Recent reviews by Jac0b

The Saboteur is one of those rare games that feels like a bold experiment—and actually succeeds. Set in Nazi-occupied Paris, it blends open-world exploration with stealth, action, and a surprisingly stylish presentation. The core gameplay feels like a fusion of several iconic titles: it has the parkour and assassination elements reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed, the grounded storytelling and atmosphere of Mafia, the open-ended chaos of GTA, and even a touch of Wolfenstein in its anti-Nazi tone and resistance narrative. On paper, that sounds like too much—but in practice, it works.

What really sets The Saboteur apart is its visual identity. The use of black-and-white for occupied areas, contrasted with bursts of color as you liberate districts, gives the game a unique personality that still stands out today. It’s not just a gimmick—it reinforces the theme of oppression and hope in a way few games manage.

The gameplay itself is solid across the board. Climbing, stealth takedowns, sabotage missions, and gunfights all come together in a satisfying loop. It may not be as polished as the games it draws inspiration from, but it has a certain charm and ambition that makes up for its rough edges. There’s a clear sense that the developers wanted to create something memorable rather than just safe.

It also serves as a reminder of a different era of EA. Back then, they were willing to take risks on original ideas and new IPs. The Saboteur feels like a product of that mindset—creative, a bit rough around the edges, but full of personality. In contrast, modern AAA releases often feel overly formulaic, focused more on recycling proven mechanics than delivering something truly fresh or meaningful.

More than anything, The Saboteur stands out because it has soul. It’s not just another checklist-driven open-world game—it’s a passion project that dares to be different. Even years after its release, it remains memorable in ways that many bigger, more expensive titles fail to achieve.

10/10 – A highly original and unforgettable experience that proves games don’t need to be perfect to be truly great.

Unfortunately, L.A. Noire is practically unplayable on the Steam Deck in its current state. While the game appears to be locked at 30 FPS, the actual performance feels significantly worse—closer to 20 FPS or even lower at times. The experience is extremely stuttery and inconsistent, which completely breaks immersion.

What makes this even more disappointing is that this is essentially a port of a Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 era title. Despite its age, the level of optimization is shockingly poor—easily among the worst I have encountered. It is difficult to understand how a game from that generation can perform so badly on modern hardware.

Given that the game was developed by a multi-billion dollar company like Rockstar Games, this state is highly disappointing. A title built around detailed facial animations, interrogations, and atmosphere simply cannot function properly with such poor performance.

The story itself is actually very good and engaging, but the technical issues completely ruin the experience. I was genuinely looking forward to experiencing this classic on a portable device, but unfortunately I was unable to enjoy it at all, and I ultimately had to request a refund.

Rating: 4/10 – Great story, but terrible optimization ruins everything.

Age of Empires II is widely regarded as one of the greatest real-time strategy games ever created, and even decades after its original release, it continues to set the standard for the genre. It’s a timeless classic that has not only defined RTS games but has also remained relevant thanks to its deep gameplay and strong community support.

At its core, Age of Empires II offers a perfect blend of strategy, resource management, and tactical combat. Players are tasked with building civilizations from the ground up—gathering resources, expanding their economy, advancing through ages, and commanding armies in large-scale battles. The game rewards both careful planning and quick decision-making, creating a satisfying and engaging experience every time you play.

One of the game’s greatest strengths is its depth. With numerous civilizations to choose from—each with unique bonuses, units, and playstyles—no two matches feel the same. This variety adds incredible replayability and encourages players to constantly adapt and refine their strategies.

The gameplay has aged remarkably well. Whether you're playing the original version or the Definitive Edition, the controls feel responsive, and the overall experience remains smooth and enjoyable even by modern standards. The updated visuals and quality-of-life improvements in newer versions only enhance what was already an outstanding foundation.

Another standout feature is the soundtrack and overall atmosphere. The music is subtle yet immersive, perfectly complementing the historical setting and enhancing both peaceful building moments and intense battles.

Beyond single-player, Age of Empires II thrives in multiplayer. Its competitive scene is still active, with a passionate community that continues to keep the game alive. This longevity is a testament to its exceptional design and lasting appeal.

Overall, Age of Empires II is a masterpiece of the RTS genre. Its balance of accessibility and depth, combined with its historical charm and strategic complexity, makes it a must-play for any strategy fan.

10/10 – One of the best strategy games ever made.

Halo Wars is one of those rare strategy games that stays with you long after you stop playing. It’s not just another RTS—it’s a game I grew up with. I spent hundreds of hours playing it on Xbox 360, and even today it still holds a special place for me.

What makes Halo Wars stand out is its simplicity combined with surprising depth. At first glance, the game feels very straightforward, with intuitive controls and easy-to-understand mechanics. But once you dive deeper, you discover a wide range of strategic possibilities—from base building and resource management to unit composition and battlefield tactics. This balance makes the game enjoyable for both newcomers and experienced players.

The gameplay has aged incredibly well, and it feels just as good today—especially on devices like the Steam Deck, where everything runs smoothly and naturally. It’s a great example of how a well-designed strategy game can remain fun and accessible years after release.

