Recent reviews by Riopine

Team Fortress 2 is one of the greatest games I have ever played.

Over the years the game had evolved into a juggernaut of the FTP market. For a game that's free you get so much from it: Nine playable classes that can be fully customised in a myraid of ways, impactful gameplay mechanics that make gunplay and teamwork satisfying, LOADS of different game modes and playable maps, A fantastic well realised world with unforgettable characters, a timeless art style, an amazing sense of humour... the list goes on. TF2 is as dense as it is fun to play, and not only that, the game has pretty much left it's mark on the gaming industry by evolving class based FPS games into the more commonly known “hero shooter” side genre, it's art direction may have influence other games into more stylistic looks instead of the generic dark realistic and gritty style most shooters have and – for better or for worse - has had an impactful effect on microtransactions in games today. Team Fortress 2 is a phenomenal game and even with similar games like Overwatch 2 and such out there, it still stands proud as being one of the best in the genre just for how damn unique it is after all these years.

I cannot recommend this game.

“Oh Riopine, you joker! With an opening as gushy as that, don't you mean you cannot recommend this game enough?”

...As much as I want to, no, I can't.

I cannot recommend this game.

TF2's last proper “major” patch was in October 2017, almost 7 years ago. Valve has updated each October/December with new maps and holiday themed events but... its nothing as groundbreaking as other major updates the game had. While I will say this sort of this is to be expected from a game that's over 15 years old, that isn't even the worst part about it.

Roughly about 4 or 3 years ago, bots started to run rampant, insta-locking to the sniper class and headshotting any player before they could even have a chance to react or realise that there is even a sniper on the other team. And it not just one bot per game - its HORDES. This is possibly due to a lack of updates on the game's anti cheat system.

As you can now understand this makes the chances of getting into a proper game very inconsistent, there ARE good games now and then, but there's always a chance you may get one, two, or TEN bots in a match which ends up ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ up the momentum of a game, sometimes outright turning into a stalemate. I know stalemates are usually common in some maps, but with a load of bots insta-killing any player that steps into their possible sightline(anywhere on the map, really) you can't even have fun messing about with other players like you used to, which was part of TF2's casual charm. The game feels ruined because of this.

What's also depressing is that it's been like this for YEARS, and while Valve has had tried to do something about it, their solutions have only been like bandaids on a massive, gaping bleeding wound. For example; “Are the bots mic spamming? Let's remove all vocal communication from FTP players.” This solution ended up back firing as now more human players are unable to communicate with mic, and you can get bots that micspam ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ anyway. It feels like Valve are more interested in other things rather than look after one of their most impactfull projects. I know not all multiplayer oriented games last forever, either their servers get shut down or the player base just slowly pewters out over time, but TF2's current ongoing bot crisis is not the death such a beloved game deserves. It's amazing it's over 15 years old and there is still a massive, dedicated community for the game, and with all the effort and content put into the game over the years, it's no wonder the game has become as beloved as it is, and yet valve would rather let's the community of this game suffer rather than put all THAT effort into fixing the problem. Why though? Are they lazy? Is there something else stopping them? I don't think anyone really knows the truth. I wish Valve were more transparent about what the hell is going on, then it could ease the outcry of TF2's current state, maybe not by much, but at least there is something.

Valve, as a member of TF2's community, a game you created, this game means so much to people, and to have your fans unable to play it when it's community is still alive and thriving is heartbreaking. If you actually care about us, please, fix this game. TF2 may die someday, but this is not the death it deserves; with all the impact it had on the industry and other people, It deserves better.

Team Fortress 2 is one of my favourite games of all time, I have made many new friendships and encountered so many wild and wonderful gameplay moments, and have been influenced by it's overall charm, polish, style and soul. But, in the current state it's in, I can't recommend anyone to play it.

If Valve actually ends up fixing this game, I will rewrite this review, and change it to a positive rating.

#FixTF2
#SaveTF2

Valve, please, do something.

If you don't know what the hell Doom is, then you are clearly not very familiar with First Person Shooters, or possibly gaming. Doom wasn't any normal First Person Shooter - it was THE FPS. The FPS that increased the potential of 3D game design, what the genre could do and made the genre popular. Wolvenstein may have given birth to the genre, but the genre wouldn't be as popular as it is now if it wasn't for this legendary game.

