Recent reviews by Shug

Waiting on this one. The core is certainly there but I couldn't make it through 2 matches. If all the bugs get ironed, I'm in. I love the premise and how a polished version of the game might look. Torn Banner needs to prove to me that it's worth getting first.

Going into this blind was a gift I never knew I had. This game has a sense of wonder and discovery like no other. A true adventure game that requires brain power and a heart. Simply one of my favourites of all time.

A little plot about aliens not unlike us and their lust for exploration allows you to uncover such a deep history about the species that came before them. The story is about individuals coming together as one to facilitate something bigger than all of them and it is told so beautifully over the course of puzzles and experimentation done by the player.

This feels like a gem that only comes along a few times in a lifetime. I will sing the praises of this game until my death and hope to see more like it in the future. One of those games I wish I could play for the first time again.

One of the greatest RPGs of all time, I think. It takes place in a world that is not our own and yet it serves as the perfect reflection of our world. Everything feels so alien and yet so human.

Primarily taking after TTRPGs the gameplay lends itself to dice rolls that all depend on character choices and stats. While this may not be the type of game for everyone, I think it nails this method down pretty well. Mostly due to how different all the choices are and just how many skills/stats there are.

The art and visuals are so beautiful to look at and borderline abstract in how they convey information. The voice acting and the writing are some how even better; the most prolific part of the game I would say. It is simply leagues above most books I have read. I cannot overstate how incredible each locale is described, how each character acts, and best of all, all the actions you can take. All of it is so wonderfully communicated.

I think I could confidently say it's my favourite game of all time, and I'm proud to have that opinion.

I love the 40k universe, although I am not a super fan. I do not collect figurines or play the tabletop. My knowledge is limited to the video games and books.

This game is a real hoot. The core game is so much fun. Hordes of Nurgle's minions and corruption that you can smash, cut, blast, shoot, and warp your way through. There are many builds to experiment with and all the characters provide their own little niche.

The art and sound are so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ cool. Seriously firing on all cylinders. It shows the hive city/sub level grimy back alley/industrial factory side of 40k. Everything is nasty, dark, and down trodden. The soundtrack is a beautiful conglomeration of heavy synthy beats that inject some serious excitement into the action.

Finally, the story is borderline non-existent. It is a very strange note to end this review on, but it is the truth. There are very limited cutscenes that only serve to flavour the context of your character levelling up. You'll get to know your mission handlers and some of the vendors around the ship you reside on, but that's it. No arcs, no development, no nothing. This really should bother me more than it does, but I can safely say I enjoy the game despite this. It's just a shame considering the incredible universe with so many stories to tell and avenues to explore.

Cyberpunk 2077 had a ♥♥♥♥ start, that much is undeniable. Lots of cracks, bugs, and nasty game breaking ♥♥♥♥. That era is over, it's actually incredible now.

This game is quite the spectacle. A grim look into the future where cybernetics and tech is everywhere, in everything. You play as a wicked cool merc who pulls off a huge risky job to kick off a really insane plot that asks some intense questions and sends you on a journey. The characters you come across feel well written, everyone has motivations and feel like independents beyond the scope of your story.

It has a very classic RPG gameplay loop of upgrading abilities, installing new cyberware, and picking up new firearms to blast away with. There are also dialogue heavy scenes in which you choose what to say or ask the questions you want to ask. Progression feels fair and you can really tailor your merc the way you want. You want to chop up some chooms with a katana? Go with a reflexes heavy build. Want to hack everyone and everything to the point where you can blow off someone's head without raising a finger? Go with intelligence.

I hope people give this one another chance, post Phantom Liberty DLC. It has a lot of fun in store, some great things to say about futurism, interesting stories, and any sci-fi fan could find a foothold here.

Everything from the first game, but better! This has an incredible building system that supports some prefab stuff, but it mostly involves a new free form type of building where you simply use logs to fit a number of functions in building a base. It feels really cool and is exactly what this type of game needs.

There are a lot of new items and firearms to use in this one which is a very welcome addition. Won't spoil any other really cool ones here, but there are some wicked exploration tools now as well.

