Recent reviews by phoenix0fEmbers

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is truly the best way to play this classic game. The original game came out in 1999. A "remaster" called Age of Empires II: HD Edition which added a bit more content and upscaled visuals was released in 2013. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, released in 2019, is a remaster with lots of improvements and content expansions. Namely are the graphical enhancements which have remastered sprite work and sharper visuals (also support 4K). In addition, this version adds a lot of quality of life improvements. One such thing is the automatic farm replenishment which was a sorely needed feature. This version features all the campaigns from the previous versions. In addition, this is the only version of the game to feature co-op campaign content which I personally enjoyed a lot.

One thing to note is that this version has a lot of DLC content. The content adds different civilizations and campaigns. The learning curve is fairly easy to pick up since all the civilizations share many overlapping units and gameplay mechanics. Easy to pick up but hard to master. Unlike Age of Empires III or Age of Mythology that has fundamentally different civilizations, these play similarly allowing a fairly balanced pool of civilizations to play with or against. Granted each civilization has its strong points and bonuses as well as some unique units. There are 35 different civilizations in the base game and 45 in total with the DLC. There are also 27 campaign missions in the base game. Additionally, the DLC entitled Return of Rome adds a lot of legacy content from Age of Empires I including all the civilizations from that title. There are even campaign exclusive DLC's like Victors and Vanquished as well as Chronicles: Battle for Greece.

Age of Empires II is constantly still receiving updates and new content in the form of DLCs. If you are looking for a fun medieval period RTS, you'll find a lot of enjoyment with this one.

Plate Up is a great game to play, especially with another person! Plate Up is a kitchen game in which the players are tasked with arranging the kitchen and tables in such a way that they can maximize the efficiency of their restaurant as well as cooking meals and serving them throughout the day.

The game primarily consists of two phases per day – the first phase is where the kitchen and dining areas need to be set up. It’s up to the player’s discretion where they want each table and kitchen appliance (including counters) to be set up.
The second phase is when the players must prepare the meals and serve it to their customers. This can either be done manually or via automation (or a mix and match as it will usually be).

At the end of the day, players will receive blueprints for new appliances to upgrade the restaurant and kitchen as well as decorations to increase the restaurant rating and get bonuses. Players will also be able to choose between cards every now and then that add some variation to the customers behavior and wants.

The overall goal is to continuously upgrade the kitchen to get as far throughout the days as possible. Eventually however, a restaurant will become to unmanageable forcing closure – but don’t worry, if your restaurant gets passed Day 15, you get to franchise it. The trick is to continuously open new restaurants and not do worry about losing the current restaurant. Throughout you’ll get new layouts (some which are bigger and better) and new locations such as the city (default), countryside and then the alpines. There are also seasonal locations as the game is frequently updated.

One of the most fun aspects of the game is that processes can be automated and upgraded. Using something called the research desk it is almost essential to continuously upgrade blueprints to receive a desired appliance. You could set it up such that you have servers that take the dishes to the client, or you can even serve the dishes solo. It obviously becomes much easier to do with other players. But one of the best aspects of this game is, it’s entirely possible to do solo!

Cooking is pretty straightforward, recipes aren’t too hard to manage either. It’s fairly simple, some items need to be chopped or kneaded while others or maybe even the chopped or kneaded items will need to be cooked for a certain amount of time until it is ready to the customer’s preference. Some items like Steak will have multiple variations such as light, medium or well done. Other dishes like Pizza only have one. Some like fish, will be between two different colors, one will cook faster than the other. All in all, recipes have a very nice variation. With the aforementioned cards, you can even take on side dishes which adds an interesting gameplay variation, though logistically, it will make the game harder.

The music for the game is very well done and very suitable. Though right now, I haven’t been able to find it on YouTube. Art style is obviously minimalistic, but things stand out well so I think it’s perfect.

