Recent reviews by βaloneγ

great game. not p2w.

5/5 imo.

Home Gym/10.

Grindy, but great. Vex milk/10.

Shoot n' loot. Not much else to say...
9/10

I remember seeing a demo for this game somewhere, can't remember. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is this game looked really good from what I saw, a fun and fast paced FPS roguelike. Roguelikes are very common these days so seeing something a little more innovative, such as Ziggurat, is always refreshing. The platforming and 2D level design isn’t here. Ziggurat is a fully fleshed out 3D game that’s has a variety of roguelike elements. Some it does extremely well, whereas others, it doesn’t.

First of all, the FPS gameplay in Ziggurat is extremely fun and smooth. It’s extremely fast paced and it works for a game like this. In saying this, the shooter combat isn’t as deep as other FPS games, but this isn’t a downfall for the game, as it is extremely easy to adapt to, especially for the four types of weapons that your character possesses. This isn’t Call of Duty, so don’t expect it. Speaking of the weapon types, there are four for each character. The wand is your base weapon which you start with and it shoots normal damage dealing bolts. The other weapons, ranging from magical to arcane are better than the wand, must be found by the player, and ammo conserved, unlike the wand. This makes Ziggurat a lot more strategic and challenging and gives it that true roguelike feel.

Perhaps the most important element of a roguelike after combat is the levels. Random level design is what makes a roguelike a roguelike. In Ziggurat, the levels are a bit of a disappointment. They are random, but not entirely. The main levels are easily traversable, but they are not like other games such as Rogue Legacy, where the level design was extremely random and couldn’t be played the same way again. Ziggurat is not at all like this. The main levels stay almost identical during the time you spend trying to survive the Ziggurat. The level design makes the player feel like they been there before, and it makes the game feel more repetitive, which is what a good roguelike shouldn’t do. Replaying the game multiple times after death made playing the game much like a chore after a while.

The enemies in Ziggurat are varied, but not to the extent where there are random enemies each round that you play. Ziggurat has its fair share of enemies to face, and the more you play, the more experience you gain with taking these enemies down more efficiently. Some enemies are tougher than others, thus more thought is required in dealing with their attacks. This is another great aspect of the game as it gives that true roguelike feel of learning enemies and killing them, whilst taking the least amount of damage as possible. Dying is common in the game, but can be prevented, and survival prolonged, if the enemies are understood well. The bosses however are disappointing. They are an identical copy of the enemies, but just bigger and with more health. They are also ridiculously easy to take down if the right weapon is equipped and their attacks learnt. Bosses also spawn enemy minions which make the overall fight harder, but more chaotic, resulting in lower framerate. The framerate issues in the game are easily noticed, especially on low end systems. On higher end GPU’s, performance is excellent, even on the highest settings. But, even when getting 150+ frames, drops are noticeable as 30-40 frames can easily be noticed. This doesn’t detract from the overall experience, but can nag some gamers, especially ones with low end GPU’s. This shows the inconsistency with the game engine as enemies and certain areas are very intensive on frames. In saying this, Ziggurat looks truly gorgeous as a next gen game, and getting high frames whilst observing detailed lighting, shadows and textures, makes it a very immersive experience.

Although the game can get very repetitive due to the poor layout of the levels, the perks and the different characters adds incentive to play again. The perks are well designed and impact the game in a considerable way when leveling up, so choosing perks relative to the build of the character, is a vital factor for survival in Ziggurat. Secret rooms, such as trap rooms and treasure rooms, add to the games overall roguelike feel as players can get an advantage or get killed if they are not careful whilst in these rooms. Characters in Ziggurat can be unlocked by fulfilling certain objectives within the game, such as killing X amount of enemies or getting X amount of kills with a weapon. These tasks are rewarding as unlocking characters adds a more strategic feel because every character is different in the way the game is played, or will be played, depending on the player. Some might choose to have more arcane ammunition whilst sacrificing ammo for every other weapon type, whereas others might choose to be weaker at the start but level up quicker to give an advantage late game. This ensures that all types of players can gain mastery with their desired character, making the game appeal to all types of roguelike players. New or veteran.

In conclusion, Ziggurat is an extremely enjoyable and innovative roguelike game that features a host of different enemies, perks, and characters to experiment with and learn. The level design however isn’t up to par with the other elements of the game, making it ultimately feel stale and repetitive after a while. For the 14.99 asking price tag, is Ziggurat worth it? I would say yes, not absolutely or no way. It won’t suit everyone, but it can be seen that it has developed with the purpose of attracting more gamers to the roguelike genre. Just don’t expect to sink 100 hours into this.

