The Great:
- Compelling isometric ARPG combat
- Varied and satisfying skills and progression system
- Satisfying execution of almost every aspect of the game
- Tower defense (optional) mini-game that is good enough to be sold as a standalone game (almost worth the price for it alone)
The Good:
- Well written and delivered dialogue and narrative
- Strategy elements added to already great ARPG mechanics
- Very similar to previous game (which was also great)
- Good loot dropping ryhthm
The Bad:
- Very similar to previous game (previous game was great, so this is only slightly bad)
- Some of the added elements weren't fully realized (e.g. sending followers on quests had little to no impact on game)
Conclusion:
If you like isometric loot ARPGs (like Torchlight), this is a must buy. Even if you don't, this game is absolutely worthy of a purchase at some pricepoint.
9.5 / 10
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor Review
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a third person action-adventure game set in the Lord of the Rings universe.
The Great:
- Incredibly satisfying combat akin to the Arkham series but with swordplay, stealth, and ranged
- The combat is brutal (against orcs) but ultimately more satisfying as a result
- Combat is fluid, dynamic, and intuitive
- Stealth mechanics feel great (and I don't like stealth generally)
- Traversal mechanics are enjoyable in their own right
- Game design allows and encourages multiple different types of play-styles with RPG mechanics and environmental variables
- Extremely compelling open world that is woven very well into the story quests and narrative
- Has three completely viable playstyles (combat with a sword, ranged with a bow, and stealth with a dagger) that are each effortless to move between
- Villain interaction (Nemesis system) is the new standard in encounter design
- Randomization of villain design (strengths and weaknesses) and setting encourages creativity in solutions
- The open world sidequests are spectacularly crafted
- The setting is generally beautiful, and the game plays very smoothly
- The sheer number of options for catering the game to your preferred playstyle is unmatched
The Good:
- The nemesis system creates almost a strategy mini-game within the game itself that is also very satisfying to navigate
The Bad:
- The entire game is so enjoyable that at times the number of things you want to do can be overwhelming (not all that bad maybe?)
- In a number of situations (e.g. near walls), you can have some difficulty moving due to contextual problems, but that only stands out because everything else is so smooth and polished
Conclusion:
This is the best action game to come out in years. It takes the best of the action games to come before it (Batman, Assassin's Creed) and adds on a level of depth in villain design and encounters that is rarely seen. Regardless of the type of games you like most, you should play this game.
10 / 10
The Great:
- Incredibly satisfying combat akin to the Arkham series but with swordplay, stealth, and ranged
- The combat is brutal (against orcs) but ultimately more satisfying as a result
- Combat is fluid, dynamic, and intuitive
- Stealth mechanics feel great (and I don't like stealth generally)
- Traversal mechanics are enjoyable in their own right
- Game design allows and encourages multiple different types of play-styles with RPG mechanics and environmental variables
- Extremely compelling open world that is woven very well into the story quests and narrative
- Has three completely viable playstyles (combat with a sword, ranged with a bow, and stealth with a dagger) that are each effortless to move between
- Villain interaction (Nemesis system) is the new standard in encounter design
- Randomization of villain design (strengths and weaknesses) and setting encourages creativity in solutions
- The open world sidequests are spectacularly crafted
- The setting is generally beautiful, and the game plays very smoothly
- The sheer number of options for catering the game to your preferred playstyle is unmatched
The Good:
- The nemesis system creates almost a strategy mini-game within the game itself that is also very satisfying to navigate
The Bad:
- The entire game is so enjoyable that at times the number of things you want to do can be overwhelming (not all that bad maybe?)
- In a number of situations (e.g. near walls), you can have some difficulty moving due to contextual problems, but that only stands out because everything else is so smooth and polished
Conclusion:
This is the best action game to come out in years. It takes the best of the action games to come before it (Batman, Assassin's Creed) and adds on a level of depth in villain design and encounters that is rarely seen. Regardless of the type of games you like most, you should play this game.
