Recent reviews by MadMaxxSimp

Easy game to beat and 100% as other users have said.


: I got this game in the hopes of adding a perfect game to my collection. Steam does track the achievements but not the game itself. That was a bummer.

Are you are a peasant like me who likes free games? Do you struggle to pay the steep tithes to our glorious Lord Gaben and the Church of Valve? I understand your pain brother! We live in difficult times: burdened by the weight of our game backlog, constant tributes to Steam sales and gaming deals, the perpetual temptation of the pirate seas, the perpetual lack of a gamer GF who is half my weight...Yes we live in dark times you and I. Anyway, where was I? Ah yes! The Red Button is a free game and it's short.

: Stellar voice acting in the Red Button. Like your spouse, the voices in this game will periodically nag you to push the button. And you will ignore their demands like you should. Its great training for married life! (GIVE ME BACK MY KIDS JANET!!!!! 😢 😡)

8.5/10 jUsTpuShtHebUTtoN

Unpopular opinion: I don't like Crysis 2. It's my least favorite of the trilogy. My reasons why:

> This game was made for consoles. It is a consolized and linear experience. Crysis 2 thus offers much less freedom than Crysis 1 does. Like many similar 2010s era shooters, Crysis 2 wants to hold your hand and tell you what to do at every turn. It doesn't respect player choice in the same way Crysis 1 does. This is fine for a while but after the first few times, your game experience becomes aggravating.

> I've always wanted to play Crysis like a immersive sim. The Crysis games do offer some of that experience: branching pathways, multiple choices, RPG skill trees etc. You want to play Crysis like it's a Deus Ex game. Sadly, Crytek does not support that non linear experience enough. This is especially the case with Crysis 2 which, again, tries to hand hold you.

> Bugs bugs bugs. Ugh. The game repeatedly crashed for me when I tried to reload a checkpoint. Even after Googling the problem, I was unable to find a solution. Repeated technical glitches made the game less fun for me.


Gamers who loved the lush tropical beauty of Lingshan will be dismayed by Crysis 2. The setting–that of a destroyed New York City–looks grimy and janky. That's fine but the devs never bothered to vary the color scheme. Everywhere you look you see gray and black hues. Crysis 2 never wows you in the way Crysis 1 does.

It's not hard to 100% this game. You get most of the achievements in your first playthrough. You can play your first playthrough on maximum difficulty. The collectibles are not hard to find and there are not too many to get.

Hans Zimmer helped make the Crysis 2 soundtrack. It is a hit or miss experience. You'll love the game during those melodic piano sections. Otherwise not so much. My least favorite track was the intro theme which feels worn out after a few listens.

Crysis 2 is a decent FPS shooter. The weapons are balanced and there are many you can use. Enemies are challenging so long as they don't get buggy. The action set pieces and gameplay loops are satisfying enough. Plenty of objects in the environment you can pick up or blow up.

Crysis 2 can be a struggle to stealth through in the initial levels. But once you get the right upgrades: oh man! You can sneak through a whole level while invisible! Enemy AI is jittery and they will shoot for no reason at times. Still, Crysis 2 offers a decent stealth experience. If you want more of the same, play Crysis 3 which gives you a much better stealth game experience.

Overall Rating : 6.5/10, Crysis 1 is better.

You play as a fox. That's what got me to play Spirit of the North (SOTN). It's nice to play as a non-human protagonist for a change.

Spirit of the North has zero dialogue and zero combat elements. Even so, it succeeds with its simple (and ambiguous) premise of a fox moving across gorgeous scenery, guided by its companion fox spirit. You will find yourself stopping often to take in the environment around you (as well as use the handy Photo Mode to take screenshots). The final end credits scene in particular is jaw dropping; more games should have interactive end credits parts!

SOTN succeeds in terms of visual spectacle and relaxed gameplay. Its metaphysical themes also offer much room for open interpretation.


This game is a great play for those looking for a calm walking sim to wind down the day with.

The sleepy and slow pace of the tracks add to the casual ambience of the game. It's a great listen for the first few times. After that, the tracks feel tiresome and repetitive. I wish the devs had added more tracks as well as more variety to the soundtrack.

Spirit of the North is a great game to play on ultrawide monitors at max resolution. There may be occasional stutters and FPS drops in some game areas--this is particularly the case in "red zones."

As a walking sim, this game is great for doing a meditation session or a mindfulness exercise. I enjoyed the immersive flow of being a fox in this natural world interwoven with metaphysical elements. I recommend ignoring the urge to hunt for collectibles as that distracts from the mindful aspects of this game.

Sadly, I cannot recommend this game for Fox Truthers. SOTN allows your fox to bark using a specific mapped key. But there is zero lore that tells you what the fox is saying.

