Recent reviews by run4cuvr

All right so... I saw some snippets of the first few minutes on social media and decided to investigate this game. Then I saw the mature content description and went "No way, this is a game about shaking a rat and it seems silly and fun, what the heck, I'll give it the three dollars to try it."
I was wrong.
This went so far into left field so quickly, atmospherically building up to a startling finale that actually got me. This is easily one of the more disturbing experiences I've had in a game of this nature. Not for the weak of constitution, but if you can brave it, definitely worth it.
So as you journey forwards at first you can only shake the rat. Then you can choke the rat, but you can still shake the rat. Then you gain the ability to move while you shake the rat. You can also interact with things and shake the rat. You also can still shake the rat. And, if you're wondering, you can indeed shake the rat shake the rat shake the rat SHAKE THE RAT SHAKE THE RATE SHAKE

I wanted to like this game. I really did. I've been playing borderlands games since the beginning, and Tiny Tina was such a fun character, I loved her questline and was so excited for a funky d&d style crossover. Then I bought this.

I wish I had a longer window to request a refund. This is one of the least genuine feeling games I've played. So many of the resources are copy pasted, so much of the "plot" is just uninspired drivel. The gunplay is weak, the music is weak. The spells are fun... but you can only use one at a time. Yyou're going to face the same enemy in a slightly different color countless times and for what? Character customization is somehow WORSE than even in BL2, and not one quest feels like it was anything more than surface level.

Frankly, there are indie games that play better than this at a quarter of the cost. Unless you get this for 5 bucks or less, it's not worth your money. Go find a game with some soul in it, not this thing that seems like the whole plot was written out on scrap paper.

I waited a long time and a lot of gameplay before posting a review, because this game had a VERY spotty launch. I enjoyed it day one, but a lot of mechanics have been reworked, and pretty much all for the better. The devs have mostly listened to the community and done what they can to improve the game based on feedback, but there are a couple things that remain frustrating.

Now overall, the game is great fun. It can be challenging, the player base is dedicated, there is such a variety of gameplay styles both between classes and within them. For instance, as a psyker, you can use 4 staffs, each with different strengths and weaknesses, or you can choose a firearm (rare to see a gunpsyker, but some people do it) and then you can specify further within your ability tree which has 3 major branches, but at max level you can route back and forth between them. This leads to a lot of customization within your experience and it also makes it surprisingly rare to be stuck in a lobby with someone who plays exactly like you.

The joined wallets means you can pad your in-game currency with a high level character and afford better equipment on a low one, allowing you to push through any difficulty humps. This game is NOT ptw, you can spend irl money for unique cosmetics, but the only way you're going to survive at higher difficulties is good teamwork and skill. Some horde shooters allow players to take off on their own and screw the rest of the team while reveling in their own glory... this is not one of them. If you do not pick up teammates, share resources, and work together, you will lose. This dynamic has weeded out most of the toxic player base and has left a fun community who often times roleplay the characters to perfection (looking at you ogryn mains).

The few points of contention... First, there are still occasional connection issues. I have been inexplicably dropped from matches and rejoined quite quickly with no interruption to internet services on my end, but this has become much less frequent as time has gone on. The biggest thing that people seem to gripe about (myself included) is that instances of the game are tied to your individual character's chosen name. This means that 1)You cannot change your name after character creation. Typo? Cringey name? Too bad. Start from scratch or bear it. 2) You cannot change classes in-lobby. The game seems to run the best when each of the four players are each of the four classes, but this is uncommon. Not that it doesn't work as it is, but it would be nice to ensure there was an ogryn in every match to be tanky or a psyker so the vets have enough ammo.

Despite these few shortcomings, the game itself is atmospherically attractive, lots of fun, and keeps me coming back. The vibes fit 40k beautifully, the hordes are truly intimidating at times, the variety of elites are entertaining, and the game plays wonderfully. Strongly recommend this one.

TLDR Great horde shooter with lots of variety in classes and enemies, solid gameplay loop, and good playerbase/responsive devs. Just make sure you are certain on your character's name before you finish creation.

So I'm torn recommending this game. Allow me to explain.

I greatly enjoy this game. The gunplay is fun, the mechanics are entertaining, the story was interesting, and as a 40k nerd, the environment was excellent. It is clear a lot of time and passion went into this game, and there is something of an endgame loop to try to get perfect ratings on story missions and earn bonuses from other factions with side missions. The autosangiuine/execution method of healing forces you to play offensively and keeps every mission high-octane for most of the run.

