Recent reviews by Dante

Fantastic Star Wars game but it doesn't scratch my soulslike itch.

I really enjoyed my time in this game and the only gripes i really have are the metroidvania aspects included in the game and the boss fights.

You don't start with all of your force abilities, you unlock them throughout the game, getting them all in about the last third of the game. Considering using them is a lot of the fun to be had, it is disappointing to only be able to use them all and be a proper Jedi so late. You also have to backtrack a lot to previously explored planets and areas to unlock secrets with your newly found abilities, mostly are cosmetics but you can also miss some important force, health and stim upgrades if you don't fully explore everything.

I also found the bosses way too easy and somewhat forgettable while playing on Jedi Master, the only two i really enjoyed were Malicos and Trilla. Of course i could just up the difficulty to Jedi Grandmaster but i felt the difficulty of the regular enemies was good, only the bosses were lackluster.

With that said, the game is gorgeous and a joy to play and explore, i highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Star Wars franchise and even to those who aren't, it seriously is a lot of fun. However, if you're merely looking for a souls experience, there are better options.

This DLC is great, it still suffers from the crashes present in the main game however, so if you had problems with the main game just avoid the remastered version and play the original one.

The story is short and concise but very well crafted, gripping you throughout and surprising you with a nice twist at the end, if you felt the story in the main game was lackluster in comparison to the one in the previous game, you'll really enjoy this one.

The gameplay remains the same but you are presented with a new weapon and a new plasmid, both of them are interesting and fun to use. You can also take advantage of this DLC to experiment and have fun with the plasmids you neglected during the main game, which is always a plus.

In conclusion, this is a must have for any Bioshock fan.

First of all, don't be fooled by the negative review, i think this game is fantastic. This remastered version however is a defective product and i can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone.

The game crashed a lot during the time i played it and everytime this happens all the progress achieved is lost, forcing you to restart from your last save. This problem can somehow be mitigated by saving a lot, especially before big fights which seem to be the biggest culprit when it comes to the crashes, but it's unnaceptable and extremely annoying that after 4 years of being launched this version still has this kind of problems.

From what i've seen the crashes don't happen to everyone and there are a few recommended fixes online that might solve the problem, they didn't for me however and i just had to deal with it. If you intend to play this game i recommend the original version, which seems to have way less problems.

Now, when it comes to the game, i loved it. Most of the criticism i expressed towards the first game has been addressed and improved in this one, these improvements make playing the game a way more enjoyable and fun experience, giving it a higher degree of replayability over the first one.

The gameplay is a lot better, the guns are basically the same but feel way better to use, the plasmids can now be used together with the guns and have cool new effects everytime you upgrade them and the hacking is finally decent and kind of fun, i used to avoid hacking like the plague in the first game and in this one i hacked almost everything. There were also added some gadgets such as darts that enable you to hack from a distance and mini-turrets that help you in battle, both being fun and helpful. With this said, even though the plasmids were improved and had new effects when upgraded, they were basically the same ones present in the first game and that was a little disappointing, since i would have liked to experiment and have fun with new ones.

In addition to this, that are now some new versions of splicers and a new enemy called the Big Sister, which is basically an older little sister in a more technologically advanced diving suit. The Big Sisters provide a hard challenge because they are agile and can use plasmids while retaining the toughness and agressiveness of the Big Daddies. Fighting them is really fun.

The storyline is still interesting and enjoyable, but way more linear and straightfoward than the one from the first game, lacking some of the finesse shown previously. The characters are also less memorable, with a few exceptions.

The atmosphere is great, you're still in Rapture after all and i especially enjoyed the segment where you are able to explore and see the city through the eyes of a little sister, what an amazing moment, it really made me connect more profoundly with the world of Bioshock and helped me understand it better.

Overall, this was an excellent experience and i would absolutely recommend this game but not this remastered version.

After playing and finishing this game for the first time, i can now understand why it gets so much praise.

First of all, let me begin by taking this out of the way, i've never played the original Bioshock and can't compare the remastered version to the original one in any way. With that said, i played through the whole remastered version without any of the game breaking bugs that some people complain about. The only thing i noticed were some sound related bugs that happened rarely and even though i would prefer for them to be fixed, they didn't ruin at all my experience with the game.

Now, lets focus on what matters, the game. The atmosphere in this game is fantastic. While descending from the lighthouse into Rapture, when the city was revealed after Ryan's speech i just went "WOW". The timing, music and visuals of this introduction are just perfect, for sure one of the most iconic moments i've experienced in a videogame.

