Recent reviews by Puddy

Iraqi base simulator (Off Duty Edition and it's actually Thailand)

With this being the last release of the actual HL2 series, it feels only fair to play this as the last HL2/Source game in VR in said order.

What can be applied to the previous VR mods for both base HL2 and EP1, can be transferred to this port. The gameplay feels immersive and then some. I often think about what kliksphilip said about HL:Alyx and his concerns about how the "lack" of detail when transferring the OG source games to VR is very apparent. Needless to say, I felt quite the opposite. Many things were like a rediscovering of the game over actually noticing the absence of details. Fast paced gameplay and fun gun mechanics to make the VR version worth its existence deliver the proper feel of being Gordon Freeman in the flesh.

The only obstacle with the port is, that I had some crashes that inexplicably happened at the time, forcing the game to close without any error whatsoever. A minor inconvenience, as autosaves came in aplenty and the throwbacks weren't too bad.

The port definitely is worth a try if you got your VR legs. If not, maybe it'd be wise to get used to using VR before playing this.

Trimps

Muck

It keeps counting up the hours evEN WHEN I DON'T USE IT MY FRIENDS THINK I'VE LOST IT HELP HELP HELP HELP HE--

Reviewed and enjoyed through using Valve Index as my HMD.

Let me start by saying the following: Hot Dogs, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades (referred to as H3VR from here) is possibly the best game for VR right now. Its surprising price-point compared to the content offered is absolutely stunning. But the game is not without its flaws of course.

Gameplay:
Whilst the core game is pretty free-form, allowing for you to pick from various firing ranges, game modes and funsies. The real meat and bones, at least for me, comes from the Take and Hold mode though. For detail, you spawn in a hub, being offered said variety to then load into. Everything's themed nicely and offers its own gameplay and challenges to toy with. Some with goals, others more sandbox-y, allowing you to go wild with whatever guns you please.
The gamemodes and maps that have goals also have leaderboards. And this is where Take and Hold becomes the meat and bones the game has to offer. You pick a theme, which decides what weapons you'll have a chance of rolling and how the enemies are armed. From there you will duke it out in a level that constantly will shift its point of claiming a control node that you have to then defend. With a decent amount of "boards" (Which are the settings to alter your playthrough), every run will become its own little ride, just like a roguelite. It's hard to get bored of the concept. You'll learn to be agile while developing good aim and awareness of how to position yourself. With limited ammo enabled you'll understand the importance of landing your shots, what weapons to keep, how to manage your inventory and most importantly, how to survive under stress.
Even 50 hours later, I can't get enough of a game mode so simple, yet so engaging.

Graphics:
For a VR title, it's leaned towards being one of the more realistic ones when it comes to guns and how the ranges are designed. I wouldn't consider the map-design or textures groundbreaking for today's standard, but they serve their purpose and are no sore to look at. The lighting in this game is comfortable, there's contextual situations where said lighting can work for, or against you, a nice touch.
The weapons have nice details to them, and you can even see some of the interior mechanisms. Checking if your gun is loaded or if you're out of ammo is no guessing game due to this.
The fun and cartoony elements blend well with the more realistic look of the game, too, making everything as a whole a pretty decent combo visually. The only complaint of mine is that a lot of the indoor areas seem to suffer from same-face syndrome, a lot of the stuff looks pretty bland and the same in that regard.

Sound:
The actual sound design is pretty well done. The way your guns will sound are dependent on the environment and have noticeble changes based on said factors. Directional audio works as intended, too, making it clear to pick up where enemies are coming from. I also want to praise here that the mechanisms of the guns can be heard clearly if paid attention to. You don't have to look at a gun to hear the slide not retracting, meaning you're out of ammo. The same can be said about rifles and other self-loading weaponry, you -can- hear running out of bullets to feed.
A complaint here though is, that a lot of guns of the same caliber will sound exactly the same. You won't be able to necessarily tell what exactly you're holding unless you see it. The M1911 will sound like a USP, for example. Other guns could benefit from some "beef" in their sound, as they sound a bit weak, even in indoor environments.

