jimbobslimbob

It's a turn-based isometric RPG which attempts to do what Sword Coast Legends never did: make a computer game that captured the essence of PnP, complete with campaign editor (not tried yet, since this is an EA review), GM mode and true RPG-freedom-of-choice. It is very similar to RPG's of old, like Neverwinter Nights, Baldurs Gate etc. I have only completed Act 1 so far, since that's all that exists in the early access version, but I am hooked. The game is a joy to play. Difficult at times, yet rewarding too. It offers true freedom of choice in the way you play and create your character. It features a classless character system so you are free to do whatever you want with your character. It also features various "origin" characters which are kind of pre-generated characters with fleshed out backgrounds (the kind of thing you do yourself in a D&D campaign). You can choose to play one of those or alternatively make up your own and recruit them in game. There are many ways to solve the quests in game, offering a lot of replay value. Race, "tags" (such as Outlaw etc.) all make NPC's treat you differently and offer various other ways to do things. The co-op gameplay (up to 4 players) has also been specifically designed with this in mind, meaning your party may not always see eye-to-eye on things. This creates the potential for some interesting RP scenarios. Although the version I played does not yet feature a GM mode or level editor, this looks to be the icing on the cake and could significantly increase play-time. They will also offer Steam Workshop support for "click-and-play" modding. Now all they need to do is offer the ability to import/export characters... Summary Overwhelming to begin with, but once you get to grips with the game mechanics you realise just how well crafted this game is. Gorgeous graphics, wonderful sound and music, solid turn-based tactical combat and endless replay value. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

I am shocked that this game has been so poorly received by the PC crowd. It really isn't as bad as everyone thinks it is - and indeed most of the criticism seems to be aimed at micro-transactions and performance/crashing. While these things are far from ideal, it certainly does not warrant the amount of negativity generated by it. The game once again lets you take control of Adam Jenson and either shoot or sneak your way around in traditional Deus Ex stye. It plays very similar to the previous title (Human Revolution) in all respects. Infact, it is so similar that you will sometimes wonder if you are infact playing a prettier DLC for the previous game. As with HR, you get the choice of how you want to play the game. Pretty much everything you do in this game can be accomplished in more than one way. Secret tunnels, sneaking, shooting, persuading, exploring and using your arsenal of cool "augs" are all options. I found the "shooting" path in this game to actually be one of the most difficult ways to play - since enemy AI Leeroy at you all at once and you quickly find yourself outnumbered and outmanoeuvred - even with all your cool augs to help. Now, to be fair, Deus Ex has (at least previously) tried to discourage this kind of play in favour of being more tactful, so I cannot really fault it there. It would, however, have been nice to have the option to go Rambo without the AI destroying you in seconds. After an initial play about with the different styles, I settled into a more tactful, stealthy pacifist style of play. This, I found much easier to play with and so stuck with it for the rest of the game. I must say I came to really enjoy it in the end, after taking the time to invest in certain "must-have" augs. The story is much more contained than previous games in the series. The entire game also takes place in only one really area "hub", as opposed to the grander style of the other games. This is both a blessing and a curse because on the one hand, it gave them an opportunity to really flesh out and add detail to the game world that IS there, but on the other hand it feels like there is more to this game than there is. The same could be said about the games length. It does feel quite short - and I worry that the DLC-train will be the way they fix this. A real shame, to be honest, since I really did want a little more for my money here. Micro-transactions are something you can simply ignore - to no real detriment to your game. I don't like this idea at all though - and it feels like a big kick in the teeth at milking more money on an already expensive (and small/short) game. I can understand why people are upset about this and hope they don't try this kind of scam again. It looks gorgeous in most respects but is let down by some shoddy secondary character models and below-par lip-sync. The environment is rendered very well though - and more often than not looks truly wonderful. Music is also worth mentioning here - it is perfect for the game and lends a degree of background "mood" to the game. As for performance - I had no trouble at all. The game seemed to keep a steady 60FPS in most cases. When it did drop it was not noticeable enough to me to warrant cause for alarm. I did have a few crashes though - which were annoying to say the least. The first one I had was after the tutorial mission, which forces you to watch 5 minutes of un-skipabble cutscenes again because of it. I also had continued issues with the "shooting range" in TF29 headquarters and gave up with it in the end. The crashes were my biggest issue with the game because of the lengthy time it takes to load up the game, watch the unskippable logos and then wait for the save-game to load for what seems like an age. All-in-all it's a decent and fun entry in the Deus Ex franchise, but it is a little rough around the edges, "samey" and shorter than I had hoped. Jimbo Rating: 7/10

It's not perfect, but it certainly does not warrant the amount of negativity it seems to be generating. The main issue I see is that it tries to be too much - something for everyone. A hybrid game, of sorts. In doing this, it ends up being simply too average at each of it's mechanics. It's kind of an MMO, but lacking features; it's kind of an RPG, but lacking depth; it's kind of a tactical 3rd person shooter, but lacking realism. However, as a whole the game simply works... surprisingly well I might add. Anyway, let's break it down: The Bad - Still a bit buggy (getting stuck in objects, disconnecting, falling through levels). - Enemies don't need to be far above your level to make them severe bullet sponges. This leads to... - Grouping issues, since characters more than 3 levels above/below cause severe balancing issues. - Skills are unlocked by doing side-missions instead of levelling up. This leads to... - ...if you spend a while doing missions in a block (without going back to the safe house), you feel like you are getting nowhere until you do finally get back and suddenly unlock tons and tons of skills all at once. - The loot is very "meh". Other than increasing damage/dps/armour numbers, nothing really makes you too thrilled with getting new loot. It is also replaced very quickly as you level. - No incentive to start another character - every one is EXACTLY the same and there is no permanent skills/classes to "shake it up". - It's repetitive. 1-30 is fun, but end-game will not be for everyone. To be fair, I am never a fan of these end-game MMO-ey things anyway... it's the journey there that I prefer and will not be playing the endless grinding raids etc. If you do not plan on doing this then this may not be so much of a "con". The Good - Combat is very enjoyable. It is fluid, tactical and the cover mechanics are spot on. - Great fun co-op with a group of friends. - Ability to respec whenever you wish. - It looks gorgeous and runs surprisingly smoothly too. - Easy to pick up and play. - Lot's to do and a large open world to explore. - 4 Character slots so that you can have several different leveled characters in play. - Plenty of skills (and mods for them), talents and perks to choose from. So, in summary, it's a flawed, but very enjoyable game. Worthy of a thumbs up and certainly not deserving of all the negativity. With any luck, patches and DLC may fix some of the issues and add some required features. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

