**Rating: 9/10** S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is like being slapped awake by a radioactive babushka—it’s brutal, immersive, and doesn’t care about your feelings. After *131 hours* in the Zone, I’m still hooked. --- **Survival on *Veteran*: Fix It or Die** The *Veteran* difficulty is perfect. Forget bullets—they’re easy. The real pain is *maintenance*. Keeping weapons and armor intact costs more than your neighbor’s goat. And I loved it. Every repair reminded me how much the Zone hates me. The economy? Coupons. You’re surviving on scraps—bleak perfection. --- **Emissions: Run, Idiot!** The emissions are terrifying. Playing with no HUD made it better—I didn’t know the map showed safe zones. It forced me to always keep track of where the nearest house, hole, or shack was, just in case the sky turned red. Every emission had me running like a Kozak, screaming, “Where the fuck do I hide?!” --- **Immersion Overload** No object markers, no compass. Turning off all that crap made every discovery feel earned. Artifacts, weapons, and armor became treasures, not loot. It’s immersive like no other game. --- **The Zone Is Alive** The graphics are stunning, and the world feels real. The detail turned me into a hoarder—artifacts, weapons, armor, you name it. --- **Weapons and Performance** The weapon variety is incredible. Performance was solid, though FSR 3 on epic crashed after a few hours. Dropping to High fixed it, and it still looked great. --- **Fast Travel? Not Here** Fast travel is limited to hiring guides, which I loved. No shortcuts, just struggle—pure Zone. --- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is survival at its best. It’s unforgiving, immersive, and addictive. I haven’t even finished the last main mission because it would end the game. Instead, I’m still exploring the Zone, soaking in every radioactive detail and chasing down artifacts. The Zone keeps calling, and I’m not ready to leave.
The Definitive Edition is the best way to experience Outward, with stash sharing across houses and two DLCs. After 51 hours in the base game, upgrading and restarting wasn’t just easy—it was exciting. For me, being eager to restart is a clear sign of a great game, and Outward nails it. Crafting, cooking, and alchemy are standouts. Limited descriptions for consumable effects pushed me to track notes, which felt like an extension of the game’s immersive design. Far from busywork, this process mirrors the deliberate pace of exploring without fast travel or a detailed map. These additional efforts make the experience richer and more engaging, reinforcing the idea that effort and discovery matter more than convenience. Modern games often overwhelm with minimaps and constant markers, sacrificing engagement for accessibility. Developers claim this helps average players, but my experience with Gothic 1 proves otherwise. That game’s steep learning curve—whether its unconventional controls or lack of guidance—rewarded persistence with a deeper, more memorable experience. If I could master it as a kid, there’s no reason adults can’t. Combat borrows from Souls-like games but is less advanced and more punishing. Death doesn’t just reset your progress—it leaves your health, stamina, and gear damaged, often requiring a long trek back. This design adds weight to every encounter, forcing preparation and making victories feel earned. It makes every step in the world feel important. The absence of fast travel defines the game. You must plan carefully and approach exploration thoughtfully. Initially, the slow pace was daunting, but, much like with Gothic 1, it became incredibly rewarding once I adapted. Outward reminds you that the journey itself is the real adventure, not just the destination. If you’re considering a replay, don’t rush—immerse yourself in the experience. Outward isn’t just a game; it’s a challenge that rewards your time and leaves a lasting impression.
Unplayable as crashing upon load.
Cyberpunk 2077 was always an amazing game even on release. It has gotten lots of hate for bugs and missing features so much so that many people forget about all the amazing moments and best moments in it. Music and characters like Judy, Panam, Viktor, Takemura, Jackie, Johnny Silverhand, and V. CD Projekt Red succeeds where most other companies fail. To create compelling emotional stories. Stories, and emotions which we'll remember for years to come. Remember the story & emotional impact of Red Baron from Witcher 3? And now we have the Judy's story, and so many others. The technical aspects, the bugs, the gameplay, can be fixed. It's easier to learn programming, in comparison to writing good, compelling, emotional stories. Especially now with official mod support now on v1.6 update. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-cGcenvQ18
Really enjoyed this. Tip: play on the slowed time speed.
