Reviews by soad667

73 dungeon keeper returns... kinda

soad667 | Feb. 16, 2013 | Review of Impire

If you missed Dungeon Keeper, then you have to give this a try. The whole idea of being evil, building dungeons, fighting the good guys etc is there. It's a great concept, thank god there are publishers like Paradox who keep releasing stuff like this. Graphics are cute, but the whole game feels a bit rough on the edges. Same feeling you get with most of Paradox games, but such unique ideas can make you ignore that easily.

97 must have if you like the multiplayer

soad667 | Feb. 16, 2013 | Review of Max Payne 3: Rockstar Pass

A pass dedicated to the multiplayer part of the game, so if you liked that, you owe to yourself to get it. Now. You gain access to all the additional downloadable content, which means 13 more maps for your enjoyment and a ton of new weapons, items and characters.

Plus, the latest addition in the pass, called Deathmatch Made In Heaven, adds a coop mode for two players. Max Payne and Passos fight against AI in waves of increasing difficulty. You get points with which you gain access to new weapons, areas, etc. Really fun experience if you have a friend to play it.

88 a gem, minus the fps lock

soad667 | Jan. 25, 2013 | Review of The Cave

A wonderful game as expected, coming from the father of all that is adventure gaming. There were a few fathers more, but you get the point. :P

It's a 2.5D sidescrolling platform adventure game, a combination you don't see every day. But platforming is minimal, your reflexes or jumping skills will be worthless here. You start at the entrance of a cave, having to choose a team of three between seven completely different characters. Then you enter the cave and start exploring, solving classic adventure puzzles, combining items you find around to do some actions or gain access to new areas. Trying not to spoil not even a single bit, cause discovering the crazy mysteries of the cave is the biggest part of the game.

Around the cave there are some "collectibles" which tell the background story of each character and they can only be "collected" by this specific character. And some areas require specific chars to be in the team, so if you wanna see everything in the cave and learn the secrets of all the chars, add some replay value in the mix.

Controls are simple and you can rebind them as you like, but sometimes you might feel they aren't that responsive or you are a bit floaty. And it's not their fault. You can blame the fps lock for that, makes the movement feel a bit jerky sometimes.

Overall it's a true gem, but this minor issue with the fps lock won't let it shine in all its glory. Except this, it's a game everyone should play.

71 a solid experience

soad667 | Jan. 22, 2013 | Review of Deep Black Reloaded

One thing is for sure. Those guys have a cool engine on their hands. Based on the same engine as Depth Hunter, here you get a typical action shooter with a simple cover based system. Controls are really responsive, graphics are above average and the best part of course is when being underwater. It involves some special gameplay you don't see in many games of that genre. Some might find weird how good weapons perform under the water, but ignore that and you're good to go. :P

In general, it's a really solid experience as i said on the title. Especially if you find it on a sale, you won't regret it at all. And if you love being underwater while shooting stuff, then you don't have many choices anyway.

61 not many similar games out there

soad667 | Jan. 22, 2013 | Review of Depth Hunter

A unique "game", if you're into relaxing stuff with exploration etc. Don't get too excited though.

One good thing for sure is the graphics, really beautiful, seems like a great engine came out of nowhere, at least for me. You will enjoy wandering around, even if areas could use some more details.

Sadly, gameplay isn't that exciting. Tasks are simple enough to understand what you have to do and where, but there are times where you will be more frustrated than you would expect. Trying to find a specific species that keeps vanishing around, for example.

If you don't expect much gameplaywise and simply want to see some beautiful underwater world and explore a bit, then you might enjoy it. If you expect a "normal" game with a lot of action, explosions, puzzle solving etc :P, then look elsewhere.

80 arcade karting from the masters, why not?

soad667 | Dec. 5, 2012 | Review of F1 Race Stars DNS

I was curious how an arcade karting game from Codemasters will be. Turns out it was worth it.

Graphics/enviroments are simple, cute and impressive at the same time, depends on your taste of course. Personally i loved them. Cartoony and detailed, but not over the top, so they're distracting you. What i didn't like about graphics was that there were only two supported resolutions and none was my native. Other person i asked, had other resolutions available to choose ingame. That could use some tweak.

