Recent reviews by Prushy

What a bone-headed and greedy move to charge people for the game a second time just to enjoy the bug fixes and further expansions
Good luck having your only sales being youtubers looking to make content and mindless wallet warriors who have little to no engagement with your game going forward
I hope you realize that practices like this are unpopular for a reason
Other than this glaring issue, the game was rather fun for what it is, but as is typical with Paradox they tend to ruin it by forcing you to sink more money than it's ultimately worth
Plenty of other better colony games out there. Rimworld or Frostpunk would be better games to get
Don't waste your money on this because it's no longer going to be supported, and relaunched is just a dumb bugfix update they decided to want to charge 30+ dollars for
Absolutely ridiculous

Updating my review as of 11/14/25:

I want to really preface this by saying that I'm a huge fan of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series. The games shaped my childhood in terms of appreciation for slavic culture with its gritty atmosphere and very interesting concepts
That being said, I've grown disillusioned with the company GSC Game World. A lot of decisions were made in the past year that were not very well received and for very good reason

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a great foundation for a game with loads of potential. Potential that is being wasted away by very unpopular choices and bad decisions on part of both the developers and the publishers
The game right off the bat was released in a barely finished state. Constant mission soft locks and crashing as well as consistent memory leaks and poor performance even for those with beefy pc setups.
Many of these issues were addressed and fixed, but the time it took to fix even the simplest of issues like desynced subtitles for the intro cut-scene was incredibly abysmal.
The game doesn't have as many soft locks and game breaking glitches these days. It's stable in regards of it's scripting and pace. However performance still leaves a lot to be desired
I am running on a system that should more than be capable of handing this game on the highest Ultra settings, and while its stable in its metrics for a time. Eventually the game starts to hang and stutter and downright just slow to crawl even with DLSS/Frame Gen and other such dynamic resolution scaling options turned on. It is very obvious that the developers are not familiar with how Unreal Engine works and should have delayed this game to iron out those problems. It should not have been released in the state it currently is

Focusing on adding new guns, NVG's and Mutant looting with some A-life updates sprinkled in is all genuinely nice to see, but none of it really matters if the game is still in such an unplayable state.

With all this in mind, you'd think GSC would pull a CD Project Red or Hello Games and just work diligently to fix these glaring issues in due time. However its recently been made apparent that GSC Game World would rather target and DMCA indie developers over misunderstandings that could have been resolved instead of callously hurting their sales for the sake of their "interests"

As valid as many of the claims were, it didn't change the fact that GSC would rather tarnish their reputation with the disastrous touch of a sledgehammer rather than work the misunderstandings out with the tender precision of a screwdriver~ (End of cringey metaphor)

This game promised a lot of things and failed to deliver. Now it is plagued with:
An almost non-existent A-life system pieced together by duct tape and prayer
Co-op that was initially promised but never delivered upon
An unfinished mess that makes the older Stalker games look stable in comparison
And a developer spending weeks tarnishing their reputation and hurting an indie developer rather than focusing on making their own game something a Stalker fan would have genuine fun with

Despite the 272 hours I have put into this game, I couldn't even get past initially meeting the Noontide in the story because the game always breaks around this point, forcing a restart each and every time with more hours wasted than I cared to further put into
I have played the first chapter of this game so much, that I can recite word for word the Ukrainian localization due to how many times I had to slog through it just to enjoy this.
By the way, whoever took out the option to skip cutscenes is a sadist. Seriously.. -.-

Don't get this game in its current state. Just play Stalker: Anomaly or the Metro games if you want a really good narrative.

