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Dr Dystopian (526 KP) rated Escape From Tarkov in Video Games
Jan 10, 2018 (Updated Jan 11, 2018)
Incredibly in depth (4 more)
RPG elements mixed into an FPS
Fantastic graphics
Nerve wracking, edge of the seat gameplay
High risk high reward mechanics
A new take on the generic fps
Whilst on the face of it Escape from Tarkov look like just another FPS game in a sea of countless it is so much more!
Not only are the FPS elements realistic and highly challenging but the added element of you keep what you escape with and you lose it all if you die really does make for some nerve wracking gameplay as you seek to either kill are avoid the myriad of other players and NPC's.
Coupled with the FPS is an RPG elements where you can upgrade and improve your characters abilities along side the buying and selling of the parts you escape with to purchase better protective gear, guns and equipment.
The customisation options alone are insane with many weapons having a dozen or more options to improve them and style them to how you want to play as a result the game does have a very steep learning curve but is absolutely worth the effort.
The only "negatives" to this are the fact the game is still in beta and sometimes suffers from lagging and currently has limitations on the map locations available and the current abilities you can unlock.
Easily a recommended game!
Not only are the FPS elements realistic and highly challenging but the added element of you keep what you escape with and you lose it all if you die really does make for some nerve wracking gameplay as you seek to either kill are avoid the myriad of other players and NPC's.
Coupled with the FPS is an RPG elements where you can upgrade and improve your characters abilities along side the buying and selling of the parts you escape with to purchase better protective gear, guns and equipment.
The customisation options alone are insane with many weapons having a dozen or more options to improve them and style them to how you want to play as a result the game does have a very steep learning curve but is absolutely worth the effort.
The only "negatives" to this are the fact the game is still in beta and sometimes suffers from lagging and currently has limitations on the map locations available and the current abilities you can unlock.
Easily a recommended game!
Coleman Balogh (20 KP) rated Mansions of Madness in Tabletop Games
Dec 17, 2018
Storyline (2 more)
The app "dm"
Puzzles and discoveries
Fantastic Lovecraftian D&D lite style rpg
I absolutely love this game. It is a very complex story drive dog with Lovecraftian themes and monsters. Its a perfect way for his stories to come to life and each scenario does feel like solving a mysterious puzzle. There are only 4 scenarios in the core box but a load of expansions and additional online content. Everyome who I play this with loves it. The app saves a lot of time which would be the dm to figuring out what to do next. Its not a cheap game but in my opinion very well worth it.
David McK (3219 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Assassin's Creed: Origins in Video Games
Mar 10, 2019
The visuals (1 more)
Photo mode
Ubisoft's 2017 entry in their Assassins Creed series; a series that, as time goes on, has seemingly become further and further disconnected from its original template - the whole animus concept (that allows a user to relive the memories of their ancestor), for instance, is now little but a side thought.
This particular entry is set in ancient Egypt, and introduces the character of Bayek the Medjay, who becomes responsible for the birth of the Assassins Brotherhood. Combat has been overhauled, with the series moving more into RPG territory than before and, at least to my mind, losing part of its identity as a result. I'm also not a fan of the endless grinding needed in order to advance levels with most of the main quests requiring Bayek to be at a certain level to have any chance of succeeding.
This particular entry is set in ancient Egypt, and introduces the character of Bayek the Medjay, who becomes responsible for the birth of the Assassins Brotherhood. Combat has been overhauled, with the series moving more into RPG territory than before and, at least to my mind, losing part of its identity as a result. I'm also not a fan of the endless grinding needed in order to advance levels with most of the main quests requiring Bayek to be at a certain level to have any chance of succeeding.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition) in Tabletop Games
Jun 10, 2019 (Updated Jun 11, 2019)
Latest edition of Chaosium's landmark horror RPG. Default setting is the 1920s and 1930s; default milieu is H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, as the title suggests - but the game has proven almost infinitely flexible, with published supplements set everywhere from the Roman Empire to a bleak Aliens-esque future. Emphasis is on investigation rather than combat - regular player character death and insanity come as part of the package.
This revised edition switches the whole system to a percentile basis, the first big change in many years. It's not a substantial alteration and most of the system is unchanged. It is still a little crunchy compared to some modern narrative-heavy games, and there are a few tricky questions you have to resolve if you want to play an extended campaign, but this is, as ever, an immensely engaging and enjoyable game when played with the right group.
