Recent reviews by darry

Always happy to support the incredibly talented ENA Team for providing such an incredible experience and such amazing content. The game has so much charm and character that it’s a no-brainer to support their work if you’re able to!

Dream BBQ is pretty much like playing through an episode of ENA, and honestly I couldn't ask for a better interactive experience than exploring the insane world Joel and the team cooked up - absolutely loved every second I played!

This being the developer’s first and only project, for the price that it’s offered at, it’s absolutely a good start.

It’s missing some quality of life features — namely a Settings menu and the ability to make crouch a toggle since 90% of the game you’ll be in stealth — but once again, for a very first project, it’s got a solid start and shows some promise.

I’d love to see the developer work on the project more and can’t wait to see where it goes, it’s got a lot of potential

Although SurrounDead is far from a completed game, after ~26 hours of gameplay, I can confidently say that I recommend the game, even in it's current unfinished state.

Although there's plenty of major and QOL features that need to be implemented and probably will be implemented soon, that doesn't stop the game from being addicting and very enjoyable. There's something about the game that remains addictive even after exploring all of the impressively large map; whether it be grinding out bosses, bandit compounds, or bunkers.

Even more impressive is the constant updates from the developer(s), who add new content very quickly from what I've been told and have seen. Although it's simply a single-player game at the moment, I've still had plenty of fun and can confidently recommend the game to anyone who's into the zombie genre - although there's a lot of difficulty to get used to, like bleeding and the zombies dealing out a lot of damage. Regardless, the game is overall extremely enjoyable already.

I also have like 30 different backpacks stacked within each other and have to play an entire minigame whenever I want to loot large POIs. I never thought playing multi-level Tetris within a zombie game would be so fun.

As someone who isn't really drawn to most survival games in general, usually not even dipping my toes into them -

the fact I played this game for 10 hours straight, and while taking a break, only wanted to keep playing, is a testament to how enjoyable this game is.

There are indeed some bugs with it being an Early Access title, like some Pals getting stuck and being unable to path-find their way out of areas they got stuck in or back to the base when stepping off a cliff, but aside from that I have been genuinely enjoying my time. Good game.

Absolutely astounding!

EDIT:
nvm

With the server issues finally being (mostly) resolved, and being able to finally play matches, I can confidently say that this game is incredibly enjoyable. It has it's flaws and things that need to be worked out to be close to perfect - like more variety in challenges, more ways to level up besides those just those challenges, and overall changes to the progression, but aside from that, the game is absolutely astounding. It plays closer to Payday: The Heist than Payday 2, but I personally don't mind that, as Payday: The Heist certainly got the tone better despite Payday 2 having far more to do content-wise.

The 37% is mostly there due to two things: the server issues (from the first week) and progression - and with the main server issues being mostly resolved and the progression not being so horrible that it's worth giving a negative review, I personally believe this game has delivered on a lot of it's early promises, and should only get better in time with more updates and content.

But as stated, progression definitely needs an overhaul. With only a little over 1000 challenges, and more than 200 of them being mostly related to how many times you've completed a specific heist on a specific difficulty in either stealth or loud, there definitely needs to be alternate ways to level - as it'll eventually be impossible to level up without doing the same heist upwards of 150 times in either Loud or Stealth on a specific difficulty. Sure, it does weed out who deserves that high level of Infamy, but being expected to do the same heist on Overkill over 150 times is a bit daunting.

Weapon leveling also should be done a little better, as you could end up killing thousands of guards in a heist and not really level up even slightly. I personally do believe there should be some reward for your dedication to a weapon, but that's a very nit-picky criticism.

One nit-picky criticism I stand by is the lack of damage numbers on weapon stats. Seeing bars doesn't really give you proper information on how drastically attachments improve a weapon, though most attachments don't really affect weapons drastically as-is. Numbers would just be a lot easier for understanding how your weapon is affected, I believe.

Those are really my and a lot of others' only criticisms - besides people criticizing the number of launch weapons and skills.

TL;DR
For $40, I can safely say this game has delivered on it's value and more, and is a welcome addition to the franchise with how much they've expanded on previous titles graphically and mechanically. I certainly do recommend this game, as I've been having a lot of fun with it - someone who's never really been too invested in the Payday franchise hands-on, aside from watching videos and playing a little bit of Payday 2 here and there.

If you're considering the $70 or $90 versions, I'd recommend them only if you're either a fan of Payday or want to support the developers!

After 350 hours, I can confidently say I do not recommend this game.

There are several issues with the game and the decisions made with it, and it's a shame to see a game I was actually quite excited for simply fail to deliver in multiple ways. Not being able to select a map to play and being confined to playlists that contain specific maps is not fun. Especially when a majority of all the maps in the "Close Quarters" playlist have only a few close quarter areas, with the rest being wide open sight lines. Skill-Based Matchmaking in Casual is not fun. Most people reverse boost to get into more enjoyable and less sweaty lobbies anyways. Being forced to hop on the game every day so you can complete your Battle Pass and feel like your money wasn't wasted, only to have to do it again 2 months later is not fun. If the game was actually enjoyable, you wouldn't have to make a pass time limited to keep players engaged, when they really don't want to play the game anymore anyways.