The comparisons with Left 4 Dead are obvious and stated in pretty much anything you will read regarding this game. So, what does that mean? It means more of the same... or does it? The strong focus on melee is what sets this game apart from its cousin. The combat is fast, frantic and great fun. It also features a basic level up and loot system to keep you playing and unlock better gear. It's a welcome addition - and is not overdone like so many other co-op focussed games, meaning a level 1 can quite happily play with a level 20 with no issues in over/underlevelling. It's great that it is done this way, since you don't require all your friends to be at the same level as you (a common problem with games such as PayDay and Borderlands). Team-play is essential, just like L4D where wondering alone is a sure-fire way of getting yourself killed quickly. It also looks gorgeous and some of the level design is superb. The missions are a welcome addition to the standard "run to the exit" formula and make the game even more enjoyable. Character classes are also extremely well done, with a nice variety of play-styles and even the option to further customise the classes to suit the way you like to play. Al-round, it's a great co-op game that I would recommend to anyone interested in games like L4D.

You know a game is good when it has you hooked after only 30 minutes of game-time. This game did that to me. Yes, it really is as good as everyone claims. It's one of those games you simply cannot put down. I found myself thinking about it way too much and itch to get back to playing it. Not many games do that these days, but this is definitely one of them. Graphically, it looks absolutely astonishing. The environment, characters, textures, attention to detail, god, even the hair looks amazing. The weather and day/night effects are also top notch. You can truly get "lost" in a game world as lovingly crafted as this one. The music is also very well done, it fits perfectly with the game and really helps to set the tone and emotional impact of certain events and areas. Truly, not enough praise is given to it, but trust me, it's really well done. Voice-overs are also a strong-point here. The characters (especially the "main" ones) are done extremely well and really help to immerse you in the world and form attachments with the characters. The story and quests are also very well put together. Much less of the "go here, fetch this" crap that most RPG's use to pad out a game with content and much more involved and intriguing stories that mean just as much as the main quests in some cases. The addition of specific Witcher contracts, which allow you to go full on detective are also great fun. Some of these require a little research and preparation, rather than just running to a point on the map and button-mashing, giving them a surprisingly deep and complex vibe. There is also lots of content to keep you entertained - and as stated above, it's not just rubbish padding (I am looking at you, DAI). At this point I am really struggling to find much wrong with the game. I suppose the only thing that is a little lacklustre is the combat - which can be great sometimes, or very frustrating at others. It could do with a little polishing given the amount of it in the game, but it is by no means a deal-breaker - and certainly an improvement over Witcher 2's. To be honest, it grows on you as well - being quite different to most RPG's I have played, but once you get used to it, suddenly it all seems to come together and work. So really, this is nitpicking. I found the keyboard and mouse controls difficult to get to grips with, but a few rebinds later and all was well (dodge key being bound to Alt by default was a personal bugbear). Also be sure to turn on "Hardware Mouse", or else the mouse never feels "right". Quite why it is defaulted to "off" to begin with, I don't understand. The "Gwent" mini-game also never captured me (I just avoid it wherever possible). This is personal taste however, and a lot of people seem to really enjoy it. Never quite clicked with me though. Each to their own. Thankfully you can just skip these - including the "find them all" quest related to collecting every card in the game. So what we have here is an optional feature that some will love and play (no con to the game) and others will not like and skip (no con again), making this whole "issue" a non-issue. Yep, that's it. I honestly cannot name anymore cons. Absolutely everything else about this game is good - better than good. So, all in-all, this could well be one of the best RPG's I have played in a long time. It is nothing short of a masterpiece. I don't give away 10/10 ratings often, but this game deserves it. P.S. Team Yen, all the way.

