Good Grief...what can I add to what has been said already? Not much. I'll just list the pros, neutrals and cons. Pros: - Enivronments are beautiful and varied. They've done a great job, both technically and artistically.
- Music Neutrals: - Combat is fairly fun but pretty easy and simple, even on the hardest difficulty. It is a responsive and flashy 3rd person melee action game. However, is this what you want? Don't listen to the reviews saying the combat is deep. It's not. It's just hit, hit, hit, dodge, hit, hit, parry while using your abilities in between cooldowns. There's no need to strategise or think. - Character/enemy models. They are well done in terms of detail but how much you'll like them is based on whether you like the big head, fortnight/sims type feel. Most enemies seem cartoony too, which detracts from how horrfiying they are supposed to be. I really didn't like it. Just compare Qunari and the Darkspawn to DAO and DA2. Cons: - Story. It's very straight forward, with no real surprises. I actually found many of the story cutscenes boring and wanted to skip. - Dialogue. This is by far the worst aspect. It's atrocious. The characters seem like they were created by someone who has never watched anything but the most mediocre sitcoms and TV super hero shows and the characters act like they belong in those modern settings too. I kid you not, for the first few hours the characters repeatedly engage in baring their souls about how daunting the task ahead is and how they doubt they are capable of being successful and then you all sit around saying basic stuff like, 'We'll succeed if we stick together, because together we are stronger, there's nothing we can't achieve if we believe in each other and we cannot fail the world'. Everyone then perks up with renewed resolve before, 35 minutes later after another small mission, you go through the whole thing again. And again. And again... Most of the people in your party act like insecure Californian college students, rather than battle hardened adventurers. Their mannerisms, their vocabulary, their tastes, attititudes and ****'s all so Sesame Street. They are just so boring and I suspect will especially be so to anyone over 35. - Missions and game structure. Missions are fairly short. Even more so than Mass Effect 3. You basically have a team talk, kill a few mobs while running through a linear map, have another team talk, and then go back to your base for...another team talk. There are no puzzles worthy of the name. There are no hubs, no consistent characters to get to know whose stories change as the game progresses, no exploration, no player agency. It's painting by numbers. - Enemy variety. The enemies you kill at the beginning of the game are pretty much the ones you'll be fighting near the end. - Player choice. There isn't any bar one or two key decisions. You can't be selfish or arrogant, let alone an evil character.
Ok, so it's not really like XCOM or a turn based strategy game at all. It's easy, even on Hard. You simply rewind and mess about and there are many ways to win. Enemies are very passive and most just stand around since the 'challenge' in this game is based on whatever goals you make for yourself; as in 'can I clear this room in 2 turns?'. You can literally just crouch in a room of multiple enemies and that will be enough to be safe from them. Only melee enemies actively hunt you down and there aren't many of them. The game is simply a sand box. I only had to restart a mission once I was almost half way through the game. A couple of missions later I stopped playing as without any challenge it's just a waste of time. The game even lets you skip levels if you choose. It's really made for the 'make me feel powerful while holding my hand and make allowances for me having an attention span of 8 seconds' crowd. The story, like the 'challenge', is also for a modern audience of, presumably, young people who still think Marvel and Whedon-esque humour is great. Everyone is childish, no matter their age or personality. Lastly, some rooms just feel bad because of the lack of enemy agency. In one instance, I had a big tanky enemy to kill that I was pretty much unable to damage so I hacked a turret. I waited for the enemy to come for me so I could use the turret but they just stopped moving and stayed on the other side of the map. If I approached they would throw an easily avoided grenade but apart from that it was basically some kind of bugged out stalemate. On another few occasions I was simply able to wait for many enemies to come out a door and then just shoot them one at a time until I got a victory screen. Yay.....
