Recent reviews by Sylar

I really tried to make this game work at an acceptable level but it seemed impossible in the end. No matter what I did the game would just drop to 30 FPS (and lower) when not moving the mouse cursor. Tried multiple things like disabling Vsync, dropping resolution, removing FPS limiters, etc. but none of those worked in the end. It's a shame since the game looked quite interesting but it does look like it simply doesnt like relatively modern computers.

I wasn't expecting a lot out of this game considering the reception it had back in 2005 but at the same time I didin't expect the terrible time I had with it either.

Story wise there is nothing to talk about. It's a continuation of the Strogg plot set back in Quake 2 but the story was a non-factor in that game and it is so in this one as well. There is a couple of cool setpieces (like that iconic one in the middle of the game) but for the most part there is absolutely nothing worth talking about.

Graphics were a high point back in 2005 but now days it just looks dated. It shares the love for darkness that Doom 3 has, everything starts looking repetitive after a few hours where it's just hallway after hallway. It does have a few points were it manages to create a decent atmosphere but it just looks generic most of the time and way too similar to D3. Sound design fares much better specially if you have a sound card capable of EAX 5.0 (im unsure as to whether this can be emulated with onboard audio), but even so the weapon firing just lacks punch and power.

Gameplay is this game's lowest point. I did play on the hardest difficulty (General) so your experience may vary depending on whether you opt for a easier option. At any rate, on General I felt the game was too unbalanced. Weapons do very little damage here, even the Railgun (one of the best weapons of the Quake franchise) is unable to oneshot even the weakest enemies of the game. Special mention goes to the explosive based weapons like the Grenade or Rocket Launcher as these are pathetically weak against the Strogg while also being lethal against the player himself due to their gigantic explosive radius. I cant even recall the amount of times I killed myself with the Grenade Launcher on accident, it's ridiculous.
On the other hard enemies are capable of instantly killing you with a single attack even if you have full health and armor. Their physical attacks are most deadly and it becomes even more of a problem when you take into account just how tight the level design is in general, with a lot of compressed corridors and rooms all over the place. The first half of the game is a pain in the ass because of this and also amplified by the player's limitations when it comes to movement speed where you don't even get a sprint option. At this point in the game most of the fights are reduced to firing like a maniac while backpedalling to save your life against the Strogg rushing at you and it's just not fun (it does get better once you get the speed upgrade but a lot of the later fights also suffer from this problem).
There are also vehicle sections but these are so long, boring and generic that they barely deserve a mention. It's like they are merely there to pad out the game and nothing else, they are just a waste of your time.

There are also a few stability issues. Right from the bat you are forced to install a few mods to optimize the game for modern systems as there are no 16:9 or 21:9 options in the graphics menu not to mention that one bug which makes it so that you're unable to max all settings (you can max them but they wont actually show in the game). Performance was mostly a locked 75 FPS with a 980Ti and a 3930K with max settings, 8xMSAA and a few Reshade shaders but there were a few scenes where it would slightly drop only to go back up again a few moments later.
I found a few other bugs as well. For some reason the game tends to crash when using the Lightning Gun on multiple enemies at the same time, there was a section when one of your AI companions would just stand still while being attacked (like his AI was momentarily disabled) which ends in a gameover if he dies to top it all off and then a few random crashes from time to time. It's definitely not the most stable game but I guess it's to be expected given it's age.

The SP campaign is around 12 hours worth of length, even less most likely if you play on a easier difficulty. There is also MP but I doubt it has a lot of players near 20 years after the game's release, and the only worthwhile mod available is False Dawn which is a 3 hour experience. Honestly I wouldn't pick this game unless it was only five bucks tops given all this, as most players will be done with the main campaign and then there is pretty much nothing else to do (not even achievements).

All in all, this game just doesn't excel at anything in particular. Story is forgettable, graphics are dated and the gameplay is horrifically balanced mixed with a general lack of innovation. It's a clear stepdown from Quake 2 in nearly every way which is just sad taken into consideration that it has almost ten years of technological innovations over Q2 itself. Raven Software simply didin't understand what made the previous Quake games so good and as a result we got what is probably the worst game in the franchise and a terrible experience overall.
If you're still inclined on getting this game whoever, I recommend you wait for a discount. $5.00 is the max I would pay for this given it's quality, poor lasting appeal and lack of SP mods bar False Dawn. Also avoid the hardest difficulty like the plague and settle for any of the other three, you're bound to have more fun than I did this way.

Near twenty years after HL2's release and the community is still suprising us with fantastic SP campaings, and this one is no exception.

The story takes place a few years after HL2 and you play the part of a mercenary called James who has been hired by a organization with their own interests alien to those of the Combine and the rebels. You are tasked with clearing a rebel facility that this organization wants to occupy due to the labs and equipment that are in it. It's nothing special but honestly I have no quirks with it.

