Kamil Dyszewski's Reviews
Despite being a thriller, Late Shift, is not nearly as well written, or structured as the films of the very same genre, such as the critically acclaimed North by Northwest. And that’s okay, because unlike Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece, Late Shift is a compound entity, which consists of numerous scenes which revolve around each other depending on the choices made by the player.
Ultimately, simplicity is not always a negative thing, some titles even use such to their advantage. But when a series which has built itself upon exploration of complex, foreign and extremely hostile environments, especially one as highly regarded as Dark Souls, completely shifts its formula and transforms itself into a simple A-to-B adventure game, it ultimately loses a lot of its charm. And one could debate whether such drastic transition has come from change in artistic vision, financial constraints, or simply a loss of passion, but in the end he/she still has to agree that The Ringed City is a solid piece of content, and unlike the Ashes of Ariandel, it is worthy of being considered a major part of the Dark Souls universe.
Instances of blind fury which come with inconveniences related to both level design, and in-game AI, are extremely troublesome when taken in context of the fact that FlatOut 4: Total Insanity relies on circuit racing. And it doesn’t matter if one undertakes the challenge of the campaign, multiplayer, or of the handful of featured stunt modes, because each and every time, the same issues occur, without fail. And that’s not only disappointing, it is as mentioned previously, simply infuriating.
In short, Styx: Shards of Darkness, is a massive improvement, not only upon its predecessor, but also the AA category as a whole. It is a title which offers the variety of gameplay which even some AAA games lack these days, and the inclusion of the co-op mode only further promotes it up the ladder of desirability. However, despite its strong technical and artistic foundation, Styx: Shards of Darkness, is not a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination. And what prevents it from reaching the upper echelons of the grading scale, is the fact that at its core, Styx: Shards of Darkness, is a title which suffers deeply from its mechanical shortcomings, which are so brazen at times, that they take all the joy away from the title
Torment: Tides of Numenera, is an extraordinary title, which will provide many fans of the RPG genre with countless hours of entertainment. However, the archaic structure, and in many ways execution of the title will ultimately prevent it from reaching the average customer, especially once all the minor technical difficulties, and imperfections come into play.
Ultimately, Drive!Drive!Drive! is a phenomenal title, of which positives one could discuss for hours, however, as good as it is, Drive!Drive!Drive! also has its flaws, which at times can absolutely ruin the fun which can be had with the title. The biggest, and most jarring problem with Drive!Drive!Drive! is the fact that the Artificial Incompetence which is enjoyable at its best, is downright game breaking at its worst. When not in control of the player vehicle, there is always a chance that it may fall off the track, and when that happens, there’s a chance that upon the switch, it’ll be impossible to drive it, as it’ll simply be stuck in place.
Blood, guts, and broken bones are a vital part of Mother Russia Bleeds, as despite it’s old school visual facade, it is an extremely gory title. And, contrary to popular belief, that’s good, very good in fact. Gore which accompanies the violence that is present throughout this Soviet journey, is the backbone of the the title, as it is the thing which allows Mother Russia Bleeds to stand amongst other slouching, half-baked indie products. And ultimately, gore is the final piece of the puzzle which makes Mother Russia Bleeds whole. However, the puzzle despite its completion, is lacking in some sections, as the story of Mother Russia Bleeds gets constantly lost amongst all the blood, screams, and chaos. And that is what some may find disappointing, as many will see Mother Russia Bleeds‘ story mode as nothing more than an extension to the arena mode.
A soulless addition to a phenomenal franchise, which has been seemingly created only for the old guard of the Soulsborne titles. However, even the fanatical fans of the series may find the overwhelming feeling of familiarity to be too strong for its own good.
Virginia is the only thing which prevents itself from achieving greatness, as it tries to imitate a TV show, while attempting to abandon the fact that it’s a videogame. As previously stated, a combination of videogame mechanics, with a structure and direction of a TV series, is borderline impossible and Virginia is a great example of that.
The experience of Dear Esther would be identical if it was presented as a short story, or an on-rail VR video. The lack of interactivity only further exposes the flaws which have been created through forceful transition of Dear Esther from paper into a videogame format. But despite all its flaws, it is still an interesting ‘thing‘ to experience, especially if you want to see the beginnings of the walking simulators first hand.
Ultimately, Mount & Blade: Warband is a thing of the past available to the modern populous. And due to its clunky mechanics, which are spread across every aspect of the title, in combination with poor and uninspiring aesthetic, Warband will only pleasure a very small sample of individuals who decide to undertake the challenge of becoming the king of the land.
An exceptional racing simulator, with an edge like no other, which ironically lacks the final polish, which bars it from greatness.
F1 2016, in many ways is just like the sport itself. It’s interesting before the race begins, as viewers can spectate the inner workings of the sport, but once the race gets going, and racers continue to pass laps one by one, it all turns into a one, soul destroyingly dull blur, which soon makes one want to switch the channel, as nothing is happening, and you’re simply watching the same Rolex banners over, and over again.
A work of art, which exemplifies the direction in which the gaming indie scene should be heading, while at the same time showcasing why it should also abandon AAA techniques of conducting narrative.
Ultimately, Adr1ft is an exceptional experience which should be played by everyone who is a fan of the adventure genre. Its simple, yet extremely effective narrative also shows that the genre of the so called 'walking simulators' doesn't need an overproduced story, with hundreds of moral choices, and a cast of meaningless characters.
If only the devs have spent a little more time polishing the game up, to an acceptable standard, we could have had a real gem on our hands, however, not a single aspect of this title is developed to its limits. Everything feels cheap and unfinished, and the core of the tile, which should in the very least be competent, is just like the rest clunky and amateur like.
At its core, Assault Suit Leynos is an extremely simple yet satisfying game. And while it has been remastered to meet the ‘modern standards’, it fails to tick any of the contemporary boxes. Some will dislike it for the cheap, retro difficulty spikes, designed to make player’s life a living hell. Others will detest it for its far eastern art style
7 Days to Die, is as disappointing as it is unfinished. And just like its PC counterpart, the PlayStation 4 version of this particular title should still be labeled as alpha, rather than a finished product.
A great introduction into the ''Walking Simulator' genre, with a low price point, and satisfying amount of content.
The Technomancer is an overwhelmingly average title, filled with questionable design choices, and agonizingly painful, roller coaster-like difficulty.