Recent reviews by Doc

Helldivers 2: A Love-Hate Relationship with Galactic War

After putting 200 hours into Helldivers 2, I can confidently say it’s one of the most exhilarating and uniquely chaotic cooperative shooters out there. At its best, it delivers intense, squad-based action full of strategic depth and hilarious emergent moments. At its worst, it can be a frustrating test of patience thanks to balance changes, matchmaking quirks, and brutal difficulty spikes.

The Good:
The core gameplay loop is addictive—dropping into hostile environments, executing objectives under fire, and calling in stratagems for reinforcements never gets old. The sheer variety of weapons and tools allows for different playstyles, and the game rewards smart teamwork over lone-wolf heroics. Few games capture the thrill of barely making it to an extraction point while surrounded by swarms of bugs or heavily armed Automatons.

The sense of camaraderie is also a highlight. Whether you’re reviving teammates mid-battle, frantically trying to reload a railgun, or accidentally getting crushed by an allied drop pod, the shared chaos makes for some truly unforgettable moments. The game’s satirical, over-the-top tone adds to the fun, making every victory feel like a triumphant act of patriotism for Super Earth.

The Bad:
That said, Helldivers 2 has its fair share of frustrations. Balance patches have been inconsistent—sometimes making weapons or stratagems feel underwhelming, and other times introducing difficulty spikes that feel more punishing than challenging. The enemy AI, especially with Terminid evolutions, can be overwhelming, turning certain missions into a frustrating meat grinder rather than a rewarding tactical challenge.

Matchmaking is another sore spot. While the game shines when playing with a well-coordinated squad, solo players or those without a solid team can often end up with teammates who don’t communicate or don’t bring useful loadouts. This can lead to missions feeling less like a cooperative effort and more like an uphill battle against both the enemies and your own squad.

Finally, while the stratagem system is unique and rewarding, it can be a bit clunky in high-pressure situations. Calling in the right support item at the right time requires precise inputs, and in the heat of battle, it’s all too easy to misclick and end up summoning something useless—or worse, dropping an orbital strike on your own team.

Final Verdict:
Helldivers 2 is an absolute blast when things go right—few games deliver such satisfying cooperative chaos. But when things go wrong, whether due to balance issues, matchmaking problems, or difficulty spikes, it can be a test of patience. If you have a solid squad and enjoy tactical, teamwork-heavy shooters, it’s a must-play. If you prefer a more balanced experience without the occasional frustration of questionable balance patches, be prepared for some ups and downs.

Score: 7.5/10 – A thrilling, always ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ frustrating, but good co-op game.

⚖️ Recommended? Yes… but at what cost?

Hours Played: 700+

War Thunder is one of the most rewarding and punishing games ever made.

Pros:
✅ Realistic Vehicle Combat – No health bars, just armor, penetration, and module damage. A well-placed shot can end a fight instantly—or do absolutely nothing because War Thunder physics.
✅ Huge Variety of Vehicles – Hundreds of tanks, planes, and ships across multiple eras. If it’s been in a war, Gaijin probably has it (or will add it soon™).
✅ Satisfying Skill Curve – The more you learn, the better you perform. Knowledge of weak spots, shell types, and positioning is key.
✅ Constant Updates – Gaijin regularly adds new vehicles, maps, and mechanics. Some changes are great, others… well, they exist.
✅ Gorgeous Visuals & Sound Design – Explosions, tank tracks crunching over rubble, and the scream of a jet breaking the sound barrier—War Thunder nails immersion.

Cons:
❌ The Grind is Soul-Crushing – Researching vehicles feels like chiseling away at a rock with a plastic spoon. You unlock a new vehicle only to realize the next one costs twice as much.
❌ Repair Costs Are Absurd – You finally get a high-tier vehicle? Great! Now watch your Silver Lions disappear because one bad game means financial ruin.
❌ Matchmaking Can Be Brutal – Get used to fighting vehicles a full BR above you. There’s nothing quite like rolling out in a 1944 tank and getting vaporized by a Cold War-era APFSDS round.
❌ Gaijin’s Monetization is… Unforgiving – Free-to-play? Yes. Pay-to-alleviate-suffering? Also yes. You can grind, but the premium vehicles and boosters are always staring at you, whispering, "Just spend a little... just a little more..."
❌ The Community is a Battlefield – From in-game salt to forum meltdowns, War Thunder has one of the most passionate and chaotic communities in gaming. And yes, people really have leaked classified documents just to argue about vehicle stats.

Final Verdict:
War Thunder is a game that demands patience, skill, and a high pain tolerance. It can be incredibly rewarding when things go right—but when they don’t, expect frustration, bankrupt repair bills, and getting clapped by an enemy you never even saw.