One major gripe I have with the game is the learning curve. It’s easy enough to pick up, but there’s so much the game doesn’t tell you that it should. For example, the game should really emphasize the necessity of the Research Desk. This upgrades any blueprints chosen from the end of the day. You have to set up the table next to a blueprint cabinet – when a flask appears on top of the blueprint cabinet is how you’ll know that it’s working. Furthermore, some blueprints can be upgraded more than once and are cyclical in nature. This isn’t obvious at all, you’ll need a wiki to figure out what upgrades to what.

Figuring out the automation is yet another mind bobbling experience. It’s mostly trial and error. There is some very neat automation in this game that is never explained. For example, conveyor belts can be upgraded to grabbers which will take the item from an adjacent appliance. And then there are smart grabbers (the next upgrade after grabbers) that can be trained to take only a particular item - the first one placed adjacent to them. I think in order to make this clearer, it would be better if it was explained in a series of scenario tutorials. Something where the kitchen or day is already in progress with an unlimited timer and it is already set up for the player to use. I think they should have a tutorial per appliance, would be nice. Also with automation, not all items will work, for example Microwaves, Ovens and Dishwashers will not know the difference between something cooked and something just placed on it and will always treat it as completed anyway. Only hobs and mixers will work as intended. These specific items are never stated to explicitly work with automation while the others do not.

Additionally, tables can be set up in such a way that the dirty dishes of expanded tables will all go to a particular table which can be picked up from. This table can be set by picking up and dropping tables in order to shift down the location (as indicated by the number of people seated, it should appear on the table where the dirty dishes will be placed).

There are also coffee tables that act as a waiting room, they are very powerful and can save your restaurant from dangerously long queues.

Another small thing to mention is that a lot of aspects, such as what blueprints and cards you get are completely luck dependent. Some cards are very punishing such as the one where customers leave dirt on the plate which must be removed before it can be cleaned. So if you don’t have an upgraded bin or the blueprint for a bin, you could very well be in quite the conundrum. Choosing a known seed for your layout and/or opening a franchise can circumvent this issue though. A sandbox mode would be appreciated (if it’s even possible).

The only real similarity between the two is that the cooking is simplified to holding a button which changes the state of the item and then cooking it for a certain amount of time. The rest is actually quite different. Plate Up has a much deeper gameplay that involves management and logistic skills in addition to cooking. In the first phase is where the creativity comes to life, players have to find a way to set up their restaurant such that they find it manageable. Recipes are also typically much more involved than in Overcooked having different variations, potential sides as well, it allows for a lot of mix and match. The automation process also adds another level of gameplay that wasn’t there in Overcooked. There are also rogue-like mechanics such as the card system and the blueprint drops at the end of the day. Also unlike in overcook, the goal is not a finite one. The idea is to survive as many days as possible though closure of the restaurant is an inevitability.

I highly recommend Plate Up! It has a deep level of gameplay which allows you to cook several different recipes, some of which have their sub variations as well as allowing you to manage a restaurant that you can set up however you want. It will challenge you to make the most efficient layout possible while trying out a myriad of different combinations. It also has a really unique feature of automation which allows the restaurant to essentially take care of itself for the most part! The only downside is its lack of explanation on more advanced mechanics of the game. I would highly recommend it nonetheless, especially if you’re going to be playing with others. If you’re looking to play this solo, it’s definitely doable though it becomes much harder and your mileage will vary. It works wonderfully on the Steam Deck which brings back some great couch co-op. Definitely a must-buy!

Update: As of 19/11/2021 they have updated the progression system to grant 50XP upon each game completion.

Update 2: 23/11/2021 If the Tenrai event is the model for events going forward for Halo Infinite I am going to be very disappointed. It is an event through which you can progress only by completing very specific challenges one at a time. It's grindy, repetitive and boring.


Overall, Halo Infinite is quite a fun game. It retains the classic Halo formula while modernizing the game and increasing the pace. The game is easy to pick up and doesn't have a very high learning curve. The maps are great and the sandbox makes for some really fun moments.


Although the game is fun, its quite far from perfect. It's sandbox is amazing and allows for cool moments, but it's incredibly unbalanced at the moment.

