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Let's get the good and bad out of the way. The good? Single player is still completely playable as it was intended back in the 2005 release. But, that then leads to the bad.

You can literally buy and play the 2005 release. You could play the classic Xbox release. You could play the PS2 release. All of these original games have the same content gameplay wise, but not graphic wise. Now loading in, you'll find some very strange stretching on the fonts, a minor gripe. The markers for the weapon reloads aren't where they're supposed to be graphically, another minor gripe. But, you know what's inexcusable?

You load into an Aspyr Dedicated Server in multiplayer, and when the game's countdown timer to spawn you in elapses, you don't spawn. So you try to pick a new spawn point, a new class, you try to respawn. ANYTHING to get you on the field of battle. Nothing works.

You load into an Aspyr Dedicated Server in multiplayer, and your <base ping> is 100ms, in 2024. Not only that, but you're getting constant connection interruptions. That's inexcusable.

2 strikes down, here comes number 3. You load into a P2P connection via quick play, and your <base ping> in 200ms, and the connection interruptions are worse because your quickplay is either not optimized by region, or the netcode was poorly written.

Either way, three strikes and you're out. I'm sorry, Aspyr if Disney put you up to this, if they had you crunch to release this within a certain time frame. But if this had proper development time, there's no excuse for the excessive amount of issues, and this could have been QA tested long before release.

You didn't watch out for those wrist rockets, and they blew a huge hole in you, man.

Battlebit Remastered is exactly what it says on the tin. It's Battlefield style action with a voxel style. If there's one gripe I have, is that you can't rebind some of the controls to be like other games you play (healing for example is the exact opposite scheme as if I were playing Squad).

Ha ha. COMMANDO GO PEW PEW.

Welcome fellow planetmen or potential rookies! I'm sure if you're looking at recommendations, you're either brand new or looking to start with PS2. Well, I'm here to give you the reasons you should, or shouldn't based on how you like to play.

TL;DR It's a fantastic FPS for people who love team based tactics, however it can be extremely daunting at first as you get used to the controls and how everything works. After 130 hours, I'm still constantly learning new things.


Welcome to Auraxis, planetman. You've just stepped into a volatile warzone, filled with "death", destruction and the first thing you're left to wonder is: Why? I'll tell you why, rookie. Because, that's good game design, is why. No, but seriously. The lore of Planetside 2 is next to non-existent; so don't ask about the why. Ask about the what: What can I do to help? The simplest answer, to start with is to join a squad, and follow orders. That's literally it. As a rookie, you're limited in what equipment you have, so it's time to dig your heels in with others and listen to what they have to tell you. You're going to be doing a lot of learning on the fly.

Thankfully, some players, or groups of players offer the ability to teach parts of the game when you join a squad. These "mentor" squads aim to assist new players acclimate to a gaming climate they're not used to. However, there are times when the mentor squad leader either doesn't have a microphone, or is quiet. If you encounter one of these squads, it's best to switch to another squad.

The world of Auraxis is divided into continents, each with their own gimmick or terrain. Esamir, for example, is my personal favorite due to the icy terrain and open sky. This makes target acquisition from the sky very easy. Oh yeah! That's right. There are vehicles, ground and land based; and you'll find that they can be great fun if used effectively. However, bear in mind that controller/joystick support is EXTREMELY limited. So, you may just want to learn controlling vehicles with keyboard and mouse; as you can translate this skill to other games as well.


When you first log in, you're presented with a character screen that's completely blank, and it's here you get to create your first Planetman. There's no distinction in character models. You basically get one face for each race (color of skin) and you only get one voice. If you want more voices, you can buy them later... but that's not what we're here for.

Let's talk about the Factions. If you're smart, you'll join the Terran Republic, the one true nation who's claims on Auraxis are legitimate. The Republic uses the most advanced weaponry of the three factions, making sure that our weapons fire straight and true with as little recoil as possible. Of course, however, this does mean our weapons have to have a trade off. In this case, our weapons use smaller rounds doing a little less damage.

The rebels... the New Conglomerate they call themselves, are a group of blue brandishing outlaws. However, because of this, they're equipped with heavier hitting weapons that use gauss technology. The recoil is outrageous, but the bodily injury left behind means that they're bound to do in one of our finest in no time...

