Recent reviews by Vivian Whittock

If you're looking for a game that gives players:
-The LIBERTY to play on what platform they want without being forced to sign up for ones they don't want/use,
-The FREEDOM to play with their friends from 'Sony-unapproved' countries,
-A sense of DEMOCRACY within the player-developer dynamic,
Then look elsewhere.

I'll be entirely honest. I received this game as a gift. I connected my PSN account immediately after getting it. But that was a choice I made. Keyword. CHOICE. Many players chose the perfectly valid and legitimate route of playing the game without a PSN account, because that was a choice presented from the get-go. To remove that choice months down the line, after people have invested money and time into the service, is scummy.

I get it. Players pay for the service, which the company has discretion over. "If you don't like it, don't play it." But there's a certain amount of trust and expectation between players and a game company. If you pay for the service, it's generally expected you'll continue to have access to it, unless you break the terms of service. Even in games where companies have gone out of business or otherwise lost their servers, you still typically have access to the game. You can launch it and play solo. Often times, host private servers. But that's not what's happening here. This is restricting and removing access from players who bought and played the game within the terms of service.

"Managed Democracy offers true Freedom. Freedom from the burden of choice." Just because we support Managed Democracy in the game, doesn't mean we want it in real life.

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UPDATE (Post Sony announcement):
I like this game, and enjoy it a decent amount with friends. I don't play it solo or with strangers. I hesitate to recommend it after the shenanigans that were pulled, but it's good fuel for a night of shenanigans and panicked/fun screaming in discord calls.

• The community can be toxic as hell. There's three basic types of toxicity.
  
  
  1. New players who are uninformed (not your fault) who do things the community considers bad manners.
     
  2. Experienced perfectionists.
     
  3. People who enjoy other's suffering.
     
  
  
• Higher learning curve than some expect.
  
  
  1. Learning survivor and killer perks is important regardless of what you main.
     
  2. Common tactics to avoid getting downed or looped.
     
  3. Prioritization/situational awareness. Where is everyone, what are they doing, what should you be doing?.
     
  4. Community slang.
     
  
  
• Matchmaking leaves a lot to be desired.
  
  
  1. Inexperienced paired with experienced... but in a "one gets dunked on" arrangement, not teaching.
     
  2. Sometimes (often) seems to be under the influence when making lobbies.
     
  3. wait.... ...... .............. .......................................... ....... times............................. ....... ............. ........ .... .....
     

• DLC characters can be unlocked through gameplay.
  
  
  1. It takes 9000 iridescent shards, which are gained through leveling one's account up.
     
  2. The Shrine of Secrets changes every week, and potentially has perks from DLC characters available.
     
  3. Folks who can't afford DLC can still get the characters & perks.
     
  
  
• Friends not required but make experience better.
  
  
  1. No in-game voice chat for survivors, some use Discord instead.
     
  2. In-game emotes used to communicate, as well as crouching.
     
  3. Relatively easy to find new friends if you're nice, most people who play survivor want full SWF crews.
     
  
  
• Replayable
  
  
  1. Wide variety of maps, characters, perks.
     
  2. Opportunity for a wide variety of play styles.
     
  3. Private or public matches for whatever your purpose, including goofing off.
     
  
  
• Lots of shenanigans
  
  
  1. Get waterboarded by puke
     
  2. Throw a flashlight rave
     
  3. Thiccness knows no morals or gender
     

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• New content is still being released!
  
  
  1. More mechanics are being added to the game, which changes how survivors play. Ex: Zombies being added in the R.E. chapter (in Player Test Build at the time of this update).
     
  2. Some cosmetics can be purchased with shards, unlocked through game-play, or redeemed via codes released by BHVR.
     
  3. Periodic events. Currently, there's an event to find Gnome Chompski once the exit gates are powered.
     
  
  
• Map and graphical updates.
  
  
  1. The game generally looks a lot better now.
     
  2. Multiple variants of maps.
     
  3. Maps tend to be smaller now, which can be both good and bad. Gens feel closer together but that also applies to hooks.
     
  
  
• The Rift
  
  
  1. A battle pass has been added to the game.
     
  2. Auric cells (paid currency) are part of the reward system- if you complete the Rift you actually get your money back!
     
  3. Players are rewarded with cosmetics, lore (The Archives), and various forms of in-game currency.
     
  4. Challenges from the Rift add an extra layer of fun (or psychological distress and anguish) to matches.
     
  
  
• Matchmaking... Again
  
  
  1. Queue times are substantially faster for survivors in the morning than in the afternoon/evening.
     
  2. I'm a filthy survivor main heathen, so I can only assume that means killer queue times are better in the afternoon/evening.
     
  3. Still occasionally end up in lobbies that are very unbalanced or entirely unfair, but it's better than it used to be.
     
  4. There's a lot more player consistency in terms of skill, but also toxicity, in higher ranks.
     
  5. If you want to meme and enjoy, the higher ranks tend to be very serious...
     
  
  
• HIT BOXES MAKE ME CRY.
  
  
  1. This is just a game.
     
  2. Please, self... It's just a game...
     
  3. Sobbing intensifies.
     
  4. In all seriousness though, the hit boxes need some improvement. Lag, frame-perfect timing, and other aspects all influence whether the hatchet hits your face or clips through your face.
     
  5. I may be a survivor main, but if a Huntress nails me across the map, I'm impressed with the shot and outraged on the killer's behalf if it doesn't register.
     
  
  
• What accessibility options?
  
  
  1. Changing the struggle phase on hook to a series of skill checks was a huge improvement in terms of accessibility for wider audiences.
     
  2. An option to suppress screen flashing effects or toggle an alternate view for them would be helpful. A fade-in, solid color, then fade-out screen aura might be a good option for this? It would preserve visual information without giving an 'unfair advantage' to players.
     
  3. For the record, players with disabilities just wanna grind for bloodpoints and cry like everyone else. If your primary concern is giving players an 'unfair advantage,' please remember that accessibility options compensate for a set-back so that people with disabilities have an even playing field.
     

To BHVR, if they ever stumble their way into this review:
The new content is great but please look into hit registration and hit boxes. Accessibility options for a wide range of players would also be highly appreciated and it would increase audience reach and profitability. Keep up the good work.

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• Some mentions.
  
  
  1. Boon totems were added (AoE survivor buffs).
     
  2. Experimental wiggle mechanic (skill checks instead of button-mashing).
     
  3. Hit boxes are still whack; the game is playable if you're in it for memeingful, not meaningful, gameplay.
     
  4. Most of my points from previous updates still stand.
     
  5. Cross-play was added (can be disabled).
     
  6. Matchmaking is now skill-based, leaving ranks obsolete. There's still grades based on pips, but these have no influence on a person's actual MMR.
     
  
  
• Content.
  
  
  1. It doesn't feel like in-game content has changed substantially.
     
  2. New killers and survivors have been added...
     
  3. But I rarely see them, or their perks, after a couple of weeks pass.
     
  4. Cosmetics are nice, but ultimately, they're just something to collect.
     
  5. The Stranger Things chapter is gone.
     

I'm out of characters, so no more updates unless something drastic happens and I delete old points. Overall, 7/10. Fun but flawed.