Recent reviews by LegoDudeGuy

Half cosmetics, half actual gameplay stuff, this is a collection of some fun content to celebrate Bungie's 30th Anniversary.

Immediately upon purchasing this you get:

- A Bungie-themed cosmetic set for each class (worth ~$10 each if compared to a EV store set).
- Access to the Grasp of Avarice dungeon (which drops 3 refreshed Destiny 1 weapons, and a armour set for each class inspired by the Thorn Exotic)
- The option to unlock additional unlockable Marathon-themed cosmetics sets for each class (By turning in set amounts of Treasure Keys to specific chests in Xur's Treasure Hoard).
- Access to a Exotic weapon quest, which ends with you obtaining the Exotic RL Gjallarhorn (You also can unlock a cosmetic skin for it via completing a in-game triumph)
- The ability to earn the 30th Anniversary seal and Vidmaster title (2 of the triumphs required for the seal/title are locked behind the Grasp of Avarice dungeon)

You do NOT need to buy this pack to:

- Obtain the Forerunner Exotic Sidearm (and its catalyst)
- Play the Dares of Eternity matchmade activity (or to access its exclusive pool of Bungie throwback weapons)

If your a dedicated Destiny player, you probably already have this pack due to getting it bundled in with your Witch Queen purchase. The weapons you can get from the dungeon are some top shelf stuff (especially the Hand Cannon, Eyasluna), Gjallarhorn is a iconic Destiny weapon that's still incredibly powerful (but balanced), and the armour sets are of high quality and take shaders extremely well. This is a must get.

If your a new player/returning player, unless your looking to step up your experience (or just want to have everything available to you) I would suggest skipping this pack intially. Gjallarhorn can extend its signature Wolfpack Rounds perk to other RL's, which means as long as 1 person in your fireteam has it (and uses it), everyone basically has Gjallarhorn. Buying this pack as a brand new player is simply a waste due to not being able to properly experience the actual gameplay content (The dungeon and the Exotic quest) until you reach the proper power level.

So TL:DR

- If your a veteran player who doesn’t have this already why don't you have this?. Grab this ASAP and get your Ghally and Eyasluna you weirdo.
- If your a new/returning player, I would suggest not purchasing this pack right away and instead wait until you reach a higher power level (at least the powerful cap) and have some time under your belt. Its really good content, but its not geared towards newer players.

I would highly suggest buying this as part of the Witch Queen Deluxe Edition and not seperatly if your gonna be playing Destiny 2 for a while (or plan on making it your “main” game). You will save $5 (without a sale discount) by buying both together.

(Amended for Season 8, due to positive changes to the BP system)

TL:DR Excellent in terms of gameplay and balance, horrendous when it comes to $$$

+ Excellent gunplay and movement (similar movement to the Titanfall games)
+ Gorgeous and fun to play in maps
+ Interesting (and fun to play) playable characters
+ Game balance is overall great, with most weapons having some sort of niche that they work well in.
+ Decent amount of free stuff for F2P players (199 free loot boxes just by levelling up, a free track of the BP that gives a decent amount of stuff, and periodic events that can reward exclusive cosmetics for completing challenges)
+ Battle Pass is a really good value (If you unlock everything via completing challenges and levelling it up) and is self sustaining.
+ Apex Packs (loot boxes) are actually pretty solid compared to other games (Guaranteed Legendary every 30 packs, no dupes, and can reward crafting materials which you can use to get exactly what you want) Loot boxes aren't ideal, but this is the best its probably gonna get in a F2P game.
+ Origin free! (Though if your moving from Origin to Steam, make sure to link your Origin and Steam accounts together so your progress carries over, unless you want to have a fresh start)


- Revenue stream relies on collectors/whales and FOMO, so everything is (subjectively) overpriced (Collection Events being the worst offender). Lots of the more standout cosmetics are only available from specific events or sales, with no guarantee that they will be buy-able again, with items obtained from event challenges (As of writing) have never returned as earn-able or buy-able items.
- Store is a scam, with everything directly purchasable with $$$ being really expensive (1 Legendary character skin is $20 in store currency for reference) and due to the shop being rotation-based what you might want to buy directly anyway may not be a option for a long time.
- Basically, compared to its contemporaries, its very overpriced even if the skin quality is high overall. Direct purchases sound good on paper, but (as a experienced player) you get more value (and a higher chance of getting what you want) by just buying a bunch of loot boxes to ether get the item you want, or to get enough crafting materials to get what you want.


