Recent reviews by Mistborn Shadow

The issue with this game is that it only deserves a recommendation if you want to play a graphically superior version of Blood Bowl with the Season 2 (2020 edition) rules.

If you're okay with a less graphically impressive rendition of the game that doesn't provide as much customization, play Fummbl. It has all the teams, keeps up to date with errata, and has a lot more tools to utilize for customizable leagues. Also, not many game breaking bugs, if any. Though the website is extremely outdated, it's got the old functionality of not so sleek technology that provides reliability over impressive presentation.

If you want the graphical superiority, but want all the teams and don't care about edition, buy Blood Bowl II and all the DLC. It will never see another update, but it's got plenty of content and activity, as far as I'm aware.

Then, of course, there's playing the actual board game in person. But that's for the overly dedicated (though, in my opinion, the ultimate version). The only version of the game without terrible UI, as all versions of the game have some form of difficult UI to come to terms with, and it weeds out the casuals by forcing you to do all the calculations yourself. Choose only if excessive cash, time, and comrades on hand.

This version of Blood Bowl is missing half the teams, has all sorts of bugs, and the AI is trash. Otherwise, it provides a reasonable Blood Bowl experience with the 2020 rules, actual customization, and somewhat modern graphics. There are times where the art direction of the game feels unpolished, but intentionally so. There's a progression system, but it's a season pass model. Everyone's developed their own opinion of that at this point, so take that how you will. The ladder looks like it could get exhausting, so learn how to get involved in leagues if it gets to be too much, but that's neither here nor there.

Steps to make this review positive:
1. Add all the teams
2. Fix the bugs

I, and probably most others, don't care about the AI. It's trash, but whatever. It sucks that it bogs down the campaign and makes it more a chore than a challenge. It's about the teams, about playing the game, and then being able to customize all that. Do these things and life will be good.

I hate battle royales. Including this one. But Arenas is a blast, and it has made me love this game.

This is a great game. At its core fundamentals, the game-play is engaging, rewarding, and enjoyable. It should become dry after a while, but because of the constant content updates, it still feels fresh. An amazing multiplayer experience, while still enjoyable and viable for the solo. Tons of customization and diversity through character loadouts, maps, missions, and enemy types. To top it all off, there's a lot of fun to be had that you don't need to take all that seriously. Whether it's a stupid haircut or an alcoholic beverage that makes you explode, there's a whole little section of stuff that's set aside to be purely fun that succeeds. Definitely worth the buy.

EDIT: Game's a ton of fun with friends. Convince them to play with tales of dwarven lore.

This is almost a decade old game. I don't know why you're here, reading this review, thinking of buying it. Maybe you're just a lurker whose a mega-fan of the game or something, scrolling through the reviews to entertain yourself. Maybe you're trying to run through the entire FF series. Regardless, I'll get on with it.

This game is a nightmare of poor decision making on the production end. The majority of the story feels like a prologue, and it kind of is. I get what they tried to do. A lot of stories being told side-by-side to show the characters building bonds and developing together. But it's so long. You don't run with full control over a full party for most of "the prologue", and it's aggravating. A lot of people like to call this game a "hallway simulator." They're not wrong. Exploration is kept to a bare minimum for while until (SARCASTIC SPOILERS) you get to Gran Pulse. It's honestly on Gran Pulse where you discover what could have been this game. The feeling of a living, open world. Fearsome beasts roam, with all sorts of side-quests, exploration is rewarding. I hate the crafting system. The grind is real. This game could have been exceptional if they switched the flip, reversing where the game's pacing took place. Imagine if they laid the foundations for character development on Cocoon, and then when when the characters go to Gran Pulse and search for a cure to being a l'Cie, they bond and develop, with "secret" developments locked behind side-quests? Instead, it's a forced march through endless cutscenes during a tutorial that maintains its stay for too long, and then the "adventure" of finding a cure to being a l'Cie is COMPLETELY glossed over with simple cutscene to show said adventure. The game's dullness is not my main issue. It's an enhancement of my frustration at the game's overall production and direction, because it could have been awesome. I ended up enjoying the characters and their dynamics in contrast with one another, even if it is told through... something akin to dialogue. The story was epic, though I did need to read a wiki cause I was confused with all the terminology. And by "epic", I mean your typical anime version of epic. So, sometimes that epicness seems stupid, redundant, arbitrary, etc. Once you get past stuff like the Hope story arc where people tend to hate him for being so complacent for example, you can kind of enjoy it more. I actually liked the fact that I knew all the twists of the game because I played it long ago because it gave me a sense of dramatic irony: I knew (actual spoilers) that Vanielle was from Pulse and a previous l'Cie. So when Sazh is hammering down hate for both and you see Vanielle's reaction, it means something more. Journey before destination. Anyway, the gameplay is actually quite fun. Though tedious at times, it's nice. Fights feel like strategic FF fights of old, but engaging and require on the fly adaptability and decision making. It has its setbacks. In an attempt to be "cinematic", poor decisions were made. If I cast Ruinga on repeat, I don't really see what's going on. It's just explosions and the camera freaking out. Every battle, your first paradigm shift (something you do a lot) takes a while. I've gotten an L for it before. All I want is the option to turn it off. No can do.

