Recent reviews by Irenicus

This game is just as much fun as it was 20+ years ago. I keep trying to get into Baldur's Gate 3 for a second playthrough, but I always find myself coming back to Neverwinter Nights instead.

Enhanced Edition has some upgraded textures/lighting/etc effects, but is more or less the same game you played two decades ago. Even more, this game is updated regularly by die-hard fans who epitomize the idea of a "labor of love".

All of the multiplayer goodness the original game had is present here as well! My favorite moments playing video games with strangers online as a kid were in fan-made NWN modules, and the Enhanced Edition keeps that going strong.

So many of your favorite voice actors have roles in this game (Grey DeLisle AKA Sharwin AKA Azula from Avatar, OG Viconia Devir, etc; Steve Blum AKA Daelin Red-Tiger, Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop, Grunt from Mass Effect, the Toonami Guy, etc; Wendee Lee AKA Aribeth, Fae Valentine from Cowboy Bebop, literally a million other voices you'd know, etc).

A Bioware gem from Bioware's golden age, before the company s**t it's entire pants and became a corpse EA likes to use as a puppet to this day.

Okay, so I want to say, in regards to the hate Civ 7 is getting, literally everything you hear about the UI is correct; it's ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ and terrible, and I hate it. However, as someone who is on the verge of finishing the first of the three eras, I am reluctant to assert that I don't think the developers of this game genuinely care about the player experience. Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely far from being a perfect game, and I personally am worried about how this game is going to be monetized in the future with the separation of civilizations and leaders (a mechanic I'm open to but not sold on yet), but there is more than enough here I find intrinsically engaging both as a Civ player and as a gamer in general. Although it's far from perfect, I can confidently say that it's the most "complete" experience I've had in the three Civilization iterations I've played, straight out of the box.

Final conclusion? If you're still enjoying Civ 6, don't hesitate to purchase this one when it's on sale. That being said, if you're a massive Civ fan who has been playing 4-6 for the past decade or more, scouring through mods for something new, there's a lot of new, good-faith mechanics, bits, etc. in Civ 7. You might want to give it a chance.

What can I say about this game that hasn't been said already? If you like CRPG's and haven't played the this game yet now's the time to jump on in. If you're a fan of D&D 5th edition and want a fun way to try out classes or character ideas you may not have had the chance for in tabletop (or just y'know play D&D 5th edition virtually) you're gonna have a good time. If you're a fan of dynamic storytelling, three-dimensional characters, and fantastic writing/acting in your video games put down that 18th playthrough of Mass Effect and hop on in to Faerun (Liara will be there when you go back for your next 26 Shepards I promise). Definitely one of the best games I've played in recent years; a worthy successor to one of, if not the, best RPG's of all time.

Also there's a dog in the game, he is a Very Good Boy, and you get to pet him. What more do you want?

I'm really enjoying my time with Darkest Dungeon 2. Points worth considering:

+ Hits that perfect sweet spot of being just different enough to stand out as a sequel but similar enough to actually *be* a sequel. You can feasibly play both games side-by-side and have different yet similar experiences. I'm certainly not going to stop playing DD1 anytime soon.

+ The focus on Heroes as individuals with backstories/having relationships in your party is handled really well and is an interesting dynamic to manage

+ A lot more 'pick up and play' if you're looking for a quick Darkest Dungeon fix. Base management is great (genuinely love that facet of the first game) but it's nice to jump into a game and throw caution to the wind trying new strategies, playing around with heroes, etc.

+ The game is *absolutely gorgeous*. It keeps the ascetic of the DD1 but totally cranks the graphics and animations to 100. Never thought I'd look at monstrous plague goats and think 'yeah that's gorgous' but here we are.

+ Most of it is very intuitive, and with as fast-paced as it is it's easy to learn from your mistakes. Each run offers an opportunity to fail and learn in new, spectacular ways.

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A few negatives

- The carriage controls can be a bit frustrating at times, but nowhere near unplayable. I was hoping the mouse controls would be better, but I found myself having to back to keyboard as it wasn't always responding to the direction I wanted it to go. Looking forward to a controller update in the near future!

- Some of the heroes feel more lackluster than others, Occultist and Leper especially. Take this with a grain of salt because I haven't fully explored either class fully (or every class yet) but from what I've seen so far there could be a bit more balancing done.

- Certain little UI nitpicks here and there but nothing that stood out enough for me to remember specifics.

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In summary, I definitely recommend this game, especially if you enjoyed the first one. I've been having a blast with it!

This might be the Rogue-like that gets me into rogue-likes. I played for the first time with friends today and it's a lot of fun. Easy to pick up, simple and intuitive to play with friends, and the music, graphics, general aesthetic, etc are very satisfyingly stylized. If you're looking for a fun game that's simple enough to pick up with friends on a Friday evening after work/a few beers but just intricate enough to keep you engaged, this is the game for you. Expect lots of laughs, cheers when things go well, and rage when the enemies get a hate b***r for one party member in particular and attack them with extreme prejudice.

One of the coolest rogue-like, randomized game I've ever played. I find myself getting attached to these characters that you initially design for this tactical RPG, only for them to grow into their own through RNG stories/etc. The game is ripe with replay-ability, as no two stories will be the same.

The combat is pretty simple on paper (you have your fighter, mage, and rogue archetypes) yet rewarding of strategy and tactical planning. and the items/level ups you get from battles are random. It has an option for same-sex romances without any pomp and circumstance surrounding it, characters in-game considering it the same as any straight romance. You also have to manage the map you're on as well, fortifying areas you have freed from hordes that show up trying to destroy them. You might have a hurt party at one point but really need to save a certain territory so you don't lose those resources. Do you save the territory and risk losing a hero or two, or do you rest up and chalk it up as a loss? The choice is yours.

If you're looking for an epic, sweeping, intricate story you won't necessarily find that here, considering that the god of this game is RNG. For a randomized game however, the stories are pretty solid. If you're looking for something easy to jump into and fun to master this is a great game for you. Can't recommend it enough.

Playing this game as a gay man: Did nothing for me.

Playing this game as a fan of actual human non-uncanny valley faces: F***ing terrifying. Shin looks like an even more Satanic Margaret Keane painting.

Playing this game while drinking with friends: Priceless; and the reason why this is getting a recommendation. Had more fun playing this game I got for under one dollar with like-minded individuals (read: disappointments to our families and god himself) than I have playing AAA 60+ dollar games.

Roguelike classic-RPG battling with a very distinct thematic style. Super fun, at times unforgiving, and it's easy enough to pick up and play once you get the hang of the game. I play in the background while I work a 10-hour overnight remote job and it helps my shift fly by in-between calls. The audio/music is great, but you can 100 percent mute it and throw on a podcast/your own music while you play if that's your thing and you won't miss anything other than some context from the excellent narration on certain missions.

Mass Effect is my Star Wars. It is my favorite sci-fi trilogy of all time, and a legendary part of video gaming history. There's not much else to say that hasn't been said better elsewhere. If you've yet to experience the epic trilogy following the lives of Commander Shepard and her/his squadmates saving the galaxy from complete annihilation, now is the perfect time to jump on in.