Jason Moth's Reviews
Stalker 2 is nothing short of a miracle. Developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World over the course of seven years amid a pandemic and a war -- among many other challenges -- Stalker 2 is a labor of love and the best type of sequel one could hope for. While many long-running franchises have strayed from their roots in an (often misguided) attempt to appeal to as many players as possible, Stalker 2 knows its core audience well and delivers exactly the type of game we were hoping for.
Not quite as good as its predecessor, but still a solid entry in the series.
We do what we must for the greater good.
These types of games rarely do well with hardcore gamers, but they can sometimes reach mainstream success with casual gamers if they can get some good buzz on social media and streaming sites like Twitch. Personally, I don't see myself sticking with the game for the long haul, but then again, I'm not the target audience for it.
Although it’s tempting to compare it to Baldur’s Gate 3 given that they both came out during the same year, it’s obvious that Rogue Trader builds upon the legacy of much older CRPGs and should be judged by its own merits. And by those merits, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a surprisingly solid title that manages to stand out from the crowd during a year that’s been jam-packed with incredible games.
What I don’t understand is why the game was delayed for two years only to launch in this abysmal state. Maybe in another two years, this game will actually be playable. For now, stick to Blood Bowl 2 instead.
In a world filled to the brim with terrible Warhammer 40K games, the last thing we need is terrible DLC that diminishes the handful of decent titles set in this marvelous universe. Normally, I wouldn’t mind it too much, but the game already had a bad – and frankly, predatory – DLC in the form of the Castellan Champion Upgrade Pack. Duty Eternal certainly brings a lot more to the table, which only serves to highlight how egregiously overpriced the first DLC is, but it’s only a small step in the right direction. If Complex Games really wants players to keep coming back to Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters, they need to do a lot better than Duty Eternal. This one feels more like Doody Eternal.
Frozenheim is the type of game that’s best played in small doses. The game feels underdeveloped in a lot of ways but not to the point where it becomes downright boring. A good entry point for players new to RTS but hard to recommend to genre veterans.
Elex 2 is another example of Piranha Bytes sticking to their guns and making an open-world RPG designed specifically for their core audience. Fans of the studio's previous work will have a field day with this one but everyone else might find it hard to get past the jankiness and technical issues.
The PC port of God of War takes an already amazing game and makes it look and play better than ever before. Provided you have a rig powerful enough to take advantage of all the new upgrades. But even without all the bells and whistles, God of War remains a modern masterpiece and you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.
Meridian: Squad 22 is a worthy effort by Elder Games and a good choice for anyone who is new to the genre and wants to experience a real-time strategy game for the first time without having to burn a hole in their pocket.