Why do I recommend? I don't. This game feels like wasted potential masked by flashy lights. Every part of my analytical brain says this game is bad. But I enjoyed it, which... well, that's worth something. I just don't want to drop the review avg. cause I enjoyed the game. I've dumped 50 hours, and will continue to grind away at it in some regard. Ever tried to get that mythical trapezohedron catalyst that costs 2 million credits? Ugh. I will be moving on to the sequel as well to experience the trilogy. I honestly don't even know who this game is for, or who would enjoy it in full. It's $17. Buy it on sale if you've got the coin and want to give it a shot. It provides an interesting perspective from a story standpoint. The crystals in older games are usually these pure, benevolent beings who grant the "heroes" with a quest or power, and then take a backseat for the rest of the game. In this one, they're the gods of the world. The whole thing is about gods, fate, etc. Buy at your own risk.

It's XCOM, but SWAT. It's everything I've ever known about XCOM, but they made the units have actual character. While I wish there was more to the development of characters in terms of their progression (because I like a long skill tree), I'm okay with what it has. All the little quips about the city and the worldbuilding around it make the game fun. Some might be turned off to the lack of base building. Now, it's just an HQ you've got, and instead of a base giving you bonuses to stuff, you send out field teams to get yourself bonuses. It's a bit different from the in between mission side in terms of gameplay compared to XCOMs of the past, but I'm enjoying the game so far. Everything about the missions themselves is exactly like XCOM as I remember it, with a couple quality of life changes, as well as interesting mechanics added to allow a more SWAT like approach, as well as to implement multiple segments of a mission. Before, you continued through the map seamlessly, but in this, once one map is done, you might move on to the next "encounter" where you breach another area and then you play through that map. The breaching bit is fun. So, I recommend.

I wanted to get a review out early after playing, but making it at 2:00 AM was a horrible idea. I didn't really share my thoughts the best I could have, and I wanna do the game justice.

Anyone thinking of buying this game has no doubt noticed the terrible score this has so far in terms of reviews. The score reflects two very profound problems this game has (launch day was yesterday). The first is the bugs and technical issues. Servers crashing, disconnection, all sorts of issues plague this game on day one. Which s typical of even AAA companies with hundreds of employees and resources at their disposal. I've already seen a number of hotfixes for the game, so they're working on that. It's the second issue that everyone seems to be up in arms about: griefing.

Call it whatever you want. Griefing, ganking, murderhoboing, it doesn't matter what label you put on it, the result is the same. A lot of players who want to just play a game on their own find themselves swarmed by teams of players who derive pleasure from the misery of others. Literally. From what I've read, there are countless players who are incessantly attacked over and over by swarms of advanced players even when they don't have anything to offer. The Internet is the anonymous cesspool for those kinds of people to gather and feed off one another, trolling till the day comes where there are nothing but massive clan wars. I've heard this problem has plagued every game of this variety. Atlas, Rust, Ark, wherever there is an MMO with PvP, these people seem to thrive. It's happened to me. I just ignore it. It sets me back a bit, but usually the "pirates" as I call them just take whatever loot they want then leave. Granted, I have yet to experience anything more than a 5 person raiding team, and I've heard 30+ exists, but I expected that in this game. It was aggravating, it was frustrating, but I'm not broken yet. Yet. I'm sure there will come a time when I come face to face with a team of 25 players relentlessly harassing me and I'll just have to find a way to leave that area. I don't want to join a clan, mostly because I don't want the commitment to other people. I wish to peddle wares and settle for mercenary work. I think that sounds like fun.

