Recent reviews by Milk outside

The latest updates to the game really make it feel like all it needed was one more year in development. Now that Darktide has been out for one full year it has VASTLY improved.

The crafting system and overall performance of the game on low-to-mid end machines are still my two biggest gripes BUT Fatshark has made significant strides in improving both aspects among a laundry list of other things - the class talent tree overhaul chief among them. Along with the levelling process being significantly shortened and the all new mission, now is probably the best time to get into Darktide.

An absolute blast to play with your friends. You shoot bugs, dig holes, mine gold, and drink beer. Best space dwarf simulator I've ever played. The class variety is stellar, with a Driller who drills BIG holes (who knew?) a Scout with a grappling hook and flare gun to light the way, an Engineer equipped with the platform gun and two automated turrets, and a Gunner with the biggest guns and shields in the game. Each class comes with a variety of weapons, ranging from flamethrowers, to plasma cutters, even the old reliable M1 Garand. Paired with regular content updates and a massive variety of free cosmetics earnable through gameplay, Deep Rock Galactic is a game that values your time and always has something new to do.

I picked this game up in early access back around March, and have been an on-again-off-again contributor in the official Discord, and I've loved every hour of the journey through this game's development. And now that the full release is finally here, I'm more than happy to sing Hades' praises.

Hades is a godlike rougelike game where you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, on his mission to defy his father and escape the underworld. On the way, you come into contact with the gods and goddesses of Olympus, who all bless you with their own unique trees of "boons" which empower you in different ways. Paired with the 6 unique weapons at your disposal each with 4 different aspects which alter how the weapon functions, and the 4 levels of the underworld you have to battle out of each with their own unique pool of enemies and bosses, you have your core rougelike experience. But should you die (and you will) Zagreus floats down the River Styx and ends up back in his father's house, where you can speak with a colourful cast of characters ripped straight out of Greek myth and legend. You can seek help from the Goddess of Night Nyx, who serves as your permanent power progression, speak with the legendary Achilles to learn more about the world, and you can even pet Cerberus!

That brings me to the overall premise of the game, and oh lord is it a doozy. Supergiant Games has absolutely knocked it out of the park in terms of art direction, visual effects, musical composition, the whole shebang. With beautifully vibrant cel shaded graphics and an oil-painted aesthetic, the Greek gods and legends which inhabit the underworld and aid you from Mount Olympus have been brought to life with over a hundred hours of fully-voiced dialogue. The genius Darren Korb brings the underworld itself to life with a composition of both somber vocal tracks, and dynamic, pulse-pounding battle tracks in an original soundtrack more than 2 hours long.

In closing, I'd just like to say it's been an amazing experience playing a part; however small; in this game's development. Having engaged in heated discussion over gameplay balance, brainstormed incentives for players to remain engaged, and reported bugs when playtesting beta builds, I'm overjoyed to finally see Hades exit early access. Supergiant Games has done an admirable job at incorporating the community into the game's development, regularly taking community feedback and receiving bug reports from everyday players. I can only imagine the kind of balancing act it must have been, but as a member of the community I was thrilled every time I noticed a change I advocated for make it into a new official update. So if you're still on the fence on whether or not you should pick up Hades, take it from someone who played long before the game was even finished: Hades is 100% worth it. And to Supergiant, all I want to say is thank you. Thank you for one of the best experiences I've ever had with early access, and I can't wait to see what next you have in store.

It's 5 dollars on Steam and free on mobile, and way more fun than any Town game I've ever played. And I usually hate Town games, so. GIVE IT A GO!

To preface this review, I feel obliged to say that - speaking strictly of the core gameplay - Granblue Fantasy Versus is perhaps my favourite fighting game right now. An emphasis on footsies, a generous buffer system, and optional one-button special move inputs makes the game very kind to beginners, while still rewarding intelligent play and mechanical skill with wall-bounce and juggle combos.

BUT...does that mean I recommend Granblue Fantasy Versus? No. At least not on PC, and especially not if you're on a budget!

Firstly, the price. It's an ArcSys game, so what do you expect? The main game bundled with the base roster of 11 playable characters, delay-based online play, and a singleplayer/two-player co-op story mode is all priced at a whopping 80$ CAD. Purchase it with the character pass set, bumping the roster up to 16 playable characters, and you're paying 100$ CAD. If you want the two DLC stages you're now paying 111$ CAD just about. And that's not counting future dlc character releases, which will all cost you an extra 9.50$ CAD each. Naturally, prices will vary depending on your national currency, but any way you slice it this is one expensive fighting game.

Secondly, delay-based online play. The flaws of delay-based netcode and the advantages of rollback-based netcode have been discussed to death, so in short, delay-based netcode means the online play is...not good. It doesn't help that the online lobbies are, for the most part, a wasteland devoid of life. To get the best experience, you'll have to play locally or find an online community.

Thirdly, the story mode, or "RPG Mode" If you're dead-set on playing Granblue Fantasy Versus on PC, the only value you'll get out of RPG Mode is weapon skins usable in local and online play, a handful of fully animated cutscenes, and a whole lot of visual novel-esque cutscenes with a textbox taking up a third of the screen while some mostly static 3D models slide around on top of it. The core gameplay of the RPG mode at its best is interesting, at its worst is time-wasting, but it's usually just something to turn your brain off to.

If you were playing on PS4, however, reaching certain milestones in the RPG Mode (and Hell, even just owning the game and certain DLC) would earn you substantial rewards in the actual Granblue Fantasy mobile game, for those of you that care. On PC, none of these rewards are present at the time this review was written.

So finally, do I recommend Granblue Fantasy Versus? Yes, on PS4. At the time of writing this review, you will get more rewards from the RPG Mode, on top of having better populated online lobbies if you play on PS4 compared to PC.

Hands-down the greatest character-action game I've ever played. With three playable characters Nero, V, and Dante, who all have a large arsenal of attacks meticulously crafted to allow for freeform combos to make you feel like an absolute god, the core gameplay experience is incredibly fun and allows for hours of replayability. Whether you're just looking to enjoy the stunning visuals and adaptive soundtrack on Human mode, or you want to lab different combos to mop the floor with Dante Must Die mode, DMC5 has something to offer both casual and hardcore character-action fans.