Recent reviews by Devilish Dave

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Game isnt bad, I don't understand the hate. It's just a good ARPG there are many nowadays. I own this game on Blizzard and I find it absoutely appalling to be expected to buy the game again here, I'd gladly pay the Steam fee, but not the price of the whole game once more.

That is literally as if your old phone company would call you, to say: "sorry, if you move to another provider, you must "repurchase" your phone again.".

It's a work in progress.
So far, it is safe to say that it has got potential.

The more you play the game, the more the issues standout.

At its core, the game is great and revolves around a decent idea, however there are issues with balances.
Light although having a fairly decent damage output and evasive abilities, are capable of getting one shot by other light characters and heavy. They are also incapable of approaching cashouts that have poison fields around it as they will die really quick. Light class has a cloak which is powerful, especially when combined with the shotgun or the sword. It's too strong. The stun gun is also a broken ability, because although they lowered the TTK, the stun duration was not changed and over-exceeds what would be deemed normal. I personally would keep the cloak with a long cooldown and remove melee weapons. I would also lessen the time the stun gun works, it's too long. (More on this later).

Medium is alright, does feel pretty balanced, but the mine throwing is ridiculously busted. If you are in a pre-made with just Medium, you can literally guard the cashout, by taking turns to throw mines. If a mine is destroyed and pyro is used to remove the gas cloud, another player tosses the mine, and repeats it until the opposing team(s) runs out of pyro so that you can defend the box indefinitely. The charges for the mines return fast enough, that by the time both players throw their 2 mines taking turns, the first players will already have gotten at least one mine back. The damage output of medium is also pretty solid, so the three of you should have no issues especially if one is dedicated to heal, so that you can bounce right back into a fight. Usually you'll avoid engaging and allow the two other teams to fight and you will just finish off the rest.

Heavy, built like a tank, but feels incredibly slow, might be justified for the sponginess and most definitely with the dome shield. This ability is busted too, as it immediately prevents all light classes from engaging with the cashout if placed upon it, as light vs heavy in that small bubble really limits the chances for the light to win and this considering it is 1v1, in which case it usually is not. Heavy class also has a rocket launcher, which in my opinion shouldn't even be a part of the game, as it one shots all light characters, severely damages mediums and it's an AoE which can be blindly shot at a cashout which is being claimed and perhaps even prevent the enemy from claiming the box.

The mines, the rocket launcher, flame thrower, melee weapons, dome shield, cloaking and stun gun ruin a lot that this game could offer. The mines themselves aren't the problem, but the sheer number that can be deployed is and the rate at which you get charges. Also, it should not be possible to dome or mine or use any stationary ability within a certain radius of the cashout and mines should not be allowed to be stack on each other. Each mine should have its own radius preventing mines from clustering. The rocket launcher has no place in the game, if anything it should be a hidden weapon any class can find on the map, like the Redeemer in Unreal Tournament and those who find it, have two rockets to perhaps change the course of the game, but it shouldn't be something you can always have on you. The dome is alright, but it should not be possible to place it too close to the cashout, This is abused and it eliminate the threat of a certain class completely, which is ridiculous.

Balancing is definitely a major issue in this game, but then you've also got issues such as cheaters.

I wanted to like this game, participated in both betas and it was fine, but as people start all going for the meta builds, every game is the same and you will have more of a certain class which eventually defeats the purpose of having classes in the first place. There are weapons that are obsolete from the get-go and weapons that are everyone's go to. RNG on the weapons would have been a good idea in this game and have them be ground loot, as opposed to a loadout, but I don't know.

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THE WORST ISSUE HOWEVER, IS THAT ANNOYING RED SCREEN WHICH EVIDENTLY HARM THE CONES IN YOUR EYES! Devs don't care though, so in the meantime use Nvidia overlay to B/W your main menu and then turn it off when the game starts to save your vision.

All in all, I would have liked to upvote this game, but things need to change, because as of now it doesn't feel like a game that requires skill, but luck which decides whether or not your team has the right composition and weapons.

Dialogue is cringe, but if you're like me turning it off and/or ignoring it and purely just play to race around in cars in new regions, it's a fine addition.

Do note, that I am playing this game on a Controller, so when I talk about anything related to controls, it is NOT Mouse & Keyboard.

Pros:

• Beautiful graphics, watching a gameplay, one would think the footage is rendered and in addition it is wonderfully optimized.
  
• The world is very nicely created, with some interesting ideas and a cool story. So far it is really immersive.
  
• The combat is slightly challenging, but that's probably due to not being used to it at the time of writing this. There are 3 difficulty settings, this time I just picked to go with the standard option.
  
