is fine. Pick incorrectly and all your limbs disappear, or you get decapitated, or any other dishonourable way to meet your end.
I understand that without its brutal gameplay, F&Hs wouldn’t work so well. However, I can’t deny that at times I was getting quite impatient with the constant restart, just so that I could be lucky enough to get past a certain encounter. I feel like my enjoyment would be much higher if I had someone next to me who has already played, nudging me in the right direction.
Graphics/Artstyle
As I said before, the unwelcoming feeling that the game instils in you is no small part thanks to the art style used. Everything is twisted into a macabre version of itself.
Also, praise has to be given to the unique designs of the various creatures in the dungeon. Never did I expect to be scared of a man with a crow head.
Atmosphere/Immersion
There are multiple endings in F&H, but simply escaping isn’t one, doing that just gives you a death screen. It's ironic, you seek salvation, yet your only path is deeper into this nightmare.
In the beginning, it's mostly just a grotesque dungeon with very viscous inhabitants. But as you continue, it turns more and more to cosmic horror and fear of the divine. It's very effective in conveying that fear. Utilizing sound design, art style, and gameplay to make every new leg of your journey seem like the next worst thing.
Soundtrack
It is hard to really call it a soundtrack in the traditional sense. It's mostly ambient noises to enhance the atmosphere. In that endeavour, the ost is very effective. My favourite part is “Ma'habre Streets”.
(Never played AC V and Verdict Day, so I can’t say how they compare, I have however played AC IV and FA)
A beloved franchise getting a sequel after so many years does spark concern. After all, most of the time, it doesn’t end well. I can assure you do not have to worry about that with AC VI, at the end of the day this is From Software we are talking about.
It is the definitive mecha game, featuring everything one would expect from that title. You get fast-paced combat, that makes any encounter seem thrilling, a storyline with multiple paths, each one leaving you guilty you didn’t pick the other one, and the ability to customize every part of your craft to create whatever barely functional pile of scrap you desire. In addition, it’s incredibly pretty, with jaw-dropping landscapes that slightly make me wish this game was a walking simulator. Since it is from From Software, the difficulty is ramped up, but it's nowhere near the level of the Souls series.
Older fans of the series will note how different it is. I don’t see this as an issue, if you compare AC III, IV, and V you will notice similar major differences between them.
Overall, a big recommendation from me to anyone who wants a good mecha game or just a good action game in general.
Story
You play as a mercenary mech pilot by the name of 621, who gets dropped on the planet of Rubicon with the promise of riches if the elusive substance by the name of coral is found. The game is mission-based; you get a briefing before each one, then you get sent on whatever task you signed up for. In the beginning, most of your work will be from the megacorporations, but as the game progresses you will be given the choice to side with other factions.
The story is damn good. Tone wise it's less “Yay we saved the day” and more “It had to be done”. In the beginning, it allows you to get attached to the various characters and their quirky personalities, before reality sets in, and you realize most of them are not on your side. I felt guilty and sad while the credits rolled. I think that’s worthy of praise.
To get the “true” ending you have to replay AC VI three times, I believe it’s worth it.
Mechanics and gameplay
Far removed from what From Software has been known for the last few years, AC VI is a fast-paced omnidirectional action game. This isn’t one of those slow lumbering mecha games, your mech can fly in the air and quickly boost around, enabling it to change direction in an instant. The biggest deviation from the norm is the lack of a “dodge roll” that grants a brief window of invincibility, making taking no damage a much harder task. Combat becomes a balancing act of chipping away the enemy's health faster than they can yours. However, at times even with all the skill in the world, some fights seem impossible, that’s where the mech building and customization comes in.
Every time I got stuck at a boss or level, I went back and started experimenting with new weapons and gear. AC VI provides a massive number of parts to choose from, thus forming a large pool of optimal builds to use. A complaint I have seen numerous times is that there is just one overpowered build, only for me to look at it and see a completely different mech from my own overpowered mech.
The pacing is also done wonderfully. Each mission seems to be its own thing, having something that sets it apart from the rest. At times, you can even find cool weapons just lying around.