As of writing this I wholeheartedly recommend it for its gameplay alone, its the only BR that I've sunk substantial time into (400+ hours on Origin). Its a fantastic game with passionate developers and if your looking for a fast paced BR with excellent gunplay, this is it. Just don't go overboard with your wallet.

If you do want to buy anything at the time of writing this review, I would recommend buying the Complete Edition (Which for its cost is a slamming deal for those brand new to the game, and even to veteran players) and/or some of the Legend-specific bundles (Those are also a really good value if you like playing a specific character)

Another slam dunk for Gearbox, in almost every aspect it's a step up for Borderlands 2.

Gunplay has been drastically improved, alongside each manufacturer getting new (or redesigned) quirks that allows every type of gun to have a place. From Tediore's revamped reload mechanic (Gun turrets anyone?) to Vladof's underbarrel attachments and even the return of Atlas with its lock-on bullet tracking, all types of weapons can shred. The removal of Slag, the reintroduction of Cryo from the Pre-Sequel, and the new element of Radiation also further helps to improve moment to moment gun and gameplay.

The Vault Hunters as well got a similar treatment with each one having multiple viable builds and playstyles that are usable in all parts of the game. They also talk, which each one bringing with it tons of well written and hilarious story and combat dialog that (in my opinion) is some of Gearbox's best work.

Enemies also got a upgrade, with common enemies reacting and behaving more dynamically depending on which Vault Hunter you bring to the brawl (Which includes Vault Hunter-specific voicelines from humanoid enemies). They're are also tons of new ones, from the various creatures of Eden-6 to new and improved robotic enemies, the variety has never been better. Boss encounters have also improved, with many having interesting mechanics to follow and are memorable to boot.

When it comes to locations its also a home run, with each planet you explore feeling very much unique, from the well travelled murder pit that is Pandora to the lush swamps of Eden-6, each new world is memorable and stands out.

As for the story, its been stated before and I will echo it again here, its not that great. Certain parts of the story are fantastic (Carnivora and Nekotephayo being the best parts in my opinion) but the story mostly falls apart due to its characters. The Calypso twins initially seem interesting but as the game goes on they devolve and get worse character wise, with glimmers of what could've been that you can see. As for the Crimson Raiders and other allies in the fight against the Twins, they are generally well done, with mainstays like Moxxi and Marcus always being enjoyable to interact with. The elephant in the room when it comes to new characters though is Ava, which single handily dumpsters the story. She comes off as a writers self-insert who solely exists to get Maya killed and become the catalyst for future stories, and if she didnt exist the games story would improve ten fold. Please Gearbox, kill her off, just do it. Everyone will love you for it if you did.

Overall Borderlands 3 is a massive step forward for the series, and with it now being available on PC EGS doesn't count I can wholeheartly recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed Borderlands in the past or enjoys the looter shooter genre just on its gameplay alone. Story wise its no where close to Borderlands 2 (Handsome Jack in alot of ways is superior to the Twins) but it provides enough to carry you from fight to fight in a somewhat engaging manner.

A fantastic looter-shooter that had a really bad start, but has since grown and developed into the single best looter shooter out their. If you've haven't played Destiny (Or haven't played in a while) this is as good of a time as any to experience it.

Pros:
- Shooting and Movement, both are extremely well done and feel good. Guns have a nice level of "stickiness" and have a good feel (regardless of weapon type) and the movement systems always make you feel like your in complete control. If you play long enough theirs a weapon type that will “click” with your own personal tastes.

- Weapon Variety: Weapon types range from Auto Rifles to Hand Cannons, SMG's to Swords and provide tons of different ways to play.

- Enemy Variety: Each enemy faction feels distinct from each-other, from the imposing might of the Cabal to the eerie Taken, and all require (somewhat) different tactics to take down.

