Recent reviews by forrrr

Did 4.0 and Bio-Genesis release with bugs? Yes, not a single paradox/stellaris DLC hasn't. The team is exceptionally quick to patching most of the issues and it should be fixed in a few days or within the first week.

The content
New Planet/Pop system which drastically overhauls how the system works/functions. Planets feel significantly more powerful and offers a lot of customisation and utility. The system UI seems to be lacking a few tool tips or they aren't as obvious as they once were. For the many MANY hours I have, playing stellaris from 1.0 to now, the changes haven't exactly made a difference in how I feel the empires I play function. Yes it's a bit of effort to figure where stuff moved, but mechanically I do not notice my empires performing any differently from 3.14, which is precisely what they said would be the case in their developer diaries. The way much of the calculations are done are generally back end, and the interface/ui is more trying to explain how that works.

The content, the Origins, the Bioships, they offer some extremely unique ways to play the game and revitalised an ascention which truly was lacking. It was always Psionic, Machine, Biological. Then it went to Machine, Psionic, Biological. Now I am not so sure what the order is, I wouldn't call psionic weak, it's always been decent but it will be getting patched later so it's more difficult to say how it'll change. Ultimately a machine empire feels strong, so does a biological empire. If you're not used to stellaris I'd say wait a bit for a few hot fixes/bug fixes, but if you are a fan of the game, this DLC is worth buying. Most of the errors/bugs people are reporting are less from the DLC and more the 4.0 release. Which is one of the reasons I think the DLC is being hit more negatively because it seems to work fine, it's the 4.0 which is the problem and that always fixes itself given a little time.

For me I like the changes, UI has never been a huge issue for me, and I like the changes to the leaders. I like the mechanics but unfortunately between crashing to desktop randomly, on top of many game bonuses not working at all making it very difficult to advance and fight (Currently no ship modifiers apply and many changed leader skills which are really good don't work) I have to say no till the patch it. Avoid the headaches for the moment, very sad honestly, I've seen many stellaris releases and I've NEVER seen the game in this buggy state.

HOH boy, Chaos Galaxy 2 EA, now, having played my beloved pirates to galactic conquest, all hail our Shogun Bontenmaru! in the first game, Chaos Galaxy 2 brings a lot of differences to the game that make it feel fresh, yet unique, very much an upgrade. Many of the tricks you use/learn in these kinds of games like Fire Emblem or Super Robot Wars is that you can still bait the enemy, but now with all the leaders having unique ships, mechs, or titans as their personal craft you have to get a lot more clever with your tactics. To top it off, some ships have some different weapon load-outs, which also flips the table and really brings a challenge.

The music - It's quite catchy, very thematic to the factions, while a bit loud, it really is an impressive score for what the game brings.

The Gameplay - Each faction has strengths and weaknesses. While you don't have the flashy screens you did showing units and weapons flying about (personally something I miss from Chaos Galaxy 1) The chess board style combat plays out so you have a general sense of how well you're actually doing. The key point is the first one I made, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. This game, these styles of games, are all about knowing what can counter or is effective against X. It doesn't take a lot to figure out how to exploit and out think the AI, but you can't just rush in blindly and hope to win. BTW for anyone saying "the aliens are way to strong" I took out one of their fleets with 2 fleets of 6k each, and didn't lose a single vessel using the tactics I learned from Chaos Galaxy 1. I certainly wouldn't play with them on your first few games because they are an extreme challenge, but like any force nothing in the game is unbeatable, it just requires thoughtful movement and knowing good fleet compositions (BTW highly recommend 1 support craft per fleet, some units burn energy like it's nothing and leaves you vulnerable the next attack when your fleet has no ammo...) While ship combat seems relatively unchanged, what is new is the planet building system. A simple yet interesting way to give a bit more than simply clicking buttons. All in all, a decent look but still a little sad of the animations, but then that's just my own quirk. To play and enjoy this game requires a slower pace, it's more a relaxing game and don't be reckless. You have a redo button if a battle goes horrible and you can always retreat if you don't think you can win a fight.

The Story - The plot of the game is quite straightforward but very good. The connection to Chaos Galaxy 1 really hit a few points for me, specially learning what happened to some of the commanders and leaders. Some have perished, others joined their comrades in another faction, the story isn't complicated but it's detailed and you feel a sense that something is happening. Characters will comment and banter between each other, sometimes as they approach a fleet commanded by someone they have a grudge against. It's a nice upgrade from Chaos Galaxy 1 and makes the game feel more alive, and at times you'll see the characters interact together, figures having meetings and discussions over politics, and simply giving you something to enjoy as the game progresses.

