Recent reviews by RawDeal

This is my favorite genre of game. The things I enjoyed most about Firmament were the massive environmental puzzles. The two areas where you had don the suit (no spoilers) - especially the last one - were insanely immersive. The worlds were beautiful, the sound design sparse and effective, and the transitions between worlds fast and smooth.

I see a lot of talk about game breaking bugs, but I only got stuck twice - once in a wall with the walker and I forget the other. The special teleport to safety saved me both times. Not saying there aren't others, but that was my experience.

Hard as Myst, Riven or Obduction? No. Shorter? Yes. Whatever, I spent a very enjoyable 12+ hours in this beautiful place. The story/narration was concise and vague - which I liked. If you want challenging, but not mind-breaking environmental puzzles I highly recommend it.

It would be a great launching point for "Firmament II" adding new places to travel, much like URU was intended to be. I think I'll replay that next. Thanks Cyan!

Was it hard? Yes. Was it rewarding when you 'got something right?' Yes. Did I need to do a hint check occasionally? Yes. Not proud, but it is what it is. Beautiful game and worth the lumps on my head from the banging on my desk.

Had no idea what to expect going in, but glad I did. Really interesting (Millenium-esque) story and great combat I hadn't experienced before. Big fan of the FEAR games and got a similar vibe. Yeah, it's showing it's age a bit in the graphics, but overall a really fun game. Using the environment to find/change weapons was slick.

Never have I been so immersed in a gameworld before. The atmosphere, sound, isolation, the TERROR were amazing. It's difficult to go into much detail to avoid spoilers, but if you like a good adventure that has genuine moments of panic and also some beautiful environments - SOMA scores.

The world, lore and the story were next level - so much so that there are choices you have to make that are truly difficult. Also have to give a special mention to the voice actors - felt like you were listening to actual people dealing with life or death situations. Amnesia was not only my favorite horror game before this, but my favorite game. SOMA has taken that spot.

Don't have anything negative to say, so play it - in the dark - loud.

The most immersive game I've ever played. There was, for me at least, a decent learning curve, but once it locked in, the struggle to survive in The Zone was real. Have played the trilogy multiple times and spent hundreds of hours in Anomaly. Once you're hooked, The Zone will call you.

The atmosphere is dark and oppressive. The AI is smart and unpredictable. The siren wail when an emission approaches will strike real fear. Take your time, learn the ropes and quick save like your life depends on it.

If you're interested in STALKER 2, do yourself a favor and play the trilogy at least once before. You've got plenty of time :-)

Even with the slide-show mechanics, the immersion in this game is insane. Play with headphones - the sound design and music really take it to the next level. I played this way back in the disk-switching days and being able to just go wherever, whenever is nice. Inspect everything, look everywhere and always turn around when you enter a new area/door/cave :-) A couple of the puzzles are pretty tough, but making something spin up, go, turn on or unlock is a great feeling. Going back in on realMyst next.

First, the epilepsy warning is NO JOKE.

After playing too many hours of Dying Light this was a nice chance of pace. The world was dark, wet and gorgeous. The music was slight, and perfect for the environment. If you are looking for an intense puzzler, this might not be for you, but if you want to immerse yourself in a dystopian nightmare of a world... you found it. It's been a while since I got totally lost in a game, but this one will suck you in and break your hold on reality. The forensic analysis was clever and really made you inspect your surroundings. It's really difficult to explain what >Observer_ is, but that's the point.

Get <your mind> bent.

After spending a LOT of time killing zombies and climbing towers in Dying Light, this was a welcome break to the chaos.

Beautiful graphics, great narration/story and the ending even got my heart racing a bit. Yes, there is a lot of walking, driving, snowmobiling - but that's what I loved about it. If you enjoy free-roam exploration (with a great mystery story) then you might just like Kona. The snow-ridden wilderness was gorgeous and just taking the snow moblie off road was fun.

I played on normal and I wish I had played on (nightmare?) the hardest setting. I have a feeling you'd get a lot colder, faster and that would have amped it up a bit. For an exploration/mystery game, it was aces.

PS. If I ever get a VR setup, this game will be top of my list.

An emotional journey through the many lives of the Finch family that was both beautiful and emotional. I won't give much away, but the art, music and story worked together perfectly. Someone else said try to do it in one sitting - I agree. The variety in the individual stories was vast and there was more than one surprising (and gut-wrenching) ending to a couple. Definitely one of my favorites of the past year. Giant Sparrow did a remarkeable job that will be difficult to top.

Went in cold having only seen the really good review averages. So, the whole story/look/feel was fresh.

I'm about 90 minutes in (taking my time) and the environment is insane. The feeling of dread that builds is pretty intense. Some very unexpected shocks as well :-) It's beautifully rendered - and quite dark in places by design. It's a nice break from FONV and the story is unwinding in interesting ways.

If you like atmospheric creepiness and an interesting (and very dark) story you should check it out. The soundtrack is beautiful and fits the mood perfectly. Not sure how it all ends, but looking forward to finding out. Got a great deal today on the main game and the DLC so grab it while the grabbing's good.

**Finished LoF and Inheritance: Just some final thoughts. What I said before still stands. Creepy stuff, imaginative levels, AMAZING sound design and chill-inducing. Plus, it has its share of good solid scares. There's mixed opinions on the DLC, but it was fun exploring the house from a different (and lower) point of view. That damn dog tho...

I love a great atmospheric game and this had it, plus an intriguing story. Gruesome, beautiful and disturbing. Recommended!