17
Products
reviewed
351
Products
in account

Recent reviews by Kernel

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Showing 1-10 of 17 entries
1 person found this review helpful
5.4 hrs on record (1.1 hrs at review time)
Underrated gem
Posted 29 August, 2022.
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No one has rated this review as helpful yet
1.1 hrs on record
Definitely give this game a shot if it catches your eye, its free!

Artistically the game is heavily inspired by the likes of Dark Souls and any Dark Fantasy game, but the game plays very different from the sort.

Game has a lot of potential, but its definitely impressive for the size of the team. It is short and seems early in development. The core gameplay is unique and great though. The game utilizes a spear system that revolves around that weapon alone. The main character is the Blood Spear itself and you possess vessels to use the spear. You attack enemies by throwing spears at them and couple other abilities that that mesh well with the experience as a whole.

if you're a fan of the aesthetic of Dark Fantasy like Dark Souls, Bloodborne or Berserk you should definitely give it a shot. I hope to hear more updates regarding the game and see it improve over time. I'd love to play a full release completed version of this game.
Posted 19 August, 2021.
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3 people found this review helpful
2,550.7 hrs on record (1,281.2 hrs at review time)
It's good.
Posted 23 July, 2021.
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No one has rated this review as helpful yet
24.5 hrs on record (11.1 hrs at review time)
Incredible.
Posted 24 May, 2021.
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2 people found this review helpful
63.8 hrs on record (62.3 hrs at review time)
Play this please. It may not be for everyone, but if you play this through all the way- only then will you understand.

Don't give up.
Posted 19 May, 2021.
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2 people found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
44.4 hrs on record (43.1 hrs at review time)
I am emotionally broken.
Posted 12 May, 2021.
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3 people found this review helpful
84.1 hrs on record (24.5 hrs at review time)
This is not really a review critiquing the game itself, but more of a personal reflection of what has been going down with this title and the developers the past few days.

----------------------------------------------------

While yes, I am enjoying most of the game itself... unfortunately the technical issues and optimization is unacceptable coming from all these delays. I hear the argument that since this game is open world and being extremely dense means that bugs and technical issues are expected.

Bugs and technical issues are things you SHOULD NOT expect from ANY game in my opinion. Just because this is an Open World RPG, doesn't give you a technical bug ridden game pass.

Also the marketing practices that CD Project Red has been doing as of late is just extremely disappointing. The past few weeks leading up to launch, having known that I could trust them with their prior transparency with past titles, I was having high hopes for this title despite their recent lack of transparency. I was getting this certain kind of feeling that their quietness could either be because the game was just not ready to be released, or because they didn't need to be transparent for such a masterfully crafted experience. I was expecting the latter. There was absolutely no way that this game would not be ready at launch... right...?

The thing is...

If you're going to tout your game with delays, you'd expect it to be more polished. I've run into a lot of game breaking bugs that would halt in game progress and performance issues that are unacceptable with my set up. Also for a game with extremely well animated NPCs, the lack of diverse animations from lesser known NPCs can take you out of it. And the occasional animation hiccup can really be laughable (T-posing NPCs, animations not transitioning fluidly, root positions of NPCs sliding across the floor, etc.)

This game feels a lot more like an idea, and sounds great on paper... it was just not executed with much polish. The marketing made it look as though the game would not be ridden with a lot of these issues. Of course you would want to sell your game and make it look the best it can, but its different when there are things you're obviously hiding just to tailor to the hype leading up to launch.

It is truly heartbreaking...

...and I don't throw around that saying lightly.

Just goes to show that you should go into games with acceptable expectations, even if the developers are highly praised due to their track record. Even if the developers are marketing the game as such, you can't know for sure until you actually go out and play the game yourself.

And the game on console is a whole other topic up for debate.

Coming when it's ready... in which in this case it was not.

------------------------------------------------------------------

I will be re-posting my review with proper criticism towards the game design once the game has been patched with most of the issues that's really hampering mine and many other people's experience.
Posted 12 December, 2020.
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1 person found this review helpful
5.1 hrs on record (2.7 hrs at review time)
I unfortunately have to refund this game for the time being. The VR Support in this game is very poor and basic. Not having VR Controllers as the control method is one thing... but the lack of options to change your height so that the IPD would change for people of shorter height is very disappointing.

Everything to me seems a lot smaller than it should, like NPCs are scaled incorrectly to me. And I am not talking about a height calibrator for how far you are from the ground or the IPD adjustment in some headsets. And example is like if I put on a tall avatar on VRChat and then couched down to normal height, I would be in relative height from the ground but the 3D depth makes it feel like everything is a miniature. Performance in the game is also very strange to me, I'm getting 72fps but honestly feels like its below 40fps. Not sure if its a frame pacing issue or something else I'm not aware of? The game's AA solution is also very blurry, even after super-sampling everything just seems very blurry or pixelated. I'm playing on a Valve Index and there are so many other VR titles that get this right.

The game itself is enjoyable but these simple issues are really hindering my experience. Until this is fixed, I will have to refund the game. Its current state is just not acceptable for a VR experience from a AAA publisher.
Posted 2 October, 2020.
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2 people found this review helpful
28.3 hrs on record (2.8 hrs at review time)
Wow... just wow...

I've been playing VR games for the past 2 years, and not once have I ever had an experience like this. From games like Robo Recall to then Boneworks which released a few months ago, helped open my eyes to what VR truly can be. I don't want to compare this game to Boneworks as they're both essential their own games... but... Half Life: Alyx takes what Boneworks is and focuses on what VR is supposed to do... Immerse you.

Half Life: Alyx does a really great job easing you into the world. The pacing is astounding. I thought I'd never make it through this game since headcrabs scare the hell out of me. I remember seeing those VR Headcrab Headsets in Boneworks and just instantly freaking out wanting to stop playing. Half Life: Alyx made me wanting to keep going even after my first headcrab encounter. Don't want to spoil how they ease you in, but since this is a new medium of gaming, it does a really great job at making this a perfect game for first time VR players.

The visual fidelity is great, just looking in certain nooks and crannies is mind boggling. Seeing the bumps on brick walls and having them actually 3D modelled with depth is amazing. Interacting with objects you thought you couldn't, and OH MY GOD the Gravity Gloves are the most satisfying thing I've ever used.

Audio in this game is extremely immersive. Never thought I'd flinch just from sounds alone, and they aren't cheap sounding effects to jumpscare you. No, this game is atmospheric. The music when it comes in is just what you'd expect from a Half Life game.

I'm writing this review with only 3 hours in, but so far I am sold 100%. A lot of love and care went into Half Life: Alyx, and Half Life yet again has changed the video game industry.
Posted 23 March, 2020.
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1 person found this review helpful
20.8 hrs on record (3.8 hrs at review time)
Played on Index.

I have been a VR user for probably 2 years now. I remember the first time I put on VR and was in awe with how immersive things could be in VR. With VR being my main device I would use, I eventually got use to it and haven't had that same reaction... until now.

Boneworks is the best VR game I have ever played. The physics in this game is everything you could ever ask for in a VR title. This game is definitely going to be setting the standard for future VR titles. I have not ever spent hours just playing around with interactible items on the side since Half-Life 2 and Portal. This being VR and having this crazy amount of detail just really is mind blowing. Haven't had an experience like this in ages.

This is definitely worth the hype, and no, its not a tech demo.
Posted 10 December, 2019.
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Showing 1-10 of 17 entries