Recent reviews by MEGRIMOID

Who doesn't want to hunt their dead friends so that they can stop tormenting them?

This poor game has stellar mechanics, an intriguing story and seemingly deep lore. There are a litany of technical issues that are somewhat outside of the developer's control such as the publisher's server issues (which is unacceptable for SQUARE ENIX of all publishers) and graphical issues that seem to stem from the latest Nvidia driver update.

The developers have been 100% up-front on what's going on, what they're doing to fix it, and putting a massive amount of resources into resolving everything they can while Square Enix tries to resolve server issues.

It's completely understandable that people are annoyed. You pay a lot of money for a supposedly AAA game then it falls flat out of the gate. It SUCKS.

However, I'm reviewing what I've been able to play of the game so far. Combat is snappy, the loot-shoot cycle is addicting, and I'm so invested in the world of Enoch.

I know I'm going to sink a lot of time into this game once the technical issues are out of the way. It has all the makings of a master-class experience. However, hold off if you're easily incensed by Day One hiccups. Very few modern games--especially that aim for this kind of scope--release without a hitch. And before someone comments that old games didn't have these issues, you're right; they had completely different issues that could never be fixed and were also far less complex. You'd think that Cyberpunk would've taught a lot of consumers about not buying in right away if they're afraid to wait.

As for people complaining about online-only when they're playing single-player... You're NOT playing single-player. You are playing solo in a private online match. I don't understand why this is so difficult to grasp.

EDIT: Wrapping up 2023 and this game continues to pull me back in.


EDIT: It's even better every month. I can't believe this game.
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The game had the worst, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ launch for a highly anticipated game that I can think of (yep, including Cyberpunk 2077 in that list).

However, the game has grown and changed in so many positive ways since then and the developers have poured so much time and effort into building goodwill and regaining their reputation. I couldn't sit by and watch the overall review stay at Mixed. I know this one review will doubtfully alter the overall, but maybe it will change your opinion.

I have spent over 200 hours in the game, with most of that time being after the major updates that have released. Yet, around 26 hours were from the early days--the Dark Ages of NMS, you might say.

I stuck it out for a couple of reasons:

• I wanted a space sim without supporting Elite Dangerous or Star Citizen.
  
• I saw the potential in the game beyond the ♥♥♥♥ storm.
  
• It also had the bones of a good experience.
  
  My time could've ended there, remembering the game as an over-promised skeleton. Luckily, somehow, the developers have continued pouring resources into the game so that those bones now have muscles, veins, flesh, and even a heart and brain. You're not getting a mindless slog from planet to planet with a dozen variant creatures and plants; you're now getting a space exploration sim with a robust base-building sim within a massive universe full of unique creatures, planets and atmospheres, optionally centered around a Destiny-like hub where you can meet with other players, start planet-spanning missions, and grow your base/arsenal.
  
  The game that was promised now is.

Extremely promising! A little rough around the edges but that makes sense since it's in beta. I can see this becoming a refined, smooth experience soon.

Returning to so many familiar places reminded me of how boring Skyrim's setting and story was. We have living gods, mechanical mechas, and all these unique races but let's focus on snowy vikings and dragons.

Anyway, the majority of the negative reviews that tanked the game recently come from a Steam bug (so, their anger at Steam is justified) but it wrongfully eviscerated a game that has managed to crawl out from a garbage pit.

The simple fix for this 'impossible very very bad' temporary Steam login issue was this:
> Go to ESO's website and reset password
> Launch the ESO64 exe from its folder instead of Steam
> Login using

I'm not saying ESO is perfect. It has its flaws but approaching the game like you would any other Elder Scrolls game opens up a world of possibilities. Always choose exploration, crafting, and the unbeaten path over main quests. Almost every traditional Elder Scrolls dungeon (which is now referred to as delves to differentiate from classic MMO dungeons) has a hidden objective tied to it that you can finish just by digging through or a quest that a character will give moments before entering.

Any class can be anything, really. Skill points can be put into every imaginable skill from combat to crafting to factions. You 100% decide what you want to excel at. Does that mean your heavy armor caster is going to fare well? Maybe not, but it also doesn't mean it will fail horribly.

