Recent reviews by ngen

As a Dragon Age veteran who fondly remembers eagerly cracking open Origins on release day, Veilguard felt like coming home. The game manages to recapture the signature mix of grandeur and intimacy that has defined the series—a dance of epic stakes balanced with personal, team-building moments that, at their best, are more gripping than the main plot itself. And while some parts felt jarringly modern, there’s no denying Veilguard wears the Dragon Age mantle well, albeit with a few scuffs.

The heart of the franchise lives on
What Veilguard nails—is the sense of camaraderie. You don’t just recruit teammates; you forge bonds through the small, sometimes mundane, tasks that remind you why they’re worth fighting for. And this time, those relationships felt even more consequential than before. Choices reverberated in surprising, meaningful ways, making the endgame feel truly personal.

The overarching story was also a triumph—gripping, well-written, and full of twists that made me hesitate before making pivotal decisions. It had the kind of narrative pull that kept me up way past a reasonable bedtime.

Combat, too, deserves its applause. On Nightmare difficulty, it demanded strategy in a way that felt refreshing. By mid-game, I was meticulously planning every skill point and carefully considering team synergy just to survive tougher battles. This isn’t a button-mash affair—it’s a chess game played with swords and fireballs, and I was all in.

And then there’s the world itself—lush, stunning, and filled with vistas that made me pause to soak in the beauty.

Woke or wavering?
But Veilguard isn’t without its missteps. Let’s address the elephant in the war room: the inclusion of so many “woke” elements felt heavy-handed at times. Don’t get me wrong—I’m all for representation, but moments like the "so, I'm non-binary" during a world-ending crisis felt so tonally off that I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s not the presence of these elements that bothers me; it’s the execution. When inclusivity feels forced, it risks pulling you out of the immersion—and in a game like this, that’s a cardinal sin.

Still as a grown man pushing 45, I found it easy enough to set those moments aside and focus on what Veilguard did well: delivering a story and characters worth investing in.

A Few “What Ifs”
The game’s armor and wearable options were a highlight but left me wanting more, and most of the choices for armors wasn't really my taste, a little too shiny, a little too bright. The way you can mix and match were robust but didn’t quite go far enough to fully scratch the itch for crafting enthusiasts.

I missed grittiness, dirty characters and oodles of gore, even in the most filthy situations the whole thing felt a little too polished. It's a pity, really, since the story didn't lack dark and stank. Oddly enough, this was one of the ripples that bothered me the most.

The lack of an open-world structure initially concerned me, but the story’s pacing and urgency made me forget about it quickly enough. This isn’t Skyrim, and honestly, that’s okay.

The Verdict
I’ve seen some fans argue that Veilguard doesn’t live up to its predecessors, but I respectfully disagree. It’s not perfect—no Dragon Age game ever was—but it’s immersive, heartfelt, and, in my case, deeply satisfying. The choices I made mattered, and the ending truly felt like my ending, forged through the fires of tough decisions and earned victories.

For longtime fans, Veilguard may feel like a love letter with a few clunky lines—but it’s still a letter worth reading. And for newcomers? Well, maybe it’s a good place to fall in love with Thedas for the first time.

8.5/10 – Not flawless, but still magical.

Stalker 2: A sausage-filled void of potential

Stalker 2 is a strange beast—an anomaly, if you will, not unlike the ones scattered across its desolate world. There’s something magnetic about it, some ineffable draw that keeps pulling me back despite its many glaring flaws. Yet, if you’re asking me whether you should venture into this irradiated sandbox in its current form, my answer would be a reluctant “No.”

Why? Well, imagine a post-apocalyptic wasteland teeming with bugs—both in-game and in-code. The world feels eerily empty, not in the atmospheric, foreboding sense, but in a “Why am I even here?” way. The voice acting is so wooden it could double as a fire hazard, and the rewards for exploration are laughable—do we really need yet another medkit or sausage? Meanwhile, mutants and bandits seem slapped into the game at random, more like decorative hazards than integral parts of the ecosystem.

And speaking of ecosystems: the Zone seems like a hard sell. Why are people so drawn to this barren expanse when all that’s left are scraps of spam and stale bread? Is there a bread shortage “on the outside”? A black-market sausage boom?

There’s a glimmer of hope in the pursuit of better gear, but even that is dulled by an inventory system that feels ripped straight from the ‘90s. Trying to navigate the menus is an adventure in itself—just not the good kind.

That said, I understand the incredible challenges the developers have faced. I gave my money willingly, not just to play the game, but to support their efforts. I genuinely want Stalker 2 to succeed, because the potential is massive. But it needs time—time to polish, refine, and become the immersive, atmospheric masterpiece it clearly wants to be.