👍 7/10 – Would grind for 20 hours just to unlock a slightly better cannon again.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☑ Your mom

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☑ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☑ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☑ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second (and possibly third) life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☑ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☑ As long as you want it to be.
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved

Still have yet to raise that giga. 10/10 Dinos.

I sunk 137.7 hours in two weeks. Good game. 10/10 Caits

Horse go neigh.

I hate the ocean.

Very fun, much hard. Good team not required but necessary. Tons of fun difficult missions. 10/10 Sharks.

Dead by Daylight: A Thousand Hours of Pain and Regret
I've sunk over a thousand hours into Dead by Daylight, and honestly? I wish I could say it was time well spent. This game had so much potential, yet it constantly finds new ways to disappoint.

Balancing? What Balancing?
DBD has never been a well-balanced game, but at this point, it feels like Behaviour has given up trying. Killers are either unbearably oppressive or completely powerless, depending on which patch we’re in. Survivors, on the other hand, are at the mercy of the matchmaking system, which throws new players against seasoned Killers and vice versa. The "meta" shifts with every update, but it never truly fixes anything—just replaces one set of problems with another.

Matchmaking is a Joke
You either get matched with sweaty, ultra-competitive players who treat every game like a tournament or teammates who seem like they just installed the game five minutes ago. There is no in-between. And don't even get me started on queue times—why am I waiting 10+ minutes just to play a single match?

Bug by Buglight
For a game that's been out since 2016, you’d think Behaviour would have ironed out the endless bugs. Nope. Hitboxes are still inconsistent, animations break all the time, and basic mechanics (like vaulting or hooking Survivors) sometimes just refuse to work. Every patch introduces more problems than it solves, and the game feels like it's held together by duct tape.

Toxicity is the Real Killer
Want to enjoy a casual match? Too bad! DBD's community is one of the most toxic I’ve ever encountered. Killers get flamed for playing "too aggressively," Survivors get harassed for escaping, and post-game chat is a cesspool of salt. The only way to avoid it is to disable chat entirely—but that doesn't stop people from sending lovely messages through Steam or console messaging.

The Monetization is Insulting
DBD is a full-price game with an absurd amount of DLC, and yet Behaviour still finds ways to nickel-and-dime the player base. Skins are overpriced, new characters are locked behind paywalls, and somehow, despite all this revenue, the game still runs like an unoptimized mess.

Final Verdict
Despite all of this, I keep coming back, and that might be the worst part. DBD has an addictive loop that makes you want to suffer through just one more match, hoping it’ll be better this time. It rarely is. If you’re new, do yourself a favor and stay away. If you’re a veteran like me? You already know what you signed up for.

★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) – Would not recommend, but will probably keep playing anyway.

Team Fortress 2: A Timeless Classic That Refuses to Die

With over 2630 hours, between two accounts, in Team Fortress 2, I can confidently say that, despite its age, this game still delivers some of the best multiplayer experiences out there. Whether you're a fresh recruit or a grizzled veteran, TF2 remains an endlessly fun and unique shooter with an undeniable charm that keeps players coming back—even after nearly two decades.

The Good:
TF2’s biggest strength lies in its class-based gameplay, where each of the nine classes offers a completely different playstyle. Whether you prefer the speed and trickery of the Scout, the tactical utility of the Engineer, or the sheer destructive power of the Heavy, every match feels fresh thanks to the variety of roles.

The art style and humor are just as timeless as the gameplay itself. Valve’s signature cartoonish aesthetic and dark humor make TF2 stand out from other military shooters. From the iconic voice lines to the absurd cosmetics (yes, I proudly wear a silly hat), TF2 never takes itself too seriously, making every match as entertaining as it is competitive.

Another reason this game has endured for so long is its dedicated community. Even in 2025, new content continues to be created by passionate fans, and Valve still drops updates, like the recent 64-bit upgrade and long-awaited bug fixes. While not as frequent as we’d like, the fact that TF2 is still getting support after all these years is a testament to its staying power.

The Bad (But Manageable):
One of the biggest issues in recent years—the bot problem—finally seems to be under control. Thanks to Valve's updates, including the 64-bit transition, bot activity has drastically decreased, making casual servers far more enjoyable again. While occasional problems may still pop up, the days of rampant aimbotting and chat spam seem to be behind us.

The game’s balance has also seen ups and downs over the years, with certain weapons and mechanics shifting the meta. That said, TF2 has always thrived on creative and unpredictable playstyles, so most balance concerns don’t ruin the fun—just add to the chaos.

Final Verdict:
Despite its age, Team Fortress 2 still stands as one of the best multiplayer shooters ever made. It’s not perfect—Valve’s slow updates and minor balance quirks still linger—but for those who can look past its flaws, there’s an incredibly deep, fun, and endlessly replayable experience waiting for you. And now, with the bot crisis seemingly under control, there's never been a better time to jump back in.

Score: 9/10 – A legendary shooter that still holds up, now without the bot infestation.