Recent reviews by iChillum

Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom (StLK) is a third-person action-RPG based in the magical yet fragile planet of Mahera. Your journeying party includes 5 members, each provided with specific tools or abilities that will allow you to progress through platforming and puzzle challenges. While the game suffers early from the shackles of its depth and pacing, fans of fantasy RPGs and gameplay similar to that of Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm will find reasons to stay around to see the conclusion.

StLK focuses on providing a collage of well-established game mechanics from different genres and is, for the most part successful. Progressing through each zone, you will need to swap between your party characters for triggering weighted switches, color coding crystals, and other activities that should be familiar tools in your gaming kit by now.

Each area often feels lofty and large, and as a result, you sometimes start to feel that they were probably against either budget or deadline issues for the first few hours of the game. Once you are about 5 hours in, you really start to see the creative and technical aspects shine. If you show this dedication, you will get through to the really good stuff.

The familiar mechanics and friendly faces make for a fun all-around experience and worth your time.


While the game blends the player experience with platforming and puzzle aspects, the reason that you come and stay for StLK is the fighting system. The level of customization is a welcome addition as well; allowing to modify the magic-types you are utilizing, equipping support skills that your allies can do on the sidelines of a fight, as well as special moves through button combinations.

As you walk through the overworld, enemies roam freely through certain areas and will initiate combat once engaged. You can crouch and sneak to achieve a back attack for a slight advantage or to move past the enemies and save time. Once initiated, combat becomes a circular arena with a colored wall matching the elemental magic types (Earth🟧, Water🟦, Fire🟥, Air🟩). You may switch out with your party members during combat, as may the enemy.

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Overall, the combat is fairly easy to understand but doesn't provide a lot of middle-ground once you progress further into the game. I've seen complaints that enemies have a polarity between easy to seriously difficult, and I think this largely can be attributed to being able to face-dive without much finesse getting started. It will ultimately evolve into a pattern of parrying the opponents' attacks for a counterattack of your own, using block/dodge to avoid magic attacks, and using your hyper attack when available for heavy damage and gap closing. It is easy to be coddled into a false sense of security as you bore your way through the early game without having to block or parry often. Hyper moves are one of the last combat-related things you will learn, several hours into the game. I did feel that the equipment, item, and skill systems had deep aspirations, which ultimately led to needless complexity. Unfortunately, I at no point felt that my skill or item builds were critical to my experience. However, these were still thoughtful additions, and allow the game to remain casual and fun.


The story can be a lot to take in without much explanation, so you have every permission to be confused. As the premise is presented to you, there are these planetary islands called Meteora. Our main protagonist Chado (pronounced "Shadow") meets a Shiness (a mysterious being with elemental magic) while grieving the death of his mother. The Shiness mentions the Lands of Life, which causes Chado to hatch a plan to build a flying machine with his buddy Poky and leave their Meteora to bring back his mother. This leads to a crash landing and the beginning of our story, which lands them in the middle of a conflict between kingdoms.

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All of that is a lot of wind-up to say that the story can sometimes become frantic and requires a certain amount of whimsy. Try not to come in with too many preconceived notions and research and just go along for the ride.

My PC Specifications:

Intel i9 9900K 4.8GHz
16GB DDR4000 RAM
GeForce GTX 1080ti
2550x1440 Resolution

StLK does not provide many advanced options for graphics. With the above configuration and highest settings, 60FPS was easily maintained throughout. AA is about as fancy as it gets in this department!

This isn't the type of game where polygons and geometry are brimming out of your GPU. It would rather spend its time on being stylistic through its vibrant and beautiful cell-shading. The characters are unique and memorable, yet all too familiar with their fuzzy anthropomorphic faces that will remind you of the simpler days of gaming.

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The soundtrack is really good, arguably one of the best parts of the game. Composed by Hazem Hawash, it could easily be found adorning a much higher budget title. There is even a bonus track from Hiroki Kikuta (known for Secret of Mana). Overall, the music acts as an amazing soundscape for the experience.

The voice acting is few and far between and can leave some to be desired. Overall, I would say that it still rates above average in the grander landscape of RPGs of this type, especially as an Indie title. Sound effects were on point and delivered the expected results.

It will be clear that the game has its fair share of bugs, many of which relate to terrain meshing issues, in my experience. I didn't ever have any issues so bad that I was falling through the floor or similar, it is just that your character's collision always feels a little off with the geometry of each level.

The only aspects that could truly test your patience will be the controls just feeling a little finicky and dated. Your characters inertia going into jumps can be strange, and the platforming challenges are sometimes due more to the systems than the design.


StLK has some rough edges, but if you can hold tight and see it's an ambitious vision, you will certainly enjoy your time. The game provides for an endearing indie experience with an artistic vision that often reminds me of older Atlas JRPGs. Hang tight through the first couple of hours and you'll be rewarded for your time.

I would recommend this game to those who enjoy games like Spyro or Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm and enjoy casual action RPGs.

Black Desert is an MMORPG that provides a bottomless well of emotions (for better or worse) but is undoubtedly still one of the best games on the market for who it serves. As a disclaimer, I have several thousand hours in Black Desert prior to buying the Steam version. As a testament to the highs and lows that this game can give you, a drunken night of gambling enhancements for my gear ended in ruin...to the point where I even deleted my account. While I absolutely recommend this game to people who are looking for a time sink with some of the deepest mechanics I have seen, you must first understand and acknowledge the pitfalls to have a good time. The game is P2W - you will never compete at the highest levels of PvP without a serious bankroll. Even as a casual player, you should anticipate spending a little through the Pearl shop with many quality of life and earning potential gated to you otherwise. In true Korean MMO form, the game also features gambling, and I mean a lot of it. Equipment and mounts all feature an enhancement system with RNG for progression, and as you get to the later levels it will even be susceptible to downgrading on failures. You will be best suited to go in understanding your statistical likelihood in any given scenario when planning your investments, and be wary if you lack patience or restraint. Making it through these flaws, the game will provide an absolutely massive and immersive world with rewarding combat and deep skill systems.

• The combat in this game really is a beautiful thing. As of the moment in writing this review, there are 16 classes all with fairly unique playstyles and animations. They have been releasing classes with frequency since the initial release, and honestly, it is pretty impressive that they have kept it so fresh. While the game gives you hotbars and there are indeed some skills it will be required with, most class skills are accomplished through key combinations that end up making it a lot more fun and engaging. PvP will have a lot of focus on crowd control (CC) but evolved into a pretty advanced cat and mouse with the right skills and mindset. As you'll notice throughout the review as a general theme, combat will only be fun if you are playing with people that have a gearscore relative to your own.
  
