Recent reviews by SSG Slappy

I have significantly more hours on the Quest 3, so please disregard my steam record.

I've played ITR since the early days and... Wow. This is an absolute gem in regards to VR titles. To the point where I would say this is a VR staple. The environment, sound, weapon controls, it's all top-notch and worth your time. If you're a fan of the STALKER series, and have a VR, this is a highly recommended title.

I'm very much looking forward to ITR2

Poor matchmaking. Literally started the game as a level 2 and was matched with other players at level 50+.

Definitely don't recommend anymore. This game's community has become the equivalent of Rainbow Six Siege (new players are shunned for existing). If you're a new player here, you aren't welcome unless you're willing to put in time to some of these milsim airsoft weenie squads. Sh*t ain't worth all that nonsense. If you want a good experience, go to Hell Let Loose or even Post Scriptum... If P.S. is still alive, that is.

Okay look, hear me out. I know I only put less than an hour into this, but from what I experienced so far, I would recommend a pass (for now). To me, it feels like a clunky mobile dragon battle game. It even has the oh-so-common mobile platform routines - dailies, cosmetics, loot boxes, etc.

In addition, the game just feels off. Matchmaking is also rough. Level 1? Be prepared to be introduced to your inner rectum by some level 30+ tryhard with their $19.99 pretty sparkle dragon (Cosmetic only, thankfully). I also get frequent stutters in gameplay - especially when big actions are taking place. I have a pretty solid system, so I know it shouldn't be my specs. Maybe poor optimization? It uses the Unreal engine, which doesn't normally give me issues in other games.

The game also lacks content. You get three choices for flight lizards - DPS, DOTS, and pseudo-healer/DPS(?). There are a lot of cosmetic options - even the ability to grow and hatch your own fire-breathing-dinosaur-with-fly-flaps... Which looks pretty neat, imo. But from what I've seen so far, that's it. The game looks great, but needs a little more to keep it fresh, I think.

The flight also needs some work. The ability to change your flight options to "RAW" (heh...) is an awesome option, but I think it still needs some tweaking as trying to maneuver your dragon around projectiles just sucks on MKB. I tried adjusting the sensitivity of the X and Y axis, but it still seemed clunky. Lost a lot of fights just battling the flight system, honestly.

Now, It's F2P, and I know I shouldn't complain too much as some of these complaints are common in all F2P games... But, I was really hoping for a solid dragon pew-pew game lol. I recommend passing on this, for now. Unless you're interested in experiencing your rear orifice from the first person perspective by a level 40 dragon mounter and/or trying to dodge hot spit-balls with a fully loaded 18 wheeler in the sky.

One fix I would greatly appreciate though is this:

Devs, if you can hear the cry of a lowly peasant - please implement some sort of actual matchmaking system that evens the playing ground and helps the lower level combustible-breath-gecko-riders build some confidence and progress.

What do you think?

Okay, so I recommend this based on the fact there are people that enjoy wave-based/arena style shooters - which is what MoH is now, apparently. In that aspect, it's okay. However, if you're a fan of MoH and have been hoping for a reawakening.. We are, yet again, disappointed. Note: I haven't done any multiplayer yet since I was hoping for a return to awesome storytelling I experienced in the classic MoHs.

BLUF

Meh.. That's about all I can say for an overall opinion of this game. It misses a lot of expectations from MoH fans and caters to VR arena/wave shooter fans.

Graphics

Graphics are good and the gameplay is smooth. If you're like me and need to keep motion sickness in mind, it does have the appropriate settings to alleviate it. The game can look good on certain maps. Weapon models look good. Characters look... Strange. Odd even. I get the Uncanny Valley feeling when I look at the NPCs - maybe that's just me, but I feel they could've pushed for more of a realistic approach in character design. They just look lifeless, but "talk".

Story

The story is, well... Meh. In typical MoH fashion, you are the lone fighter taking on what seems like the entire Nazi regime. You have a "squad", but they're essentially useless and are just fodder for pushing the "story" on. There are attempts by the developers to connect with your teammates, but it's done in such a way you just don't. Similar to the character building in CoD:WW2.

