Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a game with immense replayability, with choices that ripple throughout a playhtrough and can drastically modify how you get through the story. With dozens of classes and prestige classes, on top of the 10 mythic paths, there are an absolutely huge number of ways you can customize your character. This is both a blessing and a curse, because sometimes I just can't decide on what exactly I want to make... a good problem to have, in my opinion. The combat is incredible fun, with visually appealing spells and a ton of options for any character to fight. It is brought down only by how frequent the "trash" fights (fights against inconsequential mobs of weaker enemies) are, which can be a drain on resources and just a slog. The boss fights are great spectacles of combat though, well worth the occasional rough patches in between. The companions are fun, though some have better writing than others. The best ones are those that lean into - or subvert - a trope, clearly showcasing the writer's skill. Others feel like one-note nobodies that are just along to fill a party slot or personality type. I won't name names here, but I'm confident folks will figure out their own preferences in no time. Altogether, one of my favorite CRPGs and a fantastic creation of Pathfinder in PC game form.
The Outer Worlds is a fun game with a world that's both alien and an exaggerated version of what our own trip into the stars could look like. The gunplay is pretty smooth and the weapon modding system adds a fair bit of customization, though I wish unique weapons had the ability to mod them as well. The science weapons are especially fun, though upgrading them to keep their level up with others you find is incredibly expensive. The companions are likeable, fun, and flawed - each has their own quirks that make them feel a lot more real. Their individual stories are interesting, though I wish they had more interaction with the world beyond occasional quips. Finally, the story is incredible fun and full of sci-fi references, tropes, and wild characters. The DLCs, especially, are so atmospheric and feel like proper stories of their own. I can happily recommend this game for anyone that likes wild action, goofy sci-fi, and fun characters.
I love this game. The story is deeply interesting, playing for the villain (on most paths) and the consequences that come with conquest. The spell creation system is really cool and fun to use the whole way through. On top of that, the DLC adds plenty of extra content and a fun dungeon to explore. Altogether, a very fun game.
Like Darkness Over Daggerford, this module has some great level design and useage of the toolset, with pretty environments and good character design. Also like Darkness Over Daggerford, the writing is wildly inconsistent and overall pretty low quality. The "twists" that happen in quests often don't make sense, and your character is often forced into a specific path to complete them that will often leave you unsatisfied. Many characters will actively antagonize you, with no way to actually deal with them before you're forced down a "peaceful" solution. Other times, you will be forced down plot paths via cutscene, outside of your control. I recognize that there is clearly a story the author wants to tell, but the linearity of the story is deeply unsatisfying - especially for a D&D game. Finally, the voice acting is bad enough that I wish it hadn't been added at all. I'd rather have silence.
This module is extremely pretty, with maps that are laid out well and some really interesting use of the toolset. Some excellent innovations that I have not seen in any of the official modules include a worldmap, random encounters, and time-passing rests. Unfortunately, this module is marred badly with poorly written dialogue, which at times seems to just spew lore at you and other times reads like the journal of a teenager. There's a lot of inconsistency in the dialogue options you can select, with your character switching between clueless dolt, serious scholar, and self-righteous hero - sometimes in the same conversation. On top of the writing, the gameplay is frequently interrupted by unnecessary cutscenes that will often drop your character directly in front of the enemy, and these cutscenes may break the game entirely if you escape out of it. Lastly, the stronghold was an extreme disappointment. The way your character comes to control it makes little sense, it is not used for any of the main plot, and the few side quests it generates did not feel like they needed to be attached to the stronghold at all. It's clear to me that this was just added in as a callback to Baldur's Gate 2, with no thought to how it would fit in to this module.
This game is on the tail-end of what I'd consider old-school, but it is a very good example of one. The original campaign is classic, if basic, and the gameplay is a good adaptation of D&D 3rd edition. If you're looking for some older, classic RPG fun that's mostly hack-and-slash, this may work for you.
Cyberpunk 2077 has been through a lot in its lifetime, but I can confidently say that the game is an absolute joy to play these days. The gameplay is a great combination of stealth, shooter, fighter, and hacking mechanics that really lets you feel like the character you've been building. Beyond gameplay, the story and world are top-tier. V's story is engaging and the interplay with Silverhand is raw and emotional. The placement of sidequests makes the city feel alive, with something new coming up all over the place, and I really wind up caring for a lot of the characters you encounter throughout. Altogether, this is just such a good game. One of my favorites of all-time.
