Recent reviews by Taroth

Literally aura farming season 11

I love Vermintide and Vermintide 2, but this game completely sucks. I'm at a loss for words to describe how boring the setting is, how awful the gearing process is, and how terrible the mechanics are. I wasted $40 so you don't have to (actually I bought it for friends too so I spent way too much on a game I couldn't even enjoy for an hour).

My nostalgia got to me and I purchased this game. Then I remembered that co-op D&D games were so rare that we would play garbage in the past and convince ourselves it was good.

It wasn't good then and its worse now. Bugs, poor mechanics, bad controller response, and no fun factor. Gear doesn't FEEL like it has a meaningful difference on your character. You don't loot gear, you loot garbage that you vendor and buy what the shop sells. I hate those types of loot systems because you never have the excitement of picking up an upgrade.... its just an artificial gate to your progress. You have been warned.

Valheim is a wonderful experience. I think the game has nailed lots of little details that make it charming. Aesthetically speaking it is beautiful. The use of pixel art and lighting creates a world that begs to be explored. Combat is "souls-like" only insofar as it has a stamina bar, block, parry and dodge. Combat is fun, rewarding, and can be challenging.

The building system is a joy. I've spent most of my time building a Viking town rather than adventuring. The way you can mix different materials to create structures is excellent. I have never felt anyone had really made an experience as enjoyable as Minecraft, but this game is leagues beyond. A more realistic approach to physics does elevate this engine.

Crafting and progression in the game is well done. Things are gated behind boss encounters in different biomes, but it is the combination of consumables that allows your character to grow. Crafting new foods or items increases your statistics making new exploration possible. Just when you have developed a solution to carrying your spoils home, you will learn new patterns to make things more efficient. While food/crafting is somewhat limited, the developers are adding more in the future to give this feature set depth. I've found that every item has a purpose and that is a testament to the careful considerations the developers have given to the experience.

I haven't been captivated by a game in this way in a long time. Not like I need to tell you based on the number of positive reviews, but I strongly recommend this game.

I wanted to take my time before publishing a review of this game. It is now April 5, we are multiple patches in, and I have a lvl 78 character who is working on their last upgrade for the endgame city. I love ARPGs and play almost all of them to their endgame.

TLDR: Fun combat, great visuals, nice campaign, but a shallow endgame means this title does not have the longevity you might expect from the genre. Lots of potential, but it hasn't achieved its best yet.

Bugs:
I have only encountered a few bugs in the game. Nothing I encountered was game breaking. I see lots of people struggling with issues on the forums and reddit, but by some small miracle I've avoided most (except those that impact talents and skills).

Combat:
This game is slower and more deliberate than POE or D3. I find that combat is heavy. This leads to well designed boss fights that I found exciting and interesting. The addition of a stamina bar for dodging (complete with i-frames) is welcome to the genre. It allows mechanics to be designed with this resource/skill in mind. It is not your typical run and gun ARPG as both POE and Diablo have become. Combat has a weight and rhythm to it that you do not often see in an ARPG. I loved this change of pace, but this is just my preference. Further into endgame you can develop into a faster clearing build, but bosses still take effort.

Graphics:
Beautiful. This game puts all other ARPGs to shame visually. I love the style, the atmosphere, and the levels. I like that skills are apparent without being overbearing (like POE). I always know what is happening on the screen.

Story:
I can't believe I am saying this, but the game has a pretty decent campaign. ARPGs aren't known for their plot, but Wolcen does this very well. I think the game is worth the price for the campaign alone. I really enjoyed my run through the game and I took my time. I felt invested in the story which is antithetical to ARPGs.

Bosses:
This is personal preference, but I love the bosses in this game. It reminds me of early Diablo 3 where the boss fights were mechanics driven and took a long time to complete. Act bosses are standouts. Endgame bosses are fairly repetitive.

Skills and Talents:
This game has more depth than Diablo 3, but is much simpler than POE. Skills level up, get stronger, and unlock talent points to put into skill modifiers. This allows skills to morph like in POE, but in a more streamlined and easy to grasp fashion. Unfortunately, there are not many viable builds out there at the time of this writing. However, the groundwork is there for a deep skill system.

