Recent reviews by Xy

Let me start out this review by saying I am a Blair Witch fan through and through. I loved the movies, I took part in the ARG that was initially released. I was excited for this game... But ultimately, I was disappointed.

With the above considered, let me say that they didn't take advantage of the rich lore that was a part of the Blair Witch Project. Just taking the first 20 minutes of the movie leaves you with plenty of lore in which to base this game off of. They didn't do that, and instead ignored all of it. It's a huge missed opportunity because a lot of the stories the locals told of the legend of Blair Witch were more creepy than what was portrayed in this game.

The gameplay is about what you'd expect. Made by Bloober Team, if you've played Layers Of Fear 1/2, nothing will come as a big surprise. It's a typical walking sim with horror elements scattered throughout. It does have a really neat mechanic where you can manipulate time with your handycam. But in reality, the found footage element was not the only thing that should've been utiilzed from the movies. There are some tense moments to be sure, but many others leave you with a tired sense of non-accomplishment. As it's in a forest, you'll find many invisible walls and conveniently blocked off areas showhorned into the levels.

Graphics and sound are what make me recommend this game alone. You do feel like you're isolated in the forest with something sinister lurking in the shadows. I just wish they made better use of the whole Blair Witch legacy, because as it is, it would stand better as a different story altogether.

In the end, it feels like an original story that slapped the Blair Witch name onto it and then adjusted accordingly. But for horror fans it's certainly worth getting on sale and doing a full playthrough. For die hard Blair Witch fans, don't expect to get deeper into the lore at all...

3/5

Home Sweet Home is a fairly standard horror walking sim. It stands out by having some solid stealth mechanics that lead to some seriously tense moments within an atmosphere full of dread! Navigating the game gave me the urge to explore, needing to see every little detail put into the game, and there's a lot to unpack. As you go through, you unravel a bleak story of betrayal, distrust, paranoia, crime, and love. Pull on each thread (or burn them) and you find that you can take nothing at face value, and something sinister lurking underneath.

The audio is something that really sells this game for me. It needs work at some points to be sure. The parts where it is done well were some of the best audio I've heard in a horror game. The main ghost seen in the trailer is so well done, I was ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bricks every time I was in her presence! The music fit the setting and added some nice tension when it was needed.

I had a horrifically good time throughout almost all of the game. With every good comes some bad... and without getting into spoiler territory, the ending is pretty bad and very abrupt. It left me wondering if they chose the right part to end it. It felt like it was trying to be a cliffhanger without really closing any part of the story at all. It just left me feeling like I still didn't have a full grasp on any part of the story in its entirety. I got the sense that there were many layers to the main theme, but haven't got the correlation quite yet. The journey to get there is worth the price of admission. I'm really looking forward to completing the story! 3.5/5

Having just finished a 4.5 hour unsuccessful session of the game, I'm going to have to pass. I'm all for ambiguity in Horror games. This one misses the mark by not clearly explaining what the rules actually are. You really need to figure out pretty much all of the mechanics on your own. Hear a sound... check the front door? Turn off the lights? For how long? Who knows? You encounter the deaths scenes without knowing why they happened. I had 3 deaths in a row without having the slightest clue what I did wrong... I followed the seemingly arbitrary rules to a T. The breaking point for me was having the 2 "killers" attack me at one time. The mechanics don't allow for you to deal with it, so it's just a bad mechanic that forces you to start at the beginning again just when you thought you had made some real progress.

The graphics are fine for what it is. You'll be operating a computer with a browser and a notepad for 80% of it and even walking around the house I didn't think it was so bad to take away from it. But really nothing groundbreaking here.

The audio definitely needs work. It uses some pretty low quality sounds that repeat and took me out of the game entirely at points. The scares are great, don't get me wrong. If you're not looking for something with any real substance and don't mind paying a couple bucks for some cheap jumpscares, then you'll be fine. But don't be surprised if you get too frustrated before you can even complete it. 1.5/5

When I first started playing my initial thought was that it looks like a low key Borderlands style walking sim. The further I got you really start to appreciate the charm of the art style and it sweeps you up into a 1940's style of cartoon horror to the likes of which we haven't really seen. (At least not until this and Cuphead) As I progressed through the true breadth of the game is revealed. There's a lot to dissect and much of the lore is provided via audio recordings.I won't post any spoilers, but there's enough there to hold your attention. Everything culminates at the end and you're left with a decent "thinker" of an ending and a nice incentive to play again.

The sound for the most part was on point. It never took me out of the setting and the design was solid pretty much throughout. You're provided some very atmospheric levels and decent jumpscares when you're least expecting it. They never felt overly cheap. There are also portions that have some great tension. The puzzles were actually a lot of fun! Each time I encountered one, I found myself eager to figure it out. Rarely a dull moment, but some backtracking in a couple levels might push some folks away. As for the Horror elements, it's there, but it's more of a lighthearted Horror. Don't get me wrong, there are genuine scares in this game. But sometimes, it's accompanied with very lovable characters such as Boris The Wolf!

