Recent reviews by Xierra

Civil War has never been so fun :)
In case you're wondering, yes there's battle pass, and there's shop skins. However the base models and animations are very impressive that it's pretty much optional, better than OW2 in that aspect.

Almost everything you see in-game is first and innovative.
It doesn't look too amazing in today's era, but put on some lenses and remember, this is 2004. You're looking at the evolution of gaming itself, and the roots of all Valve titles afterwards came to be. When you listen to the dev commentary, you'll understand what it really means to be a game developer back then, and how much HL2 contributed to all the eye candy we take for granted these days.

This game's logic is tied to FPS , intended to be played on 30FPS. Officially, you can choose 60FPS, but the game will be harder. You can set FPS to any number, but the AI will not work properly and the time window to swap weapons are very low. Otherwise, the game is clunky at best and it takes a LOT to understand the mechanics of skills. Their current game SAOFD is infinitely better. At least you get the perspective of the effort it took to get there.

TL;DR: At its current state, the game deserves its negative rating genuinely. I really want this game to survive become better, but it needs another year in the oven unfortunately.

Long Story:
I'm sure you already know, TDUSC brought one of the best open-world driving maps ever, with beautiful landscapes and tight, narrow roads, every race challenges your driving skills with simcade physics.

However, as much as I don't want to admit it, I seem to be looking at this game with rose-tinted glasses. The lack of social features, matchmaking, and region lock is what lets this game down so much. Right now, it's an inferior version of itself despite having better driving physics. We envisioned a lobby full of people you can meet on the streets and races, but TDUSC failed to fulfill this vision.

I'm broken by this game. I believed in this game. I bought the Gold Edition and felt I'm not getting my money's worth. I'll still buy games, spend my money on racing sims, but you'll be a thorn in my library until you get this fixed up.

One of the unique zombie games that is the very opposite of L4D in terms of pace; very grounded and methodical, so much so that all it takes is one map for an hour worth of horror survival goodness. The only uncommon type of zombies are childs, crawling zombies, and runners. Fun with friends. There is chance to become infected when bitten, and it's not for the faint hearted.

So, 2025 has arrived, and it's a good time to revise my review. When it first released early 2024, I refunded LMU because it's too buggy. But as time goes, Studio 397 delivered on many promises that made LMU so much better, simple to navigate, and in my experience, bug-free. LMU is now the worthy successor to RF2.

The Force Feedback is without a doubt the best in class and the most realistic. Studio 397 has managed to harness the power of RFactor 2's best and brought it to the modern era. LMU has built-in matchmaking and driver rating system that's always filled with many players every hour; an amazing feat only iRacing managed to do up to this point. There's even Co-op mode that encourages teamwork without the pressure of time, as preparations for the eventual online driver swap feature, paving the way for grand endurance events in the near future.

If they pull off 2025 with esports and leagues broadcasts across multiple regions, with the ability to pick the car and track I want to own, LMU will become the best sim. I know they need money right now hence the bundling, but I have faith in S397, always have.

Are you looking for some chaotic FPS? Bored of the same ol' gunfights? Look no further. Made by the same guys that created Battlefield 3 / 4 and their coveted destructive environments, anything goes as long as you get that money! Destroy to your hearts' content, then take advantage of it!

I have played iRacing for over a year. Buying iRacing on Steam accomplishes a few things. Here are some Steam specific tips and cons over non-Steam I can tell ya:

Pros + Tips:
• Steam makes for a great starting price on discount.
• Steam makes it possible for non-credit card users to play iRacing and buy content.
• You can link your Steam Account to iRacing's website.
• You can really save space by downloading iRacing UI from its website. It should only take 567 MB. https://members.iracing.com/membersite/member/instruction/init_qsg.jsp
• To accumulate iRacing Steam playtime, open iRacing folder, and in _useSteam.txt, set it to 1
• You can extend your subscription through your Account settings.

Cons:
• You will have to pay for content $1 more than non-steam before taxes. This is meant to balance non-steam VAT and Steam's currency calculations.
• You won't be eligible for Black Friday deals. This deal only covers subscription renewal. Content will never get discounted.

For me, playing on Steam makes getting into iRacing and buying stuff a lot easier, so it is worth the cons for me. But if you can use your credit card freely, I suggest going non-steam.

I played this game for over 1000 hours since the launch of OW1. Despite what the reviews say, OW2 is one of the most engaging class-based FPS you'll get. It also is well-optimized.
I recommend this game if you want a popular FPS that isn't tactical like CS or Valorant. For me, Team Fortress 2 is the casual grandpa, and OW2 is the competitive modern one. Pick your poison. :)

Must Play.
Why? On its own, it's a great atmospheric single-player FPS that ages like fine wine even to this day, with easy to understand mechanics, you're given many challenges and perils with only one goal: Survive.

This is Valve's first masterpiece and the legendary game that started it all. Think about it, before this game, it was Quake 1. Counter-Strike wouldn't exist without Half-Life. 3D skeleton modelling started from Half-Life. FPS as we know it all started from Half-Life. So playing this game is like a pilgrimage to honor the pioneers. That's why it's a Must Play. :)