Recent reviews by BOWLCUTICUS

I'll start by saying that theHunter: Call of the Wild is a good game, but I personally like WotH (Way of the Hunter) more, but I'll describe that with an analogy:

When I was younger, I loved both Call of Duty and Battlefield, both were fantastic shooters, especially for my more immediate-satisfaction-oriented mind in my teenage/younger years haha, and I see the analogy being suitable between this game and that game. Both are well-made games for similar-but-different audiences, and the truth of it is you will probably buy both in the end, as they kind of complimented each other depending on your mood for what you're looking to play for the day, so most of your friends that played one also played the other.

theHunter: CotW has more environments (I think double or more), more weapons (not just more, but more types of weapons as well), more animals, and better multiplayer communication because there simply is no in-game multiplayer communication for WotH; perhaps that will be addressed someday and/or they'll include it in the new Early Access launch, WotH2.

If both games offered the same environments, weapons and weapon types, animals, and if both had methods of forming a multiplayer community with in-game features, WotH would be the better game all-around, so I will say that I think that WotH is the better singleplayer game (and multiplayer game if in a Discord chat/call with friends), because when considerations are par for par (they're not though), WotH is better in every way. Why? Everything feels notably more real, so that's definitely a subjective distinction, and some may prefer less-real; it's not that theHunter: CotW feels arcadey per se, but there is a recognizable difference. theHunter: CotW gameifies more aspects into a RPG-style way, and while these elements still exist in WotH, they are passive in WotH, making WotH more immersive and authentic; I like how WotH does it because I don't like having to unlock a skill or perk in a tree to do something better which should be a skill resulting from raw player input/skill, but that's just my preference.

One thing that theHunter: CotW definitely has over WotH is noise moving through foliage; this is not a factor in WotH but they have addressed that to some extent in WotH2: this is a huge ordeal in stalk hunting and shoots the realism way up, so good on theHunter: CotW for putting that in while WotH overlooked it in the first game! This forces you to track indirectly or align shots from indirect pathing, pushing the difficulty up at times, which is nice!

I can definitely tell that in WotH2, they're going for the throat of theHunter: CotW though by seemingly trying to combine elements of both games, so that's something to keep an eye on, as it has just launched in Early Access.

If you see this game (or WotH) on some insane 75%-90% sale, just buy it (or both) because, if you're into hunting games, chances are some of your friends have this, given the popularity of the game, because it's a good game that held a unique niche for quite a while. If none of my friends are on though, I definitely prefer to play WotH and I'm really hyped for WotH2.

TL;DR: No regrets and I still like playing this, but WotH is better in most ways, IMO.

This game is truly awesome and, in my opinion, a contender for Game of The Year already!

I'd love to see aiming down sights outside of emplaced weapons, scoped weapons, and tank guns, alongside a few other realism elements, but this is some of the most fun that I've had in a long time and it's in a great setting to top it off. It's not a mil-sim, it's not completely arcadey, it's a fantastic balance built by developers who have pumped out a dozen hotfixes within the first week; truly unheard of commitment.

You won't regret this purchase, which is at one of the best launch prices I've seen in a long time.

What's not to love? It's robot Red Dawn in late-80s Sweden with a Fallout-style crafting system. I've had many hours of fun on this game with friends. It's not the best-optimized game I've ever seen, but it's pretty, runs well-enough for most people, and it's unique gameplay/enemies, and with simple controls (which helps with convincing friends to jump in with you). I'll give it an 8/10, would recommend, especially if it's half-price or less!

If I had to rename this game before 14DEC2023, I would've called it "Cope Scriptum" because it is still a half-step between Battlefield 1 and Squad 44 (formerly known as "Post Scriptum") with lower effort than both, which is saying a lot given Post Scriptum was abandoned for a year or so until it became Squad 44.

Hell Let Loose is torn between an interesting spot, realism and arcade, with attempts at mil-sim elements, which can be okay (Battlefield 1 did this in an acceptable manner while definitely leaning towards arcade). HLL has a promising idea, but it doesn't feel smooth, which is usually something mil-sim players opt for, while this is definitely not a mil-sim.

First off, know that joining a game is terrible; queues are limited to 5 players last I checked, maybe it's 6 now, and I had to click on about 10 servers before I could join one that said it had plenty of free spots. That alone can put you in a bad mood before even getting into a game, especially if you're trying to join a game with friends that are already in the game, and another person hops in the chat and wants to join later. Other games have this issue with queue systems, I played a lot of Squad and S44, but the queues are massive in those games, so you can click on it, then Alt+Tab out of the game and do something, then check on it every few minutes while you get a snack or something, but no, in this game you must wait until there's enough space for you to even click on it so that you can even get into the queue and then go get a snack or Alt+Tab out of the game, which is ridiculous in my opinion.

