Recent reviews by AlexSledge

Finished Alien: Rogue Incursion Chapter 1 ... I give it a solid score of $7.50 (my new game rating system is going forward will be the most straightforward.... what I think you should be willing to pay for a game if you like that style of game). The storyline hits all of the Alien cliche's, combat is a bit janky (aliens are not fearsome), whatever difficulty I was on (pretty sure Normal) ammo for the different guns, grenades, healing stims, etc. were plentiful. Fed the "I'm a badass against aliens" power fantasy decently well, and still managed to generate pretty good tension during high volume (6-7; avg 1-3) alien encounters. Did die a few times and have to reload throughout - maybe half a dozen times. Worth it for any fan of FPS and Aliens. Plot ties (loooooosely) into Amanda Riply. It's just "Chapter 1" so curious where the story goes.

If the designers behind Sony's Concord followed the design philosophies mastered here, they'd be rolling in billions of dollars.

This is quite a fun little FPS, with some rogue-lite RPG elements, and co-op to boot. I've only leveled up some, and unlocked a few things, but it's just fun, especially coop. Bite size FPS goodness. Watch a game play video, what you see is what you get.

If you like the art style,
If you like futuristic / sci-fi settings,
If you like deck builders,
If you like interesting mechanics,
Then you'll likely enjoy this game.

Biased Rating: Strong Buy

I first played Cyberpunk when it came out in 1988, and have loved the setting ever since. I still have all of the TTRPG stuff within arms reach (literally).

When Cyberpunk 2077 initially came out, it was a horrible mess (not a secret), but now that it has had more time in the oven, it seems to be as solid as games go. Only encountered three of four minor glitches which only broke immersion, so pretty minor.

OK then, so Cyberpunk 2077 is a first person immersive role playing game with a rich branching, multi-ending story. I put it in the group with the original Thief games, Bioshock, Fallout 3+, Elder Scrolls (Skyrim, Oblivion, etc...), Grand Theft Auto V and the like. A first person experience where, with a little suspension of disbelief, causes complete immersion.

Cyberpunk 2077 is very similar to Grand Theft Auto V. So if you have played GTA V, here's a quick rundown/comparison...

They both have a wholly crap-tastic GPS system. You want to learn the city to know when to mostly ignore the GPS, or to completely ignoring the GPS. Hint for future sci-fi creators - in a high tech future where there are all sorts of crime specific gear exists, the first thing I would want is a GPS system which provided the best route, ignoring speed limits, traffic direction, pedestrian areas - if you can drive it, my crime-GPS would provide that option when in 'crime-getaway-mode'.

Vehicle control is for the most part more tricky that GTA V, a bit more oil under the tires. I ended up using the drag bike most of the time since it's restricted cornering makes it easier to handle.

There's more traffic pop-in than in GTA (along with some pop out, when I guess they spawn too close?), and I am yet unsure how I feel about the traffic patterns. In some ways it is appropriately "alien" from real-world traffic. Unlike GTA V, other drivers are not as intent on getting in your way as they are in GTA V.

Setting wise, the Cyberpunk universe is at least a factor of 10 cooler than the GTA universe. Both stories are very good within their genre, however.

I have a few more play-throughs in me, and we're getting some nice DLC soon, so I may update this review in the future.

One final comment. The opportunity missed by CDPR not following Rockstar's model with a Cyberpunk Online is a huge goof. Like, find yourself a new job Mr V.P. level screwup.

Mix Deep Rock Galactic with Vermintide 2, paint it with a Warhammer 40k paint brush, and bam... Darktide.

If you like those, you'll like this. Even if you can't utilize private friends-only lobbies.

Below was after 180-ish hours:
If you liked the previous Fallout games from Bethesda you will find Fallout 76, with the Wastelanders expansion, to be a worthy continuation of the series. The early game plays similar to previous games, while the late game veers into the realm of MMO like features such as raids and other multiplayer only functionality.

I can't speak to the PvP aspects as I personally avoided them to pursue the single player experience, though if that's your cup of tea then you have some additional value to get out of the game.

The only real downside is the lack of modifications which improved some of the shortcomings of the earlier members of the series, such as UI improvements, additional quests/locations and art overhauls.

Now, after 622 hours:
Started a fresh second character upon returning to the game after a hiatus (for other games), and I have to say, I'm still loving it. I'm still finding new things, having new encounters, and going places I've never been before. The granular detail Bethesda puts into their games is fantastic - almost all other games it's clear where something was cut & pasted a bunch of times to fill in the world - I can't think of anywhere I've seen that in Fallout 76.

I've dabbled some in public servers (still no PvP, just doesn't interest me), and the community so far has been great - haven't encountered a single knob end since my return, and everyone seems helpful. I'm guessing it's been out long enough for those toxic players to have moved on. You can also find things in player shops that are rarer/harder to find when hunting them solo.

Anyway, still two thumbs up from me. Another game which has risen to greatness out of the dumpster fire of a launch.

Note: No idea why Steam thinks I got this for free, I bought the expensive ass version that came with a Power Armor helmet, and lived through the “Give me my damn canvas bag!” controversy.

If you are looking for a game with a Stranger Things vibe, and classic Thief style play mechanics, this is the game for you.

A very fun futuristic arcade racer, lovingly executed.

A game for fans of the truly classic computer RPGs, where reading large volumes of text to comprehension, and a fondness for the literary was a strong must. Not a game for the twitter, snapchat and ADHD crowd, those those that prefer action over story.

It took about thrity hours to complete my first run through, though there were enough options along the way that I do intend to play through it again with a different character outlook and choices along the way. This should give you some indication of what kind of time investment you will need to make to complete the game.

If you are strong RPG fan you'll know that the underlying systems can vary a great deal and be perfectly functional for delivery of the story, and the same is true here. There are some interesting new systems for cRPGs in play, and none were burdensome, so overall I am left with a positive view of them.

This is one week after official launch, so keep this in mind at the time you are reading this. The developers have indicated they still plan to add additional companions and other expansions, so my next play through will likely be a year out.