imafallguy

Fantastic game. Subnautica with zombies instead of fish. A fun, chill, crafting and exploration game with light combat and Souls mechanics.

Another Sony first party masterpiece and one of the finest examples of world building in gaming. Admittedly though, I can’t help but to be disappointed. I bought this game expecting a “woke” narrative and politically correct messaging, yet I’m not getting any hints of that at all. I mean, sure, Alloy and her voice actor (Ashley Burch) are totally bad-a::, and the character development is fantastic, but there’s just zero wokeness or radical agendas or anything like that at all. When I play my games, I want a full-on, politically correct, liberal agenda just totally gushing from them and Horizon sorely disappoints in that regard. It’s just an incredible narrative with an awesome AF main character that totally lacks any wokeness. Frankly, I won’t stand for it. Still, the game gets a 10 for being a masterpiece. Please try much, much harder, devs, to inject at least a tiny amount of wokeness next time. This business about releasing new games with exceptional narratives and gameplay is really getting really stale.

I’m sure the devs actually worked very hard on this. Game development is an incredibly difficult and exhausting industry. Regardless, the end product is substandard on Switch. I suspect the publisher didn’t dedicate enough time and resources for Grove Street Games to remaster 3 games for 7 different platforms, the package feels rushed and broken. Resolution in docked mode is awful and it’s only marginally better in handheld, both modes suffer from routine frame drops. Technically, the games do run, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the original PS2 code being emulated on Switch. They actually seem worse to me, but that could just be nostalgia. Avoid for now and hope that (many) a patch and a price drop are in the works. Very disappointing that Rockstar would let this happen to their legacy.

14 years later and the sequence exceeds all expectations. The original game on DS was such a shock, such a surprise, it left the industry speechless. The original TWEWY made a lasting impression on just about everyone who played it and we’ve waited a decade and a half for the sequel we were sure would never come. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong. Somehow, this have exceeds the original in almost every way. The localization is hip and relevant, the aesthetic is adequately pop and just barely on the right side of “trying too hard”. The voice acting is mostly expert, the combat system is simple to pickup but challenging to master and the soundtrack…MY GOD THE SOUNDTRACK… is a nuclear mix-drop. I don’t know how Square did it, but they did it. I haven’t been this happy about a game in a long, long time. Stunned silly.

A beautifully composed, posthumous love letter from Avicii to his fans. Invector is a unique rhythm game that’s endlessly playable, delivering a consistent stream of pure joy throughout. Hello There Games deserves heaps of praise for creating a heartfelt experience just oozing quality and demonstrating deep respect for the source materials and it’s once-in-a-generation artist. Invector is a perfect game for Switch, a port that mercifully delivers Avicii’s tracks in high fidelity audio with no obvious dynamic range compression or other mood killing artifacts. Put on a pair of headphones and drop into this gift of sensory nirvana that memorializes the legacy of a star who burned bright and left us too soon. If you’re a music lover, Avicii fan, rhythm game player or a human being, this is a must buy.

Finished the game in 30 hours. The “SJW propaganda” you may have read about isn’t in the game. The character development is much different than in the first game which may turn some people off. Around the halfway point there’s an unexpected event which some folks aren’t a fan of. I, however, loved almost everything about this masterpiece. The pacing is a bit off and there’s just a tad too much filler, but other than that this is a near perfect game and a once-in-a-generation epic. Will be discussed for years on end and studied at Full Sail Uni.

Nearly perfect at accomplishing what it sets out to do, Concrete Genie delivers surprising and poignant insights through the universal language of art and color. Recommended to everyone of any age, background or social strata. We need more games like this.

Witty, charming and earnest, Dream Daddy is a breakout surprise on Switch. If you’re a fan of visual novel storytelling and open to narratives beyond anime, DD belongs in your library. I’m middle aged, and neither a Dad nor same-sex oriented, and still find the gaming screamingly funny and heartwarming.

Note: HDR on PS4 Pro is STILL missing/broken as of this writing. This is inexcusable. As a career software manager I know that simple end-to-end QA testing would have surfaced this “bug” immediately; it looks suspiciously like an intentional omission to meet a launch deadline (and a broken promise). I love Destiny 2 and would rate it a solid 9. I have 3 level 20+ characters and 100 hours in the game, but this expansion is an embarrassment as a paid add-on. The publisher is to blame here more-so than the developers for pushing out paid content way too soon in order to make the end of year financials more impressive. Pro’s: -Gorgeous graphics and ambiance -The adaptive 4K on PS4 Pro really does make a difference -Some additional campaign content -The ONE public event is pretty cool Con’s -NO HDR on PS4 Pro -Campaign is about 3 hours if you’re slow like me -Story is lazily written, under developed and completely uninteresting (not to mention utterly confusing) -New planet is absurdly small with only 1 public event and 1 Lost Sector and sparrows are disabled -The expansion literally breaks the base game by introducing a totally OP weapon as well as locking base players out of content they previous had access to -I’m now getting random disconnects I never had before (regression) I had zero hate for Destiny 2 before. Actually, I loved it and promoted it intensely in my circles. This paid content has severely tarnished the reputation of the brand. Activision: make this right or you risk jeopardizing your most valuable franchise. This was a very rushed cash-grab and you’re being called out by your customers. Maybe this add-on would be viewed in a moderately less harsh light if the game wasn’t already monetizing loot boxes and nerfing XP, but as it stands, Destiny 2 is quickly starting to be mentioned in the same sentences as “Battlefront 2”. That’s a real shame and definitely not the type of product you want to be associated with.

