I haven't even played it yet for real (just landed with helicopter) and I already hate it. How can this game pride itself as "inspired by 1998 shooters" and then not allow me to use arrow keys to play the frigging game? Seriously? I hate game studios who lock controls behind some arbitrary reasoning to force me into using WASD. I hated that crap so much in Dead Space for the same reason, I hated it in CoD Advanced Warfare and I hate it in this one. Just WHY?! I can have fun even in games that have clunky animations, bad story and badly modeled monsters. What I absolutely cannot have fun with is getting forced to use keys I hate using. In this case WASD. I haven't used WASD in the 90's and I sure hell won't use it now. Now I have to code yet another AutoHotkey script just so I can play game the way I want it at its very basics (which will be a problem since they hardcoded camera view to arrow keys). Even entire Doom and Quake franchise always allowed me to use arrow keys for movement and yet here we are in "modern" game that forces me to use certain key layout. So stupid and so unnecessary this game deserves 1 star automatically. Stop doing this crap.
I'm gonna rate it the same, mostly because it has the same flaws as the main game. Unnecessary darkness everywhere, scripted enemies that make stealth almost irrelevant, broken 3D audio that just doesn't work at all to track enemies via sound. However, I liked a somewhat different perspective on the happenings, almost like what Opposing Force and Blue Shift were for Half-Life. You even cross familiar sections of the original game at points just the same, but most level design is actually new and that was actually pretty ok and didn't mind reusing of assets at all. Offered enough of extras gameplay that I think it was worth it. But I hold that opinion mostly because I quite liked the main game despite its flaws. If you didn't like the main game, you won't like this expansion either...
In general, despite horror games not being my favorites, I've enjoyed this one. It has a lot of unique and interesting elements including having no weapons at all which puts you in very helpless position through entire game. It's pretty well orchestrated indie horror game in asylum which are always creepy places, exploration felt believable and even if story is cliche and exploration unnecessary like BetoBob mentioned, I just rolled with it and generally didn't have issues with it as such. But I had issues with how some things were done and it's a shame they decided to go this way... There are quite few things that annoyed me quite a bit and I think were unnecessary. Mostly approach to the gameplay. Mostly excessive unnecessary darkness everywhere and fact that enemies seem scripted in 3/4 of cases that really ruined the 5/5 score. I get it, they wanted to make tension with darkness, but it's just annoying to use stupid camcorder to a point I used ReShade and used Flashlight shader which made it more enjoyable despite offering very basic illumination. Nothing more stupid than running helplessly from enemies with no means to fight them through pitch black corridors with stupid camcorder that has vision just 2m ahead of you. I get it why, but it was annoying and unnecessary. Lack of 3D audio positioning sucked hard too. Trying to track enemies via sound felt like I'm doing it with mono speakers/headphones and it was horrible as it makes stealth almost impossible. And then I realized stealth means nothing when enemies are scripted to chase you all the time and it didn't feel rewarding to be really stealthy. And throwing jump scares constantly were more annoying than heart attack inducing. I think this game would be far better if it wasn't just so stupendously dark, actually encouraged stealth, have working 3D audio and less scripted encounters. But I still think it deserves 4/5 for first indie attempt. Now, lets see if they fixed any of this in Outlast 2...
I've finished original Hexen and I was disappointed by narrow choice of weapons, idiotic chasing of dumb keys and "puzzles" while running through ridiculous maze of levels around even more ridiculous hubs. This addon started well with some actual feedback on wtf is even going on with the game when you flip some damn switch and I thought, nice, they at least tried to improve the horrid hub system so you don't run around like headless chicken all the time. Just to somehow manage to absolutely c**k it up with endless spawning of enemies. Like, for real, not just one or two here and there, in one section of map I had like 10 of those stupid centurions or whatever they are called, with dumb shields that you have to shoot for half an hour with base infinite ammo staff (I'm a mage) and they were all cluttered around one portal. WTF?! And they just keep on spawning and it's just absurd to a point I hate this addon even more now. Oh and that feedback they did in the beginning, well, it seems one guy started that and then they sent that guy for a lunch and I guess he never came back or something, because after you leave that starting village, you never get any text feedback ever again on stuff happening around and now I'm again chasing some absurd nonsense to get last 2 gems to continue. I've entirely lost all and any will to play this garbage. I don't understand how some people praise this game so much. I thought these games were great considering all the hype since the 90's, but I see it's just hot garbage. Not sure if I even want to bother with this game or even continuing with Hexen 2. It entirely ruined my perception that these were great FPS games from the 90's. Tried them back then, but never actually played them with dedication like I have now. Now I have and I hate them.
I was amazed how Hexen improved visually compared to Heretic. Lighting and shadows were quite something and especially dynamic things like leaves flying off trees and rolling around on the ground or shattering of glass and shards bouncing off ground. And that's about where good things kinda end. The classes system limits your weapons selection to just 4 through entire game and the melee fighter and cleric were terrible so I went with mage. 3/4 of the game I did with the starting projectile staff... So, yeah, very repetitive, especially shooting those dumb shielded centurions or whatever they are. And while it might have been innovative back in the 90's, the hub system is absolutely terrible, especially on the second hub where you spend hours running in circles chasing dumb keys and switches across several levels that are absolute maze and trying to figure out what dumb switch will activate some illogical barrier to let you through for next switch or key. And whole game consists of several hubs filled with absolutely confusing asinine "puzzles". Finished Heretic and I thought it was fine. A classic shooter. Hexen however, only played it as a kid at friends place for a bit and it was intriguing. Playing it years later and it's an absolute disappointment. Still have Hexen 2 to finish, hopefully they dropped the dumb hub system... Use GZDOOM and Neural Texture Pack for sure, so you get modern movement, otherwise you'll hate it even more. And then it really looks amazing. But it's the hubs, dumb puzzles and repetitive gameplay that kills this game.
