Recent reviews by Moccasin Bill

Funcom has this history of releasing extremely buggy games, when you look at the state of Conan Exiles when it came out it was buggy, nearly unplayable, and a hot mess that was built on this ridiculously fun sandbox design that developed over time.

Comparably, Dune is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of playability and its design loop tailors towards the builders, crafters, and explorers of sandbox survival games. It tunes that aspect in terms of Dune lore, and instead of worrying about food everything focuses around water, rightfully so.

Funcom's games are quite niche, an extremely in depth crafting and base building mechanics that satisfy roles for every coop group of players, and the extreme grind and challenge for solo players. You have to understand Funcoms mechanics and its history to really get a grip.

So this review is really tailored towards players who enjoyed Conan Exiles and its evolution. Dune stands up in early launch and can comfortably say with future updates and content, I can see the game truly shine. It does in many aspects. The design loop in terms of crafting complexity, resource gathering, is all there if you enjoyed that in Exiles. If you're looking for an RPG based story on rails - this is not it. And won't ever be, this is how Funcom builds their games - around the design thesis of sandbox survival and those are its customers it targets.

Never mind the reviews that are 1-2 hours, where players hope to achieve instagratifcation within the steam refund policy period and throw in their review. If you know Funcom, their games truly shine several hours in when tech trees, recipes, and crafting begin to really expand. With scattered POI's, plenty of recipes, and sense of progression this is a truly fun game that is a step up in my opinion, esp compared to Exiles launch.

The only thing i'll ding them so far, are the lackluster unique POI's compared to Exiles which had a lot more sense of variety in terms of exploration. So far in the first two zones its quite repetitive, but I have yet to see more and hope that more variety come in to play, but because I haven't discovered that I'm not going to put my cards down.

I'm playing solo on the servers, and its always really cool to work inside my base while players are whizzing by on their bikes. Its immersive, it feels like Dune, and its unforgivable enough to warrant a significant focus on shelter building and sustainability survival mechanics. I do appreciate that, so instead of knee jerking the first hour of thirst, give the game a chance and allow yourself to truly get familiar with Funcoms design loop. You may find a gem that you find really addictive, as is what captivated me with Conan Exiles 'rough around the edges' experience.

Update to my review from my original one at launch.

It's been about 7 months, and I believe PC2 is finally at a state it should have been for launch. Starting a new park and running it/building it up for about 33 hours and all my major grievances seem to be addressed. Go Karts Scenery Rating has been fixed (remember to run a full test cycle) The content additions and the Western Theme Pack has been solid and reminiscent of PC1. Once we receive the upcoming Pirate pack i'll be pretty happy.

Some aspects of UI has been improved and management is a lot easier now that we can properly zone and AI Staff manages their tasks a lot more efficiently as well. I still think the first DLC right after launch was scummy, but in respect to the developers I can tell they have been knocking out bugs left and right, and remaining committed to the PC2 experience.

My last wish would be to see a 4k texture pack come out with configurations for mid to higher end PC's so we're not stuck with the overly aggressive LOD's from the console versions. Keep it up Frontier, hope to see more.

Thousands of hours between PC1 and Planet Zoo and I loved both games. Naturally, was excited for PC2 but was immediately met with such disappointment. A lot of the visuals, assets, and shading have been downgraded to accomodate the console ports, which is fine...if the game was functionally as good or not better than PC1. However sadly, it's not.

Wasn't a huge fan of the initial theme packs to begin with, very limited on generic themes and really lacking the several themes that existed in PC1. So we know what this means, a lot of upcoming DLC.

In fact, thanks to Frontier we've already received our first DLC offering...BEFORE fixing severe critical A BUGS! In principle, this is bad business and not a good look. Why? Let me list some reasons.

The management aspect is a step backward and prepare to click several times through several windows JUST to get some time of schedule going for your workers. If the scheduling even works, because my rides sure seem to think they're not being maintained.

Go Karts are completely, utterly broken. Scenery Rating stuck at 0%, AI would not enter the queue. I mean there are so many off putting cases where crowds get stuck, rides don't work properly (theres a few rides that simple don't work at all)

With all these issues Frontier announces their first Dec patch, release but also decide to slap a DLC along with it. It's really insulting. Especially since the patch did not fix several issues that still need to be addressed, like...GO KARTS.

After 100 hours of building and trying to get my park functional I gave up. I chalked it up to it needing another year or so before its somewhat enjoyable but with Frontier's middle finger DLC offering within a month of launch I might pass entirely.

