Recent reviews by Chabs

I want to like this game, but I just can't bring myself to.

I has everything that would scratch my brain. Intricate systems that you can micromanage, complex damage models, a full arsenal to pick from which provides great variety. But the gameplay loop is just... So unappealing.

Every map is a random proceduraly generated arena, which means there's 0 intentionality. That would be whatever if the fighting wasn't so dull.
Enemies just hover around, and the second they're aware of your presence, they just zigzag their way way to you. No matter the distance, they'll lock-on with perfect accuracy after a couple of "test shots", no matter the unit. So it really becomes a matter of which demi-god deals the least DPS. It's NOT fun. And it's made MUCH worse by the fact that most scenarios I've encountered have unlimited spawns.

If the story was at least semi-interesting, I'd try to get through it. But nah. So as much as I WANT to enjoy this, the game's just not grabbing my attention at all due to its core mechanic being so eh.

GTA San Andreas still is the legendary game that it is. But this version is an abomination.
And this isn't just a graphics thing. Some of the improvements are welcome, tho jarring as they deviate from the original art direction.

It's an abomination because it is a port of a vastly VASTLY inferior version, a MOBILE game mind you, which was then moved over to Unreal Engine. Roughly, the way it works is that the original Rage Engine is running beneath Unreal Engine. And from the look of things, not much attention was put into it. For a game with such attention to detail (for its time), it's shameful.

The vast concensus is that the PS2 version is the golden standard. It's no surprise, as the technically superior PC version shines brightest with mods that seek to restore that signature look of the PS2. And that's the main issue: This version pisses on the intentional design choices of the OG. Not just in terms of looks, but gameplay too, with broken mechanics, ruined minigames... A botched job.

I would've also liked to see some efforts to modernize a few systems, like outfit selection which was always slow due to hardware limitations of the time, perhaps a collectibles tracker, remastered audio, pushing the game a little further than it could in the past.

To be completely fair, the current Defenitive Edition is perfectly functional. Haven't encountered a single game breaking bug, it's still the same GTA story underneath. But it's just impossible to recommend when the original was butchered the way it was, and delisted. A shame.

The game's lost a lot of charm in this so called "Definitive Edition". Sure, it runs ok. It's got some modern bells and whistles like reflections and dynamic lighting. But THE look is gone. The look that made GTA 3 what it was, it's color grading, it's textures, it's UI and menu. It's small things in retrospect, but these things defined this legend of a game regardless, the one that started it all.

Now it's a bland looking oversaturated cartoon.

There's really something to be said about the pursuit of "modernization" in terms of graphics. If a remaster has to lose what made the original stand out, it iss just a thoughtless cash grab, which is exactly what this "Definitive Edition" trilogy is.

Update 07/01/2026: I feel like I have to amend my original review.

My criticism regarding the early game difficulty spike, and the need to have prior knowledge of what an adequate build, remains. I feel like that kind of sucks for unlucky new players, who may feel like the game robbed them of their time.

But I ended up thoroughly enjoying the ride, from the Expedition expansion (easily a high point) all the way to the end. You can tell the game is a multi-year endeavor, with how environements and writting improves. I'd say that would warrant a 2nd pass to improve the earliest content.

I was hooked the whole time, for more than 200 hours. Sure, there was a lot of backtracking, a lot of save-scumming, some sluggish momeents, but I really liked the whole package. The universe's lore is rich, and couldn't care less about you learning about it or not. Some times, it is outright denied. And while it can be annoying at times, that's more than fine. It's a narrative choice, just like life. You can't always know everything.

All in all, if you enjoy CRPGs, dig in.

Previous review:

Good enough that I easily played 100h+ so far.

Not 'perfect' by any stretch. Skill distribution will determine success or rage, but only after investing considerable amounts of time in the game. The difficulty spike is sharp but slow to come. I was lucky enough to have picked a very viable build after checking a couple guides. But unless I'm playing hardcore or for the 2nd time, a 1st playthrough shouldn't necessitate in depth knowledge of the game's systems.

The gameplay loop is rather rudimentary and HEAVILY relies on save scumming, not that I mind. Initiative, hit chance and damage multipliers. It's all about solving puzzles with RNG. But despite that, it can give rise to satisfying moments, when the stars align just the right way (and you've laid out a 100 traps across the room).