... but the question is, does it still hold up? Let's get on with the review!!

The story is as simple as early 90s games go but there is also a backstory to the player character as well - after our hero has disobeyed orders from a commanding officer to fire upon civilians and decide to stop him instead, he has been sent to work at a military base on Mars, which behaves as a Security post for a Multi-Planetary Conglomerate called the Union Aerospace Corporation (abbreviated UAC). The UAC itself is currently testing teleportation between Mars and it's two moons Phobos and Deimos in secrecy. Nothing special was really happening there... until one day, all hell quite literally breaks loose. The base on Deimos completely disappears off the face of the moon and a frantic distress signal was sent to Mars from Phobos, stating that something... "evil" has poured out of the teleportation gateway. Our hero (called Doomguy by the community, seems like a fitting enough name I guess) and several other Marines set out from Mars to Phobos to sort out this problem, and as they land on the Phobos base, Doomguy gets commanded to guard the perimeter, only equipped with a mere pistol, while the rest of the squad set foot inside the base. As our hero waits, he hears radio chatter followed by gunfire and screams which was eventually followed by an eerie silence. Doomguy is the only man in his squad left alive. He loads his gun, opens the entrance door, and sets on through the darkness and prepares for the worst. He hears inhuman cries and wails from the distance. There is no turning back now. He is Doomed... is he?

Just a quick heads up: the Steam version of Doom is a DOSbox emulation, so because of this, there will be some things that fans of Modern shooters may need adjusting to. For instance, the controls will be strange to some, as back then there probably wasn't any real support for the mouse - if you move the mouse forward, you walk forward. If you need help trying to adjust to some of the admittedly dated things in this emulation, try checking out the Discussions in Doom's Community section, They will have a ton of solutions, definitely helped me out. But despite having some dated things, once you get the game running how you want it. it will be worth it.

OK, let's get to Gameplay. Despite lacking a lot of things that modern shooters have, it does amazingly well without them and very easily makes up for it. You cannot aim up and down due to the fact that there is no Y axis to aim with, but this is very easily made up for with an auto aim that can help hit enemies a floor above or below. Headshots and stuff like that don't exist at all, but the action is so frantic anyway that it would be unnecessary for such a thing to be useful, and besides, the weapons are deadly enough anyway. Oh, and there is no health regen. We don't like that anyway.
The level design was incredible back in the day, and it still is very impressive, personally I still think that this game has some of the most well made levels that have ever been made for a FPS, and it makes the more modern shooters out there look amateurish with their linear corridors. Doom's levels are very labyrinthine and dungeonlike - there are loads of routes to take to get from the start to the finish, as well as coloured keys to look for to help progress through certain levels. What's more if you keep a careful eye out, you will find a secret! With it's complex level design, Doom loves to reward players who explore ... which is something more modern games should do really, it makes the game just that bit more immersive and rewarding. And if you ever happen to get lost, don't worry, check the map.
The weapons are limited but still pretty effective and are useful depending on what situation you are in. You start off with a measly pistol, but as you get further into the game you will find more devastating tools, such as a shotgun, Rocket Launcher, the franchise's beloved BFG (Quite literally stands for Big F*cking Gun) and even a kick ass Chainsaw! There are powerups as well, such as Invincibility and a Berserk Pack which gives you enhanced unarmed combat. Most of the weapons and powerups are so effective you'd want to save them for when you really need them, sometimes levels require you to use these to progress which makes this game a lot more strategic then some people thought an old shooter could be.
Enemy types are varied and hard as nails, and the difficulty curve itself is well paced. They start of simple at first, but as soon as the difficulty curve stars to rise, you will see more threatening types of monsters and more insane situations. for instance, during the first episode of the game, "Knee Deep in the Dead" everything will be very easy for the player. Ammo will be plentiful, enemies will be easy to deal with, facing nothing but zombies, imps and those pink demon things. The end bosses in this episode will be the only possible threat, but other then that, this episode will hold your hand, unless you play carelessly that is. It won't be THAT easy. Beyond the next two episodes, the difficulty will start to pick up, forcing the player to play smart.
Then you get to Episode 4, "Thy Flesh Consumed".
Enemies come in relentless hordes, health and ammo is scarce, there is a threat around every corner, corridors and rooms are incredibly tight, and looking for secrets is vital. This last episode is UNFORGIVING, even on "Hurt Me Plenty" difficulty, and it requires the player to put their Doom skills to the test. Either that, or they are doomed.
And... if you thought the game was a bit too easy on the last episode on "Hurt Me Plenty", then don't worry, Doom has harder difficulty settings, of which will alter the challenge in a couple of ways in the levels, such as harder enemies in certain places.