Indeed, the game is quite difficult, but as I mentioned above, how you’ve built your mech plays a big role in determining how hard of a time you will have.
Graphics/Artstyle
From Software are masters at creating incredible environments rich with detail and utilizing colour to the full extent. I applaud the developers for their art direction, and I wish more games were like this, instead of simply trying to be as photorealistic as possible.
Part of me does miss the colorless environments of AC IV and FA, but I understand that such themes are past their age.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Megalophobia the fear of large objects is utilized extensively. You only need to stop and look. Sometimes you will find a ladder or a door made for a normal-sized person, and they are tiny and hard to spot, they will be missed. Gigantic constructions serving an unascertainable purpose, always seem to be above you and no matter how high you go their peaks are even higher. This creates an atmosphere of utter insignificance. You are but a cog in a machine spanning an entire world.
Immersion is on point as well. The art direction and the consistent tone of the game are the major contributing factors.
Soundtrack
Hope you like synth, as that’s pretty much all you are going to get. Overall, I like the OST, it fits the game perfectly and there are some real bangers in there. Although I have to say that AC 4 and FA soundtracks were better. My favourite part is “Steel Haze (Rusted pride)”. Also, shoutout to the remix made by CthulhuSeeker of this song, it's honestly better than the original.
Final Thoughts
Rusty best buddy.
Also, I was wrong, no one remembers White Glint.
A beloved franchise getting a sequel after so many years does spark concern. After all, most of the time, it doesn’t end well. I can assure you do not have to worry about that with AC VI, at the end of the day this is From Software we are talking about.
It is the definitive mecha game, featuring everything one would expect from that title. You get fast-paced combat, that makes any encounter seem thrilling, a storyline with multiple paths, each one leaving you guilty you didn’t pick the other one, and the ability to customize every part of your craft to create whatever barely functional pile of scrap you desire. In addition, it’s incredibly pretty, with jaw-dropping landscapes that slightly make me wish this game was a walking simulator. Since it is from From Software, the difficulty is ramped up, but it's nowhere near the level of the Souls series.
Older fans of the series will note how different it is. I don’t see this as an issue, if you compare AC III, IV, and V you will notice similar major differences between them.
Overall, a big recommendation from me to anyone who wants a good mecha game or just a good action game in general.
Story
You play as a mercenary mech pilot by the name of 621, who gets dropped on the planet of Rubicon with the promise of riches if the elusive substance by the name of coral is found. The game is mission-based; you get a briefing before each one, then you get sent on whatever task you signed up for. In the beginning, most of your work will be from the megacorporations, but as the game progresses you will be given the choice to side with other factions.
The story is damn good. Tone wise it's less “Yay we saved the day” and more “It had to be done”. In the beginning, it allows you to get attached to the various characters and their quirky personalities, before reality sets in, and you realize most of them are not on your side. I felt guilty and sad while the credits rolled. I think that’s worthy of praise.
To get the “true” ending you have to replay AC VI three times, I believe it’s worth it.
Mechanics and gameplay
Far removed from what From Software has been known for the last few years, AC VI is a fast-paced omnidirectional action game. This isn’t one of those slow lumbering mecha games, your mech can fly in the air and quickly boost around, enabling it to change direction in an instant. The biggest deviation from the norm is the lack of a “dodge roll” that grants a brief window of invincibility, making taking no damage a much harder task. Combat becomes a balancing act of chipping away the enemy's health faster than they can yours. However, at times even with all the skill in the world, some fights seem impossible, that’s where the mech building and customization comes in.
Every time I got stuck at a boss or level, I went back and started experimenting with new weapons and gear. AC VI provides a massive number of parts to choose from, thus forming a large pool of optimal builds to use. A complaint I have seen numerous times is that there is just one overpowered build, only for me to look at it and see a completely different mech from my own overpowered mech.
The pacing is also done wonderfully. Each mission seems to be its own thing, having something that sets it apart from the rest. At times, you can even find cool weapons just lying around.
Indeed, the game is quite difficult, but as I mentioned above, how you’ve built your mech plays a big role in determining how hard of a time you will have.
