Recent reviews by fraterneph

It's naval combat at it's best. A nice balance of game mechanics and history packed into a truly beautiful environment. The seas are nice and calm, and the physics of the shell travel are realistic. For a f2p title this game is fairly balanced and very fun to play. The NA support team is very helpful and active in the community. 8.5 / 10

Unless you were really passionate about Civ 5, I would avoid this title. It was a game with so much promise, but none of my friends play it, and after a couple play-throughs it really loses its replayability. This should have been DLC, not a full release that re-skins Civ 5.

May require some troubleshooting to run.

This game has borrowed a lot of the successful elements of MMORPGs of the past and combined them with an interesting story, amazing cutscenes, impressive graphics, and one of the most obnoxious gameplay mechanic system ever contrived. The game has its allure early on, but as one progresses into the end of the level phase the challenge is gradually replaced by ... gimmicky battle mechanics. Such as, *dodge this thing, or wipe the party* or *get out of the way of this thing, or wipe the party*, or occasionally *get close to / far away from the boss or wipe the party*. This pattern gets worse and worse and worse, until you begin to question if this is really worth the time and subscription fee. The new content is great, if you can put in an extensive grind, but the hoops they make new players jump through, and the lack of skill worked into the battle mechanics make this game dull and frustrating for me. The gimmicks are too unforgiving to encourage new players, and discourage veteran players from grouping outside a static. Even casual players will find the lack of skill involved in boss fights boring. So in the end, all player groups are going to be alienated in some way or another. I hope they revamp the game in a truly revolutionary way. This game has a great deal of potential; and the die-hard FF fans will still get that warm and fuzzy feeling as they start a new character and work through the story-line. But this game is not for everyone. Try the free month and play it all the way through before commiting to the subscription fee. Try to hit lvl 40 in that time so you can see the trend get more pronounced.

Final Fantasy VII is an example of how a game's story can be so compelling and moving that it leaves an impact on you long after you complete the game. For as antiquated as the graphics appear to us now -- they were amazing when this game first came out for the original Playstation, oh so many years ago. From the character development, to world whose civilization and environmental crisis imitate life all too well, to the epic villain, this game delivers.

Like Chrono Cross, a game developed by the same company about one year later, this game ranks among my all-time favorite titles ever produced. It is a game I will go back and play-through with nostalgia for years to come; and a game I anticipate passing down to my children and neices and nephews for them to enjoy too.

This game is a lot fun, and keeps getting better. There are a few noteworthy issues. The engine is really demanding, and will tax your system even if it is high end. For older PCs, this game will lag a lot and ironman will become unplayable. Ironman mode is the only way to get achievments, so keep that in mind. Another issue is the learning curve required to become proficient at the game. Having a background in CK2 or Vic2 will help, but the amount of mechanics in play during the sim are really daunting. It can take many hours just to learn the ins and outs of the game, and that can be off-putting for some gamers. Another issue is the length of time required for a full campaign (1444 - 1821). THis will take a person days to complete a campaign, even if they binge.

To simply describe this game is difficult -- but this game is a strategy imperialism / colonialism simulator with very rich detail and a committment to historical accuracy. If Civilization 5 was lacking in depth for you, EU4 is for you. The DLC has made the game dramatically more dynamic. I highly recomend all the expansions. The cosmetic DLC is a bit excessive though. Per usual, Paradox has put a great soundtrack into the game.

Classic game. A game you can laugh at even when you lose. Fun for all ages. Good for wasting time at work, partying with friends, or proving the superiority of your tragectory-to-wind estimation skills.