Squad size is too small, both realistically and for gameplay reasons. 6 man squads should be 8 man squads instead, and vehicle squads should be 3 to 4 man instead of 2. Too small of a squad takes away from squad cohesion when people can get incapacitated or get killed very quickly, making it resemble CoD/arcadey gunplay more than a strategic shooter (which is what this game's mechanics seem to attempt to replicate).

Movement straight-up sucks; there's no notable difference between standing-sprint and crouch-sprint speed (so no one will ever stand up and sprint, removing the reason for one of the most common controls in any shooter game, standing-sprint).

Trying to use a bipod as a machinegunner in HLL is absolute agony and basically doesn't let you act and react appropriately like you can in S44 most of the time.

Gunplay is slanted heavily towards automatics (submachineguns specifically); no one can adjust their fire selector on guns that actually have them, nor can anyone adjust their sights so that they can engage further away more effectively and have a better chance with their rifles against the automatics. You can only adjust holds/PoA (Point of Aim) and cover the target with your front sight, fire, then move your gun back down and see if the target moving or shooting back anymore, which is not ideal at all for any realistic game where you have distance between you and someone with a disadvantage while you have a weapon that has adjustable sights. Sure, it makes sense to do that out to 100-200m, as most rifles fly pretty flat with a 100 yd or 100m zero out to those distances, but not beyond that; so rifles are inherently nerfed and submachineguns (even the Thompson has very low recoil) are inherently buffed. Due to the aforementioned issues with bipods, the submachineguns are effectively the machineguns and half the squad has them, which is debatably acceptable for the Eastern Front, but this is not representative of the North African, Italian, Scandinavian, or Western European battles. Rifles (the most common role in Infantry by far) are a pain to use, Machineguns (the most decisive small arm of WW1 and WW2) are even more of a pain to use, thus everyone is running around with Stens, Thompsons, Greaseguns, MP40s, and PPSh41 submachineguns unless they can't; not good.

Medics don't revive, there aren't enough of them, and the respawn timers have never made sense, making you feel like you're waiting on the deploy screen more than you're playing or experiencing the action; this is never a good game design if you're forgoing realism/authenticity to make a more-accessible game.

So everyone is crouched, running through pseudo-lanes, without the most-significant squad-oriented small arm in WW2, with rare medics who sometimes do their jobs... which makes no sense... and sounds like CoD WW2 on a bigger map.

Everything in HLL feels clunkier than the more mil-sim game that is S44, which is hyper-weird, and in S44, I get to see a lot more action, I don't feel outgunned with a bolt-action rifle, I can adjust my sights (on the guns that have them, which is most of them), I get plenty of ammunition and basically never run out, and as a rifleman, I also get an ammunition box to drop for whoever needs it first, and worst case, I put a bayonet on my rifle (if I have a rifle) or use the bayonet like you can use the shovel in HLL, regardless of class. In S44, if I'm fortunate enough to get an automatic, I'm in such a good position, but not an overpowered position like in HLL, unless I'm within 100m or less of the enemy. If I get the machinegunner, I can prop it up on the bipod in half a second and fold the bipod back up in another half second, which is so far above where Hell Let Loose is with machinegun usage. With that being said, I'm afraid the muzzle flash update has ruined S44, because a Kar98k or a M1 Garand looks like it's a flamethrower now and you can be spotted mid-day like you just fired a flare. It's a shame, I basically feel as though I don't have a fun WW2 game; perhaps Black Orchestra, a mod for Rising Storm 2 Vietnam, is almost done and on Steam.

All of this that I've talked about has been a compilation of oversights for years and I cannot comprehend it, I've waited, played, watched friends and streamers after I quit out of the game, and it's still the same not-quite-fun experience. I hope this reaches the devs and that they address it, because it could be the great game that others claim that it is with a little more direction and polishing. This COULD be a game that I enjoy, but as it stands, all of it together, it's too much that I don't like shoved into one game.

One very significant positive though: HLL does run far better than it used to, as of about a year or so ago, notably better than S44 nowadays, though this is several years after release. HLL went from constant micro-and-major-stutters to mostly-smooth-with-a-few-stutters on my same system, I'm sure everyone is glad of that, so props to the dev team for that! Many devs can pump out an otherwise great game but cant make them run well on older or current hardware, so I have to give them credit where credit is due.

