Having finally finished my first playthrough last year, I can finally say this: "Yeah, it's pretty good." 👍🏿 It's also a bit addictive, so take breaks to avoid burnout. If you aren't willing to, do harder missions than you normally would. One thing it does really well is, during story missions, surprise dahell outta me. I'm talkin' "wtf, y'all actually did that?" ♥♥♥♥. Just "what in the actual hell, that looks so dope compared to the usual" vibes. These changes really help spice things up. Oh, do yourself a favor and turn on combat's fast mode in the settings. It might end up feeling like normal speed halfway through anyway and you'll wish you could make it faster. 😅
I didn't enjoy the first session (an hour or so) for whatever reason that may or may not have been a me issue, but after I returned a month later it was good sailin' from there. The animations and sound effects are a nice addition to the scenes, especially once I noticed people moving in the background here and there. Could the game use a freakin' manual to explain a few things that its dictionary understandably leaves out? Yeah, but I eventually figured it out. 😅 My coterie was kinda intentionally at 2.5 by the end and I was fully invested in 2 of their questlines. Speaking of the end, I liked it. I kinda get why others didn't, but I liked it. Hell, everything made sense as far as I'm concerned and I like the open-endedness of it all. ymmv though 🤷🏿♂️ Word of Advice: maintain detailed backups of the save directory, especially on the off chance you encounter the "Callihan bug" (search online for the workaround).
Took me ~13.5hrs to beat with 6 of the 9 optional content unlocked and almost everyone maxed out. Was (most of) the optional content worth unlocking? Absolutely. Was it necessary to? Kinda. >.> Was the game worth my time? Yep. Was the story interesting? Yeah. Would I play a sequel/prequel? Little reason not to tbh. 🤔 Do I think some people went out of their way to speak harshly of the game because they're just anti-wokes? I mean... In Vanaris Tactics, you're getting a supposed-to-be 5hr experience in a Tactics Ogre / FF Tactics Advance style game where the story progresses with each map location and play style changes are mostly dependent on character and their equipment. Is there a character who's not worth the party slot? Only if you haven't level 'em up enough. Each one of them is beneficial to have, and you're honestly better off unlocking them all if you want your playstyle to become more varied. Heads up, at 3 points in the game, the previous section of the map will become inaccessible. While this means nothing for the shops, it means everything for defeating the optional bosses in each battle area. The option of doing so requires battling in said area 4 additional times, btw. 😐 Was this requirement bothersome as hell? Yep. Would I recommend listening to a video/podcast in the background while doing these? Yep. Nice game. Challenging most of the time. Would recommend if it interests you, especially if you like BIPOC-centered stories with a taste of anti-colonialism. 🙌🏿 Warning: It'll make you sad sometimes.
Keep in mind that this was the 2nd Spiders game I've played, and I was already a fan after Mars: War Logs. At 33.75hrs, I've finally beaten it on Hawk difficulty as an axe-wielding pyromancer. Yeah, the endboss was some bs with its difficulty. Actually, it wasn't that hard after a re-upgrade of all equipment to accommodate for the fight (and changed tactics; see Steam Discussions for advice on how to cheese the first phase). But when I tell you that game threw me once dat track kicked in? 👌🏿 Y'all, it was surreal. As for the rest of it, the story's interesting and they've made an interesting world with lore I wish I could read about tbh. The main characters are very much their own people with contrasting interests from time to time. The companions all compliment different playstyles (and boss fights). The combat and upgrade system's a progression from MWL, which I love to see. Only complaint I can recall is that I had to take a break from the game once I got to Chapter 3 since... they chose a particular method to crank the difficulty up. One that was exhausting at that point. Did it bother me after my months-later return? Barely. Is there anything I'd want changed? Make the endboss a bit less needing of cheese and remove a single enemy from (almost) every combat area of Chapter 3. There are some bugs here and there, though, unfortunately. Mostly in dialogue with half of (or an entire) line not being read by the voice actor. Chapter 2's got a quest bug of sorts involving the blacksmiths that... basically makes the decision for you. That wasn't fun, but I don't recall any others. Oh, let's be real here. In both BF and MWL, Spiders has a single woman scantily dressed in tattered clothes revealing her body. 😐 Initially, "Okay... whatever. Just make her interesting and not a damsel atleast." And they did. Problem is... in one of the routes... they handle her final scene in [unfortunate] taste. Slightly inappropriate and a bit concerning. 😑
Gonna speak as someone who's not only a fan of the 2-person development team's work but someone who's been very active in the Discord and reporting bugs since v1.06. Mechajammer is not a typical game. The trailer can be deceiving. Yeah, it's fast-paced (during combat and while driving), but when those two aren't happening it's a pretty chill game. A very atmospheric game, actually. I often find myself so relaxed by the vibes that I slow down and take my precious time exploring. Not advancing. Just exploring, which is one of the main things I feel like players are supposed to do anyway. There isn't much hand-holding (at all) here. Atleast, there wasn't before v1.1. Now it's a bit harder to get confused about things and make drastic errors of not taking notes when you should have. So rejoice, I guess. You'll still get Morrowind-esque directions, though, and end up having to explore your way to some destinations while others are clearly marked in your terminal. This is kind of where the game shines. The degree to which it requires realistically thinking things through. With amazingly limited information and resources, you're on a mission: get off the planet. From there, life happens as you get some leads and an opportunity for some help. How you progress is entirely up to you. Other members of the crew will suggest things and help out, but you'll be the main one choosing your methods and running into danger. But what if you don't know where to find x? Ask the locals about the latest gossip. Didn't help? Think it through. If the person's supposed to be at the docks around a certain town then go where water might be. It can be frustrating until you realize that the game wants you to develop a new set of common sense. To think like you're the character getting shot at. It's honestly wonderfully refreshing. From what I can tell, there is no countdown, so take it easy and go explore. Just save often and mind the bugs, which are the only reason why the game loses a star.
I never finished playing this game because it's terrible. Not terribly made, but terrible to experience. It's just too darn scary. And the immersion doesn't help. **** that dog. And **** that spider.
Just beat it a bit ago (Switch Lite) with 5 hours on record and possibly no rock left unturned. Y'all. This is a wonder of an experience. If you're into casual exploration, chill landscapes, mysterious worldbuilding, minimal UI's, and fascinating lore, this is your game. Especially if you don't mind puzzles and simple platforming. The buildup towards the end really gripped me, and I like how the developers ended it. The only problems the game gave me were: 1) confusion of what to do (after putting it on hold for awhile), 2) frustration with failing to land a certain unnecessary jump (i wanted to see a statue up close), 3) the lag on one of the end levels (very excusable considering how much was going on).
(originally posted December 30, 2011, at 38.4hr mark) After buying this, Section 8: Prejudice, Zeno Clash, and Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Colonies Edition, LP and ZC of which I have yet to play, I keep launching E.Y.E. because of how fun, challenging, and interesting it is. + Very challenging if not on Chicken difficulty. + New, interesting, fun and various mechanics and features. + Gameplay and story affecting decisions. + Many different, attribute based, classes. + Various weapons. + Side missions. + Many character Upgrades. + Fun, tricky hacking system. + Interesting storyline and lore that aren't hand fed. +/- Game must be beaten thrice inorder to find the true ending. - Can be irritating as well as repetitive when enemy reinforcements constantly spawn without enough time to progress to another street corner between.
