Recent reviews by Keyser Soze

Waaaay too many bugs. At it's heart seems it has potential to be a good game but in current state just far too buggy, constant crashes, clunky hit and miss interface and clicking. It wouldn't even meet the standards you would expect of Early Access, let alone a full priced release.

This is a fantastic game if you are into serious flight sim and/or want to learn. This game will require you to invest some time to learn the ropes and you probably want a decent joystick at minimum.

Although no ingame tutorial/manual as such, there are a ton of resources on YouTube with some great content creators. Sheriff's Sim Shack and Air Combat Tutorial Library a couple of the better ones I've found.

If you are willing to put some time in learning the ropes this game will reward you 10x over. Don't be afraid to join online multiplayer as well and the community is really friendly and lots of people willing to show you the ropes and fly with you.

Above all, it has a passionate developer and team who continually trying to improve the game and expand content. This is so great to see, so much so that I buy the games and planes off the store direct, at a higher cost (in USD) just to support them.


Edited for typos.

Verdict:
Buy now!
Buy on sale
Save your money

Summary:
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a top rate Batman action game. Firstly, I'm a huge Batman fan, so maybe a little bias coming in there, but this game absolutely get's it right in the look and feel of playing Batman.

I first played this game about 6 years ago and completed it and have just finished my second run through. I'm really impressed with how the graphics have held up, despite being released over 6 years ago. You can still get a lot of visual enjoyment from the game.

The gameplay itself is engaging, the combat is a highlight - the flow, the animation and the feedback leave combat an untterly enjoyable experience. A game like this could run the risk of combat feeling very stale after a while, but that is not the case - they have absolutely nailed it with the mix of move, combos and visuals.

What I also love about the game is it's not daunting. I recommend playing with a controller but you will get the hang of the controls easy enough and it will become second nature, without getting overly complicated.

To me they also have got the challenge and pacing just right. Some people may criticse that the boss fights arent challenging enough, but I disagree. I don't want to spend hours on a boss fight. The main thing is a boss fight, feels like a boss fight and again they hit the mark for me with this.

Throw in all the bonus content such as challenge modes, solving the Riddler's puzzles and finding trophies and there is a huge amount to keep you interested in your play through.

Highly recommended.

Overall Score:
9.5/10

I've said to pick it up on sale because the game is old enough that I'm sure you can find it cheap somewhere, however I defintely think it's worth the full price tag.

The Good:
The game does a fantastic job making you feel like Batman
Combat flow is spot on
Level of challenge is spot on
Replayability value to complete challenge modes and collect trophies after the main story line has finished
Visuals still hold strong even today

The Bad:
The only criticism I could possibly think of is maybe it is too easy in a couple of the fights, but for me that doesn't detract.

The Ugly:
None

Verdict:
Buy now!
Buy on sale
Save your money

Overall Score:
8.5/10

Summary:
I feel like Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition has been taunting me for 4 years - waiting for me to play it. I'd heard a lot about it and the hype so thought I'd experience it first hand.

To critique this game is not so straightforward. There are major issues. It's a pretty ♥♥♥♥♥♥ console port and you will spend your initial time downloading the DSFix 'mod' just so you can get it into a reasonably playable state. Forget about playing it on Keyboard and Mouse, unless you like extra punishment, a controller is a MUST (Steam controller worked well for me as an aside). The graphics are pretty ♥♥♥♥♥♥ (even for 2012, but remember at its core this is a last-gen console game). The absence of a tutorial or tooltips will have you alt tabbing and searching YouTube just to try and find out even the most basic of info that will be crucial to your game.

Yet despite all that the game rises to be head and shoulders over the sum of its parts. Once you accept the basic premise that you are there to die and learn from your mistakes (the game even has a mechanic where you can watch other people’s death, via a ghost, by clicking on their bloodstain to help learn from their mistakes). Then you will practice and practice and finally get it right - rewarding you with extremely satisfying moments, a feeling not often found in today’s games. There is something to be said for taking on a boss 6 or 7 times then finally defeating him. It's not just a matter of doing the boss fight, it's clearing the trash every single time, occasionally losing your XP in the process, which will serve to both destroy your soul and have you punching the air in triumph when you are finally successful.

Overall the game is akin to flawed genius, you know something is not quite right, the game will brutally punish your mistakes and yet it is almost because of it that you will find yourself coming back for more. I'm pretty sure this is the only game I have actually Rage Quit in the last 5 or so years.

I've recommended picking up On Sale because the game has been around long enough and on sale enough times that you can save your money, add it to your wish list and then grab it at the next sale (unless of course you have a burning desire to play straight away).


The Good:

• Brutal and satisfying gameplay
  
• Community support
  
• Good old fashion boss fights
  
• Sound is great

The Bad:

• Can feel lost as a new player, with very little information to go on
  
• The graphics
  
• You need to fix the off the shelf game (DSFix) before playing it to avoid a suboptimal experience

The Ugly:

• A terrible console port, NOT supported after release
  
• Camera can be frustrating

Pro Tip
Although you may need to go to the Wiki / YouTube to get some of the basics of the game, I highly recommend you stay away from watching boss fights and reading guides - the most satisfying experience will be making your own way through the game.

