Pillars of Eternity is an isometric party-based computer RPG using real-time-with-pause combat.
What is Great about this game:
- Complex and deep story that moves the game along incredibly well
- Deep character creation and multiple classes each with multiple viable playstyles bringing significant variety to your own playthrough
- Rich and appropriate back story, lore, and flavor text added throughout the game that is worth reading
- Enjoyable tactical combat with numerous options for pausing and other options to make the game more enjoyable
- Unique and sometimes fascinating quest lines with multiple alternative methods for success (e.g. talk yourself out of a combat encounter)
- An ending storyline that was possibly the most thought-provoking and intelligently written as any I have experienced
What is Good about this game:
- The game looks quite nice but could have used more art/animantions to improve it further
- The voice acting is quite good where it exists
- Good use of Steam features (cloud saves, trading cards, achievements, etc)
What is Bad about this game:
- The combat could have been significantly improved (although still very good) by including methods to automate companions similar to the systems in FFXII or Dragon Age: Origins
- Given how story heavy this game is, it would have been much improved by including more voice-over work. The voice acting is very good, but is only available sparsely. The writing is more than worth reading, but having it spoken would have been that much more engrossing.
Conclusion:
Pillars of Eternity is the current pinnacle of story-telling in RPGs with a great combat system and a classic style.
9.5 / 10.0
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Cities: Skylines Review
Cities: Skylines is a brand new city-building game in the vein of Simcity but built with modern sensibilities.
What is Great about this game:
- The city-building simulation is deep, complex, and incredibly satisfying to master
- The agent and traffic simulation is particularly deep and compelling to manage
- A variety of tools are available to manage almost any problem that arises in your city
- The game looks and runs beautifully
- Available areas for expansion are massive (and truly huge with easy to acquire mods)
- Modding and Steam Workshop support is pervasive in the game, and the modding community is prolific
What is Good about this game:
- Good use of Steam features (cloud saves, trading cards, achievements, etc)
What is Bad about this game:
- Some of the mechanics of the simulation (e.g. freight train depots, RCI) are not well surfaced so it can be a challenge to know how to answer certain problems
Conclusion:
Cities: Skylines is the new benchmark in city building and city simulation games. This is the game to get if you are at all interested in the genre, and everyone should at least try it once.
10.0 / 10.0
What is Great about this game:
- The city-building simulation is deep, complex, and incredibly satisfying to master
- The agent and traffic simulation is particularly deep and compelling to manage
- A variety of tools are available to manage almost any problem that arises in your city
- The game looks and runs beautifully
- Available areas for expansion are massive (and truly huge with easy to acquire mods)
- Modding and Steam Workshop support is pervasive in the game, and the modding community is prolific
What is Good about this game:
- Good use of Steam features (cloud saves, trading cards, achievements, etc)
What is Bad about this game:
- Some of the mechanics of the simulation (e.g. freight train depots, RCI) are not well surfaced so it can be a challenge to know how to answer certain problems
Conclusion:
Cities: Skylines is the new benchmark in city building and city simulation games. This is the game to get if you are at all interested in the genre, and everyone should at least try it once.
10.0 / 10.0
Wasteland 2 Review
Wasteland 2 is an isometric party-based role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic southeastern United States.
The Great:
- Deep and expansive story that starts quickly and expands out in numerous branching paths
- Real player choices that change both the progression of the story and how gameplay mechanics play out (can avoid combat using conversation)
- Incredible amount of quality content as the story expands to tremendous length and allows for deep exploration
The Good:
- The combat system is of good quality and gives much variety and satisfactory tactical options
The Bad:
- RPG progression skills and traits are locked once selected which can cause significant potential problems for new/inexperienced players
- Some of the areas are notably barren or seemingly unfinished (e.g. all the random encounters that are nearly exact repeats of each other)
Conclusion:
Wasteland 2 should be on everyone's short list for engrossing stories in RPGs.
9.0 / 10.0
The Great:
- Deep and expansive story that starts quickly and expands out in numerous branching paths
- Real player choices that change both the progression of the story and how gameplay mechanics play out (can avoid combat using conversation)
- Incredible amount of quality content as the story expands to tremendous length and allows for deep exploration
The Good:
- The combat system is of good quality and gives much variety and satisfactory tactical options
The Bad:
- RPG progression skills and traits are locked once selected which can cause significant potential problems for new/inexperienced players
- Some of the areas are notably barren or seemingly unfinished (e.g. all the random encounters that are nearly exact repeats of each other)
Conclusion:
Wasteland 2 should be on everyone's short list for engrossing stories in RPGs.
9.0 / 10.0
Friday, February 6, 2015
Deathtrap Review
Deathtrap is a hybrid tower defense game crossed with an isometric action role-playing game by Neocore, the developers of the Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing series.