This revised edition switches the whole system to a percentile basis, the first big change in many years. It's not a substantial alteration and most of the system is unchanged. It is still a little crunchy compared to some modern narrative-heavy games, and there are a few tricky questions you have to resolve if you want to play an extended campaign, but this is, as ever, an immensely engaging and enjoyable game when played with the right group.
p3anut (62 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Dauntless in Video Games
Jun 1, 2019
Customization (2 more)
Hack and slash fun
Voice acting
Beta (1 more)
Tutorial
Dauntless+dash of monster Hunter+ rpg mmo=
I want to start out by saying if it wasn't for Xbox game share I never would have discovered dauntless. I saw my buddy had downloaded it so I decided to give it a go.
At first glance I was a little put off since it was made by epic, had fortnite looking character models and I didn't know anything about the game. And right now I'm a little burnt out on the fortnite craze.
After about 10mins of playtime, I found myself really enjoying the hunting aspect of the game. The monsters are huge and sometimes they have little ones around them that you have to kill before attacking the bigger ones. The battles range from 5min to 30min so far which is pretty nice depending on your time constraints.
The world hub that you visit in between hunts is fairly decent sized and full of human characters. They have this cool little icon feature where you can see if the player is on pc or Xbox. The hub is full of what you would expect from an RPG games as a service title. It has your typical weapon master, grenade master, potions master, and armor master. And of course looped into all of those are micro transactions for skins and dye packs etc.
Which if you're like me you don't really care about customizing the color of your hat etc. Enough to spend actual money on.
I've only played about 4 hrs of dauntless and so far I'm pretty into it. I do feel like eventually the grind will get repetitive but I will update once I have at least 10hrs put into it. As I mentioned in my tags it is in a beta stage so don't be surprised from some lag from time to time or quests not showing on the screen as completed because even tho it doesn't show, it does complete them
At first glance I was a little put off since it was made by epic, had fortnite looking character models and I didn't know anything about the game. And right now I'm a little burnt out on the fortnite craze.
After about 10mins of playtime, I found myself really enjoying the hunting aspect of the game. The monsters are huge and sometimes they have little ones around them that you have to kill before attacking the bigger ones. The battles range from 5min to 30min so far which is pretty nice depending on your time constraints.
The world hub that you visit in between hunts is fairly decent sized and full of human characters. They have this cool little icon feature where you can see if the player is on pc or Xbox. The hub is full of what you would expect from an RPG games as a service title. It has your typical weapon master, grenade master, potions master, and armor master. And of course looped into all of those are micro transactions for skins and dye packs etc.
Which if you're like me you don't really care about customizing the color of your hat etc. Enough to spend actual money on.
I've only played about 4 hrs of dauntless and so far I'm pretty into it. I do feel like eventually the grind will get repetitive but I will update once I have at least 10hrs put into it. As I mentioned in my tags it is in a beta stage so don't be surprised from some lag from time to time or quests not showing on the screen as completed because even tho it doesn't show, it does complete them
Ross (3282 KP) rated Death March (Euphoria Online Book 1) in Books
Nov 19, 2018
Thrilling, compelling LitRPG
I am a massive fan of Phil Tucker's Chronicles of the Black Gate series and was intrigued at this venture, largely funded by kickstarter.
While the term "LitRPG" isn't necessarily something that would attract me (I've read and mostly enjoyed Ready Player One but the idea of people escaping the real world to enter an online one doesn't seem to justify a whole sub-genre to my mind).
The book sees Chris struggling to make ends meet teaching disinterested kids while he fights his brother's death sentence. A former compulsive gamer, given the chance to enter the world of Euphoria, normally too expensive for him to consider, he throws himself into the game with gusto. By playing on the hardest level (Death March), he is risking his own life as he cannot re-spawn in the game and death will mean actual death for him. The prize on offer for this risk, if he can survive 6 months game-time (the equivalent of a weekend in the real world), is a cash sum plus the chance to request anything at all of the AI running the government - including a pardon for his brother.
Chris finds himself in a ruined medieval setting in the game, struggling to earn points to level up and make his character stronger. This levelling up and earning/spending XP is a main part of the book. While not a RPG fan myself, I loved this aspect as it meant he learned new skills and abilities throughout the book with good reason (so no sudden new strengths here!) and he had to choose what kind of character he wanted to become.
The action sequences are sublimely written and narrated and the whole book is so immersive. Sadly, it is also really short so was over in no time, but with 2 more books already available I will get cracking on those.