The talent tree is POE lite. There is a skill tree similar to POE, but each tier of skills can rotate to allow more customization. This is an awesome feature, yet not many builds are late game viable and the potential of this character system is not reached.

End Game:
Here is where the game suffers most. End game shows glimmers of brilliance. I love the city building, but it will be too much of a grind for most. The end game functions similar to D3 rifting, but with the ability to use POE style map modifiers. Neat set up, but pushing endgame content to get to the top tier of loot can take a long time. This isn't bad, but it will likely feel like a grind. I can understand how people can get bored with end game in its current state. The lack of terrain, monsters, and bosses adds to the grind. In short, I enjoy the combat so much that it didn't bother me, but this is strictly preference.

Loot:
The game has failed in this department, which will hurt it in the long run. Most great end game items are crafted through a POE lite crafting system. Materials are rare and spamming them is required for good items. Uniques are not interesting, most loot is purely vendor trash, and my best items I created myself. Without great loot to chase, the end game will lose its appeal long term. Trading doesn't exist so the economy just doesn't matter. This needs to be addressed to give the game longevity.

Overall:
Wolcen is a very pretty ARPG. The combat is different from other ARPGs enough to be worth a play through. The campaign is great and the bosses are interesting. End game is lacking at the moment, so you won't sink thousands of hours into this game. There is so much potential here and pre-COVID-19 I thought the team was getting into a rhythm of patching out bugs/tweaking things. It has slowed down since mid-March, but that is to be expected with the current climate. The team did a great job with the game, but it is not a polished AAA title. It has rough spots, struggles with build diversity, and lacks a motivating end game. The systems have great roots and I expect this game to grow into a great game in the future. Right now, play the campaign and anything you get out of end game is gravy.

Honest Reviews by Taroth:
Valkyria Chronicles HD Remaster

Biases: I've owned this game on PS3 since its release. I've completed the game at least 5 times before touching this PC version.

Upgrades: Honestly, there is almost no notable difference between the PC version and the PS3 verison. Graphics are updated, but not enough to matter. All DLC is included in this version so that gets a thumbs up for sure. The DLC does little to add story content (Edy and Selvaria are side stories), but it adds some great combat.

The original game is one of the absolute best tactics RPGs I have ever played! Some background - I started playing turn based tactics games with Xcom in 1994 and I have played just about every tactics game I can get my hands on from Fallout Tactics, FF Tactics, to Disgaea, Phantom Brave, and even D&D tactics on the PSP! I stomached Suikoden tactics.... a horrible game! So, by calling this one of my favorite of the genre should carry some weight.

Why do I love this game?
1. Combat:

The combination of classes, random leveling traits, and the real time movement/combat 3rd person shooter aspect just seem to be perfectly combined in this game. VC 1 is a genre changer, yet it has never been replicated. This game is lightning in a bottle..... combat, tactics, character development, and the plot all work to create a unique gameplay experince and charm that few other titles in the genre have.

The combat system is easy to understand but difficult to master. It is tactical, tense, and exciting. I hate..... HATE vehicles in tactics games- yet they do a great job with the tanks in this game. Recruiting is fun, developing characters is fun, combat is a joy!

The other thing about combat is that people complain they might lose towards the end of a battle and have to replay 45 minutes to an hour and a half of gameplay. This might happen to you. I can think of 2 or 3 combat scenarios in which I lost on my first playthrough (not including DLC). I did not mind replaying missions. If you don't enjoy the combat system, then wiping will be a major issue for you. If you are into tactics games and don't mind replaying missions (I'm looking at you again Fire Emblem), then this is right up your alley.

2. The story:
I can't believe I am saying this about a game not titled Fire Emblem, but I loved the story. It took me a long time to get behind, but in the end this game has a truly fantastic storyline! It touches on racism, war, death, and mysticism. The timing felt slow to start, but it really works to build the characters (only a few main characters) up to set the stage for major plotlines down the road. I grew to loathe the empire and really enjoy the various personalities involved in the resistance. There is a history and life to every aspect of the game. Even your engineers who help with research trees and equipment manufacturing have a backstory. The reporter who follows your battalion also develops.
Be warned, there is a ton of dialogue and plot in this game, but it does pay off.