The NPCs are cringe-worthy at best. However, the voice acting is actually pretty good and I commend the voice actors on their work. Sarge's voice acting is top notch and actually sounds like a battle-hardened SFC who spent time in Ranger Bat during WW2. Rough, grizzled, and tired. Well done actors!

I do enjoy the map planning missions, though. For these, you get to place individuals in spots and conduct an attack - typically an ambush scenario.

You also get victories for watching cutscenes.. So, that's cool, I guess? Thanks? Maybe a congratulations for listening to the cringy NPCs.

Weapons - how did they mess this up? The aiming is strange compared to other VR shooters. If you play Contractors or Pavlov, you'll know what I mean. To aim, you almost need to bring the VR "controllers" damn near to your headset and just doesn't feel right. If you're using a scoped weapon, it's just weird. There is no picture in picture here, so if you bring the weapon up to your face, everything else goes black and all you see is your scope... To help, actually close your non-dominant eye when using scoped weapons. It was a bit of an eye strain for me at first.

The action is quite a disappointment. I was REALLY looking forward to D-Day in VR... What I got was bland, unimaginative, and just lacked the fear element of riding a tin can onto a fortified enemy beachhead. Compare CoD:WW2's D-Day depiction to what MoH:AaB does and you'll see what I mean. I wasn't afraid to stand on the beach in this game. The enemy fire seemed scripted and in such a way to not seem so intense. I was hoping for artillery, shooting all around, screaming - typical war chaos sounds. It just isn't here, thus there is no real immersion. A huge miss on the developers' and publisher's part here, in my opinion.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, it's a "Meh" arena style VR shooter. If you're into that style of gameplay and not that interested in a storyline and don't want anything too intense, pick it up. If you're looking for a WW2 game that isn't simply an arena shooter with a WW2 backdrop and actually carries you through an engaging storyline - I guess we'll have to just keep waiting. I think the devs could have done better at creating an engaging and heart-pumping WW2 experience here. Overall, I feel they skirted around it just to simply publish a game prior to Christmas instead.

BLUF: Pretty accurate representations of highway systems in the western portion of the US. Graphics aren't half bad and, when maxed out, runs really good with only a few minor hiccups when loading in textures at a distance. The truck interiors feel good and look pretty nice. I do wish the draw distance could be amped up a little more, especially when going through the more scenic locations (WA, for example). I also love the online radio with the ability to bring in your own favorite stations by importing the stream ID. Tutorial could also be a little more fleshed out for players who may be more unfamiliar with handling a rig and trailer (especially if you want some more familiarity with backing a trailer). Lastly, the AI seems responsive to the player's actions (i.e. using a signal causes drivers in your blind spot to slow or speed up to clear your lane change, for example).

Full Review:

American Truck Simulator is, well, a truck driving simulator game set in the Continental US. It does a really good job at representing most areas currently accessible to players today. The devs also seem fairly active and recently released the Idaho DLC (which is good, IMO). In the beginning of the game, the player creates their own company, chooses their start location, then go out into the world of driver-for-hire transport. This is where you simply choose a load with a predetermined start point and go. No need to transport your rig to pickup the trailer, you spawn at the start point already hitched up. This is how you'll earn enough funds to eventually buy your own rig (or take a bank loan at level 1: Newbie).

Once you purchase your own rig, you unlock the ability to take your rig to the pickup site, hitch the trailer, and deliver it to it's destination (you'll be personally responsible for fuel, rest, and damage expenses incurred en route). Once you make enough money, you'll also be able to do upgrades to your garage (start point I mentioned earlier) as well as hire drivers and buy more rigs. I really enjoyed this since it adds some management to the game. After purchasing your own rig, you'll also unlock the ability to customize your truck... Which look really good once you unlock all of the customization options.

