Introduction

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV is a grand-scale strategy game where players will play as a ruler, said ruler being one of the famous warlords of the era or an original one. The game allows you to use plots to carry out strategies across the land and the use of officers with troops to destroy foes and seize control of provinces. There is a bigger focus on the management of politics, loyalties, and alliances rather than combat, but the battles are still exhilarating and enjoyable to watch unfold.

What Does it Do Well?
The game narrative is focused on a personal level, as officers will have biographies and narratives that will develop along those of rulers. For Dynasty Warriors fans, the game can be an attractive choice despite the different genres, as Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV takes a more realistic portrayal of characters and goes into detail about the events that transpired during the age of chaos.

The base version of the game is decent, but the expansion truly adds much-needed fixes, quality-of-life improvements, better ally and enemy AI along other bonuses. Allies will exploit the player to get provinces with alliance at times, while enemies will launch powerful invasions. Some officers cannot be beaten in head on battles such as Lu Bu or Zhang Liao, requiring mastery of the tactics of the game and the hexagon system to come out victorious.

What Does It Do Poorly?
For starters, the entry level for this game is a tough one, leaving a lot of players with bad taste and uninterested in it. There is a great gem here if you can truly delve into it. The game mechanics are not explained properly when it comes to certain scenarios such as invading cities, and an inexperienced player can attack a base of 5000 with 14000 and be swiftly defeated. Think of Zhang Liao beating 800 men beating the 100,000 at He Fei.

That shows that the game favors a "learn by yourself as you play" approach, which can result in a more authentic experience for a select few, but will no doubt frustrate a lot of players. The title requires an "Art of Warfare" take where one has to plan out their invasions and overall large strategy to manage to survive well fed into the late stages of the war.

What Makes It Special?
The game crafts an individual story for you as you play it, who you fight, recruit, ally with, and subsequent developments all will depend on your approach to situations and where you start. Even minor details shine thoroughly, for example, ending an alliance before time leads to most of your officers betraying you and seizing your provinces from you. When Wu was being played by Shu, there was a reason why it didn't devolve into a war between the two allies. Your reputation affects how officers, and more importantly, other powers in the region see you.

To elaborate on that, you get a status in the game. That can be a rank such as Governor or a Noble heritage. As your deeds are told across the land, officers might come to serve you, others might leave, and factions could support you to defeat a major threat or unite against you. It makes the entire gameplay very dynamic and enjoyable.

For Who Is This Game?
For those that want to take a gamble on a hidden gem, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms fan. Please, if you get it, go for the expansion pass too. The base game is not worth it by itself, and if you can get it on sale with the expansion, you will have a better time with it. It takes time to grow on you past the initial 10 hours, but after that, it becomes a wonderful title to enjoy.

Conclusion
A fantastic piece of content to enjoy the Romance of The Three Kingdoms, XIV delivers great mechanics and quality on the expansion version of the game. The base version leaves a lot to be desired and thus makes the acquisition rather pricey. A must-play for fans of the period and an intriguing invitation to those who dare take a leap of faith, XIV does a fantastic job at delivering an experience that encompasses the whole package of being a warlord trying to unite the land.

Fate/Samurai Remnant Review

Fate/Samurai Remnant is a hack-and-slash game that borrows elements from Musuo games, as its gameplay is fast-paced and flashy. The game centers on a new Holy Grail War, with the location for this entry being in Japan.

You will assume the role of Miyamoto Iori as you try to survive the ordeal, recruiting powerful servants during the game and facing epic enemies in grand battles. Yet, for all its appeal and grandeur, does this game make good on its content? Keep reading to find out.

Story

First and foremost, Fate is a heavy story game. Games of the series have been known to take an approach to visual novels, with a lot of text and character exposition being its essential traits. Samurai/Remnant keeps up with the tradition, as you will spend more time reading and watching the story than clashing in battle.

The story starts strong as the contest participants are shrouded in mystery; you don't know their goals or origins, and old servants add fanservice for fans of the series while new servants are exciting additions to the world of Fate. It's an enjoyable story, and it pulls you into it. Still, by the end of the game, it starts to decay horribly as characters are taken out of the tale quickly while others ' fates are resolved off-screen, and the game keeps repeating itself as it takes multiple cinematics to get one point across the board.

Gameplay

The game's controls can sometimes be stiff, lacking the fluent speed that other Musuo games are known for. Enemies have a mechanic in which they have barriers to protect them from damage. While this initially makes for an exciting approach to combat that makes you feel weak, by the latter half of the game, it becomes a chore as foes become giant sponges that cannot beat you and are a chore to face off.

And tedious is the right word for defining Samurai/Remnant later half. The game keeps throwing you into boring leylines battles that feature the same repeated enemies, prolonging the title's hours by adding content that is not worthwhile to play through. The game wants you to play multiple times to see new variations, but does it warrant a second try between a chore of gameplay and prolonged segments?

