Recent reviews by Sylva

Generally speaking, releasing a $30 DLC for an incomplete game is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bonkers. I understand that someone in the sales department thought that looked really good on a spreadsheet, but Jesus Christ. I'm not touching this game until its in an actual release state, and won't be touching DLC for a years until there is some flash sale.

Take Tarkov, then add Stalker, then subtract the first person shooter aspect and replace it with a top-down pixel based gameplay system. The game is extremely satisfying and a very good time sink. 10/10 would recommend, and I can't wait to see what the game's development cycle holds in store for it.

"Green number go up simulator" is a fantastic way to experience the Victorian age at a macro level. However, provided you want to do anything outside of your own country, the game is very underdeveloped. The warfare system is utter garbage, and even when you win, it doesn't seem fulfilling because it wasn't *me* winning: you have absolutley no agency over your armies.

People make the argument that realistically, leaders don't have control over there militaries so its unrealistic to model it as such. There are numerous examples of how untrue this is (Tsar Nicholas, anyone?) but even so, that a leader would somehow have control over what factories are built and what production methods it uses (especially when its supposedly privately owned) and not have control over his national army is absurd.

But breaking free of Austria as Bohemia and bringing my GDP to #2 in the world all while never expanding was quite satisfying. Green number go up simulator is very good at that, but it falls short in pretty much every other area.

This game is incredible. Its the 4X strategy game I've always wanted, and its finally here. Its so good, its meme worthy: https://youtu.be/7DsNZk1Kpno

Really brings me back. Playing this on Xbox for the first time really sparked my interest in the post-apoc genre in general, and playing it on PC (even ten years later) the game is as good as it was in my living room in middle school.

Human leather hat (masterwork)