One thing that really bugged me about the game was the combat... it's pretty bad. When you're given the opportunity to fight, it's basically just exchanging blows until your foe goes down. Your character moves (runs) so slow it borders on obnoxious. At first it didn't seem like a problem because the combat is scarce. Further along you see it becomes a bit more vital and for one scene in particular, I was starting to get a touch annoyed because you're in a "wave by wave of enemies" situation. Boss fights often had me scratching my head, but one you figure it out, it's fun and pretty easy.

This game has been out long enough that it goes on sale fairly regularly. I'd wait for a sale if you can. Once you get it, I don't think you'll regret it! I certainly don't!

3.5/5

Very reminiscent of Inside or Limbo! The mechanics are simple enough to understand and are introduced in a way that helps navigate the game throughout. The graphics are what you see in the trailer and screenshots and doesn't deviate much. The sound design is on point and with some decent headphones and volume, you can expect some real creepy moments and excellent well timed jumpscares! It was exciting to encounter each monster and try to figure out what to do. I was never frustrated at the puzzles and would say that the flow of the game was on point.

My only issue (and it is a small issue) is that the game is a touch on the short side and doesn't offer much in terms of story. Perhaps the story is open to your own interpretation? There are 7 chapters total and I finished the game twice and got all the collectables in 4(ish) hours. I was streaming at the time so I had many sets of eyes helping me along. That being said I had absolutely no problem starting from the beginning and going for a second run. Whether or not it's worth it for you really depends your budget. I could see myself picking this back up in a year to go through it again for the experience and to possibly look for more easter eggs. Until then, I'll have my eye on the devs for more titles. A very solid 4/5 from me!

When you get Pacify, you're not getting in to a massive story line with heaps of objectives and hours upon hours of game play. It's simple at its core and designed to scare the s**t out of you... and it succeeds in doing so very well! Navigate a single level through a very elegant looking mansion. Look for keys to unlock previously unexplored areas to find marked dolls and burn them. All the while being chased by a terrifying entity who can only be pacified with unmarked dolls.

I easily sunk about 2 hours in the game just learning the mechanics and exploring the environment. The audio is lacking and a bit silent at parts, leaving some of the atmosphere lacking. Also could do with some form of chat system or indications of who is carrying what (keys, wood, matches, dolls), their status (doll or not). But even with random people and no VC, I had a blast trying to keep people from being taken to the darkness all while trying to burn the marked dolls.

All in, for the price it's got a very challenging single player mode with lots of potential for multiplayer. I could see myself and a couple friends having a spooky good time with this game.

Full highlight from Twitch stream here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/387537466

This game need to be celebrated as an outstanding addition to the horror genre.

This showed up in my queue and seeing as it had "overwhelmingly positive" reviews at the time, I checked it out on a whim. I'm a big Silent Hill fan so the first thing I noticed was the similarities in the trailer. When you start the game you'll probably notice the graphics right away. It looks dated and I'll admit at first, it was a bit of a turn off. However, as you progress through the game, you start to notice that it is all a part of the charm. I felt myself whisked back to early days of gaming. You're walking your dog down the street when a sudden storm comes through and your dog gets caught up in the flood waters and is sucked down a sewer drain. You follow down into the sewer and begin your pursuit. Then you feel it... there is something very, very, sinister happening here.

I won't get into spoiler territory, but I will say this: You can tell almost right away the amount of love that was put into this game. It's just such a solid experience that I can't recommend it enough. Sure, the combat mechanics aren't the greatest, and a couple times I found myself in situations where I had no idea what I was supposed to do. But those negatives are greatly outweighed by the positives. I found myself wanting to investigate EVERYTHING in game, and regretting taking that right when there was a left I could've gone down. It makes for some excellent replayability. I also should note the audio... it was actually very immersive and very well designed. Combined with some of the mechanics of the game, and the Akira Yamaoka Silent Hill inspired soundtrack, it all adds into something special. I was streaming the game at the time of my playthrough and was fortunate to have someone who had been down the "Lost In Vivo" rabbit hole before. They showed me some of the Easter eggs and features in the game that while simple, added so much more heart to the game. I was almost sad to see it end.

So in summary, if you're into the atmosphere of Silent Hill, find charm in intentionally dated graphics, enjoy surreal gaming experiences leaving you in a total WTF headspin, or any of the above... you're going to love this game!

Coming from Rym Games, a small outfit from Morocco, it succeeds in bringing true paranormal scares and atmosphere. It plays a bit like Outlast mixed with Fatal Frame and maybe even a bit of Silent Hill. You journey through a house that is plagued with a history of the occult, rituals, sacrifices, and just overall awful things as you try to locate your friends & colleagues. Solve puzzles, find keys and items to progress… while it doesn’t bring anything new to the table in terms of survival horror gameplay, when the formula works… Jump scares aplenty, but they’re all well timed and never feel overstated. At the time of writing this, I have roughly 7 hours into it and I find myself excited to continue my search.