- Class Diversity: Each of the 3 main classes (Titan, Hunter, Warlock) feel distinct from one another and bring their own flavour of combat.

- Customisation: With weapons having a wide variety of perks and armour being high amount of variables to play with, with enough time investment you can craft yourself a fun gameplay build that really speaks to you. Coupled with a robust amount of earn-able (and purchasable) cosmetics, its very easy to make yourself stand out from the crowd visually and gameplay wise. If you enjoy the idea of “deckbuilding” then you will love the way Destiny handles its build crafting.

- Sound and Visuals. The Artstyle is vibrant and eye-catching, while the sound design is on point, with gun sounds being punchy and distinct while the soundtrack has tons of bangers to treat your ears to while you slay.

Neutral:
- Content: While theirs alot of it, most of the "good" content (Such as most of the raids, dungeons, seasonal content, and story missions) are locked behind a paywall so F2P players can only really experience a very small slice of the game (though that small slice is still very good). If you decide to buy into the games multiple expansions however, your in for some really good stuff. If you choose not to buy anything though, be prepared to be experiencing only a fraction of the games true potential and content scope.

- In-game store and MTX: While I hold the opinion that the MTX offerings in Destiny are pretty reasonable, most people see the store as overly intrusive. The in-game store is very rarely in your face about things (unless theirs a in-game event or you don’t own a particular piece of content such as a expansion) and you can earn tons of free store cosmetics by simply playing the game and earning Bright Dust (The in-game earn-able currency that lets you buy a weekly-rotating stock of store items) but getting said Dust can be quite a time-consuming grind. Though the upfront cost to own all the gameplay content (Expansions and content packs) is very expensive, but depending on how much you play its very easy to make it worth that cost.

- The Destiny Content Vault (DCV): Its a very controversial thing that Bungie decided to do, which is to "vault" older pieces of content when newer content is added to the game (at the time of writing they will be vaulting a open world area and a 5 hour campaign with the launch of the Witch Queen expansion). This has led to a overall smaller game, but its also of a much higher quality (as what is actually playable is always relevant in some way). The pro's and con's of this are something you will have to decide for yourself if you ever decide to buy into any of Destiny's expansions, but for me as someone who has played Destiny 2 since its initial release, I feel the pro's far outweigh the con's as it has led to one of the best years of in-game playable content (and story) to date.

- PvP, while the base PvP is fine enough on its own, if you try to engage with any form of high end PvP it can quickly become a exercise in frustration. The PvP sandbox is currently the most balanced and varied its ever been, but its tempered by the fact that it has a high skill ceiling. If your a new player I would highly advise avoiding PvP-related content until you've have developed a solid understanding of how the game plays, since even joining the most casual of modes can easily lead to intense distain for the game as a whole, being nigh constantly destroyed by players who (potentially) have spend thousands of hours mastering the game's mechanics and have crafted finely-tuned PvP gear setups. The Gambit game mode (a PvEvP mode) also falls into this problem, with the PvP portion of the mode being immensely influential on a matches outcome, to a point where it can be immensely frustrating.


Bad:
- Onboarding new players: While the introduction to the game is solid (and basically a 1:1 redo of the intro mission from D1) after that your basically left to your own devices to figure out most of the game. And if you start the game as a F2P players you really don't have any story content to play thru to get introduced to the story. So unless your being guided by some experience players be prepared to be doing alot of outside reading to properly understand the game, its various mechanics and systems, and its lore and ongoing story.

- Difficulty in PvE content: While the gameplay on your end is quite satisfying, difficulty as a whole on the whole is quite low. About 90% of the content in the game can be easily accomplished with starter gear, so improving yourself beyond that just makes it completely faceroll. Challenge only really presents itself once your make your way to into content such as Raids, Dungeons (F2P's can experience one of each) and Nightfall Strikes, but for those pieces of content you have to ether bring friends, or seek out others via LFG Discords or other similar tools.

Overall, the game is in the best state its ever been. If you can persevere thru a lackluster new player experience, build a collection of cool loot, and read up/watch some YT videos on the lore and ongoing story of Destiny, you will be treated with the definitive looter-shooter experience that is (in my opinion) unmatched.

