- By Ash
- in Reviews
The Division is Ubisoft's latest foray in to the open world genre and it features a beautifully realized Manhattan, an interesting take on multiplayer and some very competent cover based shooting.
I've spent a good chunk of time playing the open beta this weekend and while I certainly enjoyed it I am somewhat worried about the long term appeal of The Division. It is a well made game, there's no doubt about that, but it doesn't push any boundaries or make attempts to be more than just "good".
- By Ash
- in Reviews
Black Desert is a combat focused MMORPG that features a large open world, skill based fighting system, in-depth crafting, large scale PvP and some beautiful visuals to go along with all of that.
It is currently in a closed beta state so take everything I say with a grain of salt as big issues are most likely going to be resolved by the time Black Desert launches on March 3rd. As of right now though, Black Desert has some of the most impressive environments I've seen in an MMO alongside a very well done action orientated fighting system but suffers from incredibly easy enemies, generic quests and atrocious voice acting.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
The Hive is a narrative driven real time strategy game with some RPG elements mixed in that puts you in command of a young alien hive and tasks you with leading hordes of insectoid creatures towards their grand destiny in a ravaged world.
It is currently in Early Access and as such many features are unfinished, unpolished or simply missing so take everything I say with a grain of salt as it might change in the coming months. As of right now The Hive is both an interesting and unique blend between an RPG and an RTS that does many things right but still needs some work done when it comes to mission variety.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
Firewatch is a very stylish and atmospheric narrative-driven adventure game where you play as Henry, a would-be writer who seeks escape from his problems amidst the wilderness of Wyoming.
Your only contact with the outside world, and in general, is your snarky but genuine supervisor Delilah. Together, the two of you have a simple job, ensure that the park doesn't get engulfed in a blazing inferno. But simple things don't usually stay very simple for long and soon enough you are dragged in to a mysterious adventure that will have you hiking, climbing and falling all over the park in search of answers.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
[Update]: After many struggles, Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade has now closed its doors.
Once finished, Eternal Crusade is going to be a large scale action MMO where four unique factions (Space Marines, Chaos, Eldar and Orks) vie for supremacy over a war-ravaged world.
However, as of right now Eternal Crusade is an objective based third person shooter very similar to the Battlefield franchise. It features only two out of the four factions (Space Marines and Chaos), a handful of maps and a bunch of interesting systems that are either unfinished or hampered by poor performance. But most noteworthy is the fact that its actually a lot of fun to play.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
Sorcery! is a faithful adaptation of Steve Jackson's Fighting Fantasy gamebooks of the same name and much like them it features an astoundingly well realized world filled with plenty of choices to make, monsters to bedazzle, werewolves to duel and mysteries to solve.
The first two parts of the Sorcery! quadrilogy will be arriving on Steam today with the third part following shortly and part 4 set for later this year. But for now let's focus on the first half and see how well it stands up to scrutiny on its own.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
[Note]: This review is now greatly outdated, so I welcome you to check out my final, release version one instead. It should give you the most accurate representation of Torment's current state.
Torment: Tides of Numenera is a spiritual successor to possibly one of the best RPGs ever made, Planescape: Torment, and much like its predecessor focuses on compelling storytelling, interesting characters and plenty of different ways to solve any problem you might encounter.
Before I begin with my overview its important to note that this is the first playable iteration of the beta (version 0.0.0) and many things are either unfinished, unpolished or both so don't judge Torment too harshly for its flaws as its still under heavy development.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a prequel to the excellent Homeworld 1 which released back in 1999 and redefined the RTS genre with a focus on large scale conflicts, compelling storytelling and persistence between missions.
Deserts of Kharak set out to continue that legacy and despite the fact that the cool darkness of space has been replaced with the ever-encroaching desert it does an excellent job of embodying everything Homeworld stood for.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
I'm going to divide this article in to two parts, the first will be related to my gameplay experiences after 3 or so hours of playtime while the second part will be a port analysis, so if you're just looking for information on the quality of the port click here.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an action RPG originally released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 back in the distant past of 2012, a savage time where some people actually believed the world is ending. It features an incredibly well realized combat system with plenty of spells and skills to chose from and most importantly, the ability to climb all over your foes and stab them where it really hurts.
- By Ash
- in Reviews
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India is an extremely stylish 2.5D stealth/platformer hybrid with a focus on fast-paced sneaky action and exploration of some rather memorable vistas.
As a big fan of stealth games I went in to it expecting something similar to Mark of the Ninja and while Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India definitely has the makings of a truly great stealth platformer it is sadly full of untapped potential.