Recent reviews by Sta[R]pY_

Baldur’s Gate 3: A Masterpiece of Modern RPG Storytelling

Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios is nothing short of a triumph in the realm of role-playing games (RPGs). The game redefines the genre by merging intricate storytelling, deep character customization, and tactical gameplay into a seamless and breathtaking experience. Whether you’re a seasoned Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) enthusiast or new to the franchise, Baldur’s Gate 3 offers something extraordinary for everyone.

Narrative Depth and Player Agency

The narrative is the heart of Baldur’s Gate 3, and it is both vast and deeply personal. The story begins with a gripping premise: your character, infected with a mind-flayer tadpole, must navigate a dangerous world to find a cure while dealing with the creature’s growing power. However, the brilliance of the game lies in how your choices impact the story. Every dialogue, action, and moral dilemma branches into unique consequences, ensuring no two playthroughs are the same.

The game also handles its companions with exceptional care, giving each one a fully realized backstory, personality, and set of motivations. Whether you’re debating philosophy with the enigmatic Shadowheart or untangling the dark past of Astarion, every interaction feels meaningful and enriching.

Gameplay and Tactical Combat

Larian Studios builds on the framework of D&D 5th Edition rules, delivering turn-based combat that is both challenging and exhilarating. The emphasis on tactical thinking, environmental interactions, and creative spellcasting adds layers of complexity. Combat never feels repetitive, as players can experiment with hundreds of class abilities, feats, and party synergies to approach battles in innovative ways.

Outside combat, the game shines with its exploration mechanics. Players can scale cliffs, dive underwater, and uncover hidden paths, rewarding curiosity and experimentation. The freedom to approach problems in multiple ways—whether through brute force, diplomacy, or cunning—emphasizes the player's agency.

Stunning Visuals and Immersive World-Building

Visually, Baldur’s Gate 3 is stunning. The richly detailed environments bring the Forgotten Realms to life, from the bustling streets of Baldur’s Gate to the eerie depths of the Underdark. Every location feels alive, with NPCs following believable routines and the world reacting dynamically to your decisions.

The voice acting and cinematic presentation further elevate the experience. The game employs motion capture and expressive voice performances that make characters feel real. Cutscenes blend seamlessly with gameplay, immersing players in the narrative without breaking the flow.

Customization and Replayability

The character creation system is one of the most robust in any RPG, allowing players to fine-tune everything from race and class to personality and backstory. The inclusion of origin characters—pre-designed heroes with their own stories—adds another layer of depth, letting you experience the game from multiple perspectives.

Replayability is a cornerstone of the experience. With branching storylines, various romance options, and countless ways to approach quests, Baldur’s Gate 3 invites players to return time and again. Even minor choices can lead to dramatically different outcomes, ensuring every playthrough feels fresh.

The launch of F1 Manager 24 brings a highly detailed and immersive experience to both Autosport enthusiasts and Formula 1 fans. The game's depth allows players of all managerial skill levels to tailor their gameplay experience, whether through setting budget restrictions, performance targets, or adjusting race difficulty.

However, there are a few issues at launch that affect the game's overall immersiveness. Notably, cars drive forwards into their pit garages, the logos above the garages cannot be customised independently, and there is a noticeable absence of personnel on the pit wall during driver pit stops across all teams. These issues, though minor, detract from the otherwise rich and engaging experience.

Despite these early challenges, F1 Manager 24 stands out as a superb management simulation within the Formula 1 genre. It is hoped that future updates will address and improve these aspects, enhancing the game's realism and overall appeal.

As a long-time fan of the F1 franchise developed by Codemasters, it is disheartening to witness the series' decline under the influence of EA. The issues with F1 2024 are numerous and cannot be overlooked.

Firstly, the game feels incomplete and rushed. The handling mechanics are poorly implemented, with a noticeable front-end bias. This design flaw means the fastest way around the track often involves avoiding braking altogether, turning online lobbies into chaotic drift sessions rather than authentic racing experiences.

Moreover, the customization options at the initial purchase are severely limited. For a steep price of $110 AUD, players receive only a minimal selection of items. Most of the desirable content is locked behind additional paywalls, a practice that feels exploitative. It is particularly frustrating to see that many features and items that were freely available in the 2023 edition are now gated behind these paywalls. This shift not only undermines player trust but also diminishes the overall value of the game.

The degradation of Codemasters’ reputation is evident, and it's clear that EA's financial strategies are to blame. Instead of nurturing the franchise and respecting its loyal fanbase, EA has prioritized monetisation over quality and player satisfaction.

Built massively on the first game, and some of the amazing features have been improved upon.

Amazing game, built upon all that made Payday 2 great

Great story, the open world still leaves a lot to be desired considering it's competitor is the GTA franchise.

I held of recommending this game due to the early phases of development when it came out. However i now continue to get amazed whenever i comeback to this game to find that almost every features has been built upon or enhanced in some way. Most recently for example i didn't play this game for 2 weeks when i came back a whole new music style and more enemy variants where included all for the better.

Gameplay is satisfying and the music are bangers

Really a big step up from f1 2020. Some of the practice sessions will get a bit mundane but the ability to skip them and obtain a decent amount of R&D points is welcomed. Along with the customisability of the career experience it can fit almost anyone no matter the skill level.

Its a really good experience, love how even though some of the hostile takeovers may look repetitive its really not. Just the chaos and the explosions really keeps you from feeling the grind. Although some of the characters arn't as polished as in JC2 the combat and the way it makes you feel immortal overcomes that issue.