Graphically this is one of the best showings I have ever seen with the Source Engine. The developers appear to have taken inspiration by other games like STALKER and the Metro series for the environments. Exteriors are beautiful in their own right in a winter setting filled with snow, and the decayed and rusted buildings tell a story of their own of the people who used to inhabit them. Interiors of the rebel base are also nice (if you took a screenshot without the HUD one could mistake this mod for STALKER I bet) and incredibly detailed with buttons, levers and equipment all over the place, all of these filled with the same general rustiness that you can find on the outside areas.

Gameplay wise is pretty fun. There is a mix of firefights and puzzles that keep the experience engaging to the very end. A plethora of new weapons have also been developed for this mod and they all feel very good to use like the AK though the ironsights are kinda buggy and stop working from time to time. Things do get a bit frustrating towards the end with the constant harassing from the gunships and I think these sections are a tad too prolongued for my liking. Mod also has two endings and a few achievements to accomplish so there is a certain degree of replay value for those who missed them the first time around.

Performance is mostly good. I had no problems achieving a constant 75 FPS with a 980Ti and a i7 3930K for the most part. Whoever there are a few sections where my frames would drop below even 60 FPS and while these are not numerous they do place a bit of a stain on the overall performance score.

To sum it up it's a fantastic experience and one you should play as soon as possible. Graphically it's amazing and gameplay keeps you hooked to the very end despite a few blemishes.

Amalgam has you take control of Gordon Freeman once again as the Gman sends him on yet another mission. This time you are tasked on assisting the rebels by taking down several Combine facilities.

Levels in this mod are aesthetically pleasing and offer quite the variety despite its short length. Every area is detailed and carefully crafted to grant gameplay opportunities to the player. I was also pretty impressed with the lighting specially on interiors like the starting underground base, though the exterior areas also look quite nice.

The mod also knows to spice things up by offering plenty of action sequences and even throws a few puzzles from time to time. Unfortunely there are no new enemies or weapons though this is only a minor complaint in my book. You also get to drive the buggy from EP2 but honestly these vehicle sections are pretty short and forgettable, as you will be forced to ditch your car a few minutes after you acquire it.

To conclude, Amalgam is a short (took an hour and a half on my first playthrough) yet sweet experience. It doesnt offer anything revolutionary but the gameplay is pretty solid while displaying some great looking areas and lighting.

A very interesting Portal-esque kind of mod, taking place in a experimental facility. You play as one of the many test subjects roaming the underground labs though this particular individual seems to have the ability to swap bodies with other people. Throughout the game you will have to solve puzzles in each of the testing areas in order to advance, and these puzzles can get very creative and challenging at times. Side missions are available at the end of each testing area and these will have you take over the body of rebellious test subjects who are trying to escape or damage the facility itself. These missions are usually pretty easy though they provide quite the entertainment.

Graphics are good, though the aesthetic of the testing areas can get a little repetitive as time goes on. The mod throws you into different looking locales from time to time in order to spice things up, but even then id say there could be more environment variety. Atmosphere gets pretty scary by the end though, so there is that at least.

My biggest complaint whoever is the lack of english subtitles. There are some english indications that appear onscreen during certain periods of the game and while these definitely help when it comes to gameplay, they are no substitute for actual subtitles during the russian voice overs. Apparently english captions will be available in the final version, so you may want to hold off this mod till that.

In conclusion, an intriguing experience that needs a bit of polish (and english subtitles!)

A short but very engaging experience. Recommended!

Great mod, not one of my favorites but certainly a fantastic addition to the amazing library of HL2 mods. The first chapters are very entertaining, mowing down rebels left and right with the standard HL2 arsenal (except for the Manhacks, which are a new weapon that I didin't like very much due to their clumsy AI). The underground and citadel sections feel like DooM 3 levels due to the constant darkness, forcing you to use the new nightvision included in the protagonist's helmet for very long periods of time (at one point my eyes started to tire due to this). Then we get to the final boss where, I admit, lost a few times due to not knowing how to proceed and also due to the fact that I was doing my first playthrough on Hard dificulty (the mod is very challenging and unforgiving on this mode). Finally, there's 31 achievements to complete, some of them inviting the player to do some exploration which is always welcome.
In conclusion, its a very good mod that I strongly recommend. Can't wait to see what the Breadman team have in store for the sequel coming next year!

It's ok. While UE4 can look great at times (most notable addition to me were the Screen Space Reflections) I kinda prefer the look and ambience of Act I on the Source Engine. Gameplay was kind of lacking, especially chapter I and the first half of chapter II where it's mostly a walking simulator. After you acquire your first weapon the game picks up a little, but I never felt truly engaged with the experience. There's not much to say about the story and the game is really short (almost three hours on my first playthrough and around an hour and a half on my second). All in all, Estranged Act II is a decent game but not as good as its predecessor. The game is still on Early Access though, so it might get better as the developers update it with new content.

ehhh, it's ok I guess.

Short, barely any semblance of story, poor gunplay, etc. It's just not good. Also, the final boss is ridiculous and very easy to defeat.