  
• My favorite thing about this game and what really makes it so sticky for me is just how many options there are out there for dumping your time into the game. Enjoy horse riding and breeding? You can do that. Enjoy gathering and cooking? You can do that. Enjoy fishing and sailing? You can do that. There is an inescapable truth that life skills such as bartering, cooking, and gathering are the most profitable...but that doesn't mean that you always have to play against a meta. This game will often run 24/7 due to active, passive as well as AFK activities that will constantly have you coming back for more.
  
  
• Even with the game being 3 years old and with extensive wikis, the depths can still make knowledge so primal. But I say that affectionately, you know? When you are first starting you are dropped into the middle of the ocean, and you will constantly be asking questions or searching online to figure things out. Don't despair if that isn't your cup o' tea though - you can pretty much make it to level 61 now purely by following story missions if you want to take it slow and follow a more linear pathway. Even after playing the game for so long I still find myself looking at spreadsheets, charts, recipes, and anything else you can imagine. All of this to say "depth", and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything since it has become so memorable.

• I don't see a way where P2W can't top the list, so here we are. Part of the zen of really enjoying this game is knowing that you won't ever be able to compete at the highest level. It is so freeing to finally take these chains off and just enjoy the game at your own pace, but also an incredibly hard pill for folks who enjoy fair and competitive PvP. It will cost billions upon billions of in-game silver to perform gear enhancement, so throwing your credit card at the screen is a much easier option for many. Beyond even PvP you will need to consider investing in costumes that will make your life skills more efficient, inventory and carry weight, etc. If you plan on playing this game for any length of time you would wisely consider this into the initial purchase price depending on your tendencies.
  
  
• So. Much. Gambling. And I should probably admit that is absolutely one of the reasons that this game can be so fun and addicting. If you suffer from any kind of real gambling addiction then this game will enable that in a very unfiltered fashion. When gambling a gear enhancement that you know will only succeed 1/25 times, then you had better plan on that investment accordingly rather than depending on sheer luck. Of course, when you do get lucky it can be one of the best feelings in the world, but I am a case study on how dark and deep the spiral can go after deleting my thousands of hours on my previous account due to a lack of restraint.
  
  
• Do not come to Black Desert if you are an RPG fan that enjoys lore, plot or dialogue. Me saying this might upset some folks who really enjoy what the game has to offer, but in my eyes, this type of content often falls very half-baked for the viewer. The voice acting is bad, and not in an "almost kind of way", more of a "serious B-movie kind of way". Luckily this makes it somewhat endearing to me because it is often laughable, I couldn't imagine taking it seriously. MMORPGs have never been renowned for their story (even FFXIV had it's slow and painful moments) and BDO is no exception.

Provided that you have successfully maneuvered the smoke and mirrors of the P2W and gambling mechanics and are still on-board, BDO provides one of the best MMO experiences to-date and still holds up as one of the tops on the market after a few years. The combat and amount of classes is something special that keeps some of the grinding mechanics fun and fresh even after so many hours. This game really caters to grinding progression and PvP, but won't provide you any notable group-level PvE content. If you are looking for a time sink, the massive world of BDO will give you countless hours that can be as shallow as mob grinding, to as deep as calculating profits on spreadsheets.

I quit tabletop gaming due to time and money long ago, so I couldn't help but be curious when I saw Wartile. There is something enchanting about the feeling of figurines you meticulously painted rubbing within your hands as you push them forward on the battlefield. While it is impossible for a video game to give you that same tangible and mysterious sensation, the development team obviously carried this thought forward in the design of the game. While playing the mechanics will not seem unique or revolutionary, and rather provides for a more familiar experience that caters to nostalgia. The game favors cooldown mechanics, but gives a secret sauce in the slow time ability to bridge the gap. The game is absolutely worth playing and is only missing a few ingredients to make this something you dump hundreds of hours into.

• Creating a tabletop environment requires a strong focus on level design more than anything in my opinion, and I believe that this is one of the more redeeming features that Wartile brings. I'll admit that even outside of my gaming life, dioramas have always fascinated me. The dioramas that were created for the levels are beautiful and really give a nuance and texture that transports you back to that feeling you had with friends around a table. While the camera can feel a little squirrely when moving across hex tiles that are changing elevation, once you are more comfortable, it will feel fairly natural to move around and check out the beautiful scenery while assessing the battle situation. The multi-level nature of the maps creates for a surprising amount of space and depth given that you can rotate the camera around the entire map with relative ease using the mouse.
  
  
• During this review I'll be noting the combat system as a pro as well as a con. It took some time to grow on me, but I will admit that you start to acquire a taste and appeal for the pace they are building. Essentially, each level is a board filled with hex tiles that change in elevation based on the terrain. Movement and combat is technically real-time; you will click to drag your heroes for movement on a cooldown, and they will auto-attack when within weapon attack range. You will also get cards and special abilities that may be used on your targets or as traps on the terrain. Based on concerns I've read that some people wish this were just turn-based, I'm worried that they are forgetting or misusing the slow time ability available by pressing space bar. Once you start using this regularly, you will basically have a more turn-based experience. The fact that it isn't turn-based creates an environment and urgency that I don't think you could create otherwise. Also the use of tile elevation, flanking and other systems makes getting an advantage deliberate.
  
  
• The art in the game is totally metal...and I love it for that. Much of the game's UI design goes with a card aesthetic - abilities, quests and items are all represented as cards. They give sort of an old school Magic the Gathering vibe, if in an alternate universe vikings were a big piece that game's mythology. The art seems to carry well over into the color pallette that is within the game as well creating for densely unique environments. When you look at all the different card arts they have made within the game, it is hard not to appreciate how many really awesome paintings were done. At some points you might ask yourself, "why vikings?". But once you see the art and the general feel that have created, you don't really care. The music also provides for somewhat of a gothic feel that seems to wrap everything up nicely.

• My biggest point of frustration when playing Wartile really just boiled down to the UI and menus. It isn't that the UI isn't apparent - the issue is that it isn't exactly intuitive. I'll let you decide whether this is just me being stupid, but I'll serve up an example. When initially opening up the game options, I was astonished to discover no graphic options at all, and spent a minute closing and re-opening to figure out what was going on. Turns out that the options menu has tabs, but the text and font have the same appearance and weight of everything else in the menu. I think this serves as an effective metaphor as to how some of the interface operates. You figure everything out without too much hassle, but those crucial first moments can be the key to turning someone off forever when you think about it. And ultimately the idea of clicking and dragging figures on the board works quite well, but having to click and drag items from the UI doesn't feel as fluid as it should.
  
