Did you know about our user review engine? It’s called BetterCritic, because it’s better than… certain other reviews aggregators. Why? It gives you a platform for you to explain specifically what works about a certain title, what doesn’t, whether you regretted buying all that DLC, and how many dongs there are in the cut-scenes.
Feel like leaving your own musings? Head over to our BetterCritic reviews hub and start typing.
Without further ado then, PCGamesN presents the best of BetterCritic this week, including the less than stellar optimisation of Mafia III, being a bit lackadaisical with your safety in Starbound, and becoming a cruel, bringer-of-doom in Plague Inc: Evolved…
In response to: WHAT WAXEN, BELLOWING, SPONGE-LIKE ABOMINATION DOES Darkest Dungeon CONJURE?
Silentius – “Unspeakable twilit scenes: forbidden rites, conducted in darkened grottos, beneath a gibbous moon; unfathomably ancient, cyclopean walls, built according to non-Euclidean geometry; a nameless, unholy, amorphous mass, pulsing with malevolent life, glimpsed only for an instant, yet enough to drive a man to utter mania… something like that!!”
In response to: How bleak is the end of the world in Plague Inc: Evolved?
Nari – “You deal with a virus, one you created, slowly but surely ending humanity or as much of it as possible. It is an extinction event after a certain point. Panic happens, riots break out, transport and trade breakdown, eventually you try to wipe out everyone.”
In response to: How good are the sounds in Mafia III?
venchant – “Sounds stutter at times during cutscenes, otherwise are smooth and a great selection!”
In response to: How does Mafia III run on your PC?
venchant – “Very sluggish. Probably doesn’t like my Radeon HD6670 card although the support board says it should work.”
In response to: How sneaky can you be in SOMA?
ZedClampet – “Stealth is the key to monster encounters, as you can’t kill them. I thought the stealth mechanic worked quite well, and the opportunities in stealth were better presented than in Amnesia.”
In response to: Is Starbound frustrating?
Silentius – “It can be, but my frustrations with the game are really frustrations at my own stupidity. When exploring I always seem to give in to the temptation to keep going: despite knowing that I’m in danger. This, coupled with the fact that I often forget to mark out the route I’ve taken, means that my character frequently dies, deep down in the dark, dropping a host of loot.
Invariably I respawn miles away and have to spend ages hunting down the stuff I’ve lost… I really should learn to play a bit smarter.”
In response to: How hard is it to control ships in Elite: Dangerous?
Premchand – “It can be challenging in the beginning. But everyone can pick up the game and start flying”
In response to: How does Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II compare to other Warhammer 40K games?
panbient – “It’s a departure from the earlier Dawn of War titles in that there’s no base building at all in the single player campaign. It’s all about controlling 4 hero units / squads in a cover based RTS.”
In response to: How gory is SOMA?
ZedClampet – “You come across some pretty gory scenes, people in various stages of death. Overall, it’s not that gory of a game, but what is there has great impact.”
In response to: What do the robots in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided do?
MrAptronym – “They mostly try and kill you. Roombas seem to have fallen out of style.”
In response to: How open is Starbound to explore?
Silentius – “Starbound is frighteningly huge and fully open for exploration. Each of the near infinite number of worlds is procedurally generated, meaning that every time you set down on terra nova you’ll encounter something new.”
In response to: Does Neverwinter feel grindy?
Luvs to spooge – “Leveling 1-60 is fantastic and feels like you are taking part in stories rather than grinding up levels. 60-70 is not as well done, there is a repetitiveness in mobs killed, dungeons used and style of quest that makes it less enjoyable for the last 10 levels.”
In response to: Is Inside cheerful or depressing?
Nari – “It’s very dark and somber, and the dystopian visuals do much to offset your sense of ease most of the time.”
In response to: How sneaky can you be in Dishonored?
MrAptronym – “Just about perfectly. There are characters you’ll need to interact with of course, and you may even need to take out a few enemies (Lethally or nonlethally) but you can avoid open fighting.”
In response to: Are the aliens in Mass Effect 3 scary?
TriforceWisdom – “Many of them are friendly and will be your squadmates, or even maybe your lover, but the “big bad” I did find to be quite terrifying. They are scary more in an “unknown” type of way, rather than an “in your face, dripping ooze and blood” kind of way.”
In response to: How do Kojima Productions portray the Cold War in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes?
Wildbhere – “the cold war era is fantastically portrayed in the main story of this game, packed with all the tactical espionage action trademark of the series. The atmosphere reeks of a desolate country, packed with immersion.”
In response to: What can you craft in Starbound?
Silentius – “Armors, weapons, tools, building materials, furniture, aesthetic items and foooood! I’ve particularly enjoyed crafting the latter – you can get by eating nothing but roast steak, but why would you want to when you can gorge yourself on oculemon meringue.”
In response to: How hard are the puzzles in Inside?
Nari – “Easy enough, some require some timing and jumping base, but as long as you have both thumbs you should be fine.”
In response to: Why do gamers keep coming back to Rocket League?
Strider777 – “The concept of the game and the competitive scene are just outstanding. I can’t get away from that game.”
In response to: How hard are the puzzles in Contrast?
ZedClampet – “The nice thing about the puzzles is that they were purely logic based. They all made perfect sense. There were a couple of times I felt fairly challenged. Also some of the platforming is very challenging.”
In response to: How hard is it to control ships in Star Citizen?
IXJac – “Basic control is very straightforward. The game does offer more advanced controls which allow for more maneuvers, but none of these are particularly complex either. New ships can fly a bit wonky due to the nature of the realistic mass and thruster effects, before the devs smooth out the fly-by-wire outputs.”
In response to: How good is the SOMA story?
ZedClampet – “It’s an interesting, thought-provoking story. Even if you’ve been exposed to the subject in the past, the story treats it in a different way. I think most people will get something out of the story and enjoy it, though it may leave you thoroughly disturbed.”
In response to: Is Rimworld cheerful or depressing?
soccerboy5411 – “A bit of both. Super happy when the settlement is found well…then super depressed when a wild bear kills everybody.”
In response to: How fair is the free-to-play model in Emily is Away?
ZedClampet – “Completely unfair. They should have charged something for the game, so I wouldn’t have been lured into playing it.”
In response to: How good is the Mad Max story?
Billy1234 – “Everybody dies, everything gets stolen, every place gets burnt down. It’s classic Mad Max…”
In response to: How good are the graphics in Risk of Rain?
MrAptronym – “Lovely. It is all pixel art, and it is very well executed. The forms are all simple, but distinct and with a pallet that works, not an easy feat.”
In response to: How does EVE Online reward you for playing tactically?
AllenKey – “Yes, the only way to play if you want to survive. You can accidentally avoid conflict for a long time because it’s a huge environment .. but that day WILL come when you’re happily popping down to the space corner shop in the middle of a ‘safe’ area, and you will get smacked.”
In response to: Is Fallout 4 grindy?
glacier1707 – “In some ways it is as some needed materials in a vanilla game are very hard to find. Of course not getting those materials means that you do need to play carefully and adds to the challenge. Yet there will be times that you need the material to progress the game in character but because you do not have it you have to do something out of character (if you play that way).