Main Review I play PnP 3rd and 5th edition. I loved games like Neverwinter Nights, Baldurs Gate. The game itself is great fun - with a group of friends and a good DM. If you play with strangers or solo, maybe not so much. The current toolset is limiting at present, but with a bit of creativity on the part of the DM (and willing players) - you will find it actually is quite a good interpretation of PnP. The game gives you the option to play it in a hack-n-slash way, or with deeply involved RP - just make sure you are grouped with people that understand what you want out of the game and it will work for you. If we were to draw comparisons on games - it's like a mix between NWN and DA:O. If you liked either (or both) of those games, you may well like this. It's less "fully-featured" than NWN in terms of mechanics and toolset, but the similarities are there. Just beware of this going in. Graphically it is pretty good. Nothing to write home about, but it does what it does well enough. The music and sound is really good as well. Most main campaign quest dialogue is voiced, while other side-quests are not. There are no cutscenes for dialogue, the camera instead moved down nearer to the characters as speech takes place. The module creation toolset is okay. It is fairly limited at present (nowhere near the complexity of the NWN toolset, for instance). You can create/select areas based on pre-defined tilesets and place objects, creatures and the like in the area. Dungeons are randomly generated, based off several initial factors, such as difficulty, complexity, tileset, monster set etc. Once generated, you can then visit the area and further customise it to your liking, including adding bosses, quests, NPC,s and objects. The predefined quests are "kill boss", "kill monsters" and "collect materials" - which you can quickly assign and customise to your liking. There is also a custom quest generator to give you greater control over the quests. You can create monsters, NPC's and characters to add to your adventures - all with lots of customisation options such as appearance, abilities and attributes. You can even create custom creature sets. Modules can be uploaded to share with others in the world - and downloaded just as easy. This gives you instant access to a wealth of community content (with ratings), ensuring there is always something new to experience and will extend your play-time dramatically. The DM (Dungeon Master) mode is another important feature to the game. Here, you get to play as a "fifth character" (of sorts). In this mode, you don't control a party member or contribute to the game in a "normal" way, instead you take control of the other players experience - by customising it as they play. This can be in the form of adding or removing monsters, placing objects, setting up quests, possessing creatures and the like. This is where the game really opens up into much more of a roleplaying game. The way in which the players interact with the challenges the DM poses are key to the game - and as any D&D player will tell you, key to PnP (Pen and Paper) gaming as well. For example: you may have a locked door and a custom NPC guarding it. As the DM, you can talk to the players through this NPC - getting them to possibly roll a diplomacy check to appease the NPC. If the party fails, you could turn the NPC hostile and a fight will ensue. Another example: your party is crossing a bridge. As the DM, you can pause the game and ask the players to roll a spot check. If they fail you could spawn a hidden assassin to ambush them. The possibilities are endless - and the DM role is very important in this game. It's also quite a lot of fun to boot. DM's can be rated on three different categories (out of 5) - which players get to do at the end of a session. This means that you will hopefully know what you are in-for with a DM you do not know. The campaign has an interesting story and is generally quite enjoyable. Most of the things that are "missing" from module creation are present here - such as branching dialogue, skill checks and more "custom" areas. Companions are fully voiced, as is the main quest "path". Some of the voice acting is superb. It also features a novel addition whereby you are not forced to bring along certain party members if you don't want them, but they can still interact with you or talk to NPC's as if they were there. This means you are not forced to bring a party member along just for fear of missing something - and is a nice touch. You can play the campaign co-op with up to 3 friends as well, which is great fun. The game is brimming with potential, but it boils down to how you play it, to whether you will enjoy it or not. It's not NWN 3, but it is a solid D&D game that will keep you entertained for quite some time. The developers are very active and listen to suggestions - with any luck they will continue to improve the game post-release as well. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

I simply cannot recommend this game at present. The concept is good, but it seems the developers take forever to release updates and the game is still missing some extremely important mechanics to make it worthwhile. While the graphics and sound are fairly good there is not really much else to say in favour of the game at present. - You cannot create your own servers. You are limited to a handful that the devs provide which are map/gametype locked. Their "reason" for not releasing the server-side files is that they are scared people are going to reverse engineer it. Utter **** - Only 2 weapons that are very similar. Infinite ammo, no pickups in the game world. - Enemy AI is sub-par at best and laughable at worst. - Some of the level design is wonderful, others may very well drive you to the brink of insanity due to poorly communicated objectives, a broken waypoint system and some truly atrocious level design. - The tutorial doesn't even work. You get stuck at a door and cannot continue. All-in-all, it's very lackluster. The sad thing is, they have the foundations for a great game here, but with devs that are taking forever and ignoring some massive features, I say pass on this one for now. Jimbo Rating: 4/1

A reasonably okay cheap time-waster based off an outstanding short movie (Kung Fury). It plays like One Finger Death Punch. Don't expect much longevity, but it's okay in short bursts. Very 80's in style, graphics and sound with some surprisingly cool pixel animation. I bought it simply to support the makers of the movie, so didn't really expect much. If you are an 80's movie/era fan, I highly recommend checking out the Kung Fury movie on You Tube - it is nothing short of superb. Jimbo Rating (this game): 5/10 Jimbo Rating (Kung Fury Movie): 10/10

If Battlefield had a baby with Alien Swarm - this would be it. It's good. Think of what Battlefield would be like if viewed top-down. That's basically what it is. You get to command a squad (which gets bigger as you level-up) to wipe out the enemy and conquer areas of the map. Once conquered you get access to all their vehicles and weapons - and new spawn points. The armory allows you to outfit your character exactly how you like to play. The vehicles are quite cool as well and the AI is not stupid. There seems to be a lot to learn - which must be done via trial and error since the tutorial is pretty weak. Saying that, I think I picked up most of the basics fairly quickly. Once I had sorted out the controls (crouch and prone are for some weird reason not set as toggle keys by default) I got on quite well and won a few matches/missions. The multiplayer is fun. You can play the campaign together co-op or against others and it has a variety of different game modes and it also includes dedicated server support. Jimbo Rating: 7/10

An often looked-over gem. Very brutal and fun combat, lovely visuals, decent skill system, (mostly) good levels and a fairly good story to boot. The emphasis on environmental-based combat is fun and mixes things up - it gives you multiple ways of going about encounters. Given how difficult straight-up fighting is, it makes the combat much more entertaining. O how I wish there was a sequel to this game. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

Like expected, it is similar to Dead Island in a lot of ways. So, where does it differ? Well, the graphics and general tone of the game are a lot grittier and darker than Dead Island. Think of this as the Empire Strikes Back to Dead Island's Star Wars. The looting and melee part of the game is very similar. You pick up, trade, craft weapons and use blueprints to upgrade them and so on. They increase in damage as you level up and unlock rarer varieties. The free-running is unique here - I don't think I have ever seen it done in a first person game before. It is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because when it works, it works really well and gives a new depth to the game that would not have existed without it. It's a curse because it can be extremely fiddly and disorientating. Sometimes things just don't seem to work as well as they should and simple things turn into frustration inducing annoyances. It's a real shame too, since the system is *almost* good. Example: want to climb down and hang on the ledge? Forget it, something this simple is possibly the most frustrating thing you will ever do in this game. This game also features a unique night-time experience where you must run, dodge and hide from powerful super-zombies during night time. Unlike the normal Z's, these ones chase you and can run just as fast as you can. When they catch you it's game over - so a race for the nearest safe-zone ensues. This part of the game really fills you with panicked adrenaline and mixes up the pace of the game. It is a welcome and interesting addition. The quests suffer from the same thing they did in Dead Island - fetchy and boring for the most part. A lot of time is spent running from point to point doing meaningless fetch quests and trying to climb buildings (and failing) over and over again. It does suffer because of this and the tedious running from point to point doing nothing but boring quests drops my score down from a 8 to a 7. Sure, I can skip this content, but I would miss out on a good chunk of the game as a result. It's a real shame that you begin to become OP later in the game, as the "survival" aspect of the game's early hours where you are scrounging for supplies and having to come up with genius plans to tackle the horde are it's strongest, definitive moments. As the game progresses, this gets thrown out of the window and you are left with another zombie smasher game with free-running tagged on. Jimbo Rating: 7/10

