(+1 star for personal prejudice) It's not perfect. For example, I ran into multiple instances of a graphic bug where one of my characters would glitch into the terrain when going prone. The game would slow down almost completely. Admirably, it would not crash, giving you a chance to save the game before reloading to fix the glitch. Remember to let the game time move foward a bit after reload. It did crash one time. So what is this game? Start with XCOM. Take away the turn-based tactics gameplay at the core of XCOM and replace it with something like the real-time with pause tactical gameplay of many CRPG or maybe Men of War, not as deep but with a greater demand on inventory management during combat. Use this gameplay for the missions in a broader strategic game involving construction/research/map conquest. This strategic layer is very X-COM like but less complex and more personable. Add to that a story that is more complex and dramatic than the run-of-the-mill alien invasion story of X-COM. Top everything off with appropriate voice acting and some likable characters. You now have a rough idea about UFO: Afterlight and why it is NOT a XCOM-like game. XCOM, especially the modern iteration, is built around its turn based tactical gameplay, which is nothing like the missions of UFO. If you like science fiction, like the idea of experiencing an alien invasion, like the mixed strategic layer of X-COM, but prefer a more laid back tactical experience than the meticulous turns of X-COM, then UFO: Afterlight is for you. Actually, it's the only franchise I know that fits this bill.
The star of the show is not your units, but your humble energy generators that combine resource gathering/base expansion/invincible shield generation/structure capture. How you manage your generators and take down enemy generators make or break many campaign missions. The downside is that skirmishes where you do not have to use generators in a high risk/high reward way lose some of the game's charm. Fortunately, there are other cool, unusual ideas. You do not control individual units, instead up to five combat groups made up of three types of basic units: "soldiers," "officers," and "engineers." You can add or delete basic units from the group at will. At any time, each combat group can morph into one type of advanced unit. Each advanced unit requires a number of basic units. One laser cannon requires three soldiers. One rocket launcher requires three officers. An attack chopper requires two of each. There are many more. "Well, that's just wasteful," you say, "When I morph from three choppers to two cannons, I waste six officers!" True, but if you had a force for 50 laser cannons, an additional two officers will allow you to morph the group into one chopper, and now you can cross impassable terrain. The other 148 soldiers are stored, if you will, in the group. If you lose that chopper, though, you lose the whole group. Realistic? No. But tactically rich. A brilliant idea. You also get subterranean units that can tunnel beneath the invincible shields from the generators. They do not damage enemies in the traditional way. Instead, they leave a path of raised terrain that damages buildings above it over time. Oh, and when terrain is disrupted, you can't build on it until you smooth it out. This game is very new player friendly. The first ten missions or so teach you different mechanics. If you are significantly challenged in one, you missed the lesson. Don't hesitate to watch a YouTube video. Both Eldruid and Biodamage are teaching missions. Go try it!
(+1 star for price) I only played two missions from the human campaign as I worked my way through my backlog. I bought this game because I got an itch from playing the Fantasy General II: Prologue. My itch subsided before I even installed this game. When I finally played this, I was not disappointed. The feel and core mechanics of this game are very similar to Fantasy General II and enjoyable in their own right. Although it's older and cheaper, it has a lot going for it. The gameplay is intuitive but challenging. The graphics and interface are clean and easy on the eyes. The campaigns seem to have stories that are richer than FGII: Prologue. The voice acting is surprising good with none of the goofyness that plague some Eurojank games. In fact, the game doesn't feel janky at all. In my three hours playing, I experienced no bugs. Check out a video on YouTube to see for yourself. If you have an itch for this type of game but don't want to spend a bundle on the latest offerings, Fantasy Wars and its sequel, Elven Legacy, could be just what you need.
