Recent reviews by Longjocks

I would not call this a stealth game so much as a puzzle game where your characters are the puzzle pieces whose misplacement ends in being spotted and thus failure. That might seem like semantics, but it is significantly different to the impression you get when thinking of a stealth game. That distinction aside, it doesn't matter in saying this game is recommended either way.

You are drip fed each of the three characters over the game's length, playing as just the main protagonist for the better part of the first half. As seen plenty of times by now in similar games, each character has a unique ability and these are used in tandem to solve the path forward.

Being discovered, directly or indirectly (via a trail of unconscious bodies), results in an instant failure. Some leeway is given with indicators that you are about to be spotted, although a very frequent and forgiving checkpoint system means you don't need to replay long sections. Additionally, the game is slow-paced and allows you plenty of time to sit and plot your moves through each scene. The controls seem tight (at least for keyboard/mouse) and it's not too often that failure is not by your own mistakes rather than the game's.

Special kudos goes out to the writing and animations. Most writers these days love to inject modern banter into period pieces to make for obnoxious characters. None of that is here - the dialogue is very grounded and convincing. Coupled with animations of intricate detail in both the traditional and in-game cutscenes, it's easy to get carried away into what's a very basic, yet functional story.

One blocker for some might be the price if you're the type to gauge value by dollars vs hours in game time. Average players should be done in 10 to 12 hours and there isn't a huge incentive for replay unless you're, say, a speedrunner. If your value lies in things such as the characters and gameplay, preferring a shorter, more focused spending of your time, then it may be worth the extra few dollars. Although if it's on sale, definitely grab it if it sounds like your thing.

For Mud/Snowrunner players, be aware that this is not a sequel and is instead a spin-off. Don't expect the same gameplay and mechanics. Driving and navigating terrain is simplified. Instead a greater focus is on logistics.

Snowrunner was easy to kick back to without having to think too hard. Roadcraft is more a case of switching your brain off almost entirely, keeping only your hands active as you engage in busy-work while listening to a podcast or watching YouTube in the background.

Best grabbed in a sale and having installed for that time you want to throw on a movie that you feel you have to watch only so you get the references your school/workmates throw around during the day.

Instinctively you could label this as a Limbo-esque game. True in the sense of atmosphere and the show-don't-tell style of story-telling. However, it's not a platform/puzzler and instead a walking sim/puzzler. Like most similar games, whether paying full price is worth it is something to consider. As much as I like and recommend this one, I'd say it's better to wait for a sale.

The setting is built around the invasion of earth by aliens and your character is passed the first of a couple of powers by a dying warrior in advanced armour fighting the threat. Your powers allow you to manipulate the alien tech and that's what creates the puzzles. It's as simple as changing its state back and forth between liquid and solid. The real puzzles are scattered infrequently and are almost all very easy. It would have benefited from a greater number of more intricate puzzles to sway the needle away from its walking sim leanings.

The nature of the aliens is indeed very alien. These aliens are so utterly different and their motives are difficult to understand. Some of them are drones, almost childlike and very social and whose job it seems is to clean up the landscape of the alien tech. Others are animal-like and hunt you down. It's great to not see the usual alien threats and having to guess at ambiguous motives.

While you do effectively choose from multiple endings, they are a puzzle in of itself and which one you choose comes down to how much attention you are paying to specific encounters throughout the game. In this sense it is great for anyone who likes to replay a game and take in the details. This also applies for making sense of the story overall.

Other than the balance of puzzle frequency, my biggest gripe would be the controls. It's not just left-right movement and there is some depth. This get fidgety when moving around obstacles or trying to move to the right spot to grab onto an interactable object. As long as you're aware then this could be a perfect casual game for those who like intriguing sci-fi. It also has the benefit of no dialogue or characters which ruin every other game coming out these days. Great escapism for around four hours.

The TLDR version of this review first: This is more akin to a walking simulator and well worth it going in with that expectation AND grabbing it on a sale. With that accounted for you can consider this a thumbs up, even though the game still has a lot of problems.