Throne and Liberty takes various quality of life aspects of every single MMO i've played in the past, and crams it into one. The result is messy, noisy, and generally a gorgeous game that seems to have no soul or direction. The story is not impactful or memorable, and while the quests do have some minigame aspects to them, do not stand out and become very repetitive. Leveling pace seems very quick and progression tends to outpace faster than you can mentally keep up. While I appreciate various side activities and a nice cinematic to each zone, I don't have the opportunity to enjoy it because the story arc just funnels right through rather quickly. Side quests are a breeze and generally you find yourself cruising through each location without an afterthought.

Matchmaking system for dungeons work really well, and all the QOL functionality is really nice to have, but these are mechanics that seem to support otherwise bland gameplay.

I'm torn with tab targetting, and especially the action vs classic modes and its simple more controls have to fumble between. I personally prefer action, but often find various abilities that require precision clicking that constantly pull me out of action, so im left fighting the controls. The combat itself is pretty standard, and doesn't do anything special to set itself apart. The multi-class discipline feels messy and distracts from trinity based gameplay, and there are literally too many aspects to really appreciate a more smoother onboarding experience for any particular class.

Knowing full and well this is previously a Korean MMO, it has every staple of Korean MMO's - and more. It layers on tons of collectibles, achievements, dailies, contracts, and so many different systems that again i'm lost in direction and these distractions constantly pull me away from any personal attachment to the story, personal progression, or goals. It seems to heavily tailor its gameplay around guilds for the long term, which isn't ideal for a more solo players like myself.

This game is truly an OCD players worst nightmare, as there are too many different mission generators to count, all arbitrary fillers without any connection to the heart of the game, which doesn't seem to have one. Not once have I experienced a "Hook" and everything felt like generic "work".

There are no mounts, morphs feel gimmicky overall, and the game is a technical showcase for massive population rendering (I constantly go from 165 fps to 30 in ultra crowded events or in town on a 4090), along with every technical gameplay aspect you can cram into one. Its all tech, no game, no soul.

My daughter is 7 years old and as a father, this game has brought us closer together.

The graphics are aesthetically pleasing, the gameplay is intuitive yet not overbearing, and the coop functionality simply works great. This game, was designed by all means a coop experience at its best and the charm ties everything together. While not the type of game i'd really play solo - it exposes some great aspects in teamwork between dividing tasks, responsibilities and building with creativity. The game constantly moves, and every bit of effort seems to pace really well with content. A bit of flavor for everyone, so to speak.

While there are aspects that feel repetitive in nature (what survival game with gathering isnt), much of this is broken up by progression and the research carrot on the hook - including the journal as the overarching staple of Rafts greater storytelling. The flow of not knowing anything, being lost at sea to greater purpose while shifting from survive to thrive - really instills a sense of accomplishment all while sharing said experience with loved ones.

Great game, great work, and thanks for the medium to provide me and my daughter memories.

I think COTW has the foundations of which could be a fantastic fishing game that could be on par with competitors - however its falling short in so many categories that it doesn't master any single one which keeps its potential limited. Perhaps there are design decisions here that cater to ease of access or simplicity, or what not so take my pure feedback coming from thousands of hours fishing irl, hundreds in Fishing Planet, and just about any game that has fishing in it. (RDR2, FC5, etc) I am also basing this feedback completely separate from The Hunter - I never played it and own it and do plan on playing it but imo I really want to treat this title completely separate without any attachment to its counterpart.

1. Mission Flow - The Golden Tour (Progression Check) - I think progression in this game is pretty decent. However the missions need work and by that I mean the broad entry of the challenge missions along with the introduction mission. I really think that the Golden Tour should be a tier based progression check. The fact that its one of the first missions that has you doing anything BUT fishing, and just touring around in a jeep for hours is simply not contributing to player retention.
Sure you dont have to do it - but let's say if The Golden Tour was a Master Mission, that took you to from one location, to the next where you focused on board missions there. Something like this.

The Golden Tour Part 1
Tutorials -> Diamond Peak -> Mission Boards
The Golden Tour Part 2
Diamond Peak -> Ruby River-> Mission Boards
The Golden Tour Part 3
Ruby River -> Emerald Lake -> Mission Boards
The Golden Tour Part 4
Emerald Lake -> Silver Strand-> Mission Boards

Obviously they don’t need to follow this direction of flow but my point is that a master progression check is a lot more guiding for new players than simply offering them The Golden Tour which just dumps free money on them without fishing. Fishing is a part of the whole point, and that’s why I believe incorporating missions during the Golden Tour as part of its segment is valuable.