Pros

• Maps are by and large great, they are fun and atmospheric
  
• Gamemodes are fun when you're in a team that knows what they're doing
  
• Training mode/Tutorial will get you familiarized with the weapon sandbox.
  
• Gameplay movement and overall pacing feels fast (at least by Halo standards, not compared to Titanfall)
  
• Controls and fluidity of control is great
  
• It's free
  
• Vehicles are fun to control and bring a genuine advantage to the game
  
• Graphically/Visually appealing
  
• Easy to pick up and doesn't require a high learning curve

Cons

• The TTK (Time it takes To Kill) is very high, which is weird for a game that tries so hard to have a fast paced flow. This makes challenging enemies or groups of enemies unrewarding since the amount of effort that goes into defeating your enemy a major feat. (Btw, the TTK is high even by Halo standards, imo)
  
• Sandbox is unbalanced. The starting weapons, AR and pistol sidearm are very powerful and very good. They both have a great range and deal high damage. Ravager needs a charged shot in order to deliver a high damage and Needler is very dependent on having a red reticle in order to land shots despite high recoil and low range, giving the player no incentive to pick them up on the battlefield. Battle Rifle and Commando seem sluggish when aimed down, I found I was getting much better results when not ADS. They are comparatively unreliable when compared to the starter weapons and some other weapons like the Cindershot.
  
• No way to choose a specific gamemode for matchmaking. All gamemodes are in a pool, but more times than often if you get an objective based match you'll probably be tossed in a group that doesn't know what's going on. Making any gamemode outside of Slayer a frustrating experience.
  
• XP progression is only earned by challenges negating your performance and time you spent. This really needs to change. Edit: XP Progression seems to have improved.
  
• Any cosmetic worth having is either locked behind a paywall or only on the highest tier of the battle pass
  
• Disconnection issues happen often when searching for a game. (Since this game is in Beta, I'll let this one go)
  
• Rare audio glitches

Halo Infinite is a fun multiplayer FPS experience that certainly needs some polish. It's definitely shaping up to be a fun experience. It takes the very best of Halo and refreshes the experience in a modern format allowing for faster paced gameplay. This game will definitely bring together old and new fans alike. If I were to give it a score 8/10 - really fun, but needs better progression and balancing of weapons.

Seeing on how this game is on a massive discount, I thought I'd write a review about what is definitively my favorite Sonic game of all time.

If you've never played a sonic game before - this is THE place to start. Sonic Generations features two types of gameplay: Classic Sonic (which takes from the Genesis Era of games) and Modern Sonic (which takes from the Dreamcast to the 360 era of games). This games takes the best level from each one of their best selling games. Green Hill from Sonic The Hedgehog, Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic 2, Sky Sanctuary from Sonic 3 (& Knuckles), Speed Sanctuary from Sonic Adventure, City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2, Seaside Hill from Sonic Heroes, Crisis City from Sonic '06, Rooftop Run from Sonic Unleashed and Planet Wisp from Sonic Colors. The best part is, these levels are not impossibly difficult that you'll need Super Meat Boy level of platforming skills, but rather something that is accessible and enjoyable to anyone willing to try out a Sonic game.

For my review I will divide this into two sections: Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic (I'll also talk about the boss battles in each)

You start the game off in a hub world following a cutscene. In this hub world, you can select whether to play as Modern or Classic Sonic. You also choose which level to play from here. The best part is, you won't be locked out from playing previous levels you've beaten, so it also works as a level select.

If you've played some of the older Sonic games or even Sonic Mania, this will feel very familiar to you. The controls for classic sonic are simple. Move, jump and spin dash. Everything is done from a side-view featuring sections that involve 2D platforming. The level design of these levels are amazing, some levels will take a bit more than others, especially the later ones. This is also the easier Sonic to control, at times you go really fast (but that's the point right?), some parts can be annoying like any chase sequence, or parts where you are forced to blaze through because the path behind you is systematically crumbling, but all in all, it really makes use of testing your platforming skills. The look and feel of the levels are beautiful, especially considering that some of the levels they are based off of from other games were never meant to be played as a Classic Sonic, this game does the level design so well in ensuring that everything feels as it should.