Graphics/Artstyle
From Software are masters at creating incredible environments rich with detail and utilizing colour to the full extent. I applaud the developers for their art direction, and I wish more games were like this, instead of simply trying to be as photorealistic as possible.
Part of me does miss the colorless environments of AC IV and FA, but I understand that such themes are past their age.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Megalophobia the fear of large objects is utilized extensively. You only need to stop and look. Sometimes you will find a ladder or a door made for a normal-sized person, and they are tiny and hard to spot, they will be missed. Gigantic constructions serving an unascertainable purpose, always seem to be above you and no matter how high you go their peaks are even higher. This creates an atmosphere of utter insignificance. You are but a cog in a machine spanning an entire world.
Immersion is on point as well. The art direction and the consistent tone of the game are the major contributing factors.
Soundtrack
Hope you like synth, as that’s pretty much all you are going to get. Overall, I like the OST, it fits the game perfectly and there are some real bangers in there. Although I have to say that AC 4 and FA soundtracks were better. My favourite part is “Steel Haze (Rusted pride)”. Also, shoutout to the remix made by CthulhuSeeker of this song, it's honestly better than the original.
Final Thoughts
Rusty best buddy.
Also, I was wrong, no one remembers White Glint.
2016
(Never played any of the previous or later entries, so I can’t say how it compares)
When one thinks of farming, they probably imagine monotonous and boring labour in an overall dull environment. Well, safe to say that Farming Simulator 17 manages to capture that feeling perfectly.
But seriously, I am definitely not the target audience for this type of game. I played it for around 10 hours before I quit. Still, I believe my opinion can be of some use.
If you read the title, you can probably guess what this game is about. (Hint: It's farming) Is it a good farming game? No idea it’s the only one I’ve ever played, but considering there are newer titles in this franchise with more features, you are probably better off with them. Unless you have some weird, deep nostalgia for 2016.
Story
Big surprise – there is no story.
Mechanics and gameplay
You see, FS 17 isn’t boring per se. Yes, the gameplay can be somewhat monotonous, but there is a sort of Zen feeling to farming. You get to slowly build up your farm by getting new equipment, more fields, and expanding into other agricultural sectors. There is also the problem – there is no end goal, no incentive to actually do this.
Simulator games like FS 17 rely entirely on their mechanical gameplay to keep the player engaged. If the player is like me and isn’t actually interested in farming, they will inevitably stop playing before they have seen everything the game has to offer.
Graphics/Artstyle
Probably its biggest flaw. FS 17 looks incredibly dull. Not ugly, just boring and flat. Now that I think about, it reminds me of those low-quality 3D mobile games.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Can’t say anything here. Even if I was ever emersed, by now I’ve forgotten about it.
Soundtrack
The only music I can find that has any connection to FS 17 is the main menu theme and a few radio stations. So, I guess my favourite part would be “Farming Simulator 17 Main Theme” as that appear to be the only music produced for the game. Honestly, it’s not even that bad.
Final Thoughts
Back in 2016 I had the choice between this and Battlefield 1. I can’t even say I regret it. It's not that I hate Battlefield, it's just the thought of me spending an absurd amount of time of that game, just doesn’t sit well.
When one thinks of farming, they probably imagine monotonous and boring labour in an overall dull environment. Well, safe to say that Farming Simulator 17 manages to capture that feeling perfectly.
But seriously, I am definitely not the target audience for this type of game. I played it for around 10 hours before I quit. Still, I believe my opinion can be of some use.
If you read the title, you can probably guess what this game is about. (Hint: It's farming) Is it a good farming game? No idea it’s the only one I’ve ever played, but considering there are newer titles in this franchise with more features, you are probably better off with them. Unless you have some weird, deep nostalgia for 2016.
Story
Big surprise – there is no story.
Mechanics and gameplay
You see, FS 17 isn’t boring per se. Yes, the gameplay can be somewhat monotonous, but there is a sort of Zen feeling to farming. You get to slowly build up your farm by getting new equipment, more fields, and expanding into other agricultural sectors. There is also the problem – there is no end goal, no incentive to actually do this.
