Recent reviews by Dickbutt

If you haven't played CS:GO then you simply don't know how many teenagers have been with your mom. Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough.

This game is amazing. I didn't finish anywhere near all its content, I just cut myself off. This is an incredibly deep and complex RPG. Mechanically, this game is as gritty as you could want. You will be agonizing over min/maxing decisions constantly. The difficulty curve is impressive. Even with the best builds this game is not on autopilot. And it's free! I don't even know how. It's one of the best games I've ever played. All that granted, this is not the game for you if you're interested in a deeply complex narrative. I found the story pretty predictable and uninteresting. Some of the expansions have helped, but the base story just didn't do it for me. However, this dark fantasy might be just to your liking. Play solo or play with a friend. You will not regret it.

It's simply one of the most beautiful and emotional experiences I've had playing a game. Definitely worth it if it's on sale. It's a little sparse on content for full price. Still, this game is really fabulous.

If you like the stealth genre then you know good games are hard to come by. Dishonored is one of my favourites and Styx comes close. This is strange because honestly, this game has so much going against it.

Cons -

Terrible combat system (that's fine, because it's a stealth game, but the game still forces you into narrative combat that is unbearably frustrating.)
Really sketchy/buggy platforming
bad controls
an average story that could have been done better
poor quality cut scenes
terrible voice work (other than Styx, who I found entertaining.

Despite all this game has done stealth right. On Goblin difficulty, everything kills you pretty much instantly. There is almost no combat, because you simply die if you're caught. It's a really nice difficulty to put into a game for people who want to play a real stealth game. I also think the entire premise is just really interesting. You are severely underpowered, you are a 3 foot tall Goblin and pretty much everything else towers over you. You really have to use some ingenuity to get around that challenge. On sale this game is an exceptional deal, but I probably would be willing to pay full price now that I know how enjoyable it is.

It's like if Far Cry 3 was a third person shooter with an empowered woman...

There are some games that are breathtaking from the moment you open them up. They are visually stunning and they engage with you mechanically in a way that is visceral and immediate. Journey, Transistor and Bastion are all games like that for me. Then there are games that excite you conceptually. They are minimal offerings but what they lay bare is so creatively exciting that it brings a smile to your face. This smile persists even while the narrative unfolds in melancholic tones. The experience is one of beauty and sadness as so intrinsically related. Gone Home, Papers Please, and Emily is Away are games that have felt like this for me. Emily is Away brilliantly captures all the ineptitude of adolescent and early adult relationships in a digital age where connection is so easy, but so fragile. From the limited response options, to the fumbling way in which each message is crafted, deleted and recrafted, the game captures the anxious experience of trying to love, be loved, express love, care, whatever. The game is also clever in the way it aligns your expectations as a video game 'player' with the hopes and aspirations of your avatar. You, the player, actually want to win Emily over, because you believe it aligns with some notion of 'winning' in a sense external to the game. I cannot wait to try to win Emily over again and to be heartbroken and reminded of all my past mistakes once more.