I received a free copy of this game on Epic - yet I still purchase it again on steam with all DLCs.

This is how good this game is.

I played this on console back in the days when it first released. I enjoyed it so much that i knew i would have to complete it again when i made the switch to a gaming PC, to enjoy all the bells and whistles from that version (namely better ray-tracing and graphic quality).

Imo, Remedy nailed two things with that one. First, if you like weird stories and mystery you'll be at home. To whoever saw those TV shows, it's like The Twilight Zone meets Fringe, with a hint of The X-Files. Sure, you have to accept the fact that you will find yourself scratching your head a few times trying to figure out what's happening (but hey, it's a Remedy game after all), specially if you skip collectibles. A lot of the story is told through them. This being said, its has been easier for me to follow than The Alan Wake games.

The second thing is the gameplay. It's easily my favorite of all the Remedy games i've played. There's something extremely satisfying in using your psychic powers to throw various objects at your opponents and then finishing them off with your weapon (or the other way around). Doing this while levitating is even more enjoyable. The controls are precise, snappy, reactive, it's really fun to play. Better than even Alan Wake 2 imo.

I have only three minor gripes: one is the lip sync in my native language (french). It's one of the most awful i've seen in recent videogames, it looks like they didn't even try. Problem i solved by playing the english version, which is great in that regard. Also, it would have been cool if they ported the DualSense haptics and triggers to the PC version, because on console it was definitely bringing something to the table. The last one is the most annoying to me: the map system really isn't great, you'll spend some time trying to figure out where you need to go and the map won't help that much.

Recommended game if you haven't played it yet, it's dirt cheap during sales. Lastly, thanks to the kind person on my contact list who gifted it to me.

The first 10 hours - a thrilling start that left me wanting more! The protagonist, the story, the atmosphere, and the unique experience of hurling desks at monsters all contributed to very enjoyable gameplay. However, as the hours progressed, the game began to lose its initial charm.

The puzzles are a pain in the neck. Half of the time, you have to look up solutions online. And once you do, it's not like, "My bad, I'm stupid". No, it's more like, "Really?!?". A punch card puzzle is a perfect example.

Combat is extremely repetitive. There's like 4 types of enemies: troopers, exploders, fly-throwers and an the invisible-c*nt. The game pretends that there's more, but the only difference is maybe a different gun and that some of them fly, and some don't.

Re-spawning enemies and a useless map. One of these would be O.K.; both combined are a nightmare. You get lost a lot. And while trying to find your way, in every second location you revisit, the enemies start to spawn, and you have to engage in a tedious fight.

It would probably take me only 2 or 3 more hours to finish the game, but it started to be painful to continue.