• I chose to play with Russian voices and English subtitles, it definitely adds to the immersion.
  
• You can modify your weapons and craft new ones, but you are also able to use a variety of powers with a glove your character is wearing.
  
• I might add or remove points here, as I progress in the game.

Cons:

• FOV would be nice to have, I am playing on a 21:9 monitor and everything feels slightly too zoomed in from time to time. However, it's not THAT bad, but it would be nice to get that FOV soon. Apparently it will be added.
  
• Controls feel unusual at the moment. I hope it is just a matter of getting used to it, but in my experience it's definitely new.

Verdict:[8.5/10]

Although I have not played that much with it yet, I am really enjoying the first 2 hours. The story is intriguing, the scenery is neat and all in all the entire game just feels polished. Everything on my settings was maxed out and not a single time did I feel as though I am getting stutters. I will be updating this when I get further into the game, but as for now I definitely recommend this game to anyone who enjoyed Bioshock and would perhaps like an even more mature experience.

Disclaimer:

Also, this game looked amazing from the gameplay trailers, but I was worried that it's too good to be true. So I held off with pre-ordering the standard edition. Nevertheless, as the positive reviews started coming in, I was just about to buy the standard version, but then I came across this irrational hatred towards Russians as if the entire country's population is evil and I decided to go for the gold edition. Thanks for that "boycotters".


Played on:

• GPU: ASUS ROG Strix 3090 (OC) - Nvidia Driver: 528.49
  
• CPU: Ryzen 9 5950X
  
• RAM: 32GB 3600 MT/s
  
• OS: Windows 10 (22H2) - 19045.2486

This is literally a pack to thank all those who bought the more expensive version of the game, despite the pathetic attempt to boycott it. Own it with pride.

Do note, that I am playing this game on a Controller, so when I talk about anything related to controls, it is NOT Mouse & Keyboard.

Pros:

• Very nice story and good introduction to the world of Hogwarts.
  
• The graphics are nice, but don't expect photo-realism, the upside is that it runs smoothly on wide range of hardware.
  
• The style of combat is new, or at least for me. Definitely takes time getting used to, but it does not seem difficult and is quite enjoyable. In addition, you are able to have 4 different spell-loadouts, which is easily swapped during gameplay (no menu access required). This is fabulous.
  
• The world around you is alive, which is a neat feature and adds to the immersion.
  
• Controls are intuitive and well thought out. Flying is a lot of fun and requires getting used to, just as if you were to fly on a real broom.
  
• Difficulty wise, I feel that playing on the hardest will surely setup a challenge, but for now it is perfect. There is no sense of impossibility and when you do come short of winning, you know where you could have improved. All other difficulties are perfect for casual players or those just getting into gaming. In addition, there is a difficulty called "Story" for players who just want the experience without any challenges.
  
• Customization is also a part of the game, allowing you to alter your characters looks. Keep in mind, the only changes that are possible after character creation is hair, eyes and scars. You can also customize your attire, wand (only once, when you get it), broom (select from different ones (stats wise they are all the same). Clothing gives you offence points or defense points, whereas your Wand becomes fixed and unchangeable. Brooms are also upgradeable.
  
• Navigating the world is a lot of fun, both on foot and with mounts. I do however strongly recommend to hold off with the fast travel, as you do find a lot of useful items, side-quests by traveling on foot. So yes, Fast Traveling is an option.

Cons:

• The map from which you can fast travel is not as easily navigated, or at least for me it just feels like it can be improved somehow to make each Fast-Travel point easier to select.
  
• DLSS does not feel optimized with Ray-Tracing, however I do believe this is common with new games and are usually patched over time.
  
• Graphic issue or just overlooked, but in the Dark-Forest the treetops are rather weird, as some float. This can be seen when flying with a broom.
  
• In certain areas if you unmount from your broom, you are unable to get back on it as it states that the broom is disabled, even if you leave that region or go back to where you got off in the first place. Fast-traveling fixes this.
  
• Very few caves have serious lighting problems. This might be RTX related, but the entire screen is practically white.
  
• Certain walls allow the character to no-clip through them which breaks immersion. This also allows the player to reach areas that are otherwise blocked off. One such wall can be found on the roof at Hogwarts, whereas another was in a barn. Both were accidentally found, so it is unknown how many such places exist. Would be nice to patch this.
  
• And of course, you do have your usual liberal flower petal politics in the game (can't have a game without that stuff nowadays), but for the most part it is not detrimental to the story. I will note however, that in the English version, the grammar tries really hard to be gender-neutral, which I personally find annoying, because it does not really make sense or even confuses the player, about what/who they are talking about.
  
• Unfortunately, the game does not offer a photo-mode. Which is a shame.

