Останні рецензії користувача Arxie

Straight up banger of a game.

My Thoughts

• It's a solid game that just feels plain good to play - like when you would go pick up a game at GameStop, come home, put the disk in, and have everything waiting for you. It's like MarioKart if it was a high-octane blood sport.
  
• Matches are short enough that I don't feel bad investing time in a losing match, though it sometimes seems like way more of a toss-up. The fact that there are field hazards means I can't just get to first place and fall asleep to win.
  
• No cash shop or micro transactions? No predatory battle passes? I'd like more of that. I actually wouldn't mind battle / season passes as long as there isn't FOMO and we can go back to finish prior ones. I like that this model has been adopted by more games.
  
• The game is just pure eye candy. I would like to see more tracks, even if it's just slapping variants in the existing environments. Take us on a tour of the Slums over a few tracks and take the opportunity to flesh out a story without a single word being spoken.
  
• I'd love to see the PvE expanded as well. This is absolutely wishful thinking, but it would be neat to be able to create PvE scenarios and upload them for others to complete. Not to the extent of a full track editor, but setting the constraints / placing rings / floor hazards.
  
• Expanding on my point above, this game is begging for private lobbies with modifiers. Low gravity, hyper speed, hot potato, the list goes on.

Responding to Criticism

• Limited servers, lag in some locations. Where servers do reside all seems stable.
  
• As far as performance goes system-side, I'm playing with maxed out settings on a 4070 and have 0 dropped frames (maybe a few lost at the very start of matches when players come out swinging).
  
• Controls feel solid and responsive. It's a running racing game, not a car - don't expect 1:1 with your typical racing feel. You really can't compare drifting on foot to drifting in a heavy car.
  
• There aren't that many controls, it isn't a full keyboard game. It takes you through a pretty straight-forward tutorial as well. This is something I was able to hop into, play the tutorial, play a few solo objectives, and go straight to competing in PvP.
  
• As long as you're not playing in wildly off-hours you should see some real people in your lobby. I've kept a lobby going and saw a full group within a couple matches. If there just isn't enough to fill, it will fill with bots that aren't exactly pushovers - but just fair enough.

Final Verdict

Yup, I'll keep playing. And I'll like it.

At the time of launch, Last Epoch received a massive influx of players. Several times that which they have ever handled. There were server issues and people rightfully felt let down, but the sheer amount of crying and toxicity was insane. It's one thing to vote with your money and genuine reviews, but the insults and negativity being thrown at the devs was crazy. I don't write reviews all that often, but I'd feel bad sitting on the sidelines for this one.

I wasted my day trying to log in! The developers should have been more transparent!
First, I have learned my lesson from Blizzard launches on taking time off work. This was nowhere on the scale of some of their launch disasters. Second, there are only so many places the developers can distribute information - but their primary channel has almost always been their Discord, their forums, and Reddit. They were posting updates every 15-45 minutes in their Discord on what was going on, what progress had been made, and the general sentiment of their team. There is no universe where anyone could genuinely expect more transparency. In fact, they want to eventually put out a more technical breakdown of what went wrong due to the amount of people asking for one.

The launch was terrible!
Well yeah, it wasn't a great launch. Though I'm not sure I was ever disconnected, and I don't think the game ever crashed or lagged out. There were two big issues. Loading screens took a while, upwards of a few minutes for congested areas (NOT upwards of an hour like someone said somewhere). Improvements were visibly made over time, but at the time of review they are still present to a degree. I was able to happily play for several hours on launch day. They're even distributing an additional cosmetic for those that stuck through. The same can't be said for some other launches.

There's a shop... In MY paid-for game?
If I understand correctly, this shop initially came about from players demanding an additional way of supporting the game. I don't doubt that it would've made its way in eventually. There isn't anything pay-to-win, only cosmetics. This is after many years of development. The developers are pretty anti-FOMO from what I've heard in their live streams, and I believe they have stated on record that a battle pass has no place here. Given all of that, how else are they supposed to sustain themselves long-term without moving on to a new title?