The graphics have a fresh feel which is hard to describe. It just doesn’t look like many games out there and that’s a good thing. The characters within the game seem to have a “weight” to them. The house feels like it was once a beautiful estate with a grand history, but abandoned some time ago. The attention to detail shows here as each room is well detailed with furniture and items… it never feels empty and definitely helps to keep you immersed in the environment.

The voice acting leaves a bit to be desired, but the instances are few and far between so it doesn’t take you out of the atmosphere very often. The sounds are very well designed and stay in line with the experience. I don’t like that the sound drops out when you’re in a menu… that does tend to take you out of the world a bit. Considering it’s the old style of you die often, so save often in the style of Resident Evil, you’re in a menu quite a bit. I’ve noticed the odd hiccup of perhaps placeholder sounds that were never finished, again, not enough to warrant a bad review.

Speaking of reviews, as some of the reviews are saying, I have encountered a couple of bugs, which is unfortunate since it's not considered early access. I’ve fallen through the floor into a different place in the house, been attacked through walls, those kinds of bugs. But the team says they're on it so hopefully they get squashed quick. Some of the translations seem off, never anything to make it impossible to understand. Otherwise, aside from having to reload once and it getting a touch "framey" at times I haven't encountered anything that doesn't let me progress. For the price, I highly recommend this game!

EDIT: I've since changed this to not recommended. The first 5-10 hours are as I stated above, but the game then loses focus. As the house opens up to you, the following hours are spent looking for item after item to unlock... MORE ITEMS! This makes me not recommend it because these items aren't presented to you in any linear fashion. Their all scattered throughout the house in areas you would/should have thought you already explored. The house is worse than a maze as the hallways mostly look the same. Couple that with the fact that you don't get a map and no indications of where keys unloack certain doors and you're left backtracking and trying doors multiple times. Many of the later game puzzles become more of a chore lacking any mechanics to give you even the slightest hints of what you should be doing or where you should be going. By the end of the game, I was too frustrated with the process to even care, and without spoiling it, the end is pretty lacklustre.

All in, it might be worth it if it's on sale. It genuinely has some really awesome and truely scary parts to it, but you might find the entire thing a touch more tedious than you think as you venture through.

I've been waiting for this game since I saw the teaser trailer, and it absolutely lives up to the expectations. It's tons of fun to play! The sabers have a nice feel in that each slice feels weighted appropriately, and The songs (so far) are spot on for this genre of game. I've only played 11 minutes so far, but even that is enough to get the feel for this game. My short playtime even got tracked on my fitbit as active minutes, so that's an added bonus if you're looking to get more active VR games. Visually it's exactly how you saw in the trailers with the added benefit of being in VR of course. It's running super smooth on my system with a GTX1060 6BG. It's a much smaller game than I thought with a 190mb download which unpacks to something over 200mb.

My only complaints are that the track listing is a bit limited for the time being, (though each track comes with 4 difficulties that do feel quite different, so there is that for replayability) and I didn't see any kind of tutorial so for my first couple expert rounds came with blocks I didn't know how to react to. Though I may have missed the instructions in my haste to get into the game. Either way, I'm certain it will be learned quickly and tracks will be added in time. It would be an atrocity if this game didn't have a way to include "Imperial March - Celldweller".

Final thought, if you saw the trailer and were immediately interested, this game is going to live up to your expectations.

EDIT: There is in fact a short tutorial that explians the boxes a little more.

Well to say it had a rough start would be quite the understatement. However, with the fixes implemented I am confident in saying this game is exactly the reason why I (and probably you) bought a VR setup to being with. I mean, it's Fallout 4, so if you've played that there's nothing new in terms of content... But in VR it's a completely different game. At the time of this review, I've only put about 4 hours in as I find the Vive headset a little too uncomfortable for me after long periods. But having said that, I will be putting SO MUCH time into this game.

Gun fights and even combat in general are incredible and I often find myself ducking behind cover and only coming out to expell a barrage of bullets. Sneaking around trying to get the jump on an enemy in VR is just awesome. Even having played the original game, there's just so much to look forward to.

Fallout 4 VR simply put, is the best VR game I own. The movement options are all there, the game looks as good as you can imagine (with the fixes), and it's super immersive with everything going on. I'm sure there will be many more patches and small fixes to come. But even in it's current state, it's harldy worth all these negative reviews it's been getting. This is easily the first game in VR I've played that I can see myself really putting some time into. It's a far cry from the single serving games we've gotten since VR really took off. I think we were all anxiously waiting to see what the first true, unrestricted VR AAA title was going to be like. I am so unbelievably glad this is the one to kick it all off.