Recent reviews by Exostenza

What to say about this game? It is hilarious and utterly brutal at the same time. They have been able to craft an extremely silly yet brutal Roman era arena battle simulator. This is the only VR game that has me not wanting to put it down because I just need one more match and it is also the only VR game which I have soaked my headset so thoroughly through that when I squished the padding after playing it literally dripped with my sweat. I feel like this game could be a really good upper body workout if you strapped some weights on. Seeing as it is in early access as long as they don’t turn a complete 180 this game is good and it is only going to get better. I got it on sale, but I would recommend buying it at full price for sure as it is really tons of fun. Just make sure you have a 2x2 meter area minimum to play this on as I hit my couch a few times and smashed my keyboard; this is the only VR game that I have actually hit things physically and when you do trust me you are flailing about like a mad person so you really do want that space unless you are ok with losing a controller, a keyboard, maybe a monitor and who knows what else while you flail about in this whacky awesome game.

Only suggestion I have as of now is to please add Windows Mixed Reality support (even though it works fine right now the added functionality of the controller could be put to use compared to the lacking Vive controllers that don't have joysticks). So, please get WMR support in there at some point during the EA phase and keep up the good work!

One of my first VR games and I must say that given the price (I got it on sale for a couple dollars) the game is really fun and has a decent amount of content. I am happy it supports Windows Mixed Reality and just hope in the future that they add support for movement using the joysticks as the Vive control scheme with just a touch pad kind of sucks while clicking where move is cool but I feel I could really master the game if I could use the joysticks to move with the WMR controllers. That being said my only real gripe is that is crashes every time I play arcade mode. I can play the other modes just fine without crashing but arcade always crashes. Other than that, the gameplay is good, the graphics are good enough, and considering the normal price (never mind the sale price I got it for) this game is totally worth it. It is also great to see that they are still actively working on it and making it better. I definitely recommend picking this up for your VR library.

I’ve been playing ARPGs since Diablo 1 and I am pretty confident that I can say I have played most ARPGs released for the PC so I think I have a decent idea of what is good and what is bad. In short, Grim Dawn is as good as it gets. For someone who was really excited for Diablo 3 and actually waited in line for its physical release (something I had previously never done) I found it to be a HUGE disappointment. I have loved Diablo 1 and 2 while also thoroughly enjoyed Titan Quest and its expansions, Torchlight 1 and 2, Dungeon Siege 1 and 2 (3 not so much). Of all these games and many unmentioned which I either forget about now or don't feel are worth bringing up I think that Grim Dawn is the best that the genre has to offer. It is clearly made by people who care about PC gaming and ARPGS in particular as they have laid out a phenomenal world, fantastic characters, and solid game mechanics. This is everything I wished Diablo 3 to be and more.

TL;DR
Best ARPG on the market. Blows away Diablo 3. Don't even think about it if you like ARPGs just buy it and play the best ARPG ever made (or at least right up there with the best).

9/10

This is it. This is the game that shows that pure passion for gaming still exists. Thank you so much Ninja Theory for us gamers that there are still people in the industry with resources to make a game that exceeds all expectations without the horrible constraints of oppressive publishers that only care about their shareholder dividends.

Hellblade is an authentic journey into the mind of a tormented psyche and it is done so well that it is the only that has given me shivers down my spine. Ninja Theory has done their due diligence in researching not only an authentic as possible story, but also in the realm of psychosis. They worked in concert with people who have experienced the types of psychosis that Senua went through and was able to present a third person action adventure game which pushes the boundaries of what games are able to represent. IMHO using quality headphones (not gaming branded trash) and a soundcard is almost necessary to truly live this game as it was meant to be experienced. The visuals are that of a AAA game and the auditory finesse is something beyond anything I have experienced in any game to date.

This game is definitely not for every one as some might think that it is too much of a "walking simulator" although there are many enemies and bosses to fight this game is primarily an exploration of what someone goes through when they are already tormented by psychosis and then a seriously traumatic event happens in their life toppling them over into a complete psychotic episode. If you like games as a medium to tell and experience stories better than any movie or book could in terms of immersion with a splash of puzzle solving and fighting this is the game for you.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice shows the world that a truly breathtaking game can be made without the need of a big money publisher and that passion still exists in the industry of gaming at a larger than indie level. From the depths of my inner gamer I say thank you to Ninja Theory for breathing life back into the largely stale bigger budget segment of the gaming industry.

Game: 8/10
Gaming Experience: 10/10

Turn the lights off, throw your best cans on, crank up the sound, boot up the 4k HDTV, take out the XBOX One S controller, and strap yourself in for one hell of a ride!

It is a generic shooter to the core but everything that they did is done VERY well. Even better than the generic shooters that started the whole line of generic shooters (looking at you GoW and CoD). They took what people liked about the generic shooter genre and made it tight and slick. It is not very long (about 6-8 hours) and while I have not enjoyed any GoW game since the first or any CoD since WaW I really enjoyed this game. You know a developer has done something right when they take the most saturated genre and make it fun again. Nothing new here but everything here is realised to its potential of genre. If you want a great shoot everything that moves and blockbuster action/plot this is one of the four games which I recommend as they are the only games which I have enjoyed in this genre since 2008. The others being: Bulletstorm, and the two new Wolfenstein games (TNO and TOB - Can't comment on TNC as I haven't played it). Note: I didn't include Dome 2016 because it doesn't have an over the top blockbuster style plot like these other games have.

tl;dr You want to play one of the best generic, over the top FPS shooters in the last decade this is one of them and there oh so very few worth playing.

