SpikedApe

Thought this was just a horny robot maid hack-and-slash. Turns out it’s an existential crisis wrapped in a masterpiece. Oops, guess I have feelings now. Runs great on Deck, looks gorgeous, soundtrack still slaps years later. Accidentally brushed up on philosophy 101 thanks to sexy androids fighting existential dread.

+ High fast-paced gameplay Every level is a speedrunning puzzle. level design is wel done & really leans into it. + Forces you to strive for excellence If your like me you'll play most stages multiple times to improve your run and shave of seconds of your time. Title music f●●●ing slaps – Characters are cringy (on purpose?) Expect anime tropes, edge-lord banter and some painful dialogue. sometimes it works most of the time it's cringy. ~ Story is serviceable It's better than the cringy characters and dialouge. and it's not a super long game and the story moves allong.

Still can't understand the praise for this game I really gave Fallout 4 a fair shot.Multiple times. I wanted to like it, thought maybe I was missing something—but every session left me more frustrated than entertained. At this point, I genuinely believe a lot of the praise comes from nostalgia, they don't enjoy the game but just live of nostalgia fumes from Skyrim & New Vegas. I fail to see how anyone else could find this a good expierence if you look at it in a vacuum. Pros: + The World & Level design/setting are visually strong Cool vista's , locations and propaganda etc. + The worldbuilding has potential as a foundation Cons: – Shallow roleplaying systems; choices feel meaningless and tacked on – Braindead AI —combat often feels broken or pointless and like a waste of time – Characters are completely forgettable, and a lot of the VO made me want to tab out and leave. – Two separate quest-breaking bugs in my first 5 hours ( 1 of which was a main quest!!!) – The world feels more like a Fallout-themed Disney park than a living, breathing setting Bottom line: Fallout 4 is a shallow, theme park version of what the series used to be. Imo this game is completly overhyped becasue it's a bethesda property. If you're looking for meaningful choices, compelling characters, or immersive roleplay—look elsewhere.

I went in skeptical. Could Clair Obsucr Expedition 33 really live up to the hype? Spoiler: it does—and then some. Visually, the world is gorgeous. Every area feels handcrafted, and performance stayed rock‐solid (I only got stuck in some rocks once and caused a soft lock—As far as i understand they have since released a patched that fixes a lot of the geometry in most of the games environments). The characters? They feel real & believable. You care about them from the first line of dialogue becasue they feel like people. They sometimes stumble, don't always know what to say, crack actual jokes that sometimes don't land etc... They feel real. The story balances dark tension with sharp humor, and the twists hit hard. ( get some tissues, Ninja's are chopping invisble onions) Combat is “turn‐based” on paper but plays fast—parry, dodge, counter. New abilities pile up quickly and combat feels very fast and impactful. There's a lot to take in but take it step by step and in the end it all clicks. Boss fights demand adaptation & well timed reactions; button‐mashing doge/ parry won't cut it. The soundtrack is unforgettable. Haunting choral pieces when you're out and about, driving percussion in battle that will make lock in even harden—you’ll hum these tunes long after you stop playing. Pros -->Stunning, varied environments that feel both handcrafted and created by raw chaotic nature. which really fits the entire vibe of "the continent" -->Tight pacing : 33 hours for the main story( ok it might have been 32,5), plus side challenges took me a bout 40hrs in total --> Fast, deep combat that rewards skill and adaptation --> Story and writing that hit hard but still crack jokes--> Rock-solid technically (minimal bugs, quick patches) Cons -->Heavy, dark tone—not for everyone. I can see this came to be percieved as "too heavy" or "too artsy" for some people. -->Steep learning curve—early hours can feel overloaded with new mechanics ( espically like 10hrs in it just feels like the new stuff will never end. It gets better after that. but they throw a lot of mechanics at you and just keep piling them on. -->Leaves a void after you beat the game—everything else feels bland by comparisonI tried to play Fallout4 after this and I had to stop becasue Fallout just feels like a plastic soulless toybox after this Bottom Line : Clair Obsucr Expedition 33 blew past my doubts. It’s polished, intense, and unforgettable. If you want a game that sticks with you, play this. My personal GOTY at this point

TL;DR An incredible *time capsule* of 18th-century Paris in revolutionary turmoil. If you know even a little French, I highly recommend playing it with the French dub—it significantly enhances immersion, and frankly, the French voice acting is better than the English version. And with steam sale, + the price of a museum ticket, you get a virtual tour of 18th-century France in turmoil—and that alone is worth experiencing Essence To me, this feels like the pinnacle of the *traditional* Assassin's Creed formula (think AC2, Brotherhood, and AC3) before the franchise shifted toward the more RPG-like gameplay of Origins and Odyssey. Time Period & Atmosphere This is the most *alive* version of Paris I’ve ever experienced in a game. The depiction of the stages of the French Revolution—while likely simplified—is incredibly well **** French Revolution is, in my opinion, one of the most underappreciated revolutions of the past 500 years. Though it’s often compared to the American Revolution, the two are worlds apart in essence and consequences. The game perfectly captures the spirit and chaos of the Revolution. You feel the anger of the citizens boiling over into the streets, and as the fervor spirals out of control, what starts as an organic uprising for the oppressed becomes a bloodbath dominated by the most dogmatic fanatics. Meanwhile, the common people are left behind amidst the ruins of a ravaged city. Much of my enjoyment came simply from wandering through the lively streets of Paris—watching the NPC routines, admiring the beautifully crafted shops and building facades, and soaking in the atmosphere. Honestly, I often disregarded the story and core gameplay, because the “museum/history trip” experience alone was worth the price I paid (which was only €7). Story The story is good—not mind-blowing, but slightly above average. Arno and Elise are both likable protagonists, and the modern-day storyline has thankfully been kept to a minimum. (What used to be interesting in earlier titles has devolved into cringe-worthy filler in recent games.)There are enough twists and turns to keep things fresh, and the story doesn’t overstay its welcome. You could probably finish it in under 10–15 hours if you focus on it. Overall, the story complements the historical events nicely in true AC fashion. Gameplay The parkour in Unity is the best the series has ever had—unbelievably fluid and natural. It takes little time to get used to, and it feels far more polished than the Ezio saga, not to mention leagues better than the clunky parkour in Origins.Combat is decent. You’re given plenty of tools, but I mostly stuck to using a rifle for melee. If you want to experiment, there are lots of gadgets to play around with, though I didn’t make much use of them. Technical State At launch, Unity was infamous for its bugs and performance issues—it was so broken that it was practically unplayable. Thankfully, most of those problems have been resolved, and the game now runs smoothly.However, there’s one major drawback:No cloud **** game requires an always-online connection, and I had to go through a tedious process of manually transferring save files to my Steam Deck via desktop mode. Even after that, my playtime and achievements didn’t sync on the Steam Deck for some reason. That’s why my official playtime is short, even though I’ve spent over 20 hours playing (not counting the time wasted on research and save file **** you primarily game on the go like I do, this could be a dealbreaker. Otherwise, the game should run fine for most players. In Summary This is a fantastic experience, especially when on sale. Even if you never finish the game, simply walking around digital Paris feels like a treat. For the price of a museum ticket, you get a virtual tour of 18th-century France in turmoil—and that alone is worth experiencing.