If you want A pre-drones/thermals first person shooter that's not mainstream, I'd recommend Isonzo, Squad 44, and/or Rising Storm 2: Vietnam (and it's mod, Black Orchestra that should be coming out soon), or I'd recommend waiting on Gallipoli and/or '83 to release. My enjoyment with this game has been very rare, and it's more about the friends I played with than the game itself; wait for them to address these issues before you buy it, in my opinion.

I've played since Operation Flashpoint in 2001, love these games, but this is unlike prior Arma games in a fundamental way. Don't get me wrong, the older Arma games are some of the best ever made, but I feel that this has surpassed them and put itself in a category that is appealing for people who are used to modern games, even arcade games, by making it accessible to them. This game still feels like a "mil-sim" (a hyper-authentic and hyper-realistic shooter game), so all of the loyal audience leading up to this game should be happy, but this engine rework has put Arma into a more-general relevancy in the perspective those who generally like shooter games. This game is now Crossplay with not just Xbox, but PlayStation as well, so the population will always be there, which is huge for any game, especially the first (at least, the first big-name) "mil-sim" to hit consoles. Additionally, the modding community is thriving as much as any other game, if not more, and it's easy to learn to do within a few weeks or months. If you like shooters at all, there's some mod pack which greatly alters the game, some game mode whether official or modded, some server, something here for you and this game is here to stay for a long time, at the least, until Arma 4 is released and stable.

TL;DR: If you like shooter games, get it.

Good gameplay, it's fun, but understand how much you'll have to shoot someone to win in a Battlefield game if you're coming from any mil-sim type of game. Generally, I'd recommend something I enjoyed as much as this but there's a huge caveat mentioned below.

The progression/unlock system for the Steam version is broken. You're supposed to get coins to unlock things (new gear, new vehicles, and new specializations/upgrades for both) and at the end of the match it will say that you got it, or it will pop up mid-match, but you go back to your main screen and it's not there most of the time; also, as you progress you will get these unlocks less and less due it taking longer to level up or the challenges becoming more difficult, which really delays being able to unlock and be competitive with the people who have been playing longer and already have their setups worked out. I contacted their customer support about it and they gave me the run around and never helped and credited my account with what I screenshot that I was supposed to get but never received through the automated system in the game, but they were glad to take my money and that system works perfectly if you want to buy something in-game.

EA does not care to fix the progression/unlock problem in this game, it seems. This was a problem after Battlefield was brought back to Steam and I've not tried in a year or so but I noticed I never left a review stating this.

Edit on 11DEC2023: Yep, the progression system is still broken on the Steam version. Still a fun game, it's a shame really. Thankfully, I apparently just brought the unlock bundle when I was frustrated at some point and now it's not quite as much of a pain; I can just spend the points on upgrades rather than having to spend them on gear or a vehicle unlock AND THEN upgrades for what I've unlocked.

Based devs, best flight sim game, I wish they would add more ground forces though! Anyways 10/10 <3

The TL;DR for the less-patient ones: Squad keeps getting better and better. If you loved Battlefield Bad Company 1/2 or Battlefield 3/4, this is your PC/upgraded game; you will find nothing that suits you better for this type of feel. Don't get frustrated, just accept the learning curve, use the rifleman kit with a red dot or iron sights if possible or a medic kit for starters, be a team player and learn the game; if you deny the urge to blame the game that we're all playing and the mechanics that we're all working through for why you suck, win or lose, you'll probably have a great time most of the time. I'm sure we all suck right now compared to how we used to play; with the new Infantry Combat Overhaul (v6.0 update) the devs turned the game from a calculated MMA for-sport cagefight into a chaotic bar brawl between the fans of two sportsball teams AND I LOVE IT!

This is the Battlefield we deserve, borthers. The new v6.0 update is amazing and nailed the bit addressing the revision with teamplay incentives in mind; it's so immersive that it feels real and the new mechanics provide challenge to everyone, regardless of experience level, while making smart/decisive vehicular movement and combined forces all-the-more important. I'm pretty sure I've had this game since before there were Humvees (maybe just after Humvees were added), way before v1.0, and I feel the ICO (v6.0 update) is the happiest I've ever been with the game (despite a few disconnect issues occasionally but game restarts seem to fix it), so it finally gets my review!