As far as highway accuracy, I'd rate it very well done. Granted, towns and cities are smaller and hours pass every 30 seconds or so (haven't actually timed how fast time goes in-game), but the devs did a pretty good job at some of the highlights in each town. For example, I recently transitioned out of the Army and was stationed in Southern Arizona. While there, I drove all around Tucson and Sierra Vista. One of the things that stood out to me was this: IRL, Arizona I-10 Eastbound exit 302 onto 90 South has a McDonald's with a dinosaur statue (check it out on Google Maps if you're curious). It's your typical random desert highway thing that, for some reason, attracts bored drivers, lol. Anyways, the devs incorporated this random thing at exit 302, in game, which is an exit not many people take unless you're heading to the Fort. When I saw that, granted it's a different dinosaur, I couldn't help but chuckle at the fact they even considered to include it. So, I enjoy the devs attention to detail when they crafted these places together. Oh, and be cautious of "random events" on the map - construction sites, cars pulled over, police doing a stop, etc. I had a couple instances where construction closed the exit I needed to take which resulted in me taking an alternate route. Minute detail, but still appreciated.

The controls are okay, and can be somewhat overwhelming if you don't use a wheel or controller. Keyboard controls utilize all of your keys. So, take a look at the controls and learn them over time if you want to make your driving experience better... or just fork out the money for a wheel.

Audio can be a hit or miss. Expect sudden loud sound if you change the camera to anywhere outside of the driver seat, especially when driving. I also have an issue with music (personal, locally stored music) cutting out randomly. Though, when the sound works as intended, it sounds fairly realistic and adds to the immersion that your driving around with a 30,000+ lbs death mobile lol.

What I can say is, this is actually a pretty good simulator game. If you have an interest in trucking or enjoy driving, this might cure some of that traveling itch COVID-19 quarantines have put us all in.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2175558724 - A view of the interior of a rig.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2175558438 - A view of the exterior with some background (Washington/Oregon)

Original Review: April 11, 2017

*Update since latest patch - July 3, 2017*

Okay, so one of the biggest patches has hit this wonderfully brutal battle royale. In this patch, they included a couple new weapons (a bullpup style weapon that can only be acquired through airdrops and a fully auto glock found throughout normal weapon spawning), destructible huts, and numerous gameplay tweaks to further enhance the experience. All in all, so far, the devs are working incredibly hard to consistently improve this game. If you haven't bought into the hype yet, it's worth it... Really, it is. Grab a few buddies and jump into this game. I promise, you won't regret it.

Let’s double tap some of the cons from my first review:

As for the lag I mentioned, it’s still pretty rough when starting out in a match. There’s roughly a 2 second delay when trying to open a door or pick up equipment/weapons. The devs’ network team needs to invest in some better network equipment or come up with a more cost-efficient way to handle that initial burst to the network (Just please… Don’t go full ♥♥♥♥♥♥ like Ubisoft does with P2P).

Graphics have been significantly improved. Before, I mentioned I was getting about 50 – 70 fps. Now I’m sticking around ~90 fps. Kudos to the graphical optimizations! It’s noticed and greatly appreciated!

Still haven’t seen any in-game bug/error reporting… But, honestly, I haven’t incurred any significant issues like everyone else has (i.e. the hilarious, yet obviously frustrating, constant falling animation). Maybe I’m just lucky, but I think there should be some way to report in-game, as reporting through a third party can be too burdening and often skipped due to unwillingness to comply! #obey

*Below is the April 11, 2017 review*

So, where do I begin? PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS is a Battle Royale style multiplayer game where you start off with nearly 100 players on a fairly decent sized map and work to be the last one surviving. Think H1Z1, but better executed (in my opinion).

At this point, I have 10 hours of gameplay under my belt. From what I can tell, this game is primarily inspired by the ARMA Battle Royale mod from a while back (oh... the memories). It's super simple to get into the game; you create a pretty bland character (be careful, though.. it costs 3,000 in-game credits to change/alter your avatar) and click play on the top left of the screen. Personally, I haven't experienced any connection issues when trying to join a match, but I have read that some players have experienced this. Once you successfully join a match, you have 60 seconds to get accustomed to the controls or grab the nearest weapon on a bench and create your own chaos as you prep to load into a C-17 to airdrop your sorry sack o... avatar onto the map.

Once the actual map loads, you're sitting in a bird waiting to airdrop... Choose your drop location wisely. Pick somewhere everyone else is jumping, your chances of survival upon landing are pretty slim (unless you're lucky and able to get inside a building with either an SMG, M416, or Shotty). From this point it's up to you. Loot buildings, improve your armor and bag space, accumulate ammunition, and fight your way for that 1st position. As the game progresses and the number of alive players drop, the playable area will get smaller and smaller (pay attention to this! If you're outside the playable area you take a bit of damage every second).