There's no true offline mode. They should have explained this!
The developers have put out some massive posts on their forums that explain just about everything. If you play offline, that character cannot play online (which I agree is unfortunate, but the option is there). I'm not sure where people are coming from by saying there is no offline mode period.

The game is too buggy.
I don't think I've ever come across a game-breaking bug. Some bugs, sure. I'm pretty confident the developers are aware of what bugs need fixed first. Just report them in-game. This isn't a studio with hundreds of employees. At least they play their own game.

The respec costs are too unforgiving, we need more choice and agency.
I don't get this one. I've played ARPGs where you can't respec period. I've played ARPGs where respeccing is a burden, or a massive gold sink, or locked behind DLC. The only permanent choice here is your mastery. Your subclass. You can freely respec your skills without even being in town, though you will have to level them back up (which gets faster as your character progresses). You can respec your passive points in town for a relatively insignificant gold cost. Unless you're trying to respec several times in the first chapter, it isn't that big of a deal.

This game has the best loot filter in the genre.
Hands down. You can pick it apart piece by piece, stat by stat. If you only want to see loot that rolls max stats, for your class, above a certain item level, on the first Tuesday of any month that starts with a J, you can do it. Want to see it appear in a bold green color? You can do that too. It's encouraged, actually.

The loot feels impactful, and the choice is real.
Uniques (e.g. Legendaries in Diablo) aren't everything. The real end-game is picking a couple to establish your build, then crafting and refining gear with pure stats. You don't have to hope and pray for the perfect drop or random upgrades, you can craft stat-by-stat. Getting from 90% to 100% is the real end-game chase. Not luck.

The skill trees and passive trees are also impactful.
The trees aren't so massive I have to scroll. They also aren't so tiny that three builds exist for any given class (Diablo 4). They are just enough to allow any class to really morph into whatever you want it to be. Within reason, of course. This is a fine middle-ground between the simplicity and monotony of Diablo, and the sweat fest calculations of PoE.

One Step from Eden is a fast-paced roguelike centered around a gameplay loop of casting spells, dodging spells, and adding spells to your collection. When you run out of spells, you'll simply reshuffle your collection and jump right back into the fight. You will make your way through several branching stages, each ending with one of a handful of bosses. Additional spells, passive items, and playable characters will be unlocked as you progress your attempts.

---

The game is too fast-paced and it's difficult to keep up with everything!
Yes, the game moves very fast. You will have to focus on yourself, the enemy, and everything in between. Meanwhile, it is a strategy game in how you manage your spells. If you don't adapt well to these sorts of things, you will not have a good time. If you are no stranger to hectic combat and quick thinking, you'll find your groove eventually (and it is so unbelievably satisfying when you do).

The deck-building is... lacking.
I was intentionally hesitant to include the word "deck" in this review, opting for "collection" instead. While it is a deck of spells you're working with, this only serves as a means of presenting the mechanic. In no way does the game promote the idea of "cards" or traditional deck-building mechanics. You simply add spells to your collection, visually presented as cards but mechanically presented as... just casting abilities. If you want a true deck-builder like Ascension or a more traditional game like Hearthstone, this isn't the game for you.

It's difficult to even know what spells you have available!
The game shows your two available spells (yes, you have two options at any given time) at the bottom left and above your head. Of course you aren't going to sit there and read spell names in the middle of chaotic fighting - you have to recognize spell icons. Given repetition of using your spells potentially hundreds of times each run, and given that you can freely practice and mess around with your spells between encounters, this really shouldn't be an issue. The only time this would be an issue is if you're adding dozens upon dozens of spells to your collection (which isn't strategically viable for most builds).

The game is too random, it won't give me the spells I'm looking for!
The game allows you to select a couple types of spells that you want to appear more often in rewards. This is how the game allows you to curb the randomness to a degree. It is still there, but you'll be much better off if you take advantage of this. It is very much possible that you will have to change the direction of your build mid-run, but that is the nature of roguelikes. Improvise, adapt, and overcome.

