Recent reviews by ɠųąཞɖıąŋ ąŋɠɛƖ!

(mini-review).

I love Warhammer 40K. This game is a card game that has great art and design. However, all the worst toxic afflictions bestowed upon mobile gaming infest this title. Multiple currencies, glacial progression and broken strategies/mechanics abound. It's a shame. I'd pay 60 dollars to get a good game. This isn't it.

Avoid this game.

4/10.

Callisto Protocol is a horror third person shooter created by Glen Schofield and Striking Distance Studios. The game is a spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, with many of the same concepts, game play mechanics and settings. While this review will be considered unpopular by many, the truth is that Callisto Protocol is a masterclass example of how horror experiences should be created on PC. The game is well plotted, briskly paced, beautifully presented and well-assembled all-around.

The game has a simple but surprisingly well-thought out story line, backed by a supremely capable theme. You are Jacob Lee, a smuggler, and survivor that is looking for one final score to escape a life constantly spent scraping by. You take a job from UJC, a superconglomerate with typically sinister undertones. When your ship gets hit by a supposed terrorist group lead by Dani Nakamura, you are forced to crash land on Callisto, a frozen wasteland moon orbiting Jupiter. You and Dani are promptly captured and illegally detained within the Callisto Penal Facility by the maniacal UJC Warden and his corrupt underlings. With your first officer dead and you stranded on an icy world, far from home, you quickly realize that the prison has been afflicted with a cataclysmic biological outbreak and that you must escape. Along the way, you discover the horrible truth about the Callisto Protocol, the penitentiary and the fate of thousands.

The story isn't very original. It's been done before, long before Dead Space, in fact (Doom 3 and before that System Shock 2) However, the pacing of the plot, as you progress through all the story beats, coupled with the quick but not overly-short length work brilliantly. The game doesn't overstay its welcome, with the main campaign ranging from a 10-hour rush to a more measured 14-hour experience. Claims of 7 hour runs are complete falsehoods however, and, barring the leanest and most unpleasurable speed runs, you won't fail to hit that 10 hour mark. The claustrophobic and terror-fueled haunted house-in-space motif is on full display within Callisto Protocol, with a gritty, realistic vibe reminiscent of Doom 3, replete with a variety of creative and creepy environments.

Callisto Protocol runs on Unreal Engine 4 but easily surpasses all both 1% of its contemporaries in graphics and visual elements. Models are intricate, realistic and well-animated. The game screams atmosphere that is almost intolerably palpable. With characters based off actor Josh Duhamel and Karen Fukuhara, characters are brimming with personality and charming in both look and action. Lighting and shadows steal the show and make the game look frighteningly photo realistic at times. The sound track, acting and key song by Kings Elliot are all strikingly well-executed (pun intended).

Game play is much maligned but the Callisto Protocol has various options to dispatch a variety of enemies. Not only does the gravity-based GRP glove allow you to use environmental variables to kill enemies, but you can also employ stealth attacks or several traditional, yet meaty weapons to dispatch foes. Weapons feel good, shoot well and allow you to dismember/disable targets. Weapons can all be upgraded to various degrees and while the progression system is often slow, weapon upgrades matter and make a difference over time. The melee system, however, steals the show.

The melee system not only rewards sharp strategic thinking, but it defies the action TPS trope of basing blocks or dodges on timing. Instead, dodges are strictly based on pre-determined key presses that allow for auto movements. The trick of course is to ensure that you are dodging to the correct direction first and that you aren't surrounded. Becoming surrounded is one of the key factors of why Callisto Protocol, even post-patch, can be so unforgiving sometimes. Enemies will swarm you and dodging one foe, can easily place you in striking distance (pun intended) of another. Hence, the use of strategy, utilizing choke points, exploiting high ground or kiting all become crucial at higher difficulty levels. Unlike so many other games, split-second reflexes with a melee baton aren't enough to prevail. You're going to have to think about where you stand, when you engage and what tools you employ, to prevail.