However it really is not the materials gathering that makes the game grindy it is the fact that as you progress and build up settlements you spend too much time travelling to settlements to stop attacks and less and less time playing and exploring the game. It is that almost constant housekeeping that makes for the grind. Mods have helped tremendously on that side of things allowing you to explore the game and content that is in the game. Despite the fact that I have played a lot I do not think I’ve found everything that the base game contains.
In short the game is too grindy as you progress because you are the only one that can stop some things which become more frequent as you build up your bases.”
In response to: Does Total War: Warhammer reward strategic planning?
RSJ-87 – “Yes, to varying degrees depending on the faction you’re playing. Each has a different position on the campaign map, which is your main consideration, but each also has different strategic mechanics for the first time in the series, which adds a huge second wrinkle.
As the Dwarfs, it’s pretty easy to keep peace with your northern neighbours while concentrating on taking out the Greenskins in the south, and since this is obviously the most effective strategy, there’s not much to plan. This is easy mode.
As the Empire or the Vampire Counts, however, you’re surrounded by potential enemies, many of whom have allies who will back them up against you. It does take a fair bit of foresight to figure out who your next best target is based on who is most vulnerable, or can be made so by unpicking their alliances.
As Chaos or the Beastmen – the two “horde” armies, who can’t capture cities – you’re an unsubtle steamroller of a faction, but this doesn’t mean the campaign is easy. If you drive too deep into enemy territory you can be easily surrounded by several armies working in concert, so you have to take bites out of the edges before lunging at the centre.”
In response to: How harsh is the RNG in Risk of Rain?
MrAptronym – “Pretty harsh. There is an unlock that will let you choose power-ups. Other than that, Everything from levels, bosses to your items will be randomly chosen. There will certainly be times where you lose because that enemy you aren’t good at fighting took you off guard.”
In response to: Does World of Tanks respect the military?
Alexjames118 – “I would have liked to see more maps with a bit more of an authentic feel but overall the maps that are in the game are very good, it does feel like you are smack bang in the middle of WW2.”
In response to: How does Rocket League reward teamplay?
Strider777 – “This game needs cooperation. If you want to beat good teams,you need to communicate with teammates. The thing that i mostly like about this game is that you will meet a lot of people and you will make team with them, communicate and cooperate to be the best one!”
In response to: Is To the Moon nauseatingly cute?
ZedClampet – “Perhaps it is nauseatingly romantic. I suppose it depends on your personality.”
In response to: How does FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn compare to other MMOs?
SamRothstein – “I love the “virtual world” feeling of FF14. Even if i’m not in the mood to go fight and run dungeons, there is still a lot of stuff to log in and do. Craft, housing, Gold Saucer casino, Chocobo raising. FF14 also has some of the best role playing out there.”
In response to: How good are the sounds in Total War: Warhammer?
RSJ-87 – “Splendid; the sound design is a big part of the appeal. Infantry and cavalry rumble pleasingly as they march en masse, gunpowder weapons boom, steam boilers putter and fizz, and so on. Music is also suitably dramatic, making one feel as though every battle could’ve been cut from Lord of the Rings.
Voice acting and flavour text in the diplomacy screen really captures the feel of each race’s leaders – my only complaint is that I think the vampires could’ve used a Transylvanian twang rather than the generic, ominous gurgle they’ve gone for. But honestly, that’s more or less the only issue.”
In response to: Is it worth subscribing to EVE Online?
Waegen Heorford – “My oath! I’ve got two accounts and spend an additional 1-3k per year buying game time to sell in-game to fund my operations and losses (I don’t mine or do anything else to earn in-game money, I like fights).”
In response to: What strategies have you learned to survive in Subnautica?
TsunamiWombat – “Learn to avoid predators! For the first hour or two you’ll probably barely leave the shallows. Hoarde everything. Stay close to the seafloor when you can, always have an eye out for predators, if you hear a spooky sound avoid it, do NOT swim out into the open sea!”
In response to: How fair are loot drops in Grim Dawn?
panbient – “They’re fair enough. Some story bosses always seem to spawn the same item the first time you beat them on a given difficulty level. You’ll get items for other classes same as any other game like this but the shared stash is an effective way to handle the gear between characters.”
In response to: How good are the sounds in Elite Dangerous?
RancidHeart – “I love the sounds. Explosions are boomy, engines are wurry (and different for each ship), and there’s a lot of creepy sounds to just to freak you out. However… in reality, there’s no sound in space… I think.”
In response to: Does Tropico 5 reward political maneuvering?
Shriven – “Shifting which political factions had ascendancy over the various time periods was the only time I felt that politics were involved at any meaningful level.”
In response to: What are gamers first impressions of Virtual Desktop?
phrozn – “Fun? It’s about as much fun as exploring your desktop in VR can practically be. If you were looking to surf through your computer like Lawnmower Man though, this is not the VR Desktop for you.”
In response to: Does Warhammer 40,000: Regicide reward strategic planning?
「Spaerk」– “Unless you switch to classic mode and turn it into regular chess, not really. The RNG influences the outcome of each turn too much. You can obviously still make stupid moves that end up with you losing valuable pieces, but “good” moves (that aren’t just a follow up to a bad move from the opponent) aren’t guaranteed to end with a positive outcome if the dices decide it’s time to taunt you for a bit.”
In response to: How gory is BioShock Infinite?
1N07 – “Quite gory at times. Especially because of the juxtaposition of the beautiful and colorful game world, and the surprisingly dark moments in the story.”
In response to: How good is the Stellaris story?
Armoured Bard i5 – “I got lost in the world of Stellaris. Where do we come from? Why are we here? What do we want to achieve? After 5 long exploratory hours I came to an answer… I am the destroyer of worlds, the darkness in the night, devouring civilizations in the quest to find the answer to a question I don’t know. While the combat is limited, the pure depth of this game is unfathomable. You WILL create a story that fits the civilization you create, and if you take the game at a slow and steady pace like a great John Scalzi novel you will love every minute of your time here. Convert civilizations to your cause, manipulate the universe to your bidding and truly explore the vastness of space with all of it’s consequences. If you want something a little more fast paced and nuclear stick with Civ5 but if you want to jump into a true Sci-fi novel try this out, it’s worth it.”
In response to: How much freedom doesStellarisgive you?
Silentius – “The aim of the game in Stellaris is, as in most 4x games, to become the dominant power in the galaxy. However, you’ve got substantial freedom in how you go about doing it. You could, if you wished, spread across the stars like a galactic plague, striking down everything and everyone in your wake. Equally, you could rely upon diplomacy, climbing to the top on a ladder built of treaties and alliances. Those are just two examples, Stellaris has more than enough breadth to allow for any number of play styles.”
In response to:Would you buy at full price or wait for a No Man’s Sky sale?
Mr. Cover Up – “I spent $218 on the Explorer’s Edition because I love spaceships and evidently have more money than sense.”
In response to: What strategies have you learned to survive inNo Man’s Sky?
monkeyfritz – “Firstly, find a planet you like. Don’t just settle on the first boring moon you find and rule the game boring and lifeless because of it. Don’t settle for the second or third, either, if that happens to you. Find an amazing planet and then stay awhile.
Grenade the sentinels in the face.
Use bash + jetpack to travel much faster when on foot.
Find crashed ships, which you can salvage for yourself. You will only get one more inventory slot at a time, and will have to repair the ship, but it’s much more fun than grinding money to buy a new one.
So much emergent gameplay has happened to me in finding the resources to repair the crashed ships. Just do it on planets you really like. Also got a few good multitools as a bonus.
