บทวิจารณ์ล่าสุดโดย EXP

The price is too high for the amount of gaming on offer currently. Gameplay is fun - jank, sure, but frantic and fun - but there's just not enough variety to justify this price. A shame, I think, because at a lower price I think people could absolutely get their friends to join, and that seems to be where it all really shines.

Devil Daggers is born anew.

Plays a lot like Northgard; so more relaxed experience than your typical strategy game, with great visuals, music and vibe.

Not something I'll play often, but great for when the Dune mood strikes!

I had the chance to play this a couple of days before the new DLC dropped and I'm happy to say the addition of a 'roguelite' mode gives the whole thing a new vibe. It's a bit of Souls' mixed in with a bit of Hades/Returnal now, and it's a lot better for it. I can't see it replacing any of its inspirations, and while the roguelike elements make it a lot more enjoyable and replayable they don't fundamentally change the game in any significant way, so if you really didn't like how it looked or felt before, this won't bring you around; however, if you felt it had its heart in the right place but didn't quite hit the mark then I think you'll find at least a good few hours of enjoyment with this one, and perhaps quite a lot more.

99% of the 2379 reviews for this game are positive.

'Nuff said.

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein

Though I can't say I'd like every game ever to be as elegantly simple and easily digested as Titan Souls, it's refreshing-as-♥♥♥♥ to experience what it's like when you take out all the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ and refine every piece of a game down to its core essence without losing the magic and beauty of simple visual and audible exploration.

The stark contrast between the intense, often split-second encounters with the titans and slowly exploring the world, gently piecing together each piece of the narrative - often differently the second or third time through using various game modes as modifiers altering the rules in some way - is sublime.

It's a hard game - harder still if you venture into NG+, but it can be digested completely in one sitting if that's your fancy, and it's a delicious little ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ meal.

RULES OF NATURE
Too few are the games available that offer a chance at sliding along the tail of an enormous mechanical robot atop a high-frequency katana screaming 'RULES OF NATURE' at the top of your lungs. Fewer still are those ported to Steam from console platforms with nary a game-breaking issue in sight. And yet, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (MGR:R), first launched on Xbox 360 and PS3 globally during the final weeks of February 2013 is one that has done exactly that.

On January 9th, 2014, the Platinum-Konami lovechild launched near-flawlessly on Steam at a massively reduced price (somewhere in the vicinity of twenty bucks, dependant on your territory and time of purchase) including all 3 DLC sets alongside a host of new graphical options including resolution up to 1080p, 60FPS, gamepad support, anti-aliasing, texture filtering and even the ability to adjust 'ZANGEKI' — the amount of cuts allowed on an object, potentially preventing game crashes or frame rate drops on less capable systems.

I've even read reports on Steam of users testing their system on Can I Run It, with a negative result, that could then, on low settings, play without concern. Impressive, to say the least. But not perfect.

NOT PERFECT?
It's close to perfect, but it's not entirely perfect. For instance, increasing the original FPS to 60FPS is incredible for most gamers, as is the increase in resolution to 1920x1080. Limiting it to 60FPS and 1920x1080, however, is borderline unforgiveable. When moving a title to a new platform, it's important to consider the users of said platform. In the case of PC, 60FPS and 1080p is, for many users, not even playable.

To add insult to injury, there's no Windowed Fullscreen setting forcing many players (and especially Twitch broadcasters like myself) to play windowed to avoid resolution or refresh rate issues. Moreover, there's no V-Sync option, so even if while playing Fullscreen yourself, those watching your broadcast would be forced into an unstable framerate with choppy visuals — something I could only fix by playing windowed.

Even worse still are the cutscenes, which are still limited to 30FPS. Again, this is unlikely to cause an issue for most players, but for some, like myself broadcasting at 60FPS, this means insane screen-tearing and an unpleasant visual experience.

I've been doing some research to determine where these issues are coming from (as, for all intents and purposes my talents lie in playing and critiquing games, not fixing them) and it would appear that the refresh rate not adapting to that of the monitor being used is the underlying cause. Playing in Windowed Mode is the current best fix, though there's a public outcry on Steam requesting a true fix, alongside the addition of V-Sync, WF mode and 120FPS. Here's hoping we get one soon - which is looking likely, as the first patch, to correct the unintended 'always online' function, has already been deployed.

