Recent reviews by Stevexc

Definitely some technical issues, but the game nails the feel of D&D. It's not perfect, but it's damn fun.

A fun explorative and investigative romp through a synthwave paradise rocked by a murder. Mechanically the game isn't perfect, but it's got a sharp aesthetic, a clever sense of humor, and one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a game maybe ever. Absolutely worth a play. About 10-15 hours long, maybe 20 if you decide to 100% everything. Highly recommend with the caveat that I do not know what to recommend to play after when you're left wanting more.

Elden Ring takes every little complaint I had about the original Dark Souls games and throws them out the window, while still firmly maintaining its identity.

The biggest change is the open world and its implications on the linear flow prevalent in the previous games. While you always had some options as to where to go next, once you were in an area, you were in it - and once that boss was just too much for you, there was nothing to do but continually run up against that wall until you finally broke it. Not so in Elden Ring - there's always something else you can go do to get more runes, better weapons, new spirit ashes and skills, and upgrade materials until your stats line up with your skills.

Not only that, but the world itself is massive, and gorgeous, and terrifying, and strange, and a joy to explore and run terrified through after accidentally spawning some ridiculous boss through esoteric means. So much to find, and do, and get killed by.

There's tons of other QOL changes too - free fast travel between unlocked Graces (aka bonfires) right from the get-go, checkpoints just outside outdoor dungeons, a refined and easier to access weapon skills system, enemy packs or groups that refill a flask (estus) charge when cleared, a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ horsegoat, a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ jump button. Plenty of things that just enhance the experience overall. Some of them are definitely mainstays of typical RPGs, open-world or otherwise, but it's refreshing to see them in a Souls game.

There are caveats of course. Despite some of the marketing and player descriptions, it may be "Breath of the Dark Souls" on the surface, but at its core the game is Dark Souls through and through.

You will die. A lot. This is intended and only lightly "punished".
Combat is slow and deliberate and requires you to learn the enemies and commit to every action you take. This is also intended - anyone saying it's clunky or that it ignores button presses clearly has never played a Souls game. You make a heavy swing, you are making that heavy swing - no take backs.
The lore and the plot are esoteric, cryptic, and vague. Again, intended, and clearly not to everyone's taste, but this is how it's been done in the series since day one. It's all there, and it's very deep and rich - it's just not on the surface.

There are also some legitimate issues with the PC port itself which some people are finding to have a much larger impact than others. There are "stutters", sometimes up to a second or two in length, where the game almost pauses for a moment then fast forwards to catch up - personally, I've never had one of these happen at a crucial moment, but I can see it happening. That said they are not frequent in most areas (the starting area is the worst for them) and seem to be tied to shader loading. There are also some minor issues with the online features - bloodstains work rarely if ever. EAC is also not ideal. Some widely-requested features are missing as well, such as ultrawide monitor support or unlocked framerates. If any of these issues are dealbreakers, so be it.

Overall, despite the technical issues with the port, the underlying game is very playable and very competently done. Were it to run flawlessly, I would without question consider this game to be effectively perfect. Everything it sets out to do, it does exceptionally. The actual gameplay, while not for everyone, is very intentional and if you accept it for what it is trying to be and not expect it to be another BotW or Ubisoft open-world game, will reward you endlessly as your own skills grow with your character's. Given the fact that there are objective technical issues, I can't quite call it perfect - but I definitely recommend that anyone interested in the Soulsborne formula give it a shot.

If you like exploration, puzzles, unraveling mysteries, time travel... you'll love this. I cannot recommend this game enough. Without giving too much away, it's like No Man's Sky (thematically) meets Majora's Mask (conceptually).

Go in blind.

A simple game to start that gradually opens up with complexity. Lots of stupid humor and overall a great diversion.

It's not perfect. In fact it's very flawed. But if you liked FO4, it's a fun new world to explore and shoot things in.

Fantastic game in the spirit of Harvest Moon. If you were into HM, you will enjoy this - it harkens back to the days of Friends of Mineral Town. On top of that, the developer is very active, having dropped a bugfix patch every day since release in response to the community's (relatively minor) complaints.

Easily the best way to listen to music ever.