Recent reviews by Dish

The best platform fighter for PC is here! Free-to-play, dedicated servers with rollback, and a roster with limitless potential combine to create a must-play fighting game. There were concerns, as there always are, with the free-to-play business model and the approach they would take with monetization, but this game is quite fair with it's rewards. Simply playing and leveling up your account level will earn you with gold which can be spent on unlocking new characters and perks. On average, it only took me a few hours of play to unlock a character. A fantastic feature present is if you're not sure you're going to enjoy a character, you can jump into training mode and play whoever you want, offering a nice 'try before you buy' service. For those unaware, there are full-price AAA fighting games that don't have that feature for their DLC/unlockable characters. There is, of course, a premium currency that much be purchased with real money that allows you to buy Gleamium-only cosmetics, such as ringout graphics, character skins, and various other account cosmetics like player banners. Some of these cosmetics are definitely cool, specifically the ringout graphics (akin to Rocket League goal explosions), but they're nothing that I feel like I need to enjoy the game.

The real standout in Multiversus is the obvious care and attention to detail the developers put into each character. The fighters will talk to one another, quipping back and forth after ringouts and during the post-match screen. Again, there are full-price, well-reviewed AAA fighting games that don't go to that extent. All the character interactions make each match-up feel a little unique, and I found myself less upset for losing a match when I got to hear amusing voice lines I never would thought possible, like Arya Stark calling Shaggy a coward. It's the perfect way to add just a bit more interest in the 'mash-up' nature of a platform fighter like this. Every new character that is released is just that many more interesting possible interactions between one another and that alone has me very excited for the future released characters, which if the leaks are anything to go by, the roster is going to get crazy.

As it stands, the current roster of the game has a great mix of old and new, characters both serious and light-hearted. From the Hanna-Barbera icons of Bugs Bunny and Taz to the new cartoons like Stephen Universe and Adventure Time clashing with the main trio of the Justice League and the aforementioned noble-turned-assassin Arya Stark, there's a character for everyone. If by some chance there isn't yet, the massive library of Warner Brothers properties nearly guarantees someone will pop up in the future that will draw your attention. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate obviously has a massive roster that Multiversus cannot compete with at the moment, but there's something about most of these characters not being from video games that is intriguing, evidenced by the fact they made LeBron James into not just a fighting game character, but a fun and unique one at that. The sky is really the limit for potential characters in this game and that future has me watching the development like a hawk.

When it comes to the moment-to-moment gameplay, the actual fighting, it will feel very similar to other platform fighters, but with a few unique twists to the formula. Much like Brawlhalla or Rivals of Aether, blocking is nowhere to be seen. Instead, players must rely on the versatile movement options such as dodging (both ground and in-air), side and up special attacks, and the ability to adjust yourself substantially in the air. Because of all these options (two jumps, two air specials and two dodges before touching the ground again), recovering onto the stage is a pretty simple affair. For those who have spent time playing Little Mac in Super Smash Bros., you will never have to worry about simply falling to your death because of poor recovery options. Dodging the opponent who is coming to spike you into the abyss, on the other hand, will still provide it's challenges.

There's not too much to complain about here, but a couple small ones: There's not a lot of content here outside of fighting other players or bots. No arcade mode or story mode, no missions, trials or challenges. No survival mode, just versus. For a free-to-play game at launch, that's okay, but I think players who aren't into multiplayer versus might not find a lot to latch onto here. In a similar vein, this game is clearly designed for 2v2 team play. Every character has something in their kit that interacts with their ally in an interesting way, and some characters (specifically the supports, like Reindog) seem to have kits that barely function on their own. The game does provide 1v1 matchmaking, but it feels hollow compared to the team-play. Some players who play solo, understandably, might not want to subject themselves to the randomness of matchmade teammates.

My biggest complaint, and something I hope is addressed sooner than later, is the matchmaking. It's fast and the skill-based matchmaking seems to be pretty on-point, so my issue here isn't the functionality of the matchmaking itself, but rather the screening process. Many other fighting games offer the ability to see the connection quality after matching with an opponent and make the decision to accept or decline based on that. As someone who, unfortunately, has a pretty sub-standard internet connection, each match can feel like a gamble as to whether or not it will be playable or have so many rollback frames it's impossible to keep track of the fight. It's my hope that Player First Games will add a accept/decline system in the future, because it's painfully unsatisfying for all players involved when the connection is unstable.

