Recent reviews by Alarune

This game is great -- The fighting is really satisfying and falls into the "easy to learn, difficult to master" category for me.

This game really scratched an itch -- The base management reminded me a lot of the Stronghold series. There are a few really convenient features in this game that prevent you from getting bogged down in minor details (repair all button, being able to upgrade all buildings at once).

The only cons I can think of are that you can't rotate the map, or queue unit actions (such as commanding many units to fill towers). Unit pathing can also be awkward. Overall, this game is addictive if you enjoy trying to be optimal at every turn.

Originally, I felt the need to write a negative review due to the PC release date delay and surprise DRM, however I couldn't bring myself to. As a 2D Sonic fan from the Genesis days, this game is amazing.

It's obvious that every detail, from the level design to the sound effects, was crafted with care by passionate devs. At its core, Sonic gameplay has always been about two things -- Going fast and doing cool ♥♥♥♥. The devs really seem to have grasped this concept as the levels alternate high-speed areas with interesting mechanics and special stages. It's this variation that keeps the game fresh and flowing -- One second you're going 5,000 mph through some loops, then you're in a special stage chasing an emerald, then you're shooting out of a giant revolver and pinballing around a saloon. There is no downtime, which is exactly how a Sonic game should play.

I would recommend this game not only to Sonic fans, but also to platforming fans in general. Playing as Sonic is incredibly satisfying and even therapeutic (sometimes you just want to have a beer and go fast).

(Minor spoilers below)

Pros:

1. Captures the spirit of playing as Sonic (tight controls, everything "feels" right)
2. Great level design w/ multiple paths through each, adding replayability
3. Amazing soundtrack
4. Good price point at $20
5. Fun new special stage (less intimidating than the old "Blue Spheres" stages)
6. 13 distinct zones (Sonic 3 only had 6!)
7. Achievements (Having goals in a Sonic game turns out to be fun)
8. Refreshing/challenging boss design (some legitimate laugh out loud moments here)
9. Cool extras (Blue Sphere mode, "& Knuckles" mode, etc.)


Cons:

1. No online multiplayer(!)
2. Some zones/boss fights have awkward/unintuitive mechanics
3. Denuvo DRM (honestly has not affected me at all, though I understand/support the backlash)

As a fan of Telltale's TWD games and the ASOIAF book series, this game seemed like a no-brainer purchase. It started off great -- You are put in charge of House Forrester, whose current situation closely mirrors that of the Starks in the tv show/novels. You get to be present for key events from Martin's series and see some exotic locales. The characters you play as are interesting and likeable. The despair-heavy plot was what I expected from a game set in the ASOIAF universe and I looked forward to getting even with my enemies in later chapters.

It quickly became apparent, however, that none of the decisions really meant anything. For example, during a dicussion with one character later in the game, every conversation option basically ends with being called a "fool" and failing in your mission. If this 5-minute chunk of dialogue really meant nothing, then why are we forced to play it? After I picked up on this, the feeling of powerlessness persisted through the entire game and ultimately made me regret playing it.

Pros:

1. Viewpoint Characters - The characters are quite likeable and human. It was refreshing to find that some characters don't fit the usualy tropes -- there are introverted characters forced into leadership roles and sellswords as honorable as they are brutal.

2. Art - Despite what other reviewers have mentioned, I found the scenery to be engaging. When you're in King's Landing, you can hear sea gulls and the sea breeze. When you're across the Narrow Sea, you feel almost in another world. This was actually one of the things I liked most about the game.

Cons:

1. Choice System - As other reviewers have mentioned, the choice system feels rigged. There is definitely a main "path" which is impossible to deviate from. Prepare your defenses? A whole bunch of enemy soldiers walk through your gates anyway. Swallow your pride and submit to your enemies? They still do terrible things to you. Take pains to rescue someone? Impossible to get them back anyway.

2. Save Structure - There is a rewind option, so Telltale obviously wants you to be able to go back and "fix" what you perceive as mistakes, but there are only 6 save points per chapter. At one point, I messed something up toward the end of one of these save blocks and had to replay about 10 minutes of gameplay just to correct it. And after fixing said mistake, surprise -- The outcome was the same anyway.

3. Unskippable Dialogue - I can understand why Telltale wants to force the story on you the first time around, but couldn't this be an option for future playthroughs? It seems a relatively minor feature to include that would boost replayability significantly.

4. Literary Armor - Certain characters from the novels/show are obviously bulletproof. I found this guiding my "choices" in more than a few situations. I found it odd that decisions could involve these characters as it narrowed my choices even further (why try to affect a character when you know exactly what they're going to do?).

5. Unrealistic Characters - One of my biggest complaints with Telltale's TWD games was that characters were often borderline-neurotic for the sake of plot points. This feels magnified here, almost to the point of absurdity. The villians of the story are basically ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ robots who will stop at nothing until you are humiliated and defeated, even when it serves them no purpose. Characters in King's Landing are all obsessed with "playing the game" to the point where they behave like soap opera characters incapable of compassion and friendship.

6. No Ending - The ending of this game disappointed me more than any game I've ever played, save Mass Effect 3. It felt unrealistic and unrewarding. Pretty much just a vehicle for setting up the next game.

Ultimately, I feel that Telltale went too far in invoking the "rules" of GRRM's series and in doing so took out all feeling of accomplishment necessary in a game. The plot provides virtually no pay off for even your most well-thought out decisions and is basically, as other reviewers have said, a depression simulator. To me, this game is essentially a visual novel with quicktime events set in the ASOIAF universe.

I recommend this game to anyone who enjoys point-and-click adventures -- It has genuinely interesting characters and an imaginative plot. That said, it is still a point-and-click adventure and some of the puzzles can be quite difficult to solve. One of the few games where I've had to use a walkthrough multiple times out of necessity.