Callisto Protocol has a kicker of an ending, that both tugs at the heart strings but also infuriates a person by leaving them wanting an immediate resolution. That kind of ending actually expresses the triumph that Callisto Protocol represents, as it leaves you wanting more. The DLC, Final Transmission gives you just that, with a meaty 4 hour scare-fest addition, with new weapons, enemies and areas to explore. The title ran without any crashes, glitches, or issues. Callisto Protocol isn't phenomenally well-optimized, and I had to use FSR 2.0 to get the most of its performance. However, new players should know that all major issues have been fixed.

As of this writing, the mobs of lemmings have torpedoed Striking Distance's opus and Schofield has stepped down from the development house. The chance of receiving a DLC from Europa or a new sequel, staring Nakamura are all but nonexistent. Players would rather spend thousands on skins for an online game, buy soulless iterations of moribund franchises, or sink cash in games with overrated reputations. If you can get Callisto Protocol during a Steam sale, expect to pay 30 dollars, including the DLC, for 20-or so hours of frightfully good entertainment.

Thanks for this exquisite one-off Schofield + Striking Distance.

Highest possible recommendation.

9.5/10. Excellent.

(mini-review).

This is what expansion packs should be like. Not only does the DLC bring a fantastic camera mode change, which breathes new life into the RE: Village base game, but it also provides you with a 4 or so hour long campaign that has plenty of pluck, heart and tries several new things. Is the DLC as long as Separate Ways? No. But, unlike RE: 4's tired DLC, Shadows of Rose introduces powers, puzzling, stealth and a host of new enemies, environments and abilities. Unlike Separate Ways, Shadows of Rose doesn't feel like a photocopy of Village, but instead is more frenetic and panic-inducing, as Rose is neither a brawler nor accomplished marksman. The game is every bit as frightening as Village and perhaps more so.

No, the DLC isn't perfect. It's a bit pricey for four hours (unless you get it for $10 on sale in which case it's perfectly fine). The story is also predictable (as if Separate Ways wasn't), but Shadows of Rose is a treat for people that enjoyed the 2021 game of the year.

Highly Recommended.

9/10.

(mini-review).

You only need ask yourself a simple question. Did you like Resident Evil 4 Remake? If so, this feels like an abridged version, stretched over 10 hours that includes 3-4 plot events detailing how Ada impacted Leon's adventure in Spain. Don't expect any serious storytelling, new enemies, vastly different weapons, gameplay or actions. You've been there, seen it, done that and then some. Rote. Rinse. Repeat. Is it a good expansion for $10? Sure. Is it nearly as good as everyone makes it out to be? Absolutely not. You've done it all before, better, in RE 4. Shadows of Rose wrecks this lamentably lazy DLC and gets 0 credit. People are weird.

Play this if you want one last run through RE 4, I guess, but why not just play RE 4 again?

Recommended.

8/10.

Resident Evil 4 (2023) is the remake to the classic and widely-regarded Resident Evil 4 predecessor. The original departed wildly from its urban, zombie-slaying roots by framing the story within another country (Spain), in a small village, and pitting you against infected humans that, for all intents and purposes, while zombie-like, could also use weapons and basic attack strategies. The game had a wild story containing a global domination plot, a monomaniacal religious zealot, a variety of monstrous enemies and oodles of action. All of that is present in the remake. It's ironic that the most well-regarded Resident Evil game should also be partially responsible for the action-oriented philosophy of the following 2 Resident Evil titles (5 & 6).

It's important to underscore that Resident Evil 4 (2023) is both a future classic and an excellent game in its own right, whether you compare it to the original or any of its gaming contemporaries. The game is comprised of atmosphere, tension, bouts of frenetic panic, intrigue all wrapped within a stunningly polished presentation. The game's graphics are simply excellent and, while the game lacks some of the photo-realistic visuals and textures of its predecessors (2, 3 and Village to be precise), it is still a beautiful game in its own right. The title also has a competently foreboding soundtrack and reasonable voice acting.