SOTN is a short, sweet and fun game to 100%. None of the achievements are too frustrating to get. The grind for collectibles is mild. Video guides may be needed for one semi-tedious achievement.

They're Good Foxes Brent, 12/10

In 2009, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said that he wanted "to take all the fun out of making videogames." That mindset is unfortunately baked into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. I don't feel like the devs enjoyed making this game and neither do I. (Side note: I do believe in the mantra that if the devs don't have fun, players won't have fun with a game.)

CoD: MW3 is a special game for me. I have lots of good memories associated with this game. But nostalgia can't cover up the fact that this game is broken. As of 2023, MW3 is a mess. Multiplayer is broken and overrun with hackers, player data gets lost (including all medals, records, ranks etc.). I guess the campaign is still playable but even that is forgettable compared to MW1 or MW2's campaign. Too many scripted sequences, no memorable missions plus the "twists" don't feel as impactful.

I still enjoy playing MW1 and MW2. This game, not so much. It just hasn't aged well even though, like I said, I have a lot of good memories attached with MW3.

I have tried my best to like this Hitman entry. But I honestly cannot. And most of the Hitman fanbase would agree. To IO Interactive's credit, Absolution is a stealth game. It sticks close to the franchise formula. But it doesn't do those two things very well. Any game franchise can have a middle child that no fan likes. Unfortunately, Hitman: Absolution is one of those titles.


Passable stealth game. The gameplay respects your stealth style and doesn't force you to go Rambo. Even so, other Hitman titles are much more fun stealthwise.

The graphics haven't aged well. And the art style feels washed out and terrible. It's as if someone applied a pi$$ filter to every level in the game.

Absolutely not. This game cannot be 100%ed. Achievement breaking bugs exist in game that never got patched. Plus the "multiplayer" achievements are unobtainable since the servers went down (for more info on this, check Kunovega's Steam guide for Hitman: Absolution).

One of the weakest points of the game are the villains. The villain characters don't feel formidable at all. They are weak and a complete joke. This is sadly the case when it comes to the Agency. The Agency should feel like an intimidating and powerful force to reckon with. But every time Benjamin Travis comes on screen, I feel like laughing.

No, this game isn't worth it for the story, even for the Hitman fans. The plot is a nothingburger. The girl at the center of the story is more lifeless than the corpses 47 leaves behind. Diana's plot arc is completely wasted potential. Diana is an anchor for 47. Hitman: Absolution is the first game where we get to see her and know her properly. But the devs decided to keep her out of the game. Imagine if the plot twist of Diana being alive came earlier in the game? You could go rogue with Diana by your side, playing missions with limited resources! Sadly, that's not the case. Diana's near total absence in Absolution diminishes the game and reduces its quality.

6.5/10, skip this game, play only if you love Hitman games

Max Hass? Max Hass!

This open world game was released in 2010. Its size on your disk is around 5 GB. And yet, Just Cause 2 (JC2) is far better than many modern titles which are larger and more complex. The main reason is because it's fun and doesn't hold you back with unnecessary grind. Just Cause 2 is an unapologetically fun experience where you blow up some stuff and then some more.

The best part of all the Just Cause games is their destructive sandbox experience. That is their core strength and the reason why they're so fun. JC2 in particular features over 300 locations including villages, cities, military bases, harbors, offshore rigs, a strip club in the middle of the sky and so on. Each location has vehicle/weapon parts to collect along with destructible elements to (well) destroy. It is this gameplay loop–collect parts, destroy stuff, 100% a location–that makes JC2 so fun and addictive. You can spend hours just doing this.

While Just Cause has been praised for its destructive sandbox experience, the setting itself deserves more appreciation. Just Cause 2 is set in the fictional island country of Panau. Panau is a gorgeous country spanning an area of over 400 square miles. It is full of mountains, plains, rivers, islands etc. and features various climate zones. Once again, I'm amazed by what the devs achieved with just 5 GB for this game!


Just Cause 2 is mindless fun. You don't have to invest much in the storyline. Perfect game to unwind after work if you enjoy blowing up stuff.

This is a fun game for achievement hunting. No achievement breaking bugs and no need for multiple playthroughs. Slightly grindy to 100%, recommend that you do it in multiple sittings.

Absolutely not. Just Cause 2 features hundreds of locations, thousands of collectibles etc. I do not recommend trying to 100% this game.

They may (or may not) get offended by the cultural representation of SE Asia in this game. The developers went for a parody of SE Asian culture. This may be amusing to some and not funny to others. At the time Just Cause 2 was released, many Singaporeans loved the bad voice acting in this game. Which is another reason to love JC2.