On sale, this would probably be worth it. Depends on how much is taken off of the final price. I wouldn't even recommend this game at a 30 dollar price tag, let alone a 60 or 110 dollar price!
Very disappointing, and I do sincerely hope this game gets better and GSC's practices with it

Let me start off by saying that I love this game and in it's current state very much worth the price of admission. Its one of the more realistic and grim tactical shooters anyone can sink their teeth into, whether single or multiplayer. A dedicated mod community on top makes it one of the more dynamically customizable experiences you can get from a game like this. VOID Interactive did an amazing job building the world of this game and depicting the true grim nature of what SWAT officers regularly deal with on the job. With that in mind however, it appears the devs want to bring some changes to the game to ready it up for the console release and cross-play update. Of which I have quite a few concerns of my own to share. As for whether people should get the game at this very time? It's best to use their own judgement in terms of what they'd be okay with in the future scope of this games direction going forward. I myself can't currently recommend it for reasons of how VOID have been handling the development so far. So here's my honest thoughts on the matter~
The game is fine as it is, why even bother censoring what they put so much work and detail into depicting whilst insulting their already established customer base?
I refuse to support that nonsense. Having cross-play with consoles is just not worth it for the change in direction to what was fine to begin with.
Massive L on VOID Interactive's part. This is beyond disappointing. If they had any sort of respect left for their product, they'd keep the changes on console at least and just leave the PC users be. It wouldn't resolve all the griefs, but at least they wouldn't be losing money from the multitudes of refunds they're gonna have to push out if they persist with this terrible decision. Its not worth alienating the established fan-base on PC over.
As for my personal opinion on the censorship itself, I can understand the need for it on consoles if its a demand from the companies that host the services on them. It's completely unnecessary for PC and most PC players will agree that those changes for the benefit of cross-play is just frankly not worth it if it means sacrificing the impact of the story and world you so meticulously built.
Best case for players not wanting to refund is to wait until a potential mod restores the content the devs cut from the game
I will change the nature of my review at a later time if things hopefully improve from what is already happening. I really don't want to see this game or the devs fail because of it. It's extremely saddening to see that this is the direction it's heading which was why I was a little harsh in my review here. My best wishes are to the devs and the hope that some compromise can be made in the future. Otherwise, I really can't honestly recommend this myself

Was gifted this game by a good friend of mine and have never been more grateful for such a gift

This is a game whose development I've been following quite a while despite the controversy surrounding it
But I had faith that this game would remain respectful and truthful about the experiences in the Battle of Fallujah

To make something that would take paragraph upon paragraph relatively short to avoid taking up the readers time too much. I'll explain some things that make me give a definite recommend to buy, even at it's current price tag.

The gunplay is super easy to learn, but tricky to get the hang of in stressful situations, of which there will be plenty

The sound design is among the best I've ever heard in a video game about close quarters combat. You can hear your boots knocking over empty bottles on the floor, enemies voices behind the walls and distinguishing the difference and distance between your allies or the enemies weapon fire.

The AI is something to really behold here. While they do have some rather braindead moments. For the most part, they are super crafty, can and will flank you as best as they can and can not only detect your flashlights, but when you talk in vc as well. Yes, the enemy can hear you talking on your mic to your buddies.

Which brings me to the last part, the voice chat system, It's some of the best I've ever seen implemented. It's proximity based, so the further away from your teammates you are, the lower the volume you can hear them and vice versa. When using the radio you can communicate regardless of how far away you are from their proximity, and I've even noticed your voice filters based on where you are in relative to your teammates. Echo effects and lowered muffled volume indicating empty rooms and walls separating you from your battle buddy

Overall, from the simple gunplay, procedural maps, excellent sound design, the very smart and dangerous AI
I definitely recommend this game to anyone who is looking to buy.