10 / 10
Defense Grid 2 Review
Defense Grid 2 is a traditional tower defense game and the sequel to the excellent Defense Grid: The Awakening.
The Great:
- This series is the pinnacle of the tower defense genre, and this game continues that and expands upon it
- Level design is outstanding to provide just the right amount of difficulty and reward
- New elements added including the missile tower are nice improvements and increase the overall satisfaction of the game
- New RPG elements are added to towers to tailor your playstyle
- Multiple different types of alternative challenges are provided so that there is incredibile replayability
- Steam workshop support to increase longevity of the game
The Good:
- The game looks and runs very well
- The game only marginally improves on the first game (but the first game was great)
The Bad:
- The story is more or less standard, but there are too many characters that don't add anything
- The story dialogue bits happen after you complete a level and more often than not you quickly skip to the next level without thinking and miss parts of the story
- The first Defense Grid had a limited amount of clever humor that did not overstay its welcome. This game tries too hard to make dialogue funny that really isn't
- Some small bugs
Conclusion:
The Defense Grid series remains the definitive tower defense experience, and Defense Grid 2 - while mostly iterative - only extends and enhances that lead. I highly recommend the game for anyone interested at all in the tower defense genre
9.5 / 10
The Great:
- This series is the pinnacle of the tower defense genre, and this game continues that and expands upon it
- Level design is outstanding to provide just the right amount of difficulty and reward
- New elements added including the missile tower are nice improvements and increase the overall satisfaction of the game
- New RPG elements are added to towers to tailor your playstyle
- Multiple different types of alternative challenges are provided so that there is incredibile replayability
- Steam workshop support to increase longevity of the game
The Good:
- The game looks and runs very well
- The game only marginally improves on the first game (but the first game was great)
The Bad:
- The story is more or less standard, but there are too many characters that don't add anything
- The story dialogue bits happen after you complete a level and more often than not you quickly skip to the next level without thinking and miss parts of the story
- The first Defense Grid had a limited amount of clever humor that did not overstay its welcome. This game tries too hard to make dialogue funny that really isn't
- Some small bugs
Conclusion:
The Defense Grid series remains the definitive tower defense experience, and Defense Grid 2 - while mostly iterative - only extends and enhances that lead. I highly recommend the game for anyone interested at all in the tower defense genre
9.5 / 10
Age of Wonders III Review
The Great:
- Fantastic tactical turn-based gameplay
- Fun and enjoyable fantasy setting
- Turn-based overworld gameplay generates the "one more turn" compulsion
The Bad:
- Combat slightly favors ranged and magic heroes and units
- City management gameplay is shallow and uninteresting
- Lack of interesting challenges in the late game
Overall:
A great strategy game that deserves your attention if you are interested in turn-based tactical combat and/or Heroes of Might and Magic type gameplay.
8.5 / 10
- Fantastic tactical turn-based gameplay
- Fun and enjoyable fantasy setting
- Turn-based overworld gameplay generates the "one more turn" compulsion
The Bad:
- Combat slightly favors ranged and magic heroes and units
- City management gameplay is shallow and uninteresting
- Lack of interesting challenges in the late game
Overall:
A great strategy game that deserves your attention if you are interested in turn-based tactical combat and/or Heroes of Might and Magic type gameplay.
8.5 / 10
Divinity: Original Sin Review
The Great:
-Engrossing party-based isometric turn-based tactical combat that allows for incredible variety in strategy
-Highly developed RPG mechanics that allow significant customization of your characters and playstyle
The Good:
-More or less classic fantasy RPG story that keeps the game interesting while not taking itself too seriously
-Gameplay requires thought and actual tactics as it is easy to blunder into dying
The Bad:
-Combat slightly favors ranged/casting classes due to environmental effects and tactics
-Quests and story do not hold your hand, so it can be easy to miss something if you aren't paying attention
-Limited companion options until later in the game can make poorly guessed initial character choices slightly too punishing
Overall:
One of the best CRPGs to come out in years.
