Recent reviews by Travel_Dude

Quite un-fun start to finish. Opaque level design. Unclear progression. Character design is lacking. Combat is fluid but held back by consumable usage. Being able to break weapons in Zelda was a bad idea, not being able to use a weapon due to lack of a consumable is worse. Shockingly poor entry from the greatest gaming developers of all time. This is NOT a souls game, do not expect one.

Streamed this with a friend. Unbelievable coop experience. Every hour you have a new fun mechanic and area to explore. Highly recommended! A+++

Disclaimer: I played this game 11 years after its release. I would give this a score of 6.5/10 for a 2021 experience. Excellent atmosphere! The guns feel empty and lifeless. (I suppose that is the point) The music is decent. The voice acting is excellent. Overall a quick playthrough to get to the next game in the series.

Think Jean Grey meets Twin Peaks. The combat is an absolute blast. You dash, hover, slam around the map while being able to use your telekinesis powers to throw objects. The story is a bit bland, but the map design and mechanics make up for it. I would highly recommend turning on RTX if you have a computer capable of running this amazing engine.

An absolutely stunning experience. I use it during the pandemic to stay both mind and body healthy. Listen to music and move around. A++ game! Recommended!

I remember playing Myst on a family friends computer as a child. I was in awe at the time at the photo realistic environments. The levers, bells, and trolleys filled my computer screen . Imagining a world full of wizards and magicians.

The Room VR is a spiritual successor to games like Myst. You are a detective throw into an alternative realm chasing religious artifacts charged with the magics of the Egyptians. Elaborate puzzles stand in your way from discovering secrets beyond every door. (literally)

Open tombs, peer through magic balls, open ancient locks, and boil ingredients to unfold a cauldrons secrets.

VR allows for these types of games to become more immersive than the old 'click your adventure' games of the past. You hear spooky music around you. You look through a clever eye glass mechanic like a ghostly Sherlock Holmes would. Every puzzle encourages you to twist, turn, peer and interact with objects.

Each puzzle has three hints that become available to you if you get stuck. I was only completely stuck once. The puzzles aren't super punishing and you feel clever defeating them.

If you can pick this up on sale I would recommend it if you enjoy these types of games. There isn't any action or jump scares at all. Which is exactly what some older players may be looking for. But the spooky nature of the game will certainly give you a bit of a thrill.

VR is different. It has an advantage that no other medium has. It replicates "real life" and transports you to different world with the click of a button.

How can one review a game in a medium that is so inherently one step above all others? I'll try.

Half Life Alyx takes place five years before the events of Half Life 2. (which the ending is spoiled within the first moments of Alyx, so go play it first) You are Alyx Vance, the daughter of Eli Vance. A side character from the events of Half Life 1, Half Life 2, and the subsequent two part episodes.

Alyx is charming and a pleasure to listen to throughout the game. She is joined by a few side kicks that banter effortlessly throughout your adventure. Banter being the key word here. I assure you that you will need the levity.

Half Life Alyx could be considered a straight up horror game. You can practically smell the environments. You may close your eyes during certain sequences. I found myself instinctively holding my breathe, as Alyx needs to do the in game.

The core game play loop looks something like this:

1. Fun witty dialogue explaining your objectives
2. A slow and methodical exploration of a unique environment that is damn near photo realistic.
3. Clues and puzzles are spread around the map that give you a purpose of getting from point A to B.
4. Kill enemies in the way you choose. Shoot the tanks on their backs. Catch a grenade and throw it back at them. Point a gun at the heads. Or in my case, empty three times the amount of bullets into the head crabs. Yes after 15 years head crabs still fill our nightmares

All of these things sound very familiar and honestly they are. But the key here is how you do these tasks. You physically climb ladders, crouch, hold your hands to your mouth, toss a grenade, open a car door.

Holding up a flash light and leaning around a corner as a spore zombie monster name "Jeff" smells you out is truely something special.

Is this the best single player experience I have ever had? Maybe. Is this the best VR game? Absolutely.

Rise and smell the ashes. I did.