Controls:
As a game intended to function as a gun simulator, the controls are the only thing that may be a little problematic for people new to VR.
Pretty much every button on your controller will have a purpose in different context, so I can only advise to go through that FIRST by heading to a range. Also check out the options immidiately, as the way you'll move around the maps will alter how you play the game a bunch.
I got to enjoy H3VR through Vive and Index controllers. For Twin-Stick movement, which means using one controller to move, the other to turn, I would recommend the Index controller. It's joysticks allow for a good dosage of how fast you want to move or engage, and you can do so at any time. Downside here is that interacting with your gun is a little harder. For gameplay focused heavily on operating your gun (e.g. toggling safety, triggering the mag release, readjusting attachments, etc.), the Vive controllers are preferred. They have clickable buttons on the touch pad and thus make it easier to have feedback on what you're doing. Downside on Vive is that Twin-stick movement means that you have to TOGGLE it to be able to move. I suggest using arm-swinger for those.

I think this wraps up my experiences and thoughts. All in all, this game has so much content to it for such an affordable price. I can only recommend this in any VR library if you're interested in operating guns or learning about them in a fun, comical environment to add that lighthearted touch.

Fairly on the fence with this one.

It's a nice concept. The general idea appealing all around, though there's a massive deterrent that made me enjoy this game way less than I had hoped for.

Let's start with the positives, though!

There's a lot to do, giving you plenty of freedom.
Staxel doesn't really hold you back on what you feel like doing. It's no Minecraft of course, but still offers you a very free-form experience with how you want to pace things. The player also is given a very generous amount of room in terms of designing and positioning future homes. There also is no penalty for taking your time. A very nice concept, really. Not to mention that you have elements of farming, fishing and the other typical "needs" that a game like this would benefit from.

The Multiplayer functioned pretty flawlessly.
I spent most of my time playing with a friend, which didn't seem too problematic to set up and go with. It also didn't really feel like there was strong lag or rubberbanding on either end, leaving me in the belief that the netcode isn't half bad. Plus points for that!

Modding support and integration is straightforward.
Thankfully, this game seems to be fairly simple in terms of installing and managing your mods. Having played a very good chunk of games that have modding support, this one seems to be on the better half of the spectrum in terms of installing them. I didn't need any external software to manage them, neither did I have to through any manual setup with folders or other tidbits to get them running.

Visually pleasing. Not extraordinary, but definitely nice.
It's a colorful experience. Then again I didn't feel like it was overdone in that department. It's a game for everyone, leaving the player in a happy fantasy realm. The voxel-work doesn't seem lazy, but it's held simple enough to make things look nice and clean.

But now to the thing(s) that sadly stopped me from enjoying the game.

The crafting is -very- tedious and somewhat grindy.
As the headline implies. Crafting requires several different tables, there were about 5-6 in one of the stores. You can't open the tables up like you would in Minecraft, either. You place each item onto it by hand, trying to arrange and stack them accordingly before painstakingly processing each set up pattern one-by-one. You'll then hop from one bench to another to process the items you just made. Rinse and repeat. Making the simplest of items can turn into a lengthy chore, especially if you're still trying to become accustomed to the game's system. The grind itself wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for the crafting. Sure, you can -buy- the blocks and items instead to save your time, but I really feel like the slow process shouldn't be an incentive for the player to go farm money instead.
It's a shame, considering that there's a lot of recipes and a good bunch of things you can craft.

In general I'd say that Staxel is a lovely game, you can tell that there's a lot of love and labour put into the game. Optimize the crafting and the things around that aspect and I'd gladly recommend this game to others!

I originally bought the game with the outlook that I'll enjoy it, but not that I'd enjoy this much.
If you have played DOOM, or Unreal, or maybe even Quake, I am very certain that you can find plenty of reasons as to why this Mod, or well, at this point Game, is for you.
For DOOM and Unreal fans in particular, there's quite a lot of things that there's a resemblance to. Though it takes those things on a different spin, making it an experience that you are familiar with, but the setting it's providing manages to stand up for itself to keep it fresh.

Though let's talk some gameplay here.
Hedon will hit a nice amount of buttons if you like fast-paced action and some puzzle solving. It's also very flexible with how challenging your experience can be, giving you -six- difficulties to pick from, two of them altering the way the game will be played.
With the option to either gun your way through or just bashing, slashing, kicking and punching your foes into pulp, there's a nice array of weapons to get the job done. And if that is not convincing enough in that department, all weapons are projectile-based, making combat less dull and very rewarding for when you get a feel for the arsenal. The enemies work the same way, which means that you get double the rush for dodging through an array of projectiles, whilst unleashing your own.

