Hellblade tells a story about suffering, sacrifice, darkness and endeavor. Following the story of Picts warrior maid Senua, you embark on a nightmarish and mind-twisting journey to Helheim, to save a beloved one’s soul. However, many things aren’t what they’re supposed to be for Senua’s mind, for she’s suffering from severe psychosis. No other game, up to this point, managed to devour me—getting me so immersed—like Hellblade did. This game just pulled me deeper than any other game has accomplished in recent years, and I, mentally, switched off everything else around me and Senua’s reality became mine. The sound design and visual presentation is outstanding. The non-linear storytelling totally nailed it. Its presentation is intriguing, captivating and keep you ever so interested in what happened (to Senua) and how everything will turn out. As for the gameplay I was kind of surprised of what interesting ways they came up with. In other parts, cynically spoken, you could call it 'walking simulator', but I was so immersed in the world and Senua's reality that I didn't mind. It doesn’t deliver any boredom even when ‘nothing’ happens. There is one thing to explore off the main paths, however: Lore stones. At first one might not see the entangled meaning of Norse mythology and it seems rather random. But keep your wits about you and you’ll come to realize the importance of those stories. The combat was enjoyable, although it lacks complexity and deep mechanics. Its responsiveness and simplicity made it a blast to play. It is quick, brutal, intense and it just works without any clumsiness. In that regard it is sort of 'flawless'; straight on point. Visual clues were used in a clever way and weren't spelled out boldly for you – there are voices telling you to "focus"or to look in another direction. It fits the theme of the game and it is an enjoyable change in a video game. No HUD, no text boxes or pop ups. It absolutely has become one of my favorite games by now.
SWAT 4 is a tactical shooter without over-emphazise the planing beforehand. It's not as complicated as Rainbow Six but the gameplay offers so muchmore. You don't go in boldly, shooting everything that moves. Hostiles and civilians—that are meant to be rescued!—are randomized each attempts of the mission. You enter a room and have to make out who's the hostile and who's not. You look for guns and even if they have one you don't shoot immediately, you shout at them to get down and drop their weapons. You have like one second to decide whether to take a (probably) lethal shot or not, or if you still try to restrain them and shoot them in the legs. Sometimes they want to give up but wave around their guns, sometimes they try to shoot you. It also matters if you breach into a room alone or with your officers. The latter increases the chance of persuading the bad guy to drop his gun, when a bunch of officers, heavily armed, shouting at him. He is less likely to take any chances. SWAT 4 really builds an immersive experience around you where you have to report restrained hostiles and civilians, victims and secure weapons of the hostiles. Even civilians occasionally don't get on the ground to be handcuffed. You also have to deal with that. In addition everytime mission tells a short but atmospheric story. It's not always a 911 call, when you police tracked down a serial killer, and you enter a house with gritty psychopath-basement decorated with newspapers, dolls and masks. Highly recommended!
You'll like this game, if: - you liked the most recent XCOM but looking for a more complex XCOM/UFO game - you like strategy games generally - you like squad-based strategy games with RPGs elements such as Jagged Alliance, Fallout Tactics Afterlight is "more" real time like XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Let's say there is an enemy attack on one of your territories you have e.g. 3 days to react. In the mean time you can keep on training or squad (which takes time actually), keep on with the production and so on if you need to do so. The opportunity of the attack doesn't vanish if you ignore it just to do one day more of research or you need additional time for producing a item (that is instantly ready in XCOM: Enemy Unknown). Also your scientists and technicians you take on a mission (which is quite a good idea because of some bonuses) are not available at your base and since getting to an attack spot needs a bit time it is important to manage well your base, squads and as well as the equipment. In combat it reminds me a lot to Jagged Alliance. You just can't spray and pray on an enemy if one of your squadees is in line of sight because the travel distance is actually calculated instead of simple numbers on hitting a target or not hitting like in the latest XCOM. The odds are showed to you so you know what are the chances of hitting own soldiers, in such case, or the enemy. The combat system is very transparent and is comparable to Jagged Alliance Back in Action (pausable real time with each individual plan for any squad member). I don't want to bad mouth the newest XCOM. I still love it and it features much better graphics, innately better customization possibilities for your soldiers and it is more user friendly (interface, micro- & macromanagement) and feels just "more modern". This games got me hooked right from the beginning that many games aren't able to nowadays so you probably should get it.
