Recent reviews by Mog

As a massive Halo fan who grew up with these legendary games, I can confidently say this is one of the best FPS series ever made. Having sunk hundreds of hours into these games during the Xbox 360 era, the Master Chief Collection is an absolute must-have for both long-time fans and newcomers to the series.

What makes Halo truly special is its incredible combination of epic storytelling, unparalleled musical score, and groundbreaking gameplay. The collection brings together the main Halo titles up to Halo 4, completely remastered and optimized for PC. Whether you're reliving nostalgic memories or experiencing these games for the first time, there's something here for everyone.

The ability to switch between original and remastered graphics is a fantastic touch of nostalgia, allowing you to appreciate how far the series has come. Multiplayer is robust, with numerous maps, game modes, and cross-platform play that keeps the experience fresh and exciting. The customization options for your multiplayer character and emblem add a personal touch that fans will love.

For those who haven't experienced the Halo universe, this collection is the perfect entry point. The rich lore, memorable characters, and innovative gameplay have set a standard in the FPS genre that few games have matched.

Pros:
Comprehensive collection of Halo games
Stunning remastered graphics
Cross-platform multiplayer
Incredible storytelling and music
Tons of replay value

Cons:
Requires Xbox account login
Hackers in Multiplayer
Multiplayer can be region-dependent

Whether you're a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, the Halo: Master Chief Collection is an essential addition to any PC gamer's library.

Quite simply one of the best FPS games of all time. Timeless classic of the genre that deserve all the praise it gets.

The Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (2024) brings the classic experience back for modern hardware, but unfortunately, it's not without its flaws. While the core gameplay remains intact, the decision to transition from the original MT Framework engine to the RE engine feels like a noticeable downgrade. Despite the visual polish in some areas, the shift to RE results in performance issues typical of open-world games using this engine.

Although my personal experience was largely smooth, running on an RTX 4090 and a 9800X3D, reports of stutters, crashes, and inconsistent framerates are common among players, significantly affecting overall enjoyment.

Moreover, the remaster controversially removed several key elements deemed "inappropriate" by modern standards, taking away some of the edgy charm and authenticity that the original had. Additionally, the reliance on AI upscaling for older textures creates an inconsistent visual experience, occasionally highlighting discrepancies between new and old assets rather than seamlessly enhancing them.

If Steam allowed it, I'd leave a neutral rating—I don't regret preordering and experiencing the remaster, but it doesn't come close to capturing the same level of quality and authenticity as the original Dead Rising. Ultimately, the 2006 classic remains the superior version in almost every meaningful way.

Dead Rising is a timeless classic that continues to impress, even years after its initial release. The atmosphere in this game is genuinely captivating—immersing you completely into its chaotic world filled with zombies and mayhem.

Visually, the game remains fantastic. Despite its age, Dead Rising's art direction and asset quality have aged remarkably well, maintaining a charm and style that feel just as relevant today. The MT Framework engine still impressively holds up, effortlessly running at my resolution of 5120x1440 with a rock-solid 240fps, paired with a 9800x3D and an RTX 4090.

The soundtrack is another standout feature, perfectly enhancing every tense encounter and memorable moment. Boss fights are creatively designed, each one offering unique challenges that make every battle engaging and rewarding. Additionally, the story itself is incredibly replayable—each run can feel fresh thanks to the game's timeless narrative and excellent pacing.

Comparing this original release to the recent deluxe edition remaster from 2024, it's clear to me that the original remains superior in every meaningful way. It captures the heart and soul of the Dead Rising experience, something the remaster simply couldn't replicate.

If you're considering diving into Dead Rising, skip the 2024 remaster and stick with this original masterpiece—it's the definitive way to enjoy this game.

A very competent DLC, a large roster with great wielders, building art and splash art is also very nice, cant wait for the upcoming faction campaign.

Solid game on the steam deck, progression is rewarding, gameplay is solid and hard hitting, enemy design is not bad also. Updates are frequent from the dev and he is very communicative so hopeful for the future. Haven't played multiplayer yet though.

So, this is going to be a bit of a weird review, as I've been excited for Stalker 2 for the better part of 2 years now, having played the original trilogy to death + anomaly / gamma, and arguably Stalker is the best first-person RPG that I've played. Not for any really standout reason, but it's just been a very "fun" franchise, and personally, I think it's one of the most immersive games in terms of world-building and setting across all of the original games.

