Recenzii recente de Baglue

YOOOOOOOOOOOOO THEY REMASTERED IT AND ITS FREE FOR PPL WHO ALREADY OWN IT LETS GOOOOOO

i like to keep this running on my computer while i do other things

While looking for some new games to play I was recommended and interested in buying L.A. Noire. Having heard the high amount of praise and what I saw in promotional content I built up eager anticipation to start it. While not perfect this was a fantastic experience and I knew this was a game I had to talk about. I’d like to give a brief disclaimer first. I know about the horrible stories about the development of this game. While this topic is beyond the scope of this review, I’d like to thank all the people who worked so hard to make this game. Their dedication and care is evident in the final product and should be acknowledged.

Set in 1947 Los Angeles, a former marine now L.A.P.D. officer Cole Phelps is thrust into the public spotlight through his actions as a patrol officer. Being promoted to detective, Cole solves various cases among the traffic, homicide, vice and arson departments dealing with mobsters, corruption, and vast conspiracies being held by the city elite. This game as it suggests is heavily drenched in noir themes and careful time and energy was spent into making sure the sound, language and design create a fantastic atmosphere to enhance the experience. From the complex and interesting characters, city layout, and actual music from the era helped to keep me invested even when driving around the city to get collectibles. In addition most cases in the game were created and inspired by actual crimes that historically took place, notably the infamous Black Dahlia murder. I’d also like to make note of how attached I grew to the main character of the game Cole Phelps. The actor who plays Cole, Aaron Staton does an incredible job and has tons of memorable and well performed scenes. The game’s narrative is easily one of its greatest aspects and it’s characters, world building, and atmosphere is unforgettable.

The game features a wide variety of different mechanics you will have to do and perform throughout the game which I’ve broken up into two categories of action and detective work. One of the advertised features of the game is interrogations of suspects and witnesses. This is done with the game providing you a series of questions to ask the suspect and depending on how they answer the player will be given three options which in my game were labeled: Truth, Doubt and Lie. Sometimes key information will be added to the investigation if you select the correct response. Taking advantage of advanced motion capture technology, reading facial expressions and body language is a key element to successfully choose the correct option. Some of the interviews are rather challenging so the game gives intuition points, which can be spent on lifelines to remove an answer or see what other players choose. The other gameplay mechanic I put into this category is what I’d call crime scene examinations. This involves going to key locations related to the case and exploring the area to find clues, interview suspects and collect information and leads advance the case. It’s important not to stress out too much about trying to get every clue, as some can be extremely well-hidden and others might have you investigate an object further like trying to open a locked box by solving a puzzle.

Along with detective work the game will also have you do a variety of action intense activities which range from good to somewhat mediocre. First is hand to hand fistfights. While not the most common thing in the game, it comes up often enough to be a staple during the course of the game. I don’t really know how to describe it without just saying I felt it was awkward. Maybe it was because I was on keyboard and mouse, but it just felt off and while I didn’t hate it I had no complaints when I didn’t have to do it. I would like to mention however that actually throwing punches and using headbutts feels and sounds like there’s weight to it which made it satisfying when I knocked my opponent down. Secondly there’s shooting and gunfights, which usually has you, your partner and sometimes more allies against a group of three up to twenty enemies. Cole always has a pistol, but you can grab rifles, shotguns and sub-machine guns off dead enemies. You can move from cover to cover with the ability to peek out and shoot, which proved useful when pinned down by multiple enemies with sub-machine guns firing at you all at one. Cole can also regenerate health, which recovers fairly quickly and can take several hits before being killed. Overall shooting in the game was fun, a little simplistic but a nice change of pace and at times pretty chaotic. Third is tailing which can be done on foot and in automobiles. In cars you have to follow the car without being too far out of range or being close enough to be spotted by your target. I didn’t have a problem with this, the driving controls are responsive and the game gives you plenty of indication when you're too close or too far. On foot tailing is a little harder, but the game gives you a few methods to help you remain unspotted. You can duck behind walls and always and some objects like newsstands and shoeshine booths when interacted with will let you remain there and no one will be able to spot you. For the most part it was fun doing these segments and definitely made me feel like an undercover agent. Finally you will be tasked with chasing suspects which is also done on foot and in vehicles. On foot the suspect will run and you have to keep up with them until backup can trap him or stop him by tackling on rare occasions fire a warning shot. The suspect won’t just run into traffic or through crowds to escape you, they might scale buildings and jump off rooftops. Finally there’s chases in vehicles which can at times be infuriating. You will have to find a way to stop the car, usually with your partner trying to shoot and blow their tires out. While it was fun to stop cars by slamming them straight off the road, it’s fairly easy to lose the car and fail the chase. The car you’re following can take unpredictable turns, drive through narrow alleys you might be not prepared for and can take a fair amount of damage before being stopped depending on the vehicle. In addition you might have to swerve and weave through traffic. Normally this can be reduced by having the police siren on, but sometimes you might be in a vehicle with an emergency siren increasing the chances to collide into cars in intersections and losing the target.

