Recent reviews by TTV actually_pete

This games get so much right but has some really unfortunate let downs.

First the positives:
As someone who LOVED Dead Space 1 and 2, this game absolutely scratches that itch. The presentation and sound design are incredible and the dark, dense, and foreboding atmosphere really sets this game apart! I have a reasonably high end PC with an i7 14700K and an RTX 5070Ti, and while I had a few noticeable frame drops into the twenties, most of the time performance was solid - comfortably over 100 FPS at 3440x1440 with all settings maxed (Including ray tracing) and DLSS set to quality.

Now for the negatives:
- For me these types of games absolutely have to be played on controller. With that in mind, the lack of any dead zone adjustment in game is a real problem. The default dead zones are much to large which results in the controls feeling sluggish and imprecise in a really bad way. If you prefer mouse and keyboard, obviously this won't affect you but if like me, you prefer controller, this game very much needs some kind of dead zone adjustment.
- Aside from that, the combat in general is a real let down. Dead Space absolutely nailed the feeling of being vulnerable but never powerless. This games combat fails to meet that standard and feels frustrating for 2 reasons.
- Firstly, your character moves extremely slowly (which I like for the tension and atmosphere) - but the enemies and their attacks are fast. So not having either a doge or (ideally) some way of slowing the enemies down feels awful. It happens often that you can see an enemy coming in for an attack and there is just nothing you can do to stop it from hitting you or avoid taking damage.
- Secondly, ammo simply feels too scarce. The melee attack does almost no damage and does not stagger or push enemies back. So ammo is your only real option for dealing with enemies and you are constantly out of it.

Maybe these issues get better as you get further into the game, but I am certainly not willing to take the risk of paying full price.

I only have half an hour played on steam but I have more time played on PS5. This game feels like it could be awesome. But right now it is not worth it.

My PC is above the recommended specs and yet even with everything set to low and DLSS set to performance, I get constant frame drops into the single digits. This also an issue on my PS5 which makes the game unplayable for me.

However, this can be fixed with a few updates. The other major issue that I doubt will get fixed is how awful the micro transactions are. Everything in this games feels tailored to make you want to spend money. Personally I find it obnoxious trying to enjoy a game that is constantly trying to get more money out of me.

Honestly don't understand all the critical reviews. This games has some of the best feeling gun play I've ever experienced in a first person shooter! For me this was way better even than 2016 DOOM (which is saying a lot - I absolutely loved that game)! The story is admittedly completely forgettable, there are some bugs (especially with vehicle handling), and the upgrade systems are more complex than they need to be (although this is mostly just because of the bad menu UI). But overall progression in this game feels meaningful and directly impacts game-play, and with shooting mechanics this good, its a solid 8/10 for me. Well worth the time and money. Now for new game+

First time playing a gears of war game and I only wish I'd started sooner! Amazing story (check out a catch up video on youtube if you haven't played the first 4 games), excellent combat, and beautiful set pieces. Solid 9/10 only because the controls on my xbox controller are very weird to get used to.