Not bad, not bad at all.

Contrary to earlier reviews, this game is actually a pretty fun tactical third-person shooter, with a basic, though well thought out skill system and a solid loot-and-shoot system

The story is a pretty standard post-apocalyptic style story, and while the premise is very interesting, overall the story is just there to give us a reason, and isn't really needed to fully enjoy the game.

Actual gameplay, however is very well put together, with the snap-cover system leading to taking a more thought out strategic approach to most situations, which is a nice change of pace from other games in the market. (Note: Run and Gun is next to impossible to pull off at higher difficulties) Challenge is ever present, and while early on it mostly comes from very bullet spongy enemies, once you hit level cap (which is 30), it shifts more to Smart Cover advantage and more tactical approaches to combat.

Movement can feel a bit floaty, and I would highly suggest rebinding the "go-over-cover" button to something more convenient for you, as the base key binds can be a bit clunky to use and can lead to you performing actions you didn't intend to.

Graphically, the game is gorgeous, showing off how good the Snowdrop engine is, and technical aspects aside, the inclusion of interactive environments makes the game more immersive, such as tires being destroyed when shot, it's the little things that add up.

Overall, I feel it grew past it's initial launch woes and it now really stands on its own.

A solid 7/10

Another amazing entry in the Fallout franchise, and one that should not be missed!

A overall improvement over NV/3, it's both very nice to look at and has some new gameplay elements that really improve gameplay.

The new gun/armor crafting system is something that is very interesting to play with, as it now makes nearly every piece of junk out in the world have value, and adds another layer of depth to the game (Mods make it even better)!

Overall combat feels much tighter than in past entries, and for better or for worse, makes the game feel more like a traditional FPS more than a RPG.

As for levelling and perks, it's much more barebones than in past games, limited to S.P.E.C.I.A.L and perks, which is a shame due to how well it was done in previous titles.

And the story is also well put together and I enjoyed it all the way through, but in some ways I enjoyed previous games more for their stories.

Overall, a incredibly solid FPS with a good story, though the lack of RPG elements does make the game lose some of its roots.

9/10 in my books!

Another home-run for Valve!

The successor to the Warcraft 3 mod "Defense of the Ancients" or more commonly refereed to as "Dota", it is the granddaddy of the MOBA (Massive Online Battle Arena?) genre.

If you have experience with the original mod, the transition is not hard, with the game maintaining most, if not all of the nuances and keybinds from the original, just glossed up on the Source engine!

For the newcomers, like myself, the game is fun, but brutal if you make mistakes.

Luckly, unlike the original, they have implemented a tutorial system to help new players ease into game mechanics, like last-hitting.

But for most, you will probably jump into the game and get going, which is when you get the see both the good, and the bad.

Unlike other MOBA titles like League of Legends (LoL), you get access to the entire roster of playable heroes, no need to grind points to get the one you want to play, just pick him/her/it and go!

The (subjective) downside to this system is that it might confuse newcomers with so many choices.

The gameplay is deep, rewarding, and addictive, focusing on acquiring gold to purchase items that benefit your chosen hero, and using those items in conjunction with your teammates to take down your opponents towers and heroes, and destroy their ancient before they destroy yours!

As you can probably tell, this games relies heavily on teamwork, and is most enjoyable when played with a organized team, or with friends! But if you decide to go at it by yourself, be prepared to have to deal with those who are very close minded. This is one of the reasons why this game is considered so hard by many newcomers.

As of this writing, their are 95 different heroes to choose from, ranging from beefy heroes that are designed to take punishment and dish it out, to more fragile, support heroes who use their abilities to do anything from heal and buff their allies, to disabling and nullifying your foes advantages. The best way to find the hero that you enjoy most is to experiment and try them all, you never know who you might enjoy playing as!

As for the payment model, this game is Free to Play (F2P) like its biggest competitor LoL. One key difference from LoL though, is that the only things you can buy are ether cosmetics, which do nothing other than make your favourite hero pretty or customize the sound and look of your announcer or HUD, or boosts that increase how many battle points you receive, which are used to increase your account level and have no effect on your in-game performance. This way, it means that you cannot buy any form of power advantage in this game, which in turn means that if you won a game, you won it based on your own personal skill, not on what champion you bought or runes you grinded for.