Strong Points

The strong point of Fate/Samurai Remnant is that the game shines during its first half, as the story progresses at a good pace that allows you to get to know the characters without being overbearing. The gameplay likewise features strong bosses that can eliminate you with ease if you are not careful, and barriers require innovative thinking to avoid losing damage to them.

Weak Points

The game focuses on playing it multiple times to access new content. Yet, it becomes a chore as you will easily find a sequence to follow that involves doing the same thing in a particular order each combat, no matter the enemy you face.

To make matters worse, Iori's stances can be detrimental as Fire and Wind make every other element useless, while Fire can sometimes do Wind's job, making for a monotonous experience. Servants suffer because they have valuable skills, while others are useless and pointless.

[h1] Conclusion[/h1]
Fate/Samurai Remnant is neither a good nor a bad game. Instead, it walks a very fine line between both and ends up being an okay game. The game could had the benefit of cutting down some grease out of its story and forced monotonous combats, and this is plain as the title has to rely on reusing bosses and prolonguing its life through chores and slowing the pace. A game that, unless you are a hardcore fan of the Fate series, I suggest you wait for a sale to get.

7/10 OKAY

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Mortal Kombat 1 Review

Mortal Kombat 1 is a restart of the Mortal Kombat series that follows the events of Mortal Kombat 11 as Liu Kang becomes the God of Fire and replaces Raiden while creating a new universe that has some of the cast that are known from this classic game. The new roles given to characters make for a fresh experience that gives Mortal Kombat a coat of new paint, and the roster is of decent size for an AAA game of this quality and visuals.

Featuring multiple game modes such as ranked matches or invasion and an excellent story mode gives this title a lot of content to explore and discover as you unlock different cosmetics and rewards from leveling up your favorite fighters. NetherRealm focused more on the single-player content than the multiplayer side of things for this entry, so keep reading to find out whenever this entry might interest you.

Single-Player
As a single-player game, this entry is fantastic thanks to the new story mode that revisits the classic tale of Mortal Kombat while adding new twists and events to the mix. The voice acting is pretty good as characters become imposing on the screen; an example is when Liu Kang speaks, he sounds like a benevolent God, yet he doesn't mind exercising violent force and aggressive tones if he is disrespected.

The cinematics are a joy to watch as they unfold due to the high visuals of the game, and it is akin to watching a movie in a theater. For other modes, Invasion Mode turns the game into an RPG as you select a fighter and a Kameo (an assist), then fight different types of enemies while getting unique challenges, quests, rewards, items, and other content. It is addictive and a lot of fun, and thanks to the seasonal currency it gives, it is worth playing to unlock seasonal content.

Multiplayer and Balance

The multiplayer of the game is good as it can offer a lot of adrenaline as you fight rivals from all over the globe. It uses a best-out-of-3 system where the first player to win more matches will be victorious, giving you some room for mistakes and learning your opponent's tactics. The tournament formula benefits the multiplayer matches and creates good battle pacing. That being said, the game does suffer from balancing issues.

Sub-Zero, Shang Tsung, Scorpion, Li Mei, and Liu Kang are all extremely powerful, making the rest of the cast pale in comparison. Scorpion can combo from attacks that cannot be blocked and can take all of your HP down in a single chain, while Sub-Zero gets a ton of offensive and defensive options as he can lay out ice clones, shoot ice balls, and even get moves with super-armor, making him incredibly hard to counter.

In contrast, characters like Kung Lao, Kitana, Sindel, or even Raiden, supposed to be the new Liu Kang, all feel they could be better. During my time online, I played around 30 matches, and most opponents only played Sub-Zero, Scorpion, or Li Mei. Scarcely were when I found other characters, and the game mode novelty would have fared better with a diverse pool of opponents, making the multiplayer less stellar than the single-player experience.

Performance

The game has some issues with performance at launch; this is due to the developers focusing more on the PS5 version of the game and treating the launch on Steam as a port. Sadly, the optimization is not the best here, but patches should eventually make running the game smoother as the quality of changes should be implemented.

On an RTX 2060, the game runs fatally on most graphics settings at 2K, yet running the game at 1080P results in enjoying 60FPS on high settings. If you struggle to run the game, consider lowering your resolution until the patches come out to fix the optimization.

Longivity

Suppose you are a hardcore player who loves the sensation of dominating opponents online. In that case, a great title here can last you for a long time, especially with DLC characters such as Omniman and Homelander coming in the future. Remember that the roster has a hierarchy, so if you don't play the top fighters, you be handicapping yourself.