This game is basically an interactive version of Twin Peaks. Be warned, the more important gameplay is to you, the less you'll enjoy it. Fantastic productions values and oodles of creativity can't make up for a severe lack of actual gameplay and what gameplay there is ranges from poor to merely above average. I kid you not, in the first 2+ hours of gameplay I had 3 combat encounters. 2 were so brief they barely counted as a tutorial and then the third was a boss battle that was difficult precisely because it's your first real experience of combat. Then you hardly get any for the another 2 hours or so. The combat in this gameonly become relevant in the last quarter of the game, and by that time it's too little too late and, as I just mentioned, it's kinda stodgy and clunky. In a day and age where reviewers seemingly prize cinematic experiences above gameplay, I guess I shouldn't be surprised this title has been **** it's a sad thing imho.
Where the first game had heart, relatable emotions (both good and bad) and empathy, this one has hate, selfishness, narcissistic self-absorption and destructive anger - with most of it seeming bizarre and inexplicable. Where the first game had believable motivations for the characters and understandable logic to their decisions, this one just makes them bow before the grindingly, artificially enforced overarching narrative. It doesn't matter if it fits their character or makes sense, if it needs to be done to keep things grim then it'll happen. Make no mistake, these aren't characters so much as they are caricatures; they're really that distorted and cartoonish. The same goes for the way the plot unfolds; it doesn't matter if it seems contrived or far-fetched or if it seems incredibly improbable - if it allows an easy path to create further trouble, it's gonna happen whether it's convincing or not. It's like the author thinks the players are in their early teens, an odd thing considering the game is 18+ only. Honestly, the vast majority of people in this game are damaged goods. They don't want happiness nor do they seek any way to resolve their problems other than violence. They cannot even disagree when simply discussing things without insults and bitterness. Is it something in the water? I believe history teaches us that most people come together and put aside their differences in times of conflict, when the need for survival is greatest. In this post-apocalypse? People just double down and desire more suffering. It's crazy. More importantly though, it's lazy, shallow and I didn't find it in anyway convincing. So, the game supposedly wants me to feel emotions, it's supposed to be the main draw but I simply couldn't, not after the first 5 hours. Most of these people are hopeless, a lost cause. They're lemmings and all I could do was watch as they pointlessly flail about, fighting over each other to reach the cliff edge. Possibly the most laughable decision is to create a character that kills a beloved one from the first game and then force you to play as that character WITHOUT any backstory until later. I'm assuming they did that to try and get you to like/understand them but that's a colossal task that requires a skill waaaaay beyond the person who wrote this. It's a ridiculous thing to do. By the time I found out more, I already had gotten used to hating the character completely and simply didn't care. They should have made this whole game about them and then brought them into contact with the characters that we know in a third game. And the ending? Good grief. I'm guessing it was supposed to be thought provoking and meaningful but it was obvious that it was going to be one of the options they went for. The way it happens though is just bland and without any discernible motivation. There is no clue that I can see as to why Ellie would choose what she did, especially since she goes out of her way from an especially safe and comforting place, long after emotions would have died down, to get to that point. It's just another example of a character choosing to do something 'just because'. Presumably because the writer got lost in his own world and thought it MUST be an amazing idea but we've seen endings like this many times and done much better. Like I said before, do they not know that mature, older people might play this? The game has literally nothing new to say, no believable means of delivery and no convincing reason for the ending, despite the fact that their are at least 3-5 different outcomes that would have had more impact, especially if player choice was allowed. This game COULD have had me reeling from certain events, if I was actually a participant but I certainly didn't have the the ability to change/direct anything as the story is linear and involves no decision making or interesting choice/consequence systems - in a high budget game in 2020 no less.....:S Tehcnically (graphics and sound) the game is outstanding. The combat is fairly dated and nothing new, a 7/10. The skill trees are pointless. There's too much wandering about here and there and it spoils the pacing. The new monsters are mostly enjoyable. The last act is bloated. In case you didn't guess, I disliked the game. It's not canon to me. Just remember the first game and ignore this. Look it up on youtube if you're really curious.
