Recent reviews by bnq

Phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal.
And no, that gameplay logged hours time is not a mistake, or the result of some anomaly (mostly).

I had never played an Elder Scrolls game, or even that mythical-era fantasy TYPE of game, unless you count Zelda for the NES when I was 6.

That stuff just never appealed to me.

Sure, I'm a geek. Okay, a HUGE geek, but never been the medieval times-in', sword-swingin', D&D playin', LARP-in', damsel rescuin', yore-tellin', wizard sleevin', warlock fearin' type of geek.

I still don't do any of that stuff, it STILL doesn't really appeal to me.

But this game?
Oh, this game...

My first playthrough I was really enjoying, and about 75% done with the campaign.

Then, I googled "Skyrim mods"...

I (barely) finished that campaign, which was hard because I got mod-drunk and went CRAZY, with every mod adding a little instability in incompatiblity with each other, as I installed them without "wasting time" reading their descriptions and warnings (pro-tip: MOST big mods recommend they be installed BEFORE you start a campaign).

A couple months later, I do it again, on a fresh install, knowing more about mods, but still occasionally crashing, because more and better and bigger mods were STILL coming out that I HAD to try.

Now, I'm in my 3rd playthrough, after SEVERAL months off, with all the DLC's, and all the mods that are even BETTER than the DLC's ("Interesting NPCs", "Falskaar", "Moonpath to Elsweyr", ...), and the companions that have been created that have more depth than the whole original cast combined ("Vilja", "Anduniel", "Cerwiden", "Hoth", "Inigo", many from "Interesting NPCs") make this game so much more than a game.

It's a damn UNIVERSE.
And I'm saying that with NO attachment to the previous games, like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

I bought those games because I like this one, and have logged less than 3 hours *between* them, and THEY are supposed to be phenomenal.
I just can't tear myself away from this one. Not yet, anyway.

Buy this game.
Don't like the whole "lore" type stuff, there are plenty of "lore-breakers" (i.e., having a robot companion from Portal? Yeah, that's a mod).

Just buy it, now, quickly, before they...run out? I don't know. Just GET THIS GAME.

Don't. Just...don't.

I liked Postal 2, because it was...different.

Sure, it was different mostly in awful ways, but the gameplay was tolerable, and the story & content was unique (because they really didn't give a f♥ck about "acceptable behavior" like those wussies that made Grand Theft Auto III), so it was a guilty pleasure, if not necessarily an "overly" pleasurable one.

Postal III, though?
Ugh.

In a franchise that (let's be honest) is constantly *trying* to offend you, it probably will as much as Postal 2 did, and this one still has that "don't give a f♥ck" attitude.

But the gameplay, graphics, animation, all the video game-specific elements were sh♥t.

It's become South Park ca. 2013. No, really. In many ways. The worst ways.

- It's created this pedigree of offensive humor, doing things and saying things that no one's heard, and things you wouldn't repeat in front of Mom & Dad.
- It continues to be "taboo", even though it's novelty is years dead.
- The intense focus on continuing to offend (while running out of taboos) has gotten to the point that they succeed in being contraversial, but have COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN HOW TO BE FUNNY ANYMORE.
- The franchise should've died out somewhere around 2008, leaving fond memories for fans, not disappointment to *former* fans.
...see? All those are just like modern South Park. (sigh)

In one particular scene a..."mustachioed" Q-list celebrity has to make a speedy exit, and since the camera shows the scene's actors from the knees up, they just push the f♥cker across the screen, without bothering to animate his legs, and make Mel Blanc-type running sound.

I haven't bought as many games as some, but have bought more than most, so this statement may mean less, but it's nonetheless true:

This is the first video game I've ever bought that I truly regret getting.

Phenomenal. Absolutely fantastic.

I admit, I missed the boat on Borderlands. By years. I only bought it February 2013.

But the Game of the Year Edition has it all, and was on sale, either $5 or $7.50, so I said why not?

Sandbox gameplay, few glitches, unique freedoms, and (equally entertaining) unique restrictions. Wasn't sold on the art-style, but it truly does help this game stand out. Love the approach on an FPS set "in the future" (though it's never said where or when this takes place).

Engrossing. Violent. Funny. Creative. Unendingly entertaining. Get it. Even NOT on sale, the GOTY Edition is an absolute STEAL.

I'd have paid double had I'd known what was in store for me, even though the game is a good few years old.

The concept seems to be "an MMO-style GTA," and essentially, it is.

In the beginning, when you learn what the game offers, it sounds like a truly great game, and it can be.

Keyword there is "can."

It is *EXTREMELY* difficult to get off the ground. The tutorial missions are near useless, and when you're thrust out in to the game world, expect to lose your first 10 missions. Badly. VERY badly.

If you expect to drive a car with any hope of control, prepare to be disappointed.
The time between button-press and steering-response is EXCRUCIATINGLY long.

Driving requires awareness.
Video game driving requires anticipation.
APB Reloaded driving requires the ability to PREDICT THE F♥CKING FUTURE.

Maybe you won't have this problem, but I sure did. And getting around without a car is cumbersome and time-consuming (probably because they didn't plan for you to HAVE to play the game without transportation).

All that being said, my opinions of the game not being what you'd call "good", it *is* a free game.
So, my recommendation: Download it when you have a stretch that you're gonna be on your computer for a while, and try it out.

Why?
Because you, quite literally, have nothing to lose in this transaction.

Don't like it? No money lost.

I'm not gonna recommened this game, though, since I...well, hated it, but if you have a good enough connection to download the game while doing whatever your daily stuff is, might as well, right?

Is it Grand Theft Auto's copycat little brother?
No.
And thank God.

While GTA's arc of games since GTA III has been taking steps away from the outrageous and contraversial content to be a more serious, critically-acclamed game, Saints Row has done the opposite.

Don't get me wrong, I've loved every GTA since III, and expect to love every upcoming sequel.
But Saints Row has taken steps in the opposite direction, becoming more ridiculous, funny, offensive, and fun to play.

While both series' steps are in opposite directions, they're also both taking steps towards creating a more enjoyable gaming experience; and both are succeeding.

When I'm asked whether I like the Saints Row or GTA series better, I always like whichever one has given me a game most recently (So for now: Saints Row).

Plus, Saints Row has always had a focus on character customization, a feature that seems to be in ALL my most cherished games.
Throw in a modding community, and you have what this game is: FUN.