All in all, this game has become one of my all-time favourite MOBA-style games, and I would heavily encourage those who have not, or are hesitant to, tried the game to give it a go! All you really lose in the end is time, and if you don't like it, then that only comes down to your own personal preference!

Now onto the TL:DR portion.

+ Fair monetization model (can only buy cosmetic upgrades)
+ All heroes are unlocked from the start, no need to unlock them
+ Gameplay is nuanced and deep, keeping you coming back for more
+ Balance is maintained at both the low and high ends, allowing for more balanced gameplay at all skill levels

- Gameplay is difficult to get the hang of, even after doing the tutorial
- The amount of heroes available can be confusing for a new player
- Members of the community can be hostile to new players, though it has become less common in recent months
- Solo play can be frustrating, since teamwork can be hard to accomplish between random strangers.

Overall: A challenging, deep MOBA-style game that has a fair payment model and has gameplay that can keep you coming back for more, though it can be frustrating if you are new to the genre, or are playing by yourself.

Rating: 9/10, since no game is perfect :)

[EDIT for new developments]

Another year, another CoD.

I find this one of the "better" CoD's in terms of customization and visual appeal, but that is heavily overshadowed by its glaring flaws.

(This applies only for the MP portions, not the SP or Extinction)

For one, there is no form of built in anti-cheat, not even VAC, so hackers are more commonplace than they have been in previous iterations on the PC, which quickly makes for a unpleasant experience.

[EDIT: Their is now a anti-cheat, and it does work, to a degree]

Second, the hitreg is at its all-time low, with being shot around corners and bullets disappearing into nothingness commonplace, even at seemingly low pings, which you cannot even tell since the game no longer displays that for you.

Thirdly, the map designs in this game are absolutely terrible, with them ether being too big (Stonehaven), or too small (Strikezone), with only 2-3 maps being a reasonable size for the average 6v6 TDM match.

For the fourth point, gun and equipment balance is out of whack in this iteration, with Assault rifles essentially beating every other weapon type in all situations, even snipers and SMG's, and explosives like IED's (the new Bouncing Betty/Claymore) being nigh impossible to see without a specific perk, which really drags down the experience when you just randomly die due to a IED placed somewhere you cant even see.

For the final nail in the coffin, the game has horrendous performance issues, even on beefy computers. With framerates dropping below 60 even on the smaller levels, it disrupts gameplay quite a bit when your framerate drops in the middle of a gunfight, causing you to die when you should have lived.

+ Character Customization
+/- Updated engine adds prettiness

- Hitreg
- Lack of Anti-cheat [EDIT: Their is a anti-cheat in place, it works to a degree]
- Poor map design
- Poor weapon and equipment balance
- Poor optimization

Overall, If I didnt get this game as a gift, I would not be buying it, but if you got it for free, its a good bout of fun. Just be prepared to scream bloody murder at disappearing bullets.

Pure Co-Op madness.

This is hands-down one of the best Co-Op FPSRPG's to ever grace my PC

4 (6 w/DLC) playable characters that range from a dual wield anything frieght train to a turret dropping marine to a stealthy ninja/sniper (depending on how you choose to play)

Bazillions of guns, shields, and grenades to find, loot, and shoot with, from AR's with minigun barrels that shoot rockets to SMG's that get more accurate as they fire and shoot fire, to shields the absorb bullets and grenades that heal you

Bazillions of enemies to explode, burn, shock, melt, beat, or shoot.

A great main story with a "you love to hate him" villian and interesting characters.

Content add-ons that add lots of replay value and a absolute steal with the Season pass.

Overall, my GOTY 2012 and a must buy if your looking for a 1-4 player Co-Op FPS with tons of replayability and EXPLOSIONS.

Can't have enough of those.

It's fun, same as on the PS3/Xbox, word for word even.

Control's are a little wonky, but you can rebind them if you want.

Overall, if you want to play this game, get a Xbox controller.