Recent reviews by Punished Smonk

Rating - 8.5-9/10 - Brilliant

Story - Great
Script - Perfect, Amazing (Dark, funny, interesting)
Voice Acting - Perfect
Gameplay - Brilliant, Almost Perfect (Combat cold be slightly better, a bit repetative, but not boring at all, a bit lacking, but doesnt exceed what the game is meant to be)
Pacing - Perfect (The game is as long as it should be. Boss fights are a good lenghts)
Map - Great (Not boring, logically placed objects and looks good)
Graphics - Still great for today
Feel - Perfect (True to comics amazingly, dark grainy feel, perfect for Batman)
Enemies - Alright (Found myself fighting clones who all had the same voice - only 7 enemy types not incluing bosses)
AI - Pretty good, nothing special
Bugs - None i've come across during campaign
Stable - Yes
Lip Synching - Great

The game is essentionally a beat-em-up game with (what it likes to call) strategy (really you just figure out where something is or what gadget to use, and that totally works anyway). In the game you are stranded in the grounds of Arkham Asylum and it's buildings. There is an overworld which is the open grounds itself, and then there are the buildings which you only really go in for story or to get riddler trophies you couldn't get before (that being said you will spend most your time in the buildings which are designed amazingly incase you're worried about a closterphobic indoor game). You get a whole load of gadgets as you go through the story and you solve mini story related puzzles and riddler trophy related puzzles. The combat is fast and simple, and the best kind. You simply punch people until you get the chance to counter (much like Assassin's Creed). I should probably also say just for anyone wondering; there's no multiplayer mode, which is good in this case.

The game is a great Batman story. It does everything a Batman thing should. It's dark, creepy, makes you feel uneasy and is enjoyable (mainly because from time to time you get a break from the usual gameplay to keep things interesting). As for plot twists there aren't really any except for near the end, but meh.
As for outside the campaign (but really you buy this game for the campaign) there isn't much. There are challanges which give a few houres of fun, character models you can unlock - and thats about it. There are some fun side quests like collecting interview tapes which provide character backstory that are interesting to listen to, and there are riddler trophies which I had no interest in but were fun to find none the less. Extra costumes would have been nice. The upgrade system is something you'd expect - and it works. You simply get XP by doing things then choose what you want to upgrade - combat, armour, stealth, gadgets or batarangs (there are multiple types of upgrades for each of those).

I also want to note how good the joker is! He is probably the best portrayal of the joker in anything (tied with Heath Ledger from the Dark Knight) and it's because of Mark Hammil (Luke Skywalker)'s voice, absoloutley brilliant!
And on the subject of characters you really do feel like batman, he's a bit of a bland main character but that's because the game doesn't delve into his physcology, which is unfortunate and seems lacking now that I think about it, but I didn't seem to care whilst I was playing so thats good.
All the other villains are also great for the in-game time they are given.

I don't know why I like this so much. Perhaps it's just cos its a solid game that gives a high quality 20 houres of fun at the least. Worth the money, definatley. I got the Game of the Year Edition in the winter sale, so thats fine, but if you're buying it at the normal price, get the normal version, as the GOTY Edition simply gives you DLC that is just some challanges unrelated to the story, which isnt why you buy the game.

Have fun!

Don't wanna make the review too long but here is the game summed up:
Story - meh
Characters - meh
World - Noice
Levelling up - (mostly) noice
Exploring - Noice
Weapons - meh / noice
Side quests - Noice
Music - Noice (because of radio)
Combat - As good as a shooter gets. VATS helps.

7.5/10

Most over-rated game of the year. The game is fun, but lacking.

Pros:
+Excellent enemy system
+Unique enemies, mostly
+Excellent characters
+Good voice acting
+Good upgrading system
+Good controls
+Doesn't hold your hand too much
+Well made combat, not to easy nor too hard
+Level design makes you think (a bit)
+Okay story
+Good appendicies
+Very in touch with LOTR mythology

Cons:
+Repetitive gameplay desgin
+Not enough varitation in side-levels (there is quite a few, but still not enough)
+Boring and repetitive landscape
+Doesn't (somehow) achieve what it's insperations, Assassin's Creed and Batman Arkham, do, in terms of recreating solid combat
+The map makes the explorable part of Mordor decievingly big
+Talion, the main character, is the only boring character...
+As far as innovation goes, its bad AC parkour in a much more bland world with elements of upgrading... there is none
+Leaves a lot to be desired in the LOTR universe