As for Audio, although it uses a dated MIDI format, is really good. The soundtrack ranges from fast paced tracks that suit the fast paced action of the game, and then there are more somber, ominous tracks that suit Doom's gothic style. Weapons sound great, the chainsaw for instance sounds as grisly as a chainsaw should be. Monsters sound excellent and the kind of noises they make differ from each type, which can help the player develop a twitch reaction on how to deal with them if they bump into them (eg: Was that an Imp? I'll get my shotgun out...).

Graphics... Ehh. Alright they are horribly dated but there seems to be a gothic style going on here. and not all the levels look the same. Plus each enemy type has a distinct silhouette which can also help develop a twitch reaction on what the player should do to deal with them. Doom isn't an amazing looking game, but it's still not a bad looking one.

I think I described enough of Doom now, now to answer the question I said at the start of this review: Does Doom still hold up?

In two words: Hell yes. Doom was not only a revolution in the game industry, but it is a achievement in solid game design. while it may have aged poorly in the graphics department and it may lacks some thing most other modern shooters can do, everything else it can do, it does it FLAWLESSLY. The game brought several things to the table back then and it can still do them again and impress. If you haven't played Doom, then for the love of god, DO SO. Doom is a truly unmissable classic. So, what are you doing? Buy it. Lock, load, rev up that chainsaw, and get ready to rip and tear. Bring on the Ultravionce!!

Fast-paced action, dense atmosphere, great story and a rather creepy little girl. This is F.E.A.R., an immersive first person action experience that makes you feel like a absolute badass... until 'she' appears.

F.E.A.R. is set in the near future, around a spec ops group made for fighting paranormal threats known as the First Encounter Assault Recon (abbrieviated F.E.A.R.). Their Mission in the game is to eliminate a telepathic criminal called Paxton Fettel who is able to control an army of telepathy-controlled clone soldiers. You play as the F.E.A.R. group's Point Man, whom of which has very sharp reflexes, a major part of the gameplay (I'll talk about that soon). As you play through the game, you will discover some darker things in the story, and you will see that maybe Paxton and his army are not the only threat. At certain points of the game, you will see a little girl dressed in red. You will think, 'Who is this girl?, What does she want? Why is she around in a middle of a spec ops operation?'

One thing is for sure though: she aint a sweet little thing, after seeing what she does to your team at the near beginning of the game...

F.E.A.R.'s story is wonderfully complex and dark, making you question what the hell is going on, and the twists and turns are great to see. And the ending was more than fitting for such a dark game.

One thing about F.E.A.R. is that, unlike many other FPS's, its a very moody game. The lighting is dark, the soundtrack and ambience is subtle and creepy, the camera suddenly gets some blurry filters now and then and you will usually find yourself isolated, all alone without the company of your allies from your radio or even your enemies. At certain points of the game, F.E.A.R breaks away from it's epic gunplay (I'll get to that later) and decides to give you little moments of isolated terror. As soon as you hear your radio emanate static, you will get the feeling of dread. At times like this, you may think you are all on your lonesome... but you will always get that feeling like something is watching you. Suddenly all sorts of bizzare things start to appear as you walk through the darkness, sometimes the scenery starts to change with no real warning. These typs of cutscenes definately do not feel like filler and make the game feel more alive, not to mention are incredibly well made and its an awesome way to break away from the action and build up atmosphere. What's more, they get scarier and more surreal as the game progresses, and they are worth playing all the way through just to see the outcome.

