Shock 'N Awe
 
 
I am an avid historian and gamer with too much time on my hands. I play a wide variety of games for fun but I also spend a great deal of my time travelling. Just leave a message and I will get back to you (eventually). Have a great day and stay safe!
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Awards Showcase
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468
Awards Received
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Awards Given
Artwork Showcase
Golden Saucer Arrival
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Favorite Game
Review Showcase
787 Hours played
BG3 is an incredible game. The story is great and the world around you is fun to explore. The music is beautiful. There is an astounding amount of material to experience and the game has amazing re-playability. With nearly 800 hours of game play, BG3 has easily become one of my favorite single player games of all time.

That said, this game is not perfect. The game development at times shifted its focus away from fixing end-game bugs towards expanding on sexuality. In-game romance can be fun and add to the adventure, but the devs clearly misunderstand the difference between "romance" and sex. I do not mind sex or mature themes in the games that I play, but their weird obsession really killed an amazing experience for me for some time. Lately though, they have returned their focus to expanding the story, fixing bugs, and expanding players' experience within the game. I 100% recommend this game despite the flaws.

Pros:
++ Story line. It is creative with plenty of dark at parts and lots of humor.

++ Player choice (with consequences). Players are free to play this game in many different ways. You can be the embodiment of Chaotic Evil, the Letter-of-the-Law Paladin, or anything in between.

++ Player choices actually matter! Whether you decide to go the "evil" routes, be the hero, or just do your own thing, your choices actually impact the story. EA showed just how serious your choices can be--wiping out an entire Druid Grove and its refugees or slaughtering a large gang of Goblins to protect others are just a couple of examples.

++ Variety in Companions. Each companion is unique and has their own story. Some are good, others evil, and some just want to survive. The voice acting is also very well done and you might find yourself liking (or hating) companions more than you had ever expected.

++ Music. The music is beautiful, much of it is instrumental but there is the occasional bard or background music with lyrics.
++ Graphics. The graphics are fantastic, with a beautiful world around you.

++ Combat. Combat is turn-based, which I get is a turn-off for some, but it works well in this game. You actually feel like you're playing taple-top DnD session at times.

++ Content. There is so much to do in this game that it is mind-blowing. There are places to explore and a lot of quests to complete (that will actually impact your story--sometimes immediately but others in later events of the game). There are different routes to take, choices to make, and story paths to follow. Each of these add to the replay-ability of the game. Just one play through can be overwhelming (my first play through was 90 hours and I missed stuff), so imagine the replay ability with the "Origin" characters that have a direct impact on the story for each character.

++ Content (continued). Despite what some journalists or others have stated, the game is not pushing politics or some "hidden" agenda. It's literally all about players choices that will have consequences and the freedom to make those choices. You want to be evil? Fine--but the "good" people are going to remember that, and you might find yourself being sacrificed by other evil characters and nobody to save you. Also, NPC's are "player sexual." In other words, they react the same regardless of the player's sex. It's a simple method of game play that the industry has used for decades and is not telling you to be gay, bi, straight, or anything. It is simply reacting to you as a player; if some NPC says or does something you don't like, then you can stop them immediately. It's not about left vs right, embracing sexuality, or anything like that. This game is literally about player choices that mold an incredible story with sometimes surprising consequences. The new epilogue really helps fix the ending; LS has done a great job to make a great story line even better.

++ Stability. The game is solid and I have had zero issues with the Full Release launch. Some of the problems that I have seen mentioned on Steam only required them to restart Steam or do updates on their own computer.

++ Mods/player community. The devs have released the toolkit and opened the way for even more mods by making it easier and more accessible.

Cons:
-- Obsessed with sex and & sexuality. The Dev's have become too focused on sex rather than content. By the time you reach chapter 2, nearly every companion is trying to get into your pants--no matter how many times you say "not interested." At times this immersion-breaking and at best annoying.

-- Combat (maybe?). For some, the turn-based combat can be slow and tedious. Some would much rather have the play-with pause option for combat, so I can see the game's combat mechanics being a negative for some players.

-- Difficulty (for some). The game's difficulty can be all over the place. I really like this, but for some it can be frustrating. At times you'll blow right through the fights and other times you might find yourself reloading a prior save wondering just how you're going to win the fight.