Authentic and unique open-world survival horror; It shouldn’t work, but it does. There’s a lot of innovation here based on proven mechanics. The game retains much of the presentation and core components of the original but has been completely upended in terms of overall gameplay. After spending a few frustrating hours getting accustomed with how to properly interact with the game world, I quickly began to see the brilliance of the game design and am elated I stuck with it. I’m a massive fan of the original and it holds a special spot on my games shelf. Given the meager sales and lukewarm reception, I was surprised and thrilled to see a sequel was being developed. Then I read a different director was tied to the project and the sequel would be an “open-world” game, and my excitement turned to disappointment and anger. While I sincerely miss the abstract psychological horror, widescreen presentation and linear progression of the first game (which I regard as artistic genius), this sequel stand on its own well-earned merits. The story and voice acting have sadly devolved into janky B-movie territory and fundamentally the gameplay mechanics are a collection of the usual en-vogue suspects. But The Evil With 2 Is elevated far beyond the sum of its parts due to the mastery and talent of the development team who nearly perfected, and innovated on, the integration of each component; all of which have deftly been grafted on top of a worthy survival horror foundation. New players and franchise veterans alike will find something immensely enjoyable here. Nothing will compare to or top the original art-house game, but this unique experience stands on its own. Now updated (new patch this week) with higher resolution visuals (pseudo UHD) and an amazingly stable unlocked frame rate on the PS4 Pro, this is an experience not to be missed by any action-adventure fan.

It's an absolute travesty that this game has received anything less than a 9 from both critics and users and I implore everyone with any VR system to buy it and try it. I downloaded this game due to it being one of only a few PSVR games I hadn't yet played. My expectations were pretty low and, in a general sense, I hate online multiplayer games. Within an hour of playing, Werewolves Within became my favorite VR game for any headset, and as someone who worked in the VR industry I've played nearly all of them. Not only that, but without any hyperbole at all, I can say this will go down as one of my favorite video game experiences in the 30 years I've been a hardcore player. The gameplay is dead simple as the only mechanic is talking. The rules appear complex at first but are really very easy to understand after a few matches. Fundamentally, this is a game of sitting around a campfire building alliances, and deceiving others. Lots and lots of deception. If you've ever dreamed of being a trial attorney, this is as close as you're going to get without passing the bar. You're either a werewolf or not and regardless of your game assigned role, it's up to you to convince others you're on their team. A match lasts about 10 minutes. For the most part, everyone is civil and attempting to play the game in earnest. When you get a great group, you'll spend hours with them and make some great online friends. There are a few things to be aware of, however. Just like IRL, there is an absurdly high chance that many of the people sitting around a campfire and arguing about who is a werewolf are stoned and/or drunk (myself included). It's utterly hilarious but it can quickly get out of control (usually the drunk ones, but you can vote to kick them). There aren't many bugs or flaws but there are a few things to be aware of for parents. While this seems like a general audience game and good for children, it's a double edged sword. On one hand I really think it can help with social interactions and anxiety and, for a video game, is a safe and somewhat less wasteful way to spend time. On the other hand, the aforementioned drunk players will often use bad language and inappropriate slurs the like of which you'd hear in a move rated R. Additionally, you really need to be comfortable with your children playing a game exclusively about lying and deception. If I had kids over the age of 12, I'd let them play but not without a serious discussion beforehand and a promise that they would leave any group of "bad people". As someone who values intellect, group leadership and strong interpersonal bonds above most else, I find this "game" nothing short of a revelation that will stick with me for decades. This really does represent a defining moment in technology and digital human interaction while being the most fun you can have on a Saturday night. Ubisoft deserves a lot of credit for bankrolling such an innovation and Red Storm just became my favorite developer of 2017. The team at Red Storm is extraordinary and I hope to meet them one day soon. You owe it to yourself to buy and play this game, it's more fun than you've probably ever had playing a game and you'll be a part of something that is destined to become a historic milestone in the advancement of technology. There is zero reason not to be a part of this experience.