The classic sonic bossfights are very interesting, they play like the Genesis ones, except they also move up in layers/sequences, giving a 3D feel to the classic Sonic experience. Nothing really to write home about, but they are certainly fun, the Metal Sonic bossfight is easily my favorite Classic Sonic bossfight.

I enjoyed most levels of Classic Sonic, though Crisis City did give me a bit of trouble. Planet Wisp, could give you a soft lock on the Rocket Boost section where the ceiling collapses, so it might be frustrating to restart that level. Other than that, the classic Sonic levels felt different from the Modern Sonic levels and were beautifully made, it was an absolute pleasure and blast to play through, nothing ever felt impossibly difficult. Furthermore, the classic Sonic levels improve their Genesis counterparts in every way, they take out the most annoying parts and keep the best. (No more annoying pink water from Sonic 2 - it cut this portion into only a fragment compare to what it was.)

Modern Sonic's gameplay is fantastic, if you've played any of the more recent games up to Colors, you'll feel right at home. It takes the levels from the original games and adds a whole new layer of polish to give you a definitive modern sonic experience. Modern Sonic levels tend to be A LOT faster. They put you in a 3rd person perspective following behind Sonic encorporating some 3D platforming aspects. At some point these will turn to a side view for some 2D platforming as well. There are also some boost sections involving you from moving side to side. The controls of modern Sonic are movement, jumping and boosting. But when you jump, you can lock onto to targets like badnicks (enemies) or railings, springs or things you need to grab on to. You can also jump through rings to do tricks to power up your boost meter. Although the level theme is the same, the level designs are unique and different from Classic Sonic's levels, some will even take you to places you didn't see in the Classic stages, everything feels right about how the levels go. Also badnicks, boost pads and springs feel correctly placed so as to help you progress in your stage rather than hinder you.

The boss fights as Modern Sonic are many a time, long drawn out and exhausting. Also I found that sometimes, what you have to do is not very obvious, even with Oma Chaos' (it's a tutorial guider) explanations. Though, when you realize what to do, it becomes a lot more fun.

As far as modern Sonic levels go, I only really didn't like seaside hill, because if you missed a certain higher ground path, you'd be stuck with the ground path which sometimes takes you through water and it can be very easy to mess up on these places putting you far back enough for it to feel frustrating.

Although easier than it predecessors, the levels in Sonic Generations capture the feel of it's ancestors with an extra level of polish and finesse. Nothing feels like a frustrating trap in the levels, all in all, getting through this game is really dependent on your previous experience with Sonic and on your familiarity with the levels of the game, but it is easily the most accessible Sonic title out there, I believe there is something for everyone in this game. So if you're willing to try Sonic, this is the game to pick up. I also wanted to mention about how beautiful the rendition of the music is, it takes each song from their original levels and provides two variations of it. The remixes are amazing, one always captures the original feel of the song perfectly, while the other will provide a suitable and fitting remix. Sonic soundtracks are amongst some of the best video game soundtracks imo. The level aesthetics capture perfectly the feel of the original levels they are based off of, and some really look spectacular such as Rooftop Run. Additionally, this game comes with a Sonic Pinball, that's like sprinkles on Ice Cream, it just makes this game that much better - if you like Pinball. The only complaint I really have are the boss battles can be boring at times or even too long, other than that, playing the core levels is a fantastic experience. Story wise, nothing spectacular, but it didn't really need one, the cutscenes are really just icing on the cake, they're not really necessary, but its nice that its there, it really adds that much more to the game. There's also a lot of replayability to find all the Red Stars and complete the challenges. Also, this game is best played with a controller, don't make yourself suffer otherwise.