  
• And now back to our discussion on combat. My problems in this department ended up having nothing to do with the differences between cooldown versus real-time strategy, or the feelings that surround it. I've touched on it several times, however the slow time ability really does fix this problem quite effectively. The issues stem moreso that it just doesn't feel engaging enough for being real-time. Sure your heroes get abilities that they will get to operate with on a cooldown, and of course you will have card abilities that can aid in damage/healing/traps. But there is just a certain depth that is lost with normal attacks being auto-attacks, and just a not a huge amout of stuff to really acquire for further engagement. So it is less that I wish it were turn-based strategy, and more that I yearn for the action to be brought more into focus when not slowing time. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite for saying it wasn't about cooldown versus real-time, and the truth is that I like the system how it is...just would like to see some tweaks.
  
  
• This game can sometimes feel like a case of "what could have been", but not in a completely bad way. The experience pulled me and and feels good enough that I was just left wanting a bit more. Making the boards just slightly larger, and bringing for more randomized encounters would have exponentially raised the replay and engagement factor. If they decided to go down the crazy rabbit hole of introducing netcode for playing against a friend? Even more intriguing. Going back to my mention of auto-attacks in combat, things could be amped up just a bit more if they want to go a real-time cooldown route. Despite everything I've said it still holds it's own, but it also really had a chance on completely blowing our minds.

Wartile brings a warm glow for people that enjoy tabletop gaming, but at the same time may cater specifically to that crowd. After my playtime I would recommend the game, but would consider certain pieces of information. The game is going to bring you about 10-20 hours of game time due to campaign size and replayability, unless you are the exception. You would blink slower than you could spend the same price on something like Warhammer, but may be a more difficult pill to swallow for the value gamer. The game doesn't aim to utilize all the latest graphic shaders - it also doesn't suffer. The levels are beautifully crafted, and the art brings homage and grit with a more classic fantasy style. The combat system is engaging enough to keep you drawn in, and with a few tweaks could be very engaging. Overall if you have interest in tabletop gaming that is a mix of real-time and turn-based combat, then this might be a good fit for you, even more so if there were a sale!




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Purrfect Date is touted as a visual novel and dating sim; at first mention, this sounded like an almagomation of genres I wouldn't normally even consider. But curiosity "killed the cat", or so they say...And there is good reason that there have been so many positive reviews. This isn't another pervy anime novel that laughs in the face of anatomical proportions, this is a cat dating sim that is painfully self-aware of it's existence, and delivers sarcastic (and sometimes self-loathing) humor that makes it hilarious and totally endearing. You will play the role of 6 research assistants who have shipped off to a secret remote location called "Cat Island". As dark secrets and events unfold, you will suddenly find yourself able to communicate with the island's feline inhabitants. And being the feline lover that you are with such well-spoken cats, the next logical choice aside your continued study of the island, is a little kitty romance. This game is a visual novel don't be mistaken, but eloquent writing and humor allow this to be an experience for people who wouldn't normally dabble in the genre.

• While I was inclined to put the first pro as the writing (which I'll discuss soon enough), the truth of the matter is that the art, presentation and design of the game are probably what set this apart the most. I'm not avid in terms of visual novels, but have dabbled, and none of them have seemed as loved by their creators or as cohesive with what you will find in Purrfect Date. The illustrations are heartwarming and adorable, and the attention to detail is palpable. Based on what I understand of the game, this was created by two people. The fact that they accomplished this level of polish in 2 years is pretty remarkable. The illustrations for each character so closely match their personalities, even during emotive moments, you will quickly learn to appreciate the experience.
  
  
• As should be a heightened expectation for a gametype that uses the word "novel", the writing is often surprising, and sometimes even genius. And if this were an amateur writing debut you certainly wouldn't know it; not only do the character personalities shine, they compliment each other. If this were the show Friends, you would have a Chandler and a Fibi. Purrfect Date delivers the narrative with "choose your story" elements, so their work to make the individual stories gel with one another makes me wish I could see their storyboard during development. You will get to choose whether your next activity is romancing, recon or research - this can really help shuffle up any possible monotony. And just as a critique, I've seen this marketed as "Dark British Comedy". I could just be daft, but it really doesn't feel that dark honestly, or at least not the comedy...though it certainly has some of the ironic and sarcastic nuances you would come to expect with that label.
  
  
• Don't be mistaken, I probably won't be putting the soundtrack for Purrfect Date as a playlist to carry through all walks of my life, but the music is perfectly fitting while playing. With song titles like "Catatonia", "A Mew Beginning" and "Caterwaul", you can quickly sense that the music is just as self-aware as the writing. Never before have you experienced the lyric "meow" with such frequency and tenacity. After 3-4 hours you might be at the point where the music has lost it's luster (it provides a novelty, and novelties tend to fade), but regardless of this feeling you certainly wouldn't want the music to be any different way. If you don't like cats you will assuredly have problems, but I'm almost more concerned that you have gotten to the point of reading my review if that is the case! Everything within the game takes such great care with the subject matter, and the music helps to elevate this further.

• While I'll still go on record in saying that this is some of the more enjoyable writing that you will find, I can feel a subtle struggle with how they handled the stories when shifting between the 6 research assistant protagonists, between chapters. Taking great care to not create spoilers, ultimately the beginning of each chapter will play out largely the same; research assistant arrives for their new job, quickly discovers things are not as they seem on the island, and that their fate has been somewhat decided. From here you will engage in the romance, recon and research activities. With each chapter you can sense the author trying to address the repeating theme by truncating the introduction of each chapter just a little more as you move along. This is unfortunately somewhat centric to the story itself, but I can imagine it was a point of struggle during development considering how unique other facets are. Making the start of each chapter come in with completely different character introductions would be an improvement. Also just to nag, there were typos here and there.
  
  
• For a (cat) dating simulator, the romance portions can feel somewhat limited and linear. As you begin in each chapter, when choosing romance for the first time with the new character, you will have the choice of two different love story paths. Once you've made your selection, that is your romance for the chapter. It doesn't feel so far as damning by any stretch, but I feel that logically you should be able to have at least one romantic rendevous with each potential love interest before your choice being stone. I may be the wrong person to assess however since I have a coveted zero interactions with other dating simulators. Certainly, this would have created much more complexity with their storyboarding, but would hold more true to the branching story they have crafted. Honestly every character is loveable in their own way, so that isn't part of the issue.
  