Just Cause 2 is a smart parody of Western foreign policy and its absurd excesses. Consider this one quote from the game: “Collateral damage is regretted but sanctioned.” The devs knew their political science and inserted it into the game in clever ways. Recommend playing the campaign for the political gags.

8.5/10 (just ‘cause)

Still worth it to play this game after all these years. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a core Deus Ex game experience and it's a must play for Deus Ex fans.

Here's one trait from gameplay, character, music etc. that I love about DE:HR

Gameplay: Hands down it's the branching pathways. To this day, I'll either encounter a path to an objective I'd never used before or I'd completely forgotten about!

Character: Adam Jensen. Jensen has a profound impact on my life. If I do ever become augmented one day, it's because of Adam Jensen.

Visuals/Design: The devs really pinned down the neo-Renaissance and cyberpunk vibes in this game. DX: HR is as much a traditional RPG as it is a visual tour de force. You will stop every few steps sometimes to look at some sculpture, what people are wearing, what their augments look like etc.

(That said, you may or may not love the gold filter in this game. Also, the graphics have not aged as well.)

Music: Michael Mann's soundtrack is absolutely fantastic! Keep coming back to it after all these years!

The music of any game can keep me from replaying it. This is because game music can (more quickly) sound repetitive and boring. DX: HR has great replay value because of its great soundtrack. The blend of electronic and operatic music complements your playstyle: whether you're sneaking around, going Rambo or just walking around and staring at the scenery.

Rating: 9/10, never asked for this game but glad I played it!

Solid Game & a good entry point for new Tomb Raider players

Tomb Raider (2013) is an action-adventure game based upon a younger Lara Croft. This game is a good entry point for players (like me) who are new to the franchise. I was able to connect with Lara well and didn't feel like I was missing out as a new franchise player. I also appreciated playing as a kickass woman who is up there with the likes of Nathan Drake and Indiana Jones.


I loved TR 2013's gameplay as it was well paced, had challenging AI and featured a satisfying progression system. The puzzle sections were real fun and didn't make me feel like an idiot. Story was passable and the island setting gave off strong Far Cry vibes. On a side note, this game could have easily been Tomb Raider: Resident Evil Edition. The gore and horror is insane at times! TR 2013 felt like it could become survival horror at points in the game (thankfully it doesn't). That tense line between survival horror and action adventure is what makes this game so worth it!

Achievement Hunting for SP & MP: The grind in TR 2013's single player is bearable. I didn't feel like I had to consult guides much to get the collectibles. The puzzles There are some hidden achievements that are easy enough to find. Overall, the SP achievements are doable without much effort.

The MP achievements are another matter. Most can be achieved solo but they are grindy and annoying! You will also need at least 4 players to get all achievements. BTW, the multiplayer is broken with the latest update. Players may need to downgrade to the TR 743 beta to bypass server issues.

Rating: 8/10. Looking forward to play the other games in the Survivor Timeline!

Batman: Arkham Origins get a bad rep in my opinion. It's a decent game in its own right. As long as you don't expect a Rocksteady game and play Origins (mostly) for the boss fights, you're good to go.

The game undoubtedly has a lot of weaknesses. The premise is interesting (one night to kill the Bat) but the story is like molded Swiss cheese with too many (plot)holes. The fights feel off and are not as fluid as in previous Arkham games. (In my head, I excused it as Batman being inexperienced in combat.) Then there's the map which is small and boring to move around in. It gets exhausting dealing with endless armed thugs on every rooftop. (Tip: For those playing 'I am the Night' mode, do not underestimate the snipers, especially in the Diamond District. Just restart, don't risk it!)

All of these flaws are forgivable. What isn't acceptable is that you can no longer play Origins multiplayer. Warner Brothers shut down the servers in 2016. There are about 6 MP achievements that you can no longer get which means you cannot 100% the game. This is a shame because Origins MP was pretty fun. I cannot recommend buying Origins except on sale for this reason.

All things considered, I still think Origins is worth playing for the boss fights. Going toe to toe with Deathstroke, countering Shiva blow for blow, dodging Bane's charges in the nick of time, fighting Monster Bane in a predator encounter. Every boss fight was worth the price. I'd love to see the Arkham games remastered someday like the Halo Master Chief collection. If that happens, I hope Rocksteady makes a playlist called 'Origins Boss Fights'.

Final thoughts: While the main campaign is meh, the DLC Cold, Cold Heart steals the show in terms of story. It is a Xmas must play DLC for Arkham fans. Also, Origins is the not the 'worst Arkham game'. That honor goes to Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate! Yes it counts as an Arkham game! If it doesn't, well , what makes for an Arkham game anyway?

Rating: 7/10 [C: Superior Vigilante]