Recent reviews by Crilix

The writing, environment, and attention to detail is stunning. Absolutely mind blowing - I've never experienced anything like it. I think this sets the bar for what games are capable of in terms of immersion. It truly showcases the best of what the medium is capable of.

That being said, the story is 25% too long and the pace of gameplay is slow and methodical. It won't be for everyone.

As for Online, well... I simply can't be bothered, to be honest.

All things considered, it's fairly decent. It's a pretty engine, the gameplay is solid, and there's a good amount of content. Sometimes the matchmaking is truly awful and puts you in with people that you can't conceivably compete with. And although there's always a bunch of unlocks just around the corner, the grind gets really grind-y really fast.

But for a free game, you can't really complain too much.

I watched Fight Club for the first time when I was about 18. It was my first pychological thriller, and messed with my head for days afterwards.

This has been the first video game that has left such a strong, lasting, and surreal impression as Fight Club did all those years ago. This pushes the medium waaaayyyy past its traditional boundaries, absolutely challenging your preconception of what you'd expect from such an experience. It's like the medium has become self-aware. There's nothing else like it, and it's a shining example of what potential games have.

It's a bit short, but if you buy it on sale you can't possibly go wrong.

Brutal game, that gets surprisingly emotional. Some of the choices really make you think, and you get pretty attached to some of your characters. And the game is appropriately unforgiving - there are no save states, so if someone dies (which they will, becuase combat is quick and lethal) they're gone for good. And not only will you feel the loss of a valuable member of your team, but your other survivors will feel it too (and get depressed as a result). It's all a very high-stakes game that's precariously balanced on a wire above a pit of disaster. I haven't played such a high-tension game in a long time, and there's a LOT to be said for this underrepresented point of view in a culture that glorifies soldiers and their conflicts.

Side note - I played a game on an easier difficulty (lots of supplies, short/mild winter, little danger), and it totally sucked the soul out of the title. The struggle is an essential part of what makes this a rewarding and emotionally engaging experience that very few other games are capable of capturing.