Recent reviews by Lykayos

Good

TLDR: the update actually broke the game and made everything except regular empires unable to be played due to various bugs, do not even attempt multiplayer right now.

All the bugs will get resolved eventually, but they dropped the ball so hard on the actual bio ascension rework. They didn't make it competitive with synthetics or cyborgs and when the psionic rework comes out bio will be right back on the bottom again.

Let's start with the part about this DLC that kinda breaks my heart,
The Cons:
- the game was updated into an unplayable state (This will get fixed in time so not that big a deal)
- they added in 16 new traits depending on your phenotype but all of the traits (except for 2 or so) are too expensive, don't give good bonuses and you're forced to play a certain phenotype for the only ones that are good! (Unless you go the mutation genetic path)
- they didn't update the genetic leviathan traits like they did for the cyborg and robot paths (so the genetic leviathan traits still suck)
- they didn't ensure genetics gets a free ultra trait for ascending like the other paths get (psionic, synthetic, and cyborg traits respectively)
- we lost the ability to manually designate which species type we'd like to grow in a clone vat and robot assembly plant
- the wilderness origin got its ability to go behemoth route removed for some reason? Not really sure why.
- they made a large amount of generic trait unremovable (even if you bio ascend) so now you're just stuck with certain traits no matter what
- whoever made the new UI should be taken out back and shot because it's really unintuitive, looks bad, flows bad, plays bad, feels bad.
- The new pop growth menu doesn't make any sense and it's hard to tell what's growing l, when it's growing, and why, it just kinda happens and not explained well to the player (the old pop menu was much better at giving clear information about what's happening)
- if you play as a bioship empire and take over someone else's star bases they're doomed to be eternally crap because you don't have the same upgrades they do so your star bases will forever be locked to what they were when you took them over
-the devs clearly put all their effort into the wilderness origin and the behemoth path because this DLC seems like it provided us less than synthetic age did, and focussed less on the actual core issue of making genetics competitive again


The Pros:
- Bioships are pretty cool. They seem broken at first, but it's just a different way to play.
- the behemoth path is a nifty addition to the game, gives people more of a chance to be evil
- overturned got a slight buff and now is able to make use of the extra genetic trait points from the start of the game

Overall I think they missed the mark with this DLC, added in a bunch of crap traits and did not properly balance genetics with the other ascension paths at all. Robots and cyborgs can get insanely good traits like dark matter engines (+40% resources from jobs), the ancient dreadnaught trait (+500% army damage and +15% alloy output), really any of the synthetic traits are not only better but they're also cheaper in terms of trait points. Total missed opportunity to rebalance this out. Very disappointing.

Astral Planes is reused content for an overpriced tag.

Plus.... This DLC came with the rework that got rid of upkeep reduction and the increased tech costs.

The leader re-work is still bad, the merging of the leaders feels bad in practice and overall is a downgrade for the quality of play outside of power-gaming tactics.

Buy it or not, many of those changes are just implemented directly to the game so YAY for us.

Stellaris is a game that has gone through many phases and I've been there for all of them.
The tile system, the old way borders expanded, the different ways you could start the game with different weapon tech and different ways to travel, to the more refined and origin based job system we have today.

Overall Stellaris is THE premiere space-grand-strategy-game. There's plenty of ways to experience the game, even without the DLC and it'll keep on giving. You can get it on sale pretty frequently and being a paradox game only 1 friend needs to have any of the DLC for you to be able to enjoy it.

Some DLC has done some questionable things though.
- Galactic Paragons gave us the coucil, but put in a leader cap
- Overlords gave us hyper-relays but gave us terrible vassal mechanics

All the other DLC is fantastic though! Just make sure you wait for a sale to buy any of it.

Leader cap really puts a huge damper on this DLC. Kinda reminds me of certain DLCs from others space games (Endless Space 2) that are essentially 15 bucks to make the game worse.

Love you guys at Paradox but the whole 1 step forward 4 steps back with the restrictions really blows.

This review will remain negative until that leader cap gets fixed.

The Fall Sale needed a review for a game so I did one.

NOTE THAT THIS REVIEW DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FESTERING SKIES DLC
FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD, FESTERING SKIES JUST RUINS THE GAME

In all honesty though, Phoenix point is a fun Xcom-esc game with a unique aiming system backing it up. The story is compelling, the challenges are hard enough, and the tactics you get to employ are pretty nifty.

All special abilities use the same resource as your soldier's sanity (your will meter) which is kinda strange but it's not a hindrance at all.

Overall, Phoenix Point is a nifty little game that has a few glitches here and there. If you don't mind the glitches and you don't ♥♥♥♥ yourself over by getting Festering Skies, you'll have a fun time.

The nomination badge demanded a review, so here is a review.

The game is fun, especially with friends.

Best in game guild is SCKK (Seal Cub Klubbing Klub)

Fantastic game.... BUT IT DOES CRASH QUITE OFTEN. Keep that in mind. The stronghold missions can take upwards of an hour and the game likes to crash when you finish them, forcing you to play it again.

Wrote this review for the 2019 Summer Grand Prix. Nothing more.

Game's cool though. If you're new play on a medieval server or a BP wipe. Otherwise, don't bother.

Honestly Dota is a game that many people, myself included, have a very love hate relationship with. The game is highly addicting, overall well made, and most importantly it's a game that gives you a great deal of freedom.
You can make your own paths both in terms of terrain and in terms of builds.

There was a quote from a great man from ages ago: "Anything can work!"

There was a brief history in which that wasn't true but these days Dota seems to have fixed it's ♥♥♥♥ and become a great game once again.

Remember to toss a coin to your support, as a POS 1 player I can tell you from experience; Your supports are your most valuable assets and they deserve more respect than what the community normally gives them.

Overall, it's a great game. It has some of the greatest highs and some of the most crippling lows of any game out there. It feels great to win and in some ways, if you haven't developed Stockholm syndrome yet don't worry you will, it feels great to lose too.

Dota is a game that will keep you on the edge of your seat and constantly leave you with a feeling of longing for that next great high of a great game after every loss. It will become a craving that will cause you to never want to quite end it on a loss.

Dota is the sweet feeling of a lover's first kiss, the savory flavor of a fresh payday bar, the throat burn of an ice cold soda, the adrenaline rush of winning, the energy surge of destroying someone with one hit, the excitement of getting that item you so desperately craved in WoW, the longing desire of getting to talk to an old friend just one more time.

Dota is a wonderful experience that I can look back on with joy knowing that I was a part of something as special, memorable, and defining as the experience this great game provides.

For a free game, it sure as hell gave me more hours of joy and splendor than anything I have ever paid money for.

It was fun, hell I'd even call it a blast.