Highwire Games made a very respectful and faithful depiction of the Battle of Fallujah and I salute yall for that.
Keep up the great work on bringing more features in the coming months. Looking very forward to see what more yall can bring to the table. ♥

Been following this game for over a decade now
Hands down one of the most indepth survival games I've touched, there's so much to do
It's an isometric zombie apocalypse game whoms sandbox you can tweak to your liking or play on one of the premade difficulty settings. Either can bring the intended playthrough you desire in such a scenario
With mods, this game gets even better with a dedicated community to overhaul and alter exactly what you're bringing to the table
I fully recommend this game at the price it's charging at, not many games of this genre cover this much in terms of gameplay and it's a fresh change to see it so easily affordable
The game still has it's issues which can cause some much unneeded grief to players, especially since a small mistake in a game like this can cost your characters life. Mainly glitches here and here than can get you killed, however those moments are few and far between.

Overview: Darktide was a long awaited game for me and I was gifted this by an awesome friend. I love every minute of it!
Pros:
-Has a great game-play loop and is best enjoyed with friends
-Most cosmetics can be earned in-game despite the micro-transactions embedded into it
-Visuals are great and levels are beautifully crafted to get that 40k feeling down just right
-Weapons are great and feel very powerful allowing you to select a range you're comfortable with
Cons:
-Enemy variety could use some more as you're only fighting the forces of Nurgle
-Game likes to disconnect and crash.. a lot
-Some glitches here and there, but nothing game-breaking. Being unable to pick up a scripture for instance
Conclusion: Overall this is a great game, just needs more fixes and additions to make it really outshine Vermintide

What can I say about Stranded Deep that hasn't already been said about the wheel, penicillin, or the iPhone.... this is one of the greatest games of all time. My husband and I would argue constantly over who had to cut the day's coconuts. It's one of those chores NO ONE wants to do! You know, the old "I spent the entire day fighting sharks and drowning, maybe YOU can pitch in a little and cut these coconuts?" and of course, "You think I have the energy to slave over your damn coconuts? I chop down 12 palm trees all day just to come home to THIS?!" These are the things that can destroy an entire relationship. It got to the point where the crabs could sense the tension. The minute I heard the seagulls calling, parroting the coconut fight with their obnoxious voices, I knew we had to make a change. That's when I found the refined axe. Our marriage has never been healthier, AND we've even incorporated it into our lovemaking. :D THANKS Stranded Deep! ♥

Upon buying the digital deluxe I was rather disappointed. There was hardly any content and the devs seemed quiet for a time. Fast forward 3 years later and I decide to give it another shot after having played the beta for Gates of Hell.
There are many improvements to the game over the course of the years I had been inactive on it. It's better optimized as well, for a Men of War title that is. Animations need an overhaul. They are still as janky as Assault Squad 2 is.
Overall, I'm enjoying this game now, and rather excited to see more of what the devs and the mod community can achieve. Also looking forward to the Gates of Hell dlc release

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a throwback to my childhood when I first discovered Halo. As I'm sure is the case for everyone else who have played this game. Now the question is, should you buy it? For those who played this game in the past on their original Xbox. Of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ course you should buy it. For those who have never touched Halo and are considering buying this to try it out, here are the basic essentials to know
It's an fps way ahead of its time with fluid controls and nice dynamic of enemies to fight against. Level design, even in classic is really well done, with the exception of some with repeating hallways and incredibly similar level design, that without arrows on the floor blatantly telling you where to go, you'd be stuck in a loop of getting lost. (Fans of the game know what I'm talking about) The weapons are great and vary differently. Even your basic starter weapons have a punch that hooks you straight in to the combat.
Now on for the technical issues, the game runs great on my system, however the audio leaves a lot to be desired.
My friend hasn't had any issue while we played coop, however the audio balance on my end is pretty bad. It really ruins immersion when you hear Master Chief's footsteps over the dialogue and music. Every background noise, ranging from rockets, pelicans, to technology is way more audible compared to the soundtrack playing, which is a very faint whisper on my end. Thankfully there are subtitles, and I experienced the game as it should have been as a kid, but for those starting out, this can make or break a fun gaming experience.
As much as it pains me to say, Halo Anniversary could have gotten a 9/10, same as the classic game. But the audio issues bring it down to an 8/10.
Is it still worth getting? Of course it is, but do keep in mind that this, along with reach; have numerous audio issues that can potentially ruin your experience.