The best horror game since Silent Hill 2. Find out why by watching or reading below:
https://youtu.be/mHABFAWF-mY

Okay, I have to make a confession. I disliked the original Outlast. It seemed to be nothing but cheap spooks and violent thrills. The story, the mechanics, and the overall design never pulled me in. This comes from someone who has played horror games since childhood. So, of course I wrote Outlast 2 off as more of the same.

Character First.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥! Let’s not mince words. Outlast 2 is to Outlast as Silent Hill 2 was to Silent Hill. Red Barrels managed to craft a world so intense, so powerful, that I dare say that it’s the best horror game I’ve played in the past sixteen years. The easy conceit is that it’s as good--if not better--than the terrors of P.T. So why sixteen? Because I’m saying it’s the best since Silent Hill 2.

Similar to the first game, you are a professional battery hunter with a cameraman side job. This time your name is Blake. As is usually the case, I won’t bust out any spoilers about the story just in case you want to go in as cold as possible. His name is as far as I'll go.

So many moments left me in shock, awe, and fear for Blake’s life. And that’s not projection. For once, a horror game remembers that having a speaking, breathing, mostly likeable character is key in pulling the player in. I found myself laughing at his early thoughts and comments, screamed for both him and I. He even reacted exactly how I would in certain situations.

And every character that comes along in this wicked path is memorable in their own right. Each has their moment to shine.

Here’s what puts Outlast 2 closer to Silent Hill 2 than to Resident Evil 7: The mysteries have meat. Most of the big, dangling questions aren’t resolved until the decimating climax. Even then, many are left to hang.


Taking an old page, mixed with the new.

Shocks and thrills intertwine with mystery, and that’s how horror is supposed to be. Jump scares and easy kicks can only evoke so much emotion, and I’m happy to say that, even when jump scares pop up in Outlast 2, they’re restrained and tasteful.

More often, you’re either exploring terrifying locations or forced to outrun the monstrous entities lurking in the small, crazed cult that the game is centered around.

Your camera is the closest thing to a weapon the game gives you. Night vision and sound amplification drain the batteries quicker than straight-up recording but, at least in the difficulty level I played, batteries were in full supply. Still, nothing beats the desperate ducking of a man hungry for batteries.

You're meant to record vital moments and gruesome scenes but I learned pretty quickly that this was almost strictly for driving the story and less about actually documenting the backward town’s evil acts. “OH, RIGHT, THIS ISN'T IMPORTANT. NO NEED TO RECORD THIS TRIPLE-SODOMIZED CORPSE!”

Overall, I thought the controls felt better than its predecessor. It’s hard to say exactly why, as is often the case with subtle yet necessary changes. I never felt out of control of Blake, except when the game actually took control away.

That’s not to say any of this is perfection. One can’t claim Silent Hill 2 is a masterpiece without noting the hammy voice acting and tank controls, even if those add to the experience.

Outlast the criticism.

Remember how the character is relatable? This is in spite of the voice actor. Have you ever seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer? You know the character Riley? Now, amp that up to sound thicker and older. That’s what you get most of the time. Not to say he didn’t have his moments, and I didn’t mind it too much by the end, but it’s agonizing at times--especially when all the other voice actors pull their weight with ease.

Oh, and when you have to outrun your enemies? Guess what? A lot of the time, it’s a matter of trial and error. Too often, I saw the loading screen because of one small error or wrong path. Which would be absolutely fine in most games. Dark Souls is built on that premise.

But here’s the biggest issue with Outlast 2, and the new age of horror games in general: Stealth and horror do not mix. At first, you think they’ll make a delicious complement. The tension of sneaking slammed against the panic of the spooks, what could be better?

Here’s why that thought’s wrong: The juiciest of horror games relies on the unknown. You don’t know your enemy, you don’t know if they’re even real or beatable. Stealth, on the other hand, relies heavily on learning your adversary. You watch their patterns or wait them out until their AI tells them to run off in some other direction.

Sitting under a table, watching a spooky beast bounce about, strips away the unknown. Soon you’re playing solitaire and wishing you had a bowl of popcorn. I could go on much longer but you probably get the picture.

I said I wouldn’t spoil anything, and that’s still true, but I will say that there is a part near the middle of Outlast 2 that might honestly be the worst gaming experience I’ve had, period. It was filled with confusion, annoying checkpoints, and pacing that made it feel three times longer than it actually was.

