- I'll admit right off the bat, I was hesitant in buying Dishonored 2. The problems people experienced on PC when the game originally launched left me feeling cautious about this purchase. There were many issues regarding poor performance even on high-end PC's, stuttering, frame-drops and constant crashing. - I'm happy to report that I did NOT encounter any of those problems on the GOG version. The game ran smoothly on my medium-end PC. Loading it for the first time took a while, with subsequent loads being very fast. - While it's nice to have a choice between playing as 2 different characters with (slightly) different magical powers, I never understood why they added in an option to "refuse" those magical powers. I mean, why would you say no to fun? - Level design is generally good, with 2 levels truly standing out. Inside the "Clockwork mansion" you can pull levers that will then change the layout of the very rooms you are currently in. At the "Stilton manor" your are stripped of your magical powers and given a device with which to travel through time, between the past and the present time. These 2 concepts show us what talented developers can accomplish, if given sufficient creative freedom. I wish more game studios would come up with ideas such as these. - While the game only has 9 levels, worry not, for these maps are very large and will take a long time to thoroughly explore. - Say what you will of Dishonored 2's writing but at least it wraps up Emily's and Corvo's stories nicely, unlike Deus Ex Mankind Divided, which ends on a cliffhanger. (I do recommend both of these titles to immersive sim fans and patient gamers in general)
"If it moves, shoot it!" This was golden rule for all shooters from the early 90's and the same applies here. Positives: - Fast paced action that focuses on quick thinking and quick reflexes; - 60 levels spread across 5 distinct environments. A level takes up to 5-10 minutes to complete, so it's short & sweet. Each environment comes with its own set of enemies; - Visually pleasing enemies, their sprites and animations give them a "cute" look. Some are clearly inspired from 80's movies such as "The Thing, Robocop, The Terminator"; - Good soundtrack, reminiscent of the old Doom music; Negatives: - Limited lives. I can't understand why the developers would want you to lose all your progress. Just play the game on EASY, where you have unlimited lives. Not to worry, even on easy mode the game quite challenging; - No save/load system. If you stop playing, you need to start the level all over again. Worse, in some cases you'll need to replay several levels you previously finished. This is so infuriating, I ended up using cheats to teleport myself to where I previously left off; Project Warlock is one of the better retro-shooters out there, though it's held back by a couple of bad design decisions. (On a side note, many reviewers have complained about the brightness, that it's too dark to see anything. I'm happy to report this has been FIXED with a patch and now the brightness level is just right)
Arcanum 2054, that was my first thought regarding Shadowrun Returns. - This unusual setting combines sci-fi with fantasy, virtual reality with magic, cyborgs with elves, orcs and DRAGONS! But let's not get ahead of ourselves, the game itself plays out more like a detective story, interrupted by short combat sequences. - First off, you need to understand this game was developed with smartphones and tablets in mind, alongside PC's. In this context the dated and simplistic graphics start making more sense. It also explains the lack of voice acting. It's a game made on a smaller budget that still manages to punch above its weight. - The gameplay is similar to Fallout 1 & 2, Wasteland 2, X-com, Arcanum; the world is seen from an isometric perspective, explored in real-time while the encounters are resolved in turn-based combat. - What truly stands out is the CYBERPUNK setting. It lends itself to the characters you interact with as well as the situations you're put in, giving them a unique charm. - Two bumps I've encountered that hindered my overall enjoyment. Picking a team for the very first time left me very confused since I didn't understand their abilities. For your first playthrough I suggest avoiding "riggers" and "deckers". They just slow down the entire pacing of the game. - My second bump was the Matrix. While I appreciate the developers intentions, their execution of this virtual world is kind of WEAK. Luckily, you're only required to enter the Matrix a couple of times during the story. - On a final note, I have to mention the mods. The Shadowrun Trilogy has mods that feature entire singleplayer campaigns, some of them on par with the official campaigns. Check them out over at Nexusmods.com
I received the "Director's Cut" of Wasteland 2 for free a while back and what a gem it turned out to be! - If you're a fan of the turn-based isometric role-playing-games like Fallout 1 & 2 and enjoy the western look of New Vegas, then my friend you're in for a treat. The two series share so many similarities that for a long time I actually thought they were set in the same post-apocalyptic world. - Sadly, I fear Fallout/Wasteland fans will be the only ones that truly appreciate this title, since newcomers will be immediately put off by the DATED GRAPHICS and difficulty in CREATING A COMPETENT TEAM. - Fear not however, as there are many guides to creating the "perfect team" found over the internet. I admit to even using a mod called "Wasteland 2 save and char editor" found over at Nexusmods.com to adjust some of my stats later on, so as to not start the game all over again. Thing is, once I actually started playing, everything just fit into place and I stopped worrying about having the "perfect team". - When it comes to graphics, you either accept the dated look or move on. I recommend at least grabbing "Wasteland2 DC Patchwork Mod" from Nexusmods.com, since it fixes the camera view a bit. - Voice acting is good, just wish there was more of it. Ambient music is also good. - Without a doubt the BEST PART about Wasteland 2 is the journey you embark on. Exploring the war-torn world, meeting different factions each with their own quirks, picking sides and settling disputes, all make for a great time. - Just make sure you have ample free time as the campaign is quite lengthy, taking place on 2 large maps, Arizona and California. Nobody that finished this game can complain that it was too short. As I said in the beginning, Wasteland 2 is a real gem. But the initial experience can feel more like a "diamond in the rough".
