Recent reviews by LAFtodeath

Is a phenomenal game, the level of polish for this game is not where it should have been on launch, however my play through of the game (62hr during review) has had a few issues with the engine and dubbing, and a few crashes and game feature quirky-ness leading to unjust deaths. Before I continue with the review it is important to consider the scope of the game and development rating. I would say this is a AA game not a AAA (definitions below(summed by Braves Leo AI(https://brave.com/leo/))).
I'll preface the rest of my review with I have never played any other S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in the series, and will say the detriment to the game I have experienced from that, is wanting to watch way to many videos on YT (entertaining as they are) to get familiarized with the lore of the world, and it takes me away from playing the game. This has been only thing I have had on my mind for the last 2 weeks of me playing (to the detriment of my IRL world (touching grass)). That said this games world will make you want to get more of the story and play the previous games, I know for me I will be playing the other games once I finish this game.
This game is everything I ever wanted in an exploration/survival game to sum the experience into other games, I would say it is Farcry (3) with horror elements baked in, it Fallout (4) with a real world to explore no tons of guns and loot as if you are the first person in the +-200 years since the apocalypse, and The Forest with an interesting story to explore that makes you want to keep going.
If you have read this far and are looking for a review to steer you away then keep looking and this game may not be for you, if on the other hand you've read to this point looking for a reason to buy it, if you have the games I stated and loved them then I would say pull the trigger you'll not regret it.

The video below sums the game exceptionaly well (not me).

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TKv1Mn1dQog?si=QD5DZPhuD_-jGQ2B" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[[h3]Definition of AAA Game[/h3]
A AAA game is a high-budget video game typically produced by large, well-known publishers or studios with significant experience and prestige. These games are known for their extensive development cycles, large budgets, and polished quality. Here are some key criteria that define a AAA game:

Development and marketing budget: Exceeds $25 million.
Critical reception: Generally well-received by critics.
Polish and quality: High level of polish and low number of bugs.
Gameplay duration: Offers more than 20 hours of gameplay.
Technical innovation: Makes full use of the latest technology or pushes technical boundaries.
Graphics: Features hyper-realistic graphics at release.
Studio experience: Developed by a studio that has previously created a AAA game.
These games often require significant resources and are aimed at achieving blockbuster status in the gaming industry.

Definition of AA Game

An AA game is a type of video game that falls between indie and AAA games in terms of budget and scope. Here are some key characteristics of AA games:

Budget: AA games have moderate budgets, enabling them to deliver polished graphics, gameplay, and narrative experiences without the astronomical costs of AAA production. For example, the pre-production budget for Life is Strange was around €4 million.
Development Teams: These games are developed by medium-sized studios with more resources than indie teams but are still smaller than AAA studios. Development teams for AA games usually consist of fewer than 50 people, with some examples having around 20 to 40 people.
Marketing: AA games have moderate marketing budgets, focusing on strategic use of their budget rather than extensive high-profile campaigns like AAA games.
Audience and Distribution: They aim to appeal to a broader audience while maintaining some unique features, and are primarily distributed digitally, with some receiving limited physical releases for special editions.
Games: Examples of AA games include “A Plague Tale: Innocence,” “Life is Strange,” and “Stray.”
Innovation and Quality: AA games balance creative freedom and the need for commercial viability, aiming to appeal to a broader audience while maintaining some unique features. They often prioritize excellent gameplay and storytelling, or innovative mechanics, with high-quality graphics and technical standards, though not cutting-edge like AAA games.

My two biggest complaints with this game is getting an update for native 21x9 aspect ratio on 25APR24, and that there cannot be a mod for "acheatments" (correct me if I am wrong. Please). If a Fallout game is in your recommended queue this a great one to jump in with as its new enough to have decent graphics and old enough to go on sale.

Got this when I purchased my GTX 1060 and did not regret my choice.

In an effort to be as spoiler free as possible all I'll say is if you like Portal 2 and The Stanley Parable then you'll like this game the less you know plot wise the more enjoyable the game is.

Perhaps one of the most addictive games I have played to date don't think you can just spend a few minutes in this game when you sit and play this your life will happen around you didn't realize I had three kids and am retiring tomorrow till it wouldn't open one day and I had to something else.

I played this game for a while and thought well it's fun but I think I've got these Civ's all down so I'll stop..... wait mods hmm sounds interesting I'll give it a shot.

It's been so long I no longer remember what the original traits are and I have no intention of going back I'm at a point where I can no longer save and quit without crashing the modded game has engolfed my very life and in the moments I sleep I awake to my whispers of grandeur.

>Play with mods
>Never vanilla again
>Play with communitas
>Have no regrets
>Start a domination game as Germany
>Progress to Panzers
>Take over neighbors
>Win via diplomacy
>Keep playing (Duh)
>Wipe out all other civ's
>Realise your a A*
>Play a science game as Korea
>Start by Japan
>Try to be friends with Japan
>They settle right where want to
>No longer friendly to Japan
>Start war with Japan
>No peace till World Congress
>Japan holds grudge
>Meets America
>America dislikes us
>America declares war
>capture all but five of America's cities
>Accept peace treaty for gold
>Japan gets nukes
>Plead for peace
>Keep capital
>Get nukes
>Retaliate
>Capture all but Kyoto
>America wins via science
Lesson learned kill America first!

This game is fun when it works, I bought it a while back and everything was fine, but now when I try to play it freezes and I can't put in the DLC codes(which you have to do manually because why allow copy and paste?) this game doesn't crash just freezes and the UI vanishes. This game is fun for captining ships when it/if it works.