Simulator games like FS 17 rely entirely on their mechanical gameplay to keep the player engaged. If the player is like me and isn’t actually interested in farming, they will inevitably stop playing before they have seen everything the game has to offer.
Graphics/Artstyle
Probably its biggest flaw. FS 17 looks incredibly dull. Not ugly, just boring and flat. Now that I think about, it reminds me of those low-quality 3D mobile games.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Can’t say anything here. Even if I was ever emersed, by now I’ve forgotten about it.
Soundtrack
The only music I can find that has any connection to FS 17 is the main menu theme and a few radio stations. So, I guess my favourite part would be “Farming Simulator 17 Main Theme” as that appear to be the only music produced for the game. Honestly, it’s not even that bad.
Final Thoughts
Back in 2016 I had the choice between this and Battlefield 1. I can’t even say I regret it. It's not that I hate Battlefield, it's just the thought of me spending an absurd amount of time of that game, just doesn’t sit well.
2010
Unfortunately, I can’t give an objective review of Gran Turismo 5 (Although one can argue that no one can objectively review a subjective experience). GT 5 was given to me at a very young age and was the first proper game I played. Ever since then, I’ve played it on and off. So, you can imagine that my nostalgia for this game is immense. I won't beat around the bush, I am biased. GT 5 has many flaws, the UI is confusing, everything still sounds like a vacuum cleaner and there is less than events to do than before. Many consider it a downgrade from the last instalment. However, for me, GT 5 will always hold a special place in my heart and I will continue coming back even years later.
Would I recommend it? Well, it's still a good racing game, but even though I haven’t played any of the later releases, I can’t imagine that GT 5 has something that they don’t have.
Story
None, Gran Turismo they’ve never had a storyline.
Mechanics and gameplay
The formula hasn’t changed for GT 5. You race, you get more cars, more races are unlocked. Licence test are still here and still hard. The missions are more varied and interesting. The big new addition for the series is the multiplayer. You can play with multiple people from the same console with split screen, unfortunately the servers for online play are long gone. I never did experience it, even though I had the game back when it was available.
I have never driven an actual car, so I can’t tell you whether the driving is realistic. I did find it enjoyable, responsive and overall, a good experience, that provides enough of a challenge that to be a good driver, takes skill.
1074 cars and 77 tracks with dynamic whether are enough for everyone right? I guess not considering Gran Turismo 6 exists.
Graphics/Artstyle
When it was released, GT 5 was ahead of its time graphics wise, of course now it's clear that this is an old game. Still, a good enough picture could fool the unsuspecting eye.
Did you know all the cars from GT 4 were ported to GT 5 with tweaked models? Many have complained that it's obvious simply by looking at the model to differentiate which is from the old gen. Personally, I had no idea, I played this game for close to a decade and just recently found this out. Make of that what you will.
Car sound are still vacuum cleaner level.
Still has the professional, clean style that is common with the Gran Turismo series.
Atmosphere/Immersion
The game doesn’t really try to immerse you into its world, mainly because it doesn’t have one. The barrier between game and reality is as clear as day.
I think that is to be expected with this genre.
Soundtrack
The OST can be split into two – the relaxing menu music and the race music. The menu music is mainly jazz and classical and is incredible. Many hours have been spent listening to it while preforming some other tasks.
The race music is also great, it features multiple genres of music like rock electronic and others from a variety of artists.
My favourite part is “5oul On D!splay” by Daiki Kasho. It’s a real shame that it isn’t on any streaming platform.
Final Thoughts
Young me absolutely NEVER used the brake, full throttle throughout the whole race. It is a logical conclusion. After all, why would you want to press the button that makes you go slower.
Would I recommend it? Well, it's still a good racing game, but even though I haven’t played any of the later releases, I can’t imagine that GT 5 has something that they don’t have.
Story
None, Gran Turismo they’ve never had a storyline.
Mechanics and gameplay
The formula hasn’t changed for GT 5. You race, you get more cars, more races are unlocked. Licence test are still here and still hard. The missions are more varied and interesting. The big new addition for the series is the multiplayer. You can play with multiple people from the same console with split screen, unfortunately the servers for online play are long gone. I never did experience it, even though I had the game back when it was available.