Most importantly (and this should apply to anything you are doing in the game) Once it becomes too easy, or you’ve settled into a repetitive routine, do something else. Find another planet, or switch to finding ruins and learning the languages.
I shouldn’t have to tell anyone this, but clearly people have to be told things: Don’t create your own grind! There is way too much fun to be had in this game to be cornering yourself into a boring routine and blaming the game.”
In response to:How good are the sounds inNo Man’s Sky?
FabledJunkyard – “I love the music. Best part of the experience. This is the first Game Soundtrack that I’ve been even interested in buying or listening to.”
monkeyfritz– “With headphones, spectacular. The soundtrack and the sound design blend quite seamlessly. It is quite easy to lose yourself in this game visually and audibly.”
In response to:How good are the graphics inNo Man’s Sky?
FabledJunkyard– “Stylized, so if that is your thing then it is fantastic. If you are expecting ultra realistic graphics then go find another game (Elite: Dangerous or Star Citizen).”
TsunamiWombat – “Decent. The art style carries it. Pop in is atrocious though.”
In response to: What is the future like inNo Man’s Sky?
monkeyfritz-“Space. It’s big. I mean, really big. I mean, it’s so incredibly, mindbogglingly huge you can’t possibly comprehend it. Some planets are virtually lifeless.
You may be supersized to find that some people get bored of those planets.
Then you find another, so mindbogglingly different and alien, you could wonder if you were still playing the same game. Teaming with life, and danger, and reward. Of course, you could just stay on the boring worlds like so many people seem to do, or give up and ask for a refund. Who am I to judge?
What about this future? An ancient mystery. Three warring factions, with a history much older than ours. A plague of self entitled police robots, or the saviors of the galaxy, depending on how you see it.
There is a lot going on in this future. But it’s not on display, you have to go out and find the mysteries, learn about the aliens, and seek the answers. Master chief is not going to blow anything up. Nathan Drake is not going to accidentally save the day.
But you can do whatever you want.”
TsunamiWombat– “Very, very empty”
In response to: How much freedom doesNo Man’sSkygive you?
Vixremento – “A lot of freedom but in a rather empty world when you’ve seen almost the same thing over and over again. I won’t mention more than this but you’ll get bored pretty quick with the “freedom” that it allows as you just don’t get to see all that much different from your initial few hours of play time. It’s good if you’re just relaxing with it but bad if you’re expecting something different the further you progress.”
monkeyfritz– “Absolute. Apart from a very short tutorial, which you can pretty much ignore, you are the master of your journey into the unknown. Or not. Progress, or don’t. Unlock more tech, or bigger ships, or don’t. Spend five minutes on each planet, exploring as much of the universe as you can, or spend days at a time on each planet. It’s all up to you.
Hand holding is not on display here. Apparently ‘gamers’ have completely forgotten how to play anything that isn’t on rails. There is so much to do, and so much to see and experience in this game. But you have to actually discover it. It’s not going to just happen to you automatically.”
=7Cav=SSG.Sparks.N – “Someone once told me too much of a good thing is bad and there is too much freedom.”
PhantasmalGhost – “So far, I have done things I wanted to do, discovered things I am still amazed over, learned very interesting things, seen amazing sights, and I hardly even moved! I can’t wait to see what lies beyond the horizon… Finding the first Volatile behaving creature was very exciting, as with all else. Managing resources is challenging, completing things as well… it is encompassing.”
In response to: How active is the Stellaris mod scene?
garginator – “Now 2 months after release, the Steam workshop is chock full of mods. A lot of of them add say Mass Effect civilizations to the game which is cool. Some of them improve visuals and the UI to take better advantage of the screen space. Some of them tweak gameplay, such as one where your homeworld is always max size or one that makes sure each empire on the map starts out an equal distance away from each other. Overall, the mod community is active and updates mods frequently for each patch.”
In response to: Is Don’t Starve Together scary?
TriforceWisdom – “It can be a tiny bit scary when the sun goes down, if you’re not prepared. It isn’t a horror game though.”
In response to: How good are the graphics in Don’t Starve Together?
TriforceWisdom– “I really like the art style in this game, it is smooth and clean, pleasing to the eye. Nothing here is going to wow you visually, but it has a lot of charm.”
In response to: Why does Dungeon of the Endless feel retro?
panbient – “It absolutely does not feel retro. This is a modern tower defense game with heroes added to the mix and a novel room / power mechanic to control the rate and difficulty of the mobs.
The pixel art style is definitely ‘neo-retro’ looking but that only seems to make the game feel more modern to me.”
In response to: What is the mystery at the centre of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc?
ZedClampet – “I’d guess the main mystery is how to get out without killing someone. Or you could say that the mystery is the identity of the mastermind.”
In response to: How do Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. make you feel like a detective in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc?
ZedClampet–“I’m not sure how to explain this, but the investigation, despite being mostly scripted, does give you a feeling of accomplishment. It’s during the trials and the mini-games where you feel more like a detective. You have to really understand all the clues.”
In response to: How does Earth Defense Force 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair run on your PC?
TsumaniWombat – “Smooth as an airbrushed ass”
In response to: What can you craft in ArcheAge?
Fer – “Yes, you can craft a lot of stuff. If you want to max-level a good amount of crafting skills you have to pay to unlock more max-level slots. Also leveling up a crafting skill is fairly fast if you invest extra gold and $. Not so fast if you are just a premium player but don’t want to sink a lot of gold. Being a pure free player slows this to a crawl.”
In response to: How open is ArcheAge to explore?
Fer–“This is one of the strongest points of archeage. You can go anywhere, your glider will allow you to climb mountains, no place is out of reach. The bottom of the sea has large areas of empty space, and just a few places with stuff that includes, sunken ruins, lava ridden underwater mines…”
In response to: How funny is Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse?
MrAptronym – “It is pretty funny in a corny sort of way. The whole game is very lighthearted and most of the side characters are just played for laughs entirely.”
In response to: How good are the graphics in Endless Legend?
chaoticaly_x – “The art direction and overall thematic visual coherence is incredible, with my own personal gameplay experience consisting of moments of just zooming in and out to admire the lovingly crafted landscapes and intricate details in the buildings and geographical features and anomalies.”
That said though, the graphics are not technically outstanding, in the vein of say, Witcher 3 (nowhere near). It is a very beautiful game nonetheless.
In response to: How imaginative is the World of Warcraft lore?
LaughterSong – “Exceptional – In many Zones along with the vast lore; WoW feels magical.”
In response to: Is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition grindy?
MrAptronym – “Depends. If you are playing an unmodded version and you want to make your character fairly optimal, you will be grinding a LOT. Stat growth is based on what skills you had increase between levels. Making sure you get 10 skill ups in each of two stat’s, without wasting further skill-ups, is vital for optimization. This often means dropping everything and grinding some skill for a stat you use less until you level.
If you don’t care about being optimal or are okay modding away how leveling works then all is well, no need to grind ever.”
In response to: How good are the sounds in Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number?
Rock1m1 – “Definitely elevates the brutality of the game. The music is one of the best out there and fits perfectly with the theme of the game.”
In response to: How does Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number run on your PC?
Rock1m1 – “I wouldn’t be surprised if a real potato manages to run it.”
In response to: How hard are the puzzles in Fox & Flock?
