Recent reviews by Davidov

I've had about been 68 hours of playtime so far, and I feel like there's a lot more to go until I get to the end. So far I've managed to explore a good chunk of both regions available, do a few side quests, and immerse myself in the game's world.

The quests are varied, and there are plenty of ways to resolve them. The world doesn't just feel alive, but is truly alive, with each NPC living their own little life with their own routines and behaviors. NPCs will react to your actions and you'll hear them converse about things happening in the game's world. I haven't had this feeling since The Witcher 3.

The graphics won't win any awards, but the game looks decent. Given the size and scope of the world portrayed, this is all good. Performance-wise, you'll need something like an upper-middle tier PC to get the most out of it, and it's a breath of fresh air to have something run smooth without frame generation and other tricks.

Historical accuracy - this is a big one for me, being involved in the world of medieval reenactment precisely around the region and timeframe the game takes place in. The material culture is very well represented, with some liberties taken, but nothing that would stand out like a sore thumb to someone not well versed in the region and period. In terms of characters and story, there have been some liberties taken, but all plausible.

The combat is significantly improved compared to the first game, though I would have preferred some extra care for non-Sword weapons. From what I know this is the first game to accurately portray the use of a handgonne (although it has been gamified a fair bit). Polearms could've used a bit more love too.

As for "a bit more love" - the church interiors definitely need more of it. These may appear in a later update, but as of now there's no official word on it. It's fairly disappointing not being able to access churches, or the construction site of the mighty St. Barbara cathedral.

Overall, easily my favorite game of the past few years.

This is what we have been waiting for and it does not disappoint. It's everything that the first game was, and more.

I've heard of this project quite a few years ago, and I've been following it ever since.

As of writing this, I've been involved in medieval reenactment for about 5 years. I've played all sorts of city builders ever since Caesar 3 graced my first computer when I was a mere child. City builders have come a long way since then, and so has my understanding of medieval culture.

I could find quite a few issues regarding balance or incomplete content within the game as it is now, but this has been out for less than a week and it feels so much better than what major studios would crank out. And in addition to that the dev, Greg, is a real stand up guy. Performance is surprisingly good, and I have not experienced any sort of crashes. You just know it's a passion project because of how solid the foundation of the game is. Because this is very much still a foundation upon which so much more could be built. It eclipses other games in the genre even as it is now - that's how solid that foundation is.

I've finally found something that gives a damn about portraying a fairly authentic medieval world (though, there is a long road ahead in terms of content). Once you build up that city and it starts chugging along without intensely micromanaging it to survive, jump into the poulaines of your character and take a stroll in your village's center. Seriously, just take a walk and enjoy what you've helped build...and defend.

Because yes, while it is mainly a city builder, there is combat in this game. And it's the reason I've mentioned Ceasar 3 too. A lot of people compare the combat to Total War, which is fair - you can manage your units formations and give orders in similar fashion, but this is not a Total War game. This is so much better. This is a Caesar, a Pharaoh, a Zeus game dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century and getting a believable, very well research, medieval atmosphere.

Finally something that scratches that itch that's been getting worse over the years. And even though there were games that partially helped ease that itch, they never really gave me the relief that Manor Lords gave me.

Overall, a fantastic title, despite its Early Access nature.

First impressions from Early Access:

This will be a worthy successor to Wargame.

The quality-of-life changes from Steel Division are there, and more. As of now there are only 2 battlegroups availabe, one NATO, one USSR, however do not forget this is early access. There are plenty more down the road, and if Steel Division 2 is anything to go by, we will have a smorgasbord of content, perhaps even more since for whatever reason the Cold War seems to be more popular as a setting.

While I would find some of the stylistic decisions in the menus weird, one can get accustomed to them, as I'm sure many have since European Escalation. At least it's thematic, I guess.

The gameplay harkens back to Wargame. It's still there, it's still exciting, and I believe, with even more tactical depth (with some well deserved tweaks and updates) and I can definitely see at least a few hundred hours of gametime in my future.

Oh man, the visuals are definitely a treat. Wargame was pretty...but that was in 2011 when European Escalation came out. It wasn't something to look at, until now. I could live with this kind of level of detail in a first person shooter, let alone a strategy game. The effects and explosions, the unit models, the environment, all are a massive step up from Wargame. And the sound, dude, the sound. The music they included absolutely slaps, but the sound effects really bring everything together. The sight and sound of an F-111 bomber dropping a load of cluster bombs on a platoon of Soviet tanks is something cathartic, never gets old.

If you loved Wargame, you'll love this. If you loved Steel Division, you'll love this. If you loved World in Conflict, you'll love this. If you're a military geek, you'll love this. It's complex, it's niche, but man, this is gonna be an experience, and it'll only get better from here.

It's been over a year since release, and it has more content, and a ton of bugfixes. I said it was good then, I'll say it's excellent now. If you're looking for next gen graphics or animations, you're looking in the wrong place, but expect a great story, and great historical accuracy.

Words cannot describe how ridiculous this is. I want the creators to hook me up with their dealer.

It's been 4 years since this originally came out, and it just made a roaring comeback, GFWL-free and with the DLC included. And it still feels as fresh as ever.

Now of course, if you're really into the technical side of things, you really won't find it here, as the system for setting up the car is rudimentary at best, but as far as driving goes, you'll probably find what's right for you: from a decent rally game for enthusiats to some sort of Ken Block Simulator 2011 for those slightly less into dirt and more into cones.

Massive improvement over Airland Battle, in nearly all aspects - from general gameplay like micro and macro management, to graphics and visuals. The new maps feature much more varied terrain than the previous game(s) and you'll need to think your tactics through with the specific terrain of each map in mind. The number of units nearly doubled, with new factions being added, and the existing factions getting some extra units, since the timeline has been extended to the mid '90s. The size of fielded forces in a deck has also increased, considering the somewhat larger maps and need to prepare for all types of confrontations (land, sea, air), or to further specialize with thematic decks (marine, motorized, airborne, etc.)

Best part, though is that you can play as Best Korea. 10/10 GOTY.

Edited later: Now they have Israel and Yugoslavia is only a few days away. The world's best kebab removal duo is in the gamme. How can you NOT want to play this?

Edited again: Yup still good. Just stay away from the low point tactical stuff and the 1v1 tryhards.

Red Orchestra 2 is one of the most engaging multiplayer FPS ever made. The community is great, and you can expect proper teamwork and communication from people.

It's definitely a more hardcore take on war than your average shooter, but it's so much fun when you get into it. If you're not a fan of the Eastern front, try the Rising Storm expansion that introduces the Americans and the Japanese, fighting on new maps set in the Pacific theater of war, with new weapons, such as flamethrowers.

Mods support is existent, and there's usually a trickle of dev updates too, so it can and will stay fresh for quite a while.

Also, if you hear a banzai charge, hide.

If you never played this through, you hate video games.