All-in-all, however, this game is genuinely a must-play for anyone who enjoys fighting games and, thankfully, the game is free-to-play, meaning there's absolutely zero risk for giving it a shot. Even if you've never played a fighter (or have and didn't enjoy it), I think there's aspects of Multiversus (namely the charm) that can appeal to anyone.

A brutal, unforgiving multiplayer experience awaits in Hell Let Loose, but when it all comes together and your team is clicking on all cylinders, it's something unforgettable. You will need to communicate with your team to find success, because when you're all alone, the game will begin to frustrate you, unfortunately, making teamwork not just a recommendation, but a necessity. If you are looking for a run-and-gun shooter or even just a game focused around a kill-death ratio, this isn't the game for you. Hell Let Loose is most certainly a MilSim, though it's a bit less hardcore than it's contemporaries, such as Squad or Post Scriptum. For those hardcore MilSim players, however, you will still find a lot to love here.

The sound and graphics, especially the frequent explosions, are sure to immerse any player in the terrifying battlefields of World War II. Massive dust clouds kick up into the sky when artillery shells land, your vision will get so blurry you're nearly blind when you are suppressed by enemy fire, and the near constant cracking sound of rounds being discharged will litter the landscape for the entire game. Other than the Battlefield series, few other games have done such a remarkable job with setting the stage and making the player feel like they are fighting for their lives in a massive warzone.

In terms of maps, the developers have done a good job of steadily adding new areas for players to fight in, as well as new weapons and vehicles to go with them. Featuring a mix of famous locations seen in media like Band of Brothers and Enemy at the Gates, Hell Let Loose currently features maps in both the Western and Eastern theaters of Europe, meaning the teams will either be Allies (US) vs. Germany, or Germany vs. The Soviets. Recently, the developers even added night versions of several maps, which changes the dynamics of the battle even more. To further make each match feel a little different from one another, the capture points have semi-randomized locations each match. This, combined with how utterly massive the maps are, makes every battle feel unique and the content feel nearly endless.

Being a MilSim, you will, of course, be locked to the weaponry and vehicles of your faction in any given match. This creates the interesting balance that is present in many World War II games, where the Allied forces typically have better infantry (a semi-automatic rifle being standard issue, compared to the German's bolt-action Kar98k) and the Germans have better vehicles (Fear the Tiger tank). If you find yourself playing German infantry and don't want to use a bolt-action rifle, however, you do have options! Whether it's picking one of the other classes, such as Automatic Rifleman or the Machine Gunner, you will have a bevy of different, unique roles to play that each will provide support to the team in different ways. Even if you are not the best shot or if you simply don't enjoy gunplay much, there's still roles for you to play. The Medic is given a paltry supply of ammo but tons of bandages and a method of reviving defeated players while the Engineer is focused around constructing supply nodes and defensive structures, like barbed wire and tank traps.

If you're a fan of real-time strategy games, the Commander role in Hell Let Loose offers a unique experience as well. With three resources to spend (generated via the aforementioned supply nodes), command will be able to call in bombing runs, drop supplies from the skies, spawn new tanks, and many more helpful features to go along with the verbal orders that must be delivered to the individual squad leaders in the game. There's nothing quite as satisfying in a team game of this size than to give orders and watch 49 other dots on the map follow those commands and fight their way to victory, all while giving them fire support and the supplies to create forward spawn points.

Sometimes, however, things will not go to plan. As it might be expected, getting fifty people to work together in any capacity can be a struggle. Thankfully, however, the community has been nothing but helpful in my experience. In the nearly fifty hours of playing before writing this review, I can count the bad interactions with other friendly players on one hand. The vast majority of players are understanding, they know the game is complex and they went through all the same learning struggles you will if you play this game, but communicate and explain yourself as a newbie and I can almost guarantee you will have people to hold your hand and guide you through the unforgiving and unforgettable game that is Hell Let Loose.

Oh, and watch out for artillery.

The evolution of the point-and-click genre, The Walking Dead is an outstanding game with a heart-wrenching story that will draw you in and make you care about video game characters in a way that only a few games have ever managed to achieve.

If you enjoy dying repeatedly and bashing your fists against a keyboard, you should get this game. Oh, that sounds like a bad thing? Okay, um... If you like precision platformers and cubes of meat, you should get this game. Is that better?

Also, don't even try playing this without a gamepad.