Heartily recommend to anyone who is a fan of fantasy, gaming/RPG or anyone looking for some real escapism.
While the term "LitRPG" isn't necessarily something that would attract me (I've read and mostly enjoyed Ready Player One but the idea of people escaping the real world to enter an online one doesn't seem to justify a whole sub-genre to my mind).
The book sees Chris struggling to make ends meet teaching disinterested kids while he fights his brother's death sentence. A former compulsive gamer, given the chance to enter the world of Euphoria, normally too expensive for him to consider, he throws himself into the game with gusto. By playing on the hardest level (Death March), he is risking his own life as he cannot re-spawn in the game and death will mean actual death for him. The prize on offer for this risk, if he can survive 6 months game-time (the equivalent of a weekend in the real world), is a cash sum plus the chance to request anything at all of the AI running the government - including a pardon for his brother.
Chris finds himself in a ruined medieval setting in the game, struggling to earn points to level up and make his character stronger. This levelling up and earning/spending XP is a main part of the book. While not a RPG fan myself, I loved this aspect as it meant he learned new skills and abilities throughout the book with good reason (so no sudden new strengths here!) and he had to choose what kind of character he wanted to become.
The action sequences are sublimely written and narrated and the whole book is so immersive. Sadly, it is also really short so was over in no time, but with 2 more books already available I will get cracking on those.
Heartily recommend to anyone who is a fan of fantasy, gaming/RPG or anyone looking for some real escapism.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of The Outer Worlds in Video Games
Jul 9, 2020
The Outer Worlds had me excited from the moment it was announced - a space fairing RPG from the makers of Fallout: New Vegas was enough to do that.
Obsidian have successfully created a charming and colourful universe I'm which is stupidly easy to get lost in. It has a cartoon-ish look to it, but the graphics are top level. The environments available to explore are frequently breath taking, and the game boasts some great creature designs to battle as you explore alien habitats.
It plays not too dissimilar to a Fallout title. Being an RPG, there are menus a-plenty to rifle through, but they have an appealing asthethic, and are relatively simple once understood, so they never feel like a chore.
The combat is fairly similar as well, but I would argue that it's smoother than Fallout ever has been.
The plot is engaging and has many different paths to take - I've only had one playthrough so far, but I can't wait to start a second (where I'll be acting like a dick for the most part), and all the characters you meet along the way are memorable. The writing is fantastic - the dialogue is frequently funny, and is a big factor in why this game is so easy to love.
Like many RPGs these days, you can have companions with you. Recruiting a crew to join your adventure is something I absolutely LOVE about the Mass Effect series, so it was nothing but a pleasure to experience something similar here - each potential recruit comes with a set of loyalty missions and everything!
To top the whole thing off, it has an amazing musical score to accompany your journey.
I really don't have anything negative to say about The Outer Worlds. I've heard talk about some DLC in the future which is exciting, but I really hope Obsidian carry it on into a franchise. I'll be there on day one!
Obsidian have successfully created a charming and colourful universe I'm which is stupidly easy to get lost in. It has a cartoon-ish look to it, but the graphics are top level. The environments available to explore are frequently breath taking, and the game boasts some great creature designs to battle as you explore alien habitats.
It plays not too dissimilar to a Fallout title. Being an RPG, there are menus a-plenty to rifle through, but they have an appealing asthethic, and are relatively simple once understood, so they never feel like a chore.
The combat is fairly similar as well, but I would argue that it's smoother than Fallout ever has been.
The plot is engaging and has many different paths to take - I've only had one playthrough so far, but I can't wait to start a second (where I'll be acting like a dick for the most part), and all the characters you meet along the way are memorable. The writing is fantastic - the dialogue is frequently funny, and is a big factor in why this game is so easy to love.
Like many RPGs these days, you can have companions with you. Recruiting a crew to join your adventure is something I absolutely LOVE about the Mass Effect series, so it was nothing but a pleasure to experience something similar here - each potential recruit comes with a set of loyalty missions and everything!
To top the whole thing off, it has an amazing musical score to accompany your journey.
I really don't have anything negative to say about The Outer Worlds. I've heard talk about some DLC in the future which is exciting, but I really hope Obsidian carry it on into a franchise. I'll be there on day one!
Rebecca Billcliff (2409 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of Fallout 3 in Video Games
Nov 11, 2019
Can not get enough
Played this first after falling in love with Skyrim, and the beauty of an open world RPG.
The wit and references in this game make it a great play for anyone a little nerdy.
