If I have to rate Amnesia: The Bunker as part of the series, I'd say it's 4/5 because of the prioritizing of gameplay instead of plot; but I won't do it, since the devs properly inform us that this title is experimental and puts focus on other elements. So, these 5 stars are for the game standing on its own (with a caveat). - The atmosphere is top notch - we can feel the tension of being the last person alive left in this massive underground complex with an apex hunter that has killed dozens of our friends. The environmental storytelling, combined with the notes found throughout the location, makes this a rather personal experience. - The sound design is fantastic - from the ambience of different parts of the bunker to the explosions, dialogues, and the monster in its different states, each move or action is immersive due to the audio and physical effects. - Engaging, tense, dynamic game mechanics - I constantly had to scavenge for resources, even at the end of the game. Each trip for more resources introduces risks - from losing yourself in a maze of booby-trapped tunnels to alerting the monster that dinner is ready next to its hole, you're constantly on edge (bonus points for the ability to accidentally crash the serenity at some point by tripping on a chair or other piece of furniture). - Graphically supreme & technically secure - top-notch lighting system, mostly fluid animations, and minimal amount of bugs and glitches in my playthrough. I have only one serious problem with the game, and its the ending. The last 15 minutes of the game were, personally, very frustrating due to the trial & error nature of that section. That, combined with the abrupt ending without a strong, relevant closure to the story, leaves a sour taste for, arguably, the most important moment. Haven't noticed others sharing this problem + it may have been due to time or budget constraints, which is why I won't detract a star, but I find it worth mentioning. Successful experiment overall.
I loved The Witcher 3. I loved to hear about what Cyberpunk 2077 will be years ago. I was absolutely sure that CDPR, the heroes of the modern gaming industry, would deliver. didn't want to spoil the experience and patiently waited without looking at promotional material. If I did, I would've saved some money and time. The game is... good, at first. 15 hours into it, even with the bugs galore that it is, the story is intriguing, the world is big and there's a lot of stuff to check off your quest journal. The more I explored Night City, the more I noticed that something's wrong. Bare bones AI and Police systems, no minigames, so much stuff you can buy but is basically unusable junk, limited customization - it all makes the beautiful world extremely shallow once you step outside of a quest(even some side quests feel like outsourced junk, being very short, lacking any meaning). It doesn't feel like a Role-Playing Game at all. Other reviews mention how lifepaths don't change much, and they're right - this game, by the same people that created dark fantasy games which carried choices and consequences between one another through save files, made your background a half-hour tease, then cut it short with the same montage(which even features cut content and messes with a fixer's introduction later on). Choices have next to no meaning, the endings nearly ruin the only saving grace of this game - an otherwise well-written story with interesting characters. I went on YouTube to see how many of the mentioned features, and much more, were promised, but not delivered. I'm seeing how one of most pro-consumer companies turns into EA, with them lying about console builds, absolutely rushing this to release before holidays. Check it yourself - the lies go deep. And the worst of all - they don't plan on fixing the core problems, I'm not sure they even can do so. No DLC or patch can rewrite this half-assed attempt at a Cyberpunk role-playing game. This isn't the company we loved.
The more I grow up, the less enjoyment I get from video games. Too much filler content, microtransactions/DLCs, or simply not interesting enough. In times when I feel burned out on gaming, old classics like this one make me happy. Simple but interesting story, fantastic soundtrack by Jesper Kyd, fun gameplay - what more could I ask for? Thanks to GoG and IOI for bringing this gem back.
I didn't expect to enjoy the game so much(Steam reviews are average-to-good), and I didn't expect to find it on GoG. For whoever wonders if the game is worth it - it absolutely is! - Story: The story is intriguing. It has that Lovecraftian atmosphere perfectly made, from the locations to the people you will meet. The search for a missing person quickly leads to a small, old and isolated island, where the shadows, caves and history fragments are filled with hints at something much more sinister than what the people are willing to speak of.. There are many branching paths, and different endings, ensuring multiple playthroughs. There are some points in the story where the thread can be lost, but it is only briefly and reading the journal entries will clear all questions a player might have. - Gameplay: The gameplay is a mix of stealth, dialogue and investigation segments. Some of the mechanics aren't communicated properly until it is too late(the lantern for example can slow down pursuing enemies, but unless the player has the good luck of finding that function on his own, he will die multiple times until a loading screen tip tells him about it.) The dialogue menu can't be trusted - main and secondary dialogue options are meshed together, and while sometimes it is possible to learn all lore from a person before proceeding with the story, too often you will skip pieces of information accidentally. Investigation prompts sometimes do not trigger until you step on them. - Graphics: The game runs on Unreal Engine 4, and it looks fantastic(most of the time). There are some points in the game with low-res textures, which are well hidden by the lighting, and the animations overall could be better. Still, it looks and runs great. - Sound: The soundtrack is haunting and probably the perfect element of the whole game. Voice-acting is average-to-good, but in personal experience, it adds to the whole atmosphere. Aside from a few quirks, the game is a solid Lovecraftian adventure.