Finally, the good. If you can survive and avoid the pirates and their ceaseless hunt for blood, this game is a ton of fun.
- Interesting tech tree that makes you wonder what else there is to be built, with a system in place that makes you feel like you're actually accomplishing something when you salvage those fragments and unlock the next bit.
- Awesome looking graphics and designs for the ships. So far, the best thing I've loved to look at are the walker things in this game. They make you feel like you're sailing over the dunes, a ship without water sailing to and fro for whatever purpose. And I've only unlocked 2 ships. I'm ecstatic to see what other monstrosities exist.
-Simple gameplay. It's nice. The combat system is shows this the best. Three ways to attack, three ways to block. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't feel like there's a ton of skill needed if you gang up on someone. It's extremely difficult to fight multiple opponents, and even more so if you're fighting someone spamming the left mouse. That's usually how I go down. I'm not good at this game, and I've been defeated in every PvP situation thanks to my inability to respond fast enough to a relentless flurry of strikes. I'm sure I just need to get better.
-Exploration is actually fun. Though it's a pain sometimes with how unathletic your character feels, the grappling hook in this game allows for a lot of mobility and room for exploration.If feels awesome swinging around like Spider-Man, though it will take a minute to get used to the controls and feel.
-The world's massive, and there's a lot of it. Hopefully, this means the players getting griefed will eventually be able to find refuge in the corners of the world/map. It's got that vibe form any good exploration game where walking around with your ship makes you feel like you're an explorer on the high seas (without the water). You look damn majestic.
-Final perk: Your base? Completely transportable. Move from one place to the next with ease. It take a minute or two to deploy/redeploy, but you don't have to worry about building a crafting station just to leave it behind if you can't fit it on your ship. Pack it away, and set off. It's not really viable for quick getaways, so don't rely on it if your trying to get away from being raided by pirates. Just something to keep in mind if you're hauling around a massive base. Base building has also been pretty easy so far. Another plus.

So, the conclusion is, if this review changes from recommended to not recommended, it's because I've been griefed and ganked and looted to the point where I no longer fine enjoyment in this game, which I literally stayed up until 4:00 AM playing. Literally went back to playing this after the first review. Until then, this is worth the buy, especially when I've had more enjoyment out of this than some $60 purchases.

A bullet hell/boss fighter with a nice aesthetic, interesting story, diverse characters, and a surprising choice.

The game is simple and straightforward. It is from the very moment you purchase it, and it stays that way. You have to kill the jailers, and leave your prison. There is little else to that foundation of the story. However, there is, in fact, a story. It is nuanced and told through the Architect (bunny man) with some minor details given through the jailers, but the story is actually quite simple and surprisingly human. The last jailer you fight actually made me really sad. Without spoiling much, I will say the jailer's quirk in the fight is the environment you have to traverse. Once you fight them personally, you learn pretty quick that the fight is extremely easy. I literally danced around her for a time because I wanted to give her a fighting chance, which she never provided. It was actually tragic. The other part of the story I actually enjoyed and found surprising in such a straightforward game is the options they provide you. There are only two throughout the game, but they both change the game immensely. It's also a bit of shocker when you find out everyone keeping you imprisoned was rather justified in doing so.

