Recent reviews by [☭CCCP☭] Kessenchu

This game really captivated me, for a number of reasons. First of all, I enjoy turn-based tactics and strategy games, and it is a very fun and moderately challenging representative of this genre. The stylised - and pretty - graphics work especially well here too, and so does the competent soundtrack. All fine and dandy, but what really makes this game stand out, in my opinion, is its stellar writing. As a writer (not a particularly bad one, either, if I do say so myself), I can assure you, the dialogues and texts in this videogame have been written by someone exceptionally talented in this craft. They are deeply insightful, clever, sometimes funny and sometimes dead serious - not to mention politically charged (you can agree or not with the political topics it raises, but their arguments are well made and completely echo our reality, albeit the game takes place in a fictional world). So, to sum it up, if you appreciate turn-based tactics, this is an excellent buy; but, if you enjoy well-written plots, trust me and just open your wallet already.

Baldur's Gate III has been lauded for its gameplay. Baldur's Gate III has been lauded for its voice acting. Baldur's Gate III has been lauded for its story. Baldur's Gate III has been lauded for the possibility to fornicate with a bear (a literal one, not the gay subcommunity).

It deserves all this praise, and more. The details, the OST, the in-party banter... it's such a rich and fulfilling experience I can't really put it down - my favorite sport is load saves I made just before important branching plot choices and pick the other one(s) I didn't initially choose. A tactical RPG with actual replay value? Oh, Larian, you've outdone not only yourselves, but the giants of the industry, with a fraction of their budget.

As a veteran from BG I & II, I enjoyed very much seeing "my" tales recounted in books in the game or being referenced in various ways. I couldn't think of a more honourable sequence to these old-school masterpieces. The only "flaw" is that I would like to see an alignment system in BGIII, just like in the two games that came before it, but I see why Larian didn't do it - it would probably take much of the flexibility from the experience. Besides, the approval/disapproval from your companions more than compensates for that.

In conclusion, I would like to say this: take it, play it, love it. Tell everyone you care for all about it. Encourage them to play. Everyone should witness how far videogames have come and everything they're capable of.

(Oh, Acts I and II run pretty well on the Steam Deck with the proper configurations, but I couldn't get it to run at stable 30fps in Act III not even with abysmal graphics settings. Not that it dectracts anything from the experience - it was not made for the Deck, after all, the fact it even runs it is almost a miracle).

It's been almost 10 years since I've written my review for the original Risk of Rain. In it, I mention some of its details that made me fall in love with it - not only that, fall back in love with videogames as a whole. I was 27 then.
Now I'm 36, I have major depression disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and that makes it very difficult for me to play anything at all. I'm not saying this for your pity or anything - I'm a survivor and I will survive this - the point here is that RoR Returns is so amazing that it captures my attention and I can dedicate which few energies I have to play it. In the past few days, it has brought me great relief from the existential pain and psychological suffering. And that is a lot for any videogame to accomplish.

So yes, if you seek an exceedingly well made roguelike that is very challenging, very rewarding and provides a lot of fun (with one of the best OST's I know of), look no further. And if, like me, your body and/or soul are in pain for some reason and you seek to just forget about the world for a few hours while immersing yourself in a unique world, full of beautiful sceneries and music, ripe with hidden lore - the item and monster logs are amazing, props to whoever wrote them - and that doesn't feel repetitive after countless hours (I have over 200 hours on the original RoR, adding the PS4 and PC versions) of playthroughs... well, you've come to the right place, too.

Oh, by the way, it runs perfectly on the Steam Deck, without the need for any tweaking at all (at the time I wrote this review, Valve still regarded its compatibilty with the Deck as "Unknown")

There's something about RimWorld that just makes me sink hours and hours in it. And I love it for that.

A lot of people compare it unfairly to Minecraft. Unlike Minecraft, however, it works.

I have waited for a realistic sword fighting game since Bushido Blade 2

And this is it

Don't do this with your life. Just don't. I mean it.

Simply put, I cannot think of a way of making this film any better.

And that's one hell of a compliment once you take into account how much of an arrogant prick I am (imagine the hypotetical lovechild of Simon Cowell and Jeremy Clarkson and you'll get the idea).

Self-deprecating jokes aside, yeah, it's a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ masterpiece. 11/10 would jump up on the chair when the Kolechian ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ blow everything sky high again.

Missed an exit (and scheduled arrival) while gazing at pretty landscapes

Had to get into nearest town to make a U-turn

Nearest town is Liège (Belgium), f****** beautiful

Hit 2 cars while doing the U-turn inside Liège ($800 deducted from bank account)

10/10

This
game
is
AMAZING.

The mechanics are well-oiled (especially after the last updates; now, it flows smoothly). The OST is simply beautiful. The graphics create a unique atmosphere: the gameworld is dark-toned but not lugubrious; you feel lonely, but never properly desperate, and the scenarios are always enjoyable (even after countless hours of replay). Also, the storyline of sorts is gradually revealed via item logs and monster logs you acquire after some time playing - the game starts in media res. You don't need to know what's going on to enjoy it, but it surely adds to the flavor. I particularly like this form of storytelling: a very good game becomes more and more fascinating once you start realizing (well, perhaps not exactly) what's going on after some exploration. It reminds me of Diablo II in this point.

Most important, though, is that it is PURE FUN. Very challenging and very rewarding, it leaves me wanting more every time I play. Actually, I sort of developed an emotional attachment to this game; when I started playing it, I was somewhat distant from videogames (after 24 years of being a total videogame nerd), not really willing to play too much. This game (along with Papers, Please and some others) helped me "feel the magic" again, sorta like falling in love once more with your boyfriend/girlfriend after a period of strain and doubts.

tl;dr: FUN, rewarding, beautiful, challenging, cool, buy the hell out of it