The lore is interesting, and frankly what's keeping me on rails for the most part. The mystery keeps you really engaged, and the lore feels very fleshed out. But some of the moment to moment stuff comes across as amateurish. Some of the in-dialogue descriptions can be very long for what information they provide, dialogues can be dry, lacking flavor, and sometimes sounds like a teenager's idea of what X or Y concept is. Also for a game with so many options to create a variety of builds, there's often very little options to approach situations. I suppose I can appreciate narrative commitment in an RPG, but there's major dissonance when you're given options for some things but not others where it would make sense to have one. Also, with the wrong selection of skills, you can easily be locked out of a lost of things.

All in all, I realize some of the criticism can come off as harsh, but that's really because I appreciate this game and the effort put into it. We don't often get good CRPGs

Simple, casual, mindless fun. A great Jet Set Radio successor.

Music is MINT, which is a must for a game like this.
Controls: super simple. A controller is recommended but not essential.

A great buy!

Assassin's Creed III floated so Black Flag could sail.

Everything about this entry feels like a beta for what was to come with AC IV. The semi-open world maps, hunting, sailing, the gameplay... It's really all a worse AC IV.

I don't know if it's a product of the Remaster (I don't remember the original too much), but it's worse than I remember it? The game feels very clunky, like I'm riding a bumper car. The player character is so floaty, traversal is often times unresponsive, combat is really random and uninspired.

It also feels very unfinished. The cutscenes are nice, but in-world there's lots of missing sound cues, like the game is silent most of the time when there's supposed to be either some music, a voice, ambient sound... It's not at all immersive.

And let's not forget the UI, which is atrocious. The menus are a chore to navigate, not at all intuitive. The worst offenders are the crafting and codex menus. I don't even feel like reading the entries just because of how tedious it is.

Ultimately not a great replay. A product of its time, but even then I feel like it wasn't that great to begin with. It does make me appreciate the modern AC gameplay more.

Say what you will about Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed franchise, but one things for sure: They don't mess around when it comes to building worlds.

AC Mirage is very much a "back to the roots" entry. It's not exactly AC1, it's obviously more advanced, but it's also not nearly as complex as recent entries. And I'm not saying that as a pejorative. It's actually rather simple, yet enjoyable, so long as the traversal doesn't sometimes piss you off.

The story isn't much to write about, you've probably played about 5 games like it before. The voice acting could use more love, it's very flat.

Where it really shines to me is with the setting. Sure, they take a few liberties here and there, but it really puts those old stories I'd read as a child into perspective. It's so well designed, so vibrant, really on par with AC Odyssey and Origins. A bit of a minus with regards to the Arabic voice over, both ambient and as a main language. Despite the game's accuracy in many respects, they somehow chose classical Arabic for literally every kind of conversation. It's very jarring, not only to a modern ear, but also considering there were dialects even then. But that's just a pet peeve.

While you won't be playing anything ground breaking, it still feels like some sort of labor of love. It's functional and somewhat enjoyable, especially if you appreciate history.
A good grab at a discount.

Greatly atmospheric with a simple but engaging gameplay loop.

It's pretty simple really. You're a fisherman in a Lovecraftian world, who's set to uncover the mysteries of the region. To do so, you control a fishing boat. It can be upgraded and improved in various ways, and is the literal embodiment of the character. You'll be using it to fish and go from A to B.
I won't spoil anything about the setting, other the fact you get to explore a variety of zones, each with their unique fish population.

If you're not a fan of those "grindy" kinds of games, where you have to go to different locations to collect and upgrade stuff, chances are you won't quite enjoy Dredge. But you seemingly don't need to do it longer than you have to. you really don't need to be decked out. I just happen to love collect-a-thons.

A very fun, very original take on the puzzle genre. A bit thin on the narrative side, which sort of makes me think the story was tacked on as a sort of after-thought, but that's not a deal-breaker.

The game's central mechanic revolves around the use of images, photos, paintings to advance puzzles. You can take a picture of an existing structure in the world, aim somewhere and "make that photo real". Or you can pick up existing images, and "make them real" to progress. It's genuinely fun to see and play around with.

I wish there was more of it, with more variety and diversity, like the use of physics and modifiers like aspect ratios or colors. But for what it is, it's really good!