There are various powerups that guarantee noone stays behind that much, well except if they are really bad and ignore every single powerup on the level. Controls are smooth, but turning isn't your average arcade karting one. You actually have to slow down a bit on corners, you can't drift and take them at full speed. A nice difference, even if it takes some time to remember that you have brakes. Add some other Formula features like KERS boost, and you have a nice small touch of "simulation" :P there. One bad thing about controls? You can't remap them and the default ones are placed a bit weird. Hopefully they're not many.

Overall, a very enjoyable karting game, which suffers only from some minor technical issues in my opinion. Add better resolution support and ability to remap controls and i'm happy. Btw, to be honest, the price is (more than) a bit above what i expected for such a game.

78 a sweet arcade racer awaits for you

soad667 | Dec. 2, 2012 | Review of Nail'd

Beautiful graphics and if you like arcade racers, you will love this. Speed is way above the average, but once you get the hang of the controls, everything is so smooth and easy, because of its... over-arcadeness. There are some stunning jumps, sadly after a jump you always have to land, so not much time to admire the beauty from such height.

A sweet little arcade racing game and its price is already damn low. The rest is obvious.

91 what a playground...

soad667 | Dec. 2, 2012 | Review of Far Cry 3

The title of this review is what came to my mind after a couple of hours playing. Visuals are simply beautiful and the return to the tropical setting was a pleasant surprise. Known for quite a long, but still nothing beats when you see by yourself. The story seems a bit dumb to be honest, won't say more to avoid spoilers, but i found it the least interesting part of the game. If you love open world games, you're gonna love FC3. Unlocking everything piece by piece, crafting stuff, hunting animals for leathers, exploring such a beautiful island, upgrade some skills in the form of tattoos on your body, avoiding enemies (humans or not), setting ambushes. Always something will keep you busy, simply with exploring.

Haven't tried yet coop, but it's there, objective based and i have a feeling i'm gonna love this, seeing how the whole game plays out. Also, it runs pretty smooth for me, even in daylight during an ambush, i saw no frame drops or something.

Btw, two things i hated in FC2. Its AI and the way enemies kept respawning everywhere and in no time. The second half is not anymore. Once you get a place, it's yours. Enemies wandering and attacking, but in no way as annoying as it was before. AI in normal isn't the brightest one, but at least now it works as it's supposed to do, stealth etc.

In general, a great game. Two words: get it.

93 Jazz Jackrabbit would be proud...

soad667 | Oct. 5, 2012 | Review of Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit

...Rayman too.

Hell Yeah is an awesome platform game with beautiful graphics, over the top humor and cartoon violence, metroid-like exploration, lots of stuff to unlock and play. Really, a true gem for its genre.

79 Interesting idea, but doesn't fit too well

soad667 | Feb. 17, 2012 | Review of Dead Island: Bloodbath

This DLC is the bonus DLC included with a Dead Island preorder. For everyone else, it's a normal paid DLC. Free or not, i found it not being as fun as i expected. The major issue is that whenever you die in the arena you lose money, same as when you die in the normal game. And you're going to die a lot. I would prefer it being separate from the main game, so it won't punish you that much for going in. The sure thing is that you will die, once you pass the door of any of the four arena levels.

It supports co-op as the normal game and playing with others is the only way you have chances of surviving long enough in there to actually make it worthwhile.

Overall, it's a decent addition that could be better separated from the main game and somewhat cheaper in price.

70 Could be so much better...

soad667 | Feb. 17, 2012 | Review of Dead Block

...with only one extra feature, which is online multiplayer.

Visuals are great if you like this cartoony style, some might bring Stubbs the Zombie to their minds. Gameplay is on the more interesting side of what survival zombie games can be: scavenging for stuff around the (short) level and building/fixing traps around to keep the zombies out (or in certain rooms if things get out of control), while collecting pieces for the final objective.

Might get a bit repetitive over time, but that would be less of an issue if you could play with your friends. Overall, a could little zombie game, but sadly no online play will scare many people away.

87 the best hacking "simulator" out there

soad667 | Sept. 5, 2011 | Review of Uplink

The most enjoyable hacking game out there. The interface is quite static as you would expect from such a game. Prepare to see a lot of the same screens over and over again, don't forget that you're supposed to be looking at a computer's screen in the game after all. Missions are quite interesting, more than i expected, plus you have the option to choose/ignore them, giving a sense of freedom. Also, you don't have to worry about going in jail while trying some really "underground" stuff. Overall a great game which hopefully doesn't forget it's a game, keeping the hacking simulation at fun levels while not being extremely simple.