8.5 / 10
-Engrossing party-based isometric turn-based tactical combat that allows for incredible variety in strategy
-Highly developed RPG mechanics that allow significant customization of your characters and playstyle
The Good:
-More or less classic fantasy RPG story that keeps the game interesting while not taking itself too seriously
-Gameplay requires thought and actual tactics as it is easy to blunder into dying
The Bad:
-Combat slightly favors ranged/casting classes due to environmental effects and tactics
-Quests and story do not hold your hand, so it can be easy to miss something if you aren't paying attention
-Limited companion options until later in the game can make poorly guessed initial character choices slightly too punishing
Overall:
One of the best CRPGs to come out in years.
8.5 / 10
Total War: Rome 2 Review
This is now the finest Total War game to date. Simply outstanding.
10.0 / 10
10.0 / 10
Sol Survivor Review
This is a classic tower defense game that copies significant features from Defense Grid: The Awakening. There are numerous uncanny similarities. That being said, there are many worse formulas to copy than Defense Grid, and I highly recommend this game as well as an excellent entry in the Tower Defense genre (but play Defense Grid first). It doesn't do a lot to differentiate itself, but it executes well on the basic Tower Defense tropes... tower building and placement, tower synergies, etc.
The campaign is relatively short, but there are numerous ways to replay the same levels giving it longer legs than it would otherwise have.
It is a solid tower defense game that deserves attention. That being said, if you're only going to play one Tower Defense game, it should still be Defense Grid.
8.5 / 10
The campaign is relatively short, but there are numerous ways to replay the same levels giving it longer legs than it would otherwise have.
It is a solid tower defense game that deserves attention. That being said, if you're only going to play one Tower Defense game, it should still be Defense Grid.
8.5 / 10
Ancient Space Review
Ancient Space is a 3D, space based, story heavy, single player, real time strategy game (RTS).
The Great:
- Gorgeous 3D space environments that should be the standard for space RTS games going forward
- RPG mechanics such as gear and specializations customization added to ships and capital ships that make you wonder why no one else has done it this well in an RTS game before
- Detailed and intricate RTS with RPG aspects gameplay works very well - a solid foundation to build upon
- Voice-acting and story are well above average for the genre
The Good:
- Intuitive control scheme
- Varying difficulty
- Nice pacing such that it is almost always interesting but not exhausting or stressful
The Bad:
- Some technical glitches present
- Graphics options are nearly non-existent
- Missions can run long at times and sometimes contain tedious overlong sections
- Occasional excessive difficulty
- This game would do very well to include Steam Workshop support for easy modding support
Overall:
This looks to be a very worthy addition to the RTS genre. While a slightly tighter and more forgiving campaign might have proved better, at $20, and given how much the game innovates in some ways (e.g. adding "gear" to your fleet of ships and the overall art direction) it is hard to find much to complain about. If you like strategy games or RTS games in particular, you should definitely pick this game up.
8.5 / 10
The Great:
- Gorgeous 3D space environments that should be the standard for space RTS games going forward
- RPG mechanics such as gear and specializations customization added to ships and capital ships that make you wonder why no one else has done it this well in an RTS game before
- Detailed and intricate RTS with RPG aspects gameplay works very well - a solid foundation to build upon
- Voice-acting and story are well above average for the genre
The Good:
- Intuitive control scheme
- Varying difficulty
- Nice pacing such that it is almost always interesting but not exhausting or stressful
The Bad:
- Some technical glitches present
- Graphics options are nearly non-existent
- Missions can run long at times and sometimes contain tedious overlong sections
- Occasional excessive difficulty
- This game would do very well to include Steam Workshop support for easy modding support
Overall:
This looks to be a very worthy addition to the RTS genre. While a slightly tighter and more forgiving campaign might have proved better, at $20, and given how much the game innovates in some ways (e.g. adding "gear" to your fleet of ships and the overall art direction) it is hard to find much to complain about. If you like strategy games or RTS games in particular, you should definitely pick this game up.
8.5 / 10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)