Recent reviews by The Baker

I was really looking forward GR2... I really did...
GR1, while not perfect, it had a pretty coherent design with a nice presentation and lackluster story. GR2 decided to focus on all the worst aspects of the first game while adding mechanics and features that completely go against the design philosophy of said game. Unnecessary bloat, jarred pacing, janky mechanics, these define GR2 completely suppressing those few moments where the game delivers its vision.
Just buy the first game, it's leagues better and if you already played it, It's safe to skip this one.

I've been meaning to give this game a negative review for a long time... Guess now it's as good as time as any.
My gripes can be summed up with the proverb 'wide as an ocean, shallow as a puddle'. The game has so many individual systems from the weapons and strategems to the planets and their biomes/planeraty conditions. Too bad these systems rarely interact with each other in a meaningful an engaging way, creating limited build variety that isn't 'just for the fun of it'. Couple theese with the erratic balancing changes, it really creates an image of a game where everything is possible, but in reality thats rarely the case.
Where this shows is the physics interactivity. You can get knocked off balance and ragdoll all over the place; enemies keep their momentum after they die and their remains create obstacles. While novel at first it quickly becomes annoying, and the 'haha that thing was so random xd' turns into 'WHAT? How did I die, thats bvllshit'.
And the bugs, SO MANY bugs. I cant fathom how Arrowhead can sell a warbond for PREMUIM CURRENCY where 2 of the unlockable items staright up unusable because damage over time effects have been bugged since the launch of the game. And after every patch, there is a new one. Am I playing bad or have they changed the AI behavior/spawn rate? Is it me or the specific weakspot dosent take any damage? Wait I reloaded why can't I shoot?
The gameplay sandbox and the aformentioned bugs create a gameplay loop where no matter how good/bad you are, the thing that kills you usually is bvllshit™. Enemies ragdolling you next to an obstacle and killing you in 1 hit... bvllshit™, headshot damage multiplier on the player character wich means there is a random chance you get insta sniped... bvllshit™, enemy hitmasses too big so they instakill you with their bodies (looking at you pre patch shreekers)... bvllshit™. The more you play the game and advance through difficulties, the more prevalent these issues become. For the clown emoji spammers, these interactions are sometimes funny yes, but my point is that the fun factor wears off quickly and after thats gone you are just looking at a janky videogame.
As for the PSN account situiation... no. I'm not gonna create a playstation account. Eat a ♥♥♥♥, Sony.

Great game that combines multiple gameplay systems from survival horror, immersive sim and soulslike games. If you liked System Shock 2, Stalker, Thief or similar games, pick this up. This is a must for people who love the loosely defined "immersive sim" genre.

An aggressively OK extraction shooter with a spy theme. If you want some casual fun go for it otherwise it's pretty forgettable, and you can find better games in the genre with a similar price tag.
Also, the menu/UI design is so generic and "overwatchified", felt like I used this kind of interface, like in 10 different kinds of games.

Don't buy this game. Period.

Apart from the horrible p2p connection, there is no in game reconnection option. You got disconnected at the end of a particularly hard mission? Tough ♥♥♥♥, here's your brain-dead AI companion. I cannot stress enough how bad the net code in this game is. Lag, ghost teammates, connection errors, teleporting enemies, it's a mess. Difficulty is a joke with bulletspongy enemies which forces you to use choke points ALL THE TIME. Want to enter that combat arena in front of you on insane difficulty? Nope, stand here and shoot this doorway. I know it sounds silly to criticize an aliens game of choke point and corridor holding, but it makes harder levels so dull. I play co-op games to try and beat the hardest difficulties, me against the designer. Here the designer got bored halfway through and said "just crank up all the levers, and we'll call it challenge". For one playtrough on normal the game is fine, but as soon as you dip your toes into the more challenging content it has to offer the game just breaks both game design and performance vise. I might sound elitist for focusing on the difficulty side too much, but have no doubt these problems are present in every stage of the game.

If you are looking for a good game to play with your friends, literally try the hundreds of other offerings on steam because with this you'll only get disappointment.

Stockholm syndrome / 10

You guys know how to hook up the OST to your veins?

I want to hit the Star Child!

By the store videos and description you probably already know if you'll like Ghostrunner or not. And yes, it pretty much delivers what it says on the tin.
Presentation:
It's great. Apart from the beginning in a factory enviroment, the different levels of the tower you are climbing are amazing looking and pretty distinct. The visuals never dull your senses, and deliver the cyberpunk, neo noir feeling flawlessly. On the music front, HOLY ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥. It's good, really good. Daniel Deluxe really outdid himself with this OST and it really helps create the games atmosphere.
Gameplay:
In the beginning I said the games promotion are pretty honest about the contents of it. Well this is about 90% true. You'll gonna do the Hotline Miami style go into arena, size it up, ♥♥♥♥ it up, then repeat. Eventually you succeed and feel good about yourself, that you did this section flawlessly (after about 100 tries). Its great and rarely feels you got killed by an unlucky shot. But the bosses. They DO NOT fit in with the games mechanics. The first one is a trial and error platforming gauntlet, the second is parry galore (wich is really easy and boring), one is a stationarry "try to bait the bosses attack into this enviromental hazard", and the last one is a cutscene after a BRUTAL platforming section. Progresson is present and does the job well. You always get a new tool to play around with, next to modifiers wich increase the power of your abilities. The things I said about the bosses might seem overly critical, but the core gameplay loop holds up really well, and with the changing enviroments enemies and abilities you'll always feel engaged.
Story:
Lets be honest. Nobody has this game on his wishlist to play the videogame equivalent of Blade Runner. I know it, you know it, and the devs knew it. The story just serves as a glue to hold together the gameplay and setting. Its predictable, cliche, and overall just a servicable story created so you can be a cyber ninja in a neon soaked background. Wich for me is perfectly fine. However if you are looking for something in the writing front, to sink your teeth in, you'll be dissapointed.
Conclusion:
Putting the conclusion section here is kinda pointless. Since I said it in the beginning of the review. The game delivers what it was set out to do, and with only minor hiccups. If you always wanted Hotline Miami to have a baby with Titanfall. do not hesitate, buy this game.

Hey buddy, I think you got the wrong door. Solo Nobre is two blocks down.