This game rewards the explorer! The one hunting in every corner of the map, finding all the hidden gems Bethesda has to offer.
The idea of an alternate reality where the world has fallen to nuclear animation is both interesting and terrifying. It is well though out, exciting and heavy on the details. I love How you have to search through locations, such as the vaults, to hunt for clues on what has happened.
There are so many quests, location and unique items, it will take a long time to play though.
I am now on my second go around, forgot how hard a full bobble head collection is to acquire, but I will do it again!
The wit and references in this game make it a great play for anyone a little nerdy.
This game rewards the explorer! The one hunting in every corner of the map, finding all the hidden gems Bethesda has to offer.
The idea of an alternate reality where the world has fallen to nuclear animation is both interesting and terrifying. It is well though out, exciting and heavy on the details. I love How you have to search through locations, such as the vaults, to hunt for clues on what has happened.
There are so many quests, location and unique items, it will take a long time to play though.
I am now on my second go around, forgot how hard a full bobble head collection is to acquire, but I will do it again!
BadgerMuffin (48 KP) rated Everyone is John in Tabletop Games
Jun 4, 2019
One Page RPG, Easy To Learn (1 more)
Every Game is Different
The Game That Splits The Table (And Your Mind)
If you've ever seen the movie Split then you know exactly how this is going down.
Everyone is John is a game where all the players control a single character. Each player is one part of a split personality, each with their own goals and skill sets. The Game Master gives you a scenario and each player bets a value of willpower, whoever has the highest amount of willpower bet gets to control John until they fail a skill check.
This game is high speed, and makes a good game for any night. It's easy to pick up, and easy to screw over your friends. For a game that is free, this is incredible. Honestly, I'd pay at least £10-£15 for this game.
Gameplay is fun, and sparks conversation around the table. With John being a sociopath you can pretty much do anything.
TL;DR
-Incredible Game
-Easy to Play
-FREE! (But I'd totally pay for it)
-Good Sobre & Drunk
Everyone is John is a game where all the players control a single character. Each player is one part of a split personality, each with their own goals and skill sets. The Game Master gives you a scenario and each player bets a value of willpower, whoever has the highest amount of willpower bet gets to control John until they fail a skill check.
This game is high speed, and makes a good game for any night. It's easy to pick up, and easy to screw over your friends. For a game that is free, this is incredible. Honestly, I'd pay at least £10-£15 for this game.
Gameplay is fun, and sparks conversation around the table. With John being a sociopath you can pretty much do anything.
TL;DR
-Incredible Game
-Easy to Play
-FREE! (But I'd totally pay for it)
-Good Sobre & Drunk
Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) rated Star Wars: Imperial Assault in Tabletop Games
Mar 7, 2018
Star Wars: Imperial Assault: The Kotaku Review
Imperial Assault is a board game that was released in late 2014. I only got around to playing it over the weekend, and I already count those months between as wasted.
Having made a ton of money off their excellent X-Wing game before moving onto capital ship battles, Imperial Assault is Fantasy Flight’s shot at moving Star Wars into more traditional tabletop territory.
If you’ve ever played HeroQuest, Space Crusade or even XCOM, you’ll be familiar with the basics here: players take control of a character and take turns to move about a grid-based battlefield, using terrain as cover as they battle enemies and complete objectives.
It’s designed for 2-5 players, but shines brighter the closer you get to the latter. A single player—basically the dungeon master—takes control of all Imperial forces, while everyone else selects a single Rebel character, choosing from a stable of RPG class stalwarts (support, sniper, etc).
Reviewer: Luke Plunkett
Read the full review here: https://kotaku.com/star-wars-imperial-assault-the-kotaku-review-1734772222
Having made a ton of money off their excellent X-Wing game before moving onto capital ship battles, Imperial Assault is Fantasy Flight’s shot at moving Star Wars into more traditional tabletop territory.
If you’ve ever played HeroQuest, Space Crusade or even XCOM, you’ll be familiar with the basics here: players take control of a character and take turns to move about a grid-based battlefield, using terrain as cover as they battle enemies and complete objectives.
It’s designed for 2-5 players, but shines brighter the closer you get to the latter. A single player—basically the dungeon master—takes control of all Imperial forces, while everyone else selects a single Rebel character, choosing from a stable of RPG class stalwarts (support, sniper, etc).
Reviewer: Luke Plunkett
Read the full review here: https://kotaku.com/star-wars-imperial-assault-the-kotaku-review-1734772222