Recent reviews by Eelface

A rocky start, but after consistent improvements and a fantastic class rework, this game has a lot to enjoy and a lot to tinker with. It's a good time to start up.

Darktide is tougher and demands more focus than Vermintide, but it feels like a more rewarding iteration with deeper complexity and even actual teamwork. The gameplay is phenomenal, and between-match tuning of skills and weapons continues to improve with each patch.

New review as of 02/22/24:
Indeed, the devs have corrected their mistake. Although we don't forget the greed that got us to this point, we can move on and enjoy the game.

The gameplay of Warhammer III remains good, but with a caveat: there are a great many different factions with unique rosters and strategies, but unless you shell out big $$$, you don't get to play any of them. This makes some amount of sense as a way of rewarding players who have stuck around with the franchise for a long time, but there is no "starter's bundle" regularly available that costs less than a hundred bucks. That’s a stiff barrier to entry.

After a few hundred hours, I've finally come around on the Realms of Chaos campaign. Although the rifts are a lot to handle, it rewards a fine blend of caution and boldness, and understanding the ~25 turn cycle makes it feel less random and knife-twisting. The Immortal Empires sandbox is still where all the countless hours come from tho.

Regarding the DLC, my initial complaints of increasing price have now been met with increasing quality. The devs have now shown that the community has to be vigilant in keeping them honest, but if we regard this as a pricey game with premium DLC, there is a lot to enjoy here. Consider this a tepid, but relatively sturdy recommendation.

All filler, no killer.

If you want a driving sim with a slow place but one still full of actual challenge, this should be your go-to. Absolutely countless hours of contracts and sprawling maps with excellent mod support and challenge adjustments.

Learning how to drive well feels slightly unintuitive at times and there's very little in-game training to help unfortunately, so discovering what you can and can't do on your own is a big part of playing.

The first AAA game in maybe ten years to actually feel like a AAA game. Difficult, but fantastic quality in a world that never seems to end. Just don't be the guy who never levels up vigor and then complains that everything kills in one hit!

The kind of game Ferangi would teach their children, so they learn how few consequences their greedy, hyper-capitalist actions truly have, but to still be mindful of those consequences.

Intense and gripping survival shooting gameplay made by people with a lot of love for the Aliens franchise, this game does not disappoint. Just make sure you have some people to play with, the bots are atrocious.

Brings together many new and old mechanics of 4X games, in a very concise way. Games are dynamic and fun - they don't just instantly fall into a routine.
-AI is much better than Civ 6, but still on the too-easy side
-Interface is much improved over Amplitude's game Endless Legend, and better than either Civ V or VI as well
-A bit lacking in unique presentation, but it does has a quirky sense of humor
-The game provides clear objectives, but leaves it to the player to decide what to pursue. A player is never locked into one type of victory, and efforts to build one aspect of an empire are not wasted if the focus shifts.

Overall an ambitious attempt to budge in on a very established genre of 4x game, and a reasonably successful one at that.

A surprisingly detailed character creator for a "The Floor Is Lava"-like.

An absolute delight. This game has wonderful sound, a fabulous variety of global foods, and visuals that make you want to cook these dishes for yourself IRL. On top of all that, it comes with an underlying message of staying positive in the face of truly dark times, and it served me well in this, the worst year.