Despite an underwhelming first couple of hours, the game grew on me more and more as the world opened up, as I got accustomed the the gameplay loop and once I'd put a few points into slo-mo shooting. The reason for the latter is that the freakers really dodge about everywhere and it gets frustrating to miss shots and then end up in melee; the weaker, less enjoyable side of combat. After that, it just picked up. I loved surviving out in the unforgiving world of Days Gone. I enjoyed the combination of stealth and gunplay. I enjoyed being able to switch between the two and the variety in combat situations the monsters and the bandits. The side quests often have on-going stories for the npc's involved and they are dished out at regular intervals, meaning you can't just blow through one person's questline only to have them disappear for the rest of the game. Instead, by spreading things out, you get to catch up on them now and then as time passes in the main story, which keeps things feeling natural. The hordes are great. Early on, they're terrifying hazards and, even late game, a force to be reckoned with but, as Deke gets stronger and better equipped, you'll slowly start to turn the tide. Whilst nothing Days Gone does is new or done to a level beyond anything that has come before, it does enough things well enough, with enough care and heart , for most of it to be enjoyable and varied. The exact ebb and flow of the gameplay loop is down to you, the player, so it's great to do things as and when the mood takes you. The main story has a surprising amount of twists and turns, even if it is sometimes uneven in quality. Most of the main npc's have strong, well-defined characters and the overall tone of the world has a good amount of moral ambiguity to it. What people have to do to survive, the decisions they have to **** game tries to show people with all their imperfections and it's more interesting for it than a lot of what I see in games these days. Weapons have a good amount of variety, they definitely feel different and have pros and cons meaning choosing the right ones for the right job requires at least a bit of thought. Upgrading Deke brings noticeable, satisfying and rewarding benefits. The bike being your save point is a great idea. On harder difficulty settings, you genuinely feel vulnerable when you stash it somewhere to go explore or scavenge. Deke's character takes a bit of getting used to. He's a grumpy, messed up guy, but you can feel he's trying to change as he finally comes to terms with the reality that he's let this bleak world break his spirit - leaving him living a pointless life. The way the backstory of Deke is told is well done in terms of the segments but sometimes jarring given that it's often telling you stuff in reverse order, or simply a jumbled up order. For example, someone close to Deke says something really cringe worthy at one point. It's bizarre and out of character. 'What a crap bit of script', I thought. However, some time after another flashback, which goes back in time from the previous one, explains why this is. It then made sense and put a smile on my face but that doesn't change the fact that the initial flashback seemed poorly written at the time. It's an odd choice and sometimes it didn't work for me. The map is surprisingly big as it expands 3 times from the initial area you start in. I think my playthrough was close to 50 hours. I also appreciated the fact that after the main story is finished, there are 3-4 questlines that have one or two extra bits; to tie up loose ends with some of the npc's you've gotten to know along the way. Plus, there's an extra piece of story if you defeat all the **** really set things up nicely (and ominously) for a sequel so I was very disappointed to hear Sony didn't give it the greenlight. Lastly, I'd also like to get the annoyance of some of those initial reviews out my system. Some of them were awful. Judge a game primarily on its gameplay, not the fact you find a white, biker survivalist unsavoury. Jesus. One review even said the Freakers all being white was racist, even though the game explains what happens to people's skin after they are infected. I mean, one of the tougher basic enemies are called bleachers. The clues in the name you muppet journos. They're tougher, (and whiter, hence the name 'bleacher'), because they've been infected longer. If you really have to criticise along the lines of identity politics (which you obviously shouldn't, you hacks) at least get your facts straight. Anyway, I enjoyed this enough to play through again a year later on Survival+ and may well play through again on PC. I'd give it an 8.5 if the option were available.