UntoldAv3nGer – “Varies. If you want a challenge, play on the higher difficulties. If you want a slaughter, play on the lowest difficulty.”
In response to: How good is the Star Wars – Knights of the Old Republic story?
MrAptronym – “One of the best in all of video game history. A bold claim, but I honestly think this game has one of the best plots ever put into a game. There are a couple weak characters here and there, but this is the gold standard. AVOID SPOILERS.”
In response to: How strategic does combat in Stellaris feel?
Jett_Black – “Not very strategic, but with all that’s going on in this game that’s probably a good thing, it’s visually exciting, and easy to tell what your odds of winning are before you jump into combat. Overall I like the combat, but it’s not the star of the show.”
In response to: What strategies have you learned to survive in Nightfall: Escape?
LooloPit – “Explore every part of the haunted mansion to find clues and solve the mystery. Gain knowledge of the monsters on their movements and how they attack. Crouch and turn off the light to sneak past the monsters. Take safety measures and use a stylus to save your progress for some reason. Or do the exact opposite of those, just stay at home and don’t come near a haunted mansion.”
In response to: Have you bought anything in League of Legends? How happy were you with your purchase?
Mako riko ri~! – “I have no money for two weeks because I’m saving for skins… worth it.”
In response to: How fun are the vehicles to control in World of Warships?
Aever – “Depends on what you’re playing. With the massive battleships you sense the weight of the ship when turning or accelerating. With the small destroyers you feel the speed and maneuverability. Carrier captions don’t really care about ship control, they just put it on auto and proceed to manage their planes.
That leaves us with the cruisers, where things get complicated. Cruisers depend on speed and maneuverability to stay alive. You are a cruiser, you have some armor, but against the massive guns of a battleship that won’t save you. Not getting hit will.
For balance reasons some cruisers are more or less mobile than others. In some cases this can be frustrating, when you’re sailing a glass ship that can’t turn or accelerate.
Overall, controlling the ships is OK, but there are frustrating exceptions.”
In response to: Is Fallout 4 grindy?
Crêak – “No. It’s useful to collect trash to craft more things or sell it to buy what you want, especially ammo trading, but there is no real need for this unless you push the difficulty on very hard or survival.”
In response to: Is Oxenfree scary?
Nillend – “Not as much scary as it’s intimidating, I guess. The atmosphere and athe characters are amazing.”
In response to: Just how violent is DOOM?
Dimuscul – “Nice game with a nice pace of combat, it feels rewarding.”
In response to:How good is the Stellaris story?
Akeldama – “Asking how good the story for Stellaris is, wouldn’t really do it justice if I just said “Awesome.” Because there is so much nuance to the lore in Stellaris that you can’t just say it has one basic story. From little missions, to the faction you create, there are many different stories happening here. Aside from everything else that I love about Stellaris, this is in my top reasons for giving it such a high rating. Because even when things are going slow in development (during a game), there’s almost always something interesting or surprising to read.”
In response to:How strategic does combat in Stellaris feel?
Akeldama– “It feels as though how you build your ships, how you command your fleet and what combat types you use ultimately determine the power of your military. I’ve seen more strategy involved in both RTS and 4X games, but for me Stellaris has that sweet spot where you don’t have to really overthink things when you’re in the heat of battle.”
In response to:How open is Stellaris to explore?
Akeldama– “It depends on how large of a galaxy you start with. You can toggle it all the way up to 1000 star systems, and you can colonize all of it if you can get that far. I’ve done up to an 8 hour game so far and only made up about a quarter of a medium sized galaxy. Suffice to say, there’s a lot to dominate.”
In response to:How good are the graphics in Warframe?
heckraizer – “The graphics are pretty amazing considering the fact you can run this on slightly older machines.”
In response to:How good are the graphics in Borderlands 2?
powerofanime1– “With it’s art style, I’d say graphics are subjective here. Anyone can appreciate a fluidly animated 2D creation, and admire a game with hyper-realism, but things like cel shading won’t appeal to everyone. That said the movements are smooth and the aesthetic — if you can get used to it — is absolutely delicious.”
In response to: Is Fallout 4 grindy?
DarkfireTS – “Versatile in the sense that, if you want a resource-management game with a strategy / base-buildup aspect, you can do that, or if you want to lone-wolf it and just shoot your way through, you can do that too. Great graphics, the DLC is really good and well-compiled from a visual, audio and story aspect (case in point = Far Harbour). Love it!”
In response to:Should you buy Marooners now or wait for it to come out of Early Access?
Larryt.– “If you have friends to play with you could do either. In early access the game is still not complete and some minor bugs do exist for now. Having said that, the game is tons of fun as is as long as you have people to play with. Great mini-game party style game that’ll give you lots of laughs and make you hate your friends. If you playing on going solo and getting matched with people online you are better off waiting for official release.”
In response to:Is Black Desert Online grindy?
Balbaines – “Yes and no. BDO offers much more than just the usual grind. Between grinding for levels you can establish and maintain a system of trade routes and hire workers to harvest/produce for you, you can explore the map for npcs/objects to gain knowledge…which can be very useful, you can breed horses, etc. Tons of options that are all essential and necessary to break up the grind.”
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In response to:How does The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt run on your PC?
—___—– “My CPU is below spec – a 6 y/o i7-920. Thanks to CDPR’s impressive optimization, I can still play on high-ultra with hairworks turned off. It’s the only game I can think of that truly takes advantage of the entire CPU.
One update caused a massive amount of stuttering on GTX 970 cards. After much grief, it turned out the cause was because I did not have a controller plugged in. Fortunately, that problem has since been addressed. I have not witnessed any crashes on my system.”
In response to:What bits are on display in Witcher 3: Wild Hunt? Boobs? Dongs? Erect or floppy? Give us details. LOTS OF DETAILS.
Silentius– “There’s certainly plenty of flesh on display. It’s refreshing to play a game that doesn’t shy away from sex and treats its audience like adults. Murdering folks in gratuitous and inventive ways has become par for the course in modern gaming, but all but the most daring of developers are still loath to display the naked human form! Well done CD Projekt on being all grown up and such like.”
In response to:How good is the The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt story?
Silentius– “I’m not very far into the game yet, but I can honestly say that the writing in Witcher 3 ranks among some of the very best I have ever encountered in a game. The main quest arc is engaging, with a nice plot and well realized characters. Add to that the numerous side-quests, which often have a deep narrative element in their own right, and you’re on to a winner.”
In response to:Does the setting of Doom feel original?
Jett_Blackk – “Perfect translation of the original DOOMs setting, while feeling new and original at the same time.”
In response to:Do vehicles in The Crew handle realistically?
NathSB– “No, but they’ve found a pretty good balance between realism and arcade handling. Most cars also handle noticeably different, which is nice.
Most importantly, I always have fun when driving in the Crew”
In response to:Is Slime Rancher nauseatingly cute?
Kikinjoy – “Hm absolutely. From the many types of slime, to the semi-realistic cartoon graphics.”
In response to:How do battles in Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen work?
smokes – “For smaller enemies it feels like a normal hack and slash game with some pretty awesome skills to back it up. But when you come face to face with a larger creature, that’s when it really gets fun! You can grab onto the enemy and scale their massive bodies, but you have to be careful not to run out of stamina or you will fall off and be immobilized for a few seconds.”