-- Act III feels chaotic and rushed. You are dealing with multiple major antagonists instead of just 1 in Act II but the material is crammed into just one act. They should have ended Act 3 with the death of one antagonist and made an Act 4 to include the upper city and the final boss(es). However, I do want to add that the expanded Epilogues are a great improvement and really help putting a feeling of accomplishment rather than a cliffhanger.

TLDR:
Larian Studios created something that was beautiful and exciting. Regardless of its flaws, the development team has returned to what matters most (player experience and game stability) and have made it much easier for the modding community. Every award for this game has been well-earned and deserved. If you are willing to overlook the hyper-sexualized moments and occasional wacky (if not humorous) bug, then I recommend this game.
Review Showcase
Update After Finishing the Game
As much as I enjoyed "Remake," this one is much better. The exploration is fun, the story is much more flushed out and touched up, and the over all game-play feels great. PC seems to be play just fine and I have had very few crashes.

Pros:

++ Story: The story continues to build upon the previous title (Remake) and improves the story in a lot of ways. It has a mix of quirkiness and tragedy and the main story flows smoothly.

++ Music: The music is absolutely beautiful in the original and in Rebirth. It conveys the story's feelings in a well developed manner that builds the game's atmosphere. I can see there and rest just listening to this game's soundtrack.

++ Gameplay: The game handles movement and combat very well. It feels even smoother than Remake with more fluid movements. Additionally, the open world areas provide a great deal of content to explore and provide some good distractions from the main story line.

++ Graphics: The game is full of picture-perfect moments, a gorgeous world, and flashy combat.

++ Stability: Okay, I know that some people have had issues with this game. However, I only had one crash playing Rebirth and only a few times experienced stuttering. I use a 3060 laptop and a SSD, so I recommend that those struggling with the game to ensure they are using a SSD.

Cons:
-- Story (Changes): My one complaint with this game is that certain changes occurred within the story that are were not necessary. It feels like they softened the tragic portions out of fan service and it really diminishes it at times.

TLDR:
Rebirth honors the original game through its mix of great story telling, incredible music, and a beautiful world to explore. If you have a machine that meets the requirements AND recommended spec, than I definitely recommend this game. Overall, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is one of those games that saddens me to finish because it was such an amazing journey, Good luck and I hope you enjoy the game as much as I do!
Screenshot Showcase
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
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Shock 'N Awe 31 Oct, 2024 @ 10:24pm 
@Outback Santa Thank you! I hope you had a fun and exciting Halloween this year!
Izz all Comp Utah 31 Oct, 2024 @ 2:19pm 
happy halloween!
❤Ilona 31 Oct, 2024 @ 11:31am 
𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐻𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃, Time Traveler!
𝐼 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈𝓃'𝓉 "𝓈𝓊𝒸𝓀" 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒶 𝓋𝒶𝓂𝓅𝒾𝓇𝑒. ♥

:_e::hypnotic_lollipop::dale_pumpkin::hardcandy::Lollingpop::blueeye::dg_pumpkin::NaughtyDeath::SmileofDeath::LovingDeath::dkas_free::dkas_kickdoor::j7::hlwpumpkin::purplekitty::ufo::lunchladyrage::tank::health::chainsaw::pumpkinjoe::coolzombie::IluminadosEmblem::summerghost::scary::_m::_n::_o::_r::_s::_t::br_shock::curiousface::evildeer::eligos::ashchainsaw::ashscared::boomstick::groovy::franbow::j6::crossbones::hrx_rip::IL_Statue::Batcat::boomer::witch::nyancat::glass_of_wine::PartyCherry::magicnumber::re3nemesis::rip::jawatongue::sr4paul::FredericNote::re2zombie::pandashocked::angry_shard::SpRad_Rock::zambie::zedrawr::lo:
Shock 'N Awe 18 Jun, 2024 @ 2:06pm 
@QueenBee Yeah, those oldie-goldie games are looking better and better. I feel they were underappreciated by too many of us :eagletear:
Maple Leaf Gamer 18 Jun, 2024 @ 7:19am 
@Time Traveler
Can you time travel us back to when games were good? I can't think of any good up-coming or new releases and I want to enjoy games again.
Shock 'N Awe 12 Apr, 2024 @ 4:01pm 
@kimdra I would comment and rate on it, but I have no clue who this "As Soon As Possible Rocky" person is... :lunar2020thinkingtiger: I am sure they appreciate you calling them your king though!