The combat and gameplay are sublime and represent years of careful and skilled control/combat iterations. Leon moves well and the combat feels great. Weapons are varied and all are reasonably useful, even if some are noticeably more powerful than others. Environmental variables abound, allowing for a variety of tactical choices. Ammo is often scarce, so melee is absolutely essential and the inclusion of the new parry system adds a layer of strategy to the combat proceedings. I do believe that the game would have benefited from the inclusion of a set evasion command, as the Quicktime-based evasion prompts lack the skill of more fluid responses.

The enemies are wide and varied, with a ton of humanoid zombies, monstrous sea creatures, giants (Gigante), artillery, dogs, insects, and a slew of other surprises which will remain a secret. Additionally, clever resource/inventory management is crucial to survival in higher levels. Boss fights are, for the most part, well-realized, and the game is riddled with secrets. In fact, while all RE games, to some degree, have secrets and unlockables, most are absolutely dwarfed by this game. Completing the entire game and finding most of the stashes of loot will easily take over 30 hours.

Replayability is also present in this game, with plenty hidden weapons, loot stashes and unlocks being available. A variety of character models and character sketches can similarly be unlocked. Some can even be used within the game during multiple playthoughs and the came will reward determined gamers with New Game+ additions. The title also comes bundled with the Mercenaries add-on, which will add a simple but compelling horde mode to the table. Ashley, the President's maiden-in-distress daughter, serves as an important motivational element and the numerous puzzles around the game are all intelligently presented.

Not everything about Resident Evil 4 comes up roses however. The game is not as lovingly optimized as previous titles and you'll need a graphics card with at least 16 GB of VRAM and ~AMD 6800-level performance to eke out 4K/60 Hz. Some of the combat may feel a bit overly-difficult, with several fights, like the initial fight in the village or one later with Luis, being extraordinarily difficult for literally no reason. Without evasion, some attacks connect cheaply and may result in area-replays. The game, while packed to the gills with content, feels padded at times and is probably at least 5 hours too long. Sure, the shooting galleries are fun and reclaiming Ashley after she's been captured are all compelling elements. However, this game has 10+ shooting galleries and Ashley's capture wears thin after its 5th occurrence.

Still, Resident Evil 4 clearly demonstrates that Capcom understands how to create a masterclass title. Resident Evil 3 was just a speed bump and this kind of title is quintessential RE. This game will be a real treat for new RE gamers and old veterans alike.

Highest possible recommendation.

9.5/10.

(mini-review).

Easy to run. Reasonably engaging premise. Charming in its atmosphere. Looks like a cross between Sanitarium and BG I, staged in a Lovecraftian world. It is tedious, however, and possessed of amateurish writing that feels wholly uninspiring once you're actually engaging in the many insipid conversations.

Not worth the time. There are better games available.

6/10.

(mini-review).

Heroes of Might and Magic with woeful dearths of strategy and game play. Great music, obnoxiously cartoony artwork and a painfully silly story. The fundamental concept is obviously fertile but the execution is strictly amateurish.

I love this kind of game but I couldn't even hit an hour on it.

Not worth the time. You'll find better games elsewhere.

5/10.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the re-release of Bioware's first real foray into company-created IP, a title encompassing 2007's Mass Effect, 2010's Mass Effect 2 and 2013's Mass Effect 3, as well as almost all of the corresponding singleplayer DLC. The title is an expansive, mature, space opera-oriented science fiction piece, that follows the exploits of Commander Shepard, the first human Council agent, known as a Specter. Mass Effect Legendary Edition has been re-released with improved support for modern graphics APIs and hardware, and both model meshes and textures have been augmented to operate at ultraHD 4K resolutions.

During its initial run, the trilogy received substantial critical and player fanfare and is one of Bioware's most successful intellectual properties to date, releasing on PC and a variety of consoles. The title operates as a third-person perspective shooter overlaid upon an RPG backend that allowed players to customize character abilities, weapon loadouts, as well as engage in political and social decision-making. The game also had extensive world exploration elements, with dozens of planets that could be explored/battled on. Mass Effect is a unique, and stylish science fiction universe with its own distinct look and identity, including compelling alien history, physiology and socio-political backgrounds.