  
• The game offers you branching decisions featuring 18 different endings; I think this will provide people unique experiences, but not necessarily feed into replayability. I got what I would consider a pretty undesirable ending, and I will admit there is a tinge of wanting to see other endings that does creep within. I am left bothered that while it was a great story, the choices I made created a very flat ending. I'd much rather an ending illicit a certain emotion, and alternate endings different kinds of emotions. In this case, my will to replay felt more out of disappointment rather than learning a new twist. This hasn't caused regret in enjoying the game and may be specific to my playthrough.

Lets not lie to ourselves or advise otherwise; this is a visual novel...it just happens to be great, and it will appeal to audiences that wouldn't normally partake. And I wouldn't be turned off by "dating simulator"; sure there is some cat romancing, but not enough to go catatonic (give me a break...the review needed at least one cat pun). If you are looking for a relaxing experience with skilled writing and humor, you probably won't find a better visual novel for the uninitated. And you sure won't find a better cat visual novel. The illustrations and art teeter between adorable and masterful, and really shows the personality of the artist. The game will give you about 6 hrs of playtime assured, with even more if you decide that you want to open up all different endings. At a discount I think this game is a no brainer for most people; at a full price of $10, it is most likely still worth your time, but even more so if you liked the review




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Kingdom Come: Delivrance is bold, dramatic and aims for devout realism in what some could call a period piece of the early 15th century. The story takes place in 1403, in the cultural spawning pool of Bohemia (Central Europe). Wenceslas has inherited the crown and the historical chaos that ensues due to his sloth is the nest for our story. There are are no spellcasters nor dragons. Just the historical will, struggle and greed of man set within this unforgettable open-world setting. There are definitely animation bugs upon initial release and of course a large patch for console players on day one, but I believe this also shows dedication from the development team. And if we were to remember back, titles such as the Witcher 3 had their fair share of animation and physics bugs off the bat as well. The game gives a layer for every activity you do, and should not be mistaken for a hack and slash title. This is an open-world game that focuses on making every action you take feel engaging, while providing for intense moments within a high skillcap combat system. I've only just started in how many hours I plan to invest.

• Stunning. That word really sums up the graphical and artistic display within this title. CryEngine in my opinion, provides the most amazing lighting, motion blur and volumetric effects I've seen up until this point. The only area that I could admit that is lacking would be that the animations feel a little bit behind everything else in this game, in terms of their technical display. And let me bring it back to the realism aspects; the color palette chosen in this game is just absolutely perfect. We all love a little bit of contrast to compliment our fairytale sunset, but the naturalism brings something more substantial. The map is beautifully done, but I guess that is true with everything else as well.
  
  
• This game will provide you more layers than an onion in terms of the depth of actions. It even provides potent tutorials for all aspects of learning. Conversation is decided not only by your skill, but whether you are bathed...or maybe possibly even bloodied up from a fight recently. People can also be more brazen if they are with a group of friends when you are trying to intimidate them. When you want to use a grindstone on your weapon, it isn't pressing a button; it is a whole minigame upon itself where you have to correctly sharpen it. A food system, lockpicking, day/night cycle, stealth, bleed management. Another amazing feature is that your stamina pool is tied to your current health which I think was a really neat touch.
  
  
• While all of the different layers give the avid hardcore RPG players more than enough to feast on, it wouldn't work without the wonderful storyboarding and talent. The voice acting feels genuine, and very well produced. The musical score really stands out with it's beautifully appropriate orchestral pieces. Engaging in conversation and story will be a large chunk of your time spent in Kingdom Come: Delivrance and it does so with a very endearing protagonist, and very interesting characters with popping personality. You will be provided multiple choices for completing a quest that only your actions can decide. If you are a fan of the middle ages and deep cinematic storytelling, then I think you will be in for a treat.

• Fortunately none of the issues have been game-breaking for me, but you have to admit it. There are a disappointing amount of issues being patched on the day one experience. The fact that they have pushed to improve so quickly is a very good sign fortunately. The issues in my gaming experience were largely related to conversation animations, and the occasional texture mesh problem. Even with the patch, there will still be some things that will need to be worked through post-release I would imagine. Facial animations and being unable to scale certain objects and stairs were fortunately my only real issues. Either fairly quickly self-remedied, or just smashing jump till I got to where I needed to go. My only concerns here would be that the nature of a production schedule, and a release date, might have been a fever dream toward the end for the team. I've already professed my love for the game so it couldn't have been rushed too much. Make no mistake though, there are a lot of bugs to find, but the game endears you to look past them.
  
  
• Performance is something that I am sure will continue to improve through optimizations I'm sure, but I also think that in true form for CryEngine; it just sort of pushes the barriers. This makes the game "stunning", but at a hefty fine. Running Kingdom Come at 4K with a 1080ti on High averages around 40fps, with dips down to 25fps in certain lighting situations. I actually find this kind of exciting, but unfortunately this is a disclaimer and probably bad news for people who haven't made their next big hardware purchase yet. You will have to practice modesty with your settings, or bring your wallet for a 4K experience. And you'll need to still be reasonable current even at lower resolutions. When testing on an HDD the load times were long and a lot of texture pop-in was experienced. After installing onto an SSD it was a much better experience.
  
  
• I was fully pulled into the wonderful storytelling, but there are two things to be known. The combat is very difficult; something that requires a degree of mastery. Fans of games like Mount & Blade and Chivalry will definitely enjoy this, and ultimately once you start to become proficient, it feels great. It is actually quite similar to For Honor's combat with stances, but 5 guard zones, and it just feels...more difficult. The second item to be known is that I have said the word "story" more times than I care to count (well okay - only four times), but for good reason. It was nearly 2-3 hours of gameplay with a few fights and a bit of interaction, but quite largely conversation and cutscenes. At that point the game title reel finally starts. This combined with fairly spread out spans between autosaves and an item required to manually save were not quite as convenient for me if I wanted a quick session (which is only inconvenient earlier on). As long as you like the story crafted and enjoy the combat challenge, you will be set.