And finally. Worst of all. The xeno sympathizers, the ALIEN LOVERS... The Vanu Sovereignty. These purple-clad pansies use weapons that are energy based, and as a result, they don't drop off over distance like the Republic and the rebels. Their hover-equipment is also far more agile, like the Magrider, a hovertank that is far weaker in its construction compared to the Republic's Prowler and rebel Vanguard, but has the bonus of being able to move over nearly any terrain.


So, you finally decided to do the smart thing and side with the Republic, and you've finally touched down on a continent. Now what? As is common sense, a lone soldier does not make much difference in the tide of battle. Instead, he is best when working with his fellow soldiers. As such, your job is to find a squad that needs the support and give them that aid. Whether you're a frontline footie just shooting people and clearing rooms, or a combat medic reviving downed allies and healing the wounded, you're needed all the same.

Find a squad. if you have no idea what to do, find a mentor squad. If you've played tactical open-world shooters like well... Squad or Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019)'s Ground War, then you won't need much training on how to move around or use vehicles. Instead, familiarize yourself with the controls and then find a more experienced squad so they can teach you how Planetside's mechanics work.

Once you've had a chance to play for a bit, and have finally got yourself some friends and fellow squaddies, think about joining an outfit. Joining an outfit is basically like joining a clan. Some are hardcore super-serious "gotta win at all costs" types, like the Space Pigs (Terran Republic, Connery Server) or super chill and laid back like the Drunk Division (Terran Republic, Connery Server). That way, you can find the group that meets your play style and you can make friends that'll last you a lifetime.


Basically. Get in, meet people. Shoot bad guys. Use tanks. Use planes. Capture Auraxis. Be a Planetman. or, just as the TL;DR said: It's a fantastic FPS for people who love team based tactics, however it can be extremely daunting at first as you get used to the controls and how everything works. Now get out there, and don't sympathize with rebels or xenos.

I have to admit, I've never seen MANOS: The Hands of Fate. But, this game doesn't exactly do a good job of portraying the story. And, even still... it's not exactly the easiest game to play. This is AVGN Adventures before AVGN Adventures... escentially.

I've written a formal letter to FreeJam in the Robocraft Sub-Reddit, which I will link to, however, I'd like to outline some feelings I've had toward this game. I understand it's in Early Access, and I understand this is only one 'phase' of many. Who knows? Maybe in the future, I'll end up wiping this review and posting another one, but here are some finer key points of my letter, and the reasoning behind those points.

TL;DR Game used to be good, now the balance sucks, and the economy is worse. Wrote a letter, here's some points and clarification.


*Lock On Missile Launcher

Originally posted by /u/RichterRicochet:

"...Those were the days, when you could fly and not get shot down by Flak and LOML* walker bots with ease... ...because the Flak system has not been properly crafted to focus on AIR targets."

This point was my first. In real life, Flak shells are used as Anti-Aircraft weaponry, because the shells can be fired high into the air and explode, leaving shrapnel to tear planes apart.

However, in Robocraft, the 'AeroFlak Cannon' (aptly named so as to make you believe that it should be used against airborne targets) instead causes significant damage with those same shrapnel explosions to anything not connecting with the ground, whether they're meters in the air, or a few centimeters off the ground. These explosions hit all blocks within the explosion radius and can potentially destroy a bot in as little as three well placed shots.

Not only that, but if the shells don't explode and connect with a player directly, they do their standard explosion damage, though given in a smaller radius. Mind you, the AeroFlak Cannon is a high-powered weapon. The damage is does is very significant, and you're likely to take massive damage, even if you're hit directly. With this in mind, you'd think that the trade-off would be either a very low rate of fire, or a higher power consumption (more on that in a moment). Surpisingly, no. The Flak fires at a steady pace of roughly once a second, however, add more guns, and you're firing more often. Roughly twice a second.

Now, regards towards power. Each robot has a power meter that goes from 100% to 0% and recharges over the course of ten seconds (or eight, if you have the optional Power Booster attached to your robot). Here's the problem that we face with the Flak cannon. It has only a power consumption rate of 10.8% per shot, allowing you to fire off at least 10 before needed to recharge (however, the power is recharging constantly, meaning you may face upwards of 11-13 shots before the enemy needs to recharge completely). Worse still, it does over 30,000 damage a shot, and your average armor cube has 2100 health, meaning at least 13 or 14 armor cubes are getting toasted. (The damage does fall off in the blast radius, thankfully, but not by much.)

