Recent reviews by SB

UFO 50 is a collection of 50 retro-inspired, very fleshed out, game jam-style type games each effectively priced at 50¢. Despite not being able to get into every title I've tried so far (I have 35 hours and have only played 18 of 50), there is a lot of depth to each of them despite how simple their concepts seem, plus the devs have done nothing but an amazing job on the visuals and music for all of them.

this is the kind of stuff I want to see more of in today's gaming landscape.

Despite having a rough time getting into other deckbuilders like Slay the Spire, I tried out Balatro with some friends at a college burger place of all locations, and damn it's a banger game. Solid, fast-paced gameplay loop backed up with amazing visual design. I was definitely helped by my knowledge of poker hands before playing it, so if you don't already know them the learning curve might be a bit steep.

tl;dr it's like coke but legal.

As someone who's played ETS2 for around 11 years (and counting!), and had this game in his library for around 6 but never really got to playing it, I regret not spending more time in ATS. I've lived in the midwest and east coast so my states aren't in game yet, but playing this just hits so much different compared to ETS2 with all the details SCS put, whether that's scenery, the crazy drivers, or the nightmare that is Houston's highway system (drove it IRL in a rental, never again). Just like ETS, there are consistent free updates that add a great deal of stuff to the game, a wide selection of mods, and an always-improving quality of new content.

SCS is what all game studios should strive to be. Give them the support they deserve.

Rushed DLC (*cough* WCML), hands down DTG's most obvious attempts at cashgrabbing (*cough* 390), and much worse performance compared to previous titles (*cough* pretty much everything).

TSW5 is only worth getting if you've had a previous title in the series since it's currently free. Other than that, this game is just like taking a number 2 in an elevator: same ♥♥♥♥, different story.

Spunch bop

If this isn't an underrated gem, I don't know what is. Fantastic FPS roguelike with incredibly fluid gunplay/combat, tons of unlockables/secrets, and an addicting game loop.

I've been exposed to a good number of these types of games, but this is very much in contention for the best roguelike I've ever played, up there with Dead Cells and Nuclear Throne. The developers absolutely nailed it with this one.

If you took the management mechanics of ETS2 and the train driving of Derail Valley (albeit a bit watered down), this is what you'd get.

It's only been a few days since its first early access release, so naturally it still needs some polish. However, it's completely playable and a lot of fun - feels like the game the train sim market has needed for a long long time. Really looking forward to see what the developers are cooking up for release.

If it's a masterfully crafted, action packed, emotionally driven single-player game you're looking for, look no further.

Hands down, one of the best, if not the best, story-based game ever made. Absolutely worth the $60.

Cities: Skylines is brilliant. But I like this.

Don't let my low number of hours fool you. I've had the game on CD since around 2008, and invested hundreds of hours into it. Buying it digitally after not playing it for a decade, it has undoubtedly stood the test of time and remains one of the best city builders out there - there is a lot to it, yet it is so easy to learn.

Just to note before you buy: The game most likely won't work out of the box on modern OS's, but there are mods and a dedicated launcher (SC4Launcher) that will improve performance and allow running on 1080p+ monitors

EDIT 22 AUG 2023: DTG have announced TSW4 today, which will be sold as an entirely separate game with no discount for owners of this game. Given its pricing and planned features, to say it's daylight robbery would be very generous towards them. Do not buy this, do not buy the next game, just don't give this company's atrocious management a single penny for their deplorable practices.

Long review ahead. TL;DR at the bottom.

I've held off on buying any game from the TSW line for about 6 years. Until now, when the base game plus about 15 additional DLC were on sale on humble for $14. Which is a total steal, less than $1 for each route/train contained in it after all.

But that's not the normal price this game and its DLC are listed as. FAR from it.

Now to the game itself. I'll be honest, it really isn't as bad as I thought it'd be. It's actually somewhat fun, if you treat it more as a relaxing, sometimes challenging, arcadey game rather than an immersive simulator. But I can't say it's good enough to warrant a thumbs up. I'd give it a mixed review, but there isn't an option for one, so negative it is.

There are good routes...
...and routes that are absolutely horrible. London to Brighton has an incredibly made timetable with over a thousand trains, following real life times! You then have Leicester - Derby & Nottingham - just see the reviews for yourself.

Almost as if the payware devs flip a coin to determine if a route should be absolutely amazing or complete garbage.

There is plenty of content...
...all of which (at least on steam) is locked behind expensive paywalls. I'm not even going to sum the total cost of the DLC for this game, but it's a lot. Clearly DTG have taken a leaf out of Train Sim Classic's book for this, really not surprised.

On the plus, there are plenty of mods available, which are made by freeware devs in their own time and are generally of good quality.

The trains are filled to the brim with features and functioning controls...
...basically none of which are documented in text. Seriously, no manuals for a simulation game? In 2023?! DTG wrote them regularly for Train Sim Classic, and even for some routes in TSW2 and earlier. But noooooo we can't have them here, you know, when DTG put the most features into their trains.

Yes, there are interactive tutorials in the game. But I'm not replaying a full 20+ min tutorial just because I forgot a minute detail that I can easily look up in a pdf. And to say the tutorials are subpar is an understatement.

Yes, people have made YouTube videos. But it's hard to pinpoint which part of the video has what you're looking for. And, of course, there exists the language barrier problem. Which is exemplified if you don't know English.

It's hard for me to recommend TSW3 to everyone, even though I found it a bit more enjoyable than I originally thought. Content quality is all over the place, yet the extortionately high prices couldn't be any more consistent. There's lots to every train, but you kinda have to spend a lot of time learning their details for yourself. No manuals to easily refer to at any time, with tutorials that hardly scratch the surface. Look, I don't expect a 1000-page manual like ZUSI has, but a smaller one with diagrams for controls, features, and setup instructions is really not much of an ask.

So, yeah. With several jobs and university to deal with, I'd rather put the time I have in my day to other things I enjoy.

Should you buy it? If you don't mind dealing with bugs, spending a lot of time trying to learn/remember things, and shilling out your entire wallet on DLC, I'd say maybe get it on sale, but the deal has to be EXTREMELY good. Honestly though, I'd just recommend you don't buy it at all.

If you prefer an experience more oriented towards simulation but a bit less so on graphics (and don't want to spend much money), Diesel Railcar Simulator is excellent, and in its early access state, actively gets updated.

If you prefer all out simulation with little regard for graphics, ZUSI 3, Run8, and OpenBVE might just be what you're looking for.