Recent reviews by Fifthdread

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Stellar Blade isn't shy about what it is: A fun action game with a beautiful protagonist, made by a group of clearly passionate developers who made a game for fun and maximum enjoyment. It may not win Game of the Year thanks to the steep competition, but it's a worthy buy. I played and beat it on PS5, and I'm back again- this time on PC. I'm having a blast thus far, and PC performance is great- even on my Linux PC. Definitely worth a look.

To summarize, I'm having a blast with the game and I find it extremely fun and completely worth it. It's not flawless, but it's a blast even with the randoms I queue with. Now let me get into the details.

I'm a fan of souls-likes. I beat Dark Souls and Elden Ring, and they're great games. With that being said, I came into this expecting exactly what they were selling- some sort of rogue-like PVE thing. I knew it was basically an Elden Ring asset-flip, and I didn't care. I wanted to judge the game based on its own merits, and I didn't expect to like it tbh. I expected to at best, think it was amusing for a few weekends with the boys. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoy it far more than that.

I'll hit you with the cons up front. The game runs at a capped 60 fps. I get network disconnects randomly, far more frequently than comfortable- although I can often reconnect to the session. You can’t duo-queue. It’s either solo, fixed 3 man, or you queue with a friend and get a third random. After playing it for a while, the formula does begins to repeat itself a little bit.

Now I’ll get into the pros. The repeating formula isn't as much a con as you'd expect. Yes, more variety is welcome and needed in the long run, but there's an argument to be made for how fun it is to learn the map and master the intricacies of what’s there. The knowledge gathering process is a far more satisfying form of progression than even the relics you can earn through RNG after each run. I really like the class variety- I find if you aren’t having fun, maybe switch up your character. I think there are a few characters that play different enough that pretty much any style will be accommodated. The Nightlords themselves are great encounters that are a lot of fun. I’ve had some of the most exciting and clutch moments happen, reaching levels of hype that not many other games have achieved. I’ve also enjoyed playing with random players far more than I’d expect!

Now I’ll hit you with the hot takes. The game’s been controversial and I find it hilarious. Some of it is justified, but a lot of it isn’t. This isn’t a normal souls-like single player experience and people should have known that. The casuals out there: You can’t research how to power level to 200 and lookup where the best items are. You have to search. You have to adapt, and at the risk of sounding toxic: you have to Git Gud. Sadly, that’ll make this game controversial. You can’t use your OP over-leveled bleed build here.

The process of “Getting Good” isn’t always easy, since it comes with pain. You’re going to have to throw yourself into unwinnable situations over and over until things start to click. You’re going to have to learn things. I find that I’m a bit of a masochist: I love throwing myself at a boss over and over again. I remember when I played Elden Ring and I found the first major boss, Margit. Even though I was under-geared and under leveled, I fought him anyway because I knew if someone out there can beat this guy at level 1 with his fists, I should be able to beat him also. The process of building that muscle memory, and mastering an encounter is what makes these souls-like games special to me. If you’re not a masochist, you may find the process of the “40 minute runback” to the nightlord to be too punishing. I’ve heard people claim that they wasted their time because they lose a run, but for me, even losses aren’t a waste. You still earn more relics and currency. The journey is still enjoyable. You probably still learned something from that expedition.

That’s where I’m finding the game is the most enjoyable for me. At a baseline, it just feels fun to run around and clear camps, fight bosses, and learn the map. Elden Ring felt tight and great to play, and this does also. The Boss-Rush style of game is just fun for me, as someone who likes games like Monster Hunter, this feels like home. I haven’t even mentioned the timer mechanic, which keeps you moving at a fast pace. You’re constantly on the move- going as fast as you can. I find the pressure of being on a timer surprisingly awesome, since it’s a huge incentive for you to master, well, everything. You’re constantly developing a decision making flowchart in your mind, and it’s extremely satisfying once you get comfortable with it.

I’ve beat every NightLord, and I’m still not bored- and when I do get bored, I’ll just try another class. I hear they’re adding hard mode for the bosses- which will probably add a phase 3 for each. I look forward to that!

Nightreign has been extremely enjoyable for me, and I think it’s something special. Even though I have a lot on my list of things I would improve with the game, I can’t deny that what’s here is very enjoyable to play. I haven’t been able to put it down since I started playing it, and that comes as a huge surprise. I know I can highly recommend it if you have the patience to learn and adapt to the challenges the game presents. I haven’t even mentioned that I’m playing it on Linux with HDR without issues, which is a huge win. I definitely love the game and I find it surprisingly cozy to play and easy to enjoy. Once I’m locked in, I’m having an absolute blast. I hope to see more from this game in the future.