The game is split into 2.5D side-scrolling platforming with one character, Trevor, and first-person exploration with another, Angela. Each mode requires the player to solve regular puzzles of different sorts to progress. Trevor’s puzzles require him to manipulate the environment, sometimes with Angela hacking in to move things around.

The first-person sections have Angela walking around her environment, balancing trying to help Trevor and not get caught by the organisation she works for, who are also the game’s antagonist. The puzzles here require you to find clues around the environment, such as a code to unlock a door, or sliding puzzles and the like to rearrange buttons.

From the promotional material, screenshots and demo you might get the impression it’s focused mainly on the platforming, however it’s closer to an even split when all things are considered. But other than the balance between the two, the length of the side-scrolling sections is artificially inflated with the equivalent of holding ‘W’ in a walking sim. So many times you’re just holding the thumb stick right while exposition is spilled over the top. This is particularly apparent in driving sections where literally nothing happens.

The flow of the game is all over the place. You’ll spend a significant time just walking while listening to dialogue, then you’re suddenly thrust into a platforming puzzle that requires precise timing of Trevor's movement and manipulation of Angela’s tool set to help him. You go from five minutes of mostly walking to suddenly having to repeat one section over and over again until you work out ‘the trick’. Additionally, control is taken away from you far too often and during odd times in the middle of walking. You’ll be frozen in place looking at where you want to be going, desperately pressing right or forward, until an exposition dump is over.

It does, however, have some extremely clever and engaging presentation scattered throughout. In one section you play as Angela at her computer being interrogated by security and you have to juggle answering questions while controlling Trevor through a stealth section on your monitor. Later in the game is a quasi-dream sequence with a series of platforming puzzles in and around televisions where you’re shifting between a normal and pixelated (and sometimes inverted) view.

The story is the main focus of the game and it does most of it well. The characters are likeable and engaging, although they constantly throw around the fact that Angela is Hispanic as if it's some sort of important character trait (but it is 2023 in entertainment after all). Any plot holes are easily forgiven when taking the slightly fantastical world into account and it’s easy to get swept up in Trevor's plight and development over the course of his journey.

Performance is mostly fine. It has to be said that it has some minor stutters during transitions and twice the game crashed for me during the seven hour run time with a ‘Fatal Error’ message. Some other minor bugs, but nothing game breaking.

Overall I cannot recommend this game for what it appears to be and for the price it’s at. In that respect I was severely disappointed. If you’re willing to accept it for what it actually is and you can grab it for a discount, then you definitely should.

Being a sucker for this kind of sci-fi and aesthetic, I was forgiving of this game in the beginning. Unfortunately my conclusion is that it is best saved to buy when on special and you just want to scratch a sci-fi itch. Something that allows you to switch off your brain, perform some functional gunplay and spaceship combat while doing something more engaging, like watching reruns of Dating Naked.

The most important thing that needs to be said is that this is not an RPG. Your ‘role’ is irrelevant and no choice matters. Very few skills affect how you play the game (even the ones which aren’t broken). Your traits and background have no bearing on any of the story or outcomes. It’s effectively an on-rails adventure. Don’t let the open world design fool you. It’s empty. Know this going in and you can temper your expectations accordingly and maybe squeeze some enjoyment out of it.

Some brief additional notes:
-Exploration is a lie
-Story is weak and done better in other franchises
-Companions have no distinct personalities and all react the same to each event (not to mention often react as if you made different choices)
-Dialogue could be generously described as a fifth grade level
-Space magic that is either an afterthought or an attempt to simply pull at some sort of Skyrim nostalgia string in hopes to distract you from the reality

I suppose I should say something positive, considering few things are truly irredeemable… The aforementioned gunplay is okay. The ship builder is heaps of fun and probably a better overall game in of itself. There is actually one good story mission with unique puzzle mechanics and three ever-so-slightly varied outcomes. Finally, it pulls off some of its style quite successfully to give off a ‘Firefly’ vibe.

