Recent reviews by TheThreeLaws

One of the best coop shooters and live service games ever. Incredibly fun gameplay and an engaging ongoing narrative. Monetization is pretty fair too.

I played one 60 hour campaign at release, and am waiting for another expansion to hit before picking up the season pass. But I had a fantastic experience with BATTLETECH.

I have no background with the franchise, but I have played all of HBS's Shadowrun games. This is a big step forward for them. They demonstrated they had talent, particularly in the writing and art aspects, but BATTLETECH is a real step forward on the gameplay front. I'd go so far as to say it solves some of the issues faced by the newer XCOM games--namely, the temptation to save-scum because a single bad click or unlucky turn can devastate a playthrough. BATTLETECH has been described as a game about atrition, and that feels accurate. Aside from surpassingly rare headshots, a single turn is almost never going to turn the tide of a battle, one way or another. Even a huge turn is more about armor ablation, limb or weapon destruction, or excessive heat build up than anything that instantly ends a battle. You have time to adjust your tactics, retreating and protecting weakened 'Mechs, ejecting wounded pilots, or adapting to new threats.

Additionally, the larger strategic game allows for recovery--rebuilding and rearming shattered 'Mechs, training new pilots to fill the hole in your roster left by a pulped veteran, and taking small contracts to build your coffers or armory. A point may be reached where there's no longer a fiscal challenge to operating your mercenary company, at least in the campaign where story missions lavish you with powerful upgrades periodically, but it's still a great strategic layer.

The story and light RPG elements layered over the top help bring you further into the experience, creating personality for both your character and your pilots, and it's supported by a cast of great characters.

If, like me, you've enjoyed the newer XCOM games a great deal but disliked aspects the balance and pacing of the game, BATTLETECH may well be the game for you.

Bastion is one of the games on my person list of standout games in recent years. With a beautiful and unique visual style, an excellent and involving story, fantastic music and the beloved narrator, it is a real gem of a title.

There are "moral choices" though I say that with a caveat--there are only two, both at the end of the game, and they aren't "moral" in the sense of right and wrong. Both possibilities in each choice can probably have equally strong arguments, they simply give you a choice on what you want to do, and they're surprisingly impactful.

The gameplay, while not necessarily unique or revolutionary, is fast paced, moderately challenging, and fun. There is a solid selection of very unique weapons that are fully upgradeable, letting you experiment and create very different play styles.

The visuals never disappoint, the music is just beautiful, and the narrator is awesome--a great voice that really brings you into the experience, and very well written. It's a great hook for an already great game. Buy this now, if it appeals to you at all, and you won't regret it.