Recent reviews by 1tsClassified

I'm only 42 why do I already have wrinkles

I made sure to sink in a fair amount of time into the game so it could have time to grow on me. However, it it did the opposite of grow on me. The more I played it, the more I found myself annoyed at a number of mechanics.

Combat is littered with token spam. I actually think tokens are a clever improvement from baseline percentage modifiers as they add consistency and the ability to create strategy- however tokens are handed out far too freely. Many enemies have attacks which will constantly re-apply Dodge or Block tokens on themselves each turn. Almost *everyone* has at least 1 or 2 tokens at any given time during a fight. This is especially the case if you're gaming the relationship system, which is the flagship gimmick of the game.

The relationship system is just... Not fun. That's my biggest complaint. It's crammed into everything, and the agency you have in improving relationships between your heroes is largely random. If anything, the player is only able to perform a mitigational role by preventing relationship deterioration. On the road and one of the heroes in your party has 4+ stress? Yep, they're going to smack-talk everyone else in the coach and destroy their relationships with the other heroes. Want to heal your Highwayman who's bleeding and on death's door? Careful, your Man-At-Arms isn't going to like that even though he's at 45% health with 3+ Block tokens. Highwayman got knocked out of position? Looks like you're going to have to pass a turn, because if he uses Duellist's Advance, he's going to lose relationship points with the Plague Doctor for switching rank. You do not improve relationships by avoiding stepping on your allies toes- you only avoid deterioration. This is what I mean by the player's role being mitigational. You can argue that these situations add depth to the game and force you to choose between avoiding relationship decay and playing optimally. However, for me, this is tedious and very eye-rolling. It feels like my ability to have fun is constantly interrupted by forced negative interactions with the relationship system.

This is exacerbated by the fact that many of the inn items for improving relationships between heroes are random, and will inflict negative penalties on a failed roll. This baffles me. The purpose of the token system was to mitigate chance as a deciding factor for success, however, say, a whiskey bottle has a 33% chance to deliver a heavy hit to relationship strength between two heroes. This is especially a problem due to the fact that a single poor relationship can be enough to end a run if it impacts your heroes more vital abilities.

I'm mostly leaving a negative review because I feel the game has a number of mechanics that just do not make for a fun experience. I really hope Red Hook decides to overhaul the relationship system eventually, as that could make for a dramatically more enjoyable game.

It's nice to be excited for something and it ends up being good for once. This was the most fun I've had playing anything in actual years.

Is the game fun? Yeah, definitely. Do I think you should buy it if you're at least a little bit interested in fighting games? For sure. Do I think the complaints about the DLC are truly relevant to you, as an undecided buyer? Not really. Here's my take:

Mortal Kombat tends to be the go-to pick for people not all too serious about fighting games, since you don't develop early onset arthritis while learning the fundamentals. Think of it as the Battlefield of Fighting Games; not quite Call of Duty (Smash Bros.), nor is it Counterstrike (TEKKEN). It's simple to pick up, but there's a good deal of nuance involved; the learning curve is very well crafted. Additionally, it gives you all the resources to learn within the game itself with a comprehensive tutorial menu. From a technical standpoint, the combat is very smooth and the game is fairly well optimized. Netcode is very solid. The characters in the game have good character, and the odds are that you'll end up liking your main not just for their playstyle; but for their personality as well. The end result is a game that trains you from a Beginner Fighting Game player to an Intermediate one, while keeping you entertained and having fun the time throughout.

The main complaint players have levelled against the game has to do with the DLC being too expensive. Personally, I look at those types of things comparatively. Two of the three other "main fighting games" on the market (being STREET FIGHTER V and TEKKEN 7) have similar amounts of DLC at similar prices. If you're hard on money and can get over the weebiness, SOULCALIBUR VI is debatably the most consumer-friendly pick, since it has a modding scene and a character creator that you can spend a lot of time with.

There are similar complaints about the DLC not being included for free in the Premium edition, but, frankly; those are issues for the reviewer to contend with, not the reader. The Premium edition was recently replaced with the Ultimate Edition (which does actually include all of the DLC for free), so those criticisms aren't at all relevant to those who haven't bought the game yet.

I advise picking up the Ultimate Edition of this game when it goes on sale, even if you're only a tiny bit interested. You might find that you enjoy Fighting Games more than you thought you would.

Hopefully if they add Soviets, I won't be kicked for teamkilling as an officer anymore.

http://steamcharts.com/app/247730
At least I can now learn about Steam Refunds.