Recent reviews by jamesrbasterd

Dark Souls is a series that took me by surprise. When I first started playing Dark Souls 1, I didn't think much of it. It was ok for me. As time went by, and as I understood the concept of "git gud", I started falling more and more for this series. Eventually, it would become my favorite. Nothing could top that, not even the "sequel" that Miyazaki wasn't a part of... until Dark Souls 3 came by.

Just like with Dark Souls 1, I didn't think much of this game at first. It felt like Dark Souls 1 on steroids. Then it dawned on me: this IS Dark Souls 1 on steroids. Good Steroids. Everything about this game is smoother compared to DS1, for better or worse. The game is a lot more forgiving than DS1 in some aspects, and in some others it's as ruthless as it can be.

I'm too lazy to finish this review right now, so I'll skip to my final words right away: this game became my favorite game of all time, and I've beaten it at least 50 times, and I'm still not tired of it. If you're an RPG purist, skip this series, but if you're in for a game that will not hold your hand in any way, don't think twice about getting this game.

I wasn't going to buy this game, but when I upgraded my graphics card, it came with this and Witcher 3. I didn't really have any hype or hopes for this game. My experiences with Batman games on PC haven't been the best, although that doesn't mean I don't like Batman games. This was no exception.

At least in my case, this game is buggy even outside the game. It made me read and accept the EULA three times in a row before launching the game the first time. When the game finally started, I spotted the fps cap. Even with an fps cap the framerate still frequently drops to 25fps when doing anything other than walking. And the batmobile makes it even worse.

Then, there's the crashes. When I first started, the game crashed around every 45-60 minutes. And every time, it would disconnect all of my monitors, forcing me to restart my computer. Yes, the game would freeze, and proceed to disconnect my displays. It has happened 3 times now, and it's the first (and so far only) game I've ever experienced such a thing with.

When it works, combat is smooth and well paced. The batmobile is a nice addition that adds a nice layer to the game. It's not perfect, but it's enjoyable. Graphics are good when they're not popping up as if the game forgot they existed. Yes, I do care about graphics. There's a reason why I spent money on a brick that will throw graphics at my monitor. And no, I don't think graphics make a game. Just like frosting alone won't make a cake, and too much focus on it can ruin the cake itself.

It's very sad for a game like this to have such a bad PC port. The game itself is awesome. I've always enjoyed the Arkham games. They're not the best thing to ever happen in gaming, but they still hold their ground as pretty amazing games. Saying that Warner Bros. Interactive's take on PC's is ridiculous can be a bit of an understatement in my opinion. When you have to cripple the platform you can't compete with "just so it's fair" is a good way to express the lack of interest you have towards it. PC does better, let it do better.

You don't make Usain Bolt participate in a 100m race and force him to only use one leg while blindfolded and facing the other way "just so it's fair" to the other participants because they can't run as fast. At that point you might as well tell him he's not allowed to participate in that race. Sure, he may get mad at first, but when he sees the prize was a bag of chips, a guide on "how to brag", and a bottle of the losers' tears, he'll get his dignity back, and remember there's plenty of other races he can be in that he can certainly enjoy more.

As for this game: No, don't buy it unless Warner Bros. Interactive fixes it, or unless you're okay with a PC port that was made with the same amount of love Stalin had towards anything that resembled a living being.