OK, now for gameplay. As you may already know, F.E.A.R. is a First Person Shooter, and it has a hell of a lot of trick up its sleeve. You are able to carry up to three weapons and there are three grenade types. Healthkits are avaliable too, but it's not like you pick one up and automatically get some health out of it. They have to be used manually, so you can heal yourself when you are in the midst of combat. Think of it as health regen, but more controllable. But what sets this game apart from many other FPS's is its niche: The Point Man's Reflexes. You have a small bar at the bottom of the screen which is to display how long you can use these reflexes. When you activate this, everything goes slow. Bullets become more visible, enemies slow down and your weapons fire with less recoil.

Yes, this is awesome.

Whats more is that you will NEED to use this. The weapons in the game are so strong enemy soldiers will rip you up within seconds. Even pistols are deadly! Not to mention the AI itself is incredible, another one of F.E.A.R.'s strong points. The Three Weapon Limit may seem demeening at first, but as I already said, the weapons are powerful, and are made even better with the reflexes. If they gave the player the incentive to use the slo-mo without a three weapon restriction, the game may be too easy. Weapons range from a pistol (which can be dual wielded), submachine gun, assault rifle, precision rifle, nail gun, shotgun, a rather messy rail gun that can burn all the skin of a poor guy's body and tons more. Each weapon feels different and can be used for many situation and none of them are useless. Choosing which weapon to take with you isn't a question of "Which is a better weapon?" but of "Which weapon do I like more?" I myself kept the handguns with me all the way, because I liked how strong and fast they were. What is also great is that you can carry three different grenade types at once, being Frag grenades, Proximity mines and Remote bombs. Althoguh they are limited in quantity, they can be devastating. The player can also Melee attack, which isn't limited to just hitting things with the stock of a gun; you can also slide kick and bicycle kick, plus Melee attacks can kill most enemies with one hit. Despite having only acress to three weapons, the player has enough options in combat anyway thanks to powerful and agile melee combat and the unique Slo-mo Reflex ability, allowing strategic play. Health Kits themselves are very plentiful - a good thing since you will find yourself on low health very often. And aside from guns, grenades, and first aid kits there are also Upgrades to boost your health and reflexes, usually hidden in the levels. Collecting these is vital, as they will help you stand a chance in the more chaotic, intense fights. Exploring for secrets is something that Modern shooters barely ever do and, while FEAR isn't technically a Modern shooter, it shows that such a thing can work as a rewarding element in a shooter. The level design itself it fantastic, with wide open areas providong some badass slo-mo run n' gun action as well as some really tight corridors with numerous routes of approach and things for the player and the enemy AI to hide behind. I think I should emphasise a bit more on the enemy AI: It can asses the situation, try to flush you out, flank you, stick fighting defensively when it can and soldiers can synergise incredibly well, keeping close to each other and backing each other up. It made me feel like I was actually fighting well trained soldiers. Combine powerful weapons, abilities with great potential, threatening enemies and grand level design and you can get some beautifully orchastrated gunfights... possibly some of the best ever.

Graphicly the game is... slightly dated? The game looked the part for its time, but I don't think the textures look as great as they used to be. But hell there are a load of other noteworthy things about the graphics. The character models are terrific and FEAR has to have some of the best particle effects I have ever seen in a game. Effects during the more atmospheric scenes are impresive too, such as sudden transitions to different places.

I'll further emphasise in the audio: the game sounds incredible. The loud volume of the guns complement their power, the voiceacting is stellar, the sountrack ranges from gritty and action packed tracks to more forboading, subtle ambient tracks which suit the mood and atmosphere for the game perfectly. And the ambience is incredible, especially during those atmospheric scenes.

Just so anyone reading this knows, if you buy F.E.A.R. from Steam, you will get its expansion games, Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate, for free! Both of which offer some neat new weapons and enemies and are both great.

F.E.A.R. sadly isn't a perfect game. While the level design is great, it seems to be a bit... linear. Through most of the game you seem to be going in one direction which can be a bit mind numbingly dull at times, but when it's during the more creepy scenes of the game it fits well though, as if you are taking a ghost train ride.

Overall F.E.A.R is a well written, heart pounding shooter that knows how to balance it's incredible action segments with it's more disturbing and atmospheric moments. Highly recommended for gamers looking for something that rewards skill with thrills.

Blue Shift is another continuation of the original Half Life games. This time you assume the role of security guard Barney Calhoun, during the events of the original game. Just like the original game and Opposing Force, your main objective is to survive by assisting fellow Black Mesa Employees, using any weapon or tool to your advantage and by using your wits. Blue shift does just that.