---

First Impression
From the moment you pick up the game, how well does it draw you in and present its mechanics? Does the tutorial cover all of the most important mechanics without dragging on or becoming dull?
3/5

Gameplay
Does the gameplay flow well? Is there little unwarranted downtime? Do the different systems and mechanics mesh well together?
5/5

Visual and Audio
Given the particular style, are the visuals and sounds good quality? Are they fitting for the game genre and setting?
5/5

Replayability
How well does the game incentivize returning for more? Is the gameplay varied enough that additional sessions feel fresh or unique to an extent?
3/5

Value
Is there enough content for the price?
3/5

Please... If you're going to take away anything from this review, at least read this first bit. I can almost guarantee that the vast majority of negative reviews on this DLC are from people that fall into one of the following categories of players:
• Players that haven't played in a long time and are just hopping back into the game with Repentance, only to find that their skill has since dropped (don't get me wrong, Repentance makes the game noticeably harder - just not the absolute slog that some make it out to be).
• Players that played with Repentance for about 5-10 hours at release, who haven't bothered to seek out unlockables and new mechanics (the amount of additions to the game is insane, most of which are actually polished and fine).

With that out of the way, let's get into the review. Repentance is, of course, the supposed final DLC for The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. It was mostly spawned from a community mod, and the transition from mod to an official product has been a great one. The DLC adds so much to the game that it may as well be a whole new half of the game. New characters, new floors, new bosses, new items, new music, new mechanics, new everything. I don't want to inadvertently spoil anything, so I won't go into detail about all these new points.

There has been a lot of conversation going on about the tuning of the game - that the game is far too difficult compared to how it used to be. I will admit, the difficulty could probably be tuned down some; however, it isn't hard enough to stop anyone from grinding out those new unlocks (just takes a little more effort). New boss mechanics will take some learning, so don't expect to fly through runs in your first 10-15 hours of playing Repentance.

Replayability: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game avoid becoming repetitive after playing it once or twice?

Content: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game have enough content to not become stale?

Entertainment: 8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game consistently provide quality entertainment?

Originality: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game provide original or creative content?

Price: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does the price justify the game?

Purchased: April 30, 2020
Hours Played: 51

I'm really not that fond of shooters, mostly because I suck at them. That said, the Borderlands franchise takes the cake as my favorite line of shooters. Part of it is the art style, part of it is the lack of competition. Imagine your standard hack n' slash RPG, but all weapons have since been replaced with guns. Obviously Borderlands has its own area where its comedy and characters are unique. Borderlands 3 is the fourth installment of the Borderlands games and delivers in every aspect. Playing through the story, you should expect approximately 30-40 hours (quite possibly more if you are a completionist in your first pass over the game). So far, the DLC has been very worth the extra money and is by no means a necessity to "doing well" in the game.

Replayability: 7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game avoid becoming repetitive after playing it once or twice?

Content: 8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game have enough content to not become stale?

Entertainment: 8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game consistently provide quality entertainment?

Originality: 8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game provide original or creative content?

Price: 9/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does the price justify the game?

The game really tosses you right into the fight. Honestly, the first few fights of the game are fairly difficult; however, after you get your footing the game steadies out and shouldn't ever be overly difficult. The game follows your vault hunter over a handful of different worlds. Worlds are broken down into clear, separate areas. The game itself is surprisingly linear when it comes to stories and quest lines, and some areas of worlds are just inaccessible until you progress further (not blocked by difficult enemies, but by doors and obstacles). Worlds do open up fairly quickly, and the game's 23 chapters tend to progress at a steady pace. As long as you stay relatively on track with the quests, you won't ever run into areas too difficult or confusing.

