The Good: + best of the Souls/Borne games (yes, even beats the FromSoft ones by far) + fairest of the Souls/Borne games (respawn points before EVERY boss/mini-boss) + does not go overboard with bosses + atmosphere is superb + fog state cranks the atmosphere up even higher + familiarity system + shells as class system is unique + hardening adds tactical combat The Bad: - layout of the levels is very confusing until you've put hours into the game - brigand enemy design is rather bland - somewhat predictable ending - cryptic story - it tries a little too much to be DARK SOULS Bottom Line: MORTAL SHELL is not only the *BEST* SOULS game out there, it is the *ONLY* Souls game worth playing. It does not have the cheap tricks the FromSoft uses (bonfires far from boss rooms) which is far superior design. It nails the dark atmosphere and looks much better than FromSoft's titles. The way that hardening can be used adds tactics to the combat, while FromSoft games simply base their titles on timing and memorizing enemy attack patterns, thus the combat is far superior in this game. The best part of the game is the fog state, which spawns in different monsters and turns the whole world into a gauntlet - this cranks up the atmosphere even more. Oh, and mouse+keyboard controls don't suck like in FromSoft's games! Hey, DARK SOULS, BLOODBORNE, DEMON SOULS & SEKIRO: meet your Master!
Pros + BrutalDoom / Doom 64 + Quake II had a baby = Prodeus + dark sci-fi style + graphical style /art design + amazing music + tons of guns, alternate firing modes & gunplay in general + quad-barrel shotgun! + level editor + ultra bloody (literally gallons of blood) + level design + six difficulty settings Cons - checkpoint system instead of saves - somewhat lazy enemy design (basically Doom reskins, you got your zombies, gunners, heavy machine gunner, imp, pinky demon and cacodemon, you'll recognize them instantly) Bottom line forget Project Warlock, Wrath Aeon of Ruin or even Dusk, Prodeus is far better than all of themm, a definite buy. It's simply amazing, with the pros far outweighing the cons, the only real downside being the lack of a manual save system.
Pros + outstanding sci-fi / horror mix + borrows elements from SYSTEM SHOCK + level design + improved graphics (compared to vanilla D3) + easier widescreen support + better optimized (compared to vanilla D3) Cons - BFG version is inferior to the regular version: - reduced survival elements - less atmospheric - more ammo (more action oriented) - much brighter - ditched "guns out or flashlight out" mechanic Bottom line The original DOOM 3 is my favorite DOOM game and easily mops the floor with DOOM 2016 and DOOM ETERNAL. It gets 5 stars out of 5. The BFG Edition is a worse version of DOOM 3, which features "improvements" which are actually downgrades. Do to the higher brightness BFG loses some of the original game's atmosphere, hence 3 instead of 5 stars. Try to get the original version rather than the BFG edition!
Pros: + atmosphere. Sure graphics are a bit dated but the environmental design makes up for it + graphics (lighting and environments only) + music and sound effects + fluid gunplay is superb, I prefer this to the gameplay in DOOM ETERNAL, where you need to constantly switch weapons and perform special finishers + horizontal level design is what CYBERPUNK 2077 wanted to do (and failed miserably) made into perfection. Hey, it’s even got the wall-running that was cut from CP2077! + level design in general with secrets + combat is excellent, aggressive action is rewarded (healing) + outfits actually look cyberpunkish but badass – not like the ridiculous clown suits that CDProjekt Red gave us! + brings the Warhammer 40k universe to life, as the same team did in SPACE HULK DEATHWING + customization, tons of guns and character development (augments instead of XP) + low price (even when not on sale) Cons: - graphics (textures and faces) - sound mixing (voices are too low, environment too loud) and voices in general - optimization needs serious improvement ASAP (frame rates tank occasionally) - endless waves of enemies keep spawning if you don't move on (no 100%ing possible) - the loot system – it just takes away from the action - controls/menus made with consoles in mind - autosave checkpoint system instead of saving whenever/wherever - mastiff is more of a homing missile than a real dog - voice acting hit & miss - bugs and a bit janky at times (but nowhere near as bad as some people say) - could use a better tutorial Bottom line: I still prefer DEATHWING to this one, but NECROMUNDA sure mops the floor with Cyberpunk 2077 and both newer DOOM games (yes, I mean it!).Cyberpunk never looked better (yes, the aesthetics here are far superior to CYBERPUNK 2077). Add the developer's knack for nailing the 40k atmosphere and you get a rough diamond that needs a bit of patching but is actually more fun than recent triple A games when it works properly.
