Recent reviews by Monkey Vision

So I was able to play this game since beta. And had my character leveled up to endgame 100+ as well. Beat the main quests and a couple of NEW contents.

To summarize, my opinions on 76 is MIXED. Not fully positive or negative haha.

PROS

• If you care nothing about the multi-play aspect and want some decent story along with play. I'd say it's good, typical Bethesda Games style. No questions there I suppose
  
  
• It does let you build almost anywhere. Cool right?
  
  
• If you like fallout 4. Chances are, you'll feel right at home with 76. Fallout 4 crafting mechanics, romance, convo, etc
  
  
• Different biomes, different enemies are interesting to see. It sometimes spawn DRAGONS(giant mutant bat) for you to fight, Skyrim style haha.
  
  
• This game started out as $60 but now pretty cheap, I'd say it's good price now.
  
  
• It does offer multiplayer and you can do quests together with people.

CONS

• For True singleplayer gameplay, they ask you to PAY for that. Otherwise you are always in servers with people.
  
  
• Looting for better weapons and gear.... the Grind after Grind gets tiring like any other rpg.
  
  
• They do have somekind of PURCHASABLE WITH MONEY probability booster for random-loot legendary weapons and armor.
  
  
• For better BASE decorations. You'll need to PURCHASE IT WITH MONEY.
  
  
• They do have true PK settings if you enable it. Meaning you could loose loot in PK if you set it that way.
  
  
• Some loot heavy events require lots of people to play, and this game is on decline, meaning lesser people as time goes.
  
  
• There is a huge gap between experienced players vs new/young players...well it's rpg so no wonder....

I could say more but if you want NO HARDCORE gaming experience, give it a try. It's fun to waste some time on. If you are a hardcore gamer, be prepared to sink in some money.

Worth it! It's fun, interactive, and cinematic!

I've played Destroy All Humans 2005 before. Short answer: the remastered version is not only more fun than the last, it has totally vamped up the quality of life for its gameplay. On the side note, I'm not going to critique on the storytelling or game mechanics since it stays true to the original. But really...YOU MUST GIVE THIS GAME A TRY if you are new to the series. Truly a worth while legacy game. Oh, and if you are a fan of INVADER ZIM or the voice actor for BILLY from TGABM, you will love this.

Currently, the steam version is a better way to get substance painter without the monthly and yearly subscription. I've used substance for about 2 years and I am loving the product. To put it simply, it is The Photoshop of 3D Texturing. With Substance now being backed by Adobe, I am looking forward to the future of the software and user interface updates down the line. If you REGULARLY use 3D programs for content creation, this can be a worth while investment. However, do not buy this product out of haste if you are a hobbyist or not thinking of doing 3D for career. You can still make awesome 3D textures traditionally, Substance Painter is merely an extension of your abilities.

Before you buy, try their demo version first!

To put it simply, it's a procedurally generated dungeoning smash and run experience but with a jolly twist. You'll find the simple motion of swinging your weapon through hoards of enemies with obnoxious paranormal items, a satisfying experience. Highly replayable and addicting, that you'll want to keep playing just for the sake of being rewarded with strange and whimsical items that'll slowly turn you into the literal demigod of obnoxiousness. Give it a try!

This game is by far one of the most beautiful games I ever played with compelling storytelling, well crafted game mechanics, and great re-playability. If you loved "Ori and the Blind Forest" this game will feel more alive and fleshed out than the last version. Give it a go, well worth the price.

A gritty game that has incredible world building. Despite being created by a small crew of people, this game is full of surprises. It is true however that it can get very "grindy". Otherwise, if you enjoy fallout 4 esque building and micro managing characters in a hardcore post apocalyptic world with bandits, slavers, robots, and more feel free to jump in.

(Updated)
It's been a couple of years since I first played Astroneer at Early Access. Now the game is polished and serene. Still, there are rooms for improvements however.
- Big sandbox elements, but quite the grind for resources and materials. Repetitive too.
- The multiplayer is payment based. No free multiplayer.
- High-end internet and PC needed ESPECIALLY for MULTIPLAYER.
- When grind fest is over, there is not much else to do.
- It's fun, played every once awhile, but...... if I have have to choose, I'd just stick with No Man Sky.
- Worth the buy, if the game keeps updating as it is currently.