One of the weirdest games I think I have ever played. It's completely crazy - and you know ****'s an amazing amount of fun. The "MMO Simulator" is a brilliant piss-take of MMO's in general - and could even fool you into thinking it's real. Its shortcomings are a lack of content. 3 maps is all you get here - and none of them are particularly big. The mechanics also get repetitive and dull rather quickly. Get it when it's on sale for a few hours of crazy fun. Jimbo Rating: 6/10

Brilliant fun to be had here, playing co-op or versus multiplayer. Zombie slaying at it's best. Work together as a team through the multitude of hour-long campaigns. One of those games you can simply drop in and play for an hour of frantic fun. It is somewhat similar to Killing Floor, except it has more game modes, better campaigns and is generally more fun. It also includes Steam Workshop support and has a wide variety of stuff available to spice up the game. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

The game is a mix between Freelancer and X3. You can command fleets, hire wingmen, level up skills, buy massive battleships, trade, do missions. It's a lot like Darkstar One too, if we are comparing - but a lot better. The focus here is on large ship battles - and with many ships, rather than smaller dogfigthing. Your starting ship is fairly large ( gunship), and some of the stuff I have seen to buy looks cool. You can climb the ranks and get battleships, dreadnoughts and the like, and command officers and mercs to help you out in battle, either on your own ship or as a wingman. You can even board enemy ships and take control of them, or tractor ships back to stations to sell them. It looks lovely and has a massive open map to explore, complete with anomalies, slipstreams, wormholes, gates, planets, stations asteroid fields, nebula etc. - all you would come to expect from such a game and more. The campaign is basic, but enjoyable. The voice-acting is absolutely atrocious though - the accents are all over the place and it is detrimental in an necessary way. You also have the option to free-roam, doing missions as they come along, trading or becoming a pirate. It has a complete reputation and trading system, allowing you to become anything you want. A lack of multiplayer hits hard, since this game would be infinitely better with it and a real shame it is not included. It also seems to have a fairly repetitive and grindy feel to it - hence the mark of 6/10. If it had multiplayer I think my score would jump to 8/10 instantly though. Jimbo Rating: 6/10

Farcry 3 meets the 80's. The game is fantastic. Music, sound, voice acting, humour, graphics, weapons - it's brilliant. Anyone that wants a trip down memory lane to an 80's vision of the future tightly packaged in the Farcry 3 engine will love it. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

Shadow of Mordor is a hybrid Batman/Assassins Creed game set in the LoTR universe. It looks lovely, plays wonderful and is very addictive. Fans of any of these would probably like it. The combat is very similar to the Batman games. bar some key mapping changes I would go as far as to say it's almost an exact copy infact, so anyone familiar with the system will be right at home here. It's smooth, engaging and rewarding. A button-masher this IS NOT. Stealth works nicely alongside this system to give you several options for taking down the enemy. You even get some ranged weapons in the form of your elven counter-part's bow - using "Elf Shot". The story seems fairly well devised and sits nicely within the LoTR universe. it oozes Tolkien from the get-go and it's wonderful to be playing a LoTR game that is actually good. Voice acting is also top-notch, which really benefits the game. The nemesis system is a wonderful little addition that makes deaths more meaningful to you. When you get killed, the enemy gets promoted in Sauron's army, making him stronger. The next time you meet you will then get a little jab from them about when they previously killed you before battle ensues for revenge. There are some other really nice touches here, like if you choose to run away from one, they will comment on this the next time you meet. It makes the battles and deaths seem more personalised to your game and is a welcome addition. All-in-all, this is a very solid game that I would recommend to anyone that likes Batman or Assassins Creed and LoTR. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

Is the game good? Yes. It's a flawed gem **** and one that could well have been one of the best RPG's ever made, if it wasn't for one thing: the combat. The combat is either shallow and dreadfully easy on "Easy", or absolutely impossible on "Normal". "Normal" is really hard mode and they need another difficulty in-between. Putting that aside, pretty much everything else in the game is good. Graphically it looks very pretty when maxed out for a game this old. Having never played Witcher 1, I found it's not very beginner friendly with regards to the story - but then I kind of expected that anyway. Nevertheless, if you have not played the previous game, expect to be confused... a lot. When you finally get your head round it you will find it has significant depth and is highly engaging. Your companions all have back stories of their own and they are well fleshed out. Not many games have had me caring for characters I have only spent a minimal amount of time with in game, but this one got me! The RPG elements are solid and allow for quite a bit of customisation. It has an interesting potion mechanic, based on your "toxicity level", so you can't just swig every potion you have before a fight. So, all in all, it's a good game. It could have been brilliant if a few issues were resolved. Regardless of which, it has made me want to get Witcher 3 this February, so consider me hooked! Jimbo Rating: 7/10

A shadow of its predecessors. It's not terrible and the recent expansion/patch does a lot to rectify what was originally wrong with it, but it's still not what I was hoping for as a fan of 1 and 2. Try out the brilliant Torchlight 2 or Path of Exile instead - both of which are superior to this letdown. Jimbo Rating: 6/10

This is what Diablo 3 should have been. It's brilliant and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the ARPG genre. Lots of innovative additions to the format, beautiful locations, wonderful classes with proper customisation and random levels - what more could you possibly want? Jimbo Rating: 10/10

The concept, while good, is not enough to save this game. It looks horrible and does not feel like it was ever finished. Know all those "early access" games you see around these days? This feels like one of those - but it IS A FINISHED GAME. I bought it mainly for the multiplayer aspect, only to find it is completely broken and simply does not work. It is was a waste of money. Avoid it. Jimbo Rating: 2/10

