Recent reviews by NERO

This is the best Alone in the Dark since the original.

Gameplay is similar to Resident Evil 2 Remake. Combat mechanics are fine but do get frustrating with the crude melee weapon animations. Level design is interesting and takes the player through a nice diversity of locales. The Derceto mansion grounds the player in an old school survival horror labyrinth but the number of twists and turns keep the environments very fresh. Can be played slow for the lore or fast as a speedrun.

Visuals are gorgeous, though could use some optimization (a few select settings plummet framerate on Cinematic). I was able to run mostly Cinematic (max) graphics settings on my RTX4070ti at 4k 60fps on my tv. You'll want to play this with dedicated surround sound and a screen with good black levels to really get immersed. The environments have the occasional quirky bugs that I hope get patched soon.

David Harbour is a standout amongst the cast. Strong voice acting all around, and the characters are developed and memorable. They nail the deep south prohibition era set piece. You'll get some welcome comic relief from the Edward playthrough and a big, impactful plot twist from the Emily side.

The $60 price tag feels a bit steep given the bugs and short length of the game (you can beat it in a couple hours if speedrunning), however diehard fans of survival horror really absolutely *not* miss this quality remake of what is considered the grandfather of the genre. The devs have treated the game with the due respect and care it deserves. I'm excited to see what THQ Nordic decides to work on next.

Solid adaptation of the classic AoE to modern systems, worth owning if you're a fan.

PROS: Graphical overhaul is beautiful, Some modern RTS features added like task queuing. Online matches have been generally stable for me, even with overseas hosts/players. Crossplat gameplay with the Windows edition of AoE DE. Chat has the original emotes ("Awww Yeah!"). GOOD GAME and my favorite RTS of all time.

CONS: Pathfinding is painfully bad at the worst times. Lack of skill-based matchmaking makes for lopsided games. Lobby hosts will boot you instead of configuring the lobby properly. Limited zoom, wish I could go farther out. Default UI is tiny before adjusting in menu.

Pros:
1. Learn how the BSAA was created in a story featuring Chris & Jill.
2. Raid mode with lots of unlockables as per RE tradition.
3. Creepy (but dorky) effects, esp. the comms officer. Cringe!
4. Keyboard & mouse works well in this game, I'd recommend for aiming alone.
5. End boss is a really fun fight. The RE designers know their boss fights.

Cons:
1. Graphics are subpar by 2015 standards, but still plenty atmospheric.
2. Offline campaign co-op was removed from this version, which is really stupid.
3. FOV is bad, I highly recommend the widescreen fixer solution. See guides.
4. Terragrigia levels seemed bad/rushed, looks like a ps2 game in those levels.
5. There is nobody online playing raid mode :(

Overall: 8/10, main thing holding it back is its graphics but this is a good new-ish direction for the RE franchise. The PC version is probably the best version, after trying the PS3 version I noticed the huge performance gap especially in rainy scenes where the PS3 drops frames bad.

The story of modern Resident Evil is a series of crude attempts at action gaming/RE fan service. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big RE fan, but when you make these games insanely shallow, they're hardly worth experiencing. Raccoon City was hastily thrown together and feels more like a free DLC than a standalone game. Karate-kickiinig zombies in four directions is kinda cool, but the novelty wears off quickly when you realize how awful the rest of the game is. Don't bother with Raccoon City, just wait for Resident Evil HD or check out Revelations.

EQ is a hilariously trolly game that punishes you for the slightest mistake, but I love it. The combat is simple but pretty engaginig, especially as a spellcaster. What's awesome about EQ is that it makes your littlest decisions truly matter somehow. Just beware that EQ is not an MMO for the casually-inclined or lazy, because it WILL make you earn your stripes. But Everquest makes the journey to the top of the mountian is truly special. Highly recommended!

I dumped plenty of hours powerlevelinig my multiplayer DS character as a kid, so the original Dungeon Siege has a huge nostalgic place in my library. Obviously dwarfed by the glut of modern ARPGs, Dungeon Siege nevertheless has a unique gameplay style. Think of this game as an automatic car in a manual world; the combat pretty much plays itself. The real fun is gearing up a huge party in campaign, or pushing the limits of your multiplayer character in high level zones. Unfortunately their MP servers are no longer running, sad panda : (

For hardcore BG fanatics, the Enhanced Edition will not exactly blow you away with new content, but it's port to the 1080p resolution is well done. If you're on a tight budget then just mod the original games, but pick this up if you can. The team of designers behind this had a lot of fixes to implement, and overall I'd say they did a great job. This version of BG2 feels nicely polished and is a good way to experience the old school greatness of its time on a modern computer system. Let's support products like this so that we keep the spirit of these great games alive and well.

Bastion is a "casual" action RPG, but it's worth owning for the narrator alone. You'll see what I mean.

The Witcher screams old-school single player RPG, featuring an engaging combat system set in an incredible dark fantasy world. This is based on a novel, so if you have not read it then it takes some getting used to. But my time spent in Geralt's boots heralds back to the "good old days" of single player, story-driven games. If you were gaming in the days of EQ, Baldur's Gate or DAOC then I'd say this one's up your alley. Happy monster-slaying!

Don't expect great single player, but the co-op and multiplayer modes are quite solid. It's not at all a true Resident Evil game, but more like an action/shooter/horror featuring Resident Evil's cast. Just bring a buddy with you on this one.