I have never driven an actual car, so I can’t tell you whether the driving is realistic. I did find it enjoyable, responsive and overall, a good experience, that provides enough of a challenge that to be a good driver, takes skill.
1074 cars and 77 tracks with dynamic whether are enough for everyone right? I guess not considering Gran Turismo 6 exists.
Graphics/Artstyle
When it was released, GT 5 was ahead of its time graphics wise, of course now it's clear that this is an old game. Still, a good enough picture could fool the unsuspecting eye.
Did you know all the cars from GT 4 were ported to GT 5 with tweaked models? Many have complained that it's obvious simply by looking at the model to differentiate which is from the old gen. Personally, I had no idea, I played this game for close to a decade and just recently found this out. Make of that what you will.
Car sound are still vacuum cleaner level.
Still has the professional, clean style that is common with the Gran Turismo series.
Atmosphere/Immersion
The game doesn’t really try to immerse you into its world, mainly because it doesn’t have one. The barrier between game and reality is as clear as day.
I think that is to be expected with this genre.
Soundtrack
The OST can be split into two – the relaxing menu music and the race music. The menu music is mainly jazz and classical and is incredible. Many hours have been spent listening to it while preforming some other tasks.
The race music is also great, it features multiple genres of music like rock electronic and others from a variety of artists.
My favourite part is “5oul On D!splay” by Daiki Kasho. It’s a real shame that it isn’t on any streaming platform.
Final Thoughts
Young me absolutely NEVER used the brake, full throttle throughout the whole race. It is a logical conclusion. After all, why would you want to press the button that makes you go slower.
2004
(Played it on a PS 2 emulator)
Many people assume that a racing game's quality is determined by how new it is. It is a logical conclusion. After all, why play a two-decade old game when a modern counterpart exists? It is because of where the line between simulator and game is drawn. Gran Turismo 4s success doesn’t come from it being a realistic simulator, but rather due to its well-paced career mode. The large car roster and high polish typically seen in the Gran Turismo series are just the cherry on top. While playing, I always had something to do, and I was never required to grind to unlock more of the game.
This is why I believe that even after 20 years and with many newer releases, Gran Turismo 4 is still a worthy classic for anyone that is a fan of the simcade genre.
Story
There isn’t one. For once, that is a good thing. A meaningful storyline would be next to impossible to implement, and anything else would detract from the experience.
Mechanics and gameplay
When you first begin career mode in GT 4 you have to pick a started car, that inevitably will qualify for a racing series. After the completion of that series, you are rewarded with money and a prize car, that qualifies for a different race series. That is the main gameplay loop that keeps GT 4 engaging. There is always a new race yet to be attempted or other events like licence tests that require only skill to complete. I found it incredibly fun to simply not grind for anything and get by with what I was given.
The 700+ cars and 50 tracks certainly help keeping things fresh.
I can’t tell you how realistic the handling is, due to never having driven an actual car. What I can say is that driving feels satisfying and gives enough of a challenge to where being exceptionally good requires a lot of skill and effort.
Graphics/Artstyle
It is a PS 2 game, so amazing graphics shouldn’t be expected. With the magic of emulators, one can make de-age GT 4 by 5 to 10 years and make it look pretty good. Unfortunately, nothing can fix the car sounds. They are honestly the biggest flaw here.
I don’t see much praise given for how aesthetically pleasing GT 4 is. Almost every part of the game has a very “clean”, professional look, treading a fine line between overly minimalistic and excessively artistic. It gives it a look that is rarely seen in any other game, probably due to the attention to detail required to pull it off.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Weirdly immersive. I feel like an aspirating racecar driver, and the UI is their way of visualizing where/what to do next.
Soundtrack
The OST has a similar aesthetic that I mentioned earlier. It fits very well with the rest of the game and is very memorable. I played GT 4 a few months ago, and somehow the race menu music already evokes nostalgia.
During races there is a radio that plays a plethora of songs from many different artists, they are alright, but can get somewhat boring at times. My personal favourite is “Soul Surfer” by Daiki Kasho.