Not a bad little game. Isometric (Diablo-like) view, decent enough to look at and with a good sense of humor. Gameplay is a hybrid Action-RPG/Survival/Crafting type of game. There are 4 main islands in the game, which you can hop between when you fix boats etc. and explore. It has a hunger, thirst and fatigue system that works all together with the crafting. Crafting in this is actually quite good. I have made myself a handmade gun that shoots scrap metal (think Flak-Cannon) out of various materials I found. I also crafted a bow and arrows, and even some "fish and chips". Ehem. Like I said, this is a humorous game. As soon as you hear one of the fellow survivor "Kovac" reciting his "Survival Manual", you will know what you are in for. Similarly to 7 Days to Die, night time is a difficult time to be out and about wondering without sufficient supplies, since you get a new type of fast zombie at night, that can rip you to shreds in an instant. Campfires, torches and flashlights work quite well against these guys though, so as long as you have one, you are okay. So, it's nothing special, but I bought it mainly for local co-op anyway, for which it's fun. Jimbo Rating: 6/10

A flawed but o-so beautiful gem. A game that is pure genius, oozes atmosphere and drags you in. If it wasn't for the bugs, clunky combat and lackluster final stretch of the game, it would be a masterpiece.... well, to be honest, it IS a masterpiece, in-spite of that. An RPG at heart, built on the original Source engine, it is a game like no other. I have not played a game that pulled me in quite like this since, and I doubt I ever will do again. Its characters, story and the adult way in which it plays out is simply gaming gold. If you try it, I would highly recommend getting hold of the community patch - which fixes 95% of what was wrong with the game at launch. Please, developers - give us more games like this. Jimbo Rating: 9/10

This toolset wrapped around a game is possibly one of the best, most enduring games ever made. While the subsequent expansions improved on the game immeasurably, it remains a classic. One that I still play to this day. The wealth of quality user created content for it is breathtaking. It is a RPG that we need more of. Jimbo Rating: 10/10

A somewhat disappointing sequel to an all-time favourite of mine. Attempting to appeal to the masses, Bioware/EA decided to dumb down all the RP aspects of the first game. On top of this, they also decided to make the actual game world so dull and repetitive that it actually makes your eyes bleed. What happened? Jimbo Rating: 5/10

An absolutely brilliant game that will remain a classic for all time. You really do struggle to find much fault in a world and game as well crafted as this. It is a labour of love - and it shows. Jimbo Rating: 10/10

A good sequel to a great game. It improves on the first game in many ways, but was held back by a rushed development (missing content) and buggy release. Put these things aside and you will still find the game to be amazingly good fun. This and it's prequel are two of the best Star Wars games ever made. A real shame that we don't get to see more of this kind of genius these days. Jimbo Rating: 9/10

There aren't many games that are actually deserving of a perfect "10/10" rating in my book - but this is one of them. It is a flawless Star Wars based RPG that oozes brilliance at every turn. The game is based on the original NWN in terms of engine and the "way things work". It does a masterful job of everything - the graphics, sound, music, voice acting, story, game mechanics are all absolutely perfect. You could literally not want more from a game. Jimbo Rating: 10/10

A superb add-on for an already superb game. The story is vastly improved over the original campaign. It also allows you to level up your character to level 30 - with a plethora of new feats and classes to boot. It is an essential for anyone that liked NWN2 - a masterpiece of game making in every regard. Jimbo Rating: 10/10

This has to be one of my all time favourite games. I have sunk way to much time in it and I still find myself coming back for more. When it first came out it had its share of bugs and issues. Most of these were fixed over time. The game is based on D&D 3.5 - and is the closet you will ever come to playing such a ruleset on the PC. The game also features an integrated toolset to create your own adventures. The single player is fun and with the huge amount of quality user-created content out there, it will keep you entertained for a long time. Even building your "ultimate character" is like a mini-game in itself. The sheer amount of customisation that can be achieved is mind-boggling. For people that do not know much about D&D, it can be a difficult game to master - but it is well worth doing. It is a game that keeps on giving. Simply put, the game is a masterpiece. I wish we would see more of this kind of game these days. Jimbo Rating: 10/10

Great little game that shows immense promise as it develops into a mature full-game. Space flight and building feel fluid and intuitive. It's kind of like Minecraft mixed with Freelancer. Still in early access as I write this review but already shaping up to be a winner. The psychics are brilliant - there is nothing quite like smashing 2 huge battleships into eachother and watching the carnage. Jimbo Rating: 8/10 (early alpha review)

An endearing, charming, fun and very pretty co-op platformer with puzzles. A great one to play with friends - made even easier thanks to couch co-op for up to 3 people. Jimbo Rating: 5/10

The game is a massive letdown. All the time it spent in development hell turned it into a buggy, boring mess ****. it could have been so much more. What we ended up getting is a below average run-of-the-mill FPS. I shan't go into more detail, since others have covered it over and over again. Simply avoid it, even if you are an Aliens fan. Jimbo Rating: 2/10

This is a true gem ****. It functions like a mix between Minecraft and DayZ (except this feels much more complete and less buggy than DayZ). You build to survive the zombie onslaught by salvaging, mining, farming and crafting. Zombies are not much of a threat during the daytime, when the shamble along at a snails pace, but come night-time you had better hope you are prepared, as they turn into ruthless savages that will literally tear buildings down to get to you. Although the game is not the prettiest in the world, it is vivid and highly engaging. Multiplayer is where the fun really begins. I started up a dedicated server for myself and my friends to play on and it's a true joy to play. Assigning different roles to team mates and working together to survive is surprisingly good fun. Making daring dashes to towns to scavenge supplies while your team mates are busy crafting, farming and mining is simply co-op heaven. Building storage boxes and sharing materials, food and weapons with each-other - it's a great team game. When night-time falls, you all team-up to prevent the zombie onslaught, with sometimes disastrous and hilarious consequences: ever had a mining operation go sour because a horde of zombies literally cause a cave-in? Gaming gold, right there. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

