CC3 is an interesting - it's tense, it's fun, it's strategic but it's also /unfair/. Depending on how you play or how serious you view that, it should warrant whether you invest in this game (or this series - because the flaws I saw seem to recur in most if not all CC titles!). The tutorial itself doesn't really tell you much. It feels like an afterthought they spent a minute on. So you're left with trial & error, & if you're like me, you'll have trouble figuring out effective strategy, especially since the campaign is purposely asymmetrical on top of the AI's deadly accurate aim from across the map or excellent eyesight spotting your ambushes with every one of your units well-hidden. It's one thing if the player makes mistakes, but the AI never seems to have that problem. For this reason, I would only recommend playing this game on easy or very easy - & even then, the AI will score some cheap shots. This is the main issue with the game - so egregious, I have to warn you, but everything else I have to say is positive. The system of investing your resources & customizing your force is simultaneously stressful & rewarding: do you invest in several infantry units & spread them out for long & wide sightlines? Send them all in a mad charge to overwhelm your foes? Maybe a sniper or mortar team provide support? Or maybe you just want to invest in some tanks & blow them all to hell? Your choice. You can flank, dig in & hold to the last man, stagger retreats, place ambushes, or even offer a truce so you & your opponent can lick your wounds & refit what you can. Another fun thing to do is track your units - watch them accrue awards & experience, going from jittery recruit to full-on war hero (granted you keep them alive by the war's end). Your troops react accordingly - militias may panic, men will get cut off & surrender, & undisciplined cowards may refuse to follow orders until things quiet down. Added replayability & fun in the (unfortunately limited) scenario-maker.
I got this title through a special sale & so I had no knowledge or hype of it when I first played it. I love this title but SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTE AT THE END. StarCrawlers is cool. The sights & the sounds are recognizably-future but also eye-catching - a real visual treat if you have any interest in a sci-fi / future / cyberpunk setting. An amazing soundtrack suitably thrums when the game starts up, meanders when the player negotiates with employers & pulses with energy as combat begins. The presentation is beyond smooth, especially when spending time "on the job," navigating factories, ships, luxury hotels, et cetera. As appropriate, rooms vary from pristine & extravagant to junky & in varying states of disrepair. Light reflects in windows, sparks fly from damaged wall panels & more. The visual style of the game is superb. Though primary character animation seems to be simple 2D-sprites, they're animated very well. The characters in the game are an incredibly engrossing experience - the 8 classes are fun to explore, both in backstory & builds (each have some varying backgrounds & each have 3 'roles' to choice - or mix & match), as well as some of the clientele you'll bump into throughout the game. The combat in the game is really fun - a colorful caste of enemies with plenty of personality keep things interesting. Security Forces suitably warble into their radios as they fire upon you while robots jitter & chirp or grind & lumber about before they attempt to take you down. The varying types of fauna ferociously roar or shriek as they attempt to run you out of their home. Learning the combat system & the skills that each character, ally & hired gun (& the equipment they wield) yield such satisfying synergy when everything goes just right. GOG Galaxy says I've sunk 40 hours into this title. I expect to sink 40 more. NOTE: Game is made in Unity. Some story missions crashed - A LOT, but dev's active on Steam & regularly releasing patches. I DID beat the game.
It's somewhat clunky, and as far as I know, graphics for the time were plain, and the gameplay is relatively simplistic (move, shoot/swing, deliver). It makes many, many jokes that'll make you shake your head and go "Oh, it's THAT kind of game." It lampoons damn near anything, such as parents protesting violent video games, all the way down to "Jihad" brand goat milk. As "a video game," Postal 2 isn't all that good, but every waking moment is a satire of one thing or another, and it makes every crass joke it can, no holds barred. If you've got any sense of humor, you'll be laughing out loud frequently. A game like this I'd recommend to nearly everyone - even non-shooter fans. The only people I'd steer away from this title would be younger gamers or those who want a more family friendly atmosphere. If gore, mature themes and very immature humor don't bother you, you're doing yourself a disservice by not buying this.