Each world has plenty of side-quests and objectives to complete if you get tired of the main story. These side-quests tend to blend well with the atmosphere and what is going on, and they don't really distract all that far from your objectives. They still offer plenty of ways to explore and interact with the worlds, and as is customary with Borderlands, sometimes offer some funny scenes. You can track your progress through each planet in the game's map, where completion percentage and remaining objectives are listed.

The sounds of this game are amazing. I'm surprised people aren't talking about it more, honestly. The music is some of the best I've heard in a game (easily in my top 15 games). The "clicky clicky" sounds of the guns are satisfying, and your actions are audible and responsive. I would really recommend just looking up the Borderlands 3 OST and going through some of the tracks.

Some people are hounding the story, whining about it and stating it is terrible. In my opinion, and my girlfriend's opinion, the story really isn't that bad. Put simply, it follows two tyrannical content creators / live-feed psychos / streamers that have amassed a cult following. The story goes deeper, and there is even development between the two themselves. There are a handful of "gotcha" moments throughout the game too. I will agree that the humor of Borderlands 3 really hasn't aged quite as well as Borderlands 2, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience. Really take the story at face-value. Just don't expect an intricate web of narrations that will leave you in tears.

The game has also done a fantastic job implementing multiplayer. The game offers both local coop, couch coop, and online lobbies. There are two modes as well. One allows all enemies to scale to each player individually and disperses loot to each player (let everyone play for fun without struggling or competition). The other forces enemies to scale to the host, and makes loot that drops visible to all players rather than being individualized (competitive and less forgiving). There are occasional frame drops during multiplayer, but it really handles well and is by no means big enough to make me think otherwise.

Another important point about games are the developers. Borderlands 3 developers I believe have had some rough patches, but I'll admit I'm not all that familiar with them. I would do your own research here. That said, they are pretty generous and on-point with what they deliver. It isn't often that their content is really a let-down.

Borderlands 3 is a great game that I anticipate myself coming back to far more often than previous Borderlands games. I had only really played Borderlands 2, but this game alone has introduced enough lore to be able to piece together quite a bit of the past games. If you're really big into the Borderlands franchise, definitely pick this up as well as the DLC. If you aren't big into shooters but something else is drawing you in, definitely wait for a sale and pick it up. The silly nature of the game is likely to keep some of you in it.

Final Rating: 8/10
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Planet Coaster is everything that the Roller Coaster Tycoon franchise should have been, and more. Everything is so smoothly placed together, and the people don't look disgusting anymore. Honestly, this one is going to require a big pro / con list. Also, don't be put off by my semi-low play-time. I've played plenty of this game and seen plenty of videos to be able to give a pretty accurate review.

-PROS-
• Smooth, well-created art and graphic design.
• Amazing music and a great variety for your rides - plus the ability to import your own music.
• The people actually look like people.
• There isn't an overwhelming amount of random pre-made coaster designs, prompting you to go ahead and design your own. Though if you don't feel like it, you have just enough to choose from.
• Intuitive land editing with the option to roughen up the land. You are also allowed to create arches in the land that you can actually utilize, whether that be putting paths or coasters through them. There are multiple types of water (calm, rough, and so on), and plenty of terrain brushes.
• You can literally edit the buildings that you are able to place, almost piece by piece.
• Coaster design is now an actual coaster designer. No longer are you limited to three variations of turns. You can lengthen and shorten pieces, bend them in any direction, tilt them in any direction, and even snap the angles to keep it less messy.
• Easily rotate objects, and with the variety of scenery, make seamless landscapes.
• Import your own objects and schematics (though I wouldn't imagine too many people would use this, as just not many people have that kind of time).
• The developers are active, but not jumping down your throats each weekend with a new update. The game is fairly new and of course it is still being worked on, but they just released a spring update. I'll take that as a nod saying, "Hey, we're still around and working on this thing."
• Amazing performance - I haven't had a single crash or loss of frames that wasn't on account of having a bunch of other things open in the background.
• You can see exactly where coasters have the highest excitement ratings, nausea, and so forth with an on-the-track visual graph.
• A non-intrusive box off to the side gives you keybinds and short tips for whatever you may be working on. Building a coaster and want to figure out how to rotate the platform? Just look off into the little box. Now this isn't a complete tutorial - much of the game is left to exploration unless you go to YouTube for help. But come on now, most people who get this are Roller Coaster Tycoon veterans and many of the functions carry over.