Now for the review:

Pros:

• Gameplay is fantastic! Expect an adrenaline rush every time you jump into a match. Especially when you make it to the last 10 surviving.. This is where the game is pure gold. And.. ahh... the hitboxes are precise.
  
  
• Controls are actually pretty good. If you don't like the stock key set, you can change them through the options. Controls are precise, accurate, and comfortable (you'll see what I mean once you get in.. it feels natural).
  
  
• The graphics are really nice. I have noticed some slight texture load errors, but after a few seconds, they seem to fix themself. Definitely in a better state than other Early Access games when it comes to graphics.

Now, for the Cons:

• Lag is pretty rough.. Especially in the beginning of the match after you land and start scrounging for some sort of pea shooter. It's pretty common to have to wait at least 1 - 2 seconds for a door to open. Also, seeing other characters rubber-banding around is common. Though, after you settle in and some players die off, you'll notice it improve (Hence is why I recommend parachuting somewhere away from the big crowds.. No matter how tempting it may be). Though, I'm sure the devs are tracking this and are working on better optimizing their network capabilities.
  
  
• Remember when I said the graphics are beautiful? That's because I'm running this with a 1080. I have high graphical setting selected and am only rocking about 50-70 fps. This isn't a complete dealbreaker for me since I have such a powerful card. Now for those who don't have, at least, a 970.. You'll struggle a bit. I've seen reviews of other players getting as low as 20fps with settings on low. Again, though, I'm sure the devs are tracking and are working on a graphical optimization patch.
  
  
• No in-game error/bug reporting. I've scoured all over the game settings to try and find a way to report bugs. Apparently their recommendation for bug reporting is to record your gameplay and upload that recording to a third-party website. While I understand how recording gameplay for error reporting is very beneficial, why the third-party website? How do we know our report is being viewed? This seems a little off. Careful reporting bugs on the steam forums, as it's been reported people are getting banned by a disgruntled mod... Great...
  
  So, overall, this is a very polished Early Access game with tons of potential. If you're looking for a good battle royale style game that's better than H1Z1, I recommend picking this one up. If you can handle some of the net lag and are okay with below 60fps at times (hopefully this is a priority for the devs), support the devs and give this a try... I just hope they don't take the money and run like so many other early access developers we're oh so familiar with.

So. It's time for, "Slappy Totally Legitimately Reviews.. Paladins Beta"

At first glance, one would think, "Overwatch knockoff." (and yeah, you may be right)... But once one dives into it, one can see the true beauty and strategy behind this gem of a f2p IP from the developers behind Smite. Like Smite, the graphics are similar. I guess we could compare it to that of World of Warcraft. Cooky, crooked architecture and bright vibrant colors hit your vision recepticles upon first running around the well-designed maps before being brutally slaughtered by a giant Spanish guy who clearly struggles with the ladies.

Let's break it down, shall we?

Graphics: First off, if you enjoyed the graphics of Wow (with better resolution) you'll like the look of Paladins. It's somewhat cartoony design is a nice break from the gritty FPS we see today. It's also great in the fact that it doesn't require a NASA supercomputer just to play on medium graphics *looks at you, BF1*. So, for graphics I would put this at a 9/10. It does well to look good and run just as smooth.

Gameplay: So for Gameplay, think: CS:GO, Overwatch, and TF2 had a baby produced from 3 parents and named it Steve, and Steve offered his services for free. You just had to pay for his costumes. Yeah, I'd say that's fairly accurate. For a game in Beta, the actual Gameplay is surprisingly good. There are plenty of bugs though... trying to add a referral or get into a group with friends (if you have any...) can get frustrating as you'll have to restart the game a couple times. Once in the game, you have 45 seconds to purchase an ability with your measly 400 credits (choose wisely here). Once the round starts, it's chaotic. Everyone rushes to their point (if playing Siege) in a mad-crazy-lunatic-like desire to cap the point. This is where picking your character is important. There are four styles to play as: Damage, Front-Line, Support, and Flank. Ensuring you have a balance between all styles in your team could mean total success or another embarrassing loss.