Game-play is fun. You need to constantly stay focused on everything that's going on. However, the game is quite simple, as most boss-fight games typically are. The first life is finding out how the enemy boss works, everything after that is just using that knowledge to avoid their attacks and take them down. The first phase of every boss is a bullet hell, and second is a melee fight. There are a couple exceptions, as the game has several bosses that add twists to this basic premise. Some don't have a bullet hell phase, others don't have a melee phase, etc. The creativity of each boss is what makes or breaks games like these, and I found them all unique. I also want to mention the tools provided to you as the player. You have a don't have a lot of options at your disposal, but that keeps with the simple premise of the game. They do give you enough to provide options, but every boss is a boss to be adapted to, as opposed to a player adapting to a play style of their own. I also enjoy the dodging mechanic. It reminds me of Hyperlight Drifter.

Visually, I liked how everything looked. The lead up to every fight has an option that allows you to auto-walk to every destination, which I did. It allows the Architect to speak, and also lets you enjoy the environments. While the visuals aren't Pixar, they do justice enough for the game, and I liked how everything looked. Character designs in boss fighting games are key, and the character designs for all the bosses were interesting and unique.

Sound wise, I have nothing super positive to write about. Neither negative. I enjoyed the music and felt that it was subtle enough when it needed to be, and intense enough during the battles. I will admit that I did enjoy the voice acting, and I did enjoy the sound effects themselves. Not all the time with either of these, but enough. I definitely liked the sound direction around the player's character. Crisp stuff.

Summary:
Fun game. Simple game. Wish I had an option to save that final jailer. It was a tragic death. I heard some people complain about its difficulty, somewhere. I can't remember where. The game's not that hard, in my opinion. Except the secret boss. Skynet can terminate itself. I recommend this, especially during a sale, since a one run play through should be about 5 hours. That's about how long it took me.

Playing this game is probably what is going to get me to play RS II. I've had it in my library, I just need to be a man and play it. Scary games have just never been my forte.

Regardless, if you liked RS II (which I have played a little bit of), this plays and feels exactly like it from what I can tell. Graphically, it's great. The difference in the in-game engine cut-scenes and the pre-rendered cut-scenes is the inclusion of motion blur and lack of frame-rate from the latter. That, or there is no difference and that last cinematic hype video at the end of this demo was just uniquely of slightly lower quality. The game-play keeps you from being a Call of Duty shooter, and every round counts. There was actually an area with about 3 walkers that I did not want to take on at one time, so I ran into the nearest building across the street, which actually prompted another zombie to come up in front of me. That was a good moment of panic as I felt the other enemies closing in. Barely making it into the building, I eventually found a frag grenade, which felt like a reward for making the tactical decision not to waste the 12+ rounds on the enemies, instead opting for finding a better solution. Which I did. Nemesis was devastating. He hits hard, and he hits fast. He's also mega ugly. I knew immediately there was no killing this guy, so I tried running, only to find out he basically flies around like All Might in his prime. After a couple deaths, I finally found the answer to be his pacemaker, though that was very temporary. The weakness didn't feel "obvious", which I both like and dislike. However, if you fire at him, he will make a distinct point of protecting that area, which was intentional. I pay so little attention to detail, I literally missed the shotgun right in front of me, so I had to go back for it later.

There was one thing that I actually did not like, and it just seemed like a technical error. I passed the checkpoint too early before the fight with Nemesis, and I didn't have the shotgun and a pick-up. So, when I died against Nemesis, I ended up having to spend an extra few minutes collecting the stuff, which happened two or three times. I'm sure that in the finished product you'll be able to save prior to this, which would have saved me a ton of time.

The demo ended up being about 30 min, and I used a fair amount of that time having to accomplish the same thing, so the actual time for the demo was more or less around 20-25 min. I tried to record the game-play with commentary, but forgot to record, so it ended up being a wasted opportunity.

Summary:
Great graphics, responsive game-play, rewarded exploration, and a gritty story/environment with the color palette of Bloodbourne but more fire. Similar are Resident Evil II, which I will now go complete. If you don't like managing inventory and slower action, this isn't for you. I would complain about them, but they exist because that's the kind of game Resident Evil is. It's not my cup of tea, but I tolerate it for the vivid experience, which makes it worthwhile as long as you don't get caught in a bad auto-save point like I did. That's universal, though. I recommend, and look forward to the game. Maybe I'll be able to remember to record it next time.

Spawned over 100 useless children. Would spawn useless cannon fodder again.

9/10