Verdict:
Buy now!
Buy on sale
Save your money

Summary:
Spec Ops: The Line is your fairly run of the mill 3rd person shooter, with one exception - the story. Without giving away anything, the story is gritty and engaging and the game is worth playing for that alone.

Some of the action parts will seem a little silly as you mow down countless enemies but generally the game is well paced and the story keeps you hooked and wanting more.

The game itself is short (it will take you around 5 or so hours to complete if you don't rush) but in this case that's not a bad thing, as any longer would just drag it out and negate the impact of the story.

That said, given the relatively short life span of the game, I recommend you pick it up on sale.

Overall Score:
7.5/10

The Good:

• Fantastic story line
  
• The atmosphere is gritty and visceral
  
• Combat is done and well and enjoyable if you don't take it too seriously

The Bad:

• Apart from the story, there is nothing here to distinguish this from your average 3rd person shooter

The Ugly:

• The price (given the game is over 3 years old) - pick it up on sale

Verdict:
Buy now!
Buy on sale (if you like FPS)
Save your money

Summary:
Verdun is a good game that does what it sets out to do - simulate WWI in a FPS. It does an ok job of doing this but there is always a sense that the potential is far greater than the current experience.

Graphics are functional but dated, the squad system is good but not intuitive. The thing that will frustrate you the most (apart from the ever prevelant bugs) is the very thing that is pivital to the game - running over no mans land and dying again and again in order to get a glimpse of the enemies trench.

Although released at the end of April 2015, it still feels a little unfinished with bugs and poor optimisation. The devs were active but I would say seem less active after release (which is understandable). The test will be if they can continue to polish and add content to the game and take it forward incrementally to take it from an ok game to a really great game. Whether they have the time and effort do so will remain to be seen.

In it's current state however, it's worth picking up on sale if you are a fan of FPS, if only to experience something a little different.

Overall Score:
6.5/10

The Good:

• Interesting and unuique WWI FPS theme
  
• If you have a good team you can get some really good matches

The Bad:

• Dated visuals
  
• Bugs
  
• Content feels limited at the moment (bring on the tanks!)

The Ugly:

• Poor performance optimisation
  

Verdict:
Buy now!
Buy on sale
Save your money

Summary:
Order of Battle Pacific is a fantastic strategy game with satisfying visuals rarely seen in a game of this genre. From ships sinking to planes going down, it's the little touches that are icing on the cake in this game.

The game itself stand strong on it's strategy elements, taking your army to war it's up to you on deciding how to spend your resources to get the job done. Do you spend more and build up a strong tank force, or do you put those resources into your air force - you decide.

As with the likes of Panzer Corps you take your army from one scenario to the next in the campaign, with the benefit of the unit will have increased its veterancy through combat experience. So when you lose a unit it feels like a real loss and not simply cannon fodder (which arguably is closer to the actual WWII treatment of the common soldier).

The interface is clean and friendly, the devs are responsive and actively fix bugs and if you are willing to put some time in to play through the tutorial you will be rewarded with a fun and satisfying gaming experience.

This game is fantastic if you are a fan of the genre, but even better if you are new and just looking for a great strategy game - Order of Battle: Pacific will scratch your itch.

Overall Score:
9.5/10

The Good:

• Great visuals for the genre
  
• Strong tutorial
  
• Interesting setting (Pacific War) not often explored in games
  
• Deep gameplay but it doesn't over complicate things

The Bad:

• Although visuals are great for the genre, newer players may find them bland
  
• Steep price tag (which tends to come with the genre and niche market)

The Ugly:

• N/A

Verdict
Buy now!
Buy on sale
Save your money

Summary:
Grim Dawn is a great ARPG for fans of the genre and new players alike. It blends the best parts of Diablo and Titan Quest and exceeds both of them, without doing anything amazing of its own right. It just delivers a fun experience and gives you an insight into what Diablo III could have been had it been done right (let’s not even talk about the DII Auction House at launch…).

This game has been a long time in the making and it shows. The worlds are large and open and yet you never feel lost. There is a ton of content to get through and yet you never feel forced to do it. Nice touches like the bounty system to increase faction rep and the portal system enhance and ease gameplay.

The character development is interesting, with the ability to dual class from level 10 (if you so desire) and choose a variety of options from each class. Along with a devotion system, which further opens up interesting class choices – this game just does it right.

Throw in a very reasonable price tag and you should add this game to your collection today.

The Good:
Character development
Huge amount of content
Value for money

The Bad:
UI interface could look a little nicer
As with all ARPGs can feel like more of the same after a while

The Ugly:
N/A

Overall Score:
8/10

User friendly WWII strategy/wargame - lots of fun if you are interested or even semi-interested in the genre. Great value for money.