It's a rogue-like with a "equipment are upgradeable cards" twist, and a "paper mario" look and feel. The game plays like a modern update of the original Diablo (with numerous references). Took me about 14 hours of casual play to finish the Warrior character. Would recommend, and when on sale it's a steal.
For a game that dropped on launch day, I was very pleased to encounter NO show stopping bugs (see below). The graphics had better detail than the previous entry in the series, and the music and sound were also notably improved. The use of music (musac?) in the game at times greatly enhanced the mood of the play. There was much more voice acting this time around, and side-characters did have some limited interactions. I certainly was left wanting more of both elements. For anyone looking for "build your party" RPG play, this is here in spades. The issues: load times felt on par with last generation consoles (using a fast ATA3 SSD). There WERE bugs, but minor, e.g. I found two skill books that improved skills that weren't in the skill list. Input lag was occasionally noticeable and at times could become annoying (i.e. made the "loot management" that much worse). A sniper using a weapon they didn't meet the prerequisites for could complete heal the enemy--VERY annoying. Many side story elements were often tied to exploration, so there is some benefit to exploring early...which ties to the use of radiation as a gameplay element, which serves to limit your exploration; figuring that out early on meant I didn't bother exploring until I'd almost fully upgraded my vehicle. It felt to me like that could have been handled better. The story starts just after the end of the previous game, with the Rangers going to Colorado to help the Patriarch with some problems in exchange for aid to Arizona...your team is ambushed with few survivors and still need to succeed in your mission to "save the day". Good story elements, including many dark humor points which the series is known for, make the appearance in this entry. I finished the game with what I'll call the "peaceful transition of power" ending and believe I could probably enjoy at least one full replay with different characters. A hearty "recommend" if you like this kind of game or the series in general.
Firewatch has an engaging story that is well written and voice acted (at least for the primary characters). The stylized setting works well and doesn't distract from the overall game. The music fits in with the game, which is set in the 80's and the game knows when to use silenece to build tension, as well as using audio effects to develop the mood. In these areas, Firewatch meets a high standard I expect from a work of interactive fiction. Firewatch falls short in a number of areas. But what about that word – interactive? Where is the interaction in Firewatch? In short, there is none. At least, there is no interaction which is endogenously significant, that is, which impacts on the system. Interactivity in Firewatch means walking to and from places, pressing space to get over obstacles, and looking at things while pressing left shift to talk to your boss, Deborah, on your walkie-talkie.
I'm about 14 hours into the game, and I find it to be a low-key space trading game--but I'm playing it that way. It does a number of things well: economic simulation, space physics, graphics. None of those are stellar, but most are "good". On the down side: It suffers a bit in the UI area--the menu systems often don't give you the options you'd expect, or there are options in some menus that you can't select. The help/tutorial interface will occasionally give directions that are less than clear, It doesn't seem to have seen much in the way of updates, content or attention since early 2019. None of those issues are critical, but more along the lines of "annoying". Generally: recommended for those that like "privateer/elite" like games, where the focus is more on trade and base building than raw combat.
DUTM is a good game, no question. It plays semi-realistically like a game set on earth, in space, and on the moon. That said, the game is highly linear and relatively short. This is definitely recommended for "completetists" that value exploring every nook and cranny of the game space for collectables and story elements. The story unfolds via revelation during exploration and puzzle solving. The only downside is the ending which seems a bit forced given all of the previous progression. Certainly recommended when on sale, and not a bad deal at full price.
It's been some time since I played the original Torment, and unlike others that wax poetic about the game, I enjoyed it but didn't find it particularly memorable. Ultimately, I think my one line summary of Tides would be the same. The game is very flexible compared to a standard CRPG, and can be played almost like an adventure game (i.e. with very little combat). I took the this approach to the game (maximum roleplaying, minimum combat). Prior to the end-game I believe I had two "crises" where combat was required due to my choices. Even during the end game, I believe there were options during the crisis to prematurely end some (perhaps most) of the combat. The final endgame decision was simply a choice (one choice appears to be a choose-combat option). What I found (with my play style) was that the amount of reading was quite large, even more than would be required for an interactive fiction game. This meant that the running around the various maps (boring) followed by reading large chunks of text resulted in a very slowly paced game. The material was interesting enough that it was worth pursing until the end, but by the end game, I was definitely ready for the game to actually END. Overall recommended for fans of the original, but I wouldn't place this title high on my list of isometric RPGs.
Deadlight is a good platformer that reminds me most of "Out of This World" also known as "Another World" from days gone by (1991) (which is also available from GOG: https://www.gog.com/game/another_world_20th_anniversary_edition) . Standard platforming controls are present, and only a list of minor annoyances ends up derating from 5 to 4 stars: First are controls that are at times unresponsive (i.e. don't do what you expect) which makes some timed sequences more difficult than they'd otherwise be. Second is the over all short story--there is only a few hours of play time here and given the story, that's a shame. Lastly, there are some level annoyances--e.g. cardboard boxes that must be jumped over or you stumble, as well as some timed runs that have some inconveinent checkpoints that require re-doing more of the area than you'd prefer. Generally recommended, with a gaming value in the $10 to $15 range.
