Recent reviews by DaleRedfield

By all means Mortal Kombat 1 isn't a bad fighting game. If you're a competitive based esports fighting game player you'll get more use out of this game than I will. Animations are extremely well done there's lots of variety to characters and play styles and I haven't come across any issues with online play however I was always more interested in single player content and lore with mortal kombat and that here is extremely bare bones and what is there is lackluster.

Story mode was exciting at first having played the 3d era games again recently it was exciting to see fresh versions of some of the characters and some really cool redesigns for them but sadly outside of how they look there is no actual dynamicness to any of them. All characters either want world peace or mass genocide and there's no inbetween. Gone are the days of having characters playing both sides, having their own agendas or neutral goals that only involves getting what they want regardless of what else is going on and that all goes out the window when the big eye rolling plot twist comes along that nobody wanted more of. I could rant about tons of stuff but I'll just say the writing is that bad that even Johnny Cage is just annoying in the bad way now.

Invasion mode is a strange addition and is pretty much an afterthought it seems. It claims to be a board game-esque but its more of a Super Mario World esque hub world that makes you spend an eternity moving from spot to spot on and in load screens rather than in actual fights and for minimal rewards. The loading times are aggregious for this mode and its nonsensical since each fight is on the same level and when you find towers in the mode the loading times aren't there. Rewards are tiny and outfits are few and far between and a good chance its for a character you're not using. The modifiers are also a complete nonfactor if you bother to go into practice mode and learn a few 300-400 damage combos or better yet just watch a combo tutorial on youtube and you're good to go.

The last thing I want to mention is the downright disgusting DLC model that is implemented here. First off you have a fighting game with a pay to win model by having a pre order bonus for the premium edition being 5 days early access. So if you didn't drop the bigger cash, jokes on you going into competitive play cause they have an advantage and have had more time to learn your moves and know what to block. Secondly the main antagonist of the story mode is a pre order bonus. You even play a chapter as them. And lastly the kombat pack. Season passes are nothing new and no one has a problem with them however 2 of the kombat pack characters are in the main story and you fight against them multiple times so it shows that they are already done and are just cut out to be sold later. As well as one of the kameo characters too in fact.

Of course this game gets a lot of comparison to Dead by Daylight cause of the asymmetrical style and I have a LOT of hours in Dead by Daylight. The fact that its a group vs 1 is really where the similarities between the two ends. In concept this is actually a smart idea. Its how the anime works. Its a group taking on one big bad and working together, powering up, sacrificing ones self to buy time for the others etc. All just condensed to a 5-10 minute match. At first because of the pacing it feels like chaos but once you get to grips with it its actually pretty fluid and I've been having a great time with it and some really memorable matches.

There are a few issues I have but the game has a few things about it to help that though they may be controversial.

Firstly playing Raider is just a fun romp in my eyes really. But there's a queueing system for it so essentially you always want to prioritise playing raider and have to wait your turn and play survivor matches until your number is the highest out of the lobby you are in. This sounds bad but its probably the best way they can do this to make it fair and not make lobbies take too long for those who just want to play. For me I don't mind because it makes me value the time as raider more whether I win or lose I just wanted to have fun and make it more challenging rather than just camp a survivor on the floor till they're out.

Atm stats seem to indicate that its fairly even win/loss rate between survivors and raiders however no indication of this towards sets of comptent survivors and raider matches. And the loss for a raider may generally be down to inexperience as it takes a lot longer to get matches as them and each raider works differently and has different mechanics.

Thirdly skills, unfortunately there are some cool skills that are from the animes themselves however in games are just not practical or very rarely work as intended while others pretty much guarantee you'll get away from even the most efficient raider. So balancing in that regard is an issue but the devs are tweaking based on play data already. These things take time.

The last thing I want to really comment on is the gacha summons for new skills and transforms. Its controversial in a paid game and I can see why but its nowhere near as bad as some reviewers have made it out to be I haven't paid anymore than price of admission and have nearly everything currently available besides cosmetics. Theres a grind and random chance for this stuff but none of it is game breaking at all it just might be a bit annoying if your favourite character is not dropping and it might become a bigger issue when more seasons come out is all.

Overall I'm really looking forward to more content coming for this game as I'm having a lot of fun with it and its something different for DBZ gamers who are used to the pure fighting. Just remember if you're a survivor you're working as a team. Letting others die on first down or not giving your dragonballs to someone who has more and needs them is a pretty easy way to get yourself killed and lose the game also

Nothing much redeemable about this one. Its a 6 player deathmatch game thats okay for about 3 rounds. Its boring, there's very little content there and anything unlockable that is even remotely interested is blocked off by a premium pass or paywall. Oh dear whatever are me and my FOMO to do. Most games with premium passes tend to give you your money back if you complete it but from the looks of it Capcom just want your cold hard cash each time so I'd give it a miss. I didn't even get to the 3rd level of the free pass and I'm bored of the game.