And here's a complaint about the genre as a whole, as it currently stands: Give a man a damn weapon. I kept hoping throughout Outlast 2 that he'd eventually pick up a discarded axe or plank and start walloping the villagers. This ties closely with stealth and horror.


If all you can do is be scared, the fear eventually recedes. Give me a pistol, with only three bullets, and you've just ratcheted the tension up in a whole new way. “Should I use these bullets here, or is something much worse about to burst through the door?”

Modern horror can achieve much more than its ancestors, but this is one area that I wish it would go back and take a page from them. For example, I think Resident Evil 7 showed a great balance in that regard.

All of this might just be personal opinion. Maybe more people love jumping every couple of seconds rather than actual, honest dread, but ambiguity and tension have always been vital for my enjoyment of the genre.


Outlast 2 is a wonderful leap in the right direction. It manages to ask so many questions and still ties them up in a pulsating, petulant package. I found the best parts to be when fear crept beside me, instead of chasing after me. Too often, the actual outlast sections amounted to “Oh, here we go again!” whereas the story sucked me dry, and I still begged for more!

Sensitivity training.

All the same, Outlast 2’s not for everyone. It’s a phrase I hate saying, as I’d hope to live in a world where people are capable of consuming all manner of entertainment. But, in this case, it’s true.


Religious iconography, deeply sexual themes, and the general message of the game will ruffle a lot of feathers. That actually makes me happy. It doesn’t hold back. The tropes and cliches of the mainstream horror engine are often neglected.

The game feeds you rotted clues that allow your mind to barely string answers together, and then makes you question all the theories you just built. You dread it, every bite making you sicker, but you must feast until revelation comes.

For us, this is a high form of flattery: When the game was over, Jessica and I dove into the game’s wiki, hungry for answers we might’ve missed. The main course had ended and dessert was just about to begin.

"A survival battle royale game that cuts out all the ♥♥♥♥ like crafting, fort building, and gets down to the nitty gritty violence that we all love so much."

A cheerful, wonderful collectathon filled with memorable characters but marred by a garbage camera and indecisive controls.

Full Indie Bit here:
https://youtu.be/goSYi9B3FYQ

For such an oddball premise, the story still managed to surprise and amaze me. By the end, I had thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and I didn't even get the game for free.

Watch the full review, plus a great tutorial on corn smoothies:
https://youtu.be/S0vnJ-IggRk

In my restless dreams,
I see that game.

Half-Life 3.

You promised me you'd take me
there again someday.
But you never did.

Well, I'm alone there now...
In our 'special place'...
Waiting for you...

Waiting for you to
come to see me.

But you never do.

And so I wait, wrapped in my
cocoon of pain and loneliness.

I know I've done a terrible
thing to you. Something you'll
never forgive me for.

I wish I could change
that, but I can't.

I feel so pathetic and ugly
laying here, waiting for you...

Every day I stare up at the cracks
in the ceiling and all I can think
about is how unfair it all is...

The doctor came today.
He told me I could go
home for a short stay.

It’s not that I'm getting better.
It’s just that this may be
my last chance...

I think you know what I mean...

Even so, I'm glad to be coming
home. I've missed you terribly.

But I'm afraid, Gabe.
I'm afraid you don't really
want me to come home.

Whenever you come see me,
I can tell how hard it is on you...

I don't know if you
hate me or pity me...
Or maybe I just disgust you...

I'm sorry about that.

When I first learned that
I was going to die, I just
didn't want to accept it.

I was so angry all the time and I
struck out at everyone I loved most.
Especially you, Gabe.

That's why I understand
if you do hate me.

But I want you to
know this, Gabe.

I'll always love you.

Even though our life together had
to end like this, I still wouldn't
trade it for the world. We had
some wonderful years together.

Well, this letter has gone on
too long, so I'll say goodbye.

I told the nurse to give
this to you after I'm gone.

That means that as you read
this, I'm already dead.

I can't tell you to remember me,
but I can't bear for you to
forget me.

These last few years since I
became ill... I'm so sorry for
what I did to you, did to us...

You've given me so much and
I haven't been able to return
a single thing.

That's why I want you to live
for yourself now.
Do what's best for you, Gabe.

Gabe...

You made me happy.