February update

Click here to jump to the next update

Abzu is game about exploration of underwater world. You swim around, observe fish and swim some more. Graphic is nice and music is soothing. So it's nice to play if you like this kind of swimming-simulators and can relax that way.

But if you're not into this kind of games without gameplay or plot you can end up bored (not counting this little background story that justify your "boss fight" at the end of the game). Levels are small and repetitive (one open area + checkpoint location), meditation was IMO pointless as I don't know english fish names, and it doesn't support my native language.

But if you care about achievements it's super easy to grab them all. So it's a plus :D

---

Platformer game where you help little girl in her "quest". You learn some backstory about girl's family and your goal is to help her with her parents. Levels are small and looks like they were taken out of someone's dream - you can walk down the street to see that at the end of it road ends in "nothing". Or that objects are in strange places.

Cool thing about this production is shadow-mechanism. You can basically switch between "real world" and shadows in some places. Sometimes it requires solving simple puzzle where you have to align shadows (casted by moving object) on the walls to proceed further.

It's also easy to grab 100% achievements, as collectibles aren't hidden in terribly strange places and game isn't grindy.

---

Puzzle game that at the beginning looks like Portal. In Portal you use portals to move around levels, in TTT you use EMP gun to open / close doors or move platforms / pistons. In both games you work with AI, although in TTT connection is more strict. But that's most of the features that connects them. The Turing Test has like 70 rooms to solve (+7 extra ones) and I beat it in 100% in ~6,5h. Which gives 5,5 min for one room. So not really long. There is also some bio-engineering stuff - in journals, chemicals and so on. But it's more like my kink, as I'm biotechnologist. People who aren't interested in it won't care about it most probably.

I consider this game as entry-level to Portal-like puzzle solving. It can teach you basics of reasoning and a little bit of level back-tracking (tho it's really obsolete game mechanic). But if you already beat Portal 1/2 and Talos Principle (esp with Gehenna DLC) this game will be piece of cake for you. So you won't find challenge here.

Extra rooms are nice and slightly harder than regular rooms. But it'd have to be more of them than 1 in section to make game challenging. Also game suffers from small amount of graphic glitches that can look weird - textures that doesn't fit in the corners, so you can see purple "background", bottles that looses their labels when picked up or pill bottles that doesn't have "exterior". Only floating label and pills inside :D

---

Some time ago I beat another A-RPG, H&S game - Van Helsing - and it was so boring and repetitive. But Victor Vran is not like that. Sure, you basically chop your way though waves of enemies, but VV doesn't have tons of unfunny references, bad level-up system and stiff classes.

In fact there are no classes at all, your abilities depends on weapon you use - sword, scythe, hammer, pistols, rapier, arc gun. Every weapon have it's own abilities and define way you play. You can switch weapons at any time to match them to your playstyle. On top of that game has destiny cards - they basically give you more defense, attack, crit chance, life drain and so on. So it's like in Paladins, and it gives you wide range of customization.

It's H&S, so story isn't deep or really good. You're monster hunter which has to defeat enemy and lift up the curse. So nothing innovative here. But co-op works way better than the one in VH, in Helsing it was bugging and not fluid. And killing enemies is really funny :D

---

Enslaved is nice action / Prince of Persia game. Action takes place in post-apocalyptic world, where machines hunt humans and enslave them. One slave runs away and with the help of other seeks revenge. More or less, don't want to spoil it ;D. But plot is decent.

Graphic was improved after conversion to PC (mostly enemies and NPCs), but background quality can be really poor. Cinematic camera work is annoying at times and controls are clearly made for gamepads. It works well in main campaign where you kill enemies with stick, but very poorly in DLC where you have to use sniper rifle to kill enemies. At the beginning game may be challenging, but after you upgrade shields it's hard for enemies to kill you. At least on normal, I didn't try hard. Fights are smooth and their mechanic is easy. No complicated combos to learn or smth.

And few games I'm playing recently

- Dark - SG win. It's stealth game which is playable and without game-breaking bugs. But it's also bad, enemies are stupid, save system is stupid, plot looks shallow so far, animations are stiff.

- Road to Gehenna DLC from Talos Principle (2 of 4 ach) - played a little more, tho I'm bored with it quickly. So it will have to wait for better times - just like last month.

- Star Wars: knight of the Old Republic (53 of 57 ach) - Since last month I did HUGE progress here. I pretty much beat DS playthrough, and after that I have to load some older LS save and get achievement for owning LS powers and listening definitions of love. And 100% will be mine. Muahahahah

I don’t have more plans, as my spare time is non-existent as of late ; _ ;