Most of what made the original inFamous and its sequel so unique and fun have been completely left out of this installment. What's left is a nice looking, competent action game that offers nothing more than 12 hours of "shooting a bunch of bad guys". A major disappointment in nearly every regard, it's confounding that **** Punch would dismantle the franchise in such an epic way. It's not "more of the same" inFamous, it's far, far, less of something vaguely similar. If you were a fan of the first 2 games, there is very little here to enjoy. I would wager that you're actually going to be heartbroken, much like I was. The original InFamous still remains one of my favorite games in the genre. The free-running traversal of a beautifully crafted environment and emphasis on collection made exploring the environments a joy and worthwhile. It could (and should) be argued that the franchise was so much fun not just because of the "super powers" but because exploring the open world was a compelling experience. What Second Son offers is a graphically beautiful rendition of Seattle with absolutely no reason to explore it. You won't be climbing up and jumping around buildings in fantastic displays of athleticism looking for treasures and leaping around town. This just isn't that game, that mechanic has been more or less completely omitted. You won't be facing a multitude of exciting and different enemies, there are only two types: Soldiers and drug dealers. Missions are repetitive, laborious and require a great deal of time running away from enemies to recharge instead of facing them head-on. Unlike the first two titles, finding recharge stations is much more difficult and frustrating. What's left is a very average action game that offers no appeal other than the scenery which you'll have no reason to explore. Your enjoyment of the game will come down to what you liked about the original titles. If you weren't fond of the locomotion and collection aspects and simply had fun mindlessly shooting enemies with something other then bullets, you may well enjoy Second Son. If you valued the core gameplay mechanics of the first two titles and accompanying artistic direction, prepare for an unrivaled let down in every regard and another 4 year wait in hopes that **** Punch can restore some of what made the original such a joy. I want to rate the game a 0 as I have no reason to spend time playing it and am, frankly, so very, very sad. However, I want to remain objective and rate the game accordingly. It's technically proficient, the voice acting is very good and the controls are solid. Average in every regard and a major let down for fans of the series.

The weak critical reception of Borderlands 2 leaves me baffled and disappointed in our industry's trusted mouthpieces. Not only are the reviewers being unjustly harsh, they're also flat out wrong. Borderlands 2 on the Vita, like Killzone: Mercenary before it, proves without doubt that the Vita can absolutely bring full fat console titles to the small screen. What Iron Galaxy has done with BL2 is nothing short of a technological marvel and the team at IG should be immensely proud of what they've accomplished. As any passionate gamer would, I read reviews **** before I plunk down my cash or redeem those store points. In most cases, reputable reviewers give good, critical and fair reviews of new games (instead of being a sponsored shill that so many accuse them of). The mainstream critical reception of BL2, thus far anyway, is just shameful. Hey, Iron Galaxy, are you reading this? Great job team! Your blood, sweat and tears paid off. This is one hell of a fantastic port and I applaud each and every one of you for your immense contribution to the Vita. My Impressions I've played and enjoyed both Borderlands console titles but truth be told, I never put more than a dozen hours into each of them. The first title seemed a bit more focused on multiplayer for my taste and the second title, while fantastic, was just a bit overwhelming for my taste. Level grinding and looting is incredible fun for short stints, but unless I'm playing a proper RPG or open world style game, I just don't spend multi-hour sessions each day in front of my TV (as much as I'd like to). When I heard that BL2 was being ported to the Vita I was elated. This is the perfect game for a capable portable and I stopped playing the console version intentionally so I could experience everything for the first time when it was released for Sony's handheld. I had incredibly high hopes for this port but much lower expectations for the final product. Early previews of the game didn't sound good and after yesterday's release I almost decided to pass it on altogether. That would have been a huge mistake. I've been up all night looting and shooting to my hearts content and the game is coming with me when I leave later today for a trip. Most of the criticisms you've heard are true. The frame rate is generally solid, but not spectacular, and can drop a little, or significantly, depending on what's happening at any given moment. The graphics are gorgeous but limited compared to their big screen brothers. The controls aren't ideal and can be a bit clumsy. But here's the kicker, each of these issues has either been greatly exaggerated or expectations for what the Vita is capable of are completely unrealistic. It's probably a bit of both. What you ARE getting with this game is an absolute stand-out among the Vita library and a redefinition of what portable gaming can be. In a vacuum, without the console and PC games that came before it, BL2 would seem like some sort of magic or voodoo and gamers everywhere would rejoice that the Vita has been given a second life by a first class development team. Well, we don't live in a vacuum and millions of people have logged hundreds of hours each into the first incarnation of BL2, so comparisons are inevitable. Is this the best way to play Borderlands 2? No, definitely not. The superior, bouncy, fast paced and spot on shooting of the console and PC versions make for a near perfect game in the genre. A better question to ask would be, is playing BL2 on the Vita fun and worthwhile? The answer, unequivocally is HELL YES. The ability to take a game like this with you everywhere, on the go is reason alone to buy a Vita, even if you never purchase another title. For those of you with a PS3, the cross-save feature is a God send. And for those that have never played this game, you're in for an amazing ride. It's difficult to justify the purchase to anyone who's already played through the PC or console game ad nauseam because why spend more time or an inferior version? For anyone who hasn't played Borderlands 2, or has but really wishes she could bottle the magic and take it anywhere, Iron Galaxy has answered your prayers. I reside firmly in both camps and can gladly say the Vita has its third killer app. Don't let the troubled frame rate or sub optimal control scheme stand in your way, this is full Borderlands and full fun. FUN. Isn't that why we play video games?