It's the most accessible Sonic game, it never really feels frustrating. It's easily the most polished Sonic game out there, so it's worth at the very least trying. The level design is brilliant and the atmosphere really captures the Sonic experience and certain levels like Rooftop Run or Escape from the city, take it a step further. All in all, a very enjoyable game with plenty of replayability value. This is a fun and enjoyable Sonic game, which you'll find yourself playing your favorite levels several times. This game is best played with a controller.

I hope this was able to help you decide if this is a game for you, if anything was unclear, let me know in the comments. And remember when playing Sonic, you GOTTA GO FAST!

The Halo MCC on Steam is a dream come true for me, but even so, there are a lot of positives and negatives I would like to share with you about this game. In order to do so, I will divide this into two sections: Single-Player (Campaign) and Multiplayer (literally every other mode).

So far, the MCC has the Halo Reach, Halo CE (Classic and Anniversary), Halo 2 (Classic and Anniversary) and Halo 3 campaigns and multiplayer.

Halo: Reach
This campaign is by far one of my favorite from the Halo franchise. It's story telling and cinematics are amazing. It's levels feel connected and seamless. It also has one of my favorite levels of all time: Long Night of Solace. The graphics still hold up alright. This game definitely feels the most diverse in terms of gameplay, plus a huge bonus is the fact that it's a 4-player co-op campaign. Many people encounter audio bugs, though I myself have not experienced this, I hear though a fix is on it's way. I have however experienced bugs on easter eggs, like the Nightclub one where Grunts randomly die. Other than that, pretty smooth sailing.

Halo: Combat Evolved
This is probably my least favorite campaign, it is the first Halo game I played, and coming back after all these years, I realize how little of the future games' QOL improvements it did not have. This campaign is worth it for the story. The atmosphere and environment are great, but the repetition and length of certain missions feels boring. Literally after the level Guilty Spark, it really gets repetitive. The Anniversary graphics are fine, but in certain missions, they don't capture the same atmosphere of the original - especially Guilty Spark. This is the game that started the franchise, it also gave us an iconic beginning to what is one of my favorite sci-fi stories. [2-player co-op]

Halo 2
Definitely the best and most polished campaign experience on the MCC. With the Anniversary graphics, we are given an amazing and unparallel experience to what is one of the best written stories in Halo. The cutscenes are spectacular. The gameplay - is exactly how I remember it. This also has the best writing out of the campaigns. The parallel story lines of the Arbiter and the Master Chief is done in an excellent way, definitely the best story, imo. [2-player co-op]

Halo 3
Surprisingly, I found this to be the most fun campaign. I was expecting dated graphics, but for a game originally made in 2007, it holds up very well. The cinematics, all in all still look great, no screenshot will really do this game justice. The gameplay of this campaign is absolutely amazing, by far the most fun. In addition, the thing that made the campaign most fun was the 1-4 player campaign co-op in which each player takes on their own unique character. It was the best and most fun campaign in the series hands down even til today. The level design is also amazing with a large sandbox and large open-spaced levels. Nothing ever felt to repetitive or too difficult... except the level Cortana...

Halo 3: ODST
This Halo game was a game changer. It took the mechanics and engine from Halo 3 and added a whole level over to make it something truly unique. It was able to accomplish this both via it's aesthetics and atmosphere. ODST thus far is the only Open/Semi-Open World environment thus far. The game takes you through playing as the Rookie through the abandoned streets of New Mombassa in search of your teammates. Moreover, ODST seeks to put you out of the shoes of a Spartan and into the boots of a much more realistic ODST spec ops marine. The other half of the game takes you through playing various members of your squad. The ODST Firefight is a blessing, it's a very diverse firefight game mode that is extremely customizeable and can even be endless. Definitely a blast to play with a full squad of 4.