-CONS-
• Given that this game is still being steadily developed, I really can't think of anything that is worth noting. Well... There is one slight con, and that would be the steep price. A true coaster game hasn't been released since Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, and we are definitely not counting any of the recent RCT attempts. I can see where many people would be reluctant to buy this with such an expensive tag compared to others.

I haven't spent a ridiculous amount of time playing this game, nor have I explored every corner of what it has to offer. Nonetheless, there is a clear list of pros and cons that I can give rather than going too far into detail. Ultimately it is a personal taste as to whether or not you like the game.

----------PROS----------

- Quick Gameplay: The game itself responds quickly, not having long flashy animations. Then I also mean this in terms of the length of matches. Most games will usually last between 5 and 15 minutes (depending on your speed of decisions).

- Generous Rewards: I have never played a FTP game that gives its general players so many rewards so often. Without going into what rewards are possible from each gamemode (I'll get into that later), the rewards will generally come in a chest. The chests range in levels, with each one granting higher and better rewards than the last. The great part about this is that there is a small chance of a chest opening into one of a tier higher (I once went from a silver chest, which is the second tier, to a diamond chest, which is the fourth tier). Chests will contain gold, single cards, packs, and so on.

- Easy to Learn: This game is a definite mixture of Hearthstone and Magic the Gathering. By the time you finish all of the introductory games (it consists of 20 games, 4 from each of its 5 factions) you should be well equipped with the knowledge of the different mechanics.

- Ways to Play: There are quite a few ways to play. The first is Gauntlet, which is a game mode that pits you against increasingly difficult decks. The more you beat, the more (and better) chests you'll receive. The great thing about this game mode is that it is totally free to play in. Other game modes include draft, ranked, and a couple of others. The other games modes (aaside from gauntlet and ranked) you do have to pay an entry fee for.

- Summary: It feels as though they really had the focus of the common player in mind, while simply granting those who choose to support further what they deserve for supporting. The wide variety in cards, play styles, and game modes will surely give fans of TCGs similar to Hearthstone or MTG a good time here.

----------CONS----------

- Difficulty Curve: While the game is easy to learn and gauntlet is a great way to grind some games in, there is a distinct difference between decks you stand a chance against and decks that will completely stomp you. Then again, there are 5 factions and each one serves a purpose. I guess it could just be the fact that no deck can truely cover everything.

- Interaction: The above con applies to ranked as well, which means that the only interaction you can have with actual players is through that or the payed game modes. I kind of wish they could have implemented another free multiplayer mode, maybe like MTG's two-headed giant, or a 3v1 against a difficult boss. At this point in time, I'm reluctant to play ranked unless I have to for quests because I dislike losing the majority of my games.

- Summary: I know a lot of people have an issue with the random drawing mechanic, but honestly that is the best option for a TCG. I personally would much rather struggle in the beginning than have a sure-fire way to win on turn 5, knowing my opponent may very well have it set up as well. What I'm trying to say is that it doesn't have guaranteed mana / power each turn - you must draw it and then play it, similarly to lands in MTG. The randomness also plays into mechanics such as warcry (it gives the next unit you would draw in your deck +1/+1 whenever the unit with warcry attacks). It's a wellimplemented randomness. As for the difficulty curve and the interaction, both are understandably present in any TCG. It separates the new casuals from the more experience casuals / more hardcore people - thus encouraging people to take time to gather themselves in the game.

Dungeons of Dredmor is a humor-filled, turn-based (in a sense) roguelike. It is reminiscent of games like Ancient domains of Mystery, POWDER, and NetHack.