70 Just for parody's sake...

soad667 | Sept. 4, 2011 | Review of Magicka: Final Frontier DLC

...this dlc is worth it. Provides more content than the average "just one map" dlc and it's really well made. You're gonna like this new equipment, depends of course on your treknerdmeter. As for the price, most preferably get it on a sale or something, if you can handle the absence of an existing Magicka dlc from your hard drive.

95 good morning vietnam, qfsssa style

soad667 | Sept. 4, 2011 | Review of Magicka: Vietnam DLC

Probably the most wacky dlc for Magicka at this point. And certainly the best by far. Crazy setting, filled with easter eggs, unique campaign with a few missions and not just an arena map (which is included too, as an alternative), many new firearms to keep (bad) company to the m60 of the main game, a new magick and... that's all. If you could buy only one Magicka dlc, make sure this is the one.

76 an unusual setting, featuring classic turn-based combat

soad667 | Sept. 4, 2011 | Review of Faery: Legends of Avalon

A more casual approach to the rpg genre, won't take many hours to go through the entire game, but it's a very satisfying experience if you love unique fantasy worlds. You are a fairy (male or female, you decide through a simple editor with basic but enough choices), flying your way around the different worlds/places, which (moving around) may need some time to get used to. You team up with companions to follow you around, and you can use them in battle, where a classic turn-based combat system is featured. Leveling is in the package of course, with skills/powers awaiting to be unlocked and improved, plus some visual customization comes with some of them. Speaking of customization, seeking of new and better equipment is here too. Overall, a complete rpg experience, won't provide a great challenge or take much of your time, but you will certainly enjoy it.

92 an indie gem you owe to yourself to try

soad667 | Sept. 3, 2011 | Review of World of Goo

A wonderful puzzle game, which unexpectedly can set quite a few emotions to start rolling in you, depends on how emotional you can get while playing games. Simple but beautiful looks. You control some balls of goo which can attach to each other, on their way to... freedom. There are different types of them, and each type has its own ability. If you plan to OCD every single level, it will take you a while, otherwise the campaign is a bit short. Also there is an online mode where you simply build a tower as high as it can get, using the goo balls you earn from the story. Won't go into more details about that, it will spoil the experience for you. In this online mode you can see in the background the "ghost towers" of other players so the competition is always ongoing, without you having to do something. Just target for the skies and build. Finally, a great community is behind this game, with a large number of maps/mods already out. If you love the concept, those customs will take a lot of your free time.

91 retro platformer at its best

soad667 | Sept. 3, 2011 | Review of VVVVVV

Don't let the retro looks scare you away. This game is a unique gem in its category. Simple sidescroller, but quite addictive once you spent a few minutes in and then realize they were not minutes, but hours. Unique sidescrolling, where you move only left and right, you cannot jump or crouch, but you're able to change gravity at any point (the only requirement is your feet to touch the ground). The wonderful chiptune music is a huge plus. If you like retro music, you will love every single track in the soundtrack. The main story won't take more than a few hours to complete, but seeking all the collectibles and a lot of alternative modes will keep you busy a lot more. Also, a recent patch brought the game to another level. Between a large number of improvements, it added an editor, so prepare to keep this game installed for quite some time. On top of all, check its price. Ridiculously low for a game like this.

87 an unexpectedly great game

soad667 | Aug. 25, 2011 | Review of Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light

I admit i was quite skeptical about this game, until i got my hands on the demo. Lara's return proved to be quite a success, even in a complete different way that TR fans were used to. The camera now is isometric and the action/fighting more often and intense. Graphics are very detailed, puzzles all over the place awaiting to be solved and a lot of collectibles quarantee replayability, especially for the completionists out there. Coop is included in the package with great mechanics that push people to actually cooperate and not just play/fight together. Overall an awesome game, try the demo and see for yourself. Hope to see a sequel following this spin-off title. So different from the original TR games, yet so amazing.

