Recent reviews by Mu-Alpha

7 and a half years is how long I've been with this game. I spent 6 months of that during the TTK era in D1 and had a fantastic time with it but didn't have the time to commit to the game.

Flash forward into the launch of Destiny 2, and I went in with an open mind, I wasn't jumping in during its second year or anything - and found myself having a an enjoyable, albeit bumpy ride. Through thick and thin I hunkered up with the community, the game itself, and tried getting many others into it. The aesthetic, vibes, music, and mechanics of the game are all extremely well-made but now, whatever luster there was has pretty much gone for me.

Call it jaded if you have to but the most recent content reveal has utterly crushed my motivation to continue with the game, and I'll be happy having Final Shape be the send off I wanted it to be. Edge of Fate looks like it'll be interesting but Renegades and the egregious push for crossover content is starting to ruin so much of what I enjoyed. Previous sets were obviously inspired by what setting they pulled from, but all the Star Wars specific things are more like dollar-store rip offs of the original, and not in a way that remotely fits the settings unique aesthetic.

As a fan of both, I like them divided and kept to their own devices but it feels like a desperate plea done by the higher ups at Bungie in order to give themselves a better bottom-line. This was an intentional push and they likely new the risk of losing players did not outweigh the potential cash influx that would come from a popular IP collaborating with their game. Sure they may say it's only "inspired" and paying "homage" to Star Wars but, with how things are, I severely doubt it.

Furthermore the game doesn't need /more/ Destiny, we need something new. Not just refreshes on old game systems that should have been done years ago. For as much as I love the game, I can't play it anymore. Not only has my drive to play the game itself been at an all time low post Final Shape but now my trust and hope has been utterly demolished with their most recent decisions. It may sound dramatic but it feels like I was stabbed in the back for trying defend many of the decisions the game had made, and tried getting friends into the game because of its visual presentation.

Anyway, it's been a good ride Guardians, I hope those who stick with the game continue to have fun with it. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Byron is the ultimate bro.
Alphonse should have been left alone.

I heard about the PDF File
It's real
don't download this ♥♥♥♥.
also he has awful opinions on Tolkein, burn him alive.

I loved this game, I played it on day 1, endured all the hardships of just trying to play with the max cap servers. Looks like I'll be sucked back into Destiny and a few other games until SONY decides to revert their decision, which is very unlikely to happen.

It's been a blast, fellow Divers.

My edit to this is I posted it 30 minutes before Sony announced their decision on reverting it. I can only assume that I was the catalyst of change.

My time with this game has been pretty rocky since I first booted it up. Got told by friends to hop on and try it out, and that it'll be a good time. I will say to start I am biased on one thing and that's the factions. Bandits and Freestalkers first and foremost as I haven't reached the grind needed to be any of the other sub-factions.

Anyway, right out the gate I will say that the maps seem pretty lenient towards Freestalkers in the South. Bandits after reaching Cordon only really get control of a small section and have most of their quests focused in the Southern parts near the Loner spawn, giving one side an edge with PVP. Both sides camp that center bridge since it's the only effective way to get anything done.

Once you move on to Dark Valley and Agroprom that's when I noticed a slight problem in map balancing. Loners get a straight away road that leads where they want into Garbage and The Bar (Rostok), while Bandits have this inferno to lead into The Pit which then connects into Rostok, or their choice of 2 separate entrances into Garbage. It's strange but whatever. Rostok is also a hellhole if you try to go anywhere, even outside your spawns.

Some of the quests also have the same issue - I won't mention which outside one that leads into an Instance where both factions can still PVP against one another, even when they still need to progress through a teleporter. That level is flawed as well with a bunch of constant enemy spawns that harass the player trying to go through and can actively kill you at the right points in time.

Even with those issues aside my main problem comes from the pseudo looter-shooter mechanics. You resupply at safe zones for your faction; get meds, ammo, and other supplies needed for quests and run out there to finish them. Anything you gather outside your armor, weapons, and a select few bound items will then drop upon death. The issue lies in the fact that bartering materials will get put in this bag only /you/ can open. Another problem? Yes. If whoever kills you or finds your body doesn't auction or send your bag back, those items are lost forever. They can't even get gains out of killing aside from ammunition and meds mostly. What PVP mainly boils down to in the grand scheme is just screwing over someone else's progress because you have the ability to. Some can find that as a problem, I don't mind it.