A few critiques, however. A number of the systems are never well explained, meaning you are left to your own devices to figure out things like needing to go to a specific spot in the hub to manage your inventory. You need to itneract with a vendor in order to asve between missions if you did change anything. The wallrun mechanic is clunky and rarely used or intentionally blocked (here's looking at the goliath bossfight with a GIANT SMOOTH WALL YOU CAN'T RUN ON) so you'll find yourself double-jumping and sliding a lot for the damage negation. Additionally, a number of the abilities you unlock you can find yourself completely forgetting they exist (thought that may be due to the gunplay being fun and the pacing of the game).

The other thing to note is that outside of the endgame loop this is fairly short. Some of the side missions you can complete in 3 minutes if you hustle. I fully upgraded myself, my mastiff, took the time to build my guns for max damage, did a bunch of side missions, and generally clowned around and still completed the main campaign in around 17 hours. They were a great 17 hours and I fully intend to keep playing, trying to ensure all my guns are the rarest versions, and trying to max my rating on the campaign missions, but many will reach the point I have and say "Okay, I'm done."

Maybe we will get lucky and at some point there will be a playable DLC package (rather than cosmetics that are nearly invisible for most of the game) that with breath some life into this, but for now, I'd recommend this if you're a 40k fan or it's on sale.

TLDR Fun game but a bit niche and short, worth it if you're a 40k fan or it hits a nice sale.

So, I've got a lot of time in this game, and was pleased with the addition of invite only session expansion since they can't seem to do anything about the cheating. I was going to write a positive review about the ever-growing content, the effective cs team, and them making the best of a bad situation.

Then they released this update.

They removed 189 vehicles from regular purchase. A massive chunk for collectors like me. They justified it by saying some could be obtained by using GTA+, a paywall service... that isn't available for PC. So, they just cut massive amounts of ocntent from PC gamers and gave us all the finger.

This review will remain negative until you give us back what you took. Shameful business practice, shameful decision making, no consideration towards the player base at all. What where you thinking?

So there is a lot to be said here, I'll try to be as brief as possible, and I'll tl;dr at the end.

This is not the sort of game I expected to like.
I see all these work simulator style games that people adore and I avoid them, as I don't want the monotony of the day-to-day in my gaming. However, this is a gem, as it is so much more than that.
If you strip away the narrative, this is really more of an economic simulation puzzle game, in which you use various tools to disassemble spaceships in zero-G to earn a profit, chipping away at an absolutely absurd amount of debt. The ships are interesting, and the challenges therein become more complex as the game proceeds, with new tools, systems, dangers, and challenges. Eventually it will likely reach a point where the game play loop becomes somewhat grindey, but I haven't reached that yet, and sometimes games that make the grind out of satisfying gameplay can be successful (looking at you, Souls series).
The narrative is delivered through a combination of life in a hub that is more menu-based than an environment, as well as excellent narration by characters you never seem to actually see. They have unique personalities and interests, and, although somewhat gimmicky, they add a lot of heart to the game, giving you enough silliness to be a bit tongue in cheek while not being so ridiculous that you don't care or have a reason to move forward. The guy who trains you is particularly entertaining with moments that had me chuickling like when I blew myself up and he said "Now that's what not to do" in an off-the-cuff tone that kept everything lighthearted.
The music and audio sfx are really a gem here, and aid in the building of this excellent environment that I find vaguely reminiscent of Firefly. The game feels very full and very empty, when you look out into space. There are things happening around you that shows that you're just a part of the world, not the definition of it, which is uncommon in single-player gaming all together. And the corporation that you work for... if you've ever worked retail, you'll appreciate how they're built. Basically evil space Walmart with no interest other than the bottom line.
I honestly could go on for longer about the number of little gimmicks they put in that make the game so endearing, but it's worth it to discover those on your own. And, lastly, let me say this: It is nice to see devs that actually care. Look at the patch lists, all the little details they take the time to iron out and minor errors they correct. They are constantly pushing to make this a positive experience for you.
In every way, this game is unique and worth your time.

TL;DR This is a physics/puzzle game and economic simulation where you are trying to succeed in a Firefly-esque universe working for evil space Walmart... and it's silly amounts of fun.

Thought I'd jot down a quick review of this piece of art, and debunk a lot of the critiques.

So, is the basic plot walking around delivering packages and maintaining balance?
Absolutely not.

I've heard this jokingly called Daryll Walking Simulator 2019 many times, and all that shows is that you stopped playing one hour in. It doesn't take long before you have access to vehicles and equipment, as well as a plethora of combat options. Yes, at the core, you could argue you're delivering packages. But more than that, you are rebuilding the world post-apocalypse.

