Recent reviews by Javamensch

Director's Cut DLC is definitely worth it!
Extra Content: Better visuals, some new areas, new weapons, new vehicle, more music, more combat moves and as usual unsurpassed audio sound from Sony. If you're a fan, it's a must have!

Coffee machine and lotsa lovin' detail for small grid ships? I'm in. :D

The Warhammer 40K camos are some of the coolest, tongue in cheek, camos on ships!

It's current version (2.0) is way better then when I first got the game. Still a few minor sync issues, but the game overall so-far from a new start looks GREAT on my older rig. How the new systems and leveling works, I'll soon find out...

Quite the different but fun battle vs the machines in 1980s Sweden. Story, Terrain and weather/lighting effects compensate for the simplicity interface of looting (necessary for consoles I guess). SP is a very solitary affair (and it plays into the story well) until it starts getting complex with bigger and better machines where it helps to join a MP game for some crazy fun(!). I half expect to walk/cycle into the town of Ystad and find Inspector Wallander and his daughter Police Constable Linda Wallander barricaded in the Ystad Police station! (K. Brannaugh series was OK, but I definitely preferred the original Swedish series from YellowBird). Mostly unique, classic weapons 1980s civie outfits and some real creepy robots!

Initially dubious about what might make this worth it's value, having gotten it I am pleasantly surprised. Team Fusion has done a bang-up job with this Il-2 Cliffs of Dover:Blitz "Desert Wings DLC" package to Supplement the game 1C decided to leave for greener pastures.
There is a wonderful assortment of new flyables: Kittyhawk, Tomahawk, Martlet (F4F-3), SpitV, Cr-42, Macchi C.202, Bf-109F (and multi-variations) Vickers Wellington, Ju-88 and Dewoitine D.520 to name a few. Suffice it to say, the faithful of Oleg's IL-2/FB/46 will see familiar cockpits in a whole new level of detail with gauges that actual work! It includes added quick and single missions for the new, highly detailed Desert map (familiar again to 46 players- Tobruk) and a few more for the BoB map. They've also added quite a few single player campaigns for those that enjoy a story & being immersed in history with a good dose of air combat.
I've only flown the Martlet and the Kittyhawk in several missions and solo flights and thus far am impressed and amazed with a subtle sense of the 'familiar' (planes & performance). Visuals are optimized and lighting looks beautiful reflecting off plexiglass and aircraft aluminum. If the FMB is anywhere near what Team Daidalos did with 46', (and they have added some really nice new ground objects) I think this will be fun to create missions and dioramas!

This is a beautifully dark, immersive survival game that uses (remarkably done) impressionistic graphics and fantastic sounds to portray an epic yet lonely winter landscape to adventure through, constantly aware that your existence is dependent on your nutrition, health and protection from the cold.

As an aside, I initially enjoyed that treecanada.ca would benefit as I thought i was indirectly funding an adventurous friend whom I never met (and will now never get to know) who planted trees in Canada. I later found out he had sadly passed away before his time. That some of the proceeds helps 'Médecins Sans Frontières' does alleviate slightly, the loss of this inspirational spirit.

What initially attracted me was the detailed ballistics and penetration of shells similar to warship gaming with miniatures using rules, tables and dice. Then the impressive visuals of pre-WW2 ships seen from the con, alive again in atmospheric brilliance as they move across the ocean.

Each ship is beautifully modeled, detailed and weathered with a myriad of camouflage patterns available that always refreshes the visuals. Damage modeling is good for it's scope and accelerated given the time frame of the game (battles last 20 minutes max) and the visual shell hits look great as the core of the damaged area glow red hot. Sinking physics is impressive and good to see an occasional hull break up as a ship goes down.

I like detail and variety and I specifically enjoy the Naval Operations battles and the revival of older operations (!) as it gives you different objectives instead of just the 'brawl' mindset of the others (which in itself can be fun as well)

Never to be undermined, the short history of each ship is fantastic in emphasizing strength, weaknesses and historical character relevance of the ship classes.

Very enjoyable and fun even for those not knowledgeable of Naval history.

This game is indirectly 'multiplayer'. If you've ever gone on a bicycle tour or hiked through a country you'll understand what I mean. Not really a frenetic 'shooter' you have to deal with basic logistics and planning and it does have it's 'moments'. Not really wanting to give away the plot, it is amazing especially if you play with no knowledge of what it's about.
2nd Playrhough - Quite the amazing game experience. You get to be the Big Brown (or blue) Truck spreading happiness to those you deliver!

Tom Clancy's: The Division stands among one of my favorite modern games. It has taken a dystopian future in New York City with an incredible amount of clutter and debris to a new art form.

I am on my second character run through of the game and am still amazed at the snowy winter scenery ornate with leftover holiday decor full of garbage bags, containers, abandoned vehicles and boxes of a population in the midst of a panic. The areas are faithfully represented (I grew up there) in an outstanding impression of three dimensional building and neghborhood sets with recognizable landmarks such as the Williamsburg Bridge, Madison Square Garden, The NY Public Library and the ubiquitous Mass transit Subway system. The animal AI/animation has to be some of the best I've seen in a simplified console port. Seeing the rats scurry as you trudge through a bio nightmare makes you almost want one! The dogs are not to be outdone but have been toned down to an environment factor (where have the cats gone I wonder?)

The voice acting is superb, rife with NY accents, mindsets and international languages that only a fully cosmopolitan metropolis can spill out from its cornucopia. With an open ended map and story which you can prioritize, it is complete with well made cut scenes (mostly in the beginning) to fill you in on the vital aspects and advancement of the plot as you try to save your city alone or with the help of a few players.

The great soundtrack amongst this outbreak is almost uplifting and can't help but be reminded of Mr Strandh's influences of Vangelis and Blade runner. It has a lot to do with a little hope as you sprint around the city trying to get your systems up to help with your buffs and mods as you try to defeat various factions vying for power throughout the city. As if that wasn't bad enough, the game/players can then devolve into rogue players as they look out for 'number one' to bring themeselves up to a 'king of the pile' so to speak, in a very inhospitable 'Dark Zone'.

Besides an intricate array of weapons, sidearms and protective body armor, each moddable to some extent, you also have a massive and collectable wardrobe to change your characters appearance. Not since the classic 'Deus-Ex" have I had so much fun in exploration mayhem!