If you are staying for the long run, be prepared to put some money down on the table. Based on how Shang Tsung performed as a DLC/pre-order fighter and the hype of future DLC characters, you can expect those fighters to outperform base game ones as they are released. Either way, adding these future fighters to your roster as they come out will add more replayability to the title and give you more options to choose from when playing the game.

Visuals

The game graphics are pretty good; characters feature a lot of detail when losing body parts or becoming wounded as they suffer a fatality at the hands of their opponents. Speaking of deaths, some of the finishers in this game are phenomenal, as you can get scenarios such as Liu Kang, The Fire God bringing you to space, and then using a black hole to suck your guts until you disappear.

The visuals are crips, adding details to attacks and making battles a shown to witness; during brutality or critical moves, the screen turns black on the edges, giving the screen a nice contrast as it focuses on the action and the colors that remain "pop" masterfully on your monitor. Mortal Kombat 1 is an immersive venture that is the best-looking title in the series to date.

Conclusion

Mortal Kombat 1 shows you that there is potential in fighting games to create an outstanding game for single-player fighter titles. The story mode reimagines a classic tale in the game industry that is as old as the hobby origins, and the other methods give good content to explore and discover.

The seasonal system promises to deliver support and life to the game in the long run, and the multiplayer is excellent, too, if you can ignore some heavy imbalance and have the backbone to grind your fist against your opponents in Mortal Kombat (pun intended). Whenever you are a relaxed player wanting to enjoy some tremendous single-player content or a multiplayer hardcore expert ready to demolish your opponents, Mortal Kombat 1 is a game that excels at reinventing the series. Go forward into the tournaments of Earthrealm and Outrealm fighters.

8/10 GREAT

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Introduction
When you play horror games, one of the things you look forward to is the ambiance that the title provides. Those murky walls, enemies hiding in plain sight, and big stalker monsters that jump over you dictate how good a horror game can be. Bendy and the Dark Revival aims to produce a terrifying environment without going over the top.

The game ends up being a "what if Bioshock was scary?" case that improves greatly over the series's first entry. Enemies have been added along with weapons, and bosses all feature different challenges to overcome. Adding that to the Ink Demon, we have a game that can please both newcomers and veterans of the genre alike.


Control and Map Design
The world that the machine keeps pumping out features areas that need to be backtracked to fulfill objectives. As you explore new zones, foes can respawn indefinitely, requiring strategy and timing to succeed in solving puzzles. An example of that can be moving in a corridor at the right moment to avoid a horde of ten monsters or planning your hiding spots for when the big bad decides to appear.

That makes you analyze all your options when entering areas. Where will you run when things go down? Or what is the best approach to accessing the next site determines your odds of succeeding. In addition, there are secret lairs to discover, gent gates to open for rewards, and you can even break barrels to make your hiding spots. It creates an enjoyable and terrific experience that demands always paying attention to your surroundings.

Strong Points
The strong point in Bendy and the Dark Revival is the graphics and how the world looks. The implantation of assets in the environment is fantastic! Docks that ooze with ink that can hurt you abandoned cities, and downright creepy studios full of darkness give a aesthetic that few horror games can accomplish. Despite having a cartoonish look for some enemies and moments, it can be scary when foes jump out of a locker you opened for health recovery items or when they hide in the shadows.

Art Design and Visuals
The game art design is top-notch; you can notice that with Bendy alone. The little guy can go from a charming, well-dressed devil to an abomination that will chase you while chatting about chewing up your bones. Characters such as Audrey or Alice look detailed while having an ink touch added to them to be integrated with the ink world better, while others, such as Wilson Arch, appear suspicious and creepy.

The game uses Unity as the engine, looking beautiful on screen and reinforcing that the game, in such a way, is a spiritual successor to Bioshock games. It attracts your view as you glance over objects and landscapes in the distance, making you curious about the world the ink machine created and how far it has developed.

Sound, Replayability and Performance
When it comes to sound, the title does a good job at terrific noises that can frighten you, particularly when the Ink Demon is coming to get you during the worst time (it is always the worst time when he comes by). Voice acting is solid for most characters while spectacular for others, such as the Ink Demon, hitting a perfect voice actor.

The Dark Revival only offers a little in terms of replayability if you aim for completion of it to 100%. A playthrough in hard mode and another in easy without dying while grabbing all collectibles will net you the total completion of the game.

Performance-wise, the game runs well, hitting 60 fps stable at max graphics. Regarding crashes or bugs, there aren't many. The enemy AI can be exploited using places where you can crouch to hide, but that only affects the normal enemies, not bosses or stalkers.


+Perfect entry point for those new to the horror genre, and will also please veterans.
+Impressive visuals that give birth to a world full of wonder and horrors.
+A Bioshock spiritual successor that could fill that hole for fans of the series.
+Immersive gameplay that dictates smart use of the environment to survive.


