Recent reviews by Coda

this game so good when you don't got someone in your ear telling you it's terrible for not being payday 2

nah but on a real note, I haven't touched this game since buying it on launch, where I felt it was a bit boring and lacking in content, especially compared to its longstanding predecessor. but, with all the updates that have come out over the past two years, it finally feels like a game worth playing and exploring. the new skill system, while still in its early, kinda rough stages, is leagues more interesting than the first iteration, offering interesting tradeoffs in builds whilst also giving weapon types their own roles and exclusive perks.

alongside this is the multitude of other systematic changes, like the new armor system, which allows for deep customization of your defenses for various playstyles, and the unique skills for each overkill weapon (killstreak weapons for the uninitiated), among other things. all of these things combine to make buildcrafting have the same depth, if not more so, than payday 2, which was one of my favorite parts of that game. or any game, for that matter.

there are still some issues with the game, it's nowhere near perfect. like, the progression past max level is still rather lackluster, and a true offline/p2p mode would be really nice to have. but there's still absolutely something enjoyable here. this version of payday still has the much more interesting stealth mechanics and hostage mechanics, which were the things I enjoyed most about payday 3 at launch. but now, there's more fun tools to play with, alongside a solid core gameplay loop of universal mechanics

overall, if you're looking for a fresh, slightly more grounded take on a heisting game compared to payday 2, payday 3 is definitely worth giving a try

This game has been out for nearly a year now, and I've been playing it on and off for most of that time. While at first glance, this seems like a mish-mosh of a bunch of other shooters' elements thrown together, the sum of all these parts creates something so much more than that. The movement is fluid, the combat feels fair, the weapons all have their strengths and weaknesses, as well as every other choice in your loadout. The breadth of options that you have at your disposal based on what gadgets and guns you bring into the arena is super fun to explore, letting you really carve out your own playstyle. And on top of all that, the first-class destruction physics make this a truly one-of-a-kind experience in the modern shooter landscape. The main game mode, Cashout, is also one of the most unique that I have ever played, and really allows players to make strategic macro-plays that you can't really get anywhere else.

Best of all, the game is completely free to play, nothing gameplay-related is locked behind a paywall, only cosmetics, so there is no risk in giving it a try. And, in my opinion, this game is one of the most fair, honest, and at times generous with its monetization, giving you more currency back in the battle pass than it costs, as well as letting you pick and choose items out of bundles that you might want. I highly recommend giving this game a try if you're tired with the current state of shooters, as this game really is something special.

Edit: 1 year later

Everything I've said above still stands and then some. This game is the gift that keeps on giving, with the upcoming Season 9 adding a larger scale 8v8 rush mode and many changes to progression systems to smooth out everyone's experience with THE FINALS. Balance remains tight, monetization remains fair, and the game just keeps getting more fun with every new addition. I said it in my original review, but I'll say it again: give this game a shot. It's completely free to play, and, in my opinion, it's the freshest, most dynamic, and most interesting shooter out there.

As a refreshing shakeup for a series that had been lost in the sauce for a good while, Sonic Frontiers does a good job of reigniting my love for this blue blur that I haven't felt in a long time. There's just something so intrinsically fun about running around these wide open worlds, while taking things at your own pace, however fast that may be. A lot of the supplementary mechanics that I was a little iffy on going into this game turned out to be some of the best parts. The combat, for one, starts feeling more and more fluid as you keep playing, and, with enough time, truly captures the feeling of being a deadly, speedy annoyance to any enemy. Building off of a really solid combat system, the Super Sonic segments (yes, segments!) are easily the best in the series, being absolutely awesome spectacles that don't just feel like a series of qte's. Platforming in these open zones feels really nice and interactive as well, letting you sprint off the beaten path to find your own way to the various collectibles. If I have one complaint about this game, it's the Cyberspace levels, which, while being a nice change of pace, do not control well with this new movement system. Music is still bangers all around though, especially the boss themes.

Overall, if you weren't a huge fan of the direction this series was going, maybe give this one a shot, as it's one of very few games to capture the speedy freedom that the Sonic Adventure games were known for.

With this game now at 1.0, I feel I can finally give this game the verdict it deserves: it's a damn good rougelike. Taking elements and inspiration from Borderlands and similar games, and infusing that with the gameplay of a rougelike, is a match made in heaven. Gunfire takes these elements of looting & shooting, infuses them into a nice selection of characters with their own skills, and ends up with a very complex and rewarding experience. The game's progression was one of my biggest gripes in early access, due to how slow it was, alongside a significant hump early on. This has now been rectified, and the progression feels much better and smoother.

However, while I do enjoy this game, I cannot call it perfect, because it definitely has its hiccups. Gunfire is much more punishing to play solo as opposed to co-op, since you can only revive yourself once per run. In addition, the game's original language is Chinese, which leads to some occasional inconsistent translation for English and other language players.

Overall though, Gunfire Reborn a very enjoyable rougelike experience for fans of the genre, and would even be a great introduction to the genre for fans of Borderlands and similar games.

Story Mode is an overall enjoyable experience, with plenty of dynamic and unique gameplay situations
Online requires a lot of grinding or some real-life payment to get the full experience, but can still be a good time with some friends
Overall, a solid purchase if it's on sale. Also grab the Criminal Enterprise Pack if you want a boost for Online while its on sale, it helps a lot

Easily one of the best games in my library, and it's only been in early access for a week. The gameplay is constantly engaing, with tons of small and big decisions that could shape how you play for the rest of the run. The co-op is fun and integrated well, the difficulty is on point for all 3 settings, all the classes and items are intuitive and fun to use, and the music is always perfect for the situation at hand. Do yourself a favor and get this game ASAP.

Hands down one of the best singleplayer experiences out there. Amazing stealth mechanics, an engaging, albeit incomplete story, great musical score, and plenty of room for creativity of the player. Would reccomend this game to anyone, expecially now while it's part of the Humble Monthly bundle[www.humblebundle.com] for only $12

*WARNING* This review is highly biased towards the Super Smash Bros. games*

As someone who has played the Super Smash Bros. series extensively, I looked into this game hoping it would be an interesting spin on the platform fighter genre. However, upon entering the game, I was pretty disappointed.

Overall, compared to Smash, the controls felt extremely clunky, and pretty unresposive at times. The overall feel of the game seems very cheap, hoping to reap off of the nostalgia people may feel from the Smash series.

There is also quite a large lack of balance in the game, especially with this new update, making air fighting being the only viable option. Smash managed to give each character movesets that could work with either a ground or air playstyle, while also giving a bit of preference to each character.

The fact that this is a free to play game also works against it, making it, from what I've seen, a bit of a pay to win game, due to how underpowered the starting characters feel. Sure, Smash added some unbalanced DLC characters, but only with the latest release, and since then they have made attempts to balance them extensively.

Overall, Brawlhalla feels like an unbalanced, lackluster spin on the formula Smash has established and mastered, and feels like a cheap money trap to make the game more enjoyable, or requiring a hefty amount of playtime.

A shooter unlike any other, Team Fortress 2 has managed to stand the test of time for over 12 years now, entertaining hundreds of thousands of gamers, myself included. The variety of gamemodes, the unique art style, and the deep, rewarding gameplay all contribute to a game worth playing for years to come, despite its lack of recent or upcoming updates.

*sprays graffiti*
Cops: "I'M SENDING IN THE TANKS!"
*pauses game and reflects life choices*