Halo 4
Halo 4 is arguably the black sheep of the MCC. It's the only one on this list fully developed by 343i. That being said, I think it's a fine entry. Halo 4's storytelling is not the best, but it more than makes up for it with it's un-rivaled cinematic presentation, having some of the best cutscenes in the franchise. Halo 4's story fails in the sense it's hard to follow without having read external material, it also rewrites a lot of the Bungie lore such as humanity no longer being descendants of the Forerunner. The Campaign is really fun because it takes you to bran new locations such as Requium and gives you access to the Pelican which is insane to fly. They also added this in forge. Can play 4+!

I have a lot of gripes about the multiplayer, so I'll leave this general for now.

For starters, matchmaking is beyond horrible. The way it works is, you're confined to selecting by how many players you want. Then from there are categories (for example: Flag & Assault, Skulls, Slayer, Slayer Auto, SWAT, Infection, Action Sack).
But these categories often include things you don't want. For example Action Sack Halo Reach has Dino Blasters which is one of the worst gamemodes I've ever played in my life. Also Shotty Flags, not a fan of it. And the worst part is, you don't have a whitelist for what type of these sub-gametypes you want. If there are horrible ones and you select that category for say... Fiesta, you'll have to contend with these horrible other types too.

Next, Invasion, one of the best gametypes is set to a competitive type, so naturally, most of the player base doesn't even know it exists. Also barely anyone plays Competitve a few weeks after each game releases.

Firefight - I just want a 4 player regular firefight experience, but this suffers from the same category problem, you'll get gamemodes you don't like, such as sniperfight or plasmafight. This locks you to certain weapons, which imo, defeats certain aspects of firefight which is how you choose to take out the waves of enemies in any style you choose.

Furthermore, sometimes you'll get the exact game type twice in a row. It's bad enough to get a gamemode you don't like, but you'll get it twice...

Finally, let's talk about how much of a grind it is to rank up. It just takes way too long, and especially given it's a linear progression, it may take you a very long time to get that armor piece you want. Moreover if you want to get all of them... that'll take a very long time. I've heard it takes at least a 100 hrs on the minimum. I'm happy to say with the Season2/Halo 3 update, the challenge hub has made leveling up so much easier and faster. Also I've noticed Halo 2 Anniversary games give you a lot more XP than Reach gamemodes, this should be balanced. In addition to this, Halo 3's multiplayer doesn't even have assist medals. (It probably never will either.)

Map rotations are a terrible idea, all maps should be available at all times. Please put an end to map rotation, otherwise players only end up playing the same maps OVER and OVER again. Defeats the purpose of having all those maps, if you're not going to experience them.

For all the negatives I talked about, when you actually do get the gamemodes you enjoy, it's really a fun experience. It's how I remember it and in a lot of regards better.

I'm recommending this game for the Campaign alone. The multiplayer has become much better thanks to the Halo 3 update. Is it perfect? No. Still needs work, but we're a lot closer now than before. Also the challenges really give you a lot to do in the game. Halo brought a lot to the FPS franchise and really gave us a new cool and unique sci-fi story. Forge mode is great with a lot of new things added and a lot of quality of life upgrades, still waiting for file share though so that I can play these maps with my friends. I hope this will give you clarity on whether you feel this game collection is worth buying.

Edit: Updated with new information for Halo 4 and Season 4 updates.

This game is incredible. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Portal 2, I would say it's in my Top 5 favorite video games of all time. After completing Portal 2, there was a void in my heart, hoping I could have more... Gravitas fills this void.

Gravitas places the player into an "art" gallery. There they are given gloves that can generate gravitational fields on certain surfaces. The player must then pass through a few courses. Each of these courses was unique and challenging through a first play-through. The humor was funny, as well as the characters such as the Curator (reminiscent of Wheatly from Portal 2). The dialogue is well written as well as the responses to actions made by the player. On my second play-through I found myself looking for all the secrets to 100% the game. The game itself is very short. And can be completed in 30min - 1hr depending on how much detail you take in from the game.

The game is very short, but sweet. It's free. Most importantly, it's fun. If you ever find yourself looking for something short that'll keep you entertained. This is most certainly it.

I would love to see more of this. I really hope a full fledged game like this comes out.