I wanted to balance all the negative reviews; Pharaoh was a game I was fond of as a kid/teenager yet never managed to finish it. I still have ways to finish the remake but it's a pretty faithful recreation of the original. I deactivated the "global workforce" option which feels a bit like cheating; and it's as challenging as the original (which means quite a lot). There were a lot of controversy over the new combat system; I always found the original annoying so I don't mind the sort of passive system (admitedly it's still not clear how towers and walls work). I think overall it works (they've been reworking it the last months or so). There are a few bugs still (notably around bridges and water crossings) but nothing game breaking. The graphics are nice; music is pretty close to the original and very fitting; this is really a game that can suck you in for a whole week end or more. also it takes ages to finish; so there's quite a lot of content to look forward (I've probably played over 60 hours and I'm still not at the end of the main game; and there's the whole DLC content to look forward after).
It's weird that I've completely missed the release of this game as I thought it was more high profile; and I've been expecting it for a while. Well it didn't disappoint. If you've enjoyed the first Stasis you'll get more of it (a lot more; I mean it's a long game for a point&click). Visuals; voice acting; puzzles; music everything is top-notch. A lot of self-contained little stories told through the PDAs and set pieces; and a big and complex overarching story (too complex?). It is a dark and disturbing game. Yes a few gripes; it's an ambitious game; maybe too much as there is a lot going on (specially at the end which feel almost like a DLC). It's a bit dark at time and it's hard to know where you can walk or not (the ping system helps with this; it tells you what's interactive on the screen); or to see what's going on at all. I missed several paths during the game that got me stuck for while. Puzzles are pretty logical and well thought out; but not on the easy size, and sometime several characters needed a similar thing but there is only one way to do it for each; which was a bit confusing. overall great experience.
I got this game a bit blind because of a sale and to pass the time during confinement. The base working of the game is a bit confusing and I still haven't fully grasped the game system. It does seem a bit overcomplicated. There's no real narrative; no real story to keep you interested; it's just a sandbox sim game. To this point no real challenge either; but I guess that comes later. Really there's not much to keep me engaged; after building two domes and getting my production going I got really bored really fast. The other problem I have with this game is its political framing. It seems to carry a very libertarian/pro-capitalistic view of the world; and there's a whole recruitment; HR management; funding aspect that I find cringeworthy and tedious. There's a "social" reasearch tree funded with reasearch points; with kind of "evo-psyich" solutions to social problem; when there should have clearly been a political tree distinct from the reasearch tree to really deal with the need of your little community; social problem can't be dealt with by throwing "reasearch" at them. Also you're supposed to have people struggling in a harsh environment but you're still building them diners; bowlings and tons of frivolous things. There's not much survival there. Maybe I'm missing a self-aware thing in all this and I'm not giving the creators the benefits of the doubt; but I shouldn't have bought this game. I know It's not trying to be this game; but it lacks all the things that made me fall in love with Frostpunk.
the game has the stunning visuals for itself, but overall there's something not working at all in the writing. I found the writing, the voice acting, the tone of the dialogue to be awkward, sometimes very cheesy, and over the top. The main contender is the protaganist, I wanted to bash his head throughout the game. No, I do not need to hear his internal monologue interrupting the dialogue with dramatic music, I can understand the situation myself, thank you very much. Also found some of his actions infuriating, do you really have to risk your life because you wanted to tell a mobster or a guard what you really think of him? really, is it worth it? there's no distance, no comic relief, no self-awereness (yes I know, he's amnesic, but still. Also, "concentration camp"...) Besides this, the sometimes upbeat funky music adds to the oddity of the tone, some of it doesn't fit the dark theme at all, even some of it is pretty good. I think the word I'm looking here is it clearly lacks SUBTELTY. As for the puzzles, they're alright, but not particularly good either, and sometimes lack basic logic or are not believable (spoiler: the two guards in the streets that can't see you messing with the power). The setting and the plot are pretty compelling, even if, like many, I didn't know it was a "part 1" and felt cheated when it ended on a cliffhanger (that's not a spoiler, you should know that). We need to see how it pans out but I still will be on the lookout for the other parts, but it's a shame it has so many problems, there was potential. Admittedly I'm a bit demanding coming from playing the blackwell series that sets the bar very high.
This game has genuinly clever ideas, and is full of surprises. The "bullet hell" gameplay is engaging, as well as the "act" style combat. There are fun moments (not hilarious though). But in the end I never really cared for the world it sets out to build. It hints at would could be a truly engaging game, but never fully delivers, and is so busy both trying to be clever and trying to be silly, that it forget to tell an engaging story. (I never plays those game it references, so I does nothing for me)/ There are also pacing problems. The end part feels really rushed, and repetitive, while near the begining are more graceful and atmospheric moments (that participate in the world building). (Also, but this is a problem with the genre it copies, it's really a drag to HAVE to press a button to scroll text one or two lines at once, and there is LOTS of text. give me more texte at once, or just unroll the text whitout me having to have to intervene.)
