Recent reviews by Starvz

A CS veteran's heartbreak – this isn't Counter-Strike anymore

I've been playing CS since the 1.6 and Source days – over 1,200 hours logged between the two. The raw gameplay, the gritty maps, the incredible community mods – that was CS. CS:GO was already a step in the wrong direction, and CS2 feels like they kicked the franchise while it was down.

Where's the modding soul? No custom maps, no crazy community servers? CS used to be a playground for creativity, now it's a sterile corporate product.

Microtransactions killed the vibe: Paying for weapon skins that used to be FREE community creations? Paying for map packs that would've been awesome workshop additions? It's insulting.

Gameplay feels... off: I can't put my finger on it, but the movement, the gunplay, it doesn't have that classic CS tightness. Like they tried to copy the "modern shooter" feel and ruined the formula.

No respect for the legacy: Where's the respect for the iconic maps, the old-school game modes, the history of this series? Feels like they just want to milk a familiar name.

Bottom Line: If you loved the old-school CS, this ain't it. It's a soulless, cash-grabbing imitation that misses the whole point of what made Counter-Strike special.

As someone who's poured a staggering 302 hours into Timberborn, I can confidently say that this game is a masterpiece of strategic design and environmental manipulation. Here’s why I believe it’s a game worth every minute:

Environmental Mastery:
The standout feature for me has been the unparalleled ability to interact with and reshape the environment to suit my city-building needs. The power to divert rivers, construct intricate waterways, and transform the landscape embodies an extraordinary fusion of nature and engineering that is both challenging and immensely satisfying.

Overcoming Adversity – Iron Teeth Triumph:
One of my most memorable challenges was embarking on a journey with the Iron Teeth faction. Balancing population, farming, and water management while preparing for and overcoming the daunting badwater disasters was a rewarding feat that tested my resilience and strategic acumen.

Vertical Vision – Skyward Settlements:
My strategy has evolved to focus on vertical construction, building upwards to maximize space and efficiency. This approach not only revolutionized my gameplay but also reflects a broader philosophy of growth and adaptability, mirroring real-world architectural advancements.

Community and Developer Synergy:
While I haven’t engaged in community events, the game's updates have significantly enhanced my experience. The developers’ commitment to incorporating community feedback has kept the game fresh and ever-improving, paralleling the continuous growth I strive for in my personal and professional life.

The Allure of Efficiency:
It’s the thrill of discovering new efficiencies and tricks that beckons me back to Timberborn. Each session is a new opportunity to refine my strategies and push the boundaries of what my beaver society can achieve, mirroring the incremental progress of real-life learning and success.

Anticipating Evolution – Automation Aspirations:
Timberborn has captivated me with its current features, and as I look towards the future, my aspiration is to see automation introduced into its gameplay. This isn't about what's planned or promised, but rather a personal desire to see a complex layer of automated management that could elevate the game's strategic elements to new levels. The implementation of systems to intelligently control water resources or respond to environmental changes would offer players like myself a fresh way to interact with the world we've invested so many hours in crafting. It's a testament to the game's solid foundation that it inspires such visions of what could come next.

A Unique Strategy Experience:
Timberborn distinguishes itself from other city-builders with its unique focus on beavers and water conservation. This novel twist adds an intriguing layer to the usual building mechanics, making it stand out in a crowded genre.

Moments of Triumph:
Constructing my first mega reservoir was a defining moment that filled me with pride. The project was a testament to patience and long-term planning, with the community of beavers reaping the rewards for generations—a true achievement in my Timberborn legacy.

An Invitation to Future Engineers:
To those new to building strategy games: Timberborn is a game that marries a simple concept with complex execution. It's about strategy, growth, and the charming sight of industrious beavers working towards a common goal. If you relish the thought of masterminding a thriving beaver metropolis, then Timberborn is your canvas to craft an intricate, water-rich world.

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I LOVE RP WITH THE GAME

ITS IS GOOD

I'm somewhat mixed on this game. The intro alone took me 8 hours which surprised me because up till the title sequence I had thought I was playing the game in it's entirety already, (this gave me a good laugh when I discovered that it was just the game intro). I've currently played 19 hours, mostly doing side missions and gigs to explore the entire city (or at least as much as possible). So far all of the missions and gigs I've done have had good stories behind them (although doing gigs is a little repetitive, since you're doing the same thing just in a different area). The visuals are next level, if you're unable to experience this game on Ultra settings you're are missing out on a visual masterpiece. Everything about this game pleases my senses, from the visual and audio down to the mechanics of the game. You can tell that the developers put a lot of heart and soul into this game.

Sadly though I've already experienced what I believe to be game breaking bugs. The biggest of those being unable to pick things up off the ground, I run into this issue quite frequently and feel because of it I've lost out on quite a bit of loot and opportunity. NPC's sometimes upon dying get glitched inside of areas where you are unable to reach them rendering your ability to loot them impossible. Recently I've also discovered a glitch with my aiming, I experienced a cut scene and upon returning to game play I was no longer able to aim down the scope of any of my weapons and shoot at the same time. The only fix I found for this was to get completely new weapons, which meant I had to downgrade in my weaponry which in turn made doing missions more difficult. There's been a few other minor bugs with vehicles not able to move as if their stuck in the ground, or they randomly disappear on you. But these I don't find to be game breakers as you can always get a new one.

All in all this game even in it's current state is worth the money, and has been worth the time I'm investing in it. I'd recommend this game to anyone that enjoys Open World games, this games only bound to get better with patches & updates.

This game is simply fantastic, even in it's current state. The concept is great, the mechanics and game play are fantastic. It's still early access so it has it's bugs, and things missing. But the developers are actively improving the game and listening to their community.

In the beginning I struggled to get this game to run no matter what I did. Finally upon upgrading to 32 gbs of RAM the game now runs fine on High.

Now that i've had a chance to actually play the game i'm quite happy with my purchase. I've so far stuck to Solo gameplay as i'm very casual in my gameplay. I've not had issues with Zerging or even really dealing with a hostile player, I'm unlocking and building at a pretty steady pace on my own. The mechanics are great, concept fantastic! They're still struggling to come out with an update that doesn't crash their servers every time. So be prepared on update day for the servers to be extremely unstable.

Update: I've now sunken a lot of time into this game, it still continues to struggle with PvE content but since the release of Season 2, the games seen a drastic improvement. If it continues in this direction it's worth the money.

This has been a very impressive game so far. I was a huge fan of Mount & Blade. They've done a good job so far with questing, If you've never played before the beginning can be a bit confusing as it lacks a little direction after the initial tutorial. The combat system is quite wonderful, the directional swing and block can be a bit difficult at times making you miss. However with a bit of practice at swinging the sword on the horse and i'm doing pretty good now. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a sandbox game that allows you to play at a small scale of raiding small villages, and transporting goods. To full scale sieges on castles and Kingdom wars. And allows you to be active as a person during combat. There are a few minor bugs, and a few crashes I've had so far that have frustrated me. But still worth the money.