Recent reviews by earl chips

The expansion of the Outer Wilds universe and the story of the Eye is really interesting, and it comes with some gorgeous visual design.

What keeps me from recommending the DLC is that it compounds my main issue with the base game: the agonizing repetition created by the loop mechanic.

With the base game, generally the time limit and repetition wasn't a problem for me until I got near the end with few things left to explore, and would frequently get cut off while trying to discover one last thing, or failing to do anything meaningful before getting reset. With Echoes of the Eye however the frustration is there almost from the beginning, compounded by the enemies and world-changing elements that can completely ruin your run. Typically with games like this where I become really engaged with the story, I'll pore through every last corner trying to uncover all the details I can. With this game I had to throw in the towel - left one unanswered question mark in the ship log, read some posts about what I might have missed, and only went for the one ending. I had to use a strategy guide to get through one of the later areas out of frustration, and I can't imaging how many wasted tries you'd have to go through to get past that section by trial and error.

Still, the story and the way in which it's presented in the game is compelling and beautiful. I'm glad I experienced it, but you couldn't make me to do it again.

Ever feel like playing games as an adult, just about every big title is at least a slight embarrassment and letdown? Deathloop isn't. It has exemplary visual and sound design, especially excellent voice acting, and pretty good dialogue - areas that so many major titles completely fail at or neglect. The story and setting are also really interesting, with an intriguing mystery at its core, though there is a good deal of reading for an action game.

The beginning is a little rough and can get frustrating. Once I figured out what I needed to do and could devise ways to do it, it's some of the most fun I've had in a video game. The game will hold your hand if you let it, but I recommend you explore and try to figure things out on your own.

When I played there were a few issues that didn't ruin the game for me at all, but I've heard were improved with the Golden Loop update. Regardless, I think it's a very good game, just on the precipice of being among the greatest barring a handful of annoyances. I'll revise my opinion after another playthrough with the latest update.

This game is so awful it will make you feel insane. It will make you think "is it just me? How do people actually like something this stupid? Is there a single intelligent life form the entire planet? Has there ever been? Have I just imagined every intelligent human interaction I've ever had? Is everyone on the planet, including me, just a dumb parasitic ape here to consume garbage until even our dung carcass can't take it anymore, while each of us imagines ourselves to be upright sentient beings with some innate human connection to one another? We're really all just dumb, isolated dopamine-machines sucking in and pumping out waste for as long as blood moves through our veins?" I don't think that's the case, but that's truly how this game makes me feel.

It's a post-apocalyptic delivery game. Oh neat, so they're obviously going to use the deliveryman framework to tell compelling stories about people and the things they need and cherish? To expound upon about isolation, human connection and attachment in a drastically changed world where something as simple as getting your medications delivered can't be taken for granted? lmao nope, here's a dumb af convoluted story about ghosts and a toddler's first impressions of politics instead! And here's the worst dialogue you've ever encountered, written by a 13 year old in their first ever fanfic where they were trying to do a pastiche of anime and jrpg tropes overlaid with the worst Netflix Original Drama imaginable.

I could look past the notably horrible dialogue and story if the game mechanics were at least fun. And I could look past the truly boring and repetitive gameplay if the story was interesting or compelling. Neither is the case, everything is bad. This is the only game I've played where I felt like my time was completely wasted.