-Some foe's AI can be easily exploited with some clever use of hiding spots.
-Cannot load a game save during fights feels like a huge oversight.

Conclusion
Bendy and the Dark Revival is one of the best horror games out there regarding visuals and ambiance, rivaling those such as Layers of Fears while adding action with its gameplay. Thanks to its combat, it avoids the "walking simulator" troupe yet keeps the horror going with enemies such as the Ink Demon that force you to hide. A good entry to start for newbies to the genre, as the terror begins softly before becoming full hysteria, while veterans can be pulled in by its original look and premise.

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As you walk through the dark and eerie streets of Shibuya, you realize that the city is teeming with supernatural beings, all of which reference popular horror culture and Javanese folklore. Ghostwire is a first-person shooter that introduces new ideas to the genre while keeping you on the edge as you navigate a world full of dangers and mysteries to unravel.

Control and Map Design
If I were to define Ghostwire's most prominent feature, it would be its gameplay. It is done in such a way that it screams quality and truly embraces what premium gaming should be. Controls are responsive as you weave the different elements and use them to your advantage when facing supernatural monsters. The vibrations on the controller are satisfying when doing combos and in the middle of exorcising foes.

You can find your playstyle as you decide which elements to invest in; fire is great for damage and sniping enemies, while water is excellent for defense and hitting weak points. Those must be targeted, or enemies can last far more than you would like and swarm you.

The exploration of the city is enjoyable, with flying demons such as the Tengu offering you a lift to high places while you can glide down from buildings with your powers. It encourages players to search every corner, as side quests, collectibles, and shops offer powerful unlocks and gear to discover. Enemies also give the city a horror atmosphere as they wander around, sometimes in huge parades.

Strong Points
The strong point of Ghostwire has to be that this is the best representation of Shibuya that has been done in a game. The city looks vibrant and amazing regarding details and the diversity of the environment. From forests to undercover shrines or huge skyscrapers, there is much to glance at when walking around Shibuya.

Art Design and Visuals
Another aspect where the game shines is in the art direction. The monsters are all a spectacle, ranging from slender man's look-alikes to tall women in white dresses chasing you with huge scissors or beats that want to devour you. All the yokai have a story to them you can read based on their real-life counterpart in folklore, and as enemies, they each have their tactics and weaknesses.

The game graphics are top-notch, and it is one of the prettiest games out there regarding its technical aspect. The element talismans are also a show when you use them as they give the rainy city more tones of color. The rain shrouds Shibuya quite nicely, and when you go around exploring, it can feel like a horror story about going alone at night in a big city.

[h1]Sound, Replayability and Performance[/h1]
Sound-wise, the game is disappointing; they passed off as lackluster, and it shows the development team needed to learn how to truly take the opportunity of elevating the tension with it. Voice acting is solid, but nothing to write home about.

Regarding replayability, Ghostwire is a game you want to complete after beating. You are free to do all side quests and collectibles, so there are no missable, and some of the best moments in the title can be found in such side stories, so I recommend fully immersing yourself in them.

The game ran well on PS5 for performance, but I do not know about its pc counterpart. However, the game runs Denuvo, so you might want to have a little extra on the recommended specs, just in case.

Pros
[+] It Has a huge collection of yokai and horror stories.
[+] One of the best, if not the best, representations of Shibuya in gaming, the city is impressive.
[+] Full of new ideas that revamp the first-person shooter genre.
[+] A fantastic design for both main and side content art-wise.

Cons
[-] Could have used a better sound design to be a scary game.
[-] Some bosses can be disappointing, particularly near the end of the game.

Conclusion
Ghostwire is a fantastic game; it serves as a guide for what a deviation of first-person shooters could strive to become, and it's not afraid of introducing new ideas to the genre. If you enjoy horror stories and action games, this title is easy to recommend, even at full price. When I think of premium gaming, Ghostwire is always the first game that comes to mind.

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Introduction
Aliens Dark Descent is a title that promises a lot but fails to deliver, thanks to the technical aspects affecting it. The game nails the spirit and look of the Alien franchise, but multiple issues keep it from being more than a diamond in the dirt.

They are everywhere!!!
The game is a real-time tactical title, with your squad of marines moving around levels as you try to accomplish objectives. These can go from rescuing hostages to taking out Alien queens or exploring abandoned facilities. As you explore the levels, the menacing Xenomorphs will hunt you down to eliminate you, and in some cases, your marines can be kidnapped by them or get a face-hugged to incubate them.

The gameplay is where the game shines, as players have a wide arrange of options when it comes to tackling Xenos. They can use shotguns to deal huge damage up close, the suppressive fire that wastes ammo but slows down their advance, or the classical flamethrower to clean up the nest. Your marines are paper thin, so you must use all the resources in your arsenal to succeed in this hardcore game.