The map design is very well done. There are a few ways to approach the objective, whether it's from above or ground level. While awesome, I did notice a few areas where I kept getting stuck on walls or through doors. To get out, just simply wiggle out (not you, the character). Now for gameplay, I'll rate it at a solid 7/10. It still needs much TLC, but it's still pretty solid in its current state.

Sound: Not much to say here. The sound effects are done well, with no blaring issues. I did notice some bugs where the countdown sound would loop or echo. Nothing game-breaking though. 9/10.

Controls: surprisingly smooth. Quick reaction with the mouse movements and keystrokes.. 10/10.

Overall, Paladins is a rock solid team based FPS that could have potential to become an E-Sport. It's honest F2P business model and solid gameplay make it a serious recommendation in my book. Overall, I'd rate it at an 8/10. It still has its bugs and glitches that can get frustrating at times, but once you and a group of friends get into a match, it makes up for it. See ya in-game (I'm mostly playing Cassie... shessohawt!)

**UPDATED REVIEW 14 DECEMBER 2014**

Okay, so after finally figuring out how to fix the low texture resolution problem and finally being able to connect to multiplayer... I figured I'd update my review.

First, after getting the graphical issues figured out, I decided to give the campaign a run through. Not bad actually. I have to admit, the campiagn is pretty interested. Of course it's your typical Call of Duty storyline, but I think they actually managed to pull a gem out of their asses (Activision, I mean).

The gameplay is fairly smooth. The sound could use some improvements... They're really not focusing on improving their work in the sound department. Just recycled sounds from previous CoD games. Graphics, once everything was sorted, are actually really good. The facial expressions are very captivating. It almost appears they've super imposed actual actors' faces onto the characters' bodies. I'm impressed. We're talking some Heavy Rain quality sh*t here people, lol.

Anyways, after drudging through the campaign, I found myself actually having fun (for once in a post CoD:MW). Now onto the multiplayer.

Let's get the bad stuff outta the way now. As I'm sure you're well aware, there are no dedicated servers... Which means cheaters everywhere. My God are cheaters everywhere. Every single game I joined had about one to two cheaters every round. Also, barely anyone online. Took me 20 minutes to get into a game... Mosh pit, mind you. A culmination of different modes. 20 minutes. That was pretty much it for the negatives, though.

As for the positives. I'm really enjoying the character customization. Call me old fashioned, but I love creating my character and really making them my own. You can do that here. One thing that bugs me though is the timed (rented) equipment. Never been a huge fan, but this doesn't really bother me too much. Once I got into a game, it was actually pretty fun. The use of the exo with the fast paced, claustrophobic, in your face tea bagging, all made a pretty good experience. I managed to level myself from 1 to 13 in about an hour. So, every round you're bound to get something, whether that be a promotion or a badge. It definitely keeps you coming back. Well done Sledgehammer.

So, after giving the game a go after fixing the issues mentioned in the previous (below) review. I can recommend this game... At a massive discount (Maybe get it during the Holiday sale.. If it goes up on sale). I'm still pretty butt-hurt about Activision's lack of communication and much needed TLC for us PC Gamers. We were, after all, Call of Duty's original demographic of choice.

For anyone having issues with low textures and not being able to connect with the Advanced Warfare Servers, shoot me a message and I can walk through the process I took to resolve the issues.


**BELOW REVIEW IS OUTDATED AS OF 14 DECEMBER 2014 (reader's beware, it's mean)**


This game is utter ♥♥♥♥. I don't use that term lightly, since even the roughest games have their gems. CoD:AW does not have gems but massive lumps of coal strewn out amongst many many piles of fecal matter.

Where should I start... Ah yes. WTF happened to the graphics after the first big update? Everything looked amazing. The textures were great, the gameplay was smooth, the sound was spot on. Now, The textures are very low res (Even when set to extra/high), the sound is wonky, and the controls are incredibly floaty. I gave up 2 hours in.. I couldn't handle it anymore. -9/10 (that's right, I took points away from them. Activision owes us gamers... Significantly).

For the multiplayer aspect? Sounds great. Haven't had a chance to actually jump in and play since I'm having a repeated issue with an error message... yep, the "Call of Duty Advanced Warfare servers are currently unavailable. Please try again later."