It's a rather typical FPS game for its original time period. If you've played Doom before, which is likely, it kinda feels the same, but different. Finished it in its original form, but would recommend refreshing it a bit with GZDOOM and Neural Texture Pack which uses original textures, but are upscaled using neural network. It feels similar to original thematically, but in HD.
I must say Shadow Warrior 2 is a significant improvement over first Shadow Warrior game. But not in all aspects which is why I'm not giving it all 5 stars. They got away with absurd double tapping to trigger directional attacks and methods of execution, expanded upgrading and to my surprise, changed weapons and powers as well as stats upgrading more to Borderlands style. Lots of everything thrown at you and it's up to you to make the best combo that fits your style. And it's pretty good once you figure it out. Graphics and music great as always and combat is much more fluid and smooth. Very nice indeed. There are really just two things that went on my nerves hard. And they both relate to world design. The game tries at "open world" concept, but just becomes really repetitive and annoying to walk through same worlds over and over crushing enemies just randomly dropped on the map or always in the same spot with few exceptions. Hell, even the final boss fight is in a place you've visited like 6 times before. Don't get me wrong, the worlds are beautifully made, but you visit them all in like 1st quarter of the game and then it's just rehashing of the exact same areas with different basic tasks. In that regard, I actually liked linear progression through levels in first Shadow Warrior. At least you had this sense of progression and discovery of new world as you play through. The other issue I have with worlds are annoying and silly drops to death. Basically every time I died, it was because I fell into the void and not because I got killed. Usually coz I was chasing the path where to go and just dropped of. Or got pushed by an enemy and fell off. But oh well, at least you just respawn and not have to play all through again. I guess Shadow Warrior 3 that's planned for 2021 might hit those 5 stars given the progress they are making through games. Quite excited for it actually :)
Decent graphics despite age, good sound and music, beautiful level design and variety of weapons from ranged to melee using katana. Game also has bunch of fun and hilarious references to various things, humor is often pretty dark and I really like the upgrading which gives game somewhat RPG-ish feel, but what really absolutely killed the fun for me was the grind. Like 1/3 into the game when big enemies roll in, combat just becomes such absolute dreadful and annoying grind just because enemies become such horrible bullet and sword cut sponges the game doesn't even become hard as it becomes annoying as hell as you're just running in circles, charging most powerful katana charge and jabbing them in the face for half an hour, every combat encounter. Or plant nukes at their face. And it doesn't change later when you upgrade yourself all out on damage. Which means every fighting segment you get into is a dragging like a crippled snail and just becomes so annoying I'm basically playing the game just to finish it and be over with it. It's a shame because the game looked promising and exciting in the beginning and then just lost all the appeal because of annoying design and gameplay decisions, primarily around combat. And while they at least tried to make melee combat fresh and something different, double tapping directional keys like a lunatic gets really super annoying. Especially when Sprint key is getting stuck and you want to charge up a KI power just to prepare a regular katana attack instead. Or not heal because game thinks you're still holding Sprint key. This wasn't happening in the beginning of the game and it's making everything double annoying. It's a shame they ruined what looked like an excellent game on silly technicalities.
Heard about Warhammer for years, but never tried any since most are turn based games and I generally avoided such games like plague for some reason. However, I stumbled upon Mechanicus by pure chance here on GOG and trailer totally hyped me with its dark atmosphere. I'm happy to report this game totally changed my perception about turn based games. It's so incredibly fun and I just absolutely love fiddling with my Tech-Priests which gives this game some RPG feel which I do like. Hours just fly past as I'm preparing my holy specialists and moving them around and fighting xenos. Quite few upgrades and encounters were trial and error, but after few missions I got the hang of it. Things didn't work out as I planned quite often, but it's relatively forgiving in the beginning so it was fine. Only thing that's totally weird and I don't like it are the glyphs in some tombs which seem to be totally random thing and in most cases I got nerfed so I just avoid them entirely now. Devs said you can learn them over time, but same looking one gave me two entirely different outcomes so I'm just confused about them. Graphics are pretty nice, but what really does it for me is the music and sound effects. Dark atmospheric music and echoing vocals with heavy use of bass makes everything feel so grandiose. Anyway, enough of incoherent rambling, if you're a weirdo like me who avoided turn based games all this time, Mechanicus is a really good place to get hooked into turn based games in general and also interesting insight into Warhammer 40k lore. I love it so much I might give XCOM a try in the future. I have yet to play Mechanicus a lot more, but so far I'm totally hooked into it and it's just such awesome fun I can only recommend it for old or even for new players. And since quoting Warhammer 40K seems to be popular among fans, there is one that stuck with me... Sayings of Archmagos Corteko, Verse 58: "Prayer has power, but I cannot deny fire does, too." Can't argue with that. :D
This game is exactly what I thought it would be. When GOG announced it, I was immediately interested because it looked so similar to InfiniFactory. And I absolutely loved that game. Automachef is pretty much the same concept, but in a fast food chain restaurant. Game gives you a task of making a certain type or shape of product and you have to build a production line for it. Preferably as optimized as possible, so you don't waste resources or take too long to make. I've only completed few missions, but I'm already in love with this game. Best type of puzzle games if you ask me because 2 people won't use same solution for same mission and that's the cool part of these games. There are few minor limitations or annoyances that I'll try to report to developer and get them improved if possible (nothing really big, just some more clicks needed for some things that could be done in less), but other than that, it's a really lovely game with cute graphics, cheerful music and puzzles to engage the engineer in you. Or a chef. :) Highly recommended.