8.2/10

Had to kinda force myself to play Half-Life 2, as it just couldn't be bothered. After actually finishing it, more than 10 years after its release, I have to say that this might be better than every other FPS out there, except for DOOM, 'cuz DOOM is ♥♥♥♥♥♥' awesome. Great story, decent visuals (even in today's day and age), and immersive physics based puzzles, make Half-Life 2 one of the best single player experiences to date. Hell it's better than 95% of the games that we get today. It lives on, and will preserve its legacy for generations to come. No PC gamer should be without this.

9.2/10. Will force myself to play this game again.

In 2009 the world witnessed Batman: Arkham Asylum. Before Arkham Asylum was released, the gaming world was still in question about why another comic book game was going to be released, especially as they were all such a letdown. Batman is a widely known hero and making a game about him and his legacy is not easy. Well it turns out that Rocksteady knew their stuff and Arkham Asylum was hailed as the BEST comic book game of all time. How could a sequel possibly be better than Arkham Asylum? Fast forward to 2011, the highly anticipated release of Arkham City. Does it live up to the hype?

To put it simply, it does. Batman: Arkham City is a perfect example of how passion and knowledge of the core content can create a terrific piece of gaming. Arkham City, has shifted setting from the moody Asylum into the gritty Arkham City. Once again, the world created by Rocksteady here is immersive, huge and looks beautiful. Arkham City is full of things to see and do from the 15 or so lengthy side missions and the 400+ Riddler objectives to complete. The side missions here are fleshed out and are extremely varied, which ultimately creates interesting stories about the various characters which the player encounters through Batman’s time within Arkham City. Completing these side objectives are given meaning through the different decisions that Batman must take/decide, which results in meaningful story and character development. The Riddler trophies this time around are more plentiful and come with tougher puzzles than before. These pesky trophies are addictive to collect and have been hidden in the least expected places. Obtaining these trophies feels rewarding and satisfying as you’re one step closer to shutting down the Riddler’s operation. After collecting a certain number of these trophies, a mission to save a hostage appears on the map, and these missions are a welcome addition to the content that Rocksteady has already provided. Trophies aren’t the only thing related to the Riddler however. Riddler’s Revenge combat, predator and campaign maps are back, but are given more thought and is fleshed out with much more content than Arkham Asylum. The freeflow combat is amazing as it was in Arkham Asylum. Combos, takedowns, throws, etc. are back and it feels extremely smooth. The new gadgets that are obtained through the story mode and other side content add to Batman’s arsenal found in Arkham Asylum, and can be freely used in all combat sequences, not just the Riddler Revenge maps. This signifies the amount of freedom and player choice that Rocksteady has given to the player by giving them the option to progress through the game anyway they desire. Story wise, Batman: Arkham City is well written and intricately designed. Characters evoke emotion and are introduced in meaningful ways, and the way these characters are introduced doesn’t feel rushed. Story missions are also well executed by slowly increasing in difficulty through each combat and predator encounter, resembling smooth flow between missions so as not to feel repetitive. Boss fights are better than Arkham Asylum and require more thought. The story is also quite lengthy. Expect to invest at least 12 hours just to complete the games storyline.

Game of the Year edition is basically the base game released in 2011 but with the inclusion of all character packs and story DLC, Harley Quinn’s Revenge. Being able to play as Catwoman, Robin and Nightwing feels refreshing. It is evident that Rocksteady has put in their knowledge and passion of Batman history through these characters as they all possess different combat moves, which then requires different tactics and experimentation from the player. Rocksteady has employed a wise tactic by giving the player the choice to play as their “favourite character”, meaning that more hours can easily be invested into the game, as to master these new characters. Although being able to play as these characters is a nice break from playing as Batman, it would have been nice to play as these characters in the world instead of restricting them to just the challenge maps. The Harley DLC is also quite a nice inclusion as it adds to the already lengthy game time. The story isn’t as deep as Arkham City, but it is an enjoyable ride getting through Harley’s goons for 3 or 4 hours.

The only downside to the game are that some of the early characters introduced in the game are underused or never even seen as the story progresses. This is a shame, especially for a game of such caliber that these iconic characters would miss out on their opportunity. At least these characters could be used more in a side mission or be seen later on through an Easter egg, in which the game has many.

Not addressing everything the game does well, the smooth freeflow combat, intense predator stealth sequences, well written and engaging storyline, immersive open world, plentiful side missions along with the plethora of collectibles and Easter eggs make Batman: Arkham City a long lasting and near perfect game that actually makes the player feel like the Bat. Expect to throw away at least 50 hours of your life as you experience what this awesome game has to offer.