Verdict:[8/10]

This game is wonderfully designed. It truly offers a magical experience and it is worth playing if you are a Harry Potter fan, or if you would just like to participate in a world of mystical creatures and magic. Despite some outlets stating that the game is not an RPG, yes is. The developers have done an amazing job at encapsulating the imagination of JK Rowling and bringing her story to life. Wondering around Hogwarts offers so much, that it is not even possible to list them all. However, as you do explore the area, you see all the students studying for their courses, flying on brooms, fooling around, gossiping (some which give hints) and all that bundled together really creates an amazing atmosphere. The game introduces you to the controls fairly quickly and the different elements to the game. A few hours in and you are all set, meaning:

• you have access to the entire map (unless restricted by not knowing spells or incomplete quests)
  
• you have a broom and/or another mount
  
• you become familiar with spells and how to use them
  
• you are able to brew potions
  
• you are exposed to different types of puzzles, which you'll come across throughout the game.
  
• you are explained how quests work
  
• you are taught how to improve your talents and manage your gear
  
• and you are explained all other necessary aspects...

So basically once you're through all that, you are able to tackle the game in any manner you choose. Of course, there is a main questline and then there are side-quests. I have not yet figured out whether you can get locked out of side-quests if you rush the main questline, but I would assume it is possible.

Nevertheless, to cut this review short, the game is a lot of fun and truly worth it.

And to those haters out there, if you think Rowling's financial state will change in any way just because you don't buy this game, just keep in mind that she has all the money in the world. She can buy whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She's a succesful, happy woman. The only one you are hurting by not playing a game you'd otherwise be interested in, is yourself. You're missing out.


Played on:

• GPU: ASUS ROG Strix 3090 (OC) - Nvidia Driver: 528.49
  
• CPU: Ryzen 9 5950X
  
• RAM: 32GB 3600 MT/s
  
• OS: Windows 10 (22H2) - 19045.2486

Pros:

• Good story, it is not fully "original", but it is well carried out.
  
• Graphics are superb, good environment, fun to navigate, doesn't get boring.
  
• Gameplay is fun, controls are intuitive. It is 3rd person. Combat is enjoyable.
  
• Despite a rocky launch, the game never had issues for me, ran smoothly on max settings.
  
• Characters are well designed and fun. Acting and voice is also good.
  
• Difficulty wise, I cannot say that it is too hard even on hardest, it's well tweaked. (Check cons)

Cons:

• Nvidia Shadowplay sometimes does not hook into the game properly, several restarts might be required. It sucks when you are recording, but then towards the end you realize that nothing saved.
  
• In terms of difficulty, everything is fine. However, the boss is a very stupid design. (More in verdict)

Verdict:[8/10]

So let's just address the mediocre rating for the game. This game is surely around the mid 70s to low 80s. The issue is, that many wanna-be gamers attempted to run this game on systems powered by cockroaches and hooked up to an 8K TV. Obviously these fools got stutters and all sorts of issues. Yes, the game might have had a laggy launch, but under 24 hours it was fixed. However, people still complained and those leaving negative reviews never came back to fix it. Also, just wanted to point out, that the community moderator(s) for this game, defended the crowd who were literally wishing death upon the developers. To me this is disgusting and shame on them. Either way, had those negative reviews on launch day been changed, the game would have a significantly better overall average.

So more about the game. The game is 3rd person horror-shooter. The environment is well done and the ambiance is great. I played on a controller and for me the controls were perfect. In terms of combat, it took a little time to get used to it, but once you figured out the mechanic, it was a lot of fun to engage with enemies. The characters are cool, unlike in many games where you wish them to just all die. Even the antagonist is well done. Dialogue is also proper and not boring or tedious to listen.

In the difficulty for this game offers 3 variations; easy, normal, hard. The game is not impossible even on hard. However, the boss is ridiculously stupid by design. One of the reasons this game does not score more than 8, is because of the boss' boring design. It is not a fun boss to fight and it really drains all the good that the game builds up until this point. I wish developers would be more creative when designing end-game bosses, as opposed to giving a gigantic creatures all sorts of powers to use at once with a very large health pool. There is nothing creative about it and it just feels sloppy. However, this is just my personal opinion.

So 8/10 is a fair enough rating for the game. It is after all just a horror-shooter, everything works, but it does not hook you for replays and it doesn't have that affect on you where you keep thinking about it. The boss is a nuisance, but all in all it was an enjoyable experience. It is definitely worth it.


My current specs:

• GPU: ASUS ROG Strix 3090 (OC)
  
• CPU: Ryzen 9 5950X
  
• RAM: 32GB 3600 MT/s