While all these gameplay elements come together well during the missions, there is a clear lack of things to do outside of the main case storylines. While there are quick street crimes to do and collectibles such as badges and golden film reels, the baroness of the vast map is notable. The city is vast, but the things you can do in free roam feels limited and so the open world just isn’t used to its maximum potential. This is a shame, as the game’s map has been carefully well crafted with different sections of the city standing out and filled with plenty of famous landmarks.

Simply put I could easily make this review 6 pages long. What this game does right it excels at, but I can’t overlook the lack of things to do within the open world, limited replayability and how terribly optimized this version is. It is very rough around the edges, but I found the experience to be worth it and my major issues usually did not deter me from being invested for long sessions. I personally recommend playing this game one case a day (except the patrol desk just play all of it in one sitting) provided you have an hour or two available. It flows better that way as sometimes I’d forget where I needed to go or what I still needed to investigate if I resumed in the middle of a case.

This is a great game which I strongly recommend if you’re looking for a rich narrative with plenty of hours to complete. 8/10

If you play Ode to Joy on the main menu you get a secret end credits

vida green

My hands hurt

Seeing a revival of a long-forgotten franchise is always a blessing, especially when the source material is very fondly, in some cases not so fondly, known for being one of the defining works of its generation. The original game, “Battletoads,” developed by Rare Ltd and published in 1991 is often remembered as one of the hardest beat-em’-ups of all time and set a new industry standard for the difficulty in games. The recent iteration of this, simply titled, “Battletoads,” developed by Dlala Studios and Rare Ltd, still offers ample challenge while being far more accessible to new audiences supplying a thoroughly enjoyable experience throughout most of its short duration. The first word I would use to describe this game is stylish. Inspired by 20th-century Saturday-morning cartoons, “Battletoads,” has a robust, yet self-aware and outlandish, story with plenty of slap-stick comedy to briefly distract from the consistent heart-pumping action. The main characters Zitz, Rash, and Pimple have dynamic qualities reminiscent of the classic, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which works far better than it should and leaves so much potential for more. These three toads are on a journey to achieve fame once again after 22 years which is a fine story with plenty of other charming characters to support it. The gameplay itself is good, if not slightly simplistic, for a side-scrolling beat-em’-up. Each of the three characters is unique from the other with Zitz pushing fast combos of moves, Pimple dealing hard-hitting attacks, and Rash being a harmony between the two. The star of the show, when it comes to gameplay, happens not to be the combat itself, yet rather the wide variety of minigames sprinkled generously throughout the game. At its heart “Battletoads” is a beat-em’-up, yet I couldn’t help but be very pleased to play through a bullet-hell shooter here or a WarioWare style, Simon Says minigame there. While most of the minigames are a blast, there are a few that could use some tweaking, as the fast-paced surfing minigame and the third-person rail surfer games felt frustrating at times among others. Collectibles are scattered well in each of the levels with a few exceptions which offer replay value and can be good challenges to find. The visuals themselves serve the game well, as the cartoon style goes will with the crafted environments of the game. Good use of the Unity Engine’s resources makes the colors and backgrounds pop with exceptional quality. My biggest problem with, “Battletoads,” is its length. I was left wanting more by the end of my roughly 4-hour playthrough and the story could benefit from a little more pacing. This game is made so much better playing with a friend, yet there’s no online co-op play which only leaves local co-op available. Overall, I had a very good experience with this new iteration of 1991’s, “Battletoads,” and I’m excited to see what else Rare Ltd and Dlala Studios can do with this property. Disappointing only in its length and some frustrating hiccups, “Battletoads,” makes a superb experience catered to a modern audience and is a strong multiplayer game to tackle with a friend. 8/10