88 survival horror to the next level

soad667 | Aug. 24, 2011 | Review of Penumbra Collection

Penumbra series brought the horror genre to another level. The immersion is one-of-a-kind, the sounds, the fact that you can't actually fight back, everything is there to create the perfect nightmare for you. You will also find a unique control scheme based on mouse movements imitating real life actions. A really interesting story is awaiting you to unravel it, mostly in the first two games of the series (Overture and Black Plague). The third one, Requiem, is far less scary and more of a puzzler, than an adventure. One con is the combat system, it shouldn't even be there in the first place. Works really bad and it can easily be exploited to ruin the entire experience for you, making pretty easy to counter and kill the monsters in the game. If you want to actually enjoy the game as it should, avoid messing with combat glitches etc. Even better, ignore combat as much as you can. Overall a great horror experience, from a dev studio that proved they can play with your emotions more than you could possibly expect when first meeting the game.

89 an awesome sandbox game

soad667 | Aug. 24, 2011 | Review of Just Cause 2

A true sandbox experience and a huge improvement from the original. One of the most massive worlds you will experience while playing games, gives you a ton of stuff to do and if you feel like 100%-ing it, prepare to spend quite some time. Landscape combined with the insane view distance probably will make you cry, especially if you happen to fly a plane to get the best out of it. Not many cons come in mind, except maybe the cliche and weak storyline. Also driving could use some improvement, especially at high speeds. And keep in mind its one of those rare (for now) Windows Vista/7 only games. Conclusion, if you like sandbox games, you better get it.

86 a great game with 3 unique play styles

soad667 | Aug. 24, 2011 | Review of Aliens vs Predator

A great game, despite the hate you might have seen around. Everything in it feels really authentic and if you are a fan of AvP fiction, you really should check it out. Campaign is interesting enough to keep you going, more like giving you reasons to step into the legs of your favourite species. You can play the same storyline from three different views, while experiencing the parts that are important for the specific species you've chosen. To get the best out of it, first play the Marine campaign, it's the one revealing the whole story as it should. Regarding the multiplayer, i found it quite an amazing experience. At least when you find a balanced game and no cheaters around. All the basic mp modes are there (deathmatch, team deathmatch, species tdm, domination type), a couple more specific to the game (infestation, predator hunt), plus a survival mode (Marines versus Alien waves of increasing difficulty).There are also some unlockable skins to earn while raising your rank in mp. So, everything is there to guarantee you a good time. Do yourself a favor and give it a try.

70 great game, sadly no online mp

soad667 | Aug. 23, 2011 | Review of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing CAP

I'm not really into racing games, but Alex Kidd and Sonic were enough to convince me try this one. And i didn't regret it. Amazing visuals, levels are overfilled with every little thing you can imagine. Really, a lot of things are happening in every single one of them. You will love getting distracted in this game. Huge con that there isn't online multiplayer, at least in the PC version. Such a shame, in an otherwise great game. Can't think of anything else that bothered me.

92 You don't curse while playing? SMB is here for you.

soad667 | Aug. 23, 2011 | Review of Super Meat Boy

A great hardcore platformer, easy to get addicted, impossible to get away without dying a few times (more like thousands). Clearly way too much love was put into this game, simple yet addictive gameplay, awesome oldschool soundtrack, more famous indie characters than you can handle in once (playable, each one with its abilities), editor with hundreds of custom levels already available, leaderboards (hackers will never get bored of abusing them). If you're into hardcore platformers, you already got it but you don't know it yet. If you're more casual, proceed with caution. Still you will find things to love, but getting deeper into the game will make you hate with passion the fact that it's too late to avoid getting addicted.

81 a puzzle game you should play for sure

soad667 | Aug. 23, 2011 | Review of Hamilton's Great Adventure DNS

Another awesome looking game from Fatshark. If you're into puzzle games, do yourself a favor and try this. Cute cartoon-styled graphics, ability to play with a friend on the same computer, a lot of collectibles to keep you busy if you are a completionist, leaderboards, overall a great game that you should play. Too bad there isn't some kind of an editor, the way the levels are designed yells for one.

Also, keep in mind that it's a Windows Vista/7 only game. That's the only reason it took me quite a while before i get my hands on it, i had to upgrade to Windows 7 first. Hopefully it was worth the waiting.