Not much else to say really, this was touted as free with Village but it got delayed 18 months, since that initial beta they've added 1 whole new map and a few costumes for only a few characters, sorry Jill fans. Oh but you'll have to pay for them. I'd look for your Resi multiplayer fix elsewhere. Capcom are continuing their legacy of releasing an even worse multiplayer game than the last one again

Tl:dr. Game bad. Want Outbreak

The best Orochi game finally on PC! I loved this game on ps4 and was considering getting it set back up to play it but now I don't need to since this game made a surprise release.

The good:

- Visuals are great and gameplay is crisp. Runs at 60fps in game while some cutscenes are at 30fps but bear in mind this is a port of an enhanced version of a ps3/xbox 360 game.
- 145 characters to play as. I've not played WO4U but from what I gathered it has less characters than this game. WO3U has the cast of DW7, SW3 as well as a few characters from Koei/Tecmo franchises such as Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, Atelier and a personal niche favourite of mine Warriors: Legends of Troy. As well as this Sophitia from Soul Calibur is a guest character in this game.
- A huge story and extra missions from all previous DLC packs are included easily over 100 hours of content and more if you're a completionist. A gauntlet mode which is almost its own game and an option to make your own custom levels too
- Most of the costume DLC's are included as well as the unlockables for characters that are mostly costumes from earlier DW and SW games.
- Controller support I had to tweak in the settings but once I did it was absolutely fine and had no issues

The bad (there isn't much, #biased)

- Some slight animation glitches but nothing game breaking.
- This is probably controversial but its a personal thing. No English VO. I know they're usually bad but I personally struggle to keep up with the action and then read the translated text. Though from what I've gathered the translation doesn't match anyway.
- No online support which was there in other versions. Though you can remote play

Overall really happy with this port and I hope koei/tecmo keeps it up. Come ooooon Fatal Frame 1, 2 and 3 and DW3 ;-)

Finally! So good to see an entry of this amazing series on Steam! For anybody who has never experienced a Fatal Frame game this is probably the game series that has the most surreal and chilling atmosphere of any horror game ever. This entry in the series is in fact the 5th game. The first 3 were originally released on the PS2 with a couple ports to the Original Xbox and the 4th game was a Wii exclusive only released in Japan. This game was originally released for the Wii U and was very limited in how you could get hold of it. For the most part this game is somewhat independent so those who have not played any of the series' previous installments shouldn't worry about it though you really should play them if you can find a way to.

The game centres around the mysterious Mt Hikami in Japan. The series has always taken locations in Japan that have had rumoured real life hauntings and supernatural phenomenon. The game weaves its characters and spirits into the setting and the storytelling is always superb and this title is no exception. While I do dislike some aspects of the story that still didn't make this game any less enjoyable for me.

So onto the good with the game:
- The game builds atmosphere and tension like no other. Classic Fatal Frame in this essence
- It also looks visually stunning, it did when it was originally released but the tuning up done here is a nice finishing touch for bigger screens too
- Enthralling story and landscape that keeps you going through to find out what is going on regardless of the horrors you encounter.
- Implementation of the Fatal Glance is a really interesting addition that allows you to see into the final living moments of a spirit some of which can be horrifying and disturbing but yet so fascinating. It only adds to the intricate storytelling this series is known for when it comes to giving life to each spirit you encounter.

The Bad:
- There have been a few issues with the Steam port which for the most part have been fixed pretty quickly. I personally had no issues with this myself though and the game has ran fine. Can see why it was disappointing for fans when it was released though.
- Movement is sometimes a bit weird especially when it comes to moving backwards or god help you if you turn your camera to face your character and then move.
- Some small graphical glitches did occur for me that were noticeable but absolutely not game breaking
- My last thing is more to do with the pacing. This game is very long especially for a horror game. It took me 15 hours to complete so as far as horror games go this one's a chonker and it's absolutely not a bad thing. However there were things a little bit all over the place because of it's length. Some areas end up feeling almost repeated entirely except for a few subtle differences whereas some other areas and enemies could have been used and explored more.

Overall I really loved this game and I'm so glad to see it on Steam, really really hoping that previous entries will find their way onto modern platforms too and eventually a continuation of the series as there really is nothing else available that holds a candle to this series in terms of intricate storytelling that hits deep issues yet remaining respectful and weaving a full bodied lore into every room and enemy you pass

This is a brilliant love letter to any fan of the survival horror genre from the 90's and early 00's and you can tell that this game is made from developers who were fans of the genre and the games that made it famous. Capitalising on a demand in the market for such games when the genre has been abandoned by those who made it what it was is both genius and greatly appreciated. For that alone this game is worth the asking price and more however Tormented Souls goes beyond just being a love letter and shows that it understands the core mechanics of what makes a survival horror game tense and unsettling to play but yet keeps you going regardless

What does it do right?