In response to:How much fun are the weapons in Borderlands 2?
powerofanime1 – “The right weapons are incredibly fun. A decent number of them are entertaining. Most seem to exist solely to say “another Wheelgun, this time with .1% more accuracy!” or “Hey, I know ya got 12 Jakobs snipers, but do you have one with 7 in the mag instead of 6 or 10?” It’s mostly a matter of sifting through the chaff. Of course, if you are an organized person, enjoy math, or have OCD that can be fun too.”
In response to:How good are the graphics in Borderlands 2?
powerofanime1– “With it’s art style, I’d say graphics are subjective here. Anyone can appreciate a fluidly animated 2D creation, and admire a game with hyper-realism, but things like cel shading won’t appeal to everyone. That said the movements are smooth and the aesthetic — if you can get used to it — is absolutely delicious.”
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In response to:How good is the Stellaris story?
Droniac – “Stellaris is primarily about the stories you create. You colonize new worlds, discover anomalies and precursor races, forge alliances and federations, or fight wars with vast alien empires.
Within that framework there are a lot of small stories. Every anomaly you find can be scanned to uncover a little story and some sort of bonus. There are races of aliens living in space that can be friendly or hostile, depending on luck and your choices. There’s a precursor race that can be investigated. There are worlds with some of the strangest modifiers and stories behind those. There are ancient Fallen Empires with vast warfleets protecting worlds of unimaginable splendor and strange ideologies.
Stellaris’ story is primarily about discovery and player agency. If that sounds like your thing, then it’s very good indeed.”
In response to: How complex is Stellaris to learn?
Droniac– “It’s a little below average for a 4X space strategy game. Something like Sins of a Solar Empire or Sword of the Stars is more difficult to pick up. And if you already have experience with either of those games, or Endless Space, then Stellaris will be a breeze.
Stellaris is much easier to pick up and play than any other Paradox grand strategy game. Yet as a 4X real-time strategy game it’s by its very nature going to be more complex at first glance than your ordinary real-time strategy experience, such as Homeworld, Command & Conquer, StarCraft, etc.”
In response to:How long is Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen? Would you stick with it through to the end?
Turrican – “I finally sat and sank about 5 hours into this last night. Wow. What a pleasant and awesome surprise. I only played it so I could safely remove it from my games list but now it will have to join Skyrim, Dark Souls and Witcher as first person RPGs to revisit time and again. It may be better than any of them also.”
In response to:How does EVE Valkyrie run on your PC?
Robert Field – “Runs very, very smoothly. However, on a new, just released Oculus Rift both I and two other guys from our office all felt nauseous. As fun as a dogfight initially was, I don’t think I or any of us would continue to play this game.”
In response to:What are gamers first impressions of Crea?
NathSB – “Yes and no. The gameplay is fun, but the UI is quite clunky. Just the fact that your equipment screen doesn’t open when you open your inventory is baffling. The crafting system also consists of so many odd and unintuitively named categories that it’s usually just better to use the search function to try to find what you’re after. I love the depth, but I feel the interface needs a lot of work.”
In response to:How good is the Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition story?
Jett_Blackk– “Don’t let the Disney/Pixar look fool you, the game’s story is dark, emotional, and completely worthwhile….”
In response to:Have you bought anything in Blade & Soul? How happy were you with your purchase?
drashed2009– “Quite fair, the features provided via platinum seem to only serve as boosts for players who don’t want the rigorous grind as well as cosmetics assistance, meaning the game is still quite balanced.”
In response to:How scary are the zombies in Killing Floor 2?
El Burrito– “Moderately scary. This game isn’t really out to scare you, but it can at times.”
In response to:Do vehicles in The Crew handle realistically?
NathSB – “No, but they’ve found a pretty good balance between realism and arcade handling. Most cars also handle noticeably different, which is nice.
Most importantly, I always have fun when driving in the Crew”
In response to: Does the setting of DOOM feel original?
NathSB – “You are the Doom Marine, and you are angry. There are demons to kill on Mars. You kill all the demons.
The story is mostly just window dressing to vaguely justify your murderous rampage, though it’s more entertainingly ridiculous than outright terrible.”
In response to:How good an FPS is DOOM?
NathSB–“It’s frantic and gory, with a good selection of memorable, highly destructive weapons. Enemy types are varied, and all need to be handled in different ways, though your tactics emerge and change depending on what mix of enemies the game throws at you. Movement happens at blistering speeds, compared to contemporary shooters, and you really need to stay mobile to survive.
All in all, it’s a glorious throwback to the “old-skool” FPS, and more importantly: once the nostalgia starts to fade, it’s still a highly compelling experience.”
In response to:How good are Tripwire Interactive at releasing regular updates for Killing Floor 2?
El Burrito – “Depends on what you mean by regular. In fact just no. There’s nothing regular about it, I have no idea when the next update is going to be, but I know it’s not going to be for months.”
In response to:How fair is the free-to-play model in Blade & Soul?
drashed2009– “Quite fair, the features provided via platinum seem to only serve as boosts for players who don’t want the rigorous grind as well as cosmetics assistance, meaning the game is still quite balanced.”
In response to:DoesBlade & Soulmake you feel like a ninja?
drashed2009– “Certainly, the gameplay style and the rapid pace of the combat with melee classes (Kung Fu Master, Blade Master, Blade Dancer) as well as the controlled and powerful playstyles of the ranged caster classes (Force Master, Summoner, Warlock) create a good sense of ninja-like sensibility.”
In response to:How does Call of Duty: Black Ops II reward teamplay?
Chef Excellence – “You get assist points for performing various actions, one of the better ways to get such points is through EMP assists – these help the team and you, allowing for at least decent emphasis on teamplay.”
In response to:Why do gamers keep coming back to Fallout 4?
DeltaForce95 – “Just the wandering the fights, the little stories you have to sum up when you come across scenes from 200 year ago. I love seeing the different stories of the war.”
In response to:How good an FPS is Battleborn?
NathSB – “It’s good, though the FPS-ness varies a lot between characters. The controls are responsive, most of the characters/weapons feel distinguished, and melee is surprisingly entertaining.
It’s worth pointing out that in PvP, the time to kill is quite long, more akin to a MOBA than a traditional FPS. It’s also worth pointing out that this game and Overwatch plays nothing alike beyond both being first-person shooters.”
In response to:Which Battleborn characters would you recommend to starting players?
NathSB– “If you want a more classic FPS experience, Oscar Mike. If you want something that’s more unusual, but still fairly forgiving, Rath or Thorn.”
In response to: How open is Ark: Survival Evolved to explore?
BigWelshMike – “Fantastically so. Not only can you spend a small age just getting used to your own immediate surroundings but it feels like a whole new world (even though it’s not) when you finally take to the air or go diving properly. The “adventure” of it all is something I’ve rarely ever felt in video games and I’ve been playing games for over three decades!”
In response to:Have you bought anything in Unturned? How happy were you with your purchase?
Monochrome Rainbow– “I bought a few keys just to unlock some chests i’d been given so i could get some more cosmetics. I was happy.”
In response to: Is Enter The Gungeon grindy?
El Burrito– “Not really. There are certain things which require a type of currency that’s obtained from bosses, so it can seem like you’d have to grind bosses if you wanted to buy all of that stuff, but it’s not necessary and it feels quite natural to acquire it as time goes on.”
In response to: How fair are the loot drops in Enter The Gungeon?