Meh. I don't understand the hype around this one. It's really nothing special. Couple this with the god-damn awful PC port that it is, it's enough to safely put me off from playing this anymore.I found the game to be significantly lacking in all areas. Sure, it's hard, but that is really all it's got going for it. Jimbo Rating: 3/10

"Takes a bit of time to get into, but once you do you will be hooked". Is it everything we hoped for? Short answer: Mostly. Long answer: The Bad The combat is much like number 2. It's not terrible, but it's not particularly good either. The return of the tactical camera was something I was looking forward to. It is dreadful. You cannot zoom out far enough, it is so close to the ground you can barely see 2 meters around you. It's a confusing, horrible mess to plan battles this way and ends up being a waste. The game is an "open-worlded" scenario where you are free to roam around and explore. What they mean by "open world" is that you have several areas you can travel to and each of them are very large individual "playgrounds". Number 3 seems to have swung in completely the opposite direction of 2. The sheer amount of areas and their sizes is amazing. However, where it falls flat on its face is the quests. Every area has the same dull "filler" quests. Collect 20 shards. Collect 20 Elfroots... Because of this the game frequently feels like a bloated MMO with tons of boring "non-content". I have come to the conclusion that it's best to ignore the majority of the side-missions. The amount of time you spend picking up plants and looting has driven me to the brink of insanity. You can greatly increase your enjoyment of the game if you simply move on with more important things. The Good It looks great. The areas look breathtaking and characters look alive and better than ever. It's nice to see some of the old characters making a return. There seems to be a lot of dialogue and mention of the events of the 2nd game. The main story follows on from the events at Kirkwall - that all happened in the second game. There are reoccurring characters from both previous games. The main story seems reminiscent of Elder Scrolls Oblivion - where you had to wonder around closing portals. You will be doing that a lot. Levelling up and skills are pretty much the same as before. You have different skill trees to specialise in and different classes to play. The game also leans heavily on crafting - for both making weapons, armour and potions, to upgrading as well. Unfortunately, due to the amount of junk required to make them like iron, plants etc, it becomes a chore because the way in which you acquire these items is about as fun as watching the loading screen. The way in which your stronghold and influence works is interesting. You can send agents on missions to acquire items and scout areas for you. All of these actions require "power", which you get by completing quests and obtaining objectives. It works well enough, but unfortunately it forces you into doing many of the boring side quests. I have found myself just wanting to get on with the story only to be blocked because I do not have enough power. This is also the first Dragon Age game to give the player mounts. This is a welcome addition that saves some time. You can also fast travel to previously unlocked camps and "upgrade" your horsey later down the line. You can access unlocked areas via the world map and you unlock new areas at the war table, where you must delegate scouting missions and the like. The world is large and beautiful. There is lots to do and the game will keep you occupied for a large amount of time. It is just a shame it was not put to better use. Summary Is it a good game? Yes, if you can put up with its issues. The sad thing is that stuff like the useless tactical camera could easily be fixed. It is a great shame that there is so much boring "filler" content to pad out areas; my gaming logic has always been to complete that "filler" content before moving on. Not only does this game make it extremely tedious (and in most cases, pointless), but it actively prevents you from doing so in some cases. If you can put aside these issues you will find this game is surprisingly good. + It looks very pretty + It is Dragon Age + Big open world + Lots to do and see + It is an improvement over number 2 + Decent VO, sound and music + Deeper than you may think at first glance + Some interesting story quests + Familiar faces are from DA:O and DA2 are back + Dragon Age Keep is a great tool for importing world states - Feels like a grindy single player MMO sometimes - Areas are populated with lots of boring "filler content" that you should learn to avoid - Tactical camera was a wasted opportunity - Elfroots, Ore... and Shards - Forces you to do some of the boring fetch-quests to get "power" so you can continue with the story - "Consoley" UI, control and menus Jimbo Rating: 7/10 "Dragon Age: Plant-picking simulator" P.S. If the tactical camera actually zoomed out, menu and UI (and looting) were more intuitive and I wasn't forced to pick up a stone and plant every 10 seconds, my rating would jump from 7/10 to 9/10.

It plays very much like Diablo and Torchlight. It is set in Greece (to begin with) and is themed around the era of Titans, Gods and the like. The setting is spot on, the graphics are surprisingly good and the game itself is a pleasure to play. You have a multitude of options to go with on your character. You get 9 "masteries" to choose from, however, at level 8 you get to add an additional mastery if you want, further customising your character. This means a total of 81 class combinations, not to mention all the hundreds of skills to choose from, or attributes to assign. It also comes with multiplayer and a level editor, breathing yet more life into what looks like a large game. So, what's not to like? Erm, I really am struggling on this one. No random levels? That's all I can come up with. This game is a solid action-RPG that I would recommend to anyone interested in the genre. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

Back in my PS2 days I owned Burnout 2 and Takedown and loved the games - played them to bits. When I saw this was up for grabs on a Steam sale I jumped at the chance. The game is not quite what I was expecting. It's very different to what I thought it would be. That's not to say some of the changes are not for the better, but on the other hand, some aren't. Graphics look brilliant, and the cars still have that same Burnout "feel" to them. The game modes all make a return too - but this time in an open world map. Think NFSU 2 and you will be on the right tracks. This is great, but you seem to spent a lot of time driving around for no reason. I would much prefer to just race and perform the stages without this unnecessary addition. The races themselves also suffer from the same problem of being given too much freedom - you will accidentally go the wrong way because you are concentrating on driving and not constantly looking at the map. O yes, and no 2 player split screen? Not good :-( Bar the problems I have with it though, it's still a good game. Burnout fans will find something to their liking here. Jimbo Rating: 5/10

It's a stealth FPS which follows the path of Corvo, who is wrongly accused of murdering the empress. So begins your journey through a vivid, interesting steam-punk world. Anyone into the Thief games or stealth in general will find something to like here. This game however, also features an impressive ability set of "magical" powers that you can acquire through runes and bone charms throughout the game. Some of these completely change the way you approach situations and are most welcome additions. The only thing I was not to keen on was this "choice" you have over low or high chaos (stealth and not killing anyone or slaughtering everyone in your path). The game keeps on telling you to not kill people if you want the "good" ending, yet by doing so you miss out on some of the most fun powers and mechanics in the game. It's saying, here is an arsenal of cool stuff, but don't use them. Anyway, a great game in most respects that I would recommend to anyone interested in the genre. Jimbo Rating: 7/10