3. Graphics:
I grew up with JRPGs (yes even those BEFORE FF7 made them mainstream in the US). That said, I am not an anime lover, nor do I find the humor and exageration of anime style games/movies/shows all that compelling. For some reason though, the grapics in this game really grew on me. The way the game feels more like a manga or comic book really works for the presentation. It is almost like playing a tabletop game with character cutouts, although everything moves and reacts in real time. Typically anime art does not bolster the enemies in a way to strike fear into me as a player (I'm more akin to the dark souls style of art for RPGS than the anime style). However, I can say that in the end the art direction in this game is spot on for the type of story they want to tell. A more gritty style would have removed the charm of some characters- who are over the top architypes, but still endearing.

4. Controls:
Use a controller. Okay, that may be harsh. I am several years into this game and only had a PS3 controller to use until now. I didn't give the mouse and keyboard a chance in this version. The controller based controls feel natural and smooth. Hopefully mouse/keyboard is just as good.

5. Overall:

The complete package results in one of those games that I will suggest to other people to play. I rarely do this and can list those games quite easily (FF7, Demons Souls/Dark Souls, Heavy Rain, Axiom Verge, The Witcher Series, Mass Effect 1, Orcs Must Die! 2). Not many make the list of games I strongly recommend, but Valkyria Chronicles does. I even hunted down a PSP and a copy of VC 2 just because this game was so great......

Do yourself a favor and avoid any releases beyond 1 and 2. The rest of the series has lost the magic of the first.

In conclustion, Valkyria Chronicles is a true gem.... one of the best RPGs of the PS3 generation and easily the best turn based tatical RPG of its generation. The combat system is a refreshing change from the Fire Emblem/Shining Force approach to combat. This variation is welcome, fun, challenging, and exciting all at once. There is a depth to this game that many don't appreciate until they try EX mode combat. A top notch story with genre breaking combat make for an enjoyable game that will stick with you years after you complete it.....speaking of completing the game: I think I may take another journey through Valkyria Chronicles now that I have reminded myself of why I loved it in the first place.

Let's go for another round, Edileweiss and Welkin!

I hope this review helps and that if you do purchase the game you enjoy it very much!
Taroth

A masterpiece for fans of the CRPG genre.

Full Disclosure: I backed this product on Kickstarter and have been playing it on and off for over 3 years.

I finally got around to dedicating a solid chunk of time to Wasteland 2 and exploring a great deal of its content. At over 100 hours played (for some reason steam says 12.6 hours) I've experienced most of what the game has to offer.

This game is a true call back to old school CRPGs. The atmosphere of the game is fantastic- the wasteland is a mess and it feels like the world after nuclear war. I love the graphics and artwork in the game as well.

Combat is the strong point in this game. Developing a squad, figuring out the skills and weapons that compliment each other, and the tactics for each battle make the game better.

Problem solving: There are many ways for most quests and problems to be solved in the game. Some only have one solution (e.g. a skill check), but those are the exception rather than the rule. Your choices impact the ending of the game (think Fallout 1 and 2 style). Each way you handle quests can impact other quest outcomes or paths down the road. The game is purposefully ambiguous and it is not always clear what the outcome of your choices will be. This is a strength in my opinion.

Exploration:
Excellent. You are rewarded for taking risks and exploring more.

Difficulty:
Brutal start up difficulty. This game pulls no punches and throws you in the deep end up front. Make the wrong choices for your squad and it can be worse. I list this as a con because I am writing this review from the perspective of the average gamer. There are no tutorials, no wading into the shallow water here. Personally, I loved this! I spent a good 10-15 hours tweaking my skills and characters through several playthroughs before I got a mix I was happy with. I really enjoy doing this, but for many it could be a turn off. There is a very steep learning curve with this game.

Voice Overs:
The dialogue system as far as your responses and the detail is great.... but voice overs are terrible. The main villan is one of the worst. The actor constantly says different things than the text in game.

Character depth:
I found the characters early in the game to be really fleshed out. As you progress, the depth of characters diminishes, until very late in the game. To me this made some areas feel far more developed than others.

Dead end quests:
I found that I got caught in many quests hitting a dead end because I failed a skill check or killed a character that became relavent later on. Not an issue for me, I think its a plus, but its a warning for others.