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW?
I found a great post in the Steam forums by Souzooka that details a bunch of issues I haven't experienced myself, but appear common among the community. Here're the highlights:

Players opting to play with a Keyboard and Mouse (presumably because they don't own a compatible gamepad - it's a console game port, people: use a f***ing gamepad) have run into several issues, including the inability to map key bindings to mouse buttons and 'switch lock-on target', alongside a potentially game-breaking issue with aiming the mounted turret in Chapter 4.

Several users have reported game crashes when failing to read the 'ntdll.dll' file. This appears to happen with users that have no C:/ directory. Others have reported crashes when changing resolution (a difficult task, I might add, as changing any of the graphical settings in MGR:R on PC happens immediately, without the traditional 'Apply Settings' option, meaning you'll need to experience the glory of every ♥♥♥♥♥♥ resolution on the way to 1920x1080 before reaching it, and the same for all other options).

Even more worrying are the reports that many users cannot complete the final boss encounter due to an inability to activate the Quick-Time Event (QTE) associated with it, and too, that many cannot save their game. The latter has been linked to Windows 8.1 users who do not have permission to write to their disk, but is unconfirmed.

If you're experiencing any issues yourself, I recommend checking out Souzooka's post here ; there's plenty of good information, and many fixes for strange occurrences.

MGR vs. MGS
That concludes the PC version of this review, and with MGR:R having been available for almost a year I won't be providing a full review on the game mechanics here — that said, I do want to share my perspective on the inception of this title, for those of you that haven't yet picked it up, and aren't sure if you should.

Which is to say, I want to clarify something: this is not a Metal Gear Solid game. I've come across far too many comparisons between MGR:R and MGS this past year and I'd like to beat that nail on the head right now.

MGR:R was developed by Platinum Games, the team that brought you Vanquish and Bayonetta, both high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled action games demanding quick reflexes and an almost insane level of perseverance. The characters, world and story were provided by Konami, and Hideo Kojima himself, creator of the tactical espionage Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid franchises on the NES and PlayStation 1-3 (and some off-shoot PSP titles no one cares about).

MGS SPOILER ALERT
It's the answer to a question that Konami have been trying to answer for years: what's it like to play as a Cyborg Ninja? In Metal Gear we were introduced to Frank Jaeger, AKA Null, AKA Grey Fox, AKA The Cyborg Ninja. In Metal Gear Solid, we saw Jaeger in action like we'd never imagined, slicing enemies into pieces with the flick of his wrist and providing some of our fondest memories in gaming history. In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty we were introduced to Jack, AKA Raiden, a tactical operative similar in style (but not personality) to MGS protagonist, Solid Snake. During the course of Metal Gear history, Raiden was transformed into the Cyborg Raiden we saw in Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of the Patriots.

Having been transformed from stealth operative to cyborg ninja, Raiden no longer fit as a playable character in MGS (as anyone who has played MGS2 will understand all too well), and given the engine capabilities of MGS presumably never would again. Unless, of course, one of the most notably epic action game developers on the planet teamed up with Konami to make a game specifically suited to that characters' new style, pace and abilities. Then, y'know, it'd be awesome.

It's understandable that many people went into MGR:R expecting MGS — after all, both titles have at least 2 of the same words — but it's not forgivable. You've got the Internet now, people, and me, and a million others like me. Do your f***ing research before you touch the keyboard to whine about how MGR:R is nothing like MGS - when, obviously, if it was like MGS, it would be f***ing MGS, not MGR:R.

WE'RE OUT OF TIME
Steam has a character limit on reviews, so I can't offer the remainder of it here. If you'd like to read the full review Corsual click this link to be redirected. [www.corsual.com]

"Normally, with puzzle games, if it seems too hard then you're generally just doing it wrong. With Desktop Dungeons, it's just too hard." — Kakie, Corsual Live Viewer

I have a confession to make. I'm not proud of it, but I haven't finished Desktop Dungeons. I strive to complete all of the games I review prior to writing, but in this case the cross was too great to bear.

My failure came not through lack of trying — I tried for many, many hours — but from an overwhelming level of difficulty. Not the bad kind of difficulty, where cheap opponents consistently barrage you until you die hurling an overpriced controller against the nearest wall, but the good kind of difficulty, that will see you thinking — really thinking — about every move you make, every time you make it, lest your adventure come to a inconveniently early end.

Fortunately, I appreciate a challenge. Hell, I crave it. But in the end, it turned out that there was more to accomplish, collect and unlock in this roguelike dungeon crawler than I could ever hope to discover in just 2 weeks, and so, I began my review in advance.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...
I first saw Desktop Dungeons while watching MANvsGAME; Danny Baranowsky and Grant Kirkhope, who composed the soundtrack, were there alongside one of the core developers, Danny Day.