Path of Exile is clearly a labour of love. It's a wonderful game with some fresh ideas and good mechanics that breaths some more life into the traditional ARPG format. It is similar to Diablo 3, Torchlight 2 and Titan Quest in general gameplay. All your standard things such as levelling up, loot, random levels and monster slaying are here. Where it differs from the aforementioned games is the skill and level-up system, which is an interesting change. As you level up, you gain passive skill points to spend on things such as damage, armour, critical chance etc. You gain your active skills from a variety of different gems, which can be freely plopped into items you find - and taken out without a fuss. This allows you to quickly swap skills in and out - completely changing your play-style in a matter of seconds. These gems also level-up with you and become more powerful. You can create powerful combos by linking support gems with active skills to augment your favourites. This balance between "permanent" passive skills and changeable active skills is actually really good and works well together. You can still build a character to exactly what you want - and the passive skill "tree" is absolutely huge. Different classes start the game at different points in the skill tree, meaning they can gain access to abilities that suit them best earlier than other classes, but it also means, with a bit of work, you can turn pretty much any class in the game to do something different. It's unique and very well rounded. As a free-to-play game, it's a must try for anyone that likes the format. It's a great game, made even better by being free to play. At no point does it feel like you *have* to pay to get the most out of it, like some other FTP games I have tried in the past. Go on, give it a whirl, it's free! Jimbo Rating: 7/10

Waste of money. The game is short, boring and generally speaking not very enjoyable. Couple this with a level that involves jumping puzzles and you have a contender for the worst game ever made. It captures nothing of what made Duke Nukem 3D so enjoyable - and is woefully insuperior to the old game in almost every aspect. Did you like Duke Nukem 3D? If so, don't buy this, just play Duke 3D instead. Jimbo Rating: 1/10

Where do I start? It's a true gem that has little to no flaws whatsoever. The graphics are superb, the story is great, the voice acting is amazing, the gameplay is a spot on. In short, it's a true joy to play. The game revolves around a small section of Gotham City, known now as "Arkham City", where gangs and thugs seem to have free-run of there own little slice of Gotham. It allows much greater freedom than Arkham Asylum did - and is all the better for it. You start with all the abilities and gadgets that you picked up in the previous game, and unlock a ton more too. As such, it may have a steep learning curve for people that did not play the previous game, but once you get into it, it's fluid, responsive and great fun. Upgrades to your Batsuit and character(s) abilities are bought with XP, that is earned fighting thugs - and you are rewarded for slick moves, long combos and variety. You can also quick-fire gadgets during combat, adding another really cool addition to the game. Jimbo Rating: 9/10

I had fairly low expectations for this game. I picked it up on sale for £2 to give it a go because I adore the films. Upon getting a few hours in I have found myself to be extremely surprised by just how good the game is. Graphically it looks lovely (for a 2009 game, at least), and runs smoothly without any issues. The sound, music and voice acting is spot on (all main cast members do the voice overs). It "feels" exactly like you are in a Ghostbusters film. The characters chat and joke with eachother and the humour from the films is here in abundance. The sound of zapping ghosts with your proton pack is pure joy. You take on the role of a "rookie" Ghostbuster, recruited to help the team. A lot of locations from the original film show up in the game, which are great fun to visit. The combat is refreshingly fun and different. Although the multiplayer is sadly missing from the PC version (I was very bummed out by this), I can safely say this game is good - great if you are a fan of the films. For the money I paid, it is WELL worth it. If you fancy a bit of Ghostbusters nostalgia - this is the game to play. Jimbo Rating: 7/10

Not one of the strongest entries in the LoK franchise, although not the worst either. It's a fairly good game. The story is brilliant, as always, as is the voice acting. The gameplay is a bit of a mixed bag. To start with: the camera. The camera is no longer a chase-cam, like the last 3 games. Instead, it's a kind of Devil May Cry camera that shifts, rotates and generally gets on your nerves. It frequently changes when you are in the middle of performing a precise action, like jumping - which screws up what you were doing. Secondly: too much repetitive combat. Okay, to be fair, the other games have also suffered from this, but LoK seems to simply have more of it. It gets tiresome and I found myself avoiding combat wherever possible. Certain levels have you running backwards and forth with wave after wave of enemy re-spawning after every battle. It gets annoying very quickly. Those things aside, the rest of the game is pretty solid. It looks lovely, sounds great and the puzzles are a little more diverse than titles such as BO2. Story is great and it is good fun to be able to play both Kain and Raziel (although bar some animation differences, they play very similar to each other). The main difference between the two is that Raziel is blessed with more engrossing puzzles, while Kain is simply given more enemies to mash. Raziel also has the spectral realm to play around in, which of course, Kain does not have. LoK fans will like it (as I have), but it leaves you wondering just what they could have accomplished with the format - and such a shame that certain elements were not improved upon. Jimbo Rating: 6/10

Despite some issues with controls (a seemingly clunky combat and movement mechanic), this is a great game. I remember playing this back when it came out and loved it to pieces. It has great soundtrack and a good story (what's new - all LoK games do). Jimbo Rating: 6/10

A fairly good game with some nice ideas. It's a bit like Freelancer, but a little more "real" and more involved. The multiplayer is where the majority of the fun is at, but you will find it lacks depth. Once you have enough money to buy the best ship in the game (which does not take long at all), you will struggle to find anything to do except explore. The control of your ship never seems quite right, and you find yourself constantly "sliding" everywhere. I have no problem playing space games with inertial dampeners off, but something about this just feels wrong - it takes forever to make course changes if you have any kind of speed. The developer is absolutely brilliant though. I visited their forums to ask some questions and instantly got a reply from the developer, who implemented a new mechanic to the game based on my questions and feedback. I was stunned at how welcoming and kind the community is for this game. That alone is worth its weight in gold. A good game, that could be a great game. Jimbo Rating: 6/10