Final Thoughts
I spent an embarrassingly long time (like 6 hours) trying to get gold on B-5. It was harder than any boss in any video game I’ve played.
Many people assume that a racing game's quality is determined by how new it is. It is a logical conclusion. After all, why play a two-decade old game when a modern counterpart exists? It is because of where the line between simulator and game is drawn. Gran Turismo 4s success doesn’t come from it being a realistic simulator, but rather due to its well-paced career mode. The large car roster and high polish typically seen in the Gran Turismo series are just the cherry on top. While playing, I always had something to do, and I was never required to grind to unlock more of the game.
This is why I believe that even after 20 years and with many newer releases, Gran Turismo 4 is still a worthy classic for anyone that is a fan of the simcade genre.
Story
There isn’t one. For once, that is a good thing. A meaningful storyline would be next to impossible to implement, and anything else would detract from the experience.
Mechanics and gameplay
When you first begin career mode in GT 4 you have to pick a started car, that inevitably will qualify for a racing series. After the completion of that series, you are rewarded with money and a prize car, that qualifies for a different race series. That is the main gameplay loop that keeps GT 4 engaging. There is always a new race yet to be attempted or other events like licence tests that require only skill to complete. I found it incredibly fun to simply not grind for anything and get by with what I was given.
The 700+ cars and 50 tracks certainly help keeping things fresh.
I can’t tell you how realistic the handling is, due to never having driven an actual car. What I can say is that driving feels satisfying and gives enough of a challenge to where being exceptionally good requires a lot of skill and effort.
Graphics/Artstyle
It is a PS 2 game, so amazing graphics shouldn’t be expected. With the magic of emulators, one can make de-age GT 4 by 5 to 10 years and make it look pretty good. Unfortunately, nothing can fix the car sounds. They are honestly the biggest flaw here.
I don’t see much praise given for how aesthetically pleasing GT 4 is. Almost every part of the game has a very “clean”, professional look, treading a fine line between overly minimalistic and excessively artistic. It gives it a look that is rarely seen in any other game, probably due to the attention to detail required to pull it off.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Weirdly immersive. I feel like an aspirating racecar driver, and the UI is their way of visualizing where/what to do next.
Soundtrack
The OST has a similar aesthetic that I mentioned earlier. It fits very well with the rest of the game and is very memorable. I played GT 4 a few months ago, and somehow the race menu music already evokes nostalgia.
During races there is a radio that plays a plethora of songs from many different artists, they are alright, but can get somewhat boring at times. My personal favourite is “Soul Surfer” by Daiki Kasho.
Final Thoughts
I spent an embarrassingly long time (like 6 hours) trying to get gold on B-5. It was harder than any boss in any video game I’ve played.
(Never played the original Dark Souls, so I can’t comment on how the remaster compares.)
Whenever a list of the most influential games of all time is made, among the likes of Doom, Half-Life and others one may see Dark Souls. It spawned the Souls-like genre, of which many new releases are a part of nowadays. However, it's rare that they manage to capture the true essence of Dark Souls. It’s not just a difficult RPG. The lore and the way the unique way the story is presented combined with the heavy atmosphere and an immersive world is what makes Dark Souls stand out.
I know I am praising this game a lot, but for me, this is the epitome of games as art. It's not just mindless entertainment, it made me think, wonder about its world and its story. Even now, months after finishing it, I still get emotional thinking about some of the characters and what they said to me.
I don’t guarantee that you will enjoy this game, many won't, but I believe that anyone and everyone should try it or at least any of the other souls-likes.
Story
In Dark Souls, there is rarely a point where the story is directly told to you. You yourself have to piece it together from item descriptions, environmental clues and the rare times when you get to talk to an NPC. This can seem to be an exhausting task, but the world was so interesting, I sought out more knowledge wherever possible.
Mechanics and gameplay
Ironically, called the game that invented difficulty, Dark Souls is for most people a hard game. It is its most notable feature when discussed in popular culture. Its lack of an easy mode makes its intentions apparent. It's hard because it has to be. Without it, the entire game would fall apart. None of its rewards or its quieter moments would be nearly as impactful without the challenge to get to them.