2. Challenge Missions – There needs to be some real adjustments made here because I know for sure the challenge missions force specific fish type spawn for checking off the mission. I think that defeats the purpose of the challenge missions – the fish should be targeted in the wild and the angler should use all the knowledge they have about a location and species to target them instead of simply spawning “gold fish X” until player Lands “Diamond Y” and the hook size being 1 size different filter a bit silly. Make challenge missions part of the wild spawn. Diamonds should exist in the wild, players should know where to look for them.

There is a distinct difference between fish spawns in the wild vs missions and players pick up on this right away. When a player takes on a mission and realizes he’s catching 50 golds, then can’t even catch a silver version of the fish in the wild – there is something wrong and could really discourage the player. Fishing should be a challenge so rewarding them with very easy xp and money by just doing challenge missions is not setting up the player for success in the long term goal of retention.

I will say this one more time.

Fishing in the wild should be the first, and foremost most pleasurable experience – with all of the mechanics and missions being a satisfying layer on top.


3. Fishing Mechanics – I will keep this simple but I really feel like there needs to be more depth to angling.
• Fish should pull and escape at different angles, with you having the counter pull at the opposite angle for better control of the fish.
• Audio feeding to tension like a tight wire as opposed to the sound of cloth ripping when line is very tight.
• The fight feedback is difficult to understand because they react to abruptly and in a jerk like manner – there needs to be some interpolation on phases of the fish fight ie pulling back on the rod to tire out a fish vs counter steering vs counter reeling
• Why is it SO easy to see the fish on the surface from 20-50m away? Water and light surfaces doesn’t react like that and certainly not at human eye level.
• Floats don’t interact with flow of water and defeat the purpose of any weights – as such no weights being used affect the float at all.
• There are different types of floats but they don’t have any distinct gameplay differences in terms of buoyancy and pros and cons when angling.
• Allow us to occasionally or accidentally catch souvenirs like and old civil wars generals boot or something.

4. QOL and Tackle
• Tackle boxes are a no brainer – and allows your studio better opportunities for expanding player retention and goals to upgrade to different types of tackle whether its soft or hard tackle of all sizes.
• Rod Holders – Id love to float fish and jig at the same time.
• Incorporate gameplay QOL on Boats, rod holders on boats? Etc?
• Trolling motors
• Anchor Toggle (Allow us to toggle anchors) incorporate physics to interact with boat such as water, fish pull etc
• Kayaks – there are areas in Ruby River and Silver Strand hell everywhere that are great kayak opportunities.
• Wider variety of tackle (this is a no brainer)
• Fish Finder? Depth Finder (these I could do without but mere suggestions)

5. UI and Gameplay
• Quick Greeting please add - “Any luck?”
• Allow us to toggle off the Lazy mode shortcut keys on the bottom left of screen
• Allow us to control scale of the UI or at least a broad depth of toggle for a more immersive mode.
• (P) hotkey for Hide UI is a temporary photo mode – not a true photo mode – please allow us to have a permanent Toggle UI option
• Leaderboards would be great – I know this is granpaps sanctuary buckaroo but if we’re going to sport fish it, why not convince ol warden that we’re going to “Sport Fish” it so having some competitions for the sake of conservation is well worth I would say.

That’s it that’s the feedback. In summary I would say that if Angler had the depth of fishing mechanics that are very fluid in games like FP, where FP lacks the very large environments that make Angler really shine – id say theres some really positive gains to be made that could really set Angler at the top. I really love the world that was built here, a lot of effort has been placed in building the environments so having these very beautiful vistas and locations are one of the admittedly huge traps of fishing that I admire but these are motivators not solvers and the game truly should not be a walking simulator – the game should be an all out outdoor experience that’s focused on fishing with every other mechanic that feeds directly into that.

Camps and Tents in the wild near your favorite pond you found? Hell yeah – nobody else has that yet (except for RDR2)

Great game I love it, will continue to play and support it as there are some real potential here and hearing the developers plan for the future with transparency is very welcome. I’ll do the same.