The game is so un-optimised, buggy and unfinished that it's laughable. The developers are now saying that the game is "completed" - yet it plays like dragging a turd through the grass. Avoid it at all costs - and the developer, who quite clearly don't care about it or their customers. Waste of money, waste of time. Jimbo Rating: 0/10

A well-rounded and very solid sequel to the original. It improves on the first game in almost every aspect. The combat feels more fluid and much more fun, the graphics, story, and sound are better than ever. It plays much like the original - an over the shoulder action/RPG. If you liked the first one, you will love this. There are reoccurring characters from the first game and the ability to import your ME1 character, along with all the decisions (and consequences). A really nice touch. My only (minor) gripes is that the inventory and level-up system seems even further dumbed down compared to the first one. A definite con for those of you that like customisation in their RPGs. The galaxy map is also a little silly (and pointless). These however, are nit-picking an otherwise superb game - a game that it probably on my top 10 games of all time. Everyone should play it. Period. Jimbo Rating: 9/10

A really good action/RPG game in every aspect. The story, voice acting, graphics, sound, music and gameplay are all good. The game seems like a fusion of Dragon Age, KOToR and Neverwinter Nights all wrapped up together in a wonderful package. If you liked any of those games, you will undoubtedly like this! You follow the path of Shepard (male or female depending on your preference) in a desperate attempt to save the galaxy from the ominous Reapers. Along the way you recruit companions, fall in love and make tough decisions. It also allows for a little exploration in form of the many sidequests. You get to select from a multitude of different classes and level-up and outfit the characters however you want. It also features a squad ordering system (although basic) to position your squad tactically. The combat is in the form of an over-the-shoulder third person, cover-based shooter. It works well here when combined with your squads various strengths and weaknesses. All-in-all, a very good game that I would recommend to everyone interested in the format. Jimbo Rating: 8/10

Better at being Colonial Marines than Colonial Marines was. A great game with 3 campaigns (and 3 perspectives) to choose from. Lovely visuals, decent graphics and some neat gameplay mechanics combine into a well-rounded and solid shooter set in the Aliens and Predator universe. Jimbo Rating: 7/10

Borderlands The Pre-Sequel Review This is an extremely difficult review to write, because I am very conflicted over this game. On the one side, it's a *fairly* solid FPS shooter with loot in abundance, some good humour and great co-op gaming. One that I am sure you will enjoy playing with a few friends. On the other hand, it feels like an expensive Borderlands 2 DLC and a blatant cash grab (they will be bringing out MORE DLC for this one too, if you are so inclined). Cons All the little annoyances and bugs from number 2 got carried over, without so much as a look at getting them fixed or changed. I have already experienced sound randomly disappearing for no reason, only to come back after I die (a bug that plagued the previous game as well). I have also had an NPC glitch on the tutorial mission, making it impossible to finish without exiting the game and coming back in. Then there is the horrendous amount of back tracking through the same old levels - surely they could just add more fast travel locations to the game? How about some form of teleport device - since we seem to be able to constantly cheat death and respawn nearby anyway? The menus are still horrendous to navigate - a remnant of it being a console port, no doubt. Boring fetch-this and go-there quests seem as abundant as ever too, I really wish there was a bit more depth to the multitude of side-quests. The new low gravity / O2 mechanic is really just a gimmick and does nothing to improve the game. All it seems to do is make for bunny-hopping gun-fights. The classes are also not that interesting. Claptrap is a completely useless character in single or co-op, Wilhelm is basically Axton from the previous game and the last two characters are nothing special either. Borderlands games have always advertised themselves as a fusion of FPS and RPG, but I was kind of hoping a little more of the RPG side of things would be brought into the games as time went on. This is sadly not the case. Customisation is limited to poor skill trees and throw-away skins that do nothing but change the basic colours of your character. The bad- system is a neat idea, but never really seems to do much for you and I can't help but wonder if more could have also been done here as well. The humour and general feel of Borderlands 2 is here - so it is really just more of the same. This is its biggest problem. It brings nothing new to the table and looks and feels like you are playing Borderlands 2. Most of the points I have mentioned so far could be forgiven in BL2, but 2 years later, to bring out this "expansion pack" and try palming it off as a separate game without addressing any of its predecessors issues is just a bit much. Pros Moving on to the positives: it's more Borderlands, which surely cannot be a bad thing in itself. It's still a great co-op game that gets better with more people playing. The graphics look as good as ever and it has Handsome Jack before he was Handsome Jack - who was always one of my favourite characters in the last game. The story seems acceptable but nothing ground-breaking. It is nice to see previous characters making a come-back to fill in some gaps. The game is still great fun to play co-op, where a full-team of vault hunters is much more enjoyable than wondering around alone. The guns and loot is as crazy and fun as ever. There is also a new laser-class weapon, which is a welcome addition. "Slag" seems to have been replaced with "Cryo" weapons, which is a welcome addition, since Slag weapons became more and more essential as you levelled up in number 2 - and limited your options. Summary So, to summarise, it's an overpriced, underdeveloped slog through similar territory - a cash-grab by lazy developers. If you can see past this and enjoyed Borderlands 2 then that will be of no consequence and you can ignore most of the cons in this review. If you, like me, expected more, then you have come to the wrong place and should wait for Borderlands 3 instead. Still, this is Gearbox afterall - who gave us Duke Nukem Forever and Colonial Marines - I guess I shouldn't have expected too much from them. It's a fairly decent game that will keep diehard fans of the franchise happy, but you can't help but wonder what more could have been done. My Jimbo Rating on this game will differ based on two important factors, shown below. If you wanted more from the new Borderlands game than a lazy, copy-paste clone: Jimbo Rating: 5/10 - "Not Recommended" If you simply wanted more Borderlands 2 and are a diehard fan that has cash to throw at the lazy devs: Jimbo Rating: 7/10 - "Recommended" For me, this game falls in the first category, making it a 5/10.