Recent reviews by Whett

Update:

The game is solid, I sold some CS2 items to buy the game again and with the way that the devs are staying on top of the community's feedback and improving the game I am looking forward to seeing where they take this. The game is still a bit clunky on M+K controls but I've gotten used to the camera. The dialog and story writing still leave something to be desired but the game itself has a lot of really fun mechanics and if you can look beyond the blemishes (which I couldn't when I initially reviewed) it's a good game.


Original Review:

Cannot recommend currently. I have refunded the game after about 90 minutes of playtime due to it simply not being engaging. The story is not immersive, the writing and dialog are not good.

The gameplay is kind of clunky; not great, not bad. The game looks stellar. That is not reason enough for me to pay $70 USD for it.

Had basically no expectations going into this since I hadn't seen anything about the game until last week. However, I am disappointed with what Pearl Abyss has delivered here. For the price, I cannot recommend this based on how difficult it was for me to get into after playing for an hour and a half.

Played some early beta tests as well as the first Server Slam and was quite a bit more apprehensive than I had hoped going into the launch. Did not play the last Server Slam before launch, so can't speak to that, but the first server slam was fairly laggy and the game was not smooth. That is not the case with the full game. It runs well and hit reg feels great.

The UI is pretty confusing (I played D2 a lot and it's the exact same confusing mess in that) but once you get used to it, it's not a problem.

Gameplay is fun, the bots are no joke when you're running with free kits and it really incentivizes you to play smart. PvE combat is fun, it's challenging and engaging. PvP combat is also fun, losing sucks but winning feels VERY good and getting a juicy loot haul is always a joy.

It can be hard to understand what is happening with loot, but I like that. Not everything is clearly spelled out for you and the lack of hand holding really does make the game more engaging across the board.

For $40, the game is good. This game scratches the extraction shooter itch quite nicely and allows me to not have to play games that I enjoy less or perform less desirably (Arc Raiders and Tarkov). Can't recommend against it, but I do see how it could be hard to get into based on its gameplay loop and UI.

Gameplay is great. Lacks a lot of features currently but I am sure the dev is hard at work adding additional settings, keybinds, and new content. Definitely worth the purchase if you have a regular group that plays social deduction games!

I highly recommend this game. I was skeptical at first about the turn based combat, but it is handled exceptionally well and makes the pacing of the game significantly more enjoyable than if it had been traditional real-time combat.

The story is a genuinely touching and heartfelt take on loss, grief, and identity. The writing is top-notch and cutscenes feel like you're watching a high budget television show. There are moments that make you completely forget that you're playing a video game.

In my opinion, this game is worth buying at full price and certainly worth sinking some time into. It draws you in and makes you feel the characters emotions, it makes you desperately hopeful and simultaneously hopeless. The development team and everyone involved with this project deserve the highest praise. Kudos to them for developing such a beautiful piece of art.

The physics are absolutely hilarious. Play with friends, it's a great time.

The dev cares more about the game than their own family. Sometimes get two fairly large updates in a single afternoon.

The game is also just super fun and really funny with friends. It's a little scary at first but once you figure out some of the noises in the game you get a pretty level head about it.

Definitely recommend this one.

This is a very fun little game. I played with a group of 8 and we had an absolute blast learning the maps and trying not to screw anything up. It's a very enjoyable puzzle game with some seriously funny moments.

Highly recommend.

Unfortunately, the game is an always online game as a service instead of an offline experience. It does suck that they made it this way but it's not as bad as some other always online titles since it's free. People complaining about optional cosmetics and calling the game a cash grab are completely lost. It is 0 dollars - there is no advantage to paying for anything, if you find yourself spending money and saying "darn EA for making me spend this money" it is entirely your fault.

The skating feels really good. Default settings are a bit "on the rails" as they force all of their assists on but you can customize to have them less magnetic feeling.

As for the cartoony look; the game looks good. It has great readability and the styling doesn't draw away from the gameplay in any meaningful way. This is not older generation skate games, it does not look the same, nor does it have the same aesthetic.

I recommend this. Its a great time solo or with friends. People saying it feels bland or boring have obviously never played video games without some serious hand-holding, and clearly lack imagination because this game is packed full of crazy stuff to skate on.

I want to start by saying that the barrier to entry for this game is artificially inflated by the pricing of the DLC. You can easily spend $200 or more on the DLC just to gain access to the meatier content that the game has to offer.

That being said, this game is phenomenal. There is no better game in the genre than Destiny 2. It is fulfilling, it is riveting, it is moving, distressing, disheartening, challenging, and engaging. More than anything; it is fun. This game is best played with Friends, but doesn't require you to bring your own friends. It can be a chaotic symphony of struggle and an undeniable test of willpower. But it is always unique and enjoyable.

This game is literally poetry in motion. DO NOT skip this game. It isn't just a clone of lethal company, it is a digital masterpiece and the developers should be incredibly proud to have created something so groundbreaking.

The implementation of TTS as text chat is also one of the most well executed instances of TTS in a video game I have ever seen.

Exceptional in every single way.