Strong Point
The strong in this title is the HIVE system, where Xenos will patrol areas where you shoot at them and communicate as a Hive to find and destroy your squad. They are resourceful enemies, as they can appear out of vents, dodge bullets at super speed with maneuvers, spill acid when they die, and even unleash massive onslaughts where you get twenty of them in your face.

It begs the player to avoid conflict when possible and think about which battles to take and which to avoid. The more you fight and make noise, the more Xenos the hive will send your way, making the mission harder. There are also many different enemies, ranging from deranged cultists to the big Xeno Crusher that can shrug off bullets.

Art Design and Visuals
The game graphics are impressive, with environments capturing the essence of the Aliens films. During the battle, explosions and fire effects are long-lasting and crisp, giving a touch of color to the monotonous areas relying on grays and black.

Sound
Sounds are done perfectly, shown by the Aliens screeching as they come after you. Characters and marines' voice acting is great too, but it can be annoying as your squad screams "double time!" forty times in a row as they move around.

An option to reduce or turn off banter between the marines would have been appreciated, as their talking minimizes the game's tension and ruins the atmosphere it tries to set in.

Conclusion
Despite how good the game is, I cannot recommend it now. Multiple glitches will delete your marines, get them stuck on doors, or have enemies completely break the game. There is a good title here, but it needs many patches and fixes before it can be enjoyed without frustration.

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It begs the player to avoid conflict when possible and think about which battles to take and which to avoid. The more you fight and make noise, the more Xenos the hive will sent your way making the mission harder. There is also a pleasant amount of different enemies, ranging from derange cultist to the big Xeno Crusher that can shrug off bullets.

Art Design and Visuals
The game graphics are impressive, with environments capturing the essence of the Aliens films. During battle, explosions and fire effects are long lasting and crisps, giving a touch of color to the overall monotonous areas that rely on grays and black.

Sound
Sounds are done perfectly, and it's shown by the Aliens screeching as they come after you. Characters and marines voice acting is great too, but it can be annoying as your squad screams "double time!" for the forty time in a row as they move around.

An option to reduce or disable banter between the marines would had been appreciated, as them talking reduces the tension of the game and ruins the atmosphere it tries to set in.

Conclusion
Despite how good the game is, I cannot recommend it at the moment. There are multiple glitches that will delete your marines, get them stuck on doors or have enemies completely break the game. There is a good title here, but it needs good deal of patches and fixes before it can be enjoyed without frustration.

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Mirror 2: Project X is a match-3 game that features much of the content for their asking price. The game packs six stories with multiple entertaining endings, even when the translation could be better. The character's voice acting is great, and the storylines all bring their flair, from nature going extinct to internal power struggles in a kingdom or SCP foundations.

The gameplay is fun, with story mode being easy overall, save some fights and the Ivy story. You match icons on a grid to unleash their effects, with the number of them determining their power. Three-of-a-kind is the basic, while four-of-a-kind doubles the impact, and five-of-a-kind makes it super powerful while giving you a radiant gem that deals great damage without costing a turn.

For challenge mode, you must think and go for T and L shapes or match-5 to emerge victorious. Pairing that with skills, items, and the ability to play as the girls in the mode allows for various builds to use.

Many people rated The game negatively, yet most of the complaints are based on the lack of...sex scenes and the such. The prequel to the game was a porn game, so with the sequel removing all those elements, players took it upon themselves to review-bomb the title. It is a shame because there is nothing inherently wrong with the game.

There is some disappointment in that you cannot use all characters in challenge mode, making it a missed opportunity as Ivy and others won't be available. The graphics are good and have a similar style to Genshin Impact, with a home mode that lets you explore an island and take pictures.

Mirror 2 is a good game for a couple of hours, lasting between 6-10 hours if you watch the cutscenes and do some challenge mode runs. The satisfaction of unleashing combos and getting radiant gems keeps you entertained while tackling all the content.

Introduction
Did you know that Mr. Daddy is a puppet of a goose that fixes your cavities? Now you do, so schedule your appointment for a bright smile! The Outlast Trials is a multiplayer game developed by Red Barrels, bringing Outlast's intense fear and tension into the multiplayer genre of horror games. Will they succeed in creating a terrifying attraction, or will it be just another of the bunch? Let's find out.

The Goose is on the Loose!
The game hooks you immediately, thanks to the adrenaline one feels while playing it. Running, closing a door, and hiding during a chase is exhilarating! In the trials provided by the Center of Rehabilitation Murkoff, teamwork and attention to detail play a crucial role in surviving the experiments. You can notice doors are wired with traps if you inspect them with your eyes or that puzzles such as the valve one follow a set of tubes pointing to the correct valves to activate.

