Recent reviews by Level One Rat

Beyond the Half-Life vibe surface of this game lies a clear passion project with satisfying gameplay and an even more satisfying co-op experience. Hoard desks to use as building materials and then complain when your friend keeps one in his inventory for, quote, "strength-maxxing" as he runs back and forth like a fool.

I played Overwatch 1 faithfully from launch to the release of Overwatch 2. That killed a lot of love I had for the game, since it felt like nothing more than a long, long delayed content patch.

Flash forward to now, though, and I think Overwatch 2 has finally come into its own, chiefly with the Stadium mode. Going from 6v6 to 5v5 wasn't the big revolutionary change that Blizz seemed to want it to be, and I say that as someone who enjoys 5v5. Stadium is a genuinely new way to play the same game, and it's damn fun.

With an absolutely stunning soundtrack and world design that speaks of a passion for the setting, Darktide takes the Vermintide gameplay concepts and brings them to the 41st Millennium. While there's some flaws (like, for instance, character creation choices being a facade :<) it's a worthy entry to the franchise and one that has personally gripped me more than its predecessors did.

As a Battlefield 1942 vet who skipped 2042, this is a return to form. Rather than pushing the boundary DICE played it safe, and that was a wise move. While I'm not the biggest fan of the BR, I don't think it's all that terrible, either. It's a fun game if you're a fan of the older Battlefield titles, particularly 4 or Bad Company 2.

Grab your friends and experience the sinking dread of realizing it's been too long since you last heard their voice.

The learning curve is part of the game. Uncovering what items do, which ones synergize, and which ones are best suited to which characters is part of the intended loop. If you can stomach the difficulty (ideally with friends,) the game will reward you with a genuinely enjoyable experience.

It was grindy then, and has somehow apparently only gotten grindier.

If you want to hate the urban planning in your hometown, play this game.

RIFT is but a shell of its former self. Like many before it, it sought to challenge World of Warcraft's dominance on the MMO market, but despite some great ideas it never eclipsed the giant.

One of those happy situations where a game's flaws are outpaced by its strengths. A great game to come back to every few months and play compulsively for a bit.