One of the first good LOTR games, its understandable that there is A LOT to improve... but it doesn't excuse the fact that there is A LOT to improve. It makes for a good game when you don't really know what game you wanna play, just to go and beat up some Orcs and Uruks... but that's about it. The story missions is really the only thing tht keeps you playing and if it wasn't for the brilliant enemy system the game would be just about as bland as eating a bread sandwich... "ah that's some nice bread... but it needs something else in it... oh well, I'll take another bite and see if there's more... ah! a spot of sweet jam! This is getting good! What else is there? Welp, now im bored of jam and want more... but there is nothing else in the Sandwich.."
I know it's a bit of an odd analogy but it gets the point across... at the end of the day it's a bit boring but its still kinda fun to play when you're in the mood to jump in the LOTR univerese and feel like Legolas or Aragorn slaying Orcs and Uruks like a badass (or, well, a nerd idolising a fake person and world instead of doing something actually cool, kind of a badass)

Thinking of getting the game for £30? Not at all worth it. Wait for a sale or buy it from Amazon or Ebay or something, like I did... I'd say it's worth about £10

Ps. I don't recommend it, nor do I recommend it

Funny, it says I have 0.4 hours on record, even though I've completed most the game, so I don't how thats happend.
GTA 4 is good, although, it's not big enough. I mean, comared to GTA 5, it's nothing.
The only reason why I would rather play through GTA 4's story is beacuse it's not as graphic.
That being said, if you just want to drive around and have generally more fun, go for GTA 5.

Intersting. As good as it is, I think it's too much.
I've found that, there are too many mods. *the crowd stones me*
Yeah, I find it rediculous, one time I was playing a game, and some guy was going from one teleporter to another, and evertime he came back, he was wearing a different hat.
It also seems there is always a squeker who gets mad when you stab him in the back because he can't understand how you got past his mini gun spray.
I admit, it's got nice mechanics and really well designed classes that are nicley balanced, with maps that are very enjoyable, and I can see why people play it, I suppose I just simply don't have that much fun with it.

Really fun and full of glithces that make you laugh.
You are completely free to progress how you want, the way you want.
The only issue I've got is that it's one of those games where if you put it down... you don't pick it back up.
Fun though. Especially when riding up a mounting at a 65 degree angle on a horse.

Edit: Could've described it better. Imagine this game as a type of D&D: The Video Game (but better than the actual one)/ The game just ponks you in this world and you can get totally invested in roleplaying your character however you want; more so than any other video game I can name. One thing i find annoying is the constant clostraphobic feeling of dungeons but its not too bad. The overworld has good and bad bits but wont leave you feeling wanting more, its perfect in immersion and creating the feel it wants to. Combat is alright nothing special but cool.

In terms of replay-ability its amazing. You can always go back and visit old characters or create entirely new and different ones thanks to an easy to use save system especially where you can keep track of multiple characters. Even playing the same quests and the same type of character is always refreshing because the quests are just o fun but also becasue you will have a different expierience with every playthrough.

More than most games they ave truley created an almost perfect game with a world that feels truley real, with hundreds of books to fill you in on history and tales and opinions that are interesting and even funny at times. (I say books in particular because for me at least the pure quantity makes it amazing).

No other game provides the feeling of nordic homeland, medival tales, coldness and atmosphere, whilst also being welcoming. The game is truley one to be played at your own pace, weather you want to speed through story or do side quests slowly or eratically or ordered or... whatver, you get it, you can play it however you want at your pace and it doesnt punish you for it.

Just buy it its a classic and a must have.

Fun and... strange.
If you're looking for a game that will make you question why you've decided to spend your precious hours watching half naked people shoot eachother, you've got the right game. The gameplay is fun and even exotic, however, it feels limited. Once you've played it for a while, it's repetitive. God knows how it's my most played game.
A good game, but you may aswell get SR4.

A fun, new idea that they stole from me.
I always wanted to design a game that was based arround medival warfare, and chivalry is EXACTLY what I imagened!
It's a dream come true, with stunning visuals, an amazing combat stlye, and very unique, different classes and game modes that require a great deal of stratergy! a great game for people who like sword games like me!