Call of Duty seems to refuse to innovate due to this plague on modern gaming where you push out playlists instead of allowing players to select what maps and modes they want to play, and take as much freedom away from the player as possible. No longer can you actually choose what you want to do, instead you're at the mercy of their algorithm, and it shows how much people dislike it in the dwindling player numbers and 60% positive reviews.

The few games before had these terrible decisions, so you can bet that the next game and the ones after that probably will, too. But they don't care about the reviews or player feedback, they just simply care about the money they're making. Maybe the developers do care, but their care isn't relevant in the eyes of the publisher.

Season 3 will not revive your playerbase. Season 3 will not improve the game's reception. Modern Warfare 2 (2022) is simply a disappointment, but the investors and publishers will see it as a success and keep doing it.

the irony of people complaining that the developers are moving on from a game that wasn't live service to begin with, while praising developers who abandoned their game after exactly a year and then abandoning the next game in the series after only about 3

Disappointed that I couldn't get my money back; of all the games I've ever purchased, this is the only one I truly regret and am truly displeased that I couldn't get my refund and put that money to something/things actually worth the money.

Hopefully the reaction to this game's horrible design decisions, horrible launch, and horrible post-launch decisions will kick DICE into gear on the next game. However, due to how this game released, I'm sure their pre-order sales will reflect the damage in trust they've caused to the community. Even having pre-order bonuses on the next entry when this game released the way it did would simply be a slap in the face.

Having played State of Decay 2 since May 18th, 2018 and witnessed the improvements and changes that have been made to the game over the past nearly 4 years, I can safely say that State of Decay 2 is unlike any other game in the genre out there, and has cemented itself as not only an original and unique experience that has yet to be replicated, but also as a masterpiece.

From the humble beginnings of the original State of Decay as an Xbox Arcade title crafted by a small team in 2013, State of Decay 2 is not only an upgrade to the original, but a completely superior experience in almost every department. The game's initial launch in 2018 that was riddled with small yet noticeable bugs may have left a sour taste in most people's mouths, but in the past few years, Undead Labs have shown how dedicated they are to the game by improving and adding onto the current systems, to the point where the difference between the 2018 and current versions of the game are night and day.

The co-operative aspect, though limiting with the tethering of around 200 - 400 meters, does make the game much more enjoyable, and the implementation of the looting system with each player having their own loot ensures that everyone is rewarded for scavenging. Although many people have seen this as a negative for some reason, there's certainly no problem with allowing every player loot in every building that hasn't already been completely looted, as not only is it fair, but also rewards players for playing in cooperative games. This is extended further by cooperative players being rewarded better items the longer they stay in games when they return to their own communities. The one thing everyone had wished for in the original State of Decay was multiplayer, and Undead Labs have added it in a way that is incredibly rewarding in almost every aspect, but could still use a bit more improvement, like with the removal of the tethering.

On top of all the game has to offer- from an open-world where you can survive as long as your heart can take, a cooperative experience to share with friends, varying difficulty levels to challenge yourself, and multiple different communities who's stories you get to shape- you also get two other game modes that come in the form of Daybreak, a wave-based survival cooperative experience that allows you to accumulate rewards to use in future games of Daybreak and in your own communities, and Heartland, a story-based experience that takes you back to the original State of Decay's map of Trumbull Valley, where you deal with even more threats, and experience what happened to Trumbull following the events of the original State of Decay!

You're also given not one, not two, but Five unique and large maps to explore, all coming with their own layouts, scenery, unique bases, and points of interest; these maps being Drucker County, Meagher Valley, Cascade Hills, Providence Ridge, and returning once again, Trumbull Valley, where you'll be able to experience special missions that conclude the stories of many prominent characters from the original State of Decay, and be apart of the events that unfold after the conclusion of the Heartland DLC!

You get all of this for only $30 at a time when many full-priced games don't come with this much content, so for anyone who enjoys zombie games or post-apocalyptic scenarios, this game is a must-buy! Compared to the original State of Decay and many other open-world zombie survival games, State of Decay 2 is not only one of the best experiences the genre has to offer, but up there with the greatest the genre has to offer.


To end this long, gushing review that probably sounds like a sales pitch; I fully believe that State of Decay 2 has everything that is required to meet masterpiece status. Although State of Decay 2 isn't perfect, no gaming masterpiece truly is, but it's what State of Decay 2 brings to the table and how its evolved over the years that makes the game truly a masterpiece. There is no other game out right now that tries to do what State of Decay as a franchise has done and continues to do, and State of Decay 2 is the pinnacle. The dedicated developers at Undead Labs continue to work on the game with love and attention, which has allowed them to foster one of the most dedicated communities I have ever seen, and have had the pleasure to be a part of.

There is truly no other game that can offer the same experience that State of Decay 2 offers- not even the original, and for that alone, I do believe that State of Decay 2 is truly a work of art, and will be a timeless masterpiece.


TL;DR:
Game is good game is very good great game good yes game gaming oh yeah game!
Seriously though, for only $30, Undead Labs are practically underselling themselves. I purchased the Ultimate Edition on Microsoft Store and the Steam version and I still feel like they gave me way more content than what I paid for. The game is still actively being developed too, even almost 4 years later. If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic games or zombie games in general, you are doing yourself a disservice by not having picked this game up. State of Decay is practically iconic.