There is perhaps a no-better-time than now to buy and learn NetherRealm’s, “Mortal Kombat 11,” with the release of its new, “Aftermath,” DLC. After having played Mortal Kombat 11with all of its modes, I can safely say that this is NetherRealm’s finest creation yet. Combat is the most important part of any good 2d fighting game, and while being known for its over-the-top blood and gore, 11 brings refined gameplay to solidify its place among some of the best fighting games of all time. The roster is huge, especially with all of the DLC characters, and there’s enough fan service combined with series staples for just about anyone. Each character has enough unique moves to keep any expert studying for hours, yet doesn’t forget to leave room and accessibility for more casual audiences. I found combat more slowed and tactical than most other fighting games, rewarding strategic thinking rather than button-mashing. Loads of different mechanics are shoved into gameplay while being just the right amount so as to not be cumbersome. Defense and attack meters are now split to be more of a tool than something to just throw at your opponent. Combos are greatly rewarded and are luckily a little easier to execute as with all of the new mechanics, there are more opportune windows for them. Fatalities are as gory and brutal as ever and are still endlessly satisfying to pull off. Fatal blows are another new addition that can be used when a player is at low health, making the ends of matches all-the-more intense. The different mechanics are accentuated by the vastly diverse move sets of each character and the way they play. For example, my favorite character to play as, Erron Black, has great zoning moves to punish characters like Liu Kang and Jade that like to move around and expend their meters, getting in their opponent’s face. Mortal Kombat 11’s modes are enough to keep anyone, casual or not, hooked for hours. A robust story mode was the main attraction for me, as it’s essentially a long movie where one gets to play as different characters playing key roles in one overarching plot. The plot itself is convoluted, self-aware, and well-acted. It is serviceable as a videogame story and sets up gloriously interesting situations with time travel. The other two modes don’t hit quite as hard, being more gimmicky than anything. “Klassic Towers,” is a gauntlet with crazy modifiers which seemed a bit out-of-place when it boiled down to how it handled keeping things fresh. Towers of time, while sometimes hitting the mark, are ever-changing romps through different sets of scenarios that also couldn’t help but feel gimmicky. The extras and customizables are handled uniquely with, “The Krypt,” an explorable hub akin to games like, “Warframe,” or, “Monster Hunter World.” I appreciate the way it's all laid out, and it’s a fun distraction, providing a way for the player to marvel at their cosmetic achievements. Customizables themselves, however, are randomized loot boxes obtained with in-game currency which doesn’t feel good at all, even if there are literally thousands of ways to customize a single character. The game’s net code is sublime and I never witnessed a single bit of lag in any of my online matches. The matchmaking is fine, and I always felt like I had a fighting chance in each match. The game’s soundtrack suits the themes of battle but is nothing to bang one’s head over and isn’t all that prevalent. The graphics, on the other hand, are absolutely stunning, with blood looking realistically fluid and all of the bright, vibrant colors within the characters and settings accentuate this while running as smooth as butter on my system. Facial animations and voice acting don’t always synergies well but this is easy to overlook. Aside from a few lackluster single-player modes and lacking in some innovative ways to handle unlocks, Mortal Kombat 11 has enough to keep any player coming back for just one more game. With its well-grounded gameplay, and it’s over-the-top style, Mortal Kombat 11 is among the best fighting games of all time, and the best traditional, 2d fighting game I’ve ever played. 9/10

