Recent reviews by Neri_Riker

Feels more like an RTS than a 4X game, but with a slower pace reminiscent of Northgard. It's getting frequent updates that add a lot and have brought the length of a match down to about an hour on the slowest speed. The game is sooo thematic.

I usually don't like RTS games, since the fast-paced and micro-heavy nature of them is something I have trouble with. This game has some of that, but depends more on resource management and planning. Each clan is unique to play. Great game overall.

Football is hard. I've never had so much fun getting shut out. Each team really does have different strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out your team's strengths and the other team's weaknesses is key to success. Passing and kicking are straightforward but difficult to master, which is great. At the same time, there are a bunch of situational buttons that I never remember to use and seem tough to pull off. This is especially the case when running the ball. I also had to find a guide to figure out how to do basic things like call a timeout - while concepts are well explained, I didn't see a full button map in the game itself. I hope I'm missing it; I can't imagine why that wouldn't be included.

This game rocks! It's a solid baseball sim with intuitive controls - the horribly buggy port of MLB 2K12 is a thing of the past. Not having MLB teams is a bit of a downer, but each team in SMB2 has specific strengths and weaknesses as well as great character.
Compared to the solid original SMB, this game is largely an improvement. The improved realism in pace of play and dimensions makes the game feel more alive, and the restriction of pitch choice requires a more deliberate approach to pitch selection. A whole bunch of minor improvements show up as well, such as saving in-game, online scoreboards, and improved head-to-head play.
If there's one downer to this game, it's that the improved realism has resulted in a bit of a loss of character compared to the original. The players are still expressive and funny, but they're harder to tell apart now, and I find myself missing the great umpire calls from the original. Overall though, this is an improved update of an excellent original game. Highly recommended for anyone who just wants to play the greatest game on earth.

This game is like a Jack London story come to life.

I'm posting this review because I've greatly enjoyed Common Sense and I strongly feel that it doesn't deserve its current 'Mixed' rating.

My take on the paid "Main Features":

New Religious Gameplay - I haven't played a Buddhist ruler, so I can't speak to Karma, but the Protestant National Church is a welcome change. As EUIV has developed there's been a (positive) trend towards making each religion more distinctive and dynamic. The National Church brings Protestantism up to speed, and is a great flavor boost that is fun to play.

Theocracy Updates - I haven't played a theocracy since Common Sense, but it would be difficult for this not to improve upon the previous situation, which was flat-out b-o-r-i-n-g.

Subject Interactions - Limited, but appreciated.

Parliament - Another limited change that adds a lot of flavor. Love it.

Development - Most of the discussion of this update has centered on Development. This is a big change that affects the game in a lot of ways. While the initial implementation wasn't great, I'm confident that Paradox will continue to work to improve this mechanism. In general, this addition is appreciated, as it adds another way to spend MP and plays into the new building system.

Free Cities/ Gov't Ranks - More small changes. Nothing to complain about here.

It's absolutely true that the biggest and most exciting changes came with the free patch (combat, buildings). Nevertheless, the paid additions are positive changes that add to the flavor and fun of the game. Development in particular has the potential to be expanded upon in the future. If none of these additions grab you, by all means wait for a sale, but in the end, this is another solid expansion from a great development team.