Empire is that Total War game you go back to because there are non others set in this exact time period. While Fall of the Samurai expanded and made this concept of line infantry tactics work, it was constricted by the incredibly limited Japan map, to which Empire has the whole European front, the Americas and India to take over.
.
Of course, the way I describe this makes it sound like one of the best Total Wars to grab on steam. Well, in normal cases you'd be right, but CA is not normal. Nor is the corporate goliath behind them, SEGA.
.
This game suffers from a wide arrange of problems. Such as the AI not fighting according to the tactics that the period demands. They initially just like to bayonet charge by default, and enemy artillery tends to get stuck on open terrain, as laughable as that sounds. Not to mention that your own armies have issues of their own, such as not firing when their supposed to. Or taking too long to get in formation. And don't get me started on the seiges, if you think the AI sounds bad enough on land battles, then seiges will be like swimming up ♥♥♥♥ creek with your bare hands.
.
Grand Campaign is lacking severely, with rebellions easy to quell, broken economy, and only a semi decent technology tree (I'll give it a pass since Empire is the first gave to have a tech tree in the first place)
.
The thing I enjoy about the tech tree is how it upgrades your basic units to perform better on the battlefield. Something that Warhammer adopts to great effect.
Sound design is severely lacking, with muskets sounding like cap guns, and artillery having a fwomp sound instead of the deadly thunderous noise it tends to have in real life. It sounds less like a war, and more of a reenactment. The music is dull, composed by Richard Beddow instead of Jeff Van Dyck.
.
Beddow's music is great, as he captures the feeling and spirit of the time periods and did fantastic work on the Warhammer games. While not as intense as Jeff Van Dyck's use of drums and vocals, it still captures that Total War feeling. In this game, not so much. I don't feel a whole lot of intensity during battles, they feel like they should be a spectacle instead of an intense game of strategic planning. Needless to say, this is not his best work. After the first time you hear it, it tends to annoy you to the point that you mute the music and find solace in only the sounds of war. Which is just to my liking for games like this.
So why am I recommending this? And why do I have so many hours logged into it?
Because the game can be incredibly fun and immersive if you have the know-how to mod it to your liking.
.
Darthmod fixes the numerous issues in the campaign map, whilst making fighting against the ai a bit more bearable. However as famous as it is, it's not enough to truly itch my historical sense.
.
That's where I recommend a mod called Imperial Destroyer
This mod retextures units, overhauls the sounds so that muskets and artillery actually sound like a wall of death, and massivly fixes the ai to actually utilize it's intended purpose of standing in a line and using mass volleys against you. Even seiges are more bearable to fight, and the mod has an option to remove fortresses all together. Rebellions are a lot easier to start, and income for your armies are a luxury.
.
To describe in my best words how much this mod made me feel historically immersed.
I found the 7 years war much earlier than should historically happen. The war, much like in history, drained my treasury upon my victory and long fought struggle, and I was forced to increase taxation in the colonies (which the mod just gives you control of right from the start) and it caused a rebellion to stir in Boston, which was the United States emergent faction. They pushed me out of the thirteen colonies and I was forced to watch history repeat itself as I brought my colonial troops overseas to help fight the french, who were gearing up to invade london.
.
This historically accurate scenario was completely unscripted and gave me a feeling of immersion that the base game could never provide.
I'll be linking the mod here
https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?1930-Imperial-Destroyer
So now for my final verdict
.
I give Empire Total War a 6/10 for the vanilla experience
It's lacking in so many good features, but just innovative enough to not be the worst
Modded with Darthmod, I give it a 7/10
For fixing most of the issues, but still retaining that vanilla feel
Modded with Imperial Destroyer, I give it a 9/10
For not only fixing a lot of the core issues I had with it to begin with, but providing a completely Total War experience that should have been from the original game devs