They discussed many of the basic game concepts; the randomly generated dungeons and roguelike nature, spell-casting warriors, the coming mobile release, the difference between a harpsichord and clavinet and the origins of Granny Kirkanowsky.

Listening in, amidst the constant laughter, I quickly learned that DD has something of a cult following that grew around an alpha build released to the public years back and available free today, which led to it winning the IGF Award Winning for Game Design. Immediately, I downloaded it to take a look.

IN THE BEGINNING
The alpha turned out to be a crude version of the one MAN was playing. It looked very different — the hand-drawn art wasn't present, instead offering a more traditional pixel art style, and the entire progression mechanic was missing, so choosing a dungeon was as simple as selecting a race, class and difficulty.

Though I was watching MAN play a clearly superior version, I still felt entirely engaged playing the alpha due to the 'roguelike' nature of the gameplay. Every dungeon was different, and though my imminent demise was almost always a single click away, the ability to head straight back in, new knowledge in hand, to a completely new dungeon, maintained my interest throughout the entire night.

That's when I made my purchase, gained access to the browser-operated (sans-soundtrack) beta and began to compare.

NEW IS ALWAYS BETTER
After a brief serving of story and a short tutorial explaining the basics I was directed to my very own kingdom, a world map of sorts, comprised mostly of open space and human inhabited houses. After completing a dungeon, more buildings appeared. An elven habitat, a mage tower, a church...

I quickly realised that the original 'choose race, choose class, choose difficulty' menu featured in the alpha had been replaced here with progressive RPG elements via the kingdom, including a huge host of quests, and that unlike the alpha, races and classes here required an unlock before they could be used.

The game continued forward, revealing multiple new features. Gold could be collected from dungeons and kept afterward, and then used to purchase preparation items that could be used in future dungeon attempts, or saved to unlock new buildings in the kingdom.

Eventually, I was introduced to the tavern, which served as a hub allowing access to multiple dungeon types. It was here that the largest difference between the alpha and beta made their appearance — there's more than one dungeon type in the full version. A lot more.

DON'T PISS OFF THE DEITIES
That's when things started getting tough, and it was at about that time that the full Steam release arrived, this one complete with Granny K's masterpiece soundtrack.

I was happy to learn that the progress I'd made in the beta was saved, and too, that even though I could now play the full release on Steam, I could continue to do so from my browser if I chose. Everything is saved online, so portable gaming is a legitimate option. A good thing, too, as Desktop Dungeons lends itself perfectly to quick gaming when you've only got 10 minutes to spare. Come on mobile version...

Where was I... oh, right. It's hard. Even the normal dungeons are hard. And the hard dungeons are a lot f@&ing harder. God only knows if there are even harder dungeons around the bend, but if there are, you'll likely need God's help to complete them. Well, at least one of the Gods, anyway.

Yes, yes... I know. Terrible segway, yada-yada. Gods are the key to victory in many of the dungeons, yet they're also a leading cause of death. The decision to adopt a deity is usually a hard one — on the one hand, they offer amazing buffs and bonuses that are generally the key to victory, on the other, they'll restrict you in various ways, punishing you severely for whatever they deem misconduct — though mastering their ways is essential.

THIS IS THE GAME THAT NEV-ER ENDS
That's where the other 'game mode' really helps: Puzzles. After unlocking the Explorer's Guild building in your kingdom you'll have access to a series of puzzles - dungeons that aren't generated randomly, but instead, have a single specific solution that you must discover in order to succeed.

They double as great ways to learn more information about the various items, weapons, spells, deities and conversion materials on offer, and though not everyone will need them, they're highly advised if you're having difficulty completing certain quests or dungeons.

And that's everything I know. Almost. I know that of the nine classes I've unlocked there are another nine to go. I know that of the four races I've unlocked there are another... actually I don't know how many more there are. One, at least. I found him once — a Halfling trapped in a dungeon within a dungeon who nicked my last potion— but failed and haven't seen him since. That's a lot of the fun in Desktop Dungeons; every dungeon is different, and you never know what you're going to get. If you like The Binding of Isaac, or Spelunky, or more appropriately, Rogue Legacy, which offers a similar style of 'progressive roguelike' gameplay, then there's a great chance you'll love Desktop Dungeons, too. It's as hard as the others — perhaps even harder in its own way — but if you're not one to shy from a challenge then there's a lot to enjoy.

By far, the most epic and enjoyable RPG experience of my life. A single playthrough will never be enough...

Imagination thy recreation? Zeno Clash thy destination.