I wanted to like Darksiders 3 with every fiber of my being, I love the theme, I love the world building they've done and I've played through both previous darksiders games 3 times each. I would really, really like for them to release a 4th game in the series and perhaps a 5th tying the story all together. However, if they will judge the series by this game's performance I fear we will never see that happen. So the game: DS3 looks like a AAA title but plays like a cheaply made game. The combat is both stiff and fluid at the same time depending on what combos/stances you're using, which means that some attacks just end up not being worth it and you'll never use them once you get new toys. The feel is meaty and hitting things feels good and the design and animations of attacks is visually pleasing. The biggest problem and biggest flaw has to be the dodge mechanic which is the worst in the series and maybe one of the worst I've seen in this type of games. Overall the combat feels dumbed down compared to Darksiders 3 and fighting multiple enemies is frustrating and annoying as many of the attacks are made to home in on one spot and the camera and animations make it difficult to manevour around. Unfortunately, the combat is often made or broken by the agility in combat, which in this game is very poor. The world itself is OK, there is nothing particularly impressive and levels are fairly linear. The story presentation was confusing, even for myself, and I'm not sure how much somebody who's never played the previous two would understand. The dialogue is subpar and some of if feels out of place at some points but you're probably not playing the game for that anyway. Overall it actually saddens me to give this game 2 stars as I really want it to succeed, unfortunately, big chunks of the game are simply not fun and I found myself constantly forcing myself to play it for the sake of it rather than for the fun of it. Would recommend picking it up in a sale.
As many others, I tried this game after playing through the Dark Souls series and wanting to try more of the same experience in the genre. Unfortunately, what you get with Lords of the Fallen is not that, but a very low quality, low polish and unsatisfying game. Lords of the fallen has many sins that can be overlooked, such as the poor optimization, frame-drops and uninspired level design. I will say that I do like the overall aestethic of the game and I tend to enjoy the oversized armors and stylish demon design. Unfortunately that's where the "ok" aspects of the game end. Once you get into the meat of it you'll be faced with one of the most unsatisfying combat systems I've ever had the displeasure of trying out. You character feels heavy and clunky, your attacks have no impact behind them and enemies have way too much hp, chipping away at the hp of regular enemies is not enjoyable. What is worse, you face a lot of enemies that simply do not play fair, with shields and tracking that makes it frustrating to fight, with attacks and effects that simply one-shot you, no telegraphs for special attacks all topped off with some frustrating camera controls (unfortunately a common sin in the genre). On top of that, you get to play with some spells and abilities that while they do have some promise, are generally underwhelming and could be implemented better. Eventually you'll be ploughing through the game realizing you're not doing it out of enjoyment but just to show the game that you can and that it's not worth it. I got this game for free on Steam and I still regret having it in my library. Just avoid it.
I know this phrase gets used a lot these days but Witcher 3 is genuinely, in my honest opinion, the best game ever made. Witcher 3 the Wild Hunt embodies what every RPG strives for: Excellent Story, Engaging Combat, Meaningful Side Quests, Exploration and the feeling of being not only being part of the world, but an integral cog in its workings. The world is beautiful, rich and diverse in settings, memorable, and feels alive almost everywhere you are. There is always a Troll, bandit, wolf or monster around the corner to confront you or to present you with an interesting quest. The quests are excellently crafter and can vary from serious, even sombre events to just plain silly happenings that lighten up the mood, the writting is fantastic and accurately conveys the medieval feeling of the setting and the slavic folklore. Though the game sports Side and Main quests, there are some side-quests that are simply amazing and unfold stories as intricate and complex as even other games around. The combat is probably the weakest part of the game, but only in contrast to the game's other components. The combat is fluid and challenging though sometimes repetitive and at times unresponsive, some might find the use of potions and alchemy to be a bit cumbersome but for the true Witcher Experience they are a must. The skill trees also offer some vastly different combat styles while not straying away from what a witcher would actually do. To sum up. I love this game, it's simply fantastic, it's worth every penny and then some, the only real problem I have with it is that it is the last we will see of Geralt and that makes me sad. Go play the game you enviable person who is about to experience for the first time the greatness that is the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt!
As someone who is not a regular with these types of RPGS I was a bit wary before going into Tyranny, especially with the many negative reviews floating around, but in the end Tyranny and the world of Terratus won me over and made me sink a good 30 hours in the game. The first act is by far the weakest mostly because it is very linear and especially for someone new to the genre it requires a lot of reading and familiarising with the mechanics and world around. After that the game begins to expand and grow, becoming more interesting and diverse. Depending on how you play, ACT II can be totally different from playthrough to playthrough being changed by the choices you make both actively in the game and in the Game's Conquest Mode which starts off the story. The more you advance in the game the better it gets, as you become more powerful as a character and as your choices begin to shape the world around you, the game shifts from being about this grand campaign to being about YOU the player and the tremendous potential for power within you. You choices matter (though I admit, not all actions are equal and minor things you didn't consider might have grave consequences while other actions which you might believe are of great importance end up mattering very little) and the world changes to adapt to the choices you make. I was particularly impressed by the degree of power the player can gain in the end of the game and that's as much I will say without spoiling. Tyranny would be a solid 5/5 if not for one problem that became more and more obvious the more you advance: The game is missing A WHOLE ACT. The biggest problem with Tyranny is that everything in the game points to a rushed finish, even the artwork included with the game points to the fact that there should have been an additional act, what we are left with instead is a rushed ending with a few cutscenes and an obvious cliff hanger that will no doubt be the basis for a Tyranny 2 (Not that I mind).
A great and ambitious game. As it stands, the game most resembles terraria but with an emphasis on building and exploring and less on combat. The game has already undergone an major overhaul in the past 6 months and the developers are getting ever closer to full release now that everything engine-related has been finished. Mind you there is a very vocal community that is very hostile against the devs for always extending deadlines and almost despise the game, but the devs have admirably continued to give constant, almost daily updates on the progress and frequently consult the community on the ongoing development. It will definitely eat up a big chunk of your free time
