Recent reviews by VERSAT1L

Very fun game to play with friends.

Mario Kart-like that shouldn't be. Hard pass.

The real Battlefield 2042

With Devolver involved, I knew this was going to be original, but I didn't expect the concept to be as amazing.

The need for interactive virtual expos is real lately with E3 shut down, especially in these times of COVID-19 where no one is allowed to go out and attend a video games conference.

I honestly believe that this is the conference format of the future and that every editor should follow Devolver's example.

Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/aTy1aER9Rmo

Not enough variety. The puzzle patterns become too obvious after 5 minutes, even at higher difficulty (24 pieces). Don't buy that.

It's totally impossible to get stuck for hours at a tutorial level (2-7), and yet here I am.

if less than 10$

It was hard for me to recommend this game considering the 33$ price tag on Steam, mainly because I received the product for free. Still, I enjoyed the game for what it is, a cool surprise for 0$. Is it worth the full price? No. I would never recommend this game at >10$.



Don Estacado

*NO SPOILERS*

Following the events from Starbreeze's The Darkness title (2007), the once mafia hitman Jackie Estacado became the supreme chief commander of the Franchetti crime family. The business was flourishing; drugs were selling, competition was dying and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ were whoring. Everything went fine until a new villain, head of a secret organization, came into play, thus reawakening the Anti-Hero's Darkness that was buried deep within his consciousness. The secret society wants one thing from Jackie Estacado: to drain The Darkness out, killing the newly-made Don in the process.

If you were following comics, or if you are having a penchant for the goth-noir style, then you might appreciate the story. Less ambitious than its predecessor, Digital Extremes's (Warframe, Dark Sector) game is a rather simple, classic tale - the likes of a short comics run you could read on a weekly basis. It is not breathtaking nor awful, and certainly very different from Starbreeze's 2007 near-masterpiece. It is nowhere close to the previous' title emotional rollercoaster. There is no dramatic cliffhanger this time, and the ending is somewhat too abrupt. Nonetheless, it does the job for what it is, an enjoyable story for a cheap price.


All about the guns, too little powers

The Darkness 2 is an FPS with fun gunfights. The dual-wielding gameplay with independent triggers playability constitutes its main strenght. You can choose between 3 weapons - an heavy weapon or two smaller ones - or wield 1 or 2 SMG/pistol at the same time. Digital Extremes were clever enough to had an input to 'inter-swap' dual guns in each hand, making it far more easier to switch your guns left or right instead of dropping the weapons and re-equip them like we're used to. The weapons themselves are typical carbines, shotguns, pistols and SMGs. The arsenal has nothing exotic to offer this time in contrast to the first game.

Unfortunately, this second episode is a massive downgrade when it comes to the Anti-Hero's super-powers. Indeed, Starbreeze Studio built everything from scratch, with foundations already available to re-use, but almost none of them were recycled. Worse, the vast majority got taken away, keeping only two active powers, gun-channeling and swarm, and a few passive ones such as black holes. Why so little powers? I feel like it could have disturbed the game's structure, considering the change of level design from the non-linear levels of its predecessor to having a classic linear design. Which, again, translates in a very different progression.


Additional game modes: Vendettas, Hit lists, Co-Op and New Game +

The Vendettas co-op mode is an excellent addition that you can play online or offline. Although there is only 1 story arc, you have the option to choose between 4 different characters, each having their own gameplay. As an example, JP Drummond has the ability to lift enemies in the air, immobilizing them at the same time, while Shoshana has an overcharged dual shotgun (I prefered playing with her).

For a prolonged experience, Digital Extremes added hitman missions under the Vendettas mode. There are several missions, some of them requiring more than 2 players upon completion.


Graphics and technical execution

Unfortunately I was not able to review that aspect properly since I used my laptop with its Intel Integrated Graphics, which basically runned The Darkness 2 at the lowest settings @ 30fps. There's no word describing how 'low' is really low on this configuration (see screenshots below).


PROS
+ True to the comics
+ Dual guns gameplay
+ Good replay value with NG+
+ Vendettas co-op mode

CONS
- A downgrade in every regard in comparison to the first Darkness game
- Current retail price is too high
- Story's ending
- Dead multiplayer

https://test-steamproxy.haloskins.io/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2043728514

https://test-steamproxy.haloskins.io/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2043127180

https://test-steamproxy.haloskins.io/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2043127158

A pre-pre-alpha of something that isn't even something yet. Seriously though, don't touch this.

I'm kind on the fence when it comes to 'Her Story'. On one hand, the concept itself is vastly interesting and shows great potential for detective gameplay. However, it feels like a missed opportuniy.

The indy Sam Barlow got all my respect for coming up with an ambitious concept that provides original storytelling with an innovative investigation system. Although you might finish the game in 2-3 hours, you will quickly find the 'gameplay' patterns repetitive as almost no intellectual effort is required to progress in your investigation since you simply type specific keywords into a search engine.

As of the story, the plot is original and well put. The actress has done a formidable job to render complex situations while only staying in an interrogation room with single camera angle.

For their next game, the developper has to push his idea further, notably through the search engine which provided several opportunities.

Pros:
+ Unexpectable and original plot
+ Interesting concept
+ Good actress
+ Good investigation system

Cons:
- Investigation mechanics not complex enough
- Repetitive
- You barely need to follow the story to complete the game

Very simple game for very simple sessions.

It's free, why not try it?