Despite some bugs here and there that were annoying (but not game-breaking), this game has been an absolute delight to checkout...and I've really only started. This is also the type of game that you crank up the settings and look at your FPS meter, only to find yourself shopping on NewEgg again. The combat can be difficult with a big learning curve, but feels fluid and beyond rewarding once you master blocking, counter-attacks and the movement of swordplay. The storytelling and music are artisan crafted, albeit requires dedicated time due to length between save states in many situations. The attention to details required for your character are a welcome focus for hardcore roleplaying fans and the art blends seamlessly into the entire user interface. I had been excited for this title for quite some time, and after playing it for the time as of this review, I would say it has exceeded my expectations.




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Die Young is a compelling survival title which offers a mix of parkour and stealh within an open-world setting. Discovering yourself captured and alone, you must now work to understand the mysteries of your abduction, and escape to stay alive. It unfortunately struggles with providing the player an introduction into the game's mechanics, so it will require some dedication the first hour or so to have the most enjoyment. Once you understand inventory management, crafting and get a sense of where you are going and how to go about it, things will finally click, and you will ready to start appreciating the game. This is unfortunate; I see several reviews where they had played just around an hour and wrote negatively; I had a tough time at first as well. Once you have pushed through, it is a really fun experience that pulls you in. Providing a beautiful backdrop on an island in the Mediterranean has made me take screenshots often. The game is in alpha and has it's familiar share of flaws, but if you want to check things out before there is a final product, you can definitely dig right in.

• I'm starting to realize that I might just be a sucker for Unreal Engine 4 (which the game uses), but the game really is beautiful, and it is exciting to see how high of quality you can get with indie titles these days. You will really appreciate this game if you are the type of person that likes to wander and discover, and if you are like me you'll stop to take pictures. The illustrations I feel like could be slightly more polished themselves (but are still mood appropriate), however the in-game graphics are more than you might expect. Subtle touches like a keybind that allows you to look behind you, in slow motion when you are running, adds to the suspense of the moment. The quick fluctations between peaceful to freightening sceneries gives you a great eerie sense of what is safe, and what is dangerous.
  
  
• The mechanics can take a little bit to warm up to (example; when jumping between ledges, the crosshair will have a box form around it), but once you have the movement down in Die Young it feels natural and rewarding. There will be times where you'll find that you will end up falling and taking damage if you lose your momentum, which really shows that there was some thought put into the the general fluidity. Unfortunately until you get the hang of it, this might be mistaken instead for being clumsy...so take the time to play around a little bit before you write it off. If I had to draw a parallel here, ultimately the movement feels the most like Dying Light. That almost isn't reasonable to say though since this game has an emphasis on jumping puzzles, and the stealth elements are inherent. The game's ability to mix your activities between sneaking, jumping and fighting provides a forward motion that will keep you interested.
  
  
• And while I have noted that for new players there can be difficulty to adapt to the gameplay initially, the depth you will find is surprising and welcome. The crafting system will allow you to adapt to your needs by crafting weapons, tools and healing items to continue your journey. You will learn that there is a day/night cycle; you may take naps to restore yourself, and must seek cover at night. There are six equipment slots to equip to your body which will further increase your chances of survival; heck, there is even a fast travel system. While the game could be more linear to get things started, the amount it allows you to discover on your own does make you celebrate all the more as you make progress.

• It took me a while to consider what I would say the worst con for the game was, but after consideration I have to go with the audio in general. During your playtime you will hear everything from moody rock music, all the way to synth wave which creates for a jarring experience. This combined with some songs that have vocals that really detract from any cohesiveness you might have had, especially if the game is going for a semi-horror aspect. There is definitely originality and a vision with the music, but ultimately outside of cutscenes and menus I would shy away from the rock songs and go for songs that will increase the suspense. The sound effects in some areas such as water dripping could even be redone a bit, and I'd say the voice acting is on the scale of mediocre. This is by no stretch a dealbreaker, but if these areas were to be improved would make the title that much more provocative.
  
  
• As I had discussed during the summary, The beginning portions of the game are unintuitive and just downright confusing. You will begin inside of what looks like a well, when a mysterious stranger drops a crudely drawn map for you. A quest tracker will appear with often less than useful information, and...that is about it. It is clear where you should head first, but when discussing the inventory or crafting, you may be left with a degree of uncertainty and needed experimentation. You will start with no equipment items at all and a very limited inventory space. I honestly didn't even realize there was opportunity for growing the inventory with a backpack until much later on, and it was a rather frustrating prospect for me. Here is a suggestion; when leaving the well at the very start, you ascend into a gated courtyard with some herbs and a tutorial on crafting. After opening the gate a sequence starts where you are chased by a dog which again provides a tutorial and an additional parkour sequence to warm the player up and start them in the direction of a water source. These small changes would probably draw people into the game a lot sooner.
  
  
• The game pulls elements from a few very well known games, and I think sometimes forgets it's own originality as a result. The story premise to the game is pretty much Farcry 3; adventurous 20 somethings, off on an island journey that leads to their abduction. The jump and parkour mechanics can feel very similar to Dying Light, Mirror's Edge and Tomb Raider (you even save your game at a campfire). Despite this, the game starts to show superior level design as you make it to the Manor and toward the mountainous areas. The crafting and quick travel options you will find later on in your search are some of the first moments you will really start to see and understand the depth of the game. As I have said before the game really takes some time to pull you in, yet I am still glad that I continued forward.

At first blush I was worried, but once I cut my teeth into Die Young, it provides for a surprisingly solid movement system and deep game. For new players, I would suggest either watching or reading a beginner tutorial before you get started. Investing a bit of time to learn what you are doing will make everything worth your time. And even with bugs and being in an alpha state, if anything I've said sounds like a game you'd be interested in buying...$15 really isn't a bad deal. The game is not quite as suspensful as I initally thought, but you realize that really isn't the true essence of the game, and rather just creates a tone of survival which is needed. Done in the beautiful UE4 engine, I would say Die Young is worth checking out before full release. This isn't genre defining, but it brings a great experience.




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Before I begin with the review, I think there are important disclaimers for this game. This is an Early Access title; this will bring along a bandwagon of people who have experiences from alpha that I do not share, and of course in some cases want a full game now. The second most important point is that I think this game has a very specific audience appeal. The premise is a reality show setting where you and 15 other contestants work to gather relics, and be one of only 3 contestants that will succeed in extraction. While this is undoubtedly a survival "last man standing" game that as a genre has become so popular, this first and foremost is for people who enjoy social games. Voice communication is paramount to surviving and finding friends to endure till the end of the match. The second audience that this caters to is Twitch streamers and avid viewers that like engaging with the community. Provided that you fall into at least one of these demographics, the game brings for unique and hilarious moments that remind us of our humanity.

