Recent reviews by Exc3ptional Cucumber

My family was a few years late getting a PS3. When we eventually did, this was the first and only game we had on it for awhile. I was 10 years old and this was the first RPG I ever played. I had no clue what I was getting into, but when I started playing it for the first time, it was everything I had always fantasized about in a video game. The open world, the degree of freedom, the role playing elements, the fantasy setting. I was in awe and put at least 300 hours into the game back then.

I was disappointed in Skyrim. It always felt like all of the mechanics were dumbed down in that game. Trying to go back to Oblivion was difficult. It just looked so dated, and no matter how many mods I threw on it, it just didn't look how I remembered it. So, I kind of fell off of The Elder Scrolls series.

This game is everything I could have ever wished for. The graphics are beautiful and feel like how I imagined them the first time I played the game. The modernizations like added animations, sprinting, UI overhaul, and leveling changes fit right into the game without detracting from what made the original feel great. Pretty much everything else is exactly the same, and exactly how I remember it.

It truly does feel like I'm a kid again playing the game for the first time. Even if just for a little bit, I feel like I can escape the hardships of adult life and relive simpler times as I immerse myself into this game once more.

Thank you Bethesda and Virtuos for making it happen. I never in a thousand years would have thought this remaster would become a reality <3

I grew up watching and admiring the Indiana Jones movies. Uncharted is my favorite game series of all time. This is probably my favorite game since Uncharted.

It's certainly not a perfect game, probably more like an 8 or 8.5 out of 10. But playing this game brings back the feeling I got watching the movies and playing Uncharted or even the LEGO adaptations growing up. It really scratched that treasure-hunting itch left behind by the conclusion of the Uncharted series over 8 years ago.

Note: This is my review after 100%-ing the game with everything on max difficulty

The Good:

The story is absolutely incredible. It feels like a part of the OG trilogy through and through. The writing could have been done by Spielberg himself and I wouldn't even doubt it. The voice acting perfectly mimics Harrison Ford's big screen performance, as well as creating an incredible supporting cast that you grow to admire. The main antagonist is probably one of the greatest video game villains of all time, and certainly the best of any Indiana Jones media. Even the animation/mo-cap team did an incredible job capturing the minute facial expressions of Ford's Indiana Jones.

The game utilizes forced ray tracing. While you can disable it outside of the game, it really is an incredible experience if your PC can handle it. Since the lighting was built around the idea of having ray tracing, it feels more than just a gimmick. Every new temple or location I explored caused me to slow down and look around just to take in the atmosphere. It truly is one of the most immersive games I've ever experienced.

The combat is fun, although it's not the main focus. It definitely is an exploration- and puzzle-oriented experience first and foremost. There is also a big emphasis on playing through combat sections how you want. Almost every area lets you go in guns blazing, use stealth, or even take the espionage route. I played on the hardest combat difficulty, which wasn't too terribly difficult but did force me to think through engagements as you go down in just a few hits. You can also lower puzzle difficulty for extra hints during puzzle sections if you mainly just want the cinematic experience.

Exploration is great. The game utilizes a metroidvania-style exploration system for its open-world locations and it works very well. Lots of things to collect, and every collected item has an affect on your gameplay due to how the skill system works. I also like being able to buy maps in-game (with in-game currency, no MTX) to help mark the locations of collectibles. Saves the headache of having to use external guides.

The... Bad?:

The AI is serviceable, but can be kind of dumb. It's not too bad though, especially since there isn't a huge focus on the combat anyways. Stealth mechanics can be finicky at times, especially when enemies are sitting down or leaning against objects. The minimalistic HUD provides a very immersive experience, but lack of prompts for stuff like stealth takedowns also add to this. It took me about halfway through the game before I realized the crosshair changes when you're about to initiate a takedown.

There are also very minor bugs and janky animations that can sometimes be immersion-breaking, but overall nothing that ruined my personal experience. I really don't have much bad to say as it's all very minor stuff that could easily be polished up in any future sequels.

