Recent reviews by mom i shit myself

I have 3000 total hours on this game split between multiple consoles, and I will continue to rack up more. I will continue to spend money on this game. I will continue to feed the beast that consumes much of my waking life. That said, I cannot in good faith recommend anyone play this game for the first time now. I've been playing since the start, for far too long. Too long to ever stop.
I have much love for this game, for what it's done for me. I've made lifelong friends because of it, and some of my fondest gaming memories are contained within the boundaries of this prison. But make no mistake, it is a prison.

The new player experience is unforgiving in a way only a 10 year old live service game can be. As of this review there are 276 perks in this game, spread across both roles, that can drastically change the way the game is played. There are also 38 different killers, each with their own unique ability that makes them wildly different to play, as or against. Every killer also comes with their own set of 20 add-ons that can modify their power to work differently. To put it bluntly, that is over 1000 potential variables you will have to unlock and learn how to use. Granted, that's assuming you come in owning all of the DLC. You won't. And all of that is going to set you back a few hundred dollars if you want to catch up. Or, you could just spend a few hundred hours earning everything* for free, at least that's an option. Oh, and buying the DLC just earns you access to the characters, not their perks and add-ons. You will have to play the game a lot in order to unlock all of them, and to keep a steady supply of add-ons flowing, because guess what? They're limited use items! Hooray!
Oh, also, there's survivor items that come with their own addons and also a ton of different offerings that can alter the state of the game and also 59 different randomly generated maps you have to learn! Hooray!
*everything but licensed characters lol give BHVR your money NOW

I think this game is very fun, but this is coming from somebody who has played it since launch when there was so much less content in the game, who was able to buy and learn every new perk and killer piecemeal as it released, who was willing to keep up with patch notes to not get caught out by some slick buff or nerf for one side or the other. If 9 years of bloat is something you're willing to wade through to get to the core experience (which is basically just horror themed tag, let's be real) then sure, go for it. The grass is really green inside the prison yard. Just be prepared to deal with the other prisoners.

It's an incredibly simple game where you place pieces of a waterside town on an uneven grid and make what you want. It's simple, it's fun, and its great to zone out to. It's not a deep experience by any stretch of the measure but its fun if you just want to relax and let your creative muscles go. Price feels a bit steep for what it is though.