Recent reviews by Axel Hackson

I don't actually think I'd RECOMMEND this... I mean, I would not go to a friend and say "Bro, you gotta play Darkest Days."

No way would I do that.

HOWEVER. *I* do enjoy this, regardless.

I will explain a bit:

It is very clearly this: A Free-To-Play (AKA Pay to excel/accelerate) budget State of Decay 2. Even though State of Decay 2 is a MUCH better game (not even close) I find myself drawn to this because its very low stress. Ammo is a non-issue, so you're basically blowing away zombies whenever and however. It is, again, a game which attempts to do what Undead Labs always wanted with State (making it Multiplayer), but even 8 hours in, its all just been a budget zombie-looter shooter. That said... This has a place. Much like the schlock low-budget zombie movie can be a good time despite being bad, or the pulp-calibre zombie novel is obviously bad but still satisfies... this offers that same satisfaction despite obvious issues in quality/ F2P design philosophies.

It's bad, but-- it's also way less stressful than most zombie games, since you just unload on these dudes as you rhythmically establish communities, get loot, level stuff up and skip through all story dialogue.

To me, it's been enjoyable. But it is bad.

Fun and quick little game. AI seems fair! I get more out of it by stat tracking which suitors win the most games-- Only then, once I put it down, will I truly know who the Princess loved

A Rough start, a too-slow team release cycle, and a few other issues. But, I've put in hundreds of hours between here and Xbox and the game has never been in a healthier place than it is now. With cross-play, the wait times for a ranked seasonal match is very low! As such, if you like BB, get this!

UPDATE OCT/05/2024: EDIT: In recent days there has been a massive spike in cheaters ruining the experience :( -- They teleport around an encounter at will, kill anyone they want, and become a threat in 5 seconds. If this persists I will have to edit my review to Not Recommended.

Original Review:
I honestly call this "Fisher Price Tarkov" but not as a perjorative. This game has always been fun to me since I played it way back on Xbox when I had no access to Tarkov. It is MUCH simpler, much jankier, 3rd person... but man, there's just something about it that entices me all these years later even with access to the games that do extraction loot shooting better. Maybe it's the time-to-kill being so low and sudden, and the skill of opponents not being elite? Maybe it's the guns being kinda ramshackle and not truly modern? Maybe its the fact that you can literally go in, loot 5 fertilizer, and leave if you want to?

I love extraction shooters, and I do have to admit there are a tonne of flaws in this one. But it still has its place, as a welcome "more relaxed" version of these kinds of games, that can still carry the tension if you want it to.

PS It has sweet cosmetics for your character, too.

This one will have a place with me always.

Getting back into it after 1.0's full release has been a great source of joy in my life. On a friend-community server, we've carved out roles, mountains, and farmlands whilst administering dome shot after dome shot on the zombies. While we are now entering our golden age of server-technology and dominance, it never gets old sending zombies flying in the air, or marvelling (in my case) at what today's farm yield can bring. Add to that the threat of danger if you die in missions (lose the quest entirely), and the joy of discovery common to these sorts of games, and I am very, very satisfied with this game.

Just finished it the first time through. What a great game. It's got a great sense of humour, an interesting (and purposefully bizarre) little story, and a number of great mechanics. I played the game a lot more 'physically' and 'forcefully' than others who are probably better at stealth games than I am, but it was a blast the whole way through. Clever ending, multiple stories and multiple methods to do what you gotta do. The puzzles aren't too hard but they are interesting enough to keep me from quitting out of boredom OR frustration. Awesome game. 9.4/10. This gem is going in my person Game Hall of Fame list

(94%)

I feel fairly strongly about the way in which Civ V (The base game) is a back-step for the franchise, but my feeling is likely not typical. The major reason I found the un-expanded Civilization V to be such a let down stems from its lack of ability for story telling. That is, Civ V does not centralize the choices you make for your civilization as being part of a story. You cannot, for example, become a fascist Iroquois nation, or a communist islamic America. This is because when you choose governments, it's more about choosing the bonuses, and it does not particularly state "America, Communist" as it used to do in trade and information screens in the previous game. In this civ, the emphasis is placed on selecting policies that give game benefits but don't exactly correspond to real-world idealogies that we can connect to and tell stories about.

Instead of saying "This one time, when I played as Ghandi, I built a fascist nationalist india and nuked everyone" This time, you're saying things like "I played as India, and took the policies that made my people better warriors, and kicked ass". The difference is subtle, but it ruined a lot of the charm and fun of Civ III and Civ IV for me.

Especially when a lot of the game's appeal is to be found in writing a different kind of civil history that has recognizable ideas and notions utilized in odd ways.

Without the storytelling (roleplaying, you could even say) charm of its predecessors, Civ V feels more like a hollow boardgame than ever, devoid of personality. I do not recommend this game. However, I cannot speak to the changes brought by Brave New World as I have not played it.

6.7/10

Finally finished the series and I'm glad I did-- This game is certainly not typical, and its mechanics may not be for every gamer out there, but it is an experience that SHOULD be had by every one of them. It's a special game that can connect you to its plot and characters as deeply as this one, and it is a greater game that is willing to break the mould, take risks, and throw new ideas and new consequences at the player as well as this one does. Sometimes the game falters technically, and other times it can be a chore to click through scenes looking for an item required to progress, but it's all so very worth it in the end. 9.1/10

This game came way out of left field for me but is certainly worth owning and supporting. Several reviews are calling it one of the most important games of the year-- a kind of simple philosophical gemthat takes an interesting turn on dealing with identity and the value of life (among other issues) through senseless mass murder and a purposefully disparate and barebones storyline. But whether or not the game makes you think, it does provide a great time learning to quickly massacre rooms full of thugs out to kill you. It's quick twitch, it's retro, it's gory, and it's simple in some of the best ways. It has a killer sountrack of pumping techy beats that are both gloomy and adrenaline-firing. This is a bit of a masterclass in game design in terms of having every element contribute something to the overall sense and experience that the game aims to provide. Whether it really shoots at deeper issues will be up to you to decide, but at least you'll have a blust busting jaws. 9/10.

Blood Bowl has been worth every penny, and though now the game is in its Legendary edition, this is the one that started the awesome experience for me. Get the Legendary edition, get in a private league (Like the amazing Orca Cola Cup [OCC]) and get ready for a fantastic experience. Blood Bowl's persistant teams means that when the game client is coupled with a private league like OCC that coordinates on internet forums, the experience is unmatched. Hundreds of coaches vying for trophies with new and veteran teams each season, more than 11 races (teams)to choose from in Legendary. There's honestly no other game like it. Get the Legendary Edition of Blood Bowl, and get to OCC and I'll see you on the field.