A lot of people are fussing because of the new update but scope shadow, eye relief, and shifting of the focal point from the target to the magnified optic's reticle are real things and that is now reflected with the new update, everything has a trade-off and that's just the way it goes; unless you're magnifying a reflex sight, you ARE making tangible sacrifices with your reaction time by choosing to use magnification, so roll with it and get experience! If the scope shadow/eye relief when walking and aiming, and the simulated focal point shift with blurring the perifpherals (because you do focus on the reticle when aiming with a scope, not the target) issues y'all are having are simply too much to bear, play with a kit that has a reflex sight or iron sights, it's definitely better to be able to aim less-precisely at something small than to suffer and not be able to find the target at all if you're sucking with magnification. Scopes are not the end-all-be-all and that was true even before this update, though few glorious Chads understood that. If you are fussing because you can't run for half a mile with 25-35 kg of stuff on you and then immediately aim, then stabilize in a half second or less, then drop a dude from another quarter to half mile away in one precise headshot, I don't even know what to tell you bro; people play this because they don't want to play COD and/or when they don't want to balance the the big-brained logistics macro of Arma. If you cannot even anymore because the devs nerfed your exploits by getting closer to their goal of making an ultra-realistic game even more realistic over time, reinstall Fortnite No-Build I guess.

This is a fun game with some negatives; I played the crap out of it when I had Xbox PC Game Pass then bought it on sale on Steam. It's Crossplay so you can play with your friends on consoles or different platforms, so that's cool. This is the first Sniper Elite game realistic-feeling ballistics in it, it's not dead-on or anything, but the bullet flight time, the lead, and drop are pretty legitimate to where you won't question it, though the wind is a bit extreme.

1. The game has false chokepoints like what Hell Let Loose suffers from (the map seems bigger and more open than it is).
2. You can adjust your zero, but the increments are shoddy beyond 300m with big gaps between the different ranges on most scopes, making it basically nearly useless to engage beyond 300m regardless of how much magnification you have (that's fine, but it could've been better).
3. If you equip a suppressor, the already-dumb AI is broken unless they see their friend get hit or get killed, or they get hit themselves; the game basically plays itself. So I don't use suppressors.
4. As already mentioned, the AI is dumb and will go out of alert after a certain time rather than continue to track and search for you, regardless of difficulty.

I bought this for Axis Invasion and multiplayer and basically, on Axis Invasion, the Allied sniper/s get wall hacks (Focus mode) on any difficulty lower than Authentic, and Allied sniper/s can get AP ammo that can penetrate 4-6 feet of concrete with a standard rifle (so there is no such thing as cover for the Axis Invader), while the Axis invader can reveal location every few mintues, after the first 5 minutes or so have passed. I played a game a few moments ago where my location was revealed 6 times in just a few minutes before I could reveal his location even once with the invasion phone. Also, most people in Axis Invasion try to get kills with secondaries, handguns, or throwables/traps, so you're rarely going to get that Enemy At The Gates experience. One last thing about Axis Invasion, you cannot filter for players of the same or similar difficulty, which would be nice. Also, photo mode wrecks this Axis Invasion when people won't play honorably and they still haven't addressed it.

A good game of Axis Invasion requires these things:
1. people who don't use Photo Mode to find each other
2. an axis invader who goes seemlessly between stealthy and blending with the AI troops
3. an allied player who doesn't use Focus mode (Authentic difficulty)

I'd give it a 5 or 6 out of 10, MAYBE a 7 out of 10. The game feels rushed and they keep focusing on DLCs instead of addressing bigger issues or Quality of Life things and it will always be limited by being a third-person shooter. If you want a real sniper game, they still haven't really made one to my knowledge.

If you loved Verdun and Tannenberg, it feels like an improvement upon those. Not as many nations/units/weapons to choose from, at least not yet, but the devs are really listening to the playerbase and pushing out updates rather than attempting to placate people with fresh content instead of fixing things; the devs are doing it right.

Realistic but not painful (unless your officers don't know what they're doing and the other team's officers do). The only negative in my opinion is the matches seem to be decided by the call-ins by the officers, but good teamwork can keep officers from being as effective if they destroy the enemy radio positions or keep the enemy officers from getting to them.

Great flow and gameplay. Love it. If you don't want to play COD or Battlefield but you don't want to play Squad or Escape From Tarkov, this is a great middleground so long as you're cool with using authentic old guns (meaning some will feel clunky as they were and have their quirks, which I think is cool and adds difficulty).