I really really want to like this game, but it feels all-too-much like an abusive relationship. When it's good, it's pretty flippin' good! When it's bad, it's really BAD! Bad: As of 1.6 the game is now unplayable for me. It will not go over 28fps under any configuration - Low 1080p, or Ultra Ray Tracing at 4k. Prior to this patch, I was getting a pretty solid 55fps using DLSS on "Performance". This is not the first time a patch has rendered the game unplayable for a good portion of the player-base. If it's not performance issues like mine, it's corrupted save files, crashing, and visual bugs. The actual game itself is about a 6.5/10 - it's somehow not quite as "alive" as Skyrim and suffers from a lack of core, meaningful content. Also, since many of the themes are nihilistically forward about your characters lack of agency, and kind of an a**hole about it at times, I found myself not drawn into the world as much. Good: Combat is good. Nothing groundbreaking like melee systems like Chivalry II or unusual projectile weapons. Combined with the unique moves from perks/upgrades, it's got a satisfying progression. Graphics are 10/10 gorgeous - when they work... Mod support is getting better, and the mod community is coming along nicely. While most of the story is flawed, certain side stories like the Panam and Judy arcs are excellently written, engaging, and memorable. A decent enough crafting system that's not too cumbersome to use, but still falls into many tropes typical of that system. Expect to be picking up everything for use in crafting no matter how small/unimportant. A stealth system that deserves more stealth focused levels. Conclusion: It's a good game at it's core, but I'm starting to doubt they'll ever get to a "stable" endpoint. This game has become unplayable recently just as I was growing to like it. It's kinda heartbreaking - and that's all too common. If you don't like heartbreak, perhaps consider other games.