9.8/10

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Directors Cut is a breath of fresh air, especially after the disappointing sequel to one of my favourite games of all time, Deus Ex. Invisible War was a mess. BUT, Human Revolution rejuvenated the franchise after returning to the core roots and pillars of gameplay which were founded in the original. Stealth, action, meaningful choice and consequence events, and of course many other role playing elements. Adam Jensen, ex-SWAT and military, is an awesome protagonist, and is easily one of the franchises best characters, just as JC Denton was in the first game. Augmentations are back, and are as awesome as ever. These give Adam a slick feel, especially as time progresses, and allows endless possibilities with character development. Augmentations give the player new avenues into approaching objectives which allows the game to feel more open ended and replayable.BE WARNED, not all augmentations can be purchased in one playthrough so choose wisely depending on your playstyle.5th time playing it myself (1st time on PC), and I was still discovering new and rewarding approaches to tackle my objectives. The dialogue system, which is very similar to Mass Effect, works extremely well in giving the player more choice and is intricately designed, much like the new hacking system. As far as the story goes, it absolutely works with the themes of the game. Conspiracies, secret organisations and of course...the Illuminati. And not to mention, the writing in the game is impeccable. One of the best scripts I've seen in a video game.

The "Directors Cut" tag has added quite a few benefits over the original, the most noticeable being the New Game+ mode which was widely requested by fans for a long time. It's here and it absolutely works. Being able to continue on from where the game ended and keeping all augmentations just makes the game more enjoyable and also a little bit easier, allowing the "Give me Deus Ex" difficulty to be quite manageable, as it is very tough (1 or 2 hits and its "See ya later, Frank"). Only weapons and other inventory items will have been discarded if New Game+ is activated, which is not a very big hassle as it would have made the game way too easy, and that is not at all good for a game like this. The new "Directors Cut" also adds developer commentary which is quite insightful as it delves deeper into how different aspects of the game were considered and made.

In conclusion, Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Directors Cut is one of last generation’s best games, in MY OPINION. The rewarding gameplay, multiple approaches to objectives, and just the sheer amount of replayability along with the engaging and well written 20+ hour storyline makes for an extremely enjoyable and immersive experience, especially for fans of the franchise, like myself. The only downsides, which I haven't yet mentioned have to be that the game only rewards one approach of gameplay, stealth and non-lethal, which is actually fine because ultimately this is how Deus Ex should be played, and it’s the way I played it. The other disappointment is in the boss fights. Although the "Directors Cut" added more flexibility to these encounters, they still lacked in the multiple approach department, especially taking these bosses down non-lethally, which isn't very much like Deus Ex. Lastly, the inclusion of the "Missing Link" DLC, adds to the games total play time, but nothing more as it is quite a disappointment. The "Missing Link" should not have been embedded into the main game, as it seems rather forced due to the tedious objectives that need to be completed in a constricted hub, which ultimately results in rather stale and boring gameplay. All in all, I wish I could go over everything, but this was a short review. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Directors Cut is one hell of a game and can easily be respected as one of the series' best. Hardcore fan or newcomer, this game should be played by anyone who enjoys lasting and rewarding RPG's. Having played the PC and console version, the PC version is far superior.

9.3/10

Note: I managed to do everything in the game, including most achievements and the DLC, in around 17 hours (speedrun, kinda). If it is your FIRST time playing the game, expect to put in at least 30-35 hours to finish the story and do some of the side quests. I just memorised MOST of the games layout and approaches, and also knew where the main interest locations were.

Being a long time fan of the Hitman franchise, I have to say that I was sorely dissapointed by this game. Absolution tries to be something that it is not, a true Hitman game. Letting go of the multiple approach contracts found in Silent Assassin, Contracts and Blood Money, Hitman: Absolution attempts to create a storyline with interweaving missions in the space of three acts. And let me tell you, the story is ♥♥♥♥♥♥' terrible. It's almost like a 6 year old came up with the stupid concept of a story, and this particular story, which makes no sense whatsoever. Even though the story is terrible and the gameplay is not up to par with the other games from the franchise, Absolution can and is very enjoyable at times and the good old ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up methods of taking out your targets are back and is well executed, even though there aren't that many. Silent Assassin rating is there, and is perhaps the only way to play the game, especially as it is so easy. Saying this, if you're a hardcore veteran of the franchise, playing stealthily, obtaining Silent Assassin on every level, and picking at least Expert difficulty (Purist difficulty is definitely the way to go as it slightly resembles the previous games and how much tougher they were) is the only way to play this game.

5.4/10

Honestly, one of the best games ever created by Valve. Superb co-operative gameplay, fantastic visuals and lots of variety (maps, zombies, etc) makes for a great time, especially with friends. If you're looking for a game that is fun ,satisfying, and challenging, then look no further.

PS. Spitter's and Tanks will make u wanna not play the game sometiems. LEL