Recent reviews by clavius

So, it's been quite a while since I played/read a VN and this one (cyberpunk/SF) looked just like my kind of thing. And it was. It's got a really nice vibe, you care about the characters, the narrative works on a surface level but there's more to ponder if you want to do that, and the music's really good. I'm very glad I played it.
Even the best games could be improved though, and that holds true here. There are two endings "good" and "bad", and you need to get both in order to get to the epilogue.
Having got the "good" ending I'm kind of annoyed that to unlock the epilogue (which is SUBSTANTIAL) I'd have to play through the game again and purposely get a bunch of decisions wrong. Getting the Epilogue should have been the reward for getting the "good" ending and not withheld until you've played a second, redundant, playthrough.
Fortunately it's on YouTube.
The other complaint I'd have is that the ending comes with a number of HUGE exposition dumps. It's information that could have been fed to us in a more natural, and better paced, way.
In reality though these are small gripes.
The problem now? Finding something kind of similar to play. It's not a VN, but NeoCab has the same kind of vibe for me (even if some of the subject matter is quite different) - so if you like this you might want to check that out.
Worth the money and time. Kind of wanting more...

Bought on sale, and finished in one day in just under 4 hours. I loved it. It takes you on an emotional journey and doesn't stop surprising you. Intelligent and beautifully crafted.
I really do want more. One of my favourite games of the last few years, though it won't be for everyone.
I'm incredibly glad I played it.

There is no other VR game remotely like this. Graphically it's a tour de force. The writing is as good as you'd expect. And there are some thrills in here that will have players excitedly recounting their experiences to anyone who will listen.

There are a couple of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, and they only really bothered me after I'd finished the game. It needed more actual face-,time with NPC's (and more of them). Most communication is comms based. If you ran into more people along the way things would feel more "alive" (you could have been running from Resistance base to Resistance base and met different people, and fought with them perhaps).
The other thing - the gunplay is pretty unchallenging. Enemies are generally grouped infront of you, and you time your attacks and do some basic cover-shooting... it's not too challenging.
Towards the end of the game your weapons are nicely modded and you're very proficient at using them. Some wider arenas and actual tactical combat would have been awesome. But... this game is trying to be as inclusive as possible, so that's why things are what they are.
I would have appreciated some proper run-and-gun action, though.

If you love Half-Life though, this is indispensable. There are set-pieces so mind-blowing you can scarcely believe they're happening. I can't talk about the story or ending, really. But...
...this is the game you've been waiting for.
It really is.

NO SPOILERS
It's a game that's largely about the narrative experience, being told a story, but people complaining it's a walking simulator are way off. There are a number of tense situations where you're having to stealth your way around a locked-down area, avoiding predators, while completing a number of tasks and flipping between doing that and using your pc/tablet to keep track of threats. You need to be alert, reactive and organised or you're not going to progress from some levels.

I've got to say, my first reaction to the first few minutes of the game was to make me even more excited for the upcoming Alyx. The character models and their facial expressions are impressive, and the production values are sky-high. Couple this to really first-rate voice acting and you find yourself quickly fully immersed and invested in the characters and environment. The idea of a full-length FPS made with this kind of care and budget are something to be excited about.

It's not a spoiler to mention the basic premise - it's in the title and basic trailers. You play a "Host" who wakes up behind the scenes at Westworld, understandably confused. The place is mayhem and the bodies of hosts and humans are everywhere. You've been activated by a human tech who needs your help to get out of danger. The danger is two-fold; you have teams of human special-ops trying to annihilate everything, and you have hosts who are still in character and want you dead for their programmed story reasons.

Meanwhile your sense of reality keeps flitting between what you knew to be real and the weirdness of what is now actually happening to you.

The story nestles in nicely after Season 2 of the show, but it's been designed to work just as well if you've only seen Season 1.

It can certainly get pretty intense; Tomb Raider deaths can be pretty graphic and these are on about the same level, but this obviously feels a little more personal. Once you work out how the game wants to be played though you get a good idea of what you can and can't get away with and avoiding predators becomes easier.

The full price (at time of review it's around £24/$31) seems steep. The experience is top-notch and the high production values and budget are easy to appreciate - it's a title I'll definately come back to; but it's not something you're going to *regularly* come back to. If it was £17/$20 I'd say it was a must-buy.
In sales it's £8/$10, and at this price it's a no-brainer. It's slightly over-priced for a shorter experience that is pretty linear, but it's a hell of a ride and a title that needs to be in your VR library.

Played on a Oculus Quest w/Link, and aging AMD FX processor/RX480 (8GB Nitro+) with no problems.

The original Orwell is worth your time if you're into narrative-driven puzzles. The information you need to crack problems always feels like it's within your grasp (and it is) as long as you're methodical.
The same can't be said for this sequel.
On a number of occasions I've had the necessary information to progress the game, but no way of using it. Something else, unconnected and unknowable, is waiting to be triggered first. This unconnected event when finally triggered allows you to go back to the first problem, and all the information, you already had... and now it's usable.
The game is a mess compared to the first.

Often the only way to get out of a deadend is something extremely tenuous that you couldn't hope to discover for yourself except through pure bloody luck.
They obviously had the game made - so why release it in three chapters? Honestly, I think it was a way of lessening player frustration. You get just as annoyed, but you have a rest between bouts of smacking your head against the nearest wall.
Also, the "Influencer" gimmick doesn't come into play until the last chapter and adds nothing - infact it serves as another barrier between you and the narrative (don't add new gameplay mechanics at the end of the story, it DETRACTS from the story).
Also, the pacing is all wrong. The first chapter is pretty involving with decent characters and motivations. The second is more of a grind and lacks the same sense of urgency. By the time the last chapter rolls round you should feel a sense of empowerment and that you're good at what you're being asked to do, but you don't. Involvement in the story evaporates as the new game mechanic is dumped on you and clues are hard to find because of poor design and their inorganic nature.
I would have felt disappointed in all this even if it was cheap DLC for the first game (which it feels like).

Stupidly addictive infinity racer. The course changes every 24 hours, and the sun position and weather conditions often change too - sometimes to full-on sandstorms.

The ever-changing courses and scoreboards make you come back for more. Used to play this on Android, but free of adverts and with a decent progression system - this is the version to play.

Looks great, and is good for short games or lengthy driving sessions.
The price is a steal when considering the replayability.

Games should take you somewhere. It's escapism. But how many resonate with you in the same way as a great book or a film you really love? Games don't generally have as much of an emotional pull on us as these other things.
This game is full of uncertain adventure. The unknown is a risk and exploring that unknown can sometimes disturb you But othertimes you'll be rewarded with something so unexpected and beautiful that you were glad you were brave. You will be glad you went out looking in the dark.

This is unlike anything else I've played. I'm so glad I did (and continue to).

If you like good stories then this one will get hold of you like nothing else in videogames. The graphics, combat system and narrative seem cheap and slightly broken at first and you'll be amused in an ironic sort of way. Quickly this disappears to be replaced by genuine affection for the characters, the town and even the things that you previously considered broken. I wouldn't change a thing.