What bothers me is the anomalies and how they are seemingly placed everywhere without a second thought whatsoever. Black holes come to mind specifically as a horrifically designed anomaly with zero counter play outside just avoiding it outright if you can ever tell the difference between it or a Vortex. What does it do? Raises you up into the air, negating any chance of escape and then killing - throwing all of your items around until they de-spawn or some brave bastard runs over and grabs it.

If it wasn't for Black holes specifically, I'd have a higher opinion of the game - they are such a massive point of frustration for me, and many players I've seen in the chats. The other anomalies usually have obvious tells so you can avoid them, or don't instantly kill you so you can at least move out of the way to survive. Electros let you activate them for a short period so you can run through, for example.

For a free-to-play game I'd honestly say it's above average in polish out the gate - I've personally not encountered bugs but the ones my friends have are usually graphical and nothing that breaks game play. The customization system for your weapons is reminiscent to Tarkov's for weaponry. Changing a lot of individual components for stat gains. The progression over all is grindy, but not to the point of tedium unless you die a ton (it will happen). Currently at 20 hours I sit with 200k in the bank, fully modded AKM and a Trapper suit on my Bandit and am at the Bar.

If nothing else, and for the sake of a tl;dr. If you like semi-hardcore shooters with punishing deaths that hinder your progression exclusively, this isn't terrible. There will be minor annoyances that add up into frustrating balls sometimes but it's bound to happen. It's especially enjoyable in groups when starting out - which I do recommend. The solo experience is surprisingly difficult yet rewarding if you survive your expeditions.

I am pleasantly surprised nonetheless and do recommend the game for those people who want a semi-hardcore shooter that can emphasize squad-play and is free. Just be mindful of a potentially long grind, frustrating enemy/anomaly placement, and the inevitable PVP encounters that leave you scratching your head. Such is par for the course.

To note: I did leave plenty out of the review as I am writing this late. If anyone wants to add on with missing points, feel free. I do enjoy the game myself but find it irritating beyond belief in some points. Over all, solid product for a Stalker MMO.

The best part is the queue
Just like Beyond Light :)

based game for based gamers

All my friends are getting in before me.

This is outrageous, its unfair!

The marketing is what caught my eye when it came to this game. Just something about it - not telling the full story, the brief glimpses of graphic material combined with the music and set pieces. Man, it just had me swallowed up. Once more I owned this game on console for a decent time, rented it at a blockbuster-- when those existed. However, it does not mean I didn't enjoy the game. Out of the three, I'd say this one has a bit more in terms of on-edge horror than the other two. There are moments where you are just waiting for a jumpscare; yet it doesn't happen. They really give a feel for the atmosphere.

Technical wise the game runs poorly in the sense of Vsync, having a focus on console was the thing but it really hinders overall preformance on PC and it shows - quite drastically. Removing Vsync will give you the frames, but inturn it'll destroy you mouse movement capabilities. There are ways to fix it out there but I'm far too lazy to go and find one and place it. To top things off: I love this game, same with the second. I'd recommend it to those who like slower paced survival-horror shooters. Long as you don't mind messing with external settings, that is.

I'll say something quickly. I originally owned this game back when it came out 360, and man. Buying it again on PC and replaying it has flooded my mind with so many memories. Likewise to the first, I feel that it retains that aspect of horror, in some places amplifying. I won't spoil the section, but I can say during it I felt an insurmountable amount of dread. The combat itself deviates slightly from the first - introducing new weapons and enemies, as expected from sequal. And for this game having come out in 2011, graphically is stands up pretty well. At least compared to the first game within the Trilogy. Honestly, if you want an overall balanced, horrific, and combative experience. Dead Space two has it on lockdown.

Dead space 3 took a step in the wrong direction after this game came out. I do know, the advertisement for the original was superior, seriously, look at the Dead Space 1 trailers. Anyways- closing it off I'd highly recommend this game for anyone wanting an enjoyable experience within the survival-horror genere.