Though violence is not all that is offered to you. There's a lot of notes, snippets, hints and other documentation. It fills the world with lore, advice, information or general pointers as to what is going on and what the player should do. If you get stuck or are confused, said snippets will help the player to get back on track. So from the classic fetching of coded keys to finding certain items to progress, there's always a little something something to take you away for a moment, making it more than just a slaughterfest shooter.

The game has an atmosphere.
It's true! And I really enjoy it, I must admit. Hedon has an atmosphere that manages to be its own. The maps are designed to wrap you up in a fantasy setting, the storytelling and character designs going right with it. Being an half-orc to bring rip and tear, armed with highly mechanical weapons doesn't seem "outlandish" in that environment either. Mechanical, maybe a little steampunkish elements meet nature, magic and spiritual aspects. The best part being that I didn't feel like one didn't belong with the other. The flow feels natural as you progress. I can safely say that I feel immersed.

"You mentioned Unreal earlier. Isn't that Sci-fi?"
Yes. Unreal has space ships, energy based weapons, rockets and all the shebang that comes with it. But hear me out.
Unreal blends the modern and futuristic atmosphere with something mystic, traditional and maybe a little tribal. The entirety of Unreal Gold is riddled with temples, different species, villages and spiritual aspects, thrown in with everything else. Though, just like with Hedon, it works out. It's that clash of futuristic meeting traditional, ancient scenes that gives it that charme. And if it's not for that, there's Alexander Brandon's music, nicely tucked in with alternative rock and metal along your journey. I am not saying Hedon is Unreal, but it shows that there's inspiration drawn for it, leaving fans with that nice and fuzzy feeling of familiarity.

And just like with everything else, the game's not perfect.
All in all I'd classify this as a well done and proper game for its pricetag. Nonetheless there have been a few things that irked me a little bit down the line.
When first setting up the game, there was a little issue with the renderer I selected. It turns out that I had to try out several different ones to ensure that doors and other objects would display at all. They were phyiscally present, but not visible.
There's a few locations where the checkpoint placement is pretty far apart, and while I am aware that a lot of games like that swear on quick-saves and quick-loads, it still felt like the basic checkpoints could be adjust a little better. There were two instances where certain checkpoints didn't get activated at all and the throwback was more than just marginal.
On some surfaces, the movement would try to sort of lift me up or push me away from them. There were a handful of instances with smaller openings where it was a little finnicky to get into. One in particular was a pipe with a small opening. There were angled surfaces, making it feel like my character was floating along the border a little before finally wiggling in.
Some segments could benefit from a little bit more direction. The notes and similar tidbits helped along the way, though I still found myself sometimes being a little lost, wandering for a bit before catching on to what the game wanted me to do. Though this didn't happen all to often.

In total, I would summarize this with an 8 out of 10. This game still is getting further developed and I am definitely looking forward to seeing more. Zan's putting in a lot of work and my interactions with 'em have been friendly. Definitely a game worth checking out.

An interesting premise at the time, but it never took off.

Many people said this before me, but sadly, the development for this game has come to a halt. Now, I personally would like to mention a few things in regards to this.
Even though this is hinted towards being a "Free-Time" project, people have to think for a second. When they really want to push a product to Steam with the intent to sell it, more importantly calling it an Early-Access title, a certain level of responsibility is involved.
There were updates, yes. There also was progress for a while after release as well. Yet again, things just fade from one day to another. If time really is an issue, or the passion has died, it at least would be fair to mention this to those that put their money into the game. Instead, those that are now disappointed by the silent end of support have to play this role, warning others to not invest any more money.

It's a real shame, because the gameplay was actually pretty alright. Give it more polish, extended content and maybe a few nudges into a different direction, and it would've become a title worth picking up at the time.

I mean, what can I say? If you like farming games and you don't want to feel too stressed in terms of time (unlike all Harvest Moon titles telling you to make x-amount or make vital decisios one year in), this game is for you.

Might write a more proper review sometime, but that's for another time.