Recent reviews by tarasis

Ergh. I wish Steam allowed more nuance. Would I recommend? Maybe.

I'm maybe 60-70 hours in (last 15 offline). I haven't been doing main quest. I've just been exploring the world, doing misc quests and side quests. (Get X from Y, take Y to X and so on). I now own a house, have a child, maybe a partner soon. Ive become an assassin and thief, and teeny bit of a companion and ,,,

... well its al just begun to feel like a waste of time. Combat is challeneging (I'm level 31 atm), because I've gone fairly broad atm with spells and a couple of other skills. So a recent fight with a Barman, Gambler and Butcher was tougher than it should have been. Bits currently in Solstheim are particullarly challenging (despite having acquired storm conjuration)

Plus little things niggle like how do some guards have a country away already know I'm not a member of the dark brotherhood. Like how? Info doesn't travel that quickly. And for a org that kinda wants to keep on the down low sending out names and descriptions of the newest recruits seems like an _awful_ idea.

Or how somehow despite reasonable sneak, plus crouching, muffled shoes, and muffle spell some random bandit still somehow sees you when you move. Or hey, you _CAN_ build a sneaky stabby stabby build ... but good luck to you in _many_ dungeons were there is no accomidation of that (or a stabby stabby conjuring mage.

I'm close to just putting the game down and not touching it again. (And I'm in awe of people who have a couple of hunderd+ hours into Skyrim ... how?)

Music is great, visuals are pretty great, few distances at times are amazing.

But so many QoL improvements needed. WHY for the SE / AE did Bethesda not look at the most people mods (say SkyUI, or the one for better Favourites) and at a minimum implement those things. Like sure on a console of handheld (Steam Deck) that default Inventory (MIGHT) be better but on a desktop PC (Mac via Wine in my case) the default is just awful. (and never mind the multitude of bug fixes that the unoffical patch has ((although I don't use it)) ... like for the SE/AE _surely_ B could have spent a tiny bit of time integrating many of those fixes themselves?!?)

Final note, runs pretty great on a Steam Deck even with SkyUI, and runs pretty great on an M1 MacBook Air via Wine (although some areas/lots of people do drop the framerate to 18-25)

Finally playing this. Loved the first one but got side tracked for ages and basically skilled myself above the intention for main quests.

Ended up doing the same here. I’m about 25% complete according to the game but have, as before, over skilled myself to the point it’s become pretty boring. Like why would I buy the skill of silent running when I can just use Eleven speed.

Various bits are enjoyable, and some just downright annoying (like having to have the captain speak at you before really being able to take them down (particularly annoying when they are supposed to be mortally vulnerable to stealth attacks). Some of the challenges to activate weapons / armour are annoying (counter while on fire, but standing in a fire doesn’t count)

Upgrades to the ring just feel odd.

My first attempt at an online conquest was bugged. Despite being in the zone and filling the meter never got the option to plant a flag or capture the area.

The game runs beautifully on the Steam Deck. You can easily do high with a fixed frame rate of 30FPS. Despite what the game tells you in Settings.

Engine is fabulous, giving space and verticality.

wish Monolith would remaster NOLF.

Would totally recommend, but don’t get side tracked and put yourself way ahead of intended skill levels.

Will update this when I've played more, but so far (opening and initial beach/trench bits), I'm just not enjoying this. Far to bitty and irritating. Much preferred earlier games in the series.

Unexpected delight. I went in know nothing except that tags about Exploration & Relaxing. Something I am deeply in need of at the moment. So having earlier completed Dear Esther, I thought I'd play something cute, lighthearted and full of whimsy.

As is typical I immediately ignored the main story and ambled around exploring everywhere I could get to. Then made the run for the top. Wasn't prepared for that ending or the tears that flowed ... been in that situation of waiting to hear myself with my own mum so it hit a little close to home. Admitedly I didn't need to climb a mountain to hear from her. I ended up feeling a little guilty for not getting Claire to the top sooner! Dang it, its a cute game don't make me feel guilty!

Anyway, definitely worth the money. Lots of fun, many of the mini games are enjoyable. Just wish I was a little better at beachstickball!

Ran flawlessly on the Steamdeck. And capped at 30fps, battery will last any age.

Had the game (both as just Dear Esther, and Dear Esther: Landmark Edition) a long time. I started the OG back in 2016 (June 14th) and managed 11 minutes before putting it down. (Honestly no idea why, suspect distracted by something else).

I finally decided yesterday that I would play it as I needed something relaxing to do and figured that a walking simulator would be the perfect option. (I'd already been out physically walking). So after installing on my Steam Deck, added headphones and off I trotted to the outer Hebrides.

And I'll be quite honest in some ways I wish I hadn't. Not because they game isn't beautiful, or interesting. Just that my own mental state isn't great atm, and here is this story that may or may not be about a broken man destroyed by what happened to Esther. And then that ending ... was tough. Either or the two interpratiations I have for it sit uneasily. My primary is that he finally snapped & released himself from his mental anguish and effiectivibly committed mental su***d*. I do suggest playing when not mentally struggling.

That said, the visuals a lovely, I did feel like I was ambling around a Hebridian island, and found myself being careful of edges and whatnot. The added detail to the landscape in terms of pictures, cans, pieces of paper, shrines to items related to the crash really enhance the journey.

The sound design and music were spot on, and I agree with Jess and Dan (I think) where they were talking about leaving space to think and remuniate while walking. Great idea (often IRL I use MyNoise to give me background sounds other than cards to give me space to think as music can be too much at times)

I do wish there was some more interaction with things. Maybe little asides when looking at some of the shrines , or an explanation where the torch went . I encountered one possible bug where the torch just doesn't come on when going through a dark cave in early Chp 1 yet turns on when immediately entering the lighthouse buildings.

Overall, an interesting game. Was definitely worth the time to play, and I will again to hear the commentary fully.

Digital Crack. Ridiculously addictive. Just one more game,

Perfect on the Steam Deck, and on my Mac.

Interesting and challenging, but after playing, it is not for me. (got game via Humble Bundle)

Interesting, beautiful and atmospheric game. Lots of intriguing questions, and I only found 1 of the 14 achievements. However this isn't a game that gives me any compulsion to play again. Very much a once and done for me.

Fun, really easy to over level if you are inclined to do everything (I finished the game about 4 levels above the story level, more so now with the DLC).

There isn't really much of a story, and some of the running back and forth on quests does get annoying (ESPECIALLY on the Knoxx DLC where there is no Fast Travel).

I really like Clap Trap.

I haven't played the original game, so I can't really talk much about the enhancedness of it but it looks good on my 2560x1080 monitor, runs smoothly if you turn V-Sync off and use Nvidia's Adaptive Sync.

That said, the game is not trouble free for me and some others. There is a technical issue where the game becomes unplayable after 30 - 70 minutes; the sound & graphics are stuttering badly. (30-40m when run Borderless Windowed, 60-70m fullscreen) Left long enough it either crashes the game, or locks the computer up.

I've tested Borderlands 2 and it doesn't happen there, and I've used this PC to play countless other games without issue.

Fairly enjoyable but frustrating game. Absolutely love the running bits and trying to figure out where I am to go, generally checkpoints aren\t too far back when you enevitably die. The last couple of levels get a bit frustrating with being shot at a lot.

I find the controls pretty crisp, although sometimes its not clear why I don't manage to grab a cable to slide. Graphics look superb despite the games age.