This game got review-bombed because the devs come from a country that is being brutally invaded and colonized by it's neighbour, and now, for obvious reasons, they don't like being close to these 'neighbours' anymore. All the Vatnik tears aside, Stalker is a great game, and if you own the series or even just one title, you get the enhanced title for free. Stalker has a great replay value, so this is a very welcome addition to the already great line up. The graphics still hold up well. Stalker was a reference title for visuals even years after it came out.
Mixes are great, reaching from calm and soothing, to more noisy, drum-heavy and distorted sounds.
Grab this polished classic if you're into the genre and like deep atmosphere, an interesting story and got some love for a retro feel. This is more of a remaster than a complete remake. I was a bit sceptic when I read the reviews first, as I was afraid that Night Dive stayed much too true to the original. Without having played the original I must say that for a 30+ years old game, this feels surprisingly refreshing. A clear 5/5 for me.
Know before you buy that there are severe issues on 'modern' PCs with running this game. For me it started with a crash on start. When I fixed that issue, the game got stuck on each loading screen, which seems to be caused by issues with multi core processors. I have tried getting around that issue with the 'Visible Upgrade mod' (btw: amazing what modding communities do for their games) but could not fix this issue. Therefore needed to give up and refund. Yes, I know that reviews should be mainly about the content of the game itself. If many players have the same technical issue with running a game however, I think this should be adressed even for a good old game.
To be very frank I was rather sceptic to say at least when I heard about a new entry into the Desperados series. The game design, writing and game mechanics however do justice to this much acclaimed series, and I can nothing but recommend Desperados III to fans of the previous games, genre fans or honestly pretty much any person who has only the slightest interest. Thanks to Mimimi Studios and THQ Nordic for bringing this series back to gamers. 5/5
Shenmue 3 plays like its predecessors. It feels like a game from another time, which it is. It proudly embraces most of the mechanics it was so cherished for and still I can't lie that time has moved on, and that without the charme of the past, without the Dreamcast nostalgia, and with so many great titles like Yakuza having come out since, one cannot but see Shenmue in a different light. Shenmue often feels tedious and slow. Go here, go there. Talk to him and her. Go back to the temple and train your skills. Often it is more work than play, and I only want to close the game. And then I remember that this is what Shenmue ist. I can't imagine how a newcomer to the series would enjoy Shenmue 3. For all fans, not much can go wrong in the end with the most recent installation of the series. Still, you will notice that the biggest change in the past 20 years has been you yourself.