- Successfully creates an atmospheric game that gives you the horror vibes and continues to do so the further you go in, the more you uncover the creepier and more horrifying your surroundings and enemies get
- Ingenious puzzles that really give other games in the genre and even point and click adventures a real kick in the pants. Seriously. The puzzles will test your riddle solving skills but yet are so logical once figured out that not one solution feels dumb or intentionally deceptive if you picked up on the hints in your surroundings. You just might feel a bit dumb depending on how long it took for you to get it.
- Combat feels clunky and hard to get to grips with but not uncontrollable, exactly like it should. Fans of the genre know exactly why this is fundamental. You are not playing as a super powered butt-kicking demon out of hell after all. every fight is meant to be a struggle to the point you need to question is every battle worth it and to make your fight or flight instinct kick in
- No enemy type feels overused to the point that even when you know something is there in the room with you you don't know what it is until you see it.
- Successfully tells it's story through cutscenes and files that keeps you engaged until the end. Some game series' have lost the knack for this but this game does exceptionally well at making you interested in reading about what happened to it's characters and has the perfect balance of showing you what happened but giving the full story through diaries to completely understand everything.

What can be improved?

- There's a distinctive style difference to the main character to everything else that is a little distracting and immersion breaking. To the point that combined with a huge point I will explain below left me not connecting with the main character at all
- I did encounter some bugs as I was playing through the game, mostly to do with voice lines dipping out but there were a couple of times I found myself getting stuck after picking up an item. I was able to free myself after running in certain directions and spamming the dodge mechanic to make the character levitate and jump back into the environment. I'm sure these can and will be fixed though
- Lack of unlockables leaves replayability out the window, there are multiple endings but what you need to do to get them doesn't warrant another playthrough so much as a strategic save that will save you the time of needing to bother. While there are challenging achievements to give a go at to make you learn to play the game like a speedrunning legend, it would be nice if we had unlockable costumes or weapons to make the game worth replaying and spending more time in
- This is probably the biggest critique of most new developers tackling the genre nowadays. It spends more time paying homage than being it's own game. While like I said fans of the genre will love this and feel right in their element they will also feel that there really is no new ground being broken here. Every concept or story element feels pinched and blended from the likes of Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Fatal Frame. While it doesn't necessarily make it bad for doing that. It also doesn't make it very memorable nor will it be a talking point for gamers many years down the line like it's inspirations are. Those who are devout followers of those series' will notice that it fails to capture what those individual games did that made them so iconic and unfortunately Tormented Souls does nothing to set itself apart from its peers like games that were still being released when this style of survival horror started to fade away like Eternal Darkness or Haunting Ground or even more recently Song of Horror.

Back when this game first came out there was a lot of coverage on it for being one of the worst games to exist and a laughable attempt at being an Uncharted rip-off. At that point in time we'd had an Uncharted trilogy and there was very little out there that could compare to what it was doing in that particular time in gaming. So depending on your perspective. This game trying to draw similarities to that was either it's smartest or dumbest move. On one hand it brought ridicule to a first time dev team on the other it brought them a lot of attention and infamy from association and the slating it got. For the history around the title alone it's worth picking up to see what all the fuss was about back then.

While I can't recommend this game for any other reason besides it's history I will say there is enjoyment to be had there and there was clear potential. Probably the best thing I can commend it for is it's writing and voice acting. While it is nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, for a budget title from a first time dev team it's way above what you'd expect. Yes the main character is derivative but certainly not as annoying, though this may be because of the short time you actually get to spend with Faris. Even in that short time though you got what each character was doing and their personalities. Something which some AAA franchises fail to give their characters even today. Sadly this becomes a moot point though because the game is unfinished and ends with to be continued after 1 hour.

The rest however I cannot speak as positively of. I can make some allowances here and there given that this was a first time dev team so while the animations and controls are janky and at times laughable, they for the most part worked and I wasn't falling to my death through any other fault besides my own incorrect input. So I could at least say to myself let's just picture it as a late PS1 title. However. The hand to hand combat sequences are... well... hard to describe. Put it this way, I was wishing I was playing Charlie's Angels on the PS2 it was that bad. I'd always found the fisticuffs in Uncharted to be the worst and clunkiest parts to the point that no hardcore Sony fanboi could tell me that we were better for having so blooming many of them in those games. So if a usually highly regarded game has an awful clunky mechanic. How do you think this game will handle doing the same thing?

So while I don't think this is the worst game to ever exist, certainly isn't on Steam anyway. I ended up in 2 minds personally, part of me was intrigued what would develop with the characters as Faris and Dannia had a dynamic in the game that was actually quite refreshing, On the other hand some real awful sequences made me glad that I didn't have to play more of it. Looking further into the games background it was announced in 2018 that there is work being done on a ground up remake using Unreal Engine 4 so if that comes out. I will have to think about it before I go in on it