In addition, there are goggles used to see in the dark. These are vital for exploring obscure areas full of hazards and enemies. It adds a new layer into consideration due to their limited use as they run out of batteries, and searching for recharge can be stressful and mind-boggling when lights go out in the middle of a match. The prioritization of the team and the items to be utilized test the team's mettle in facing the trial individually and as a group!

The formula has been shaken quite a bit, as unlike previous titles, this entry introduces rigs and prescriptions to the table. Think of these as your class and perks, respectively; they dictate the focus of your playstyle. For example, the green rig allows players to heal teammates and themselves, making it an excellent choice for teamwork and more defensive styles. Meanwhile, the red rig allows one to stun enemies, more suited to those feeling more daring and looking to evade or confront the residents during chases.

Looks like we have... a crime in progress.
On the other hand, the enemies are less practical than they are a show to behold in amazement. Psychopaths exhibit these personality traits that make them seem silly and funny but don't detract from how menacing and bloodlust they are. They will relentlessly chase you as they seek to end your existence, and the IA is smart enough to detect your general location based on your actions (a step on glass, making noise, or moving too fast).

The levels are limited; with only two bosses and a few maps, there is little content yet. The game relies on repetition to get good scores and unlockables to keep you engaged. It is in Early Access, and you can tell, as there are bugs such as the game not registering inputs or foes getting stuck and not moving. However, these were rare. There is a need for more content to make the title feel more diverse and keep the tension going, as once you learn the maps, it's more of a game of how fast you can clear them.

The game is undoubtedly good; playing with people and solving puzzles as you evade the local abominations is fun. I wish the game would tell you more about the controls; however, some actions, such as sliding being a perk or running while looking behind you, need to be stated precisely. The layout could have also been more intuitive, as some input combinations can be forgotten mid-chase.

Art Design and Visuals
Visually it looks great; it is Outlast, after all. The presentation is there, and the maps are interesting; on the first try is a fight for survival, while subsequent ones are challenging to get that good evaluation score. The fear aspect is there, but it evaporates the more you play, which is a shame for a title with such attention to detail.

The graphics are good-looking, and the models are well done; some aspects are mixed from the story into the visuals. Evaluations give a performance to the player that tells them everything they did right and wrong as constructive feedback, allowing them to improve at the game. Most such improvements depend on the visual factor, seeing things on the screen and learning from the environment. Search for items, see which hallways are safer, or plan an escape route. Seeing a window and thinking, "Won't that make enough noise to attract foes?" changes the approach to gameplay through visual cues, which is fantastic!

Sound, Replayability and Performance
The voice acting is funny, particularly Mrs. Gooseberry. It is so enjoyable listening to her chit-chat with the puppet she carries. The quality is fantastic, and it has moments, as Mr. Daddy can tell you to run when Gooseberry is near or the locals beating you up while complaining about the most random things. It finds a way to get a chuckle out of you every time.

The game's sound effects are diverse; it counts a massive selection of sounds and visuals to increase the player's immersion. Screams are piercing and loud while being under the effect of psychosis changes how the world is perceived as sounds, and the screen becomes distorted. These touches add more richness to the Outlast Trials experience.

On replayability, the game is enormous. Each map has multiple challenges to accomplish, but even more important, it has an EXAM version of the trial. These add insane modifiers to make your odds of surviving low, and it changes the dynamic of gameplay so much it feels like a new game at times. From doors that open and close mechanically to fewer spots to hide in or other surprises, I let you discover them as they add a lot to a game with few maps, which is appreciated.

+Outlast makes the jump to multiplayer with tremendous results!
+A multiplayer horror game with an intense fear factor!
+Progression is rich and keeps you engaged. Each upgrade is meaningful.
+Addictive gameplay thanks to high-tension chases and the scoring system!

-The variety of maps leaves something to be desired.
-Not balanced for single-player mode despite having the option.
-Due to its Early Access, it feels lacking compared to previous entries. (this con is temporal)

Conclusion
Outlast the Trials is an immersive and addicting game that makes you want to keep playing it as you progress through its levels and progression. Red Barrels shows the competition that there is a way to make multiplayer horror remain scary while adding enough choices to warrant exploration in its challenges and gameplay. If you are a horror fan, this game is a must-have to add to your collection.

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2018

Introduction
If being chased by a Shark named Bruce while hoarding all the trash in the ocean sounds fun, it is because it is at least once you go over the initial tedious hours. Raft is a survival game in which, rather than fight zombies or demons, you have to deal with...a lot of water, aka the ocean. Discover the story left behind as you explore uncharted seas.

Control and Map Design
Raft plays out in a way that can be praised and criticized simultaneously. It gives freedom in approaching base creation and exploring the islands it features, resulting in a good experience in the long run. However, it has some design choices that can leave it feeling rather tedious and damage the game's pace.