But that's not all folks! These cannons are damn near indestructible, with over 130,000 points of health themselves. And, if you do not directly hit the weapon block, it doesn't take damage. The only exception to this is Plasma weaponry, which has a small explosion radius (roughly the size of a grenade), which leads into my next point, surprisingly.

Originally posted by /u/RichterRicochet:

"Those were the days, when plasma damage was actually reasonable, and Plasma weapons were affordable... ...I've taken several low tier plasma weapons and placed them up against walker bots with seemingly little armor... ...even after a full hail of plasma shots... ...only a few blocks are destroyed... The damage is absolutely abysmal."

And by golly, is that true! In a recent update Plasma weapons (or grenade launchers, as they could be considered) were actually REDUCED in damage, compared to their high powered counterparts. As a trade, they instead were given a higher blast radius and lower power consumption. But, there in lies a problem. If a player cannot do enough damage to destroy a high-powered weapon at short-to-medium distance (as is Plasma's intended purpose), then what use do they have on a player's robot? Now, understandably, higher tiered weaponry does do considerably more damage, but at that power consumption and fire rate trade off, the Plasmas were more balanced than the AeroFlak Cannon. Need proof? The second highest tiered Plasma, an Epic Quality item (just like the Flak, an Epic quality), has 40,000 health (roughly), does 38,000 points of damage (roughly) with a slower fire rate than the flak cannon, and a lower blast radius. So, while they do roughly the same amount of harm, the Plasma was balanced in such a way that it could be combated and successfully defended against, unlike the Flak cannon.

Originally posted by /u/RichterRicochet:

"Those were the days, when engines actually had the power to push something, instead of just gently dragging it off the ground to simply float in the air. I have [a ship] which has over eight separate engines pushing it forward... The ship isn't maneuverable in any way, and it's not meant to be... ...I expect it to be able to fly, on even maybe four engines. But, if I lose my main rear engines... ...my altitude drops steadily, and immediately, with no way to get back in the air until a heal; by which time, my enemy has already caught me..."

This was one of my biggest issues. The game expects players to have an understanding of physics when it comes to building flying robots, as in where to put wings and how much force required to get a vehicle off the ground. Yet, I don't believe even the developers do. The engines in this game are vastly underpowered, requiring usually no less than five to get someone off the ground. The smaller engine tiers hardly provide any lift at all and I wonder why they're still relevant. Now, I'm going to point out, the robot in reference here has 6 of the highest tier and two of the next tier down pushing it forward, and the acceleration and lift are absolutely meager. I'm surprised the damn robot flies at all.

Originally posted by /u/RichterRicochet:

"Those were the days, when Megabots ruled, prices were moderately fair, and recycling really meant recycling and not shredding... ...[Players had] bought all the parts that they needed to sustain themselves for a while, and now [after] the Epic Loot update, those prices were cut from 50% return, which is moderately reasonable to in some cases less than 33%... ...to top that, the prices of some items went up, further blocking progression, and yet again causing more community outrage..."

God, bored of this review yet? Oh wait, points... So! The economy in the game drastically shifted with the introduction of Epic Loot, because gone were the days of battling for currency, instead now you battled for parts that dropped in a random crate after each battle. The better you did, the better the crate (from Rusted to Protonium). However, you'd be led to believe that Protonium crates would offer higher tiered items, the Epic and Legendary ones. Yet after testing players have shown a very low drop rate for these items. Players would often hope for Movement or Weapon parts, but would frequently receive cosmetics instead, these cosmetics "recycling" for a very low currency count. (I.E. a 10,000 robit flag resold at 750 robits.)

"At this point, this is not a game I wish to see to completion, it's really not. Because if the current 'meta' is to stand in a similar fashion... ...then there will never be any balance... New players will come in, get rekt, pack up and leave... I've never been one to complain... ...I now understand why people are so upset." As an avid supporter of the game, I've not only poured time into it, but money as well. Originally, I thought my funds were well placed, but I suppose I was wrong.

Read the letter here. Best suited to Robocraft Vets.