• Really what makes this game great is the human experience. While trying to be one of the 3 remaining to get extracted from the island, you will need to first decide how you are going to interact with the 15 other survivors. Forging friendships early can create power in numbers, but every soul will realize that if there are more than 3 of you...a moment of betrayal will happen. And if you betray players too often you will be given a title as such, which may make you less trustworthy to players in future matches. In the early stages the game still needs a bit more gameplay variety to take this to the next-level, but the social aspects of the game really let the players create the experiences for themselves. But of course, your experience in a social game will be always be very dependent on who you end up queuing in with. There will be good matches and bad. The good matches have been funny and memorable.
  
  
• The ambiance and environment that they created with SOS feels pretty unique, and it works very well. At the beginning of each match it will pan around to each of the players allowing them to say a little something, all while unfolding in what feels like you are watching a survival reality show. Now...I hate reality TV shows generally, but it almost feels like it is presented in a more self-aware and sarcastic tone that just simply makes it all work. Beyond the general format, SOS utilizes the Unreal 4 Engine and feels current even when not being a big AAA title. Overall on my 1080ti I can run the game at ease with max settings and 4k resolution and still achieve 60 fps. Beyond the textures and models for the characters looking great, I don't see this as being an early access title with pages of Steam comments asking when the next optimization update is going to be out. There will need to be continued refinement with the gameplay to make this stickier for gamers, but the game has an excellent foundation to do this without a bunch of baggage along the way. Regardless of how you feel about the gameplay, I'll tip my hat to the developers that things seemed stable and optimized at a relatively early stage.
  
  
• Though maybe I've had my eyes covered during all the wrong times, you simply won't find another game like this one (at least yet). With things like VRChat hitting the mainstream in what essentially is just social interactions, this provides you an interesting format that also throws in survival aspects. With 16 players at the beginning and with only 3 in the end, it will force you to forge friendships just as quickly as you burn them down in some cases. So at the end of the all, I'm nearly positive that coming out of playing SOS you will have had an experience you probably haven't had in a game before. And buying into an early release game at this stage, you should expect your interactions to be a big part of the content.

• Without a doubt the most glaring annoyance of the game is the required sign-up for a third-party account to promote the hero.tv Twitch viewing service. The value proposition for signing up on the service is that you may watch user's Twitch streams through the service, and it will allow audience members outside the game to emote and react to the game in progress. While I'll admit that the feature is neat, unless you are also interacting with the Twitch platform it is a nuisance. Further, fame and popularity are measured in this game via leaderboards, which fosters a somewhat inclusive streamer environment.
  
  
• While the game creates for hilarious and even tense interactions when using one another to survive, the game in it's early stages doesn't provide for a lot of variety in gameplay as I had mentioned. Relics always spawn in the same locations on the map; so once you've found your route to find loot, secure a relic and get off the island, your gameplay dynamics might not change a lot after figuring out the formula. The AI monsters really only have a couple different animations and movement patterns, so while you will feel threatened the first time or two you play, beyond that there isn't as much concern. I think in order to keep the game fresh there will need to be the possibility of different relic spawn locations, different maps and some additional work on AI movement. Maybe even different game modes. As far as I can tell you always spawn toward the Southern curve of the map, so a map that provides coastlines with equidistance from the relics around the entire perimeter of the island might make for more interesting spawns and variety.
  
  
• I will voice concern in terms of the sheer emphasis on streamers in the game, and from what I have heard from the community (you won't need to read far to find reviews). I throw caution into the wind for the developers here; while the tools and visibility you have made for streamers is an important growth aspect of the user base and intrinsic to the game experience, it runs the risk of alienating non-streamers. A game will only remain successful on Twitch in situations where people can not only watch the game, but possibly have a similar experience when playing it themselves. The popularity leaderboards for streamers, as an example, is first and center when you launch the game. And reports of disagreements with admins over favoring streamers on unwarranted bans is something I haven't experienced firsthand, but worries me.

This game isn't for everyone, but it helps fill a specific niche...and it does so very well. I've been wrong before, but I think that this is the early rumbling for social games becoming much more popular. Making social interactions a key facet of the game experience somewhat transcends the constraints of the game world - if you are playing with a good group of folks. For the $30 price tag as of writing this review, you will need to enjoy social games as well as Twitch streaming/viewership to really get a bang for your buck. If you just play PUBG and are looking for a survival game with similar gameplay and skill mechanics, prepare for disappointment. Despite the various warnings and disclaimers, this game has created some of the most hilarious moments I've witnessed in the last year of gaming. At this early stage I give the game a positive review, however it is important that the developers look at some of my and others' criticisms in order for this to still be positive at full release.




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This game is really a pleasure; the publisher is in top form with Tales of the Borderlands, giving us possibly their best story to-date. Some people that I know would call this a "non-game...game" which is probably a reasonable and accurate description if you have never played a Telltale Games release before. This also creates for a more broad audience and appeal, since they target linear gameplay mixed with a deep cinematic experience. With endearing characters and wonderfully written comedy, this is something you can pick-up with your "non-gamer" special someone and open new doors for them. Recognizable faces and places, combined with a stellar voice acting lineup, made this a game I couldn't wait to finish and was sad when I had. We can thank Telltale for being one of the driving movements in rejuvinating adventure gaming back into the mainstream for a new generation of gamers, and this serves as a perfect example of this. During your journey, you will play the role of protagonists Rhys and Fiona, choosing dialog options that will decide the relationships of the people around you.

• While the writing was impeccable, what has stuck with me after it was all said and done was the audio production of the game. The actors and actresses they lined up absolutely blew me away. As you play through the game you will begin hearing familiar voices such as Patrick Warburton[www.imdb.com], Chris Hardwick[www.imdb.com] and Troy Baker[www.imdb.com] (IMDb profiles linked) that almost create a sense of comfort and nostalgia. Almost like you already knew these characters, and can relate to them. The song selections for the intro and outro of each episode did a fantastic job of setting and blending into the mood of the game, and quite often invoke emotion. I would be lying to you if I didn't confess I was a little misty a few seconds into the song that plays on the credit roll for the game. This is a rare time when I could say I would buy a game soundtrack.
  
