Recent reviews by PineMan

Outside of the story that felt repetitive at times and could have had more fleshed out moments, Rage has an excellent environment that looks great and feels lived in. The characters are interesting. There is a variety of missions and tools to get them done. If you like driving around Mad Max style there is fun to be had as well.

A sci-fi thriller that largely takes place at a lab down at the deepest level of the Ocean, dealing with questions about humanity and our mortality. I enjoyed the ride and was not quite expecting the serious tone. Definitely a well made game that keeps you hooked throughout.

No doubt strategy and coordination are key in a game like this. I love how dynamic each level is, and how every playthrough is different each time due to the randomization. With this in mind, the levels can be replayed several times over, being even more intense the next time visited (although hopefully not in the sense of the AI landing deadly accuracy all in milliseconds of you turning a corner, which can happen from time to time). When you are not taken down right away the need to return action can be an adrenaline rush that could lead to stopping the death of a bystander or one of your squad mates.

There are multiple levels, and each have several objectives, levels of threat, and rules of engagement accompanied; bomb threats, active shooters, barricaded suspects, and more. Even changing your gear beforehand in the Headquarters can spice up the job as you can take a less lethal or lethal approach, with appropriate equipment: stun grenades, flash bangs, riot shields, tazers, bean-bag shotguns, and more.

There is a good mix of AI characters as well, all appropriately dressed for the locations they are found in. You are required to be on-guard at all times for it is possible for a suspect to pose a victim or fake a surrender and then whip out a weapon when your eyes may glance away for just a moment. Of course the AI isn't perfect, there is a tendency for the suspects to sense and shoot you through walls even without a clear line of sight, which really can pull your out of the game at that moment..luckily I've only seen this a few times.

I never played Ready or Not's predecessor Swat 4, but I can see how fun it must have been. I can also see myself playing this for a while to come, as the new maps and other additions come along it is just getting better.

Really amazing mod for HL2 that deserves all the praise. Great job Breadmen.

New graphics, weapon additions, sets/environments, gameplay. An awesome story to take people back to the gripping Half Life world.

It's Fun. Not complicated and not terribly short. A good time setting up defensive positions and search and destroying bug hives to thin the swarm.

A very good time albeit grindy and repetitive.

A series worth your time

Immediate relief from the troubles I experienced through the first. I am so glad I got around to playing these games and I don't think enough people have.

The Evil Within 2 is now one of my favorite games I've played. There are only small things that keep this from making a ten out of ten for me, it is well worth the money even at full price.

Nearly half-way into this I think watching someone's playthrough is best to see what happens in the rest of the story. The problems that come up with the pc port and the low-swings of the game create new meaning to the title for me. It is frustrating to say the least.

I do really like the overall designs of the creatures and atmosphere, among much more.. but the ability to enjoy it all is thrown out of the window by many of the short-comings many people have gone into that would be redundant to explain further here.

I have heard The Evil Within 2 turns these problems in a 180 so I am looking forward to that.

A great all around detective thriller that you can get for a great price.

This game does a good job at making you feel claustrophobic at times and allows for free range of the maps in search for random objects you can use for means of defending yourself.. such as a conduit pipe or a wooden desk, of which the intense face-to-face combat surprised me for how much attention is put into it compared to the games that have come out far after.

*IMPORTANT* -There is a stuttering problem that starts up every few minutes. The stuttering will get progressively worse until the fps drops well under desirable. However, there is a helpful guide that explains a couple second download into the files to fix it.. I followed the steps and the game never suffered after.