Personally, the first half of Dark Souls is a 10/10 (even higher if it was possible) while the second is an 8/10. The beginning at the level of level design all games aspire to. Both feeling open and linear, you will often be going back to an old area you expected to be miles from, thus tying the world together. It gives the feeling that this could be an actual place. The second half is the opposite. The places you have to go aren’t connected to each other in any way. I heard that the end of the development was rushed, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was true.
Graphics/Artstyle
I am sure the remaster played a part in this, but I think Dark Souls looks good. It’s that point of style over graphical fidelity. Anor Londo will forever look good, no matter how much graphics progress in the future.
Atmosphere/Immersion
In Dark Souls, you are canonically immortal. But you are not alone in this, one doesn’t need to play much of the game to find other undead like the player. They were once like you, the difference being they gave up. With this realization, the world of Dark Souls takes a much somber tone. It’s one of lost resolve and broken dreams.
“Don’t you dare go hollow” – This one simple line hit me harder than any other in any game I’ve played. At this point, the game transcends its own world and directly addresses the player. It pleads with them to not give up, to keep going, and it's not just talking about the game.
Soundtrack
With the foresight of having played multiple of the later titles, the ost of Dark Souls seems a bit subdued and at times can sound the same. I do still think it’s a good soundtrack that fits the theme of the game, it's just that I know that they can do even better. My favourite part is “A Moment’s Peace”.
Final Thoughts
Whoever did the male hurt sounds hit me up.
Whenever a list of the most influential games of all time is made, among the likes of Doom, Half-Life and others one may see Dark Souls. It spawned the Souls-like genre, of which many new releases are a part of nowadays. However, it's rare that they manage to capture the true essence of Dark Souls. It’s not just a difficult RPG. The lore and the way the unique way the story is presented combined with the heavy atmosphere and an immersive world is what makes Dark Souls stand out.
I know I am praising this game a lot, but for me, this is the epitome of games as art. It's not just mindless entertainment, it made me think, wonder about its world and its story. Even now, months after finishing it, I still get emotional thinking about some of the characters and what they said to me.
I don’t guarantee that you will enjoy this game, many won't, but I believe that anyone and everyone should try it or at least any of the other souls-likes.
Story
In Dark Souls, there is rarely a point where the story is directly told to you. You yourself have to piece it together from item descriptions, environmental clues and the rare times when you get to talk to an NPC. This can seem to be an exhausting task, but the world was so interesting, I sought out more knowledge wherever possible.
Mechanics and gameplay
Ironically, called the game that invented difficulty, Dark Souls is for most people a hard game. It is its most notable feature when discussed in popular culture. Its lack of an easy mode makes its intentions apparent. It's hard because it has to be. Without it, the entire game would fall apart. None of its rewards or its quieter moments would be nearly as impactful without the challenge to get to them.
Personally, the first half of Dark Souls is a 10/10 (even higher if it was possible) while the second is an 8/10. The beginning at the level of level design all games aspire to. Both feeling open and linear, you will often be going back to an old area you expected to be miles from, thus tying the world together. It gives the feeling that this could be an actual place. The second half is the opposite. The places you have to go aren’t connected to each other in any way. I heard that the end of the development was rushed, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was true.
Graphics/Artstyle
I am sure the remaster played a part in this, but I think Dark Souls looks good. It’s that point of style over graphical fidelity. Anor Londo will forever look good, no matter how much graphics progress in the future.
Atmosphere/Immersion
In Dark Souls, you are canonically immortal. But you are not alone in this, one doesn’t need to play much of the game to find other undead like the player. They were once like you, the difference being they gave up. With this realization, the world of Dark Souls takes a much somber tone. It’s one of lost resolve and broken dreams.
“Don’t you dare go hollow” – This one simple line hit me harder than any other in any game I’ve played. At this point, the game transcends its own world and directly addresses the player. It pleads with them to not give up, to keep going, and it's not just talking about the game.
