Recent reviews by Stagg

Understand, this is a good game. If you like fast paced combat with an emphasis on pinpoint timing go ahead. It's just not for my usual taste. Here are some personal takes:

Can't say I fully back this one, even among other fromsoft titles. The game is very punishing and it always feels like you're on the backfoot (which I know sounds like standard formula but hear me out.)

Compared to dark souls, bloodborne, elden ring, you are locked into a specific playstyle. That playstyle is rythmic parrying and draining an enemy's posture bar rather than their health. You *can* do it the normal way but it's VERY clearly based around the posture system.

As for the story, there's enough holes in it to make swiss cheese. I know the game isn't supposed to elaborate much but I think one of the biggest gripes is "If Wolf is a shinobi who learned under multiple masters, why is he absolutely terrible at his job?" I get it, out of practice etc but you're literally at the start of the game just a guy with a sword who can jump. Owl didn't teach ♥♥♥♥. Other than that the rest is mainly okay.

Lastly is that there's no real creativity with how you go about fighting enemies. Each is supposed to be fought in a specific way at a specific time (unless you've dumped a lot of time and hours into studying the bosses for flawlessness.) I.E. You shouldn't fight madam butterfly until you've beaten gyobu, because she's a massive posture and health sponge that early in the game. you *CAN* you're just gonna end up suffering though.

Gripes aside I like the whole one man shinobi army aspect. The stealth is solid and the combat is very fluid, albeit that it can be VERY unfair. That and deathblows are cinematic as hell. Love it.

Historical Reminder:

On May 6th, Sony almost went forward with a mandatory PSN account requirement for Helldivers 2.

Thanks to the overwhelming review bombings on steam and refund requests, as well as particular legal parts of the EU and other regions, Sony was forced to stand down.

This is a reminder, still negative from that time of uncertainty, to not trust Sony. This game is good and deserves better. It shouldn't be sullied by corpo greed.

They learned from the previous one. 500% better.

Before you read, let me state that this game is actually pretty good for MOST of its run.

Toward the end is a major letdown. I played through it all on the hardest difficulty and let me give it straight up.

This isn't a half life game, but a survival game with a simon-says boss at the end. It's really dated by today's standards but it captures the atmosphere and fear of the game it's based in. The creator, Breadman really did a good job in not only the area aspects but also with the mechanics of the game. You really do feel like you've been left abandoned in a terrible place and have to puzzle your way out.

That being said the biggest letdown is probably the lack of creative solutions. Half life rewarded you for being creative with your grenades, gravity gun and general sense of environment. The most you get in this is the lambda caches and a loose weapon here and there.

6/10 game.

Love to break several different humanitarian laws in a single afternoon.

Hate that even at point blank, your dudes can miss a shot against even larger creatures.

After fixing a few bugs and letting the devs do their thing, the game is actually playable now. Pretty fun, lots of hack and slash with shooty shoots.

That being said, at the time of the writing in this review there's no private lobbies. They do plan to add them though.

Game hates new players like romans hated the barbarians. Did germany dirty as far as historical accuracy, the game barrages you with info it refuses to explain and you will be paired against people who came out of the womb playing this.

Welcome one and all to a game that really destroyed its own fanbase. I get they want to make money but its kinda their fault for not establishing this sort of thing at launch.

I want to like this game, but you will get bodied by everyone and everything because skill based matchmaking doesn't work, so you're forced to queue with sweatlords. The game has amazing lore potential and potential for a story but wastes it on gimmicked trials and cliff notes. I would love a story mode and I would love a way that helps ease new players in with more advanced techniques, but I doubt this game will survive the long haul.

I love the concept of it, I really do but it is so barebones and brain dead.

Lets start off with balance: There is none. You will be endlessly faced against dudes that need to touch grass and god forbid you get hit if you're not playing wraith. You will die.

Cosmetics: Halo infinite style garbage rotating shop that nobody wanted nor ever wanted. It's purely there to pad out playtime and force you to hound on it.

Tutorial: Only teaches you the controls, never teaches you anything like wtf a dragon piercer or vault key does.

Graphics: Yeah they're pretty and baby dragons are cute.

Progression: All cosmetics based. I get they want to do it for balance but given previous point, doesn't help.

Overall: 3/10 stars. Was fun at first, but constantly dying to sweats and not being able to have a fun game without playing wraith kneecaps this hard. As well as a lack of explanation for things and a better evasion system.