You might actually find it a little hard to do multiple playthroughts. Even though there is a lot of content on different paths, and I expect at least 2 others to be just as deep as the main one, no other character can compete with Cece. I have fallen in love not so much with the game but with her. After you play, you will understand why. Music is the other standout feature of this game. As I understand it, due to licensing issues, the music was even better at one point when the game was incomplete. The final product still has one of the best soundtrack in a VN I have played, including many great vocals, spanning multiple genres from light guitar solo to rap. The game is not without its flaws. Of the 8 chapters, chapters 5, part of 6, and part of 8 feel like padding that forcefully flesh out the ending of everyone who is not Cece, at least on Cece's path. Certains characters and plot points seem to have been inserted for no appreciable reason at all. The portrayal of lesbian relationship, which is otherwise thoughtful and nuanced for an AVN aimed primarily at a male, heterosexual audience, begins to feel slightly forced toward the end of the game. These flaws are not enough to take away a star though. "Everything doesn't have to be perfect, for it to seem perfect." You can download a 4 chapter demo of the game from itch.io. Your progress will carry over almost flawlessly to the full version. I recommend you try it. If you like Cece, not necessarily as a romantic interest, it will be worth your while to buy the full game. If you don't like Cece (maybe also if you don't like Lexi), however, the game is probably not for you due to how much these two characters dominate the story. You'll get the idea before Chapter 4 ends. This is a VN with sex scenes, like many movies have them, not a porn game where sex is the focus. If your expectations are realistic, you won't be disappointed.
I am heavily biased for this game, but it is weighed down by a slight lack of harmony. The battles of Sunrider: MoA are very rewarding, full of set pieces that encourage and sometimes force you to try new tactics. Sadly, the combat has a random element, and the RNG frequently rears its ugly head. Pro tip: Don't be embarrased to reload. Every enemy not killed and every extra turn taken costs you money or command points that you could use later in the game. The progression in MoA is suitably deep. You can upgrade your ship the Sunrider, several mechas piloted by your waifus, and even buy regular ships and other equipment to add to your fleet. However, bad investments are costly to roll back, especially at higher levels, and there are definitely bad investments. Pro tip: Sola's rifle is good against everything. Icari may not even be effective against some ryders. Neglect flak and shield at your peril. The writing of MoA is darker than it first seems. It helped me explore how war could make me into a monster. There are also a few scenes with decent humor that create a nice juxtaposition. The plot feels a little disjointed because while there are several long, deep scenes exploring complex military strategy or difficult morale dilemma, the main story that connects them is relatively threadbare. Pro tip: If you like Cosette and want to keep her alive in Liberation Day... Actually, I'll leave the details out. If nothing else, you should try this game for its abundance of sci-fi references. I have noticed homage to everything from Firefly to Legend of Galactic Heroes to Star Trek, on top of more obvious references. If you enjoy space sci-fi, you won't be disappointed. Oh, one more thing. I said waifus, but you don't get together with anyone during the events of the game. Not even the adult patch makes much of a difference. This is a sci-fi story with a tactical, at places even strategic, flair. Despite a few missteps, the devs succeeded remarkably well.
The best word I can think of to describe Tyranny is: petty. The story never rises above petty political machinations, whether it's a tyrant v. rebels, a stalwart fascist v. a mad anarchist, or a daughter's rebellion against her father. I just couldn't find a reason to care. The gameplay improved from PoE on the surface but introduced some deeper annoyances. I take issue first with the much hyped magic system. Yes, you can customize your spells to a degree unseen in other CRPGs. However, having to change my spells for small upgrades every time my lore increased enough annoyed me to no end. I also never created any cool spells because the system is so complex, I just stuck to the first thing that worked. All that freedom feels wasted. The talent tree also feels like both a step forward and a step back. Planning a build is much easier with the talent tree than in PoE. However, there are maybe a couple of relevant distinct builds for each character. Almost all are painfully conventional. Again, a beautiful new system without interesting uses. And why could I not issue orders to my towers through missives? Not everything disappoints. The random events as you travel on the world map can be fun. A couple of companion's stories are interesting, especially Lantry in Bastard's Wound. I wish Siren got a similar treatment. Increasing skills through usage is a nice touch. As said already, several of the new system sound nice on paper. If put to better use, they could be great. In the end, Tyranny is true to its name. Tyranny, the concept, is boring yet obsessive, or petty in my book. Narratively, Tyranny has none of the boldness of Obsidian's better games, despite its more provocative title. It introduces some novel gameplay mechanics, but Obsidian failed to create an interest RPG system to take full advantage of them. Maybe Obsidian was trying to make a point. Playing Tyranny is like playing KOTOR II, but instead of that "Wow!" moment at the end, the game just... ends.
