Recent reviews by NeedStamina

joyous experience for profound people.

The last breath of the true triple A imsim for quite some time. Thank you and rest in peace Arkane Austin ❤️

War if it was based and cool and kicked ass

Peak FPS real ones will know.

Above anything else, Dying Light 2 is fun. It's an almost direct evolution of its predecessor in terms of gameplay, retaining and improving upon a very solid core loop of slicing zombies and hopping around rooftops. This is what Dying Light has always been all about to me, which is why I think this game deserves a solid recommendation nowadays, despite the rocky launch and the faults that remain.
Parkour is the big highlight in this iteration, making the first game seem underexploited by comparison. So many more moves have been added to spice up the flow and the city is now far better designed for uninterrupted and fun traversal that basically never gets old, especially with the addition of the paraglider and a physics-based grappling hook (as opposed to the "A to B" hook of the previous game). While this does make for a more "gamey" feeling city in contrast to the first entry, I do believe the tradeoff is very much worth it for how much more fun traversal becomes, especially once you arrive to the city center. It's just an overall joy to get around the environment and almost makes you wish for a bigger map in which to run in a straight line for hours.
Melee combat is not as much of an improvement from the first, considering how much that game nailed it, but still manages to hook. It's pretty much on the same level in terms of feel and slightly improved here and there thanks to the addition of some combat moves and more readable human enemies. Plenty of juicy sound effects, dismemberment, fountains of blood, x-rays and slow-mo's, just like the first game (except for some slightly downgraded zombie physics).
Another smaller element that was thankfully translated into this sequel is the soundtrack, which still manages to fit the new mood of the game perfectly and can really amp up parkour sequences with its hopeful and invigorating tones. It's not necessarily better or worse, it simply fits the game like a glove just like the first time around.
Where this game faulters is basically everything else. As much as I would prefer to recommend this game based on its strengths, the incredibly messy story, lack of polish and very last gen looking visuals do have to be mentioned. You'll encounter just as many misplaced props and textures as annoying characters, plot holes and filler arcs, with a fair share of buggy zombies. It's a game that still bears very obvious signs of a troubled development, which was exposed even before the games release. There's a feeling of lack of cohesion and care in many corners of the game, all of it running on a dated looking engine that can produce some serviceable visuals but really falls behind something like Remedy's Northlight or Ubisoft's Snowdrop. Fortunately, Techland still remains firmly behind what they make and they've clearly made the game much better since release, from bug fixes to system overhauls (not that this is the way products should be released but... here we are).
Even in a messy experience like this one, I think enough of what makes Dying Light special is very much retained and I don't feel like someone new to the series would have a lesser experience when trying this one first. It's simply a fun time that levels up the first game where it matters, while falling short of high praise due to its many mistakes, which can't all be fixed with patches.

damn I didn't know landlords had it this hard :(

To put it simply, one of the most unique and soulful experiences in the whole medium. It's lengthy, deep, intriguing and has a very strong devotion to immersion. This game really isn't about it's mechanics, it's about the insanely believable and memorable world it creates and how you can uncover it's many secrets by being curious and attentive. At times it's humorous, other times its creepy or just plain weird and everything in between, a fantastic walking sim.

Unfortunately, it is a game for a niche audience, as it really does require a lot of patience and an eye for detail or being interested to some extent in city infrastructure. It's a game especially made for those that want to get lost in a unique world that's under the mask of a normal contemporary setting and don't mind spending time simply observing and figuring stuff out, on top of probably being the best urban exploration game out there.

If you have the patience and curiosity, don't skip this one!

helped me through my marriage problems

A strong statement on the effects of colonialism. Very emotional.

It's a masterful remake and it's RE4. Play it.