Naturally, you'll start by choosing which bushy-eyebrowed character you'd like to play as. You'll then select what abilities and traits your character will carry through the game. From here, it is all a matter of exploring each level from wall-to-wall and ransacking every room. You'll accrue experience and upgrade your chosen skills - as is standard in RPGs. This really is about as far as a gameplay summary needs to go to get the point across. There are no crazy story-lines or twists, and there aren't any genre-defining features.

However, there is a lot to unpack from run to run. There are whole crafting systems to take advantage of, tons of resistances and stats to manipulate, and lots of taunting dialogue tossed around by enemies.

Value | Does the price justify the amount of 'game' presented?
[5/5]

Entertainment | Does the gameplay provide a satisfying gaming session?
[5/5]

Replayability | Does the game keep you coming back for more after baseline completion?
[5/5]

Accuracy | Does the game successfully satisfy its target genre and audience with what it offers?
[4/5]

Completion | Does the game feel complete and polished?
[5/5]

Purchased: March 9, 2012
Hours Played: 707

Terraria is a game that I keep finding myself coming back to, and it has consistently been my most played game ever since I bought it. Still, my time played is nothing close to what some people have achieved. Terraria is exactly as advertised, and quickly ramps up to something no trailer could come close to describing. Do not let people compare this to Minecraft - the closest a game has come to Terraria is Starbound, which is more story-driven than Terraria is. The game is so expansive that each full play-through will easily accumulate another 50 to 80 hours - if you choose to spend time fleshing out your buildings and exploring thoroughly, you can expect one play-through to go upwards of 100 or more hours.

Replayability: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game avoid becoming repetitive after playing it once or twice?

Content: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game have enough content to not become stale?

Entertainment: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game consistently provide quality entertainment?

Originality: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does this game provide original or creative content?

Price: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Does the price justify the game?

The general flow of the game will go as follows. You will load your character and world, and likely explore to the left and right until the biome becomes too dangerous to traverse, or until night falls. Eventually you will make your way to the underground, and on occasion travel back to the surface to deposit your findings. At some point you'll upgrade your armor and tools, and begin exploring the previously dangerous biomes - some will still be too dangerous to explore in-depth. You'll find your way to your first boss, likely dying once or twice in the process of defeating it.

This process will repeat a few times until you have defeated all of the standard bosses. At this point, you will find yourself with some of the best equipment you could possibly have. Then, it happens... You accidentally summon the biggest, most intimidating boss you will have ever seen. You will not be prepared, and you will die. Having accidentally summoned it, you will know how to do so again - and you will.

After defeating this supposed final boss, I congratulate you! The second half of the game as begun. You are now a wee lad, being killed left and right by foreign enemies and things you have never seen before. You have essentially reverted back to how you were when you first started the game, and now you must work your way through all of the secondary content. Admittedly, this phase has far more content than the first. It is really unfair to even call it a second half. Consider the first half of the game your learning period, because at this point, the training wheels will violently snap off (in a good way - if training wheels snapping off can even be visualized in a good way).

Throughout the game, you will begin funneling your character into a particular "class" of sorts. These are generally separated into melee weapons, ranged weapons, and magic weapons. Each one has its benefits and weaknesses, and each one has a totally unique style of play. The weapons and loot you will find will be endless, and you will constantly find new ways to upgrade your character.

Another important point about games are the developers. Terraria's developers are definitely good people, though they can sometimes go through dry spells with content. That said, their updates are massive - I mean it, they are often big enough that they could be DLC. Yet, there isn't a single piece of DLC for Terraria and the price hasn't changed. The developers also declined an offer from Epic Games (the company responsible for the plague that is Fortnite), choosing to stay on their own. There are few other game developers on the level that Terraria's are.

Terraria is an amazing game that will keep you coming back from time to time. If you like sandbox games, RPGs, adventure games, and vibrant flashing colors, you'll likely love it. It definitely isn't for everyone, but it hits its intended market very well. For the price, it is more than worth it (it often goes on sale).

Final Rating: 10/10
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