El Burrito– “They feel very random. Sometimes you can get something as crap as a literal pea shooter, or you can get a gun that just kills everything in the room. How far you are into the game doesn’t seem to have much of an effect.”
In response to: Are the aliens in Master of Orion scary?
Moo2Lover – “Yes. The Guardian is no joke, and the high-producing races will colonize your pants off if you don’t keep pace…”
In response to:Would you recommend any good Space Engineers mods?
NathSB – “There are a ton of great mods on the Steam Workshop. The most essential is the 500m/s speed limit increase, though if you crash into something at those speeds, the physics engine kind of break down.”
In response to: Is Counter Strike: Global Offensive pay to win?
Mz441 – “No, it isn’t. The only microtransactions in the game are cosmetic items.”
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In response to:Would you read more of Overwatch‘s lore outside of the game?
Rock1m1 – “The game doesn’t push lore because it will slow down the pace of the game. However make no mistake as Overwatch’s colorful characters and the world they live in have a compelling story penned down by the folks at Blizzard. It’s Blizzard, so expect quality.”
Kolvarg – “Yes, although I wish there would be some (completely optional) PvE side to it (campaign, co-op against tough AI/bosses, etc) to allow a more intimate way to explore the lore. Not necessarily as the main game, could be a spin off or an entirely different section coming later on :)”
In response to:How good are the sounds in Overwatch?
TsunamiWombat – “Sound is good and very important, especially for IDing incoming ults. If you hear someone screaming in japanese, you should probably move”
In response to:Would you buy Overwatch at full price or wait for a sale?
Jiryrig – “The game is worth buying at the current price in my opinion. Plus, buying it at a higher price donates more funding for developers to continue working on the game.”
In response to:How balanced are the classes in Overwatch?
Kolvarg – “They’re balanced in a way that any person from either team can pick any hero at any time, which in my guess will avoid “cookie cutter” comps especially in high end play, which will probably revolve around constantly changing comps and strategies to counter the enemy team.”
Rock1m1 – “Very balanced objectively. Meaning you are balanced to work in-cohort with other team members to make a difference. However, no one hero can single handedly go up against all others. There is a reason why TDM is not part of the game’s DNA.”
In response to:What is the future like in Overwatch?
TsunamiWombat– “Full of filthy robosexuals”
In response to:How good an FPS is Overwatch?
Rock1m1 – “It feels very tight and responsive. The game infuses FPS games from various decades into their heroes: For example Pharah with her rocket launcher is clearly inspired by the golden days of Quake.”
In response to:How does Overwatch reward teamplay?
Kolvarg – “Individual skill is obviously important, but teamplay seems to play a much bigger role in the game. You may have a team of quick-scope aces but if you each go individually trying to take a coordinated team and failing to respond to their hero changes, you’ll most likely fail the objective and lose the game.”
In response to:Does Overwatch make you feel like a superhero?
TsunamiWombat– “It’s less a Justice League thing and more… how to put it… league of extraordinary gentlemen?”
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In response to:How realistic is Crusader Kings II?
Silentius– “It represents the life of a medieval noble as one dominated by ambition, religion and dynastic politics… which, to be fair, is pretty realistic. CKII does a great job of rendering the complexities of the liege/vassal (i.e. feudal) system, and, as was the case in reality, a well negotiated marriage – or a knife in the ribs – can often do more for a family’s fortunes than an army of ten thousand.
That said, just as in the real middle ages, petty squabbles, religious hatred and blood feuds are always in plentiful supply, so you’ll never find yourself wanting for a reason to take up arms should you choose to do so. The whole package feels authentic and well researched. The devs have clearly done their homework, but then you wouldn’t expect anything else from Paradox would you?”
In response to:How good are the graphics in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada?
bcasner– “Oh it’s a lovely game, but so hard! Graphically it’s got the perfect 40K touch, and the weapons effects are pretty too. If you’re up on your 40k lore, the ships look like you’d expect them to.”
In response to:What are gamers first impressions of Battlestation: Harbinger?
panbient– “Absolutely. It’s basically FTL + Space Pirates and Zombies + somehow relaxing. Also plays nicely with a Steam Controller/Big Picture mode.”
In response to:Have you bought anything in Firefall? How happy were you with your purchase?
SIRSZV– “You don’t even have to buy anything! Everything you get is for free with crystite then credits then to red beans!”
In response to:How much freedom does Firefall give you?
SIRSZV– “Massive freedom to explore the world!”
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In response to:Which expansions to Sid Meier’s Civilization® V do you recommend?
EvokerPoker – “I am a very late comer to the Civ series given that Civ V was the first one in the Civ franchise that I have played. I bought the game with all the DLC in 1 package through Steam so I also did not experience it without G&K, etc….I absolutely love it, have never ran into a game like it, and had the help of my brother who is a Civ fantastic to answer many questions. Incredible game IMO and one of the best ever if not the best!”
In response to:How good are the graphics in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada?
TsumaniWombat– “Visuals are simple, but very well done. Sadly most of the time you’ll be zoomed out so you can’t see all that loving detail on your ship.”
In response to: Have you come up with any clever strategies in Total War: Shogun 2?
Speedlarson – “There are some things that work. For example, a cavalry flank onto their general works very well. You might lose a unit or two, but you will win the battle. They also have the group positions that actually do a lot.”
In response to:Is Dear Esther scary?
ZedClampet– “I’m not sure what about Dear Esther would scare someone other than the existential angst.”
In response to:How funny is FIinal Fantasy IX?
MrAptronym– “It’s light hearted. Rarely laugh out loud funny, but it is enjoyable and campy.”
In response to:How much flexibility do you have in Final Fantasy IX to choose your party?
MrAptronym– “Not a ton. You have a selection of characters that eventually gives you some freedom. Eventually you can choose 4 of 8, but some combinations are obviously better than others.”
In response to:How good an FPS is Arma 3?
Dohfugwimee– “First class FPS… anyone using 3rd person is ripping themselves off in terms of immersion and reality of play.”
In response to:How grindy is the PvE in Blade & Soul?
Selarek – “Very, the leveling process until 50 is very fluid, then there something called Hongmoon Levels, and they are awful to evolve. Also, the weapons and accessories evolution system is very grindy.”
In response to:Should you buy ReVeN: XBridge now or wait for it to come out of Early Access?
kayt5– “I’d say let it come out of early access. My experience with it so far is…it still has some fairly serious bugs (like not being able to log in/create an account or download/update the game to the latest version…)”
In response to: Will the DOOM Open Beta be keeping you up at night?
Recluse -Love it, feel’s like playing Quake again despite all the people saying it’s not.
Difraction-It doesn’t run, it slowly crawls.
In response to: How much fun are the weapons in Robocraft?
Grave Knight -The Lasers, Rails, and Plasma Launchers are probably the most fun weapons due to also being the most aim skill weapons. Ion Disruptor and Tesla are harder to use, requiring movement tactics to get in close. The Protoseeker and Lock-On Missile Launcher, in my opinion, are the most boring weapons due to their low-skill lock on capabilities. Nano Constructors, though not actually a weapon, are pretty good too for those who like to play support.
In response to:There’s loads of DLC For Payday 2 on Steam. Should a new player buy it all?
Pixelsprite -Whether you get the DLC is dependent upon how much you like to spend on games and how much you get into PD2. Play PD2, get an idea of how much you like it. It goes on sale at -75% often, so you could wait until then to get the DLC.