Soundtrack
With the foresight of having played multiple of the later titles, the ost of Dark Souls seems a bit subdued and at times can sound the same. I do still think it’s a good soundtrack that fits the theme of the game, it's just that I know that they can do even better. My favourite part is “A Moment’s Peace”.
Final Thoughts
Whoever did the male hurt sounds hit me up.
2015
Cities: Skylines is a pretty awful name for a pretty good city builder. It can be said that this is the baseline for any city builder to meet, as it does everything that you would expect of this genre. You begin with a plain plot of land and develop it into the city you want. To successfully pull this off, careful management of the city's many requirements is needed. I say that this is the baseline, because I believe more could be done with this genre, however I haven’t played many of this type of games, so I can’t say this with certainty.
If you like city builders or resource management games then I recommend it, if you don’t then well why are you here?
Story
One can imagine that a city builder won’t have a story.
One would be right.
Mechanics and gameplay
Everyone knows that every good city begins with an empty plot of land and a convenient 6 lane highway right next to it. At least that’s how it happens in Cities: Skylines. With the starting money you are given you have to build your own city. At the beginning it will be small and humble, but overtime the more people settle in, you will begin to unlock more buildings and services. They will allow you to fulfil more of your people's needs and thus expand your city further. This is the main incentive in Cities: Skylines – expand, unlock, expand more.
There comes a time however where there is nothing more to unlock and that’s where this game lost me. My city was built, it had flaws, it had room for optimization, but I felt that I didn’t have much of an incentive to perfect it. Perhaps a different person, one who obsesses with perfection and optimization would find it enjoyable to maximize their city, but that’s not me, so I just stopped playing.
Graphics/Artstyle
The graphics are alright, good enough given the release year and the genre of the game. Close up it can look like plastic, but a nighttime vista of my city never disappointed, so I can’t complain.
Atmosphere/Immersion
There isn’t much of an atmosphere or immersion, not that there has to be. It’s a city builder after all.
It is kind of weird how you are projected as the mayor. It is more like you are a god who after enough offerings (taxes) by its followers (residents) will shape the land in their image (add another roundabout).
Soundtrack
I almost never listened to the ost of Cities: Skylines, simply because this is a perfect podcast game. I turned off the in-game music and put on whatever I wanted to listen to. Due to this I don’t have a favourite part of the soundtrack.
Final Thoughts
Cities: Skylines is a bad name, because why the colon. City Skylines or something similar would have been perfect, but no got to have the random colon.
If you like city builders or resource management games then I recommend it, if you don’t then well why are you here?
Story
One can imagine that a city builder won’t have a story.
One would be right.
Mechanics and gameplay
Everyone knows that every good city begins with an empty plot of land and a convenient 6 lane highway right next to it. At least that’s how it happens in Cities: Skylines. With the starting money you are given you have to build your own city. At the beginning it will be small and humble, but overtime the more people settle in, you will begin to unlock more buildings and services. They will allow you to fulfil more of your people's needs and thus expand your city further. This is the main incentive in Cities: Skylines – expand, unlock, expand more.
There comes a time however where there is nothing more to unlock and that’s where this game lost me. My city was built, it had flaws, it had room for optimization, but I felt that I didn’t have much of an incentive to perfect it. Perhaps a different person, one who obsesses with perfection and optimization would find it enjoyable to maximize their city, but that’s not me, so I just stopped playing.
Graphics/Artstyle
The graphics are alright, good enough given the release year and the genre of the game. Close up it can look like plastic, but a nighttime vista of my city never disappointed, so I can’t complain.
Atmosphere/Immersion
There isn’t much of an atmosphere or immersion, not that there has to be. It’s a city builder after all.
It is kind of weird how you are projected as the mayor. It is more like you are a god who after enough offerings (taxes) by its followers (residents) will shape the land in their image (add another roundabout).
Soundtrack
I almost never listened to the ost of Cities: Skylines, simply because this is a perfect podcast game. I turned off the in-game music and put on whatever I wanted to listen to. Due to this I don’t have a favourite part of the soundtrack.
Final Thoughts
Cities: Skylines is a bad name, because why the colon. City Skylines or something similar would have been perfect, but no got to have the random colon.