Recent reviews by LrdApoc

To say I wasn't expecting much from this over saturated game genre is definitely an understatement. What I got instead is a fun, action combat system, broad traversal systems that challenge you to climb, glide and run to the full extent of the map and a crafting loop that doesn't drive me to drink. Enshrouded has a great implementation of Voxels, just enough strategy to keep combat fun and some interesting design blocks to build with. While still in early access there is much potential in this title and much already has evolved due to feedback and the teams creative vision.

Re: Starfield

And after about 6 hours in two games.. taking very different routes in the first quest... I am greatly enjoying it. I killed a Star Death claw at level 1 by hiding in a tower and shooting it till it died and my ammo was spent... But then I got extreme lung damage from exposure to the planetary atmosphere that rendered my character asthmatic for a long time... This is what I expect of a Bethesda experience... Choice and lung damage... Err consequences

I love WoTR, much improved on Kingmaker in many quality-of-life ways - features added through mods or later by Owlcat, like Turn-based. It also feels more balanced for Turn-based versus Kingmaker.

If you are new to Pathfinder, however, you will find a story that quickly escalates, taking you from the trope-laden protagonist - an amnesiac - to the savior of a town and ultimately to the region of the Worldwound. The reasoning for the amnesia was interesting and is a component of the longer narrative, unfortunately despite the choice to play one of the many (much improved) Mythic paths, the endings of the game feel a bit underbaked even after the Enhanced edition and some rework.

Pathfinder is a dense rule system with many options. I like that they didn't trim out the pieces that don't apply. You can choose a sub-optimal route, or you can choose to build your own character. It will present early game issues, but ultimately, by the end of Chapter 2, you'll see that the power creep keeps you in it even if you make a mistake, and you can now re-spec if you're looking for a "perfect build"

Another challenge is inventory management, which will become a factor as you move on and on. Again, nothing major - just a lot of fiddly bits to manage.

The key to making a 200+ hour game sing, however, is the companions. It's why so many regard Baldur's Gate 2 so highly, and WotR has one of the most eclectic teams I can remember playing next to. There are plenty of characters to build out the party and plenty of options, but just about all of them have intriguing mysteries in their backstory.

Overall I can't say Wrath is the perfect CRPG, but it does a damned good job of entertaining. If you want action and rapid reflexes in your game, it's likely not for you. Strategy and complexity however - it's got by the score.

Finally! I enjoy P5R so much I've bought it three times at this point... as a long time fan of the series going back to the PS1 Persona game - when it was some obscure JRPG that I picked up on a whim, this is so far the pinnacle of the series. A mix of life sim and strategic RPG, the story driven experience and long time spent not in combat might scare off those who are looking for instant, immediate action. Those who engage with the story and pay attention to the development of the social circle around the protagonist will enjoy a gorgeous game that talks about the challenges of being an individual, setting your own path and fighting against the inherent injustice of the society around them... Persona 5 is not subtle in its anti-conformist anti-establishment messages. It revels in the prisoner allegory and is full of fun characters to pall around with and interesting tactical combat.

While it's not as good as Left4Dead 2, Back4Blood certainly has its challenges. There seems to be more depth with the random mutators (i.e. Deck/card system). It's fun with friends.

Simple. Elegant. Addictive. So little to learn, so much depth and the constant stream of unlocks and in game abilities to earn will keep you playing. Vampire Survivors rewards the endorphin fueled mania it engenders.

While it is not the RPG I wanted, and the trend with Fallout 4 was away from older style Bethesda storytelling, I do enjoy the minute to minute gunplay more and don't mind some of the concessions made to support a voiced protagonist. Now if Preston Garvey would stop sending me away from my home so he could jump on my bed, that'd be great.

Also - can;t play vanilla anymore. Mods are a must to keep this game fun and relevant.

Hades is the perfect Apex of Supergiant's game design approach. Excellent story, great music, gameplay that is simple to understand but challenging to master and with branching play styles. If you've enjoyed any of their previous games (Bastion, Pyre, Transistor...) this has the right mix of what made each of those games great.

A great conversion of the board game. Now so much more interesting with multi-player.

Wolcen is rough around the edges right after launch, but shows promise. The Early access included only the first chapter. That story was interesting. If I compared it to similar games it falls between the simplicity of Diablo III and the Complexity of Path of Exile. Slightly more involved than say Torchlight II. Either way, fun to play, easy to pick up but there are options and it supports different play styles and approaches.