In response to:Does Ark: Survival Evolved get dinosaurs right?
Psycold-Dinosaur games have a long and terrible history on PC, this was honestly the first Dino game I’ve played that was good, and the dinosaurs all look as accurate as you would hope.
In response to:Would you recommend Terraria to children?
chandlerklebs – I’d have to say that at the moment, Terraria is my favorite of all video games. It just combines so many elements I love in a game. I like building things. That’s why I spent so many days playing legos as a kid. It doesn’t exactly have a storyline. For those who like fighting monsters, it has plenty of that too. Mostly I find them a nuisance that prevents me from building houses and painting them. The music however is wonderful. Each biome has a different song associated with it and this can provide a clue about where you are.
Building houses allows the various NPCs to move in. There are some minimal requirements for building a valid house but in general any materials can be used. Wood, stone, dirt, mud, and many others can be used as the general frame. There are many background walls available for crafting and/or purchase from the painter NPC.
The final boss of the game is the Moon Lord but there is no actual end. You can keep playing forever. It’s also possible to create multiple characters and worlds. Items can even be transferred from one character to another by storing them in a chest with one character, exiting, and then loading that world with a new character. This makes all resources infinite as there is no limit to how many worlds can be created.
In response to: How much freedom does Terraria give you?
KRYSRUS – So much because you can go to space with a tower fly with rocket boots and MOVE DIRT WITH A WAND also you can summon bosses or hordes and gives no restriction to the areas where you can explore because it just gives you items to craft that can counter any element (any biome) and even go to other world with the same character.
In response to:Is it hard to build functioning towns and cities in Planetbase?
JcDent -Somewhat hard, since you can’t direct your workers to go where you want them to go, so certain building or manufacturing processes can grind to a halt because of malingering space assholes.
Also, if your colonists are injured in any way, they can’t work anymore and become simply dead weight unless you heal them. You might not always have time or medicine for that. I just want to work them to death, damn it.
In response to:What can you craft in Factorio?
✪Blackwind™-E V E R Y T H I N G !
In response to:How fair is the free-to-play model in Unturned?
Psycho Mantis-Very fair. The buyable things are all cosmetic except for gold, which gives you access to a gold version of the game, but doesn’t produce many different gameplay experiences to normal.
In response to:How fair are the loot drops in Grim Dawn?
VastGirth– “You get the standard explosion of decent items of boss characters, with the best coming from the big bosses of course. However like most games of this type you always seem to end up with the best drops not being for your character.”
In response to:How free are you to build your own decks in Magic Duels?
The Great Gratzby– “BREAKING NEWS: Duels recently implemented a double update, adding the Gatewatch and Shadows Over Innistrad sets, effectively doubling the card count with two decently more interesting packages. As you can imagine, this has done a lot for deckbuilding, and while it still has its problems — and adds that much more grinding to unlock the necessities — it’s a net positive, and I’m adding another star.”
In response to: Should you buy Subnautica now or wait for it to come out of early access?
scriblemelego– “Depends on what you feel comfortable doing. I personally bought the game in early access as it looks and feels like a complete game. The main issue is that you can blow through all the content quite quickly, though it was made better in a recent update. It all depends on what you want to do.”
In response to:How good are the sounds in Subnautica?
scriblemelego– “In my experience they’re very well made. You could hear a deep bellowing from above and look up to see a massive creature swimming overhead, or a distant roar getting louder and closer at an alarming rate. Sometimes an area that wouldn’t normally be scary is due to the sounds of distant creatures coming from all directions.”
In response to:How open is Planetbase to explore?
Jinxmerchant– “It is quite open. The problem is that there are invisible borders. i.e. what you see isn’t necessarily where you can build.”
In response to:How does Planetside 2 reward you for playing tactically?
Speedlarson – “To have any chance at winning the map, some sort of plan or strategy is certainly needed. You need to help others when they need it and vice versa. It brings the game to a new level.”
In response to:Have you bought anything in SMITE? How happy were you with your purchase?
Taiga Kagami– “I bought the “all gods” pack that gives you all current characters and future ones too for a cheap price, great deal. I also bought many skins, they have the best skins of all MOBA games in smite, no doubt.”
In response to:How much freedom does Minecraft give you?
Solar Twirl – “The perfect amount!”
In response to:How does Airtight Games make you feel like a detective in Murdered: Soul Suspect?
Rock1m1– “This is the weakest element of the game. Instead of going out and finding clues and join in together in a meaningful way, you just spam the use button around the world until you got right ones and get the right set through trial and error.”
In response to:How free are you to build your own decks in Faeria?
Taiga Kagami – “You can mix any type of cards together you own.”
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In response to:How good are the sounds in Tom Clancy’s: The Division?
Rock1m1 – “The ambient sound really paints a bleak picture of Manhattan. The voice acting are well done as well. The music kicks up appropriately as action intensifies.”
In response to:Is Bioshock Scary?
ehiggins901 – “Described as a survival horror, innovative for its time, released circa 2007 and leading elements from System Shock 2 I would describe it as a purely horror game for the mind. A survival horror for morality. It tackles pseudo-objectivist themes based on Atlas Shrugged, a post Galt’s Gulch society. Using a strong narrative it scares the thinking with not only well-placed environmental design and spacial awareness of Rapture and its (post) inhabitants but to the mind as it poses views and society.”
In response to:How good an FPS is Rainbow Six: Siege?
NotTheLaw – “R6 Siege is, as far as anyone looking for a tactical, team-based PvP shooter should be concerned, the pinnacle available today. Past Rainbow Six titles were always a blast because they required more of players than just being twitchier than the next guy.
Winning a match requires forethought, planning and precise execution. Above all of that, however, come communication. A team of 5 that is voice-chatting will win 9/10 times versus a team that is full of mute ciphers.
Rainbow Six: Siege is full of so much variety that no match ever plays out the same. Ubisoft went above and beyond with this tactical FPS that is not to be missed for competitive Counter-Strike fans and FPS gamers alike.”
In response to:How active is the PvP community in Rainbow Six: Siege?
NotTheLaw – “Casual PvP matches are easy to get into, usually taking less than 20 seconds to get in-game during peak hours of play.
Ranked PvP has longer waits, even during peak-play times. Expect 4-10 minutes in queue (and that’s if you have a full squad already, which I wouldn’t suggest playing competitive without). However, the stakes are higher and the rewards greater in Ranked. Definitely more fun than casual.
Terrorist Hunt is a cooperative mode that is, obviously, best played with friends. Even a two-man squad with each player being familiar with the game is enough to have a blast in Terrorist Hunt. I’m less familiar playing Terrorist Hunt with strangers, so I can’t comment on queue times. But it is an amazing mode with friends.”
In response to:How good are the graphics in Half-Life?
SilverxxxxFoxxxx– “1999 basic”
In response to:How scary are the zombies in 7 Days To Die?
Dobsy – “During the day, not really scary, although they do sometimes have a habit of sneaking up on you while you’re busy looting. At night, they can induce quite a panic as they become fast and agile. They can quickly destroy unprepared structures in large groups and generally mess up your day! But that’s all part of the fun.”
In response to:How good an FPS is Overwatch?
ribeiro.breno– “Reminds me of Team Fortress 2 with more classes and a better story.”
In response to:How good are the graphics in Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 Demo?
