A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
As I played through the roughly eight-hour campaign this week I couldn't shake the feeling that I was playing the unholy union of Hotline Miami and Mirror's Edge that I didn't know I was missing in my life. Through all of the frustration and cursing at myself for screwing up something that I knew I should have gotten right, I was still having a blast and loving every minute of the game. Though the story is complete for me, I'll most assuredly be returning to this to see how well I can hone my cyberpunk ninja skills.
It's a power fantasy that makes you work for the right to feel like a god and when your plans come together it's a joyous romp to play.
If you pumped hours upon hours into Enter the Gungeon then chances are you'll find a similar grab in West of Dead, but be fair warned that there isn't as much polish here. If it helps, it is launching day one on Xbox Game Pass so if you have that you can try it as soon as it launches.
Overall, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a large, ambitious strategy game that succeeds in many ways but falters ever so slightly in its grand scale. If you can grapple with the scope it's well worth the purchase and time, offering a great sandbox that could be played for hours on end. Newcomers to the genre might want to try one of the earlier Age of Wonders games before seeing if they should truly take the dive into this massive commitment. Those who do won't be disappointed.
Imperator: Rome feels like it's yet another step in Paradox's attempts to make the perfect grand strategy game. It pulls bits from Paradox's storied past in the genre and adopts it for the ancient era. Because of this, it doesn't feel like past releases where the game does one thing fantastically and falters in the rest of the mechanics but instead refines past mechanics into a marble bust of megalomaniacal fun. Ave Imperator: Rome!
We. The Revolution is clearly not for everyone. It's undoubtedly slow with the most thrilling aspect being the persuasion speeches, and even then that's just dialogue. But if you're in the mood for something that really transports you to the tumultuous time of the French Revolution then I don't think you will find a better way there.
At the Gates has a ton going for it, and this is easily the most addicted I've gotten to a game that I am reviewing. Although the replay value might not be as vast as some of the bigger 4X games on the market, it has enough of a unique and condensed feel that by the time you're getting ready to make moves to win, it hasn't overstayed its welcome by 20 hours.
Foundations is more of the same niche-scratching space exploration from previous iterations with a more immersive feel and I can't wait to dive back into my personal galaxy. For those that have been watching the X series from the outside, Foundations is a great entry point, provided you meet the beefy system requirements.
While I might have aimed a little high with my expectations for Everspace, as a fan of the space combat genre, it ultimately is enjoyable. I don't think it's for everyone but that's the beauty of niche games like this, they don't have to appeal to everyone.
Ultimately I think fans of the 40K universe and Space Hulk will be satisfied, it just might need some time to iron out the AI bugs. If this is your first go at Space Hulk it is an excellent place to start but you have to be willing to learn to walk again as it takes no prisoners.
Overall if you're looking for a way to get your Scythe fix in on a Tuesday evening when everyone else can't play, then yes, this adaptation is for you. If however you're looking for a replacement for your gaming group or a rigorous competitive scene, the player base just isn't there yet.
FTG may be a bit rough to get into at first, but with a little dedication and the right type of niche desires this may be a little slice of heaven for you. If you aren't interested in the subject matter I'd suggest finding another tactical strategy game to enjoy.
Which brings me to a little suggestion to all new players: don't do Ironman mode until you get comfortable with this game. There isn't enough variability in Nantucket to warrant the amount of frustration of losing all your progress because you went into a new whaling ground thinking it was just a bunch of whales and it turns out to be a shark ground. I do enjoy a good challenge but if you want to experience the story better, save Ironman for the replay.Some other little things that stuck out to me was that the random text encounters dealing with your crew got to be a bit annoying when you were trying to manage your resources. It was such a nice little surprise to hear sea shanties that your crew was singing but the fact that it gets cut off every time you go into a battle proved to be very jarring.Nantucket is well worth your time if you are looking for a fresh take on the strategic role-playing game genre, or are a fan of the original story that it is based on.
If like me, you have a love of history, Attentat 1942 will be a treasure not only for a fresh perspective on a widely reported period of time but also for the amount of work that you can see the developers put into making sure their story fit within the confines of history. It won't be a joyous or happy ride but in the end, it makes for an enlightening experience that uses the medium of gaming to educate in ways that only it can.
When all is said and done, you ultimately have a solid cyberpunk action game that has exceptional gun and melee based combat taking place in a beautifully fleshed out world that it, unfortunately, doesn't utilize to its full potential. It may not be perfect but I can wholeheartedly recommend RUINER if you are looking for a good challenge or a game that would fit perfectly in a dark room with your headphones cranked to maximum.