Recent reviews by Stormraven

I cannot stress enough how well this game is put together. Its dialogue is beyond excellent, its music creeps under your skin, and its ambiance is classic. There's lots of hard replay value, and a system designed to encourage the use of in-game discretion. I honestly don't think I've ever played a game that describes Cosmic Horror so brilliantly. Don't be fooled by it's simple mechanics - this game is worth your time and your money.

Hard to put my finger on what makes this game more attractive on other work-simulation experiences. It's got great characters and good pacing. Each session is a neat 15 minutes, and so it's convenient when you've got a little time to kill. It's easy but not too easy. At the same time, if you're a speedrunner, it's got a lot of potential there, too. After a full workday, it entertains without asking too much of you. Great for casual players.

I've rarely been as impressed by a game as Disco Elysium. The major downside of having to backtrack did not stop me from plugging in again and again, until I'd finished my first playthrough. Depending on your play-style, it can be comedic, dramatic, tragic, or epic. It's a story full of loss and hope, failure after failure after failure, until success against all odds.

It is a very cerebral game, a very emotional game, and I don't think it's for everyone. It sure hit the spot for me, though!

I cannot recommend, at least for the PC. Controls are anti-intuitive, requiring surgical precision to simply open chests. Automatic view and targeting options are non-existent. Monsters can easily interrupt your attacks, but you can barely (if ever) interrupt theirs. Anti-Blindside Game Mechanics: Why? Why even? Your split-second timing is rewarded with a crit to the face? Really? Bounce off the armor, to be sure, but punishment for accuracy in such a critical (no pun intended) game element? Boss Fights: Don't make any plans for the next half hour, and that's just a single attempt. Main character can sprint a total of 10 feet before getting tired (I'm fat and old, and I can still sprint 100 yards before I need to admit that I'm having a heart attack). Main character cannot climb anything - only jump down. Main character cannot step over any landscape feature larger than a dead squirrel, and will hang up upon encountering said landscape feature. Flying opponents will freely engage the group, though the group (despite having ranged weapons) cannot engage the flying opponents. What's more: Flying opponents will float along, completely ignoring you, despite all of your best efforts to attract them to combat... until you've passed under them - at which point they will ambush you from behind, despite your wariness of their existance and eagerness to engage them in combat. Those are the nits.

The story is kinda meh. The plot is kinda meh. I didn't expect a Shakesperian presentation, to be fair. I got exactly what I paid for, in those departments.

Boiling these things down: The game has the potential to be engaging and entertaining, if the raw mechanics didn't drag the progression to an intolerable slog.

Things might be better with some kind of controller, but if you're a hardened keyboard-and-mouse player like myself - save yourself the grief and pass.

I love the Star Ocean IP, but this could have been done ~much~ better.

A brilliant piece of artwork, of theatre, and great for an afternoon's entertainment - like a good movie. Excellent for an October thrill! While there are things that I may have done differently, I have no complaints, and consider my money very well-spent.

For a franchise known for its unforgettable, emotional storyline, this addition is an outright disgrace. Oh, there's some content, I suppose - a few more weapons and a bit more equipment, perhaps, although nothing outstanding - a bit of a nod to the old-timers with the Hubologists, I'd wager - but there is absolutely nothing in the content of this game.

Finish it, and you'll neither feel like a gallant hero, nor an unstoppable villain, nor even a morally-challenged wastelander trying desperately to carve their own kingdom out of the Wasteland for the sake of themselves and their son.

I'd have been happier, I suppose, if the game had even merely offered some game-breaking equipment or perks. It would make me feel like I actually paid for some kind of advantage - even if I didn't get any storyline satisfaction.

Dear Bethesda:

You can do better than this. Indeed, you've ~done~ better than this. Don't coast on past glories - hire a writer whom understands motive.

Magnificent. On so many levels.

If you love the Fallout franchise, you won't be dissapointed. If you don't, or sit on the fence, you probably will be. Personally, I've played every game since the original to its end, and eagerly waited for the next. I can see both the warm, personal love and the cold, calculated capital interest poured into the game. My interest in the comments of fans and critics alike has somewhat waned, so please do not comment on my review. Just like it or dislike it, and I'll get the hint.

With my income, I worked 7 hours to earn enough to buy this game. Were I to spend the same price on going to see a few entertainments at a movie theatre, I would get roughly 16 hours of entertainment, with no replay value. Currently, I'm vastly more than 24 hours into the game, with no intent of stopping, and with the promise of a distinct replay value.

To the nay-sayers, you like what you like, and I'm not judging you - but consider how much entertainment you're getting for your money. If you complete the game in 20 hours - you've already gained more entertainment than going to the cinema for a similar amount of time and a greater amount of money. To the disappointed fans, consider that, if a game is to have a sequal, it needs to sell... and it therefore needs to appeal to the masses and not just the geeks. To the fellow satisfied fans and higher, I say: Booya! I'll see you at the conventions, with your cosplay at the tip of my camera!

Concept is interesting. Retro is cool. Execution is poor.

First and foremost - this is the first game I've ever played ... and I do mean ~ever~ played, where the tutorial not only insults the player (plenty of those), but actually gives up on the player (*ding!* First EVAR! Congrats! You've leveled ~down~!) . Really. Three minutes in, and not only does the weak, weak tutorial fail to satisfactorally explain the gameplay, but it's not even accessible after two failures to do EXACTLY what it tells you to... leaving you to try and figure out game controls on your own, or re-boot the game.

Now, undoubtedly, there will be some whom find this "edgy" "neo-punk" attitude charming, but not, by whole, a wide audience.

After that, the extreme lack of information continues.

I can purchase upgrades to expand my capacity, for instance - but for the life of me, my current capacity is listed ~nowhere~. How about a status screen or two? Hmmm? One for my business and one for my current ship? Let me know where I f***ing stand, before insulting me time and again for not improving.

This game is far, far from polished-and-finished. I'll wait for updates, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Magnificently balanced, yet outrageous gameplay! Humor that's lowbrow, but intelligently lowbrow! Pop culture references from the 80's! Sex! Violence! Aliens! And... perhaps the return of Johnny Gat? The only way to know is to play!