I've tried to play Arkham Origins twice before. Once on PS3 and again on PC not long ago. Both times, with the game in it's original state, I just couldn't stick with it due to the combat feeling hollow and janky compared to the other Arkham games (even Asylum), along with the story feeling like it just drags along in the beginning. That was until I realized there were mods available for this game... With a few select mods and tweaks to the game files, I finally followed through to the end of the game, completing all of the side missions, and enjoyed every minute of it. I now hold it in high regards, contemplating whether it surpasses Arkham City as being my favorite in the series, and highly recommend others to play it - as long as they're able to play it on PC and don't mind adding at least one mod to the game. My recommended mods: Arkham Origins Community Patch Restored Animation Variety (the most essential mod) Origins Graphics Mod These mods are all Dx11 friendly and still retain the intended experience of the original game. Restored Animation Variety was the proverbial "meal ticket" that kept me playing. This one fixes the combat, making it much more fluid like the other games in the Arkham series, and enables multiple attackers in free roam/story mode. If you plan to install AO Community Patch, that needs to be installed first. It fixes several bugs and adds a handful of custom suits. The only drawback to this is that it unlocks extra suits early in the game rather than after completing story mode for the first time. AOCP installs it's own custom version of BmInput.ini, which conflicts with RAV. So, you'll need to locate BmInput.ini in your game folder, then copy the line of text in RAV's BmInput.ini and add it to the one in your game folder, under the appropriate category in the .ini file. Then, follow RAV's readme to enable the combat enhancements each time you start the game. Worth it! Origins Graphics Mod increases draw distance and visual clarity.
I was really taken by surprise with how great this game is shortly after starting it. I wasn't sure what I was getting into, as I received it for free not long ago as a GOG promotion, and I was just looking for something different and fresh to play to take my mind off things. And I just happened to find just that! Sort of got some Skyrim-like vibes from it in the very beginning. I wasn't expecting it to have such strong and somewhat elaborate RPG elements. Though it definitely isn't on the level of micro-management or any need of inventory sorting. What got me the most is the intricate wordplay of the character dialogues. At first, I thought, 'agh, I don't know if I feel like playing a game where I have to read right now.' Then, I humored the dialogue and found it was VERY well written and thought out. To the point where it actually feels like a genuine world. There's much backstory to the fiction presented within, and it's quite intriguing! The option to read definitions of uncommon words, places, characters, and slang I think is a stroke of genius. The settings, the characters, the detail both of the graphics and content as a whole... I truly appreciate this game as a work of art. I haven't played much into the game yet. Maybe 3-4 hours over the span of 2-3 days, but it has quickly become one of my favorites. Having stealth elements surely factors in to that as I am an avid fan of games that incorporate stealth mechanics. This is one of those games which are great to play before bed. And with how much detail is in the storyline, I genuinely feel fear and worry for certain characters. Even pondering whether I should trust certain characters I meet. There are a few bugs I've noticed here and there. Though not many, none game-breaking. Just small details that make me think, 'well, that's silly.' Really looking forward to continuing the adventure to see what other surprises and interesting characters and story elements lie ahead.
Infiltrator was one of the first NES games I owned, and one of the first gaming experiences I remember having. I was very young when my brother and I got a Nintendo for Christmas. Naturally, being so young, it took me a long time to figure out how to play the game. And I don't think I ever did finish the game, but had a whole lot of fun playing it. Gameplay was very similar (in my opinion) to Spy vs. Spy with more intricate game mechanics, some semblance of a storyline, and more realistic suspense. I'm not sure how enticing it would be to today's gaming crowd, but if you're a retro fan, an oldie or semi-oldie (like me lol), or just enjoy MS-DOS and/or Dosbox gaming, I would definitely recommend picking this one up. Like another commenter mentioned, lots of stealth mechanics, a bit of helicopter flight, some memorable moments... [SPOILER] "Where are your papers??" and scavenging enemy territory for collectibles. I consider it still a game worth playing. And want to play it again now thinking about it!
I'll start by admitting I received Dandara on 2 separate PC gaming clients as a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. I expected not to like this game simply because of the movement mechanics, and it sat in my backlog for quite a while before I decided to play it. Now that I have started it and am several hours in over the course of a few days, I find myself really enjoying it! To the point that it calls me back nightly to progress further into the game. The movement mechanics are a bit odd, but the devs refined them to be very fluid. I would highly suggest using a controller to play, since I don't see how kb+mouse controls can work quite as well as with dual joysticks. It sort of has an 'auto-aim' thing going on. To where you can point in a general direction, mash the X button (or A button for Xinput) and point in a different direction as it becomes apparent where you want to move as it comes into view. After you get the hang of it and get to know the maps, you can traverse rather quickly. As long as you know which way you need to go. The maps are intentionally set up in a way that you may get confused as more areas are revealed. Which I enjoy and think is a touch of genius development. Upgrades leave a bit to be desired, but works nicely in unison with currency gathering and roguelite mechanics (Die? Lose all or most of your currency. Return to where you died to get it back.). Checkpoints also work well. You have main checkpoints to restore health, 'potions', and character upgrades; along with mini-checkpoints to save your position if you die. The map in it's entirety, art, and story are all abstract, which is something I also enjoy in games - and I imagine will take some contemplation and reflection to figure out eventually. All in all, I am pleasantly surprised with this game and am itching to play it when I get home! Really love Kingdom Classic/New Lands/Two Crowns and now Dandara from Raw Fury. Looking forward to see what else they release!
Team 17 has had a few titles I have enjoyed playing quite a bit in recent years (Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos in particular!). I'll add Greak to that list, after eyeballing this one for some time since it's release. I'm several hours in and really enjoy the experience. The gameplay is smooth. Animations are fantastic for being hand drawn, though with a few extra frames, whether drawn or procedurally generated or some form of AI/shader smoothing, they would be perfect. The story seems original and immersive, with memorable characters and emotional story ties. Not all is apparent as far as the story goes or the origins of the characters' race. Which is both good and bad. Some mystery to ponder, some things I wish were more clearly conveyed. I love the game, but controlling multiple characters at the same time is a steep learning curve. If I could swap them out in real-time, controlling one at a time or swapping characters at the main camp, for me that would be preferable. That seems like the only aspect of the game that holds me back from giving it five stars. Like others have mentioned, the music, atmosphere, and everything else about the game is fantastic for a metroidvania game. One other thing that bugs me is what seems to be a 'point of no return' mechanic as the story progresses. As I stated, I'm several hours in and haven't completed the game yet, but there are a few things that are lost if you don't jump on them before continuing past certain plot points. Which was unexpected, as I returned to certain areas to find that important characters were nowhere to be found. Regardless, I would definitely recommend Greak to anyone that likes platformers and metroidvanias like Hollow Knight, Steamworld Dig, Unepic, classic Apogee platformers, Jazz Jackrabbit, etc etc. Thanks Team 17 and GOG!