Another major highlight is the soundtrack. The music is absolutely fantastic and adds a strong atmosphere to the game. Whether you’re in the middle of a battle or preparing your base, the soundtrack enhances every moment and perfectly fits the Halo universe.

Overall, Halo Wars is a masterpiece. It proves that a strategy game doesn’t need to be overly complicated to be engaging and memorable. With its polished gameplay, strong atmosphere, and lasting appeal, it easily stands among the best strategy and base-building games available.

10/10, still one of the best RTS games I've ever played.

Review: Battlefield 6 – When Promises Aren’t Enough

Battlefield 6 was supposed to be a return to the franchise’s roots — a bold statement from DICE proving they could still deliver a truly authentic war experience. Unfortunately, the reality is far from that. Even though I didn’t expect much from EA, this release managed to disappoint me more than I thought possible.

One of the biggest issues is the direction the series has taken. Before launch, DICE promised that Battlefield 6 wouldn’t include colorful, unrealistic skins. Yet the moment Season 1 arrived, we got a battle pass packed with bizarre cosmetic items that completely break the immersion.

Visually, the game is technically impressive, but the overall look feels far too bright and artificial. Instead of a gritty, realistic battlefield, players are greeted with oversaturated lighting and cartoonish effects that strain the eyes rather than draw you in.

The biggest letdown, however, is the gunplay. Compared to Battlefield 4, weapons feel less responsive and lack weight, resulting in a far more arcade-like experience. Personally, I found the best gunplay in Battlefield V — it struck a better balance with stronger recoil and more grounded weapon behavior.

Equally puzzling is the decision to let the sniper class use weapons like the M4. It completely undermines the purpose of having distinct classes and ruins the sense of tactical balance that the series was once known for.

Overall, Battlefield 6 feels more like an ultra-casual arcade shooter than the serious, team-based military experience fans expect. The franchise has lost much of its identity and what once made it stand apart from its competitors.

If you’re looking for realism, teamwork, and immersive atmosphere, Battlefield 6 will likely leave you disappointed. Personally, I’d rather stick with Arma Reforger, a title that still respects both its players and the genre.

Score: 4/10 – A flashy but shallow experience that forgets what Battlefield used to stand for.

Honestly, this Arma is an absolute masterpiece. Considering it’s only a demo for the upcoming Arma 4, it already shows huge potential. The gameplay feels smoother and more engaging, and the optimization is far better than in Arma 3. Even on demanding missions, performance stays surprisingly stable — a massive step forward for the series.

The gunplay is realistic and satisfying, the environments are beautifully detailed, and the atmosphere really pulls you in. It’s clear that Bohemia Interactive is taking the right direction with this project.

The community deserves special praise — players are friendly, cooperative, and genuinely passionate about teamwork. It’s one of the most positive and dedicated gaming communities I’ve ever experienced.

However, it’s worth mentioning that Arma still shines the most when played with others who communicate by voice. For solo players or those who prefer not to use a microphone, the experience can feel a bit limited, since teamwork and coordination are such a big part of the game’s design.

Overall, this demo already feels like a full experience — fun, immersive, and technically impressive. If this is just a glimpse of what Arma 4 will offer, the future of the series looks incredibly bright.

10/10 — a must-play for any tactical shooter fan.

Without a doubt, the worst survival game I've ever played.
Your only goal is to run endlessly around a massive, empty map — even though you're supposedly playing on a server with 100 other players, you'll never run into a single one. You might find food after 30 minutes of wandering, only to immediately start struggling with thirst. The whole "survival" experience boils down to boring, repetitive resource hunting with zero variety or engagement.

Sure, your dinosaur evolves over time — but at what cost? Four to five hours of mind-numbing gameplay? And if you enable full growth speed, you just end up sprinting aimlessly across the map like a hyperactive maniac until you eventually die.

This game is essentially a reskin of DayZ, just with dinosaurs instead of zombies. In the end, it’s little more than a running simulator set in an oversized, lifeless world.

Overall: The Isle doesn't deserve more than a 2.5/10

The game is very addictive, but over time it will get boring very quickly, or you will stop enjoying 5 of the same maps after a while. I hope that the developers will take care of the game and add new maps or even new items, because R.E.P.O. has great potential.

Lifeless and boring game, the game tries to copy games like DayZ, RUST and SCUM.
PVP is very lifeless, shooting has absolutely nothing to do with realism, you can see that it is from Russian developers who can't make games. the golden Czechs, Croatians and Brits who can make perfect survival games.
I played the game only because of the free weekend, I definitely wouldn't buy this game even for 1€, this game should be free to play 3/10.

It plays well on the Steam Deck with medium settings, 35-40fps+, but on PC, it feels weird due to the sensitive controls. You can tell it’s a game made for consoles. On PC, it's only really playable with a gamepad; on the keyboard, it's a nightmare, especially when driving cars.

The game is something like The Sims + Project Zomboid = State of Decay 2, but it still lacks a lot. What annoys me is that you can only have one main base, and some bugs really get on my nerves, like when a car can get stuck on a small stone. The only way to fix it is to shut down the game and restart, but you lose all progress on the mission. 7/10.