I have mixed feelings about the unrated DLC. Art and narration are high quality and the DLC adds some missing story beats. But the change in tone is jarring. The additional scenes stick out like a sore appendage. This DLC is definitely not for everyone.
TL;DR: The original game is far superior; buy it instead. The new and "improved" graphics look slightly more crisp and detailed. If that were the only change, the Spacer's Choice Edition would be a great upgrade to a beloved game. Unfortunately, the lighting changes are not all for the better. Some areas are now pitch black and others have lost their ambiance. Worst of all, performance has taken a massive hit. When the graphics quality is maxed out, I get 40-60 fps on average with an RTX 4090. At least it looks pretty, most of the time. I will stick to playing the old version of the game.
Pine has a beautiful art style, an impressive sound track and very quirky, charming ideas. Exploration is fun, interactions with the creatures are sparse, but interesting, and crafting is simple, but useful. Unfortunately, all the good ideas amount to very little in the way of gameplay. The "simulation" aspect makes the world feel more alive, but has no noticeable impact on the story. Pine is buggy like a Bethesda game, and sometimes you have to load an old save. There is unmotivated graphics pop-in and pop-out. Fighting feels clunky and unbalanced. And the game ends rather quickly. Recommendation: Buy it on sale.
Leave it to the French to make a game about two lovers - on a forbidden planet, no less. As a player, you follow the daily routine of the characters. And you learn how they deal with the usual challenges like cooking, cleaning, repairing their spaceship and slapping some sense into the local wildlife. The focus is on the interactions between the two lovebirds and the entire game is designed around that. It works surprisingly well. The soundtrack and visual design underscore the general feeling of the game. And the floating mechanic fits nicely with the theme of love and happiness. The combat and resource gathering may be considered repetitive and boring, but it is mainly a backdrop to the story. The story itself is rather predictable and ends on a melancholic note. If you like to see a cute couple doing cute things, this is the perfect game for you. If you want solid game mechanics and challenges, look elsewhere.
Superliminal benefits from great atmosphere and well executed presentation. The puzzles are fun and make good use of dream logic. But the game is short, very short. I finished it in one evening. Replayability is not very great, unless you are a completionist or a speed runner.
If you like the early works of Sir Peter Jackson, you will probably love this game. It is an odd mix of hilarious splatter, psychological horror, and a melancholic story. However, some people might be put off by the unfair puzzles, the gratuitous brutality, and the occasional breaking of the fourth wall.
Far Cry 3 takes you on a drugged-out trip to a vacation club. That's great for the youth of today. But Far Cry 2 will take you on a memorable journey that gives you PTSD. Far Cry 2 takes immersion to a new level. The sense of bleakness and futility is enhanced by the oft-critizised features of the game engine: permanently respawning checkpoints, repetitive missions, persistently aggressive AI, jamming weapons. After a few hours, you feel exactly like your character - exhausted and fearing the next firefight. Far Cry 2 is not "frustration-free gaming". It makes you sweat and requires you to plan ahead. This is the only FPS where I have spent most of the time running away from enemies. And I was loving it.
You don't buy this game for its RTS - the RTS part is mediocre. You don't buy this game for its political (ahem) simulation - that is just a small stat modifier. You don't buy this game for its RPG - that is just a short filler story to give the game some ambiance. You buy this game to have fun. Rushing across the battlefield in dragon form and incinerating pesky enemy units is fun. Talking with everybody aboard your ship is fun - the voice acting is superb, and the colorful characters add to the charm of the game, which never takes itself too seriously. The problem with this game is replay value: The battles quickly become repetitive, and at full price, you want a game that you can enjoy playing more than once. But for a short while, it is great fun.