Fantasic game following in the footsteps of Escape Velocity Nova! I loved this game so much I think I bought it three times on different platforms just support them. I haven't played a game like EV: Nova until this one hit and wow was it ever a fun ride!

I expected so much more from the developers iD and their once Excellent IP Quake. This is just another f2p generic shooter with nothing to add. In an era of saturation this game is not going to stand out at all. It is sad to see the Quake IP mishandled and most likely doomed to play out in obscure mediocrity. The game feels so uninspired and is centered around the core f2p design that we have all come to know and (lots of us) despise. For a gamer who was modding Quake 1 before it was even 3D accelerated it hurts to see the once pioneers and innovators of gaming become completely consumed by now derivative, and frankly unimaginative, industry standards. iD should have made a full priced game that they could be proud of where everyone just has everything (or works towards it without having to pay instead of rent heroes) so that Quake, hopefully, wouldn't have turned out like this.

If you want to add another generic f2p shooter to your library that brings nothing new to the table go ahead and buy this but say goodbye to Quake being an industry leading IP as it is most assuredly now an industry following one. I would recommend skipping it for something more inspired.

This game is truly in a league of its own. Speaking of strictly FPS games I believe this is the best one ever made. This is not an RPG, co-op FPS, or open world FPS. This is the old school FPS format taken to to a new height of story telling and gameplay. I don't think anything rivals it; not even Doom 2016. I have never played such an engrossing FPS that tells a fantastic story and is very competent character study. You just don't get a classic FPS games that do all of the things this game does and it works gameplay as good as Doom 2016 and surpasses all other classic style FPS games in terms of depth of gameplay mechanics and story; truly a monumental achievement. The gameplay mechanics are tight like Doom 2016, the engine runs perfectly and looks fantastic (after many patches as I played and beat this game a few years after it came out), and the story outshines anything that has been done in the classic FPS genre.

Bow before the greatest classic style FPS of all time. This is the Witcher 3 of single player classic style FPS games. What an amazing ride. Thank you so much Machine Games for delivering something that no other studio has been able to. You have surpassed ID as the masters of the genre in my eyes.

If you haven't played this game and like the FPS genre you are doing yourself a major disservice. Stop reading this and get playing. NOW!

A very fun Left 4 Dead style game set in the Warhammer universe using melee, and ranged combat. The combat is visceral and rewarding where the melee is particularly satisfying with the uniqe hit/blood system adding to feeling of carving up the vermintide. There has been considerable post launch support in terms of patches, free content and the DLC has been fair in terms of content to price ratio (I am not commenting on the skin DLC as I have not bought them and don’t care about cosmetics although if you like to play dress up they are available and you get what you pay for as in it is not a game as in no damn loot boxes). They include new stories, maps, weapons, and contracts in each one which is much better than most of the crap DLC for games these days that do not add much; they are each well crafted mini expansions.

If you like a solid 4 player co-op in the style of Left 4 Dead and want that in the Warhammer universe this is most assuredly a solid pick. Worth it at full price and doubly so for the price offered on the many sales and bundles it has been on/in. I have had a lot of fun with this game with my own friends and also with meeting people online as the community is very friendly which is another huge plus. Even if you have no idea what is going on the veterans are very kind and willing to help you with your journey unlike many games where the communities are completely toxic.

The engine is well optimised, runs well, and looks good on almost any setup. It had some problems at launch but there have been so many patches since then that the game is in a superb state mechanically. I have had a lot of fun with this games and barring the final DLC I am looking forward to the second instalment of the game as the first was and still is a super fun game to play.

My only complaint is that if you decide to play on your own (though there is usually enough people online to find a full group) the bots can be utterly stupid even after many AI updates which can get quite infuriating at times. They have come a long way since the initial release and are much better to have at your side than before, but still suffer from some idiotic AI at times. It is good that game did well and you really don't need to play with bots if you either find a game or just open your lobby and wait in the tavern for it to fill up.

Best played with friends but still fun alone and a solid time with others in the community. The base game goes on deep sale all the time and all the DLC is worth it while they all go on sale a lot as well. I recommend picking the base on sale as it just goes on so often and grabbing the DLC on or off sale as they are pretty darn good and worth their price although you could wait and get them all fairly discounted too.

They have also expanded the game with extra quests through the contract system as a free content update which was very nice of them and only the host needs the DLC which means that even if you just bought the base game you can join someone with the DLC and play it all. Very good developers who actively develop for the consumer and not completely for the shareholders as is becoming the norm these days. No loot boxes and no micro-transactions plus being a very competent and fun game with a great community means that this is one you shouldn't pass up if you haven't already picked it up.

With Space Pirates and Zombies 2 (SPAZ 2) being quite the let down I am glad that someone is carrying the torch for this genre of game. Although the production values are pretty low I think that the devs did a really good job considering what they were working with. I loved Escape Velocity Nova and SPAZ 1 while I was really looking forward to SPAZ 2 which ultimately failed to deliver the experience expected from the genre. I am really happy that I happened upon this game in a bundle as it has most definitely scratched that EC: Nova / SPAZ 1 itch that I have had for a long time.

So, thanks to the devs for staying true to the genre and I hope that you get to make a sequel with higher production values to really make this a solid series as there is an extreme lack of games in this genre. I just noticed that there is a DLC for this game and I plan on picking it up if nothing more than just to support the developers in their future endeavours!

Completely worth the full asking price (which is pretty cheap) and definitely a must buy sale if you like the genre.