This is a great game that brings enough of its own identity to many of the, admittedly familiar, core aspects. A handful of few minor drawbacks mean that my score would more accurately be a 8.5. Graphics The good: Stunning artistic style combined with fantastic scenery and great lighting, including beautiful variety in the day night cycle. Possibly the best photo mode I've used. The bad: They are a handful of poor textures here and there, rocky surfaces in particular. The game works best when you're surrounded by grass, trees and foliage. My main gripe is when looking at things in the distance, usually from a vantage point. It's doesn't happen too often but sometimes land in the distance looks very flat and one tone, with almost no detail. It really sticks out. For example a yellow field of flowers, from up on high, looks like a bland brushstroke of paint. Sound The good: Excellent sound effects and a great, authentic sounding soundtrack. The bad: There's some lip-syncing that's off if you use the Japanese VO. Combat gameplay The good: I was worried that the combat would feel like W3 or the recent two AC games but I was very happy to find they've given combat it's own feel. Combat is quick and brutal. It's somewhat like a much easier version of Sekiro, with you and your enemies doing a lot of damage but with a 'guard' bar to break down first, unless you strike directly after a dodge, in which case you can usually get one hit in. Another bonus is that there are quite a few tools to use (Kunai, stun bombs etc) that allow you to express yourself in a greater variety of ways. Stealth works well but is like many other games in that respect, although it should be noted that they've given the player a lot more room for how they move around areas. In addition to the usual 'tall grass, walls and boxes' you've got many ways of climbing over and through buildings, along with crawling under them and popping out through trapdoors, squeezing through gaps and entering through small hatches. There's a large amount of skills to choose from, so there's several different playstyles to choose from. The bad: Even on hard, the game's just too easy. Apart from the initial learning curve and times I wandered into strong camps early on, there wasn't too much difficulty once I was used to the systems. As you progress and gain levels and equipment, it just gets even easier. It's a shame because I can see plenty of room to make it harder without needing to come close to Sekiro levels. Stealth in particular is overpowered, with enemies giving you plenty of leeway in terms of when they spot you. The camera doesn't always play nice either. It doesn't happen too often and it's mainly in smaller areas and when you're fighting more than 2 enemies that it can be a nuisance. Other gameplay: Though the map isn't huge like AC Odyssey or Witcher 3, there's plenty to do and, as is usual, lots of collectibles - though almost all of them enhance your character in some way so it's much more satisfying to find them. Activities include scenery traversal and a button sequence mini-game. Side-quests often have little stories that make them feel natural and most are quite entertaining and help flesh out the protagonist's personality and, indeed, that of the game itself. So yeah, I'm really enjoying this game and hope that perhaps they'll patch in another difficulty setting or some kind of mode that makes things more deadly. There are lots of quality of life elements too. You can collect things while racing past them, whether on foot or galloping by on your horse. No need to dismount and hold a button while a little time-bar fills up. Fast travel is plentiful, though I often just rode wherever I needed to go in order to soak in the atmosphere. I appreciated the waypoint system too, left the screen less cluttered and it looked beautiful.
A story of love, family and finding a reason to believe in life again told in a dark, brutal setting. Not something you see in gaming very often and virtually never in a AAA game. The narrative progresses at a moderate and believable pace, with characters one can easily identify and empathise with. Combine that with what was, at the time, great graphics and a good combination of heavy, visceral feeling gameplay mechanics (gunplay, melee and stealth) and you have a classic. 60fps @ 1080 makes the game play smoother and far more responsive. Play on Hard or Survival to get the most out of the survival horror theme. Throw in the very good Left Behind DLC and you've got a must-buy for fans of the genre. If only the second game could have had an interesting story, instead of the bland revenge tale mixed with TV soap opera story-lines and erratic characters. Such a waste.
Huntdown is trying to achieve 80's/early 90's video game fun whilst being an homage to the culture of those times and still allowing for modern conveniences. It succeeds in every way. Checkpoints are frequent, meaning there's little frustration but still a decent amount of skill required to progress. The only thing you need to do is complete a level completely to have progress saved. Perfect for dip in and out gameplay. The gameplay itself is great - it's oldskool with an extra layer of sophistication due to the modern era, especially the bosses. The humour is always present and fulfills the 80's style it promises, as does the gorgeous pixel graphics and soundtrack. The bosses are much more interesting than anything I experienced back in the day and are a joy to overcome. Get a bit drunk, remember the 80's, stick a controller in your hands and just enjoy the fun of it all. I had lots of great time playing this and I heartily recommend it to anyone who loved the games of yesteryear.