One last word/warning; when you buy this - on sale! - play with mods. The UI fixes in particular. This is essential so you don’t go mad wrestling with the interface while simultaneously wrestling everything else it’s throwing at you as if trying to make you actively hate it.

Fans of the series get the short and sweet version. This is much the same as the previous games; mostly like Sniper Elite 4. The differences are subtle. Movement feels different (for the better) and visually it is a slight step up. Alongside the movement, the secondary weapons are more effective and going loud is quite viable, especially in co-op. It can be quite fun to tackle the game in this way. There's not much more to say except for some negatives below. These can be a big deal and may give you pause.

For the benefit of new players, the brief overview is that you'll be at home with this game if you've played games like Sniper Ghost Warrior, Hitman or Splinter Cell. Each have their own vibe, but they are very similar in important ways. It's for patient players who like a slower paced game where you scout out where you're going and pick your openings for sniping or slipping through enemy lines.

The story and characters are the normal trashy mess and not worth any real time investment. The usual low quality voice acting does not help. For example, a long-running relationship is supposed to exist between your character and one of the resistance. They throw out robotic lines to tell us this, but it's not convincing. There is no real connection forged between them and you'll cringe rather than empathise. Skipping the cutscenes is the best option.

The gameplay is where it counts and it's good when it works as expected. This is where it regularly falls apart. The game is playable - even enjoyable - for the most part and you should get through to the end without anything that breaks the game completely. However, bugs and AI problems are rampant.

Some enemy soldiers constantly get stuck in loops between alert and passive modes, switching back and forth every few seconds. Mission targets with movement patterns around a map will break and they'll stay in place, ruining many options for assassination. The higher level AI that tracks the player also gives the enemy what appears to be a sixth sense as to where you are, even if you're not spotted when shooting and then shifting positions.

These issues are constant throughout and it's up to you whether you can tolerate them. For me it wasn't surprising and I'm used to seeing this. SE4 wasn't perfect either and had some similar problems. So, from my perspective I can tentatively recommend it. Your mileage may vary and I would suggest waiting to see if they release a major patch. The AI, triggers and pathing need a lot of attention.

Chorus can be likened to games like Freelancer and Everspace 2. At least that's what you get from the core gameplay - third-person, action-oriented space combat. The twist is a fantasy element which adds special powers into the mix. This makes combat stand out from similar games and adds a certain chaotic power fantasy element to it.

The story embraces the fantasy element and tackles metaphysical connections between realities and humanity's place and purpose within them. The overall story is interesting and gives you enough threads so the more observant may pick the final revelations earlier than some. A sign of good writing, which unfortunately isn't shared with the dialogue.

The characters, including the protagonist - Nara, are mostly uninteresting. Support character dialogue is largely meaningless and has little connection other than to direct you to the next task. The conversations between Nara and her ship's intelligence are a little better, excepting her inner monologue, which is mostly unnecessary and delivered in the most annoying cadence. If you've played Control and didn't like Jesse's thoughts interrupting the dialogue, you won't like Nara's soulless loud whisper.

Combat has a hectic flow and you can customise it to your play style with a bevy of ship upgrades. You might choose to favour weapon or ship strength, or enhance your powers. Take note of this for boss fights. Since you can swap out upgrades on the fly, this can be helpful in what are sometimes difficult encounters.

This game has enough polish for a budget title to make it worth a play for fans of the genre. It's a decent way to spend up to 20 hours while waiting for a full release of Everspace 2.

This game is proof that it doesn't take triple-A budgets to create fun, unique gameplay, memorable visuals and emotional story. Each of these is respectively achieved with minimal controls, a simple cartoon style and a fictional language with no actual dialogue. A casual play will take you around two hours to complete, but it will feel longer as you get swept away in this fairy tale-like adventure. None of the puzzles are complex and they vary just enough to keep you moving through the world. But despite its presentation this is a very adult game and goes into some dark places in a Grimm-esque manner. This was very welcome and elevated it even further. As short as it may be, this game will stick in your mind longer than anything offering hundreds of hours of gameplay.