Recent reviews by John™

So after about 15 hours or so of actual gameplay, I think I've just about exhausted the content in the initial release version. I think it's worth the small price tag currently. It has a very promising foundation for adding more and the Noita-like wand building system means every new spell increases variety more than you'd think. My main complaint is probably that the runs often end right about when things are starting to feel like they're taking off with the crazy combinations, so I'm very much looking forward to revisiting this when they add the next act.

This has been a pretty contentious release based on other reviews, but I am very happy with it. The quality is very high for a newly released Paradox game, and it's pretty much exactly what I wanted for a Victoria sequel. That being said, not everyone liked Victoria 2 for the exact same reasons. This game focuses on micromanaging your economy to an extreme extent, to the point where it almost feels like it scratches more of a Factorio itch than a Europa Universalis one. If you're a big fan of army tactics you may be disappointed, as there are limited direct army controls and your success depends mostly on your ability to balance your resources and maintain supply lines to support the army. The politics of pops and government is interesting and engaging to me, and it's been a bit of a learning experience since even small choices have pretty far reaching consequences that aren't immediately obvious.

Overall I'd recommend it to people primarily interested in economics and internal politics in grand strategy games.

Great game which combines a lot of elements from games I love like Dwarf Fortress/Rimworld, and those old Caesar games etc. I've also noticed the developer has made consistent progress and is very open with the community, so I have high hopes for its continued development!

Overall it's currently complete enough for me and I love the general concept and stuff like the very high population.

Honestly, I never expected to enjoy this game as much as I do. It just happens to satisfy several gameplay itches I get from time to time. The random turrets and upgrades you salvage from enemy ships are akin to finding items in an ARPG. The ship construction allows for a lot of creative freedom, while still encouraging you to put some thought into aspects like how to distribute weight and which systems to prioritize. The overall space simulation where you go around befriending factions and trading can be very satisfying, especially when you find a good trade route (or piracy target). I think the complexity of the game is just right. There are plenty of little things to think about, but it's never overwhelming if you want to just wander around blowing up pirates. There's also workshop support, which is filled with amazing ship builds.

Overall, if you like the idea of a game that's two parts Freelancer/X Series, one part Diablo and one part Minecraft, you'll probably like this game very much.

I am absolutely loving this. It combines so many things that I love to see in games, like extensive physics effects, rewarding creativity with the spell customization, random loot, and having a nicely animated cape. Runs tend to feel very different each time (at least once you make it out of the first level or two) and there's been lots of neat secrets and clever spell combos to discover.

So far it's been very stable, crashing only once after I filled the entire world with water (and I have since that done again without it crashing.)

I like that the game doesn't shy away from many things being very impactful. Perks can give full immunity to different damage types instead of just a bit of damage reduction like I'd expect in most games for example.

I feel like it already has enough content to be considered complete, anything added during Early Access will be icing on the cake to me. Overall I'd highly recommend this game. I was already excited before it came out, but it exceeded my expectations in every way.

To me, this is the most polished and fun that Total War has ever been at launch. It really sucked me in almost immediately. I was originally a bit concerned about having Shogun-like unit sameness, but the overall game ended up having a lot more diversity than I was expecting. It also actually performs better than the last few TW games did for me. I'd definitely recommend it, and I'd say it has reversed what was becoming a downward trend of TW games in my mind.

Despite being in early access, this game is already very fun with tons of unique ways to build your ship. I don't normally play 'arcadey' games too much, but the customization lured me in and I've found it super satisfying to try different combinations.
The 15-30 minute runs feel just right for a quick game here and there. New content is just going to multiply what I already love about the game, so I'm very excited for that as well, despite it already feeling fairly complete. Would definitely recommend!

Kenshi is a unique game that I would highly recommend if the description above seems enticing to you. I'm a sucker for sandbox games, and I personally love the gradual process of training characters from incompetent weaklings to nearly unstoppable warriors, which is all the more satisfying since you play by the same rules as the AI characters. The game does lack some polish, but makes up for it with its distinct style and mechanics.

This was by far my favorite game in 2016. I would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed (or even wanted to try) Dwarf Fortress or any similar game like Gnomoria.

RimWorld is not as complex as Dwarf Fortress, but it manages to maintain the aspects I enjoy most from the game while also being very accessible. The art works very well for the game, and the soundtrack is a perfect fit.

The development of the game has been steady and quick, as well. It is also very easy to mod, as most of what you'd want to change or add to is stored in simple XML files.

If you're even remotely attracted to the thought of 'Futuristic Wild West Dwarf Fortress', you'll definitely have a lot of fun.

I haven't played it much yet, but so far it's looking to be a fantastic game.