Recent reviews by wingzfly

I've been playing for 69 hours (noice!) and I feel like it's time for a review of The First Descendant.

The big question is always: "Is this a great game?"Is it a great game? No. But I think there's always a second question worth asking: "Is this a fun game?" To that, I'd have to say yes.

It's a third-person looter shooter that is VERY reminiscent of Warframe. It's got a bit of Destiny 2 in its DNA but the gameplay and gunplay aren't as tight and satisfying as Destiny and the writing is downright bad. Yes, Destiny 2 has had a few expansions with meh storylines but even those are head and shoulders above The First Descendant's Story. It also has a dollop of Diablo 2 in it in how there's a ton of loot and the grind sometimes rewards you with a big drop that can do a ton to advance your build.

Let's talk about that - builds. Just like in Destiny, you can build your character in many different ways. In Destiny, it's exotics that really change the way your build plays but in TFD, it is Transcendant Modules. These are modifications that change how some of your skills behave. Using these can completely change the optimal way to play heroes and it feels really good to have that kind of agency in a game. But where Destiny tends to tie build and weapons very strongly together so that two different builds will use vastly different weapons, in TFD, you basically use the same guns no matter what build you play. The guns are fine but they aren't special in the way that D2's guns are special.

***NOTE*** You really need to invest a good bit of time to actually be able to master the playstyle of a hero and get enough mods and resources to start putting together a real build. With some of the easier and stronger characters (Valby, Freyna, Bunny), that could mean 10-15 hours to really craft something interesting. With higher skill floor characters like Gley, that could mean 25+ hours.

Movement in the game is pretty good but the default grappling hook is a bit janky. I'd highly recommend the Mid-Air Grapple module that changes your hook so it can hook to "nothing," letting you get out of situations much more easily and removing the worry of missing the geometry of walls you're trying to get to.

Yes, the microtransactions in this game are ATROCIOUS. You can buy characters outright and, while you CAN grind out the parts to build them for free, it's a looooong grind for most of them. But, you are able to get all the characters and guns and main gameplay things by grinding without having to pay. So yes, the microtransactions are obscenely overpriced but they are avoidable.

So why is the game fun? Because there's a lot to do and the types of encounters in those activities are varied. You can just do big boss battles- Colossus Intercepts. You can just run around and play the story missions. You can just do an xp/gold grind mode. You can play solo or with friends. The bosses and some of the enemies have a little bit more involved mechanics at the end game than games with bosses that are just ridiculous bullet sponges. (Destiny 2...)

So if you're looking for a game that you can mindlessly grind that gives you some agency where you can really make your character feel and play in a distinct way that you enjoy, this is it. If you're looking for a great game with the best gun play and best story out there, this ain't it. But that doesn't mean you aren't going to have a great time playing.

My recommendation? Give it a shot; it's free. I think you'll find stuff to like, so it's worth investing at least 10-15 hours into. If you find yourself enjoying it, there's plenty to stick around for.

Take Overwatch 1, subtract a tank, add a ton of microtransactions and gate content you would have received in OW1 behind those and that's Overwatch 2.

The "new missions" are basically extended versions of the old archives missions. There are a LOT of cinematics, which is really nice, but it's not worth $15. The "difficulties" just increase enemy and boss health and damage; there doesn't seem to be any truly interesting increase in difficulty like varying enemy types and numbers, new enemy mechanics introduced with each increased difficulty step, etc. You beat them on normal and you've seen all there is to see.

Their new "progression system" is just a stat tracker that shows you in a little more detail what you've been doing as you're playing.

Do I recommend the game? I only recommend it if you already had an existing OW1 account and didn't have to buy or unlock all the characters via microtransactions or a ridiculously long grind. If you had one, then it's almost identical in enjoyment value as OW if you don't purchase microtransactions. I enjoy the game but then I already had an OW1 account with lots of skins and cosmetics that I earned for free just playing that game. I would heartily have recommended OW1 but with how much more this costs for the same level of fun, I can't recommend this one to someone just starting out.

If you don't have an existing OW1 account and already have the core heroes unlocked, no, I don't recommend it. Apex Legends is out there, Valorant is out there, TF2 is out there and I'd recommend any of those as being exactly on par with this game.

I gotta show some love to Monster Sanctuary, which I haven't been able to put down since I started playing it a few days ago.

It's a mix of monster collecting/raising and platformer exploration with light puzzles. So Pokemon meets Metroidvania.

The controls are FANTASTIC so the platforming part is a blast and using the various monsters' unique skills to reach new areas is fun. There are puzzles that are interesting though not super difficult to mix things up.

But primarily the game is about building your monster collection and exploring a world whose lore unfolds via the story as you go. There's no big expository dump at the beginning so it feels good to learn more, little by little, as you meet new characters and explore new areas.

The combat is turn based like Pokemon but feels MUCH more like a good card battle game than Pokemon's more basic combat. Each monster has their own skill trees with unique skills and you can customize them and your party around whatever strategies you want.

Some monsters are great direct attackers, some spread debuffs, some make great tanks, while others excel at healing or shielding and clearing debuffs from your team. There are elemental resistances and weaknesses to exploit and lots of really cool interactions that really make it combat deep, interesting, and gratifying and it rewards thought and strategy.

They also released a massive expansion to the game for free recently choosing to allow people to tip the dev team if they liked it. I love stuff like that and try to pay more than I paid for the game to show appreciation and encourage more development.

I can't say enough about how fun and engaging this little indie game is. Give it a try if you're into collecting cool creatures and exploring new worlds!

Witch It is a lot of fun with friends. Their "Among Us"-style mode is great but even just their regular hide and seek mode can be a blast with a bunch of friends, especially if the witches use taunts to keep the hunters guessing!

I bought the Paladins Founder's Pack way back when the game came out and I enjoyed it but it had its drawbacks and I found myself playing Overwatch much more than Paladins. But with all the new heroes and the huge changes the game has gone through in the years since, I've recently come back to it and found that it's by far my favorite team shooter.

There are heroes for all different kinds of play styles and most heroes can adapt via the in-match loadouts and purchases to the situations that come up. (No tank? Pick up some extra HP and damage reduction since you'll likely be taking more damage, etc.)

I know the game systems have changed so that free-to-play players can't feasibly get all the heroes unlocked anymore so I can't recommend it for them, but for anyone who just buys the hero pack with all current heroes, it's a really great game with a lot of depth and a ton of fun with friends.

Great story, beautifully updated graphics, and smooth power progression. This game ticks all the boxes and it's definitely the best way to experience the Mass Effect Trilogy.