Recent reviews by ham

Vibes:
* Deep Rock Galactic
* Helldivers 2
* Left 4 Dead 2

Hot take:
I'm enjoying this a lot; the more I play, the better it gets. It only took a few runs to understand the systems and synergies going on. The first impression was a little lacking since none of the classes (kits) seemed especially impactful. But after the first few weapon and ability unlocks, it clicked and quickly turned into this unique and immensely fun horde shooter. Managing status effects on yourself, your team, and enemies while completing objectives is a big part of the experience. It really does have the potential to stand along side those notable entries in the genre that I mentioned above.

Also worth mentioning:
* Games are drop-in/drop-out, and can also be joined via room code.
* Game length, difficulty, and complexity can be modified to suit your needs. Depending on what you're looking for, you can finish a session in as little as 3 minutes, or have one that lasts nearly an hour, or anything in between.
* The game is set in the world of Control (released by Remedy in 2019). You don't need to have played or liked that game to enjoy this one. Although those things can help add to the enjoyment here.

This game is a whole lot of fun. The crew bonuses system and the persistent gadgets that remain between respawns are only a couple of the really unique mechanics that make the game worth playing. I know a buy-in cost is hard to overlook when so many other hero-shooters are F2P, but after playing this for a few matches I was hooked. And at 35 hours in, I'm a true believer. At this point, I've had so much fun that the buy-in cost doesn't seem like a big deal anymore, because I've already gotten my money's worth. If you're on the fence, wait for a sale or free weekend. If you're already hyped, you're in for a good time.

I want a sequel!

This is the kind of game I would always look at the box art for, and wanted to play, but I was far too young and too impatient to really understand how it worked. Fast-forward literal decades later, and now I have the age and the patience to really dig into something like this. This is my first CRPG, but with the pixel art, color-palette, and old school UI, it feels like I'm going back and reliving some phantom part of my childhood.

Okay, with that out of the way, I have to say that this is a fantastically written game with a mystery that's unfolding at a good pace. The combat is great; there's a lot of tactics to it, and it begins to ask more of you as the encounters ratchet up in danger and complexity. Between those things, that's all I really want from a game like this. I don't know if all CRPG's are like this one, but this feels very close to the experience of a table-top RPG, but with the advantage that I can play it by myself and at my own pace — which is exactly what I needed right now.

Looks and plays like an FPS from 1998.

Highly recommended for fans of classics like…

* Quake 2
* SiN
* Unreal 1
* Half-Life 1

The vibe: Quake 3 meets Bad Company 2.

If either of those were your jams back in the day, I highly recommend this.

Vibes:
* Doom 3
* Prey (2006)
* Dead Space (2008)
* GTFO

If you enjoyed at least one of those games, you'll like this. If you enjoyed more than one of them, you'll love this!

Worth mentioning:
* There's a server browser
* You can play it solo if you want to; co-op isn't required
* You can still play it when you're offline

Just finished Episode 1. The story telling in this is so so good! If you're a Batman fan, you owe it to yourself to play this (but the previous season first). And if you've played the previous season but haven't gotten around to playing this one yet, you're going to be in for such a fantastic time!

The best Batman television series that never aired.

This is basically a Batman Arkham series game in terms of combat and gameplay, but with a thin layer of RPG on top. If you're a fan of the Arkham series, you'll probably enjoy this too.

Doom 3: BFG Edition is the last game released by id Software under the technical guidance of John Carmack.

This version of Doom 3 uses a modified idTech 4 engine that takes advantage of a few rendering techniques that were developed for id's 2011 game, Rage.

Doom 3 is a game that was released over 8 years ago, so the price of the BFG Edition can make it a tough sell. But if you've never played Doom 3 then this is the version to get. Even today, it's a solid action-filled game in nearly every respect: great weapons, great combat, and great map design.

If you've played the original release, it's worth knowing that the visual enhancements, modified ammo & health placements, and armor-mounted flashlight turn this into a game that's very different from the one you knew; it now feels like a full-on action game in the vein of the classic Doom games.
(The only thing to be aware of is that this version of the game *does not* have modding or map editing support.)

Lastly, if you have a 120hz monitor (even if you don't, but especially if you do) you need this game! It looks exceptionally beautiful running at 120 frames per second on a 120hz monitor. Seriously, it's breathtaking.