In addition, there are friendly NPCs that will accompany you if you so desire. Kelvin is a buddy available from the get-go and he's great for doing those idle tasks while you focus on more brain powered activities. Otherwise, there is another companion you can meet during your time on the island for extra firepower.

I think it functions quite great as a solo or co-op experience. I have not played with more than two players, but I could see a group being pretty fun while losing a bit of the scare factor. It still works quite well as a horror game in my opinion. Sure, you'll get used to the dynamic AI and some of the behaviours of the cannibals. And yes, you'll get used to them ramping up the aggression over time and that's okay. I think it's part of the experience as you learn more about building and fighting that allows you to get more comfortable as you solve the secrets of the island.

I think it's also worth noting that I have not fully beaten the campaign at the time of the review. I am loving the game, but am in no rush to experience the plot or see what's in store for the end. The plot takes the passenger seat to your exploration as that is sort of your only way of moving forward anyways. I don't much care for the guessing game of which cave contains what and sometimes travelling an absurd distance to an unexplored cave only to find that you need an item from another cave to progress the cave you just wasted your time getting to.

This comes from someone who has played Outlast 1 & 2 and read the accompanying comics.

I'm psyched to see this become a franchise. Outlast has been one of the most boundary pushing horror media in recent memory. It's a bit of everything. Tons of psychological horror that involves breaking down characters to nervous wrecks, but also physically disgusting body horror that involves viscera and blood being thrown around. It's truly a horror fans delight.

This game is an incredible package from Red Barrels. The horror is true and present in the way the game looks, sounds, and plays. It is probably the closest we'll also ever get to a Saw type game that is good. Majority of the time you'll be skulking in the dark, avoiding enemies that want nothing more than to kill, rape, or otherwise gore you. It makes for a harrowing gameplay loop. Beyond that, the objectives are varied and feel very true to the makeshift, jury-rigged atmosphere.

Cooperative play can be seen as a hinder on the horror, but you'd be surprised at how real the threat is with higher difficulties/different modifiers.

Above all, I cannot believe something this heinous got made and became as popular as it is. This game has some of the most grotesque ♥♥♥♥ I've ever seen in a video game, ever.

Kind of silly how good this game is. Every update is a banger and it's fun as hell with friends. One of the most bang for your buck horror games out there right now.

Awesome game, but rubbish devs who push out updates from old builds and nerf all the fun stuff into the ground. HD1 never had this much BS mismanagement, instead they would add useful stratagems and weapons. Now, if we're lucky, they'll add them, wait till you pay for the warbond, and then nerf the ♥♥♥♥. It's like they don't play test, listen to the community, or do anything worthwhile in their development time. I loved the first game and enjoy playing this with friends, but it's like Arrowhead doesn't want me to. They have a very anti-fun philosophy in their office it seems.

They need to figure out their update process because it's been ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ terrible since launch. Won't ever recommend a purchase until that changes.

August 10th: Devs have made their bed with continuous misunderstandings of the community and unprofessional communication in their own Discord channel. It's incredibly disappointing and I pray for this game to make a turn around.

September 17th: Happy to report that they finally decided to add back the fun into the game and restore a lot of former (or better) changes for weapons and stratagems. And all the while not being glitched and ragdoll'd into frustration. Who knew they would actually restore the glory?!

Disappointing. Not the game. Everything around it. A true gem, hidden behind the dense fog of poor management, slow updates, and bad public relations. Beyond this, in the core, an awful community. Say what you will about the ubiquity of toxic behaviour, I have experienced positive and healthy communities just fine before.

Of course I will sacrifice slivers of my sanity just to play it now and again. Sometimes recapturing the magic from the first few weeks after launch. Because goodness that gameplay is fun. Chasing the dragon.

August 2024: I don't know what to say. Maybe I was bitter when I wrote that review. There's still a playerbase, one that I typically find even matches in. And like I said before, the game is fun. The devs have added characters, executions, and the variety was already pretty solid. For a TCM fan, it's what I want and how can I review that negatively? It's not something I would recommend to everyone, but credit where credit is do. This does it better than DbD imo, albeit with less polish.