Gameplay wise, It's still the engaging Half Life everyone knows and loves. Real Time cutscenes? Check. Aggresive and sophisticated enemies? Check. Reliable friendly NPC's? Check. Clever puzzles and well designed levels? Check. And the epic and intense gunplay that the original had? Yep, it's all here. Graphically, it's just like the previous games. The levels look as varied as ever, and the audio still breaths a great atmosphere into the game. So far, everything that is included in this expansion is good.

But it's the worst installment in the series.

And why, do you ask? Because, unlike it's predecessors, it's really short. Really, really short. And unlike Opposing Force, it didn't really add anything new. OK, maybe the HEV battery pickups have now been replaced by Body armour since you are a security guard instead of a heavily armoured scientist/soldier. But... other than that... that's it. No new guns, no new NPC types, friendly or enemy, no new level obstacles and gimmicks, no nothing. Hell, it even lacks some things from the original Half Life, such as certain weapons and an end boss. With an impressive expansion like Opposing force being released before this, I was honestly expecting to see a lot more, but instead, it feels like a watered down Half Life. It's still nice, but it could've been so much more.

Overall, Half Life: Blue Shift is a fairly decent expansion, although a tad bit underwhelming considering the content it's two predecessors delivered before it. If you enjoyed Half Life or Opposing Force, I'd say you check Blue Shift out. If you never played either of those two, this is not the best place to start. It's way too short and light on content and the other Half Life games deliver so much more. Get those instead, then buy this during a sale.

This is how you make a good expansion pack.

While the original Half Life puts you in the role of Gordon Freeman, Opposing Force puts you in the shoes of a conpletely different character during the events of the original game. Instead of being a scientist who is trying to fight for his life, you are now Adrian Shephard, A Corporal rank soldier who, alongside his platoon, has been sent to Black Mesa to clean up the problems that have occured there.

And the mission goes to hell pretty damn fast.

What was supposes to be a simple clean up mission for Adrian suddenly becomes a similar situation that Gordon had - a fight for survival. If Adrian must endure the madness of Black Mesa, he must adapt to his surroundings, use anything he can get his hands on, rely on those willing enough to help and use his military training plus his own wit to it's full potential. So far, Opposing Force does Half Life justice by sticking with a similar story with a lot of great ideas that contrast very well with it's predecessor, so that it doesn't become too similar.

But what about the gameplay? Does it do justice to Half Life too? First off, due to the fact that you are now a Soldier instead of a Black Mesa Employee, there ane new friendly NPCs, who of which are Soldiers, Engineers, and Medics. All of which are a great help and can back each other up. And due to the way the story starts, you won't need to kill the survivors of Black Mesa (which was what the Military was sent for), the security guards and scientists of Black Mesa will still lend you a helping hand throughout the story. When it comes to weapons, sadly not all of the guns and gadgets that were in the original game make it back. However, all of the weapons that haven't made it back have been replaced with new and, surprisingly, BETTER weapons. Remember the Crowbar? You now have a stronger Combat Knife! How about the .357 Magnum? Now a Desert Eagle, which is faster and comes with a Laser sight! All the new weapons are not just replacements though, For instance, there is a new LMG weapon which is an absolute blast to use and feels completely different from the weapons that were in the original. Overall as far as weapons go, Opposing Force gives you more than just new and improved weapons. Heck I didn't even think the weapons needed to be replaced with better ones, seems what wasn't broken got fixed anyway. There are new Enemy NPC's too, and they fit very well into the Half Life Universe, such as a bigger zombie, Alien Shock Troopers and since the Military are on your side now, the enemy soldiers have been replaced with different Human enemies, I won't spoil who they are but they are a worthy replacement, seeing that they were also enemies of a different sort in the original game, now taking over another role. And the Level design is just as superb as the original, but with the inclusion of new weapons and NPCs, we get to see a load of new puzzles and situations that couldn't be done in the original game. Oh! and you can climb and swing on ropes now! Which adds to some cool things! So, as far as Gameplay goes, everything is better.

Graphically, yeah I guess it is just as blocky and wooden as the original, but there are some really varied looking levels again, even the training level looks great! The new aliens look fearsome and formiddable. Again Half Life uses real time cutscenes, which is always a treat, not to mention they are well written.