Chivalry 2 has smooth easy to learn combat controls that is forgiving for new players while still retaining a pretty high ceiling curve as those controls are expanded to combat tactics such as counters, morphs, feints, kicks and jabs. It's not in the realm of Mordhau or M&B. I personally cannot stand directional input combat, so really appreciate Chiv 2's approach to combat which makes it accessible for all players. One thing I have always felt, coming from Mordhau - was that there was never a wide variety of players of skill primarily because its savage learning curve, and small hardcore playerbase. Chiv 2 fills the gaps here because the game focuses on objective based matches that are more cinematic and entertaining, than it is individual combat. There are still plenty of intense 1v1 moments but you'll find yourself in a lot more 1v5 moments if you're seeking it. Hence the smarter idea to play off the flanks of your fellow knights.

I may be the minority but I appreciate the faction based story that's expanded upon - and the cosmetics to reflect that opposed to sheer "medieval barbie dress up simulator" - It's simple and it works. There's always new gear to work towards, new titles, and new things to unlock. It warrants highly enjoyable replayability due to the sheer entertainment out of an epic 64 player match. Some people say it's extremely repetitive. I say no two ways end exactly the same per match. The result is up to the players.

Simply put, I would highly recommend Chiv 2 due to the fact that whether you're a new player or a seasoned player in this genre - there's something to enjoy for everyone. There are even bards. After all, what other game has a bunch of noble peasants circled around in a botched diplomatic meeting resulting in a brawl involving flutes, mugs, books, and fists?

One of histories greatest come back stories

I am a 90's era simmer who was passionate of WW2 era planes and took to the skies in games like B17 Flying Fortress and MS Combat Flight Sim. There's never been a game thats scratched the itch like IL-2. Simply put, I believe it's the best game in the genre that is accessible to most simmers and in VR, simply nothing compares. The key word however is, accessibility. It does not sacrifice simulation and has just the right depth to make it simple enough to pick up and learn. What I love about the game is that its pretty easy to pick up and play, but additional reading and studying into an airframe really allows you to master a planes flight model. Great youtube videos on each plane have really helped me, and curiosity had me studying various engines to really understand and master a particular planes engine management.

I've been flying 200 hours in a daily realistic speed pilot career mode in Bodenplatte first as a jug pilot then moved to mustangs at Asch airbase with a focus on mastering these 2 of my favorite iconic planes. Let me tell you, it's been a blast. Personally, I haven't touched multiplayer as I like to run my own career but I have fiddled with Pat Wilsons Campaign Generator and it allowed myself and a friend an incredible coop experience (both as pilot/gunner, and wingman)

Deep flexibility in customizing your difficulty is outstanding, I really enjoy playing on hard difficulty by disabling all pilot assisting modules including markers, and hud ui elements. I also disable the minimap, and only use the mission map with our mission coordinates - trying to set myself in as close to an authentic WW2 piloting experience as I possibly can. With a constant attentive massaging of trim to keep my wingmen on course as a flight leader, while identifying natural navigation markers and utilizing airspeed, altitude and clock time to target approach - I am never bored in flight and never felt the need to speed time. It really is an enjoyable experience for me.

Damage model is great, and in VR the feeling of getting strafed with a burst that shatters your cockpit and knocking out a flap sending you on mission to crossover to friendly lines in case you need to bail, is second to none.

If there was any criticism I could provide it would be to general AI behavior (they have improved over time from what i've seen, wingmen in P47's used to crash all the time upon takeoff) namely the cheesy zig zag patrol during bomber escort missions. Though that's remedied by me being flight leader. Still though would love to see improvements in natural AI behavior and pershaps a ton more flak (Combat Flight simulator aced this way back)

Hardware - I play in VR utilizing the Valve Index on an i9-9900k with 2080ti - game runs great in VR and will require a lot of fiddling and testing with frames however as the game is very demanding in CPU usage. Warthog HOTAS and Saitek Pedals does the job as well for me though i'm sure there are plenty of great alternatives for hotas enthusiasts especially.

I highly recommend OPENVR_FSR for VR users (it greatly improves performance) and in general the modding community on IL-2 (there's an abundance of great mods, including plane skins, radio chatter, weapon trails, compilations and others)
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/73122-fidelityfx-superresolution-to-steamvr-games/

Devs are active on their forums, and constantly release news and updates of progress on the boards incl here on Steam - and that's great to me.

IMO anyone thats got over 100 hours has probably got their moneys worth, and if anyone past those hours at least on steam are posting negative reviews, then they're simply tilted about something thats disrupted their thousand hours of gameplay.

All in all, fantastic sim 8/10 with hopes of continued AI improvements and additional efforts in dynamic missions in pilot careers. I look forward to Battle of Normandy and the future!

No proper aspect ratio support for super ultra-wide monitors. Will come back to the game & review once this is implemented.

An ok shooter, but a terrible Battlefield.