For example, exploring an island is always thrilling; players must move around the land while keeping tabs on their Raft. Otherwise, they could lose it. Animals on land can be dangerous but offer a good amount of food for the long term, making them an attractive high-risk, high-reward hunt. Likewise, expanding the Raft is rewarding, too, as the player can grow crops, upgrade their items and, most importantly, have a comfortable space to move around.

Conversely, the fact that certain materials can only be obtained by specific tools or that they can get monotonous in the long run hampers some of the possibilities Raft looks to offer. Islands start to look and feel the same, while the Progression of the Raft can be determined by how many players are playing. One to two players can result in dull, slow growth in contrast to four to eight players, which makes the grinding of materials more bearable.

Strong Points
The strong point of Raft is that the game visuals are mesmerizing, while the gameplay can be engaging if done right. It is a game that is both challenging and fun, where most troubles have a temporal solution rather than a permanent one until you reach a certain point. The ocean looks beautiful and comes alive as waves threaten to swallow your Raft or put you in reach of the shark to bite.

Fighting the shark on itself offers some degree of ingenuity regarding gameplay. One player can distract it while other attacks or timing attacks correctly on certain sections can stop the shark mid-attack. If confrontation is not your forte, you can use shark bait to get rid of the shark for a while. These options in dealing with problems allow a good amount of freedom for the player to consider their approach to situations.

Art Design and Visuals
The visuals of Raft are excellent, with the ocean looking vibrant both from the outside and the inside. The islands offer ecosystems on land and sea, as numerous animals live in both areas. You can find giant birds throwing rocks at you or a group of fish to collect. It is not the most pretty game out there, but it indeed commits to making the aspect of being stranded in a Raft appealing visually.

Sound, Replayability and Performance
There is no voice acting, nor does the narrative demand lengthy sessions. Raft is all about making your own story of survival, and the sound effects are solid. Rain, waves, and water movement all have a noise that immerses you more, and I found my experience at best during solid tides in the deepest part of the ocean.



Replayability-wise, the game is as infinite as you want to play it. Rather than being a game you replay after beating it, however, this title seems more in line with having a long run on a server. If the player desires, there is a narrative to follow, but there is enough room to make gigantic constructions on the water so that the Raft looks more like a city.

My specs are RTX 2060, 36 GB of ram, Intel Core i7-11700K - Core i7 11th Gen Rocket Lake 8-Core 3.6 GHz LGA 1200. on High settings, the FPS was between 60 to 90 at all times.

+Raft offers a unique survival experience, face the ocean!
+High risk-High reward gameplay that begs to explore the depths.
+Visually charming with how the seas are portrayed along the islands.

-Progression can sometimes be dull and tedious, especially at the start.
-Some design choices, such as limited freedom by specific tool usage, counter each other.

Conclusion
Raft is a beautiful survival game that, while at times can feel like an unfinished beta of sorts, adds something unique to the survival genre. Fight the ocean as you look to survive being stranded, lack of food or water, or being eaten by sharks! I recommend the game if you enjoy survival games and have at least three other friends to play with.

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Sincerely I like Diofield Chronicle a lot because it is a real-time strategy RPG, like an RTS/RPG hybrid, which gives it a unique genre. When it comes to the story, it has one of the best plot twists I have seen in a game, and it promises an excellent premise for a sequel if we do get a sequel.

Gameplay wise is pretty good; you have units in a similar style to Fire Emblem, and those units have an archetype that they fit into: Blue units are tanks or assassins, Red are vanguards/warriors, Purple are mages, and Green are archers. Each of them with its uses as you manage their cooldowns and positioning on the battlefield.

Fighting in real-time with your troops is interesting, and there are levels when it is exciting to navigate the areas and debate whether to keep a unified front or split your squad. Sadly I found the combat easy, and I would have preferred a bit of a challenge. It also needs to improve on the same problem most games of the genre have; as you acquire new characters, older characters that you got at the start fall off. You have to replace your units with better ones, and while this does give each unit an identity to be highlighted, it makes weaker units feel terrible to play, and your favorites might not make the cut in your active squadron.

Taking characters to their best set, like legendary weapons and gear, is satisfactory, making progression enjoyable. Graphically it doesn't have great models for the characters, but levels and abilities are visually appealing. The art design and character design are where the game shines, giving a touch sense of Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics.

If you enjoy turn-based combat and strategy games such as Fire Emblem, Command and Conquer, and anime, you might want to give this title a shot. It is a great game that could use a sequel to improve its base.

Introduction
Marfusha is a simple and addictive game that sets up the premise for a story base on border protection. The game is a wave survival as the player tries to protect the gate while facing several handicaps and unlocking characters. Weapons have a distinct identity in this title. That is due to enemies' attack patterns, as a submachine gun can eliminate bombs sent by air. Meanwhile, the shotgun can be great for heavily armored foes, and the light machine gun can be helpful when facing massive hordes of weak machines. Finding the weapon best for the situation and your playstyle is rewarding and a process of trying them out.