Overall this game is a classic.... it mirrors the old classic CRPG genre magnificantly. This game is a masterpiece for fans of this genre.

I am writing this review after my 5th playthrough of the game (3 on XBOX 360 and 2 on the PC).

First, the atmosphere of the game is fantastic. I had a wonderful time becoming emersed in the world created in Alan Wake. The way the context of the world around Alan grows as the story unfolds is wonderful. The episodic nature allows for play in segments and typically each episode is set up to make you anticipate the next chapter. At the time of its release (2010) I believe it changed interactive storytelling, and it is evident in the success of TellTale Games' episodic games.

While many did not enjoy the way the story does not clearly answer all of your questions, I found the plot, pacing, and conclusion satisfying enough to play the game several times. It is good enough to make one want to play the DLC and the small follow-up American Nightmare.

As for the gamey parts of this release, the mechanics of light and the flashlight for aiming work well. It contributes to the atmosphere, the tension, and is neatly wrapped in the plot of the game. It isn't as smooth as other shooters, but that may be intentional - the panic caused by this helps the tension in the game. I play on a controller mostly, but I did one playthrough with a keyboard and mouse. Both work just fine.

Graphically the game was fantastic and holds up quite well even in 2017. It isn't as stunning as it once was, but it doesn't feel like a retro game either.

The sound is excellent. Music flows right with the mood of the game and the narrative. The atmospheric sounds fit right in. The production level of this game is very high.

The only downside is that a sequel never got off the ground. It seems the game is meant to be the first act in a much larger story arc, where Wake is involved in a much broader conflict between the light and the dark. The last line of the plot seems to suggest this quite clearly.

The DLC fleshed out the narrative even further and is highly recommended. This game has held up over time and is certainly a classic in my eyes. I hope this review helps you out!

Absolutely massive world that is constructed with every detail imaginable. The main story line is fantastic and works well for those who have previously read the books - it seems like CDPR's version of ending Geralt/Ciri/Yennifer's story.

Every side quest is meaningful and unique. Some side quests are so detailed it feels like you are playing the main story. This has raised the bar for RPGs and for open world RPGs by a lot.

It took 122 hours to complete every quest and explore everything on the map. Combat was easy for an experienced Witcher player and it could take longer if you are new to the series.

The graphics are beautiful despite being tuned down from a demo last year. The soundtrack is great, the voice actors are fantastic, and the controls work well once you get used to them (they are very similar to Witcher 2). This game is everything you love about the witcher series amped up and on a massive scale. With 16 free DLCs and two expansions of over 30 hours of gameplay to look forward to, as well as CDPR's meticulous patching and upgrading, this is a game of the year candidate and certainly is in my top 5 games of all time with out question.

Fantasy Grounds is quite honestly the best virtutal tabletop software. I've tried several, but I run campaigns exclusively on this now. This software has a massive learning curve. You can get the basics quickly, but to master it takes a while. It is so feature rich that you can automate 90% of the DMing with enough planning and set up. My players love the system - other DMs that play in my campaigns want to switch over.

Combined with other software (map designing, photoshop, ect) you can create excellent and wonderful campaigns loaded with graphics built upon a fantastic under-the-hood ruleset system which takes the technical (mathematical) aspects comepletely from the game so you can have lightning quick combat encounters and focus on roleplaying. Of course the combat traker is wonderful if you want to have a combat heavy hack-n-slash campaign and only makes combat more enjoyable.

The story design part of the game is great. You can pin combat encounters, NPCs, story elements, loot, exp, and more directly to the map. Experience can be awarded on command. Loot can be dumped into the party inventory automatically and the players can divide it themselves.

Character creation is simple and easy. All of the math is again automated here. Just drag items to your inventory. Same with spells, but things get more complex if you multiclass, but its just part of the learning curve.

Some will complain about connectivity issues. Port-forwarding is a simple thing to do, but VPN software can get around it. Mac -> PC does have some issues. I only have one Mac user in my games, but he has the majority of the technical issues. Tech support is very fast as well, but I've only had to use it once.

Overall, I can't recommend this software enough. I have had hours of use with it.