I am choosing to review Divinity Original Sin 2 now because I missed it when it came out, and because it is a glowing beacon in a sea of games, that should be held on a pedestal for all of its glory and triumphs, as one of the most definitive role-playing experiences of the decade. Larian Studios have put their hearts and souls into this game and it oozes the passion of each member in their small team. The point of view is isometric, meaning the player has a bird’s eye view. Being isometric works in the game’s favor, giving the player the opportunity to soak in as much of the wonderful art style, sprawling maps, and the lively villages and cities. The character creation is in-depth and provides the player with loads of options, making the character one creates feel unique, like it’s theirs to call their own. There are loads of things to find, places to discover, and quests to complete, making the fantasy world feel as if it's really lived in and is thriving with life. Liveliness is also supported by Borislav Slavov’s grand, a dynamic soundtrack, using strings and flutes to fill the player’s heart with excitement and adventurous emotion. The journey starts off by holding the player’s hand slightly, just enough so that they may get a grasp for how the game controls and feels. The expertly crafted writing places the character in the beginning as a prisoner, which gives a sense that the character is going to be off to a fresh start. The story of the game, where you are a sorcerer on their quest to reach divinity, is written so well, I could place it with some of my favorite stories of all time: the Indiana Jones series and Saving Private Ryan. The combat is well thought out, limiting the player just enough to provoke thought and strategy, yet it is never frustratingly difficult. The game is also accessible, offering different difficulty options to fit anyone’s desires. The completion time for this game is around 96 hours, keeping it’s high standard and engaging traits throughout; however, since there are so many things to do and see, it may take someone weeks to complete. Divinity Original Sin 2 should be the golden standard for any role-playing game to come out for the upcoming decade and I doubt it will be surpassed in quality any time soon. 10/10

Leading up to Id Software’s, “Doom Eternal,” I was as hyped as I could ever be for a videogame. I’m not often extremely excited about a videogame, yet having played, “Doom,” in 2016, I couldn’t wait for more grotesque demon-slaying action. Doom Eternal is a perfect example of what a sequel should aspire to do. The first thing about Doom Eternal that stood out to me was the abundance of colors and tones used throughout the game. No longer is Doom a washed-out mix of greys, reds, and blacks; it’s a vibrant, more-appealing display of bright, stimulating colors. Demons look better than ever, being individually distinct and easy to recognize. There is also a wealth of new demons to test the ever-increasing skill level of the player. It pulls all of this off while running like a dream on my computer and the level of optimization with the game’s performance is unprecedented. Glory kills have been overhauled and while not offering anything new as far as gameplay, they are more brutal and satisfying than ever before. Eternal’s audio design has come a long way from its predecessor, sounding much more pleasing and over-the-top, favoring a more cartoonish sounding experience. The game’s lead audio director, Mick Gordon, has completely outdone himself in his newest work, as every single one of his pieces is an adrenaline-filled romp, best-fitting a hellbound demon-slaying, metal, hardcore experience like Doom. Building on the excellent gunplay from 2016’s, Eternal offers a much wider variety of mechanics without being overwhelming. The guns themselves each feel amazing and the changes made are noticeably more fluid and responsive. Each gun has its drawbacks, making each most useful when the appropriate situation strikes, offering a complicated mind game rewarding quick-thinking and tactical combinations. This time around, movement is heavily emphasized and baked well into the mechanics of the game. The Doom Slayer’s arsenal has been upgraded to provide many more options for level traversal, making him more deadly and tactical. I very much appreciate the addition of a dash, as when I got stuck between the geometry of demons or I needed a quick escape in Doom 2016, I couldn’t really do much. These movement options are a wonder as the levels themselves are huge and extremely sprawling. Levels felt a bit too long, often taking over an hour for each, which doesn’t bode well for the fast-paced action of doom. A larger selection of shorter levels would better suit Doom’s gameplay and should still leave some room for exploration. This is where, “The Fortress of Doom,” shines, as I frequently found myself needing breaks, and it provides a nice place to chill and admire all that one has collected and achieved on their journey. I’ve put in 28 hours of gameplay and most of it is spent looking for secrets and collectibles. The secrets and collectibles, however, are a fan’s heaven, calling back to every aspect of Id Software’s history, even as early as Commander Keen and as recently as Quake Champions. Easter eggs get me excited and there is no shortage of them in Eternal. Doom Eternal’s story is as grand, convoluted, and awesome as videogames can get. It’s rewarding to dive into the great story told by this game, yet doesn’t force itself onto the player, leaving no detriment to the game itself. The voice actors do a fine job at fulfilling their roles, yet Dr. Samuel Hayden repeats his lines a lot. The story is exactly what a great video game story should be. Doom eternal is an amazing followup to the success of Doom 2016, while held back by its sprawling level design, it’s a masterful mix of gunplay, absolutely metal themes and music, and rewarding challenge. 9/10