Recent reviews by J. Stonty Zcuflestein

This game is a solid metroidvania that takes many, probably a bit TOO many, cues from previous games of a similar ilk, yet struggles to establish an identity of its own. It has a strong beginning with offering you fluid control, combat, and aesthetic reminiscent of the beloved Symphony of the Night with an Ikaruga-esque polarity element to encounters and traversal. The game looks and feels very good, the music is nice on the ears, and the idea of the fire and wind spirits is very interesting. Unfortunately it doesn't offer anything too diverse as the game progresses. Exploration isn't as intricate as other metroidvanias, the puzzles are minimal and are often rather finicky when involving the bow, and enemy encounters don't leave too much of an impact. That last point is both bad and good because this game very much intends on acting as a power fantasy, starting strong and only getting stronger as you progress. That feeling is very much achieved, but the variety of movement abilities and spells can feel a bit lacking. The bosses are generally very good and actually do feel like a decent challenge compared to the enemies. The story is rather lacking overall. I was not aware of the Record of Lodoss War franchise before getting this game, but you honestly don't need much prior knowledge to play this game. While the premise and ending are decent, it does little to establish or flesh out its characters, likely assuming you already know who they are so they don't bother. This might sound contradictory to what I said previous, but considering the story isn't presented like a major focus to the game here, it all mostly boils down to callbacks and fanservice at the end of it. All in all, I'd say the game is fun to play but not very impactful on the whole.

It's ok

Best Dragon Ball game, one of the most accessible fighting games on the market, and one of the most fun ones at that. Odd DLC practices and pretty poor matchmaking not withstanding, Arc System Works and Bamco have made a truly wonderful team this time around.

Why am I not surprised? An enjoyable game brought down by its horrible netcode/network stability, minimal content, and a feeling of guilt as I spent way more than I should on this game. This is not a $60 game. In terms of core gameplay, it's perfectly solid, but everything around it simply... isn't. While the campaign mode had a surprising amount of production value, it had just as much effort put into the actual story, character development, and careful writing, which was none. It's not absolutely abysmal, but just not worth the time. Nothing matters and it just feels like it's checking off a box on the list of video game requirements. The visuals are quite marvelous and the stages are lively, so when I'm playing multiplayer, it keeps me more engaged in that regard, which I like. I never had any control issues, and the combat was fun. It's much more methodical and patient when dealing with singular opponents and it keeps you on your toes. Battles can be fun... when they're fought somewhat honorably, which is weird considering this game's namesake. Most of the time, battles will just dissolve into a gangbang on one person while their teammates are on the other side of the map trying to take over the territories. Of course, that's only Dominion, which is one of 2 multiplayer modes, not counting skirmish which is just a ♥♥♥♥ around fest. The other is Elimination, which is entirely based on 1v1s. Since everyone is spread out across the map, it's much less likely for people to gang up on you. It's certainly not impossible, but it's less likely in comparison. Overall, the multiplayer content, can be very enjoyable when it works. I repeat, WHEN IT WORKS. Because of how terrible the servers are, it is highly unlikely for someone with a certain connection to experience any match beyond the class selection screen. It is easily the most infuriating thing about this game, bar none, especially when trying to play with friends. There are ways to circumvent the issue, yes, but it shouldn't be an issue in the first place. Ah, to go back to class selection for a sec, I do enjoy the variation among the classes, though some are clearly better than others, and the amount of times you'll see those better classes is obnoxious. The options are there, but all it does is create the illusion of variety rather than allowing it to flourish. Aside from that, the different factions are kinda neat, but don't really add much to the game other than a sense of competition, the music I could barely remember, and microtransactions are a thing. Not much else to say. It's a fine game mechanically, but it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of content and network stability. I'll only recommend this game on the basis that you know you'll be laying a lot of multiplayer and have very good internet. Other than that, wait for a price drop.

I NEVER expected to play this game as much as I do. It's your typical zombie horde game with certain special infected to mix things up a bit, but that's it. Nothing else really special about it besides the melee weapons and the 4 newcomers; Nick, Ellis, Rochelle and Coach. They are probably the best thing about this game because they are all so different from each other and have such interesting and funny interactions that it keeps things fresh, unlike the flesh on the zombies. The gameplay itself is fun, I have absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's very therapeutic, actually. Seeings zombies' heads explode with a shotgun blast, seeing groups them dance as they burn to death from molotovs, watch them fly with the grenade launchers help or just smack them with a frying pan. Versus mode is new and..... eh, it's okay. I recommend this game, but only if you don't mind the repetitiveness.

This game is BEAUTIFUL. It truly is no wonder why people consider one of the best games of 2014. With a very unique art style, captivating music, a solid story and great battle mechanics, all I can say is that you should get this game. It's only $15, so you have no excuse.

PAYDAY 2 is practically a horde game where endless waves of enemies come at you with the killing intent.... if that's how you want to play the game. It could also be a very rewarding stealth mission where your cooperation between your teammates, tactical prowess, and ninja skills are put to the test. All of this depends on the mission of course, but it still provides the replay value just because of the choice between the two styles of play. While this game is a first-person shooter, it also unleashes its inner Borderlands and has RPG elements thrown into the mix with different classes, EXP, level-ups, stats, etc. I think my only complaint is that there's no real story, and while the game might not have needed it, I think it would've been interesting to have a cooperative story mode. I also think the game can get kind of repetitive at times, but with DLC, constant updates and excellent replay value, it doesn't bother me too much. If you have the money, I recommend this game. If you have friends, get them this game. If you don't have friends, you'll get some when you play with people online.

This game is brutal, trippy, balls-to-the-wall difficult, and worth every penny.

When I can be a companion cube from Portal(s) 1 and/or 2 and jump through very colorful and musical stages.... you know what, that just speaks for itself. Buy the game.

This game is hard. Really hard. I love it, though. It's a fast-paced platformer with intricate levels, multiple characters and fantastic music. However, I HIGHLY reccomend using a controller for this game because the keyboard controls can really mess your hand up. The boss levels also aren't my favorite part of the game. They take longer than most levels and there are no checkpoints, so if you're having trouble with a certain boss and/or mess up somewhere at the end, it'll get really frustrating. Other than that, I'm having a lot of fun with this game. I'll give it an 8.6/10.