Overall the game is a great price, the author has delivered a game that impresses and delivered on what he showed during development, with a roadmap which only promises to add more. It isn't the greatest game out there, but if you love Fire Emblem and Super Robot Wars, strategy games where you don't just throw stuff at the enemy and hope it dies, this game is worth picking up. 8/10

Chaos Galaxy, I play it on and off, but boy when I play it, it is ADDICTING. The mechanics are quite straightforward and generally easy to grasp, but the one thing I notice from many downvotes is the AI Cheats, yes it does cheat, and it has to cheat to be able to keep itself on par with a human. Like any strategy game the AI can be quite easily manipulated, it follows a calculation. For example, it likes to attack from the rear, the 'back attack' which gives bonus damage. Quite often, you can use subs with EXTREME EFFICIENCY to bait the AI into making an attack where you want it to make the attack, and that is how you beat this game. It's very much like Fire Emblem games or Super Robot Wars, the AI will always make a choice in how to act and with a bit of practice, it's easy. PLUS, this game dev did the marvellous thing where if you lose a battle or you hate the results, yield and fight it again. You have an UNLIMITED redo button which gives you ample chance to try again with a different tactic so you just need patience and think before you move. With this out of the way, my review.

The game is quite fun, very well designed and simplistic. It feels like there is a lore going on, it isn't the craziest most in-depth novella, but you can get a general sense of life in characters with some unique abilities and backstories to those abilities. Some enemies you will come to despise fighting, others you'll adore their abilities. You build fleets, conquer planets, and can win the game in a few unique ways. You can be a vassal and help your great power win, you can dominate the galaxy and control everything, you can claim independence and wage a war of revolution in support of a faction during a civil war, no play through will go the same way. Combat is very easy to learn, only a handful of weapons/attack types which you will quickly find have strengths and weaknesses. Lances/railguns are accurate and quite powerful in their attack, but are stuck to linear areas, making it a game of staying out of their ability to fire back. Cannons/Missiles are able to shoot in a cross shape, able to attack at a variety of ranges, but often have bad accuracy. For every weapon there is a type of counter, such as a beam shield blocks lance attacks. That is where special craft like submarines come in, they basically cloak and so long as they are hidden can use these weapons without issue.

Of your factions, you have the Imperials, the Merchants, the Mercenaries, the Dune Tribes, Pirates, and a super tech based group. Each has their specialized weapon/play style giving you a chance to see what catches your interest, I personally like the Pirates for their missiles, the Northsky Fleets (an imperial faction) for their lances, and the tech based factions, or OMNIC for their rail-guns and particle cannons.

The graphics are very SNES, very crisp, and quite pleasing, at least for me to watch. The music is extremely good, it can grow a bit dull after hearing it for a few hours, but it's tolerable even at those dull moments. I highly recommend this game if you're a fan of tactics based games that have a bit of a rock papers scissors feel, specially if you are a fan of Fire Emblem or Super Robot Wars. The art and combat graphics really makes you think of Gundam and Robotech, and you have a lot of leeway to learn the game, don't let the AI chase you off, it is very easily beaten with practice.

Age of Empires II, released in 1999 and still surviving to 2016 with new content, how does a game so old survive over 15 years and yet still maintain interest? This is one such game.

Age of Empires II HD gives new life combining old and new, the graphics are decidedly outdated but still maintain a sense of luster that doesnt turn you away, but rather endears you to what games used to be like. They gave them new life.

The gameplay is indepth, random, and the AI can be absolutely brutal if you want a challenge or want it easy, dont like playing with people, enjoy the multitutde of story based missions and campaigns that span multiple historical eras.

The story is well written, fairly accurate, if you can call a lone villager building an entire town spanning several hundred years and still happy to keep serving it's oppressive overlord accurate. You'll enjoy the voiced over characters, the story of taking men and women from the birth of their career to the very height such as Joan of Arc, William Wallace, Atilla the Hun, the list is fairly extensive between this game and the dlc's.

It is a game worth buying for new players or reminding old players of what it truly meant to play an RTS game that has class, charm, and still some of the strongest AI I've ever encountered.

10/10

Man O' War: Corsair, set in the deep and varied warhammer universe. Since I got the game a short while ago, there have been a couple updates and I must say, when I first started I was saddened that my computer could not run it properly. To my shock the next update improved the performance and now it runs absolutely fine on my system. For an in development game I have been thoroughly impressed.

Pros:
It's an adventure on the high seas, not quite assassins creed black flag but definately reminiscent of it and many other sea adventures.
The dev's are incredibly responsive on the forms, bug report solved in short order and released in hot fix patches.
You can see the actual work being done in the game, they're listening to the community and taking what we as players want into consideration.
Can board enemy ships, snipe people among the crowd of clashing swords, buy new ships, fight monsterous sea beasts and even nastier crews.

Cons:
There are definately some bugs, graphics, animations, the occasional lag spike as things load.
Lack of playable races is definately a strong point but they're working on it. (Only humans playable)
No Multiplayer


Overall I would recommend this game if not for the joy of sailing the high seas and killing giant beast men, but for the fact your voice matters to the developers and the games improving and continues to do so. It definately needs a lot of polish, but that is what I have seen and makes the game and the developers worth supporting. Join the high seas of fantasy and watch out for the sea beasts, they will swallow you whole.

Its a very simple game, that challanges you to do better every time. Beautiful graphics, easy to learn and follow, offers hours of fun, a must have choice