Recent reviews by Macross

This review will probably contain spoilers. I will, however, mark them as spoilers. Just don't click on them even if you find it tempting, because everything under that is story related. Good? Good.

The first Hotline Miami was released back in 2012, and it became a large success, critics and fans alike praised it for its fast paced, adrenaline fueled ultraviolence to the catchy soundtrack made by several rather unkown but very talented artists, unlike most games which featured a single score made by one person.
The story in the first Hotline Miami was simplistic, and relied on more subtle means to tell its story. The main character never speaks, although there is dialogue in the game.

The gameplay consisted of fast dispatching of russian mobsters with various blunt weaponry such as a pool cue or a baseball bat, kitchen appliances, throwables such as bricks, darts, and glass bottles, as well as firearms.
The levels were rather small, enemies were in a reasonable distance from each other and it was all a very compact format, which lent itself rather well to its very melee-centric combat. You kill fast and die fast, one hit and everyone's out, unless you throw your weapon or punch them when not wearing a tiger mask.

The second game is the same in core principle, albeit with some changes. It feels a bit slower, heavier in a way.
But the most jarring part of it is the level design. Initially rather well done, soon you can't help but feel that they are too big for their own good. Hotline Miami is a concept that doesn't lend itself to large levels. Here's a list of problems that arrives with the large level format.

• The levels become cluttered with all the gore, bodies, and guns. Easy to lose track of your enemies.
  
• Can't always see the entire way forward, even with shift-look it sometimes won't be enough.
  
• Large chance to get shot offscreen by something you didn't see

Here comes some story stuff.
The story in Hotline Miami 2 is a lot more developed than the first game, and has several links and returning characters. The barkeep from the first game was in the army with Jacket, Richter was caring for his mother and biker... Well.
Hotline Miami has several characters that it focuses on. The detective, who plays like Jacket except can shoot faster and aim faster with the shotgun, the Writer, who has a non-lethal style and allows for the combo to be kept up by picking up guns and unloading them, but can go berserk if you kill two people. As well as the "fans", the very prominent group which has some unique playstyles, such as dual machineguns pointed in different directions, being able to dodge roll under enemy fire, instakilling fists and a duo of Swans with chainsaw and firearms.

One of the key components of the Hotline Miami series is the music, and it is delivered in spades on that front. The music far outmatches the first game which was also fantastic, and the soundtrack is in my opinion worth picking up.

Hotline Miami 2 is a hard game.
An unforgiving game, yet very forgiving at the same time.
The levels are long and large, but you can instantly respawn if you die, and you will die. A ton.
You will probably die a lot more in the second game than in the first one, the reaction time on enemies seems to have been reduced slightly and they can therefore react to you quicker. The most successful tactic so far is baiting out and taking your time with the enemies, as in some of the larger levels it is very, very hard to get a complete combo going.
But it is overall a compelling and certainly an unique experience, and if you liked the first game I'd recommend picking this one up too.

My favorite track is "Rust" by El Huervo. It kicks ass.

Jedi Academy is the currently latest installment in the Jedi Knight series, that previously starred Kyle Katarn yet, but now you instead control a customizable hero/heroine. The game features both lightsaber combat and the use of blasters, and perplexingly enough some kind of illegal bugzapper weapon that disintergrates people. Odd choice for a Jedi, and nobody seems to give a ♥♥♥♥ if you use it. Well, guns are in general pretty awful in this game, and you should stick with the lightsaber. It has a nice feeling to it, it's responsive and the lightsaber battles, as much as it seems to just be flinging the saber around until someone dies, feels cinematic and when you cut someone with it, it's satisfying. Especially against multiple bladed combatants. Unfortunately g_saberrealisticcombat and whatever other command it was to make it so that you could dismember with the lightsaber seems gimped at best, completely removed at worst.

It's a shame since that was one of the best parts about Jedi Outcast.
The story is somewhat unfocused and kind of ♥♥♥♥, you mainly just jump from planet to planet and kill stormtroopers, bountyhunter or the occasional wildlife, much to the dismay of the intergalactic PETA. (I'm joking, I sure as hell hope there's no such thing as People for the ethical treatment of Rancors)
A bit later into the game you get to choose whether to have a double bladed, dual, or a single lightsaber. "Why the hell would I pick a single lightsaber? That seems lame"
Well I agree, dual lighstabers are badass, but on another level i feel that it's a lot more practical with the single one, especially since you can switch between three styles.
Aside from lasers and lightsabers, you get to choose to use force powers, and can throughout the game upgrade them at your leisure. You can choose from the dark side powers as well as lightside, and you can balance them both without getting a penalty for it. Some of the powers are useless and some are broken, such as level three force lightning. It can kill a whole room of stormtroopers pretty much instantly, but it's useless before level 3.
Aside from fighting there are some minor tedious puzzles such as getting prisoners around a rancor, however you can kill it to make the process less annoying.

All in all it's a rather solid game with good lightsaber combat, but I'd suggest picking up Jedi Outcast 2 as well.

GOOD GAME, ACCIDENTALLY BACKSPACED AFTER LIKE TEN PARAGRAPHS WRITTEN SO I HAVE TO REDO THIS ENTIRE THING AGAIN
GOOD STEALTH
GOOD COMBAT
GOOD VEHICLE DRIVING EVEN THOUGH SOME PEOPLE INSIST YOU CRASH INTO EVERYTHING
GOOD WORLD
C4 IS ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ FUN TO USE
BASE ASSAULTS ARE THE BEST PARTS ABOUT THIS GAME
FIRES SPREAD EVERYWHERE
TEDIOUS HUNTING AND UPGRADING
LOTS OF MINIGAMES
JANKY AS ♥♥♥♥ CONTROLS
ANNOYING AS ♥♥♥♥♥ GETTING STUCK ON 1INCH PLANKS
WEAPON VARIETY IS SLICK BUT WISH IT HAD MORE CUSTOMIZABILITY.
Good game, buy it.