Okay guys, nostalgic glasses off. For the new comers to this game: be aware since it's just slightly below average. For all the others like me growing up with that game it's five stars hands down. But those guys don't need a review. This very game has been one of my first first person adventures ever along with Zork: Nemesis and Journeyman Project 3. Let's point out the good stuff: The graphics won't win any record now but the art design is still beautiful if you overlook all those big pixels and stiff animations. But that's just how it was back then! The music is magnificent! There are some tracks that totally hook you in and even the timing from some beats are well placed. The story is fast paced, nothing ground breaking but still not the average story since a simple kidnapping is just the beginning and is folding up for a much nastier twist. But there *are* some minor plot holes. Such as places you find yourself like "where does that came from?" or "okay, how did they work out this?". Sometimes it's just headscratching. But minor, though. The negative stuff: Some poor written dialoges. Example? After landing in polar region, some talk is going. "... It's not like that, as a pilot I have a map in my head that learning requires 4 years." "It's pretty cold." "Then let's go. What do we look for, after all?" "I have no clue. Did you see the skies?" "Wonderfull. I think over there is a village." WTF?! Could they please stay at one topic for more than one sentence? There are many examples like this. Sometimes it's simply hilarious. But the worst thing about Atlantis: TRIAL AND FUCKING ERROR. You will die. You think Dark Souls is hard? Play Atlantis. There are often so many options with only one solution that you'll find yourself more than once dead on the floor or being imprisioned. Seriously. The narrator give some hints, though, after getting killed. The puzzles for themselves are pretty easy apart from two tough ones. Grab this game at sale and be aware of!
Remedy knows how to tell a story. They have known it with Max Payne back then and after so many years of developing Alan Wake they prove they can still manage it. It is very story and combat focused. For my taste it is a little too much on the combat aspect and it gets a little bit repetitive. But that is the only downside for me. It has great graphics –especially the PC version, which is one of the best ports ever– with HD textures, a great customisability on the graphics and even the FOV can be changed and the HUD elements be hidden completely if wanted. Apart form that Alan Wake offers a great, dark and creepy atmosphere. You want daylight so badly because it is the only safe thing. But after a cutscene or a couple of events it gets dark again and you think "oh nooooo...." and the horror gets on. Compared with the horror a Amnesia: The Dark Descent offers it is by far not that creepy. But at least it is a horror atmosphere which lets you actually play and enjoy this game. Amnesia is like self-flagellation which prevents you from playing at some point probably. So in the ende Alan Wake is great action game with a twisted plot which moves you further and you cannot stop thinking "what is going on here?" and you want to know so badly what is it all about. One of my all time favourite games.
This was my first RPG in complete 3D (other RPGs were The Dark Eye and Fallout) all the way back. And it was great and it is still great. But compared to the five-star Gothic 2 (Night of the Raven) it has some flaws and some gameplay features I miss. The AI tend to stuck on small objects, items should be given to me were not in my inventory (works only after reload a savegame). At some point I was wandering with Gorn to the Free Mine, after arriving the dialog camera was triggered, but Gorn stucked again on rock on the way to me unable to speak (and trigger the dialog). The game doesn't react to any input, I just heard Gorns footsteps. I had to close and reload and wander all the way back to the Free Mine. Such incidents happen more often in Gothic 1 then in its sequel. The combat systems has some flaws, too. Monsters not beeing hurt beside the hit-sound is one of them (even mit maxed out strenght and a good weapon). Nevertheless it is a great RPG with cool quests, an awesome convict colony atmosphere and even a story with a twist and which is not being told at the very beginning like in Gothic 2. So if you haven't got retro the last couple of weeks it is time to do so. And Gothic 1 is a very appropriate game for that!