  
• The writing has a focus on being self-aware and humurous while still appeasing long-time fans of Borderlands. Other publisher titles such as The Walking Dead or Wolf Among Us have a bit more of a serious tone, but this game has comedy written all over it. The story is cleverly shared in a non-linear timeline, which makes for rich and enthralling character development. Now, you might be thinking that I'm starting to embellish a bit here, but it is absolutely jaw-dropping how many memorable characters that they were able to create. If only we saw this pedigree of writing in more AAA games outside of the adventure genre.
  
  
• The truth of the matter is that the game is a love letter for fans of the Borderlands franchise. What really makes this impressive is that despite being able to cater to long-time fans, this game could easily be picked up as an introduction to the universe without so much as a hiccup. From the game's main menu, to the first seconds of starting the journey, you'll feel right at home if you have played any of the Gearbox games. The homage to the lore, characters and places will hit all the right notes, and really showcase a deeper story than a shooting game could probably ever portray. The moment you step foot on Pandora, the memories will come flooding back. And even if that isn't the case, this may be the most accessible platform for becoming familiar.

• Alright, let's talk about the "non-game" elements. I've put this into the cons category, but will wrap in a sweet note on the topic in our conclusion. Considering I'm writing this review for other Steam users I'll assume that you game. With Tales of the Borderlands (or many other games from the publisher), it is going to be closer to a movie than an engaging and controlled experience. Every once in a while you'll be required to press or tap a button, but otherwise the merits of this game rest squarely on the shoulders of the story and writing. And while this would be considered an adventure game, there really aren't any puzzle elements as you progress through. It would be more interesting if you could choose a "Cinematic" or "Adventure" playthrough; the latter of which would force you to use more inventory items and interactions to make progress.
  
  
• Knowing this isn't a Gearbox produced Borderlands title, I still feel there are a disappointing amount of graphic options. We PC gamers are a picky crowd to be sure, but for a game to only have texture quality and AA as settings seems nearly barbaric. Fortunately the art department did a fantastic job within this game, so it more than proves itself on it's own worth. To keep things interesting for myself and inject some more shader options, I created a Tales of the Borderlands Reshade which helped to enrich the experience with my snobby ways.
  
  
• While the autosave feature in the game does do a really good job, it would be still nice if there was maybe a manual save feature. And maybe while they are at it, upon loading a save state they would give you a quick "last time on Tales of the Borderlands" to recap the episode so far. They do something similar at the intro of some of the earlier chapters, but it might be a nice touch throughout, and help out folks that maybe put down the game and forget where they were. I enjoyed the game enough that these are really here as a con, for the sake of being a con.

Tales of the Borderlands is arguably the master achievement of Telltale, and the pinnacle of what they have accomplished within their format. Everyone has heard the question; "What is a good game that I could play with my non-gamer boyfriend/girlfriend?". This one is probably it. If you are looking for a game that doesn't have a large skill curve or serious engagement, yet has an amazing story and cast, this is should be on your wishlist. I do wish that the gaming experience itself was a bit more engaging, but also realize this might reduce the mass appeal the game provides. And if you consider yourself a Hyperion scum or take frequent vacations to the planet of Pandora, this one is for you.




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Staxel is an Early Access title with a lot of promise, and most importantly heart, when it comes to the game's execution. The game isn't a supremely unique experience; nearly every review you will read includes some kind of name drop for another game that it reminds them of. And truth be told, they are not wrong. Many of the gameplay elements most closely resemble the Harvest Moon series, with a generous splash of Minecraft from my experience. Staxel grabs your attention by taking enjoyable pieces of farming simulation, and combines it with building and exploration activities that provide the player a lot of different ways to spend their time. And not just surface value, NPCs in-game give you a push to do what you enjoy. Despite the game still being a growing title, even today it redeems itself by providing a relaxing and fun experience with cohesive presentation worthy of your time.

• Probably the thing that I love more than anything with Staxel is that there are many ways to play and make money. Based on other reviews and the general marketing presentation for the game, I was pretty much expecting a farming simulation with a few "new spins". What surprised me is that while it is an important piece of the game, and one that you are thrown into pretty well immediately, it isn't even required other then for story progression. As you dig in you'll realize that resource gathering is required in order to craft items for constructing buildings and objects. Would you believe that collecting sea shells, or going bug catching can also be very reliable forms of income that let you journey around and explore the map? I was left pleasently surprised that the experience was much more than face value. While other games do their core concepts better than Staxel in some cases, the fact that it brings in gameplay elements from various different inspirations makes for a unique and fun experience.
  
  
• The atmosphere for the game just feels...right. While my growing bucketlist for building and growing my farm only increases by the hour, there is never an ounce of stress. The colorful presentation coupled with soundtrack, give for a feeling of a casual and relaxed gaming session that is almost therapeutic. And while I have spent plenty of time on the farm, I've found myself catching bugs and searching for shells almost just as much. The canvas that the game lets you paint creates replayability and progression without any other dynamics. You quickly realize that more money means more toys and potential recurring income you can make.
  
  
• You will note that one of my areas of complaint is the overall shopping experience, but once you get past that I really enjoy how many different objects and assets they have in the game. Whether you want to be a beekeeper and buy/build some apiaries, or just buy a nice couch to put in your home to sit on...there is going to be a little bit of everything for everyone. This alone I think increase the value of the game with potential playtime; with so many things to buy, you immediately start figuring out how you can make your money stack. And I haven't done enough yet to really emphasize the building in this game; you can spend plenty of time and in-game resources making everything from a hut to a bakery. The items and crafting are deep enough that you will get sucked in for a few hours just trying to understand it all.

• Shopping for items in the game seems like a well-intentioned but ill-conceieved design. Story time! One of the first tasks you receive is to build a barn on your farm. As I began building my barn, it quickly dawned on me that due to the size of structure I had started, I would most certainly need more blocks. Looking up the crafting recipe, one of the required ingredients was glue. I proceeded to spend the next 60-minutes between other distractions, desperately looking through town to figure out where I could buy it. Eventually I realized that I could just outright buy the blocks. I did of course find that glue, but items are placed in such a haphazard way around town that it can be very frustrating for a new player that is learning to find specific items for purchase. As you get a little deeper into the game you will find that there is a counter-argument here; you can buy a shipping catalog and shipping station that may be installed in your house, that will give you a one-stop shop (basically an "online" store) to have shipped the next day for your enjoyment. From a design standpoint, I would argue that the shipping catalogs should be available at each of the storefronts (maybe with an in-game surcharge?), and that purchase of the shipping catalog and station for your house should have the price increased. The shipping catalog feels as if it was placed in as an important progression step because of the difficulty of shopping.
  
