Recent reviews by AvaRayDrake

GOTY! This game deserves every piece of praise it's pulling, and I can only hope other development studios take note.

As a major fan of the OG Mass Effect Trilogy, I went into this game expecting to dislike it. I was very wrong.
The game reminds me very strongly of ME1. The RPG-style gear system, the mako-analog, scanning planets... it's back to basics in the most nostalgic way possible. Are there many well-documented bugs? Yep, but they're not game-breaking anymore. I enjoy my companions (minus Cora and Liam), though unfortunately not quite as much as the OG companions.
What really makes this game shine are the small details. This game is, in fact, all small details, from your companions chatting to the constant chatter in the marketplaces to enough immersive emails to outweigh the Tempest. The big choices don't matter very much, but honestly, how much do I care about that when there's an infinite deluge of tiny little cute, heartwarming, or deeply touching individual choices?
I don't think this game is particularly replayable, but given that I wasn't even expecting to play it once, I'm fine with that.
The game is also beautiful. The transition between each planets is slow (your ship literally pulls away and flies to the next planet, taking 5-8 seconds), but so soothing that even though you can skip it, I never do. This game is for people who like to balance their combat with slow-paced talking. If you loved the 10-hour citadel intro in ME1, this game is for you.
The combat is excellent. The multiplayer is fun. 100% reccommend based on that alone.
Oh, and you can change every aspect of your character's appearance (EVERY aspect, minus which Ryder you're playing) via a terminal in your bedroom, so that rocks.
Mods greatly improve the QOL when playing (shoutout to shut up SAM, faster kadara doors, and quickloot all in one) but are technically not necessary.
So, yeah, if you're craving more of that ME1 style but with the most beautiful graphics and exponentially improved combat, this is the game for you.
(Small note: I have not currently completed the game; it estimates 35% completion. Still, I'm having a great time so far. Will update if that changes.)

Excellent fun if you play multiplayer with other people you know.

First RPG I ever played, and remains one of my favorites.

If you're here looking to play the Witcher because of the TV show, consider it carefully. This game is old; it has no convenient fast travel, you can easily softlock yourself out of completing quests by doing things in the wrong order (despite the 'right' order never being told to you), and while the story is absolutely amazing, the gameplay itself is an absolute pain on the easiest of difficulties. Modding isn't a requirement to make the game playable, but it does help. A guide is probably a must-have, if you don't want to do a lot of reloading old saves or want to only play the game through once.
If you see all that and think, "that doesn't sound like much fun," consider starting with the Witcher 3 and looking up summaries for the first two games. It'll be a much more player-friendly experience.
If see all that, and decide you're here for Geralt of Rivia, no matter what? Awesome! The game is worth full price, but go ahead and grab it on sale to be smart. Enjoy!

This game is a must-play. This upgrade is amazing, largely for the major quality of life improvements for ME1, and the trilogy cohesiveness improvements. The storyline is expansive and epic, and the companions are some of the best out there. My favorite games of all time.
Edit: After an additional 66 hours, I've noted a repeating, semi-frequent (maybe once every few hours?) bug. Occasionally, Shep will get stuck facing one direction. I cannot seem to identify any particular trigger. She will only storm in that direction, regardless of the camera, but her gun will shoot based on camera viewfinder. She cannot take cover. The bug usually lasts 15-25 seconds, which is an absolute pain in a firefight. It has caused me to die a few times. The most reliable fix is running around waiting for it to go away. Other people have tried/recommended opening up various menus; I've had limited success with that. Reloading an old save fixes it 100% of the time, and often the bug doesn't trigger again til a while later.
That said, still 1,000% worth picking up the game at full price.

Not as many mods for Skyrim: SE as for Skyrim: Legendary edition. Legendary is partially hidden on Steam store, but still purchasable, and definitely worth the cost ($20, never on sale) over SE purely for the increased moddability (why else do we even play Skyrim, after all?).

I'll update this review when I've played more, but I wanted to write and say that there are several accessibility features involving the visual glitches in the game that allow players who can't play with those (or just don't want to) to turn them off. (The red/blue offset in particular is a very immersive effect, but one that was physical agony to look at.)

Kevin seems very cute and I'm sure nothing will go wrong as I play!

Very excited to visit lesbian island. Beautiful graphics that my baby laptop can't run. Can't play for longer than 30 minutes without overheating.

Edit: After progressing from 12 hours of playtime to almost 100, can say that even on the lowest graphics settings possible, the story and gameplay are engaging enough to make it absolutely worth it.

Edit 2: One item from the paid DLC is available ~weekly, basically for free. Love when developers recognize people who put in the hours.

Peaceful and calming. Wonderful way to spend a few minutes to relax.