(2017~2018 review)
I am giving a negative review not for the sake of general gameplay or mechanics. But for the sake of how this game should have introduced itself when it was born, to the gamers. A clarity on identity. Right now all I see is lack of direction from the point of consumers.

It really needs to address the scope of the game and the purpose for player's continued survival asap.
As one of the greatest pitfalls of sandbox games is the looming lack of a goal(which creates boredom). What makes Astroneer a dinstinguished game? Why should we keep playing this game after we figure out all the mechanics and basebuilding on all the planets? The ultimate goal? The sooner we know, the better will it be a ease of mind for players.

Is there a meaning behind being a "Astroneer" other than base building on planets?

I was disturbed to find out that the developers are asking the players for what kind of story they'd like to play in one of their podcast/ update vid. The disturbing part was, asking a question without giving a sense of choice.
"Would you like a sandbox game like the ending of SPORE?"
"Would you like a big plot with sandbox elements like Fallout 4?"

The demographic for diehard gamers that are fine with creating their own goals is small.
Games like KSP, Universe Simulator, Garry's mod(the plain sandbox mode), and Space engineers.

What I am suggesting is a product that knows it's identity.
Is it a sandbox simulator that is an adventure for the unknown with a grand finale?
Or is it an another KSP with no career mode?

This game is more like a digital interactive diary than a distinct goal oriented narrative.
In this day an age a digital "game" doesn't have to be all about a streamlined story flow, but it does bring to question as to lack of distinctive goal makes this game somewhat hard to concentrate on to. Slow pacing does not help either.

Disclaimer:
This review is a critique based on the perpective of it as a game, a virtual entertainment game medium.

Stylistic art direction is altogether beautiful and seems to match well with the given enviornment.

Pros
-Beautiful art direction
-Immersive atmosphere makes you feel like being the character.
-Interactive game mechanics is a nice nifty touch
-Open world (just enough freedom, so that it doesn't feel too open)
-Interesting narrative and story

Cons
-Undistinctive goal makes this game hard to keep playing long periods as it's easy to lose interest (It's hard to identify the pitch of the game early on. EX: reuniting with family? Hipster trying to understand herself? Crime investigation?)
It's a narrative, not fine art.

-Slow pacing, (Seeing the protagonist going through her daily rituals, wake up sleep hang around, is interesting but at the same time unnessasary, as to ask why are we seeing this? Are these sequence of daily grind important?)

-Game enviornment mechanics, art direction, Hard time Identifying what the character can stand on or walk on, (Take LIMBO, the game for example, What character can stand or walk is easily indentified through saturation of darkness)

-Little change of scenery and enviornment. The whole game revolves around a small town, we do have small moments of new scenery but the most time the player is spending is in a small town with little room to go around. It becomes tedious and repetitive.

-The discription PITCH of the game in the store page is awefully weak, just like the goal of the game itself. What makes an interesting PITCH / GOAL of the game? What is the objective of this game? Why should we play it? Why should I buy this game? "long lost love?" "mystery reveal conspiracy?" "Father cryogenically frozen for 200 years trying to find his long lost kidnapped son?"
What is the PITCH of the GAME?

The goal of this game is the title itself... A NIGHT IN THE WOODS...
That's it... The GOAL OF THE GAME IS JUST HANGING OUT AT THE NIGHT IN THE WOODS..

A throw back to old school RTS it is a well polished game that combines spirits from command & conquer and starcraft. Like most RTS the game offers three races to control and achieve victory with domination from one. The game is quite easy to learn but hard to master. Macro elements present in starcraft have very little meaning in GreyGoo which forces the user to rely more on strategy and resource management.

Overall this is a game really worth having. It deserves big praise for not only making RTS approachable for new players, the game mechanics for a new playable race "Goo" is truely worth looking into.

85/100