Hell, if you're not familiar with it, you should be.


Garry's Mod, the sandbox game where anything is possible: given enough coding, time and practice. Included in the game is... well... almost nothing. To play the game properly, you'll need to have another source game installed on your hard-drive (And Steam Family Sharing is there to help! If you need the resources, ask a friend who owns the game to share their library with you, download the game, and use the resources without owning the game. Profit.) so the resources from the game can be properly utilized. This is important for custom game modes like Trouble in Terrorist Town, which uses Counter-Strike Source resources on almost every map.

The game literally is what it's called: A mod. It is not meant as a stand-alone title, and really shouldn't be sold as one in my professional opinion, unless someone already owns a Source title and Steam can verify it. And, I can hear all you critics out there already: "If it's a mod, then why is it not free?"

Well. It was. Garry's Mod, up through Garry's Mod 9 was. The reason Valve is now licensing it, is because it's built for integration into their games. It can be sold as a stand-alone, to be sure. (Though, again, it shouldn't be.) And, it's been built from the ground up to not require any base code from Half-Life 2 to function, as my friend SylphOfBreath has noticed.


Honestly, I've gone on too much about the game's history, now a bit into the mechanics portion of the game. On its own, Garry's Mod is no more than a standard sandbox, where you can play around with Ragdolls, physics and cool guns. The menus may seem daunting at first, not knowing what a damn thing does, but over time you'll be picking your favorite tools and welding that baby to the tub before you know it. The engine functions identical to Half-Life 2, with only optimization carried over from the other source titles. Physics are the same, weapons are the same (unless you have extra weapons from the Workshop, more later), enemies and items are the same.

If you've played Half-Life 2, you're aware of your movement limitations - [what's that? noclip mode? what noclip mode? oh seriously?! press v and... daw man. that's not even fair!] Ok. My mistake, there's a noclip mode that removes all of those limitations, without the use of cheats. Which means, fly around the map at the speed of sound, you cheap sons'a- [bleeeeeep]

So, what mechanics did this game add? Well, there's a whole bunch of them. In fact, you now can: create your own thrusters; weld objects to one another so that they never come apart; create a wiring system using a mod, for the mod...; create drivable cars, and much, much more. Personally, I'm still just working on everything, myself. What's more, everything is almost endlessly modular. Meaning you can continually add on to the mod by means of the Steam Workshop.

But, don't take my word for it, go try it yourself!

McPixel, the king of gag games. A parody, unto a parody of a parody in a parodying universe. Parodyception ladies and gentlemen.

McPixel is a very simple premise, find a way to stop a bomb from blowing up in less than twenty seconds. Sometimes it's easy, requiring one or two steps, but sometimes you'll wrack your brain trying to figure out what the hell to do.

The controls are point and click, no ifs ands or buts. I took this game down in little over two hours play-time on my tablet, and have since not touched it (with good reason). After beating all the levels, finding all the gags, and playing the bonus levels, there really isn't much to do, unless you're into custom player levels.

All the gags are cheesy, including having McPixel kick people, or pissing on something, humping a PS3... you get the idea. Honestly, while I got a laugh out of a few of them, most of the gags made me want to gag.

All in all, if you need to pass time, get this on Play Store, the App Store, or any mobile device, but not here. Play it though, at least once.

Man, when I originally played the Windows Pinball game back in the 2000's, I never thought I'd find another decent free Pinball game. When I started FX2, I was greeted by the single table that sat before me. (Ok, so there are transactions to get your tables, so what? You'd blow more quarters at real Bally tables than you would buying these tables. Besides, I bought mine through Zen Studios' Humble Weekly sale.) I started the table up, and I instantly felt the nostalgia. The score board in the corner made me feel like I was actually playing at a real table. The graphics were insanely impressive; again, appearing almost as a real table. I put it aside though, because playing the same table did get boring.

Though, when I started playing the new tables after the Weekly Sale, I fell in love. Avengers table, with the movie characters as balls? Yes. This. I loved this. Each set table had it's own ups and downs, (and to be honest, I haven't even finished playing all these tables yet) but I'm anxious to get more without shelling out coin. I'd really like to see Zen put out a free table, say for a week. This way, players would get a sense of what tables they'd like to buy.