When it comes to audio again, the game sounds just as good as the original, the aliens sound angry, the guns are loud, the soundtrack is excellent and the voiceacting is superb. Soldiers now have different voice lines as well as a different voice actor since they are now on your side, but they are a joy to hear... in a cheesy Star Fox sorta way. "MAN MY DOGS ARE BARKIN'!"

But is there anything wrong with Half Life: Opposing Force? Sadly, there are a few issues. First off, the glitch that can get you stuck in the level terrain is still present, but again it doesn't happen very often. And... as much as I hate saying it, due to the fact you can get more teammates with more aggresive firepower, the remarkable AI from the original starts to show some of it's issues. For example, Sometimes, soldiers will not realise to stop shooting when the player is in their way of the enemy target, they'll even shoot if the player hasn't walked in the way and was already standing there, if I recall. Another little nitpick I have is that friendly Medics don't heal their own wounded teammates. However, the AI is still great, especially the enemy AI, as it's still relentless as it was in the original game. My last major gripe is the end boss, although was a bit challenging, I thought it was a bit too straight forward compared to the original.

Tl;dr, Half Life: Opposing Force does justice to it's predecessor and is possibly one of the best Expansion packs I have ever had the joy of playing, and for an Expansion pack to add so much to an already perfect game is mesmarising. I may as well consider it a separate game from it's predecessor. Not only that, this was technically Gearbox Sofware's first ever project, and considering how well made Opposing Force was, it was one hell of a way to start them off into the gaming industry. If you enjoyed Half Life, buy it. If you never played Half Life, buy it anyway!

You are Gordon Freeman. A scientist who works for the Black Mesa facility. And an experiment you took part in has gone completely awry, unleashing an extraterestrial invasion, and now all hell has broken loose in Black Mesa. Your main goal is to survive and to stop the invasion, using the help of surviving Black Mesa employees, whatever you can get your hands on and your own bare wits.

Even if it is over a decade old, Half Life has aged very, very well. In fact it seems to do some things better than most Modern shooters - you can hold a heck of a lot of weapons for example, a great feature that barely has any presence in shooters nowadays. The gunplay is intense but fair, and you have a huge multitude of weapons to utilise - and they are all great and feel powerful. Enemy types are plentiful, varied and can get pretty darn tough as the game progresses. The enemy AI itself is intelligent and fierce - especially the soldiers who know how to flank well and work together. There are friendly NPC's as well, which are actually helpful: Security guards can help deliver covering fire and scientists can unlock doors and heal you if you are low on health. The game also takes good advantage of the environmental elements around it, technically making almost everything a threat or obstacle - some bridges can be destroyed which may require you to find another way around it, wet floors are obviously slippy so you need to be careful not to slide into an elevator shaft - Did I also mention that elevators in this game are barely ever safe? All of these great uses of particular stage elements called for some fantastically designed levels and puzzles that require a skilled gamer to complete.

Graphically, I will admit the game does look a bit blocky by today's standards and the character animations are pretty wooden, but each level within Half Life looks worlds apart from one another, especially the last part of the game, trust me, it's amazing, that's all I'm saying about it, I'm not gonna spoil it. The character and enemy designs themselves, most notably the aliens, are really creative, unique and varied. The real time cutscenes were cutting edge back in the day and even though the choppy and kinda unexistant character animations during these cutscenes are now dated in a sense, the fact that they are REAL TIME just makes them very immersive and makes you feel part of a great story.

When it comes to audio, the soundeffects are great and fits Half Life's sci-fi tone, and the guns are LOUD. The music tracks, although few and far between, are fantastic and give off great atmosphere. The voiceacting is also great, even if the recordings are a bit grainy.

If there was anything I thought that did detract from the overall quality from the game, is the fact that sometimes the player can get glitched in certain parts of the environment, so they can't move, therefore they would need to restart from the last save... but then again this barely ever happens.

Tl;dr Half Life is a groundbreaking FPS that has stood the test of time and I still consider it as one of the best shooters ever made, if not the best. An immersive, action packed, incredibly varied FPS that makes you feel like an action hero. Highly recommended to anyone who has at least an interest in videogames.