Yes, the game has no excuse for running this poorly on mid-range systems. However, as a game itself, I'm having a blast with it. It's so far extremely fun and engaging. I've fought every monster, both solo and multiplayer. I'm past Hunter Rank 100, so I've seen the breath of what the game has to offer.

If you have the system that can run it, I highly recommend the game for what it is- another fantastic Monster Hunter game that will carry us beyond what MH World offered us.

Factorio is simply one of the best games ever made if you're into factory building / simulation games. It's made by developers with an unrivaled dedication to optimization, which enables Factorio to scale unlike any game I've ever seen. The mega factories you can create in this game can be absolutely massive and somehow the game still can run well. It's a technical marvel, and it gets one better- the game features extensive mod support, making the game have unlimited replayability and customization. I haven't even mentioned multiplayer, where you can host dedicated servers and play with your friends.

I simply can't recommend this game enough, as the pinnacle of Factory games. Other games in the genre may offer you gimmicks such as "3D graphics" but when it comes down to it, this game is unsurpassed in charm, scale, and frankly focuses on what matters most in a factory game- the logistics networks and challenges associated with building a mega factory. In my opinion, this game is only rivaled by the likes of games such as, and I hate to admit it... Minecraft. Minecraft with Factory mods such as SkyFactory, or SkyBlock, etc... They scratch an itch. The difference though, is those games become almost always unplayable by the end-game due to the lack of optimization. Every Minecraft mega factory dies due to lag. While Factorio can definitely exhibit some lag if you build big enough, it's honestly impressive how big you have to go before it becomes an issue.

With the upcoming Expansion for the game, I was faced with the realization that I have yet to review this masterpiece. The truth is, I've only put a measly ~500 hours into the game and it deserves to be multiplied by a large factor. I've bought the game multiple times over, gifting it to many friends. Don't wait for a sale, since this game will never go on sale. They know what their game is worth and the truth is, It's worth far more than the asking price.

While the game can be complex and steep for a newcomer, you will be rewarded if you love problem solving. Definitely give this game a go.

Pretty addictive. I'm still relatively early into the game despite having sunk almost 10 hours into it. Lots of problem solving and experimentation with my businesses, which I enjoy quite a bit. There are lots of things to think about logistically. It's a huge time sink in the best way. While I haven't gone into the mid or late game yet, I expect I have many more hours of enjoyment ahead of me. Highly recommend!

Very strong first impression. I've only got a few hours into the game, but I have seen enough already to know that if you have a group of 3-4 people, you're going to have a good time for the money. Definitely worth a pickup. I went in with a group of 4 and we had a blast. I can't wait to drag them back in- and there are some mods out there that increase the multiplayer cap for 4 to 20 or more players. No, the game isn't maybe balanced for it, but I can see myself bringing 6 of us in there for a good time.

Give the game a shot. The low resolution vibes and retro graphics only enhance the overall creepy factor of the game.

Definitely one of the best fighting games out there. Lots of content and stuff to do, and great training tools for people like me who need them. My only criticism is unlocking costumes for free seems like a real grind, not to mention the colors. Other than that, I'm loving it.

I knew I'd enjoy the game, but I didn't realize how much of a quality product it would be. What a rich and deep world which is fun to explore, as well as experiment within. It's filled with secrets, and has a ton of depth both in the world and mechanics. I highly recommend the title even for the casual player, but for those willing to dive deep, you'll have a ton of content to explore.

As a Dwarf Fortress vet from the olden days of ASCII art Dwarf Fortress, as well as a someone who played the Lazy Noob Pack versions with tile sets, this is already the definitive version of the game. While there are many bugs with the UI and "learning curves" with the new way to play, I have no doubt these bugs will be fixed quickly. They haven't made the game "unplayable" which is enough for me to recommend it.

Bugs I have encountered include:
The UI scaling causing things to be cut off or hidden.
The tutorial window covering up UI elements which are required to be clicked to progress the tutorial
The Tutorial refusing to let you remove accidental mining designations, since it limits parts of the UI during the tutorial
Hotkeys suddenly stop working (after alt-tabbing or something) - EDIT: Turns out, hotkeys are case sensitive, and I hit CAPS-LOCK. Go figure.
OBS not picking up game capture for some reason? Steam overlay also wasn't working at the time of playing.

Other than that, the game has been fantastic so far. I'll update my review if there are any interesting developments.

It's good fun if you're looking for a Stardew Valley / Animal Crossing hybrid. While there have been a few glitches, it's been super fun thus far. I'll update the review if there are big negatives with the game, but I can recommend it as of now.