Recent reviews by Irish Laoch

Murky Divers. Now, here's a game that both thrilled and chilled me to the core. As an admirer of co-op horror games and an unfortunate bearer of Thalassophobia, I was teetering on the edge of excitement and dread. Picture this: it's like any co-op game that sends you into the eerie unknown on a treasure hunt. But here's the catch, your treasures are the remains of failed experiments. Intriguing, isn't it?

Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to dive into the depths of the ocean, a world where fearsome creatures lurk in the shadows. Now, let's talk gameplay. There were a few bugs, but hey, it's early access, we can let that slide. The controls? Well, they're a bit like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time - awkward and confusing. But don't sweat it, you can re-bind those key bindings. Now, here's a thing that could use some tweaking: getting booted from the lobby post a failed mission. It'd be more seamless if it just reset for a fresh run, especially when you're gaming with your crew.

With a couple of tweaks here and there, Murky Divers has the potential to be a standout co-op horror game, an absolute riot to play with friends. So, if you're game for an underwater expedition laden with horror and discovery, then "Murky Divers" might just be your cup of tea.

You fire up Autopsy Simulator and you're immediately struck by the visuals - the attention to detail in the rendering of the bodies, the organs, they're all depicted with a striking realism. But, you quickly realize, this isn't a game that coasts on its graphics alone.

Let's take a step back and go beneath the surface, because that's where we start to encounter some hiccups. The UI system? It could use a revamp. Moving during dialog has the potential to crash the game or even skip the dialog entirely. The story, however, has its hooks in you. It's like a good book - even when the pace slows down and the dialogues run a bit long, you can't help but stay engaged.

Then there's the voice acting - it's like a song that's slightly off-key. The performances are frustrating, the sighing is just a bit too much. Now, the game bills itself as a horror-sim hybrid, but let me tell you, it doesn't quite hit the mark on either front. As a simulation, it's more of a miss than a hit. But, you've got to give props to Team 17 - they've been listening. They're working on an 'Autopsy Only' mod, a response to feedback from the community, that they promise is coming soon.

And the horror? It doesn't quite land either. There are intriguing plot threads that start to unravel, threads that could have added some depth left hanging - like an unfinished symphony to a crime drama enthusiast. Disappointing weak jump scares and disproportionately loud cut scene. The ending, coupled with nauseating camera movement, was a big letdown.

So here's the bottom line - Autopsy Simulator isn't perfect. Would I tell you to shell out $25 for it? Probably not. But if you've got a chance to play it, I'd say give it a go. It's like an indie movie that's been marketed wrong. Don't go in expecting a horror-sim, think of it as a Crime Drama-suspense and psychological game. Look at it that way, ignore the minor nuisances, and you've got a pretty fun 5-hour playthrough. I'm personally interested to see where Team 17 takes the game next, they seem to be really dedicated to their community.

So, I just rolled the credits on Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. It's a ride, let me tell you. The first Hellblade? Yeah, that one's sitting pretty on my all-time favorites list. So, you can guess how stoked I was to dive into the sequel. Visually? Oh, it's a spectacle. From the get-go, this game is an absolute visual feast. Voice acting and motion capture are next level, making Melina Juergens' performance a standout - easily one of the best I've seen.

The game just oozes cinematic quality, with combat that pulls you in and puzzles that, while simpler than the first game, are woven seamlessly into the gameplay. The storyline? It's got a solid build-up, a sprinkle of boss battles here and there that keep things interesting, but I won't lie - a certain 'rinse and repeat' vibe crept in at times.

Though shorter than its predecessor, the game's still got meat on its bones. That said, my beef? The ending. Not the story - Senua's deep internal battles, that stuff's depicted brilliantly. It's the final boss fight that leaves a sour taste. It felt like they phoned it in, not quite matching up to the high bar set by the rest of the game. After all the build-up, all the hype, I was left craving a little more.

Bottom line - Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a game worth picking up. It's a visual feast like no other. Just brace yourself for the ending, it might not live up to your expectations. But hey, I'm still a fan, through and through. With a deep appreciation for Ninja Theory and the Hellblade series.

This game is outlandishly strange and a good laugh. The horror aspect, this is more in the vein of gore/imagery than suspense or jumpscare. Don't get me wrong, there are moments that will catch you off guard. But overall the game isn't scary. But don't let that stop you from playing, the game is a ton of fun, challenging (brutally challenging) and is a great game to play with friends. I like the overall concept and the potential this game has for future development and that it isn't trying to be anything other than Malum. Unique ideas and great characters, you will fall in love with the Bunny demon... I know I did. If you are looking for some fun games with friends and have some laughs this game is for you.

Dark Pictures did it again. Another captivating game that leaves you wanting more. This anthology is bar far one of the most thought out, creative and entertaining I have ever played. There were a few visual issues with "wondering" eyes on the characters. Seemingly staring at nothing or the void. But the visuals otherwise were beautiful. Story was subversive and as always amazing. Man of Medan set the pace for these games to be amazing. Followed by Little Hope blowing it out of the water and now with House of Ashes, we are yet again left wanting and they out did themselves again. Devil in Me is sure to be a beautiful conclusion to SEASON ONE and I for one can not wait!

GOTY contender for sure! Breathtakingly done with beautiful graphics and an amazing story. RE did not let us down, I still tear up from this epic adventure. Each boss fight was intense and amazing, I wish would could have got more of each area as the Castle we spend a lot of time in compared to the others, and the dolls chapter was one of the creepiest and best chapter a RE has had in years.

Time and time again I will always come back to play Phasmophobia. The most recent update makes Professional difficulty a real challenge again and I absolutely love the updates to the way the ghosts react.

As a whole this game fell flat for me. There are so many things that you can see are just "inspired" by Dead by Daylight. I do like the originality of the rituals you have to perform, although take a long time. I also like the traps and the concept of the survivors having the ability to do more. With the specter being so out classed in speed, this makes this game very one sided. The servers are also very hard to get into from a US stand point. We had to play on the other servers giving us really high ping just to be able to play. I feel if they added just a bit more of that originality into the game and leveled out the skills between specter and survivors I could see this getting a whole lot better, but as it stands I wouldn't recommend.

Very entertaining game. The dolls chapter is well done and creepy AF! I like how they have put multiple way to end the story giving the game a bit of replay value. The Farm level was more comical to me than creepy. Every time I hit a chicken, that noise made me laugh. The most recent update with The Woods, is beautifully done. There is so much going on within this level, I truly enjoyed playing through it. Can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Beautiful game! Everything about this game was amazing and well done. You can tell so much thought went into ever detail. And the sound design/track is FIRE!