THE GOOD + moody atmosphere + sword and sorcery + dark fantasy setting THE BAD - no free saving - puzzles are mind-numblingly boring - enemy design - world design - weapons (so far in early access) are underwhelming - yet another sewer level (yaawn!) BOTTOM LINE GRAVEN can't compete with HEXEN, HERETIC and WITCHAVEN in the slightest. I did not get hooked like I did in those three games at all. Exploration was rather dull, enemy design was poor and the world feels bland. With the original HEXEN plus its add-on available for cheap, and WITCHAVEN I & II recently added I suggest picking those up instead.
THE GOOD: - a lot of depth role-playing wise, more than games like EYE OF THE BEHOLDER would allow - tactical turn-based combat - good stories (mostly) and background info in adventurer's journal which is very reminiscent of the pen and paper games - GOG included the manuals, cluebooks, adventurer's journals and the copy protection code wheels (the game's copy protection is "hacked" though, so it's no needed) - includes the UNLIMITED ADVENTURES construction set THE BAD: - products of their time with 80s/early 90s graphics and what passes as sound (using PC built in speakers) - earlier games feature horrible EGA graphics only, limiting colors to 16 - varying quality in the games, the worst being HILLSFAR - not all Gold Box games included - controls are keyboard based, with only later games supporting mouse at all BOTTOM LINE: enjoyable if you you can overlook the technical limitations (graphics, sound and controls). These games allowed for more options and possibilites than Eye of the Beholder or Ravenloft and featured (for the time) very good turn-based combat. There's a lot of reading, there's a lot of combat and inventory management is a real chore. It also uses 1st Edition Dungeon and Dragons rules, which I personally don't care for (non-humans are severely level-capped). Personally I can't sit through these anymore, but if you grew up with these (I didn't) you will probably love the trip down Memory Lane.
THE GOOD: - graphics (for its time) - voice acting is superb - two branching paths - combat system improved (over THE WITCHER 1) - excellent story - superior Enhanced Edition that deserves its name (new content) - decisions with far reaching consequences - well-writen and believable characters - no simple "good vs. evil" story - branching skill tree - combat has tactical component with alchemy THE BAD: - lazy port from console/designed with consoles in mind (menues, controls) - Quick Time Events, especially in boss fights. - rushed third act - controls are wonky, input lag - stealth quests are poorly implemented - maze-like levels are not well designed BOTTOM LINE: A potentially great RPG ruined by Quick Time Events (QTE's should never be in any game. Ever. Especially not in an RPG!) and wonky controls that were designed with consoles in mind. Menues are a chore to navigate and Geralt's movements are imprecise and tank-like. This is especially frustrating since the game has a lot going for it: the story is fantastic and the characters are believable and well-writen. The is no black and white, something the series is known for and decisions have far-reaching consequences that don't allow for a quick reload. Alchemy is not just tacked on, in higher difficulties it is essential for survival, also there is no in-combat healing, so no spaming healing potions during a fight. Unfortunately boss fights are not fun at all, as they always are Quick Time Events. Do not recommend.
THE GOOD: + very long playtime + very true to the source material + kindom management optional (auto system available) + a lot of difficulty settings/customization + patch adds turn-based combat (only way to play!) + best D&D'esque ruleset + custom character portraits can be imported THE BAD: - still tons of bugs - even 3 years after its release - graphical style too cartoony, ugly character portraits - annoying character (Linzi) - realtime with pause (Command & Conquer-style) combat system! It was terrible in Baldu'rs Gate, it's terrible now! - random encounters with enemies way above party level are certain death (can occur in beginning areas!) - time limit on certain quests, failure is instant game over - no full voice acting - some voice acting just atrocious (Linzi!!!) - you can't kill Linzi - very slow character progression (leveling) - very steep learning curve, requires thorough knowledge of Pathfinder ruleset - permadeath option useless due to randomized encounters BOTTOM LINE: a decent RPG that is far from great or a masterpiece. It has technical and graphical deficiencies and a terrible combat system (real time with pause) with the option to go turn-based (servicable, but the game was not designed around that and it shows). Time limits on quests with game over are a no-go and PATHFINDER: KINGMAKER has this. Random encounters can be an instant game over as well, depending on the random creatures spawned. I still like PATHFINDER KINGMAKER and hope they make serious improvements for the sequel which I will be buying, too. There is a lot of content here and I appreciate how true the game is to its source material.
There's only 3 Build engine games worth playing: Blood, Witchaven I & Witchaven II! Finally all three of them are available on GOG, FINALLY! Witchaven I is my personal favorite game of all time. Thankfully this GOG release comes as the classic version AND the patched Enhanced version which features modern resolutions, modern controls (WASD + mouse look) and patches, this is the way to play it. Unfortunately the manuals and the Build Editor are NOT included.
... to the best game ever made!