Pallab_Mahata– “Excellent.”
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In response to:How harsh is the RNG In Darkest Dungeon?
Silentius– “It can be brutal! Several missed attacks on the trot can leave you tearing your hair out in anguish and all the careful micro-management in the world won’t save you if the enemy pulls off a lucky chain of critical hits, but that’s all part of the diabolical fun.”
In response to:Would you buy Prison Architect at full price or wait for a sale?
ZedClampet– “I bought it at full price. It’s a great game.”
In response to:Why do gamers keep coming back to Defense Grid: The Awakening?
Runeclaw69– “It is THE best Tower Defense game out there and all maps can be played in several different ways. It also helps that the game have a story that is presented in a good and fun way. You can always improve your score and see what happens if you change some tactics or towers. The game can be both relaxing and stressful at the same time.”
In response to:How good are the graphics in EVE Online?
ANBAL534– “Incredible, it looks like a movie in terms of quality and detail.”
In response to:How realistic is Ashes of the Singularity?
ASAD– “It’s in the Future, way in the Future, so I don’t know how realistic is the game, but I am loving it!”
In response to:What theaters of WW2 are represented in World of Tanks?
gizmo001– “Not many, i would like to see some of the maps they took away brought back, and some of the french countryside added, where are the hedgerows?”
In response to:How scary are the zombies in Organ Trail: Director’s Cut?
BRINGITSISTA– “14 pixel boogers shouldn’t give you nightmares.”
In response to:How active is the multiplayer community in EVE Valkyrie?
aas278 – “Active, friendly, tech savvy, very helpful.”
In response to:How realisitic is Cities: Skylines?
Ulli – “Not much. Traffic (cars) shows some very strange behaviour (because of the dumb A.I.), ships do very strange things too and planes… never mention the planes! But the game is fun.”
In response to:How good are Airships: Conquer the Skies at releasing regular updates?
BRINGITSISTA– “Very good, updates are somewhat frequent and they add a lot of stuff while working with the community.”
In response to:How much freedom doesStardew Valleygive you?
ZedClampet– “For the first in-game year, I was basically a fisherman who farmed a little on the side. Now into my second year, I’m a full-blown farmer. Stardew Valley has a lot of different ways to make money and different things to concentrate on during different days.”
In response to:How good an FPS isInsurgency?
Fly2fall– “Really good game to play over and over again. Nice and solid FPS.”
In response to:DoesXCOM: Enemy Unknownreward strategic planning?
LewisWulfen– “Yes. If you plan poorly, you quickly end up with a squad of rookies that are totally outclassed!”
In response to:How open isDirty Bombto explore?
Droniac–“Dirty Bomb maps are much larger than those in most modern shooters, but you only play on once section of that map at a time. New sections unlock as objectives are reached, such as blowing up walls or hacking doors.
A section of a Dirty Bomb map has more room for exploration than the average CS:GO or TF2 map. This is in part because there simply are more paths to the primary points on the map: objectives and side-objectives. But in addition there’s an element of wall-jumping for medium & light classes, that opens up A LOT of additional paths on EVERY map. These range from jumping through windows and onto rooftops, to wall-jumping along multiple walls into a tunnels that leads to a defensively advantageous objective overlook.
That being said: those paths and options are there to lead you to certain points on the map. Everyone is funneled to the key objective locations the entire time. Roving around on parts of the map that don’t lead to anywhere important simply means you’re not playing the game. And that leads to getting kicked from servers. Quickly.”
In response to:Are the mammoths inFar Cry Primalfun to hunt?
Shoom– “No. And you feel really bad when you do it.”
In response to:How much fun are the weapons inHalf-Life?
farias– “There are some common weapons that work as expected, but feel a little bit loose nowadays, and there are more innovative ones, that are fun to fool around but aren’t that useful in combat”
In response to:How good are the sounds inXCOM 2?
Silentius– “The sounds are effective. Much like XCOM: EU they act as a means of foreshadowing the encounters to come, thus highlighting the tension. Catching the tell-tale clicking of a chryssalid, or the mechanical crunch of a sectopod can be an unsetlling experience – especially when you don’t know which direction it’s coming from.
Music, as you might expect, responds to what you’re doing in-game and alternates between the suspensful (while you’re reconnoitering) and the dramatic (while you’re in combat).
In response to:How active is theElder Scrolls IV: Oblivionmod scene?
Durango– “Like any Elder Scrolls, it was pretty active. It’s not nearly as much active as it was then, but all the mods created are still available.
It also has the advantage of being to be not too old for the mods to be scattered everywhere on the Internet. (Think about Morrowind where many mods are lost because there weren’t any really big, really popular sites like Nexusmod to centralise them. Each community had it’s own website centralising a bunch of mods, and many of these websites have been shut down since.”
In response to:Have you bought anything inMabinogi?How happy were you with your purchase?
Thiago™ – “I have spent way too much in this game and I regret everything.”
In response to:How good an FPS isFar Cry Primal?
Naiboss – “Far better than I was expecting. The lack of guns adds a more physical element to combat so you often end up in close combat, unlike most standard FPS games, which adds something a bit different.”
In response to:What is the future like inOverwatch?
Sarkoforos – “A mix of thoughts from a shut-in monkey in space, visualized! Check the video they released (the first one); it’s pretty simple to understand.”
In response to:Are the aliens inXCOM 2scary?
Silentius – “Oh yeah! The fright factor has been ramped up significantly from Enemy Unknown. Part of this is down to the fact that even Sectoids – previously the alien equivalent of cannon fodder – are now third or fourth tier enemies: ADVENT troopers having taken over grunt duties. Each of XCOM 2’s cast of ET creatures comes with an array of frightening abilities. My jaw nearly hit the floor the first time I put a few rounds into a Codex & I’ll not even mention my reaction after ‘killing’ my first Andromedon. Even Mutons & Chryssalids, familiar foes that they are, have a range of new & exotic skills at their disposal. XCOM 2’s world is without a doubt a far more dangerous one than that of it’s predecessor.”
In response to:How well doesStardew Valleycompare to other farming games?
Huldu – “It’s truly quite a game. While I wouldn’t put it on the level of previous games, like Harvest Moon, however it does a fine job being quite entertaining to play. I’ve played it for well over 100 hours and several characters (this is really not needed, one character playthrough is more than enough). It has problems however like most games, just tiny things here and there, had a few nasty bugs at launch, one which caused my savegame to become corrupt (1.03).”
In response to:IsBeamNG.driveparticularly violent?
Tiies -“Car violence.”
In response to:How good are the graphics inTom Clancy’s The Division?
troots -“The environmental design department had most likely a lot of fun developing this game. Most of the visuals, while also above average, contrast somewhat with the general environment. The fog, snow and blizzards are just insane though.”
In response to:Why do gamers keep coming back toGarry’s Mod?
CaptPatrick01 -“The hope that a new update would fix whatever is causing these engine errors…”
In response to:How gory isKilling Floor 2?
Psycold -“There are other strictly horror games that push the gore and violence like Deadspace and The Evil Within, but Killing Floor 2 has realistic violence and damage, it is basically the successor to Soldier of Fortune 2’s excellent damage system. Each enemy has actual layers of flesh, muscle and bone you can tear through, and if you have an Nvidia card, you can utilize PhysX to increase the gore. I really hope to see the system implemented in other games, it would be really amazing in a realistic war game.”
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