WTF?!?!?!?! I paid $60 for a great multiplayer game only to stare at an error message for two months? You owe us Activision. I demand a full refund and will not stop until every single one of us who fell for your false advertisements are reimbursed. This is an example of the great AAA titles we're dealing with today. F*ck this. We pay top dollar for quality games and we're getting ♥♥♥♥ in return? Regardless of their feelings for PC gamers, they still have to deliver what they advertise. This is simply not the case.

My recommendation? Do not purchase, do not think of purchasing, do not even think about this game, nor future CoDs (certainly set to release within the next 11 months). Don't even look at the store page... It's not worth the energy cost to view it. It's that bad.

Sorry for the excessive angry typing. My poor keyboard feels violated it was hit so hard. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS ACTIVISION! MY KEYBOARD GETS ABUSED FOR YOUR INCOMPETENCE!

*First Impressions Alpha Review*

Before we begin, let me give you an overview of The Long Dark. To put it simply, It's an open world survival game set in northern Canada. From what I understand there was recently a strange geomagnetic issue that's causing an extreme winter(?). Your main goal in the game (which is only a sandbox for now) is survive the rough winter for as long as you can. The game is best played when exploring because staying in one spot will eventually kill you (lack of supplies, freezing temperatures, wolf attacks, etc). Understand this is an alpha review and the majority of the items mentioned in this review could change as the development process continues. Be prepared to feel cold while playing this!

Anyways, let's get down to this alpha review.

Gameplay 9/10.

The game runs incredibly smooth. For an alpha, I'm impressed at the stability of it. The amount of immersion in this game is creepy. While playing this, I actually felt myself shivering. The surroundings, the weather, and the overall feel of this game just puts you in your characters shoes. I very rarely get this from a game. I also enjoyed the eeriness of some of the buildings scattered throughout the area. I found myself entering a hydro plant and getting the chills as I searched through the building looting supplies. It really made me feel uneasy and very alone. I hope the devs keep this up and look to implement more to keep the player immersed in this amazing game (so far). I haven't experienced a single crash, graphical tear, or strange anomoly while playing though this, so far. I'm impressed.

Graphics 6/10.

Now, I'm not rating it a 6 because it has bad graphics. It's a cartoonish style design. If you're into this style of graphics, then you'll certainly enjoy it. I just feel a game like this, with the amount of immersion, should utilize a beefier engine. Now, before I get shot by the Steam Reviewer Hunters, I understand this is an alpha game and am certainly not basing my recommendation solely on graphics. The graphics certainly doesn't turn me away from this game.

Sound 9/10.

The sound is what makes this game so amazing. You can tell the devs are putting lots of work into their sound design. Like I mentioned above, I actually felt cold while playing this game. The sound of the wind whipping past you, the sound of the wind outside while trying to warm yourself up in a cabin, the footsteps in deep snow, etc. Great sound design so far. The only reason this isn't a 10 is because the voice is sometimes hard to hear. If you want a truly immersive experience while playing this, wear headphones. It'll chill you to the bone.

Controls 8/10.

Honestly, the controls are about average, yet well tuned. Every action has a delay time that feels right, everything feels timed perfectly. I don't see a game like The Long Dark really implementing crazy new controls (which is fine by me). The toughest part, though, is when getting attacked by a wolf and you have to left click multiple times to build up power, then use the right mouse button to attack. I did, however, enjoy this because it adds a level of panic and frantic mouse pounding. Other than that, though, about average control set for your standard FPS.

Overall... Get ready...

9/10 (for now)

This is a very interesting game with some great ideas behind it. The developers appear to have put lots of care putting this together. The sound, in my opinion, is the best part of this game. I love how the sound of the wind while inside a cabin really makes you feel like you were trekking outside in the dead of winter trying to warm up next to a pot belly stove. I'm not a huge fan of the graphics they chose, but I never really based a game solely on graphics anyways. The combat (when attacked by a wolf) is truly scary, and when exploring some of the hardened buildings you can feel level of uneasiness (nothing like walking out of a doorway only to get attacked by a wolf inhabiting that room). Overall, I recommend giving this game a go and supporting the devs as they put this together and make it better.