The Great:
- Very satisfying trap and level desing makes for top notch tower defense aspects
- High production values makes the game feel adn play very well
- Great RPG mechanics make the playing of the level as fun as the strategy (better than just watching your towers do their work)
- Significant layers of interlocking strategies (leveling up traps and player character at the same time) allowing impressive variety in playstyles
- Provides the same compulsive gameplay of other tower defense games with the added benefit of being able to play the levels yourself
- Levels are well designed and rarely if ever rely on cheap tower defense tricks (e.g. sending all the bosses up the previously least used path)
- Steam workshop support will give this game hours of additional playtime possibilities
The Good:
- Optional side objectives make for more interesting moment to moment gameplay
- Difficulty ramping is well-balanced and appropriate
- Good Steam support for achievements, cloud saving, and trading cards
The Bad:
- The campaign is slightly short with it able to be completed in about 5-6 hours which is offset by heavy modding support which should give this game hundreds of new maps to play
- Does not tie itself very much into its sister games (The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing series) which is a missed opportunity for expanding both series
Conclusion:
This is a slightly odd complaint, but I think Neocore could have done better than they did with this. After two exceptional games in the The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing I and II, I was expecting more of that to come over into this game. The story, the characters, the world are all too shallow compared to their earlier works. I beat this game in a day's time which is almost impossible for my schedule, and I got a great game, but I was expecting more.
Still, this is one of the best tower defense games around complimented by incredibly engaging RPG elements for the both the player character and the tower defense aspects at a bargain price. It would be nearly impossible for me not to recommend.
9.0 / 10
The Great:
- Very satisfying trap and level desing makes for top notch tower defense aspects
- High production values makes the game feel adn play very well
- Great RPG mechanics make the playing of the level as fun as the strategy (better than just watching your towers do their work)
- Significant layers of interlocking strategies (leveling up traps and player character at the same time) allowing impressive variety in playstyles
- Provides the same compulsive gameplay of other tower defense games with the added benefit of being able to play the levels yourself
- Levels are well designed and rarely if ever rely on cheap tower defense tricks (e.g. sending all the bosses up the previously least used path)
- Steam workshop support will give this game hours of additional playtime possibilities
The Good:
- Optional side objectives make for more interesting moment to moment gameplay
- Difficulty ramping is well-balanced and appropriate
- Good Steam support for achievements, cloud saving, and trading cards
The Bad:
- The campaign is slightly short with it able to be completed in about 5-6 hours which is offset by heavy modding support which should give this game hundreds of new maps to play
- Does not tie itself very much into its sister games (The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing series) which is a missed opportunity for expanding both series
Conclusion:
This is a slightly odd complaint, but I think Neocore could have done better than they did with this. After two exceptional games in the The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing I and II, I was expecting more of that to come over into this game. The story, the characters, the world are all too shallow compared to their earlier works. I beat this game in a day's time which is almost impossible for my schedule, and I got a great game, but I was expecting more.
Still, this is one of the best tower defense games around complimented by incredibly engaging RPG elements for the both the player character and the tower defense aspects at a bargain price. It would be nearly impossible for me not to recommend.
9.0 / 10
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Lords of the Fallen Review
Lords of the Fallen is a third person action-role-playing game with heavy emphasis on melee combat mechanics and tactics.
The Great:
- Melee combat is exceptional and some of the best in the industry
- Significant weapon variety that leads to numerous differing yet satisfying playstyles
- Each weapon's unique playstyle feels great and is fun to experiment with
- Combat is timing and pattern based making each encounter important and fulfilling to complete
- Game is gorgeous to look at even with details turned down
The Good:
- Environments are beautiful and intricately crafted (if a little small)
- Enemy and boss designs are interesting and show creativity
The Bad:
- The story is forgettable, confusing at times and makes little sense given the scope of the game
- The side characters feel tacked on, tropish, and overall of little value or consequence
- The main character is meant to be a jerk, and there are few options to choose not to be a jerk
- I experienced several game-crashing bugs over 25+ hours
Conclusion:
The game is buggy, and the writing of the characters and story leaves much to be desired, but the combat in both its precision and variety is able to save this game from the trash pile and ultimately make it one of the best RPGs of the year.
9.0 / 10.0
The Great:
- Melee combat is exceptional and some of the best in the industry
- Significant weapon variety that leads to numerous differing yet satisfying playstyles
- Each weapon's unique playstyle feels great and is fun to experiment with
- Combat is timing and pattern based making each encounter important and fulfilling to complete
- Game is gorgeous to look at even with details turned down
The Good:
- Environments are beautiful and intricately crafted (if a little small)
- Enemy and boss designs are interesting and show creativity
The Bad:
- The story is forgettable, confusing at times and makes little sense given the scope of the game
- The side characters feel tacked on, tropish, and overall of little value or consequence
- The main character is meant to be a jerk, and there are few options to choose not to be a jerk
- I experienced several game-crashing bugs over 25+ hours
Conclusion:
The game is buggy, and the writing of the characters and story leaves much to be desired, but the combat in both its precision and variety is able to save this game from the trash pile and ultimately make it one of the best RPGs of the year.
9.0 / 10.0
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II Review
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
- 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
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
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