Exploring rapture is a thrill and you do feel like you're exploring the remnants of a city where people would not be bound by petty morality and the great would not be constrained by the small. This is further accentuated by the extremely eccentric and extravagant characters you meet throughout your journey, being each of them unique and interesting but fitting this description to a T.

What surprised me the most were the graphics, the game looks great for a 12 year old game and it has aged extremely well. Of course it pales in comparison to more recent titles but the graphics are good enough to not make me think about them while playing and break the immersion, which is all i ask for.

The aspect where the game hasn't aged that well was the gameplay. The shooting feels ok at best, the guns feel clunky and lack accuracy and precision. The plasmids are fun but i feel like they take a secondary role to the guns and are mainly used in specific situations that require their use, i would like for them to be more integrated into the combat.

Now what really pains me in this game is the hacking mechanic, it felt fun the first five times i did it and after that it quickly became a major annoyance. I liked that you could hack turrets, bots and cameras and make them help you, but the hacking mechanic is so boring that in the mid and late game i would just avoid it and destroy everything instead of hacking. For everything else that couldn't be destroyed, god bless the auto-hack tool.

With this said, the gameplay feels fun at times and the rest of the game is so good that the gameplay doesn't matter that much and you end up forgetting and forgiving its flaws.

And finally, the story. The narrative is extremely well crafted, you progressively discover bits and pieces of information as you dive deeper into the city and the story is full of twists and turns that catch you by surprise. The backstory for most of the characters that you encounter is fascinating and truly makes the city and its inhabitants feel real, i especially enjoyed discovering more about the origins of the enigmatic Big Daddies and little sisters. Depending on some of your choices, the ending changes, the one i got was super wholesome and made me finish the game with a smile on my face and slightly watery eyes, i couldn't have asked for a better ending to the story.

So, in conclusion, would you kindly buy and play this masterpiece?

Playing this game feels like walking through an art book, the game is beautiful with lots of different and unique environments to explore.
The story is about a viking who died an inglorious death and must earn the right to enter Valhalla by defeating the elemental giants called Jotunn. It is short but goes well along with the world design and if you enjoy Norse mythology you can discover more interesting norse legends while exploring the levels.
The boss battles look great, are well designed and have a lot of potential but are hindered by the sometimes clunky and overly simplistic gameplay, resulting in a frustrating experience instead of a fun one a lot of the times. With this said, i really enjoyed the final boss battle which presents a new boss being aided by all previous bosses, it felt balanced and allowed me to use all the experience gained from the previous bosses in a satisfying and rewarding way.

Overall the game was a nice surprise and i enjoyed playing it.

A cozy and wholesome little game that launches you into an adventure. The visuals and sound create a wonderful atmosphere that stands the test of time and is worth experiencing today. The story is short and doesn't develop as much as i would like but i enjoyed it and i think it fits the concept of the game (we are the protagonist of a bedtime story a father is telling to his daughter).
As for the gameplay, you control a suit that provides you with some cool abilities and allows you to traverse the map which consists mainly of floating rocks and islands. They feel fluid and responsive for the most part, but i felt like i didn't have enough control over the movement of my character in the air when i wasn't using said abilities.

Overall, both the gameplay, visuals, sound and story blend well together and create an experience worth your time.

This game is a magical journey based around some interesting stories of Alaskan indigenous folklore. The artstyle is beautiful and the music and narration are also engaging, making you feel immersed in the game's atmosphere. The gameplay is creative and revolves around platforming, that is conquered through cooperation between a girl and her fox companion. With that said, the gameplay sometimes feels clunky and not as fluid as i would like it to be, it certainly is the game's biggest weakness but it does its job well enough for me not to worry too much about it while playing.

Overall, it is time and money well spent for anyone interested in enjoying a short but engaging experience.

NICE

First of all, if you're only here to know if the game is worth it, the answer is absolutely YES. The game is criminally underrated, not only is it worth the full price but you can buy it for dirt cheap during the steam sales, i consider it a steal to pay that price for a game of this quality. Now let me proceed into an in depth analysis of the game.

Story (8/10) - The story is interesting and well constructed, even though the undercover police theme isn't something particularly new or revolutionary, they did a good job with it in this game. It's really cool to discover how triads and organized crime work on the inside and to progressively climb through their ranks and meet more powerful and influential people. They also take the time to explain the background of most important characters and show you their development throughout the game, you end up feeling really connected to some of them and care about their fate. I enjoyed more the first half of the story and i think that the ending was a bit rushed, but overall i enjoyed it a lot.