Summary It's one of my favorite games of the year. It gets very challenging, and the late game gets a little grindy, but that’s part of its charm. Gameplay The gameplay loop is incredibly well-designed. You plan out your expedition, tweak and repair your car, then head out into the zone. Driving through the eerie, rain-drenched landscapes while evading freaky anomalies feels like you’re in a constant fight for survival. Meanwhile, your car is actively falling apart, leaving gnarly track marks in the mud as you push it to its limits. Picture this: your tire pops in the middle of a storm. You’re forced to jump out and craft a sealing kit from the scraps you scavenged earlier. The radioactive storm is closing in fast, lightning crackles overhead, and the Geiger counter on your dash is screaming bloody murder. You slap the patch on, leap back into the car, and floor it. You barely make it through the gateway, skidding into your trusty garage, where you breathe a sigh of relief before starting the whole wild cycle again. Absolute chaos, but the best kind. Art Design / Visuals The world is gorgeous, ominous, and beautifully realized. It’s like a cursed, Twin Peaks-inspired fever dream of small-town backroads. Long, winding paths weave through a misty, foreboding landscape that feels both surreal and oddly familiar. The anomalies are bizarre but somehow grounded in their creepiness. They make you go, “What the hell was that?” every single time. It’s unsettling in the best way. Graphics and Performance Weirdly more taxing on your PC than you’d expect from its visual style. I’ve heard theories that this is because the game processes a second image of the world for your mirrors, and yeah, the smoke and fog effects don’t help. That said, it’s mostly smooth sailing, and when it’s running well, it’s stunning. Sound Design / Music The sound design is chef’s kiss. The radio chatter crackles with an authentic vibe, your tires squelch and crunch in the mud, raindrops drum on the windshield, and the wind howls like it’s alive. The ambient sounds of the zone—those creepy, otherworldly noises—never stop making your skin **** soundscape adds an irreplaceable layer to the immersion. You’ll feel the tension every time the weird hum of an anomaly sneaks up on you. Menu / Navigation / UI The UI takes some getting used to, but once you’re familiar with it, the design choices make sense. Most of the crucial information is integrated into the car’s dashboard and instruments, which amps up the immersion. Repairing and operating the car can feel a bit unusual at first, but it quickly becomes second nature. Final Thoughts Pacific Drive is a thrilling and atmospheric ride that nails the balance between tension, exploration, and resource management. If you’re into survival games with a unique spin, a touch of cosmic horror, and a heavy dose of car-based tinkering, you’ll love it. Just be ready to fight tooth and nail for every inch of progress—and keep a sealing kit handy.

I believe Katana Zero is a beautifully designed labor of love. The animations ooze so much character and style that it's easy to forget you're playing a 2D pixel-art game.Special shoutout to the text animations—truly genius design. The Story The story was gripping, though sometimes a little hard to follow.Overall, it's engaging and the main reason I pushed through to the end. The Gameplay My biggest gripe with this game is, honestly, the gameplay. Maybe I just had the wrong expectations, but when I think of a "drugged-up killer with a katana", I imagine PURE SPEED. The actual movement, however, feels slow and sluggish. I haven’t seen this mentioned in other reviews, but to me, the game felt slow. By the end, this occasionally detracted from my experience.That's really my only issue. Otherwise, I thought Katana Zero was a very cool piece of media, with a compelling story and top-tier 2D animations.

LDR: It's a shallow, unserious action game masquerading as an RPG. Not worth it if you're expecting depth or meaningful choices. Pros: --> Runs smoothly; no major technical issues. --> Environments are visually appealing and detailed Cons: --> Facial animations feel wooden and lack expression. --> Cartoonish art style detracts from immersion. --> Forced “nice” character responses; no option for sarcasm or rudeness. --> Characters remain light-hearted, even in dangerous situations, and rarely recognize threats. --> Boring, shallow writing that lacks the gravity of a true Dragon Age game. --> Character creator won't allow you to make a woman with a decent ass & boobs. sliders are a joke --> Dialogue choices lack impact; they lead you to the same agreeable outcomes. --> Corridor-style gameplay limits exploration. --> Combat is a repetitive button mash without strategy or depth. --> Insultingly simple puzzles. --> Feels more like a casual action game than a serious RPG.