So Stalker 2 as of writing this review has been out for 3 days, and I've clocked in a little under 24 hrs worth of gameplay, and I think I have done enough playing to throw out my 2 cents on if the game is good or not. I should state that Stalker is not a game for everyone. The 2nd game is very much more catered to the normal player than the first 3. There are things that carry over from the first few games to the sequel that are identical, such as food, medicine, weapons, and inventory management, etc., but there are a few new things in Stalker 2 that I think are a much-welcomed addition. Things like a weapon wheel and the fly attachments are nice gameplay mechanics that bring the game forward.

But, there are a few issues. The game as it stands right now is not very clean. I have had multiple instances where the quests have soft-locked and thus have required me to download and use the UE5 dev toolkit to bypass the soft locks, as well as things like NPCs just not behaving as intended. For example, when Monolith is reawakened and Zalissya is under attack, thus triggering the on-prompt side mission to repel the attack, in my instance none of the Monolith spawned, and all of the NPCs that were based there were locked inside the town hall, and it then caused me to fail the mission, thus losing the hub. A-Life 2.0 is also rather broken, with key NPCs seemingly coming back to life once you leave and re-enter certain areas of zones, but I'm sure that the devs are aware of these issues, and I'm sure that the first big patch of the game will fix this.

There are also some intended game design issues that I'm not too happy with. For example, the day-night cycle feels like a 70/30 split in the favor of night, the flashlight is not strong enough out in the world, and repair costs/selling prices are way too high. Mission rewards early on are very small, so expect to be using rather weak equipment for at least the first 10 hrs unless you want to gun it to some stashes that have strong stuff early.

But some pros: the world is fantastic, the weather effects are amazing and really feel powerful and unpredictable, the voice acting is top-notch, and seeing familiar places within the Zone with a fresh coat of paint has been really great as a long-time fan. The side quests for the most part have been pretty lengthy and well-designed, and progression, while slow, is rewarding. The main story is also pretty good, but it's certainly not the strength of the game in my point of view. There are plenty of instances where a character shows up maybe once, dies, and is then forgotten, and that's a little sad. Combining that with the issues I stated earlier, it's also rather frustrating.

Performance for me has been pretty good. Currently playing this on a 5700X and 6800XT @1440p with high to epic settings, FSR on, and frame generation, and I get close to 160 fps stable out in the world. In hubs, it drops to around 90, same with interiors, but it's more than playable. I've also only had one hard crash.

So, do I enjoy the game? Yes, very much so. But do I recommend it? Well, it's hard to say. It's a unique game that is essentially Stalker: The Sequel. It's not easier than the first, it's not harder, it's more of a direct sequel, so I think that because of those points, it's hard for me to give this a universal recommendation. But if you're on the fence, I'd recommend trying it on Game Pass for PC for a month or picking up the originals for cheap before you fork out the £50 that's needed for the 2nd game. But if you liked the originals, you will love this, and with time and future patches, it will be a really solid game that I'm sure about.

TL;DR:
Stalker 2 is a solid sequel that builds on the franchise’s immersive world and mechanics while introducing welcome new features like a weapon wheel and attachments. However, the game currently suffers from bugs (e.g., quest soft-locks and broken NPC behavior) and design flaws like long nights and high repair costs. The world, voice acting, and side quests shine, though the story feels less impactful. Performance is strong on modern hardware. If you’re a fan of the originals, you’ll likely love this, but newcomers should try it on Game Pass or play the earlier games first. With patches, it has the potential to become great.

A fantastic remake of an incredible story. The voice acting, soundtrack, gunplay, animations, world building, and even the post-game content are top-tier. The attention to detail in recreating the original while refining the mechanics makes this a true standout. From the grit of the streets to the elegance of the 1930s aesthetic, everything feels immersive and polished. Having been a MASSIVE fan of Mafia 2, this was a real joy to play, and to see how the story progresses from a retrospective point of view was incredibly entertaining.

The narrative remains a gripping experience, filled with memorable characters and intense, emotional moments. The improved cutscenes bring the story to life even more vividly, while the gameplay enhancements make every mission feel fresh and engaging. I was particularly impressed by how smooth the game runs on the Steam Deck, offering a seamless experience without sacrificing quality. Whether you're a newcomer or a returning fan, this remake feels like the definitive version of Mafia.

Highly recommend, and for me, it earns a well-deserved 9/10.

Everything that Severed Steel did, this builds upon and makes it better. The fundamentals of the movement are top notch, the gunplay is rock solid and the mechanics are razer sharp. The movement feels incredibly natural, very fast, but controllable, beautiful graphics combined with the fantastic soundtrack really adds to the feel of the game. Without spoiling too much the boss fights are also fun, as well as the unlockable cosmetics. Couldn't recommend enough, more than worth the price and im so happy its done well.

Timeless classic that is too fun not to play.