The combat in the game steadily improves throughout the three component games, from satisfactory to smooth and sublime by the end of Mass Effect 3. Cover is crucial at higher difficulty levels and effective movement/mantling are also essential during advanced combat scenarios. Powers and weapons blend seamlessly, allowing players to make meaningful combat decisions. Weapons have unique, punchy identities and powers feel natural and intuitive. Numerous weapon mods, ammo types and heavy weapons add to the combat complexity.

Social and political decisions abound, influencing events during each game's climax, as well as the trilogy's final conflict during Mass Effect 3. While many individuals lamented Mass Effect 3's original ending, the forthcoming DLCs expanded upon the choices made and add much-needed contextual information. The story's central through-line is both dark and terrifying, motivating players to try their best to oppose truly intimidating enemies. Romances and friendships, while comparably shallow to other, prior Bioware titles, are still present and surprisingly rewarding.

Graphics have been improved significantly. Textures, specifically, are drastically improved and while Mass Effect Legendary Edition will not be confused for a current-generation title (or perhaps even a prior generation one), the game still looks beautiful and well-realized. Animations are good and character models, specifically John Shepard's look great. The title has its own unique visual identity which can only be described as Halo by way of Disney's Epot Center. Voice acting, as with all other expansive titles, is a mixed bag but good overall and the musical score is legendarily realized (pun intended).

Planetary exploration is limited compared to other titles, like Nomad Sky, but still quite substantial. What Mass Effect lacks in dynamic world-building, it makes up for in detail-focused environment crafting. The game has a variety of game-mechanics, including vehicle traversal (the Mako and Hammerhead), as well as stealth, melee and unit deployment elements. The game runs well (4K, max, 60 fps) and I experienced no glitches, errors or crashes.

The game definitely has some weaknesses, including a missing DLC release and the lack of the excellent Mass Effect 3 multiplayer component. Additionally, many players will undoubtedly lament the inclusion of EA software (first Origin and then EA Play). This is, indeed, quite annoying since the game ran flawlessly with only the Origin thin client. Once Origin was deprecated, the title asked me to install EA Play. EA Play, however, stopped logging my achievements midway through Mass Effect 2 and I had to reinstall the thin client and run it during each gameplay session in order to receive achievements again.

Sure there are more accessible or more modern science fiction titles available today. Some others may have better graphics or enormous, dynamically-generated worlds. Still others may have more complex RPG mechanics. The Mass Effect trilogy, however, had all these elements coexisting exquisitely a full decade and a half ago. To date, there is simply no other science fiction space epic that reaches the same spiraling heights so effortlessly. The Mass Effect trilogy is truly special.

Highest possible recommendation. Must buy.

10/10.

(mini-review.)

This game screams "Cheap Darkest Dungeon clone." and, in many ways, that's exactly what it is. It's an extremely difficult rogue-like game, that is played by controlling a party of four fantastical characters that you upgrade/train over time, throughout the completion of a campaign. Combat occurs in a turn-based fashion, like DD. Graphics are 2D, like DD. The game has a suitably dark and menacing vibe, like DD. Most of the beats are lifted straight from its spiritual predecessor.

Unlike DD, however, the game has a more forgiving range of difficulty levels and quality of life elements, including "insta-level brains", character component upgrades, and more forgiving necromancy character skills, allowing you to raise dead compatriots. That only begins to touch the tip of the iceberg of a game with great art, fantastic voice acting, atmospheric music and fun/challenging gameplay. This game may be a DD knockoff but in some ways, it exceeds its spiritual predecessor.

Great for DD fans and strategy game/TBS buffs.

Recommended.

8.5/10.

(mini-review.)

Neat text and point-click adventure games based on prior-century titles. Lots of creepiness abounds. Clever game concepts make the title worthwhile. For a couple of bucks, the game is worth a peek.

Worth a look.

7/10.