There's driving, resource management, combat, perpetual community indirect interactions, and so much more. Chances are, if you were interested by MGS storylines, this one will absolutely consume you. It's beautiful, terrifying, and unique. Top notch acting by a cast I didn't expect to see (Mads was awesome, and I was surprised by some others that I won't spoil). Given you do have to be aware of things like the environment and not tripping (your aren't a super COD soldier), combat is in many ways more rewarding, when you clear a mule camp with your bola gun (and kick everyone in the butt once they're tied up), take the resources, and contribute to the world. Watching the road network expand, seeing npc porters making deliveries, and really watching the world flourish from your efforts is an incredible experience.

Now, is this game for everyone? Absolutely not. It's a narrative driven journey of growth built upon multiple unique systems and mechanics that stand out in the modern gaming age. It's a story about reconnecting after everything seems lost. If you are the sort of person who skips every cut scene, and focuses your gaming efforts on TTV warzone drop-die-repeat, not that there's anything wrong with that, but this title might not be for you. However, if you are seeking something beautiful with emotional weight, and you actually enjoy the story of games (maybe you play the COD campaigns?), then this may be worth the investment.

Just, use a good audio system or wear headphones. The audio immersion and music choices add something extra, like they succeeding in doing in Nier Automata.

All right, so here's my review on this game. Get it.

Not descriptive enough? Well, let's dig in. This is a first-person melee combat game with dash, block, and parry mechanics, as well as a variety of weapons that all have their benefits and drawbacks. There is an achievement system built in that gives you rewards and a damage boost to a given weapon if you complete it. The enemies, while plentiful and varied, by nature they can seem repetative. However, this isn't necessarily a negative, as you will steadily gain mastery and understanding of each as you play, and different combinations and environmental situations can alter each encounter heavily.

The only 'currency' of sort is called essence, and can be found from smashing things in the environment, lootable containers, and, of course, enemies. Essence drops intelligently (if you kick an enemy to their death it will appear on the ledge you kicked them off), and you carry it with you until you use it to upgrade yourself, dark-souls style, at a fountain (like the bonfires). And yes, you drop it on death, but can go back to loot it.

Big difference with this is the healing item (similar to the flask) can be recharged by gathering essence. So, while you can choose to use a fountain for a full heal, recharge, and respawn all the enemies, if you aren't empty, the crystal will refill as you fight. And, it doesn't completely disable you to use it, you can remain moving, which is important.

The story is interesting and the campaign kept me intrigued enough to push all the way through without ever feeling bored. It's easy to get lost figuring out what to do in the second area (post your first boss fight) but just remember, this game rewards exploration. Go to new areas, slaughter everyone, and pick up everything shiny.

Here's the only negative for me - I blasted through the campaign in about 5.5 to 6 hours. At first, I was really disappointed... then I discovered Elderborn's brutal version of new game +. You reload your save file and it starts you back at the beginning, while retaining all weapons, essence, and skill gain. Here's the trick, though... enemies are tougher (but drop more essence) and there are new enemies called essence conduits. They are slightly larger, glowing versions of regular units that act similar, except they can take a ton more damage and they hurt like hell. An enemy you would just take the hits across the chin as a conduit can kill you in just a few hits, if that. If you kill them, lots of extra essence. If they kill you, they no longer are a conduit when you get back.

A word on death: it's not overly punishing. You instantly respawn at the last fountain you touched with full health and crystal charges and all enemies respawned. Head back to where you died and interact with the orb to retrieve your essence. So, overall, the gameplay is solid, the mechanics are well thought-out, and, if no one else mentions it, the soundtrack is absolutely awesome and perfect for this game, and controllable at any time in the pause menu. I fully intend to keep playing regularly. I recomment anyone loking for a fun action game take this one for a spin.

The AC games before this seemed to stumble with the idea of trying to give freedom to the player while putting forth a storyline, both past and present. This is the first one I played that managed to work around that. For a completionist like myself, the ability to complete any area you discover almost immediately was a big plus. The naval combat is hugely entertaining, with the income and resource acquisition at a rate that made your time seem valuable, but not the usual acquire an item through tens of hours of uselesss gameplay that you see in many of these games. 100 percent is achievable, but takes work. You will occasionally be frusterating with the parkour mechanics. The freerunning is much better than previous games, but still not perfect. The only time this really becomes frusterating is when chasing a shanty, but plug in an Xbox 360 controller and this game becomes much easier. Recommended.

I love this game. Atmoshperically, it is closer to what I always got out of the alice in wonderland story. It leans towards the demented idea that Alice is actually insane. Gameplay wise, it is unique. Almost a third person hacknslash style, but with many other elements. Enemies are as varied as the environments you play in. Ocassionally you will find some of the puzzles frusterating, but thats part of the beaty of it. This macabre take is exactly what many of us were looking for. No cheery blondes skipping around, instead a strong, well rounded female lead dealing with the torment of her past. Recommended.