Recent reviews by Dagg451

No idea why it took me this long to start playing this one, but it's very good

Hard to beat this one as one of the best VR experiences out there. The story is at least 12 hours long, making full use of the possibilities offered by VR (as expected from a Valve title). Graphics are amazing, the gameplay is impeccable, and the world is as immersive as I remember from Half Life 2, and still somehow even more.
Did I mention it supports mods from workshop, including what are arguably entire games made by the community?
If you use Steam VR and haven't played Alyx, you're doing it wrong. Simple as that.

The three highlights of this game from my perspective are the graphics style and art, the story elements, and the speculative biology. The game is not hard, but at some points does require a bit more attention. I enjoyed playing using a controller, and found it fascinating enough to complete the taxonomy entries. Overall a good experience.

This is a short, fun and intriguing game that has some puzzles and a pretty good story. The only thing I didn't like as much was the movement of the character, which during certain platforming segments became maddening. For the rest, it is a nice game to sink a few hours in.

Considering this is a mod developed by a small team of developers, what they've accomplished here is truly outstanding. Is it on par with Portal and Portal 2 in terms of content, quality and challenge? Not really. But it's closer than it has any right to. And it's free.

Credits to the devs for not giving up on this game, still almost ten years after there's new content coming up.

Democracy prevails

Summary: While some may feel frustrated by time-limited unlocks, this is a great expansion on what AOE II was all about, presenting interesting changes and some new additions that feel fresh.

Let me address the unlockables issue upfront: While there are numerous time-limited unlockables that require specific gameplay actions within a set timeframe, I personally don't prioritize such features. They seem more like an attempt to prolong player engagement through a game-as-a-service model. If unlockables are important to you, this aspect might be frustrating.

Moving on to what impressed me about the game: It's a modernized version of the genre that enhances the AOE II experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the reintroduction of sacred sites from AOE I, now included as victory conditions in certain maps. Additionally, the gameplay changes tailored to each civilization add depth and specialization. You can't approach playing the Mongols the same way you would the French, Malians, or Chinese—each requires a unique strategy. This diversity encourages exploration and experimentation, particularly for newcomers.

I haven't gone into multiplayer yet, but the singleplayer mode offers ample challenge for my taste. Overall, I feel confident recommending this expansion, although I caution against the potential frustrations caused by the time-limited unlockables.

This game started as a great concept a few years ago when it came out, but we have come back to it regularly because of how simple, but fun, it's main loop is. With later update the developers (who started as a solo developer and now is a team!) have brought new life, polishing quirks and expanding the mechanics, with new maps, equipment, and ghosts. I can do nothing if not recommed this game, especially if you play with friends!

Came for the cat, stayed for the visuals, the music, and the cat...