Recent reviews by Teeleh

Project Zomboid is a zombie survival game that delicately walks the line between graphical fidelity and uncompromising realism. Zomboid is a demanding game with a steep learning curve. Indeed, the opening line of the game clearly states: “This is how you died.” And to be honest, you will die. Probably quite a few times. But with every death comes a lesson. If you distill these lessons into better performance, you will survive longer the next time around. And here’s the good news: after dying, the world persists just as it is—meaning that your new character can go kill your old zombified character for gear retrieval. The only things lost are your skills and dignity!

Speaking about character creation, when you create your survivor, you will have to balance positive traits with negative ones. Will you be an overweight agoraphobic smoker if it means that you can be strong and dexterous? Will you choose to be a fast learner at the cost of being a slow reader? Zomboid forces you to consider every action that you take, even more so after rolling up your survivor. For example, you must eat to survive, but if you frequently consume unhealthy food, you will quickly become overweight or even obese. This will dramatically reduce your survival effectiveness. So, it’s not just about managing your food resources, it’s also about knowing when to eat what. Another example: Fight or Flight. Both of these actions will slowly exert your survivor. When facing down a horde, you must think quickly about how to survive. Will you sprint into a nearby forest to lose line of sight, or will you knuckle down and engage them directly? The choice is ultimately yours.

In addition to combat skills, Zomboid has a number of crafting and survivalist skills that you can work on in your down time. Do you want to be a carpenter who can build structures? A tailor who can improve the effectiveness of protective equipment? A farmer who can provide sustenance? A mechanic who can repair their vehicle after mowing down a horde of zeds? How about all of the above? (Assuming you live that long…) If you prefer the multiplayer experience in Zomboid, you can instead opt to have each member of your group specialize in a specific skill or two, which can get you up and running much more quickly and improve the odds of long-term survival. Just make sure you don't spend too much time indoors, or your survivor will become depressed...and yes, being depressed in the apocalypse is as bad as it sounds.

Zomboid is also mod friendly and has a sandbox mode which will allow you to customize the settings of your world however you see fit. Do you want zombies to be slow shamblers or speedy sprinters? Do you like the idea of vehicles being easier to obtain? Do you want to play with experience multipliers? These are just a few of the many options at your disposal.

In sum, Zomboid is perhaps the most in-depth and rewarding zombie survival game to date. The developers are passionate about the game and are constantly working to improve old systems, as well as add new features to the game. They are transparent with their audience about the state of the game, and frequently request help from the community as they work to create something truly memorable. At the 20-dollar price point, I cannot recommend it more highly. 10/10 IGN

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work at an Amazon fulfillment center for a starvation wage? Are you interested in making grenades out of your biological fluids? Does the idea of an unborn baby staving off SCP-like invisible entities put a little pep in your step? Then look no further, because Death Stranding is the game for you! Join Norman Reedus as he reprises his role as an angsty biker dude for the 252nd time in a journey across post-apocalyptic America. Enjoy cameos from famous filmmakers and comedians that zoomers have never heard of! Bask in time-warping rain storms that are sure to age you into an early retirement home! Carry 500 lbs of random crap to cloistered shut-ins, and earn facebook likes for your performance! Want to take a more hands-on approach? Head into the homeless encampments and taunt kleptomaniac mad men with your piles of valuable loot! All this and more awaits you in Kojima's latest acid-induced fantasy. So what are you waiting for, a steam sale? Get in the action already, and don't forget to throw your fellow gamers a *LIKE*!

Picture this: You awaken on a sunny, pristine beach--naked and confused. You spot a strange, chicken-like creature plotting around aimlessly not 20 yards away. You feel the pangs of hunger already gnawing at your being, but decide better of attacking it; opting instead to seek out shelter. Further down the beach, you find the welcoming canopy of a forest. Here, you find berries, fiberous material, sticks, and a couple of sharp stones. You munch ravenously upon the multicoloured and highly suspect berries while fashioning yourself a crude hatchet. Once finished, you set upon felling a couple of young saplings and establish yourself a perimeter; until you hear a screech. Instinctively, you whirl to meet the assailant, but find they are already upon you. Your last erratic thoughts drift towards your disemboweled cavity that the vicious beast is currently engorging itself on; marveling at the heat of your own blood.

You awaken on a sunny, pristine beach--naked and confused. You spot that strange, chicken-like creature once again, and wonder if you've just had a fever dream. These notions are squashed however, as the chilling screams of the not so distance forest ring across the horizon. You check your stomach in a sudden panic, and find that you are in good health. The pangs of hunger begin to gnaw at you, as you decide to seek shelter elsewhere.

Ark is a single/multiplayer (pve/pvp) survival game that gives you nothing; no tutorial, no guide, no starting kits, and no true modes of difficulty. Single player offers some optional tweaks; still, you will die. A lot. With each death, a lesson is hopefully learned; one that forges you into a better and more knowledgeable player. You'll learn where the carnivores are, where stockpiles of metal can be found, who your neighbors are, and if you are lucky, maybe make a couple of friends. The game offers a simple but engaging leveling system, with character stat points and "engram points" which can be invested into learning new technologies. As you progress in levels, you will unlock greater and more powerful options. That hideous monster that gored you in the forest can be tamed, if you've got the aptitude. Over time, you will sculpt from the land a base of operations to stand the test of time, and bring to heel the dangers of the wild. You will breed your favorite dinos, and Darwin willing, their offspring will have environment positive mutations.

...Or you will end up in someone's cage, with your blood drawn and an inventory full of feces. Welcome to Ark. (10/10)