Recent reviews by Jaegermeister

100+ attempts on the last boss. I'm near tears. 10/10.

This isn't just a mod. This is a Half-Life game.

It's good.

Fantastic little experience. Badass voice acting. No reason not to download. Looking forward to what this team has to offer next.

One of those historical games that changes everything.

All roads lead deeper into the woods.

Half Life is one of my personal all time favorite single player line of games. I love the lore, the gameplay, the quirks, and the community. Half Life 1 is my favorite entry into the series because of Black Mesa as a setting, and the situation that the main character finds himself in. I find the "one target among many" to be an incredibly attractive scenario for a FPS and the only goal being to survive by any means necessary a relatable one. I've followed this recreation project from the beginning when it was only a mod and have watched it grow as well as the community around it. This review will be biased.

Gameplay
The gameplay is comparable to games like Doom, where you have an arsenal of weapons by the end of the game, and progression is focused on a variety of combat encounters, environmental puzzles, and unique situations. You move from chapter to chapter fighting aliens and humans alike, and can utilize Black Mesa personnel to assist you in your escape as the story progresses. You manage health, suit power, ammo, and need to use a tactical approach to each situation, like using the right weapon for the job. It rewards exploration throughout your linear journey and it is a roller coaster of mechanics until the end. The AI is good, but at times there are weird difficulty spikes and cheap deaths.

Story
You are Gordon Freeman, PhD. You arrive to work at a top secret, Area 51-like science base in New Mexico. You are tasked with analyzing a new sample delivered to your department. Fast forward a few days and Freeman is fighting his way through an alien boarderworld to close a rift between dimensions as a one man army after successfully evading a military manhunt against him. The story is soaked in sciencey goodness and will attract those that appreciate a unique take on the classic alien invasion with a larger scheme at play.

Graphics
They're good and even better to those who played Half Life.

If you have never played Half Life before, and are trying to decide which version to play, my advice as a long time fan is... It doesn't matter. If you want to try it retro first, go for it. Black Mesa will be sweeter if you enjoy it. If you don't like old games, play Black Mesa first, the new coat of paint and refined levels will likely attract you.

Play until you get the jump boots to get the best experience.

If you have a fear of dogs play this game.

Lost In Vivo is a new, lesser known first person indie survival horror game on Steam that takes many notes from games like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Eternal Darkness, but remains it's own project and isn't a rip-off. It's normally priced at 12 USD, but is currently on sale for 7.91 USD. It features combat, resource management, symbolism based storytelling, and a vibe that is so creepy it brought me back to when I first played Silent Hill. Gameplay is about 3 to 4 hours if you're a veteran horror player.

The story is not as symbolically deep as Silent Hill, but is perfectly structured for the purpose it is trying to serve, and the size of the game. Your purposely ambiguously detailed character is walking their service dog when suddenly it is forced down a storm drain and into the sewer. You find the nearest manhole to go in after her. What you find is more than you bargained for, and the only thing you can do is follow your dog's distant barking, deeper and deeper into the bowls of the city.

It isn't spooky for the sake of jumpscares or entertainment, but rather there is deliberate design to the psychological horror to tell its story. Every enemy has its place and a reason for existing, as well as their placement in the world. At many points the game breaks continuity and the 4th wall to scare and unease the player, all in ways I haven't seen since I played Eternal Darkness on my GCube; it also does it to tell some of the story. Its art direction is even designed around PS1 era horror, complete with jittering textures and low render distance in some places.

The gunplay is just as it should be in a horror game. The ammo is scarce, the aiming isn't super accurate, and each weapon has its own quirks (such as your badly damaged pistol not always firing when you want it to). It's clumsy enough to make survival a question, but not so bad that it's annoying and you hate the game. It strikes that balance pretty well!
The original soundtrack is great (very Akira Yamaoka), and there are a LOT of secrets such as hidden bosses, multiple endings, hidden encounters, alternate weapon skins, and other neat little surprises around every corner. There is new game + which adds plenty of replayability as the game changes on your second, third, fourth+ run so there are still scares to be had.

Technically the game is iffy, as there are a couple graphical bugs and a few minor glitches here and there. But nothing that was too apparant or took me out of the experience. Also the levels can be a little disjointed, and that's fine if that's the goal, but as a spoiler free example imagine if you were playing a game where you're in a castle dungeon and suddenly you find yourself in a modern trainyard. That kind of abrupt change in scenery happens once or twice in this game. In addition, there are some areas where it's kinda drab or samey. But that isn't too apparent.

For the price, and the quality, I would say please please please give Lost In Vivo a try, especially if you like games like Silent Hill, Eternal Darkness, and other classic survival horror experiences!

PS, LOAD THE GAME UP AT MIDNIGHT FOR A SURPRISE.