Recent reviews by kev4ev

After decades of playing different RTS I finally can add 'retreat if armor less than' to a unit's AI. What a relief! There are lot of other functions for a more sophisticated logic too! And you don't have to learn coding. I havn't unlocked everithing yet, but at this point I may suggest the game is not a classical RTS: no large base construction, no direct command. You set your construction options of pre-programmed units (with pre-configured modules) and manage the 'printing queue' during a session. So this is an interesting combo of RTS and a bot arena.

I am in TDU series since 2007 (I'm also familiar with some other titles such as RBR and Dirt Rally 2). And I prefer a wheel controller and 900 degrees wheel travel.

I want to tell you about TDUSC from an unique perspective:

Imagine you started Free Roam in Dirt Rally 2 but this time the developers have opened the Dirtfish gates so, with this rally sim physics, you are now finally free to drive anywhere in a large world scaled 1:1, slalom through the AI traffic with other players. The racing is really sim'ish and challenging with some really crazy and fun tracks.

Many legendary classical and modern supercars are in the game, so no need in modding hassle. And you really have to earn both money and reputation to buy them, which gives a strong feeling of ownership!

Three IMPORTANT things:

1. For the desired responsiveness, just tune the steering axis sensitivity (which serves as 'variable ratio steering' and is best at 0.8 in my case and -0.5 for 340 degrees wheel travel) and set the very minimal dead zone (not zero).

2. You don't have to win 1st in races to progress. But if you want a 1st place, it is quite easy in a few tries with a wheel controller AND all the upgrades for a stock car (which is 100% correct).

3. You'll need a really good hardware for a good performance. Otherwise be prepared for compromises.

These negative review offensive campaigns have gone too far...

I feel like the developers knew my expectations for CS2. They did everything I thought about:
- good scale choises for objects, their speed and calendar time flow (it's more like CiM2 with its morning and evening rush hours)
- road and intersection building tool has ultra capabilities without mods (snapping to individual lanes, tuning intersection restrictions may even create a double line along an intersection)
- all four year seasons are in my city now (and they fit day/night cycle very well)
- sound design is very calm and soft now - SFX and music not as "intrusive" to my mind as they were in CS1
- private vehicles do not despawn so car parking is the issue you must deal with
- I can see who lives in a building in CS2 (people now are famalies, so CS2 is also a bit of a life sim), I can easily "subscribe" to follow a person's life
- I can continue this list, but I will sum up with this line: it's like CS1 was designed mostly for kids, CS2 was designed both for kids and real life engineers on the same level.

The workshop is now built-in - "steam only" guys are angry, others are happy.

I'm not quite sure about transport stops system in SC2: it is similar to CiM2 now (not as simple as it was in CS1).

Also, yeah, CS2 needs to be polished, but the devs do polishing it (slowly, but I bet that is a lot of coding - hard work).

Currently I'm 10 hours into the game, so I might be wrong a bit (I'll edit later if so).

Developers are lucky I'm in a good mood.

I want thumb down this "simulator" but I surely want thumb up such 'Electrician: the Game'

What you will learn while playing Electrician Simulator:
- not to put fingers in a socket
- how to disassemble simple things like a socket, switch etc.
- what the in-house cable management is like (very roughly)
- (I'll leave this string for DLC stuff)

What you will NOT learn while playing Electrician Simulator:
- electricity physics (voltage, current, resistance, power, induction, serial/parallel connection features etc)
- how to remember parts/cables/screws position in a device you disassemble
- how to manage disassembled parts
- how to use multimeter to check capacitors, resistors, diodes, chips, circuits, solders etc.
- how to solder correctly (flux, pre-heat, temperatures etc.)
- how to find cables in walls
- how to ground a house electricity
- how not to forget to check polarity before soldering cables and powering a device
- plan your repair business (you get a part right in a moment when you click 'buy')
- (I'm sure I forgot something, I will add later)

Graphics (models, textures, lighting), sound, music are surprisingly nice. Loading times are decent. A bit of humor here and there. A stylish interiors. Met some puzzles, hmm. Soft, light and calm atmosphere overall.

Also met a few bugs, one crash so far.

It feels like developers really loved their project 'Electrician: the Game'. I would like it to have a hardcore mode so it would really teach and train things in details like simulators do.

I'll start from a warning: Waronoi is a project in the making by a single developer, so scale your expectations wisely.

Waronoi feels like if Red Alert 1 took two steps towards a milsim. For instance:
- presize army control with an easy subordinate system
- no base building, instead control more strategic points to increase money income
- terrain type impacts both on speed and visibility

You will not feel a strong pattern from map to map because:
- procedural generation of maps gives really different situations
- types of reinforcements are a limited random set for every general you choose during a battle
- adapt to win: you have to form your forces very differently in each battle

There are three speeds of game (100%-150%-200%) and you can give commands in the pause mode.

Currently you can't save amid game., you can't rebind hot keys.

A map editor features a PNG image transparent overlay. But no workshop yet.

The generated maps remind of a Voronoi diagram. That's from where the titles goes, I guess.

As the developer describes, Waronoi is easy to learn, impossible to master. And I like this concept.

After completing Autonauts you will put an empty glass near your bed just in case you won't feel thursty. The developers are heroes: kikcstarter did not work but they stood. Here is their game, it is unique and it is evolving.

Challenge accepted! - that is the second name of The Long Journey Home. Even on the easiest mode you'll have to make choices every next moment. Some of them may appear fatal later and there will be no turning back. This is the dramatic fate generator. There are also some close to SciFi 2D physics, types of stars and their systems generation. It feels like science plus tales divided by two. The rogue mode is deadly as Hell. While the game needs A QUALITY OF LIFE update (a lot), I recommend it as the real challenge for you. Just don't expect you will make it back to Earth!

Best Sci-Fi game ever! No multiplayer though.

Take On Mars is Moonbase Alpha on steroids. While trying to survive in a hostile environment, you will feel how fragile is life. There are some smaller and bigger bugs in the game, you'll have to excuse them, as the development seems stopped. There's coop, mission editor and workshop support. Will you accept the challenge of manned space exploration?

Last time I played Close Combat was around 15 years ago. Since then I was waiting for its 3D reincarnation. The Bloody First is really keeping the recipe of classic 2D Close Combat in its stepping into 3D. While it is intentionally more dynamic, there's an option to lower the actions speed to your tastes. The main feature of these series - the solders' MORALE (a fear of death - a rare thing in the whole game industry) - is also in place and you'll have to deal with it when making descisions. Yes, there are minor issues with the game (like few bugs, little flaws in game mechanics), but I think the developers will polish it if the young whining gamers will not thumb it down to the ground, like they do so to many other titles (I urge Steam to mark 51% of positive reviews as 'mostly positive'). I recommend The Bloody First for those who love realistic games (arcade lovers should skip it for sure without leaving their "reviews").