  
• I'm only just over 10 hours into the game while writing this review, however there do seem to be some on-going areas of balance that will need to occur with revenue streams in the game. Of those 10 hours played, I'd guess only a very small percentage of that money came from actually farming. Some crops and of course trees won't require replanting, so this may be short-sighted being that the farming income most likely has to build up gradually. I do still believe that the development team could look at building more value into farming in the early stages of the game, since there is such an apparent emphasis there. Maybe even just giving the player a good grouping of cheap seeds to start with on the bookshelf of the starting house to incentivize trying things out before you start running around for all the activities.
  
  
• I'll start by saying that this might just be me being overly critical. While I will admit I have given it the opportunity to grow on me, I personally feel that the user interface needs a lot of work. Tooltips for mouse buttons were way more confusing for me then they could have been for the first few minutes (color palette is just black and grey, highlighted buttons should be a brigher color). Overall I'm also not a huge fan of the font usage and think that they could make things more bold and readable while still being playful. The crafting menus are also a bit arduous; if all menus were similar to the Shipping Catalog's, things I think would be better overall.

As an early access title, the game is oozing with potential and you can feel the investment from the development team. Even when closing the game out you will be greeted with a feedback form where they happily accept ideas and even refer you to join along with their Discord. I would say if you haven't played this genre of game you could probably give it just a bit more time to bake in the oven, however if this is up your alley like it was for me, you can justify the purchase even in it's early state. Catching butterflies, building and farming seldom go together - but it has never been more fun. And despite the criticisms I have provided the community seems engaged and the developers are listening.


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ARK: Survival Evolved is one of those games that can be difficult to decide on purchase due to the polarizing opinions you will often see from the community. This title is for people who enjoy an unforgiving survival experience, deep craftng/progression systems and building. But most of all, it is for those of us that light up with a smile and hear Jurassic Park music in our heads because we love dinosaurs so much. ARK is quite possibly one of the most ambitious games I've ever engaged with when you look at the various systems at play (food/water, resources, taming, etc.). I'm hoping that this review will serve as a fresh assessment on the game, considering that I purchased at the end of 2017 when it had already been released out of early access. I haven't had the opportunity to become jaded through these release cycles, and look at this purely based on my experience as a working title now that I have sunk enough hours in to feel comfortable on this review. While I realize in retrospect that the publisher released a paid expansion onto the game before it was even a fully released game, my experience tells me that the core game by itself will give you far more hours than most games on the store.

• DINOSAURS!! I don't think I'm alone in my infatuation of dinosaurs. Jurassic Park movies now span across several different age generations, and I'm near positive that regardless of your background or culture, there might have been a few plastic dinosaurs around your house when you were a kid. The excitement you receive as a new player when seeing your first dinosaurs is something truly special and would often strike awe. Whether it's the first time you see a brontosaurus towering above you or the first time you get mauled in the face by a raptor, there are always memorable moments. There are 167 creatures with assuredly more to come, so there is plenty of opportunity to find new curiosities if you like to explore.
  
  
• The crafting system will both shine as a pro and a con, but it has certainly been one of the more enjoyable aspects of the game for me. For transparency I have played some PvP on official servers, but a majority of the time on my account so far has been on my private server with a few friends. Once you add in some of the Workshop mods for the game such as Structures Plus+, the possibilities for your imagination really open up with what is possible within the game...I even started to build my own castle using a different mod.
• The ability to cater to so many different types of players is certainly something that should be noted. With the ability to play on either PvE (Player vs Environment) or PvP (Player vs Player) official servers, as well as host or pay for your own private servers, really opens the options up wide for what type of game experience you want. Would you rather build an amazing base and tame dinosaurs, or use your dinosaurs to try and conquer against other players? This in addition to mod support from the Steam Workshop really allows this game to be the kind of experience you prefer to play if you are creative enough.
  
  
• Similar to the crafting it will serve primarily as a pro, but with some con listed below. Beyond that disclaimer lets be honest, this game is gorgeous. The game is running UE4 using a lot of assets from the UE4 workshop which has probably made the game easier to scale into it's ambitious state. There are moments where I'll just stop and look at at a vista or look up at the sky for a moment to take it all in.

• Do you have a good computer? No but seriously...do you? This game is an absolute beast to run with settings turned up. Part of this is because of the sheer expansiveness of the environments they have crafted, some of this could probably boil down to optimization. Running a 1080ti I can do most games at 4k resolution (if not slightly tweaked down), but running this game on epic is beyond being an option. If you fall into column B and know that your computer might not be up to snuff, you will either have to enjoy potato graphics settings, or may not like the experience at all.
  
  
• Snap points and terrain/mesh issues become a very common occurrence during your playtime in ARK, and one that will infuriate you some days and on others just annoy you. As long as you have a good attitude most of these things can be funny as long as you have the philosophy that nothing is sacred in ARK, and that you might lose everything including dinosaurs in a single moment. Regardless of how you cope, be prepared to lose a few hours here or there because a dinosaur got stuck in a tree or a rock. Also be prepared to yell at your monitor when building sometimes, because a piece will just simply refuse to go where you want it to. Beyond this the game has it's fair share of bugs as well, but the sheer scope of the game and the fun you can have at the very least make this more redeeming.
  
  
• I would say that this would be rather specific to the type of player that I am, but PvP can be very difficult for a casual player on official servers. In a younger stage of my life I avidly played MMOs and would graciously spend my waking life at the PC, and there will be an audience of players that are in fact looking exactly for this. Unless you are able to secure joining a large tribe of players and or play a large amount of time, you're living in ARK will be "humble" to say it nicely. While I still enjoy what time I have played PvP and do plan on playing more soon, I could see this being a punishing aspect for newer or more casual players. Metas may become frustrating, and some of the reasons that I'm not upset with the developers on, may instead be something you are upset about in this situation. As a lone wolf you can still have fun in the game on a public PvP server, provided you do not want to complete all the content.

For people who have not played ARK and are considering to pick-up this title, seriously don't fret over the mixed reviews. The base game will provide you more hours of content than 98% of games on the Steam store, and the season pass could potentially provide you just as much. Play the game in the ways that you enjoy having fun, if you aren't enjoying yourself you are probably doing it wrong. Choose PvP vs PvE based on your needs and play style, and if you get really bored just spin-up your own server and start having some mod and admin fun! I would suggest this game to anyone who likes a challenging experience, enjoys progression and enjoys an open world with beautiful attractions.



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