Taxes and more taxes...
One of the game's handicaps is the tax system. As you progress through the story, the game will give you less money to acquire defense items and upgrades. That lack of funds incentivizes you to plan what to purchase carefully and when. It becomes a neat strategy game of its own. Another handicap is the chance cards. These can give potent effects and conjure enemies or waves that can obliterate you. In my experience, they are more risky than not, so be careful when going for them!

Challenge Mode
The challenge mode is the most attractive part of the title. It has many characters, each with its perks and advantages. For completionists, the challenge mode will offer a lot of fun and something to strive to complete for the trophies/achievements. The mode also mixes up some bosses and makes for intense battles!

Slice of...Life?
The game story mode features two endings, one for beating the game and one for clearing it without losing to a single wave. Both feature some pretty neat plot twists that I let you discover by yourself, but playing a second playthrough gives a different experience in the story mode.

There are also segments where the girls can relax; in these, you can choose whenever you want them to eat, shower, or do other everyday activities. Each will net different attribute points and are crucial to use if you want to min-max your character!

Conclusion
Marfusha is a fun little game to explore if you want a short experience with no compromises. The whole game can be cleared in a couple of hours, along with challenge mode, and you can save on any wave. An indie that is worth getting into if you like wave games and enjoys stories with plot twists, Marfusha is a solid game.

Final Fantasy XVI Review

Introduction
Final Fantasy XVI is a long-awaited game by many fans, promising an exciting twist to the classic Final Fantasy story, much like Stranger of Paradise attempted to. While not perfect, it is a beautiful, vibrant game limited by some mistakes in design choices and is a phenomenal entry in the series.

Control and Map Design
The game of combat starts simple and tedious, but as I progress through the story, I notice that the more mechanics and abilities one has at their disposal, the more complex it becomes. Layers are added as builds require some clever thinking and timing to shine genuinely, and the satisfaction of pulling out insane combos during staggers is excellent!

That being said, the balancing leaves a bit to be desired. Enemies can be straightforward regarding AI, with most foes standing quiet and attacking slowly, save for hunts and bosses. Meanwhile, Eikon's abilities are all over the place; some can be extremely useful, such as Odin's and Titan, while Ramuh and Garuda feel useless overall. Some commands, like Pile Drive, are a waste of a slot as it's worse than all other skills in the game, and I would have appreciated more creativity in that aspect.

Regarding the map design, Final Fantasy XVI is a linear game. Years ago, Final Fantasy XIii was criticized over linearity, but with a public spent on open worlds, XVI adds a refreshing take. While arenas on themselves don't present a particular tone gameplay-wise, they have an identity visually that makes you feel a part of a bigger world. Aoe's and other attacks require careful attention to the battle areas.

Strong Points
The strong point of this title is the graphics of it. One of the best-looking games to date, Final Fantasy shows a fantastic spectacle to the eyes during Eikons that rival blockbusters films. Add that to the game's scope and how much content there is, that one must question how they manage to fit so much while looking superb. You did a fantastic job visually.

[h1]Sound, Replayability and Performance[/h1]
The sounds in the game are well done, with combat abilities having their sound effects. Voice actors did a great job here as their emotions come alive on the screen, and Clive Rosfield VA channeled a loss he suffered in real life into his performance, making his acting feel incredibly real.

Replayability-wise, the game offers the FINAL FANTASY mode, which adds new content while making foes stronger and unlocking new gear. If you like to beat games and move on, this might not be for you, but if you want to revisit the game, there is plenty to discover and try out in this new game mode.

The performance hovers between 40 and 50 frames in regular combat. It is not very noticeable as you focus more on the actual action than the frames. In Eikon fights, frames run better during segmented sections such as scenes and QTE but sometimes can be lower during intense encounters going low to 30-35.

Pros and Cons

+Visually attractive and a spectacle to see on screen.
+Hunts and New Game, plus add more content on top of it.
+Amazing soundtrack by the Final Fantasy XIV team!
+Combat starts simple but is addictive by the end of it.
+An original take on Final Fantasy troupes and story.

-The best ability in the game is giving right at the end, disappointing in both fun and effectiveness.
-Some skills can trivialize combat near the end.
-Pacing can sometimes be annoying, with pacing growing extremely slow after some Eikon fights.

[h1] Conclusion[/h1]
Final Fantasy XVI is a fantastic game to play and immerse oneself in. It adds new takes on a beloved franchise and is unafraid to go out of the box with some of its ideas. While it comes short of being incredible, it is a great base to make better final fantasy games, and it shows that sometimes, exploring a concept delivers excellent results.

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