Right now, Stalker 2 is like the Zone itself: alluring, frustrating, and full of dangers that might just make you want to turn back. Here’s hoping it gets the love and patches it desperately deserves.

... and yes I will probably keep playing it. Because who does not want another can of spam?

Dear Helldiary
DAY 1: Because who needs a K/D ratio anyway?

📣 Screaming into the Void
First off, if you're not yelling at your screen while playing Helldivers 2, are you even playing it right? Whether it's motivational screams or just vocalizing my despair, my neighbors are now intimately familiar with every twist and turn of my galactic battles.

💥 Sibling Rivalry Turned Explosive
There’s nothing quite like a casual game night with family, right? Wrong. Turns out my own brother is more lethal than the enemy. Spoiler alert: He blew me up. Yes, with actual explosives. On purpose? We'll never know, but our sibling therapy sessions just got a whole lot more interesting.

🐛 Hug It Out with a Bile Titan
Ever been hugged by a giant, spike-throwing alien bug? I have. It's not as warm and fuzzy as it sounds. Bile Titans: ruining family game nights one spike at a time.

🔫 Ammo? What Ammo?
You’d think I'd have learned to pack extra bullets, but nope. Ran out of ammo not once but twice. There I was, a sitting duck with nothing but harsh language and stolen shields to defend myself.

🛡️ Accidental Thief
Speaking of shield... In my defense, survival is 99% perspiration, 1% appropriation. Sorry not sorry, fellow Helldiver. I needed that shield more than you did.

🔄 Forgetful Under Fire
Reloading? In this economy? Who has the time! There I was, trigger happy and ready to obliterate, only to hear that dreaded 'click'. Nothing quite like the sound of impending doom because you forgot to press R.

🏃‍♂️ Automaton Conga Line
Imagine being chased by a horde of killer robots. Now imagine that with no ammo and just your legs to save you. I call it the "Automaton Conga Line". I did not survive the dance-off.

💊 Out of Stims and Luck
Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I ran out of stims. Pro tip: screaming doesn’t replace stim packs, but it does make you feel slightly better.

🚩 Obligatory Democracy
In the midst of chaos, one must always find time to salute the flag. It's the Helldivers way. Patriotism or a brief respite from being annihilated? You decide.

🧪 Lost My Marbles... I Mean Samples
You know what’s more painful than getting spiked by a Bile Titan? Losing all my precious samples. There goes my ticket to the big leagues, scattered across the alien landscape like my hopes and dreams.

Final Verdict:
Helldivers 2 is a family-friendly game where you can trust no one, forget crucial survival tactics, and still have a blast. Literally. 10/10 would get blown up again.

Oh.. and only crashed once so far. Score!

- I love the world, its dreadful vibe is almost horror'ish
- Really like the build system, and lots of potential to build things for the car and garage
- Many crazy wow/panic moments
- Fantastic sound design
- Pretty unique approach to the graphics
- The game world has so much potential for more (DLCs and follow-ups)

- The backstory was decent, but a little hard to follow.
- You quickly find the "only" build - could be more directions to go
- The "quirks" system is a good idea, but could be executed a bit more user friendly
- If you think its a driving game, you need to come to terms with that its not (predominately anyway).

Riding along in my automobile
My baby beside me at the wheel
I stole a kiss at the turn of a mile
My curiosity runnin' wild
Cruisin' and playin' the radio
With no particular place to go

Metro Exodus is a riveting rollercoaster! It masterfully blends spine-tingling scares with a rich, emotional story. There's nothing like a heart-stopping mutant rat attack in the dark just as your NV goggles die to get the adrenaline pumping.

A true gem for those who love a good thrill and a compelling narrative. Definitely a must-play!

A perfect blend of badassery and absolute terror. 10/10 (-1 for Missing Hudson :P)

I was concerned about the amount negative reviews which mostly seemed to come because of poor game optimization, but experienced none of the issues. However, It took a long time to build the shaders (app. 45 min.). I played on a solid frame rate and only experienced a few drops in open areas.

So, If you remove the technical challenges that people have experienced.
The story, game play and immersive factor is 10/10, everything about this game is amazing (if you are into story-driven games).

PC Specs:
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core Processor
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
16 GB RAM

Played on well-above optimal settings in GeForce Exp settings.

Best way to elevate your blood pressure!

Flew 477.000 LS to get my name on an unexplored Sun. Filled the time by watching Tango and Cash on the iPad

10/10. Would do it all over again!

Scuba diving Zombies killed my predecessor. 9/10

The -1 is for the poor effort to upgrade the Graphics to 2015.
Everything else in this game is awesome.