Environment (9/10) - The game has a medium sized open world map with four districts you can explore and takes place in Hong Kong, a different setting from what i'm used to and a breath of fresh air. It is beautifully crafted and lets you experience a different culture, at least in my case. It was a joy to just drive through the city streets and watch my surroundings.

Graphics (7/10) - Considering i've played this in 2018 and the game is five years old already, it is obvious that it will fall short in comparison to more recent games in the graphics category. However, the game has aged pretty well and it looks pretty good for a game this old, the graphics don't detract at all from the overall experience.

Gameplay (8/10) - The gameplay is nice and fluid, however that are some aspects that could be done better. You have both triads and police missions that are mandatory if you want to progress in the game, and being able to play both as a criminal and a cop adds diversity and value to the game. There are also some favors and sidequests you can do optionally, some of them are unique, fun to do and allow you to unlock some quality of life improvements (like the collectables being visible on the minimap) and others just feel repetitive. You can also buy different cars, clothes and foods throughout the game.

In terms of combat, the game initially focuses a lot in melee combat and progrssively introduces a little bit more of firearms during the development of the story. This is however for the better, considering i enjoyed a lot more the melee combat than the shooting. The melee combat feels AMAZING, one of the better i've experienced, it is really responsive and you can unlock some combos later on that allow you to have more freedom in the way you decide to defeat your opponents. The shooting feels ok for the most part, but it isn't something i particularly enjoyed. The shooting inside cars however, is really bad and probably the only big negative point i could find in this game. When i first tried it my camera was constantly glitching into a different place from the one i was trying to shoot at, a complete nightmare, i had to repeat the mission 2 or 3 times. Later i got a little bit more used to it and it got better, but it was still a pain to do it, and considering during the main story you're forced to do this a couple of times, it becomes annoying.

The driving in the game feels a lot different from other games but i wouldn't call it bad, it's just different. Each car has its own handling, and when you get used to it, the driving is quite fun. There are some race missions in the game and i enjoyed them a lot, especially with some music blasting on the radio, which added a lot to the feeling of being a complete badass while dusting my opponents.

Performance (6/10) - For a game with 5 years already, it doesn't run that well. I have a high end pc, and with almost everything maxed out i'm usually well above 60 fps, but it ocasionally dips to 40/50, which isn't supposed to happen. If you have a medium end pc, you can probably run this game in mid to high settings and maintain high fps, it isn't for sure the best optimized game i've played but it also isn't the worst. When it comes to glitches, i've only found one or two throughout the game and none of them were detrimental.

Audio (10/10) - The audio in this game is FANTASTIC. It has one of the best soundtracks i've ever heard, with really memorable songs being played while driving, you have a lot of radio stations to chose from and they're almost all really good, it's one of those games that make you add some more songs you've heard in game to your favorite music playlist. It also really adds to the immersion in the game, sometimes you're doing a mission where it gets a little bit more emotional and there is a certain music that plays and fits the scene perfectly and when you're doing a race mission, there is a fast paced song to make you feel pumped up, it's just great.
The voice acting is also really good, with some well known actors in the cast.

For the main game, that is it. Now i'll briefly talk about the DLC. Considering this is the definitive edition, all previously released DLC are included.

Most of them are side missions that you can do while playing the main story, they aren't that memorable or extraordinary but offer a little bit more optional content for you to enjoy, they include police missions, protecting a supercar that you can later unlock, some races, etc. One that stands out from the rest is the Zodiac Tournament, it's inspired in older asian fighting movies and i really enjoyed it.

There are also 2 DLC that are played separately from the main story, the nightmare in northpoint and the year of the snake.
Both are a little more focused in providing some laughs than the main story, which is overall quite serious.

The nightmare in northpoint is about a previously killed Sun On Yee member that comes back from hell to wreak havoc in the city and brings some ghosts and demons with him that you have to defeat. It thought it was a nice change of pace from the main story, but it feels really repetitive, it's just go somewhere fight some ghots and demons and go somewhere else and fight some ghosts and demons. The story was ok, it's funny, i think it's still worth to play it considering it comes for free, but i wouldn't pay for it.
The year of the snake is a direct continuation to the main storyline and i enjoyed it quite more than the other DLC. After the end of the main storyline, Wei gets hilariously demoted to a street cop, discovers that some cultists are trying to destroy the city and the story continues from there. The missions were unique and fun, a must play.

Overall, i give the game a 9/10, it's a title you absolutely must buy and play.

Pimba!