Kreia in KOTOR II was the reason I fell in love with Obsidian. I felt closer to her than any other video game character I have encountered. She was more than a teacher. She was a mother. It sounds hammy, but some of you know what I mean. In PoE, there is a companion called Durance, by many accounts an obnoxious character. Even I admit he can be that. There is a quest called Cinders of Faith. One dialogue choice in this quest would let you either gain an "extraordinary" amount of reputation with Defiance Bay or lose a "moderate" amount. I picked the choice that felt right to me and lost reputation. I was feeling dejected until Durance said... For the readers who are like me, I'll let you discover that part yourself. After I read what Durance said, I felt vindicated and took the reputation loss as a point of pride. Then I found something interesting. Did you know PoE tracks reputation on two separate scales? When you "lose" reputation, it doesn't cancel out the reputation you gained. You can be simultaneous loved and hated by someone. This was the moment that I began to appreciate PoE. Even after playing several dozen hours, PoE did not pick up for me. I felt like the narrative was too meandering and the combat too quirky. It felt like tea that was neither too hot nor too cold yet also not just right. It felt... off in a way I could not define. Then it hit me. This is how I felt about all Obsidian games, including KOTOR II, until that one moment when the spirit of the game resonated with me. If you love Kreia like I do, you know that moment, at the end. It's the moment when you realize the greatest brilliance of Obsidian is how their games unapologetically reaches for the human condition, that indescribable mess that is at once beautiful and grotesque. There is no black and white or even nuance you can hang on to, only the moment when you say, "Exactly." If my review made sense to you, you will not be disappointed by Pillars of Eternity.
Objectively, I can't give Elex 5 stars, maybe not even 4 stars if you think combat is an essential part of the gameplay. I am still bias as hell for this game though. The reviews by ACG and Mortismal Gaming say a lot of what I want to say, just better. Go watch them. I'll only drop a few random thoughts here. Elex to me feels like someone took one of the better vaults in Fallout and expanded it into a whole game. From the intertwined mysteries behind the overarching plot to the easily missable story of a serial killer told through just two in-game notes, Elex constantly motivated me to dig deeper into the world. Exploring that world can be frustrating though, due to the almost nonexistent pacing of the game. Only a few hours into the game, I had to grind a mid-late game enemy to death with my beginner bow over at least 30 minutes (with multiple saves/loads), while my companion sacrificed himself dozens of times. It was my most memorable fight in the game, and I got a sword in the stone at the end. I just wish Elex's in-game map gave me some icons I could add to the it to mark points of interest to return to later. The game is NOT meant to be played linearly where you clear an area, even one that you go to for a beginner quest, before moving on to the next. If you feel very challenged on normal difficulty, you are playing the game wrong. Forget Gothic. Forget that it is even an action RPG. Elex is a nonlinear RPG where you have to find the path of least resistance in the world as you take in its sights, discovery its secrets, and just have fun interacting with it. Zen gamers will enjoy Elex a lot more than players looking for a focused, driven experience. Pro tip: Don't be fooled by all the advice on using a flamethrower. The best flamethrower is only available to Clerics. If you are a Cleric, you should be using a plasma rifle. You get several for free while doing quests. Melee combat is also entirely viable but demands higher tier gear than ranged combat.
A bit of a disclaimer: I don't have any treasured memories of old school Piranha Bytes games. I couldn't get Gothic 1 to run. I had to quit Gothic 2 after about 10 minutes because it made me dizzy for some reason. I figured out a great way to cheese Risen's combat pretty early in the game. So I never experienced the masochistic power trip of going from a c** receptacle to a demi-god over the period of several days. I did experience quite intense frustration with Risen's combat before I realized the AI of wild life could be exploited and broken and the AI of humanoids could be cheezed. I also found the characters in Risen to be delightfully natural... for the most part. I am looking at you, Mendoza! Risen 2 continues the trend of hanging out with likable characters in situations both mundane and fantastic. The difference is, the frustrating combat is gone. So how does Risen 2's combat work at its best? Let me give an example. I got myself into a situation where I might have to fight a whole village. Instead of pulling and fighting the whole village like I read online, like I might have done in Risen, I used my voodoo to create a rumble. I was barely involved. Using less than a dozen sword slashes and one bomb, every one of my targets laid dead, and I did not raise my sword to a villager a single time. Oh, yeah, I never stepped away from the immediate area of fighting, and without dodging or blocking, I was not hit a single time. That is the power of Risen 2. I hear a lot of talk of "immersion." Something about hardship or crafting or turning a spit without actually cooking anything. That's very different from the immersive sims I read about. Risen 2 at least lets you remove enemies with more than just a choice of killing them with sword or magic. Very briefly. The graphics are pretty. The music delightful if a bit repetitive. However, I experienced some crashes. And some dialogue sounded like they were misplaced. The game is not perfect. It is a lot of fun.