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Overall, I hope this is not a one-off for MachineGames. I love the Wolfenstein games, but this game is a huge step up for the studio. I would love to see what they could create if given the chance at a future iteration, hopefully allowing them to polish up some of the smaller rough edges and continue to contribute to the previously stagnant Indiana Jones universe.

I gave the game a fair shot, but so many glaring issues just made it frustrating to play.

The gameplay is fun enough. Characters are interesting to play and buildcrafting is pretty enjoyable. If you're familiar with Warframe, these gameplay systems are near identical. The story is very weak, but the gameplay was enough for me to power through it to see what the endgame loop is all about.

That's where the game truly falls apart. The grind is designed to be frustrating to make you spend insane amounts of money on progression. The game presents painfully low drop rates of 3% or 6% to get parts of new Descendants or weapons, as well as essential materials to upgrade mod capacity. Alternatively it charges you $20 for one of these items instead, or upwards of **$60** just for new Descendants. This is just insulting.

Warframe has a bunch of Quality of Life built in to make grinds like these much more bearable. Stuff like relic sharing (relics are this games' amorphous materials) to increase drop chances by being able to pick from your teammates' drops as well and void traces (shape stabilizer equivalent) being 100x easier to acquire for upgrading relics make that experience way more player friendly. Player trading allows you to grind alternative methods to trade up for things you want. And if you do go the route of directly buying "pay-to-win" materials, it won't cost you more than $1 or so.

I promise I'm not a Warframe shill. Before TFD, I had maybe ~50 hours in the game, and that was from years ago. But while I was playing TFD, I couldn't stop thinking about how it just takes the same systems but makes them more predatory. If there's one thing I can thank TFD for, it's getting me back into Warframe.

Been playing on and off since launch. This game has come a long way with many ups and downs, but it currently is in the best state it's ever been in. It caters to all kinds of players, and has something to offer for everyone:

* If you want a singleplayer Fallout experience and can look past the always-online and lack of modding, this game has better writing and more content than Fallout 4. Plus, being online means you can play through with friends!
* If you want a sandbox experience in the Fallout universe, this game offers tons of customizability between building your camp, customizing your character, and exploring the wasteland.
* If you always fantasized about a Fallout MMO, this game offers plenty of MMO-lite mechanics and a satisfying end game that scratches that itch. Create and optimize builds, collect rare cosmetics to show off, chase powerful legendary gear, engage in player-driven trading systems, and get sidetracked by the extensive amount of progression systems; there is no lack of things to do and stuff to chase.

Overall, if you're a Fallout fan, I would definitely recommend this game. Aside from the lack of a true offline experience, this game is better than Fallout 4 in pretty much every way.

This game is one of the best co-op horde shooters on the market. While Deep Rock Galactic still remains my favorite due to more depth in its progression systems and better use of randomly generated levels, this game comes in a fairly close 2nd. With how stupidly fun the game can be, I think it's also just a better option when playing with a group of friends.

Such a refreshing take on the competitive FPS genre, brought to you by ex-DICE developers and it really shows. The gunplay, the destruction, the vibes, and the pure chaotic fun are all very reminiscent of the glory days of Battlefield, while still providing an incredibly unique arena FPS experience.

I would have happily paid money for this game, but IT'S FREE. So why not give it a shot? Worst-case scenario the game just won't click with you and all you would have wasted is a little of your time.

Played early access and the game actually has a solid foundation.
But there is no excuse for these ongoing server issues.

Unironically the best multiplayer FPS currently on the market.

Simply the best co-op shooter on the market and nothing even comes close. Here's why:

• Randomly generated mission spaces, making every mission truly feel unique and infinitely replayable.
  
• Four classes with interesting build crafting as you progress to make you feel more powerful as you mow down hordes of alien bugs.
  
• Beautiful art style with charming dialogue and incredible soundtrack.
  
• Years of FREE post-launch content (including battle passes, seasons, features, cosmetics, weapons, events, and progression systems).
  
• Great dev communication on updates, fixes, community feedback, and future projects and content
  
• One of the best communities in online gaming

This is what every live service game should strive to accomplish. No nonsense, just an incredible game with a passionate team behind it that loves and supports its community.

The more I play, the more it simultaneously becomes better and worse.