Recent reviews by Cloverfield369

The Surge 2 is an excellent step up from the previous surge game. I actually quite enjoyed the first Surge game however many people didn't like it due to the clunky and odd controls attempting to mimic a souls-like. This has been properly tuned in The Surge 2, movement as well as combat now has a nice fluidity to it and the simple flourishes help add a nice touch in battle. As with all souls-like games the bosses are where the fun and exhilarating moments happen, with heart pumping fights and cool transitions between boss stages makes every fight different and exciting.

The environment in this Surge game has also had an overhaul, from the bleak and bland areas in the first game to sprawling environments with many little crevices and alleys to explore in the Surge 2. Each environment of the game also has a different feel to it, as in the forests of Gideon's Rock feel fleshed out and luscious, compared to the concrete jungle of Jericho City. Even areas like the CREO Institute of Technology carry a sense of prestige and age while you roam its halls. Many of these environments also hold different NPCs which can sometimes give you quests or act as merchants, and in rare occasions you might also come across some NPCs who don't have the best interests in mind. Each character also has a distinct personality and different dialogue options, I would recommend you explore all dialogue options, as some may offer key insights into other characters.

The Surge 2 also offers an interesting story which builds upon the story in the original Surge, however you don't have to play the first Surge to understand what is going on. You will get to interact with many different factions while you're exploring the game, each with a different background and different styles of fighting. Some factions are more tactical and will fight in quick succession before slowing down while others will be very aggressive and will continuously rush you. If you're keen on exploring you will find audio logs that will help build on the backgrounds of these factions. The overall story is quite interesting as you are trying to figure out what happened after the intro sequence, and through the world and characters you begin to realize what has taken place. The ending to the game also holds a nice message, should you choose the good ending , which actually gave me some food for thought about the ever changing world of technology. There are also two different endings depending on what choice you make when the game offers you that choice.

Combat in the Surge 2 has also had an update from the previous installment. Now alongside the better movement your character will also do different attacks depending on what body part is being targeted. Another awesome mechanic in combat is the ability to cut off your enemies limbs in order to obtain that particular armor piece or weapon. I truly enjoyed building different armor sets and creating different builds with all the armor types in the game. Something else new to the series is the armor set bonus, as in if you are wearing 3 pieces from the same armor set you get a specific bonus and if you are wearing a full armor set you get an even better bonus. These vary with different armor sets but once you find your build its tough to put down! This helps to add a variety to the gameplay as some sets may encourage a different play style compared to others. There is also an arrangement of new weapon types to use within the Surge 2, whether that be staffs, twin-rigged, hammers, scythes, swords, and many more! Each of the new weapon types have a different move set that may have a longer wind up time but better damage or range, or might be faster but not offer as much damage and will save up more stamina. With this it helps build a unique dynamic of trying out differing weapons and finding your favorites to later upgrade them to strengthen your build.

The Surge 2 is an excellent game and it definitely satisfied my souls-like hunger. The environments, combat, story, and overall characters have had a huge update since the last game and it truly shows. Whether that be the neat industrial soundtrack, the enthralling boss fights, creating a strong build and finding new armor parts and weapons was a blast along with figuring out the story was a wonderful experience. I would highly recommend this game to any of those looking for a well made souls-like as well as those who want a challenge in their games!

Night in the Woods is a very interesting game, once you suffer through the first act. I personally did not enjoy my experience with the game. Now I have heard this game is better experienced if you're older than the characters and you've had that life experience of becoming older and gaining more responsibilities but even I do not believe that would improve the experience regardless of age. There are multiple issues that I had with the game during the 5-6 hour play time.

First off, the player interaction with the story. I mean this as how much the player (you) takes part and interacts with the story as its written. This game has very few options where the player can actually make meaningful choices in the game and explore a different area with a different friend in the game. I hated the fact that I didn't have the power to say or play the main character as I wanted to play. I wasn't even given the option to say something different then whatever the game wanted me to say. An example of this was there is a part in the game where you get into an argument with a friend of the main character (Mae) and no matter which dialogue choice you choose it just makes the argument worse and the friend hate you more. You aren't even given an option to help improve the situation, instead you are forced to say what the game wants you to and create hostilities. A different example of this was if you chose to go to the mall with Bea (the same aforementioned friend of Mae) when you go into the mall both of you go into a store and suddenly Mae just decides she wants to steal something, I personally did not want to partake in theft because that's just not how I play my games let alone a story game. But did I get a choice as to whether or not Mae stole something? Nope, you are just forced to do the little mini game because the game says so (Which I intentionally failed btw). As in dialogue and choices within this game there are barely any choices the player makes that actually matter or if the player even got to make that decision.

During the climax of the story (SPOILERS ahead) you find out that there is a cult that sacrifices people in the mines to help maintain the town, if a sacrifice isn't made then the town suffers natural disasters and the town slowly rots away with its inhabitants inside. Almost like the plot to Cabin in the Woods. The group of characters find this out when they speak to the cult leader and they don't even bother to consider the opposite side they just suddenly want to kill all the cult members and don't want anything to do with it. Does the player get a say in any of this? Nope, the game just assumes you'd want to end the cult too and you don't get the power to decide if you agree with them or not. Granted something like this is a morally gray area but the cult even explains that those who are sacrificed are criminals and have a rap sheet a mile long. I would have still preferred the player have an option to side with the cult members or to side against the cult members for such an impactful part of the story.

The second primary issue I had with the story was how the characters were portrayed. I assume this story was written to resonate with angsty teens but for someone who was never part of that group growing up it never connected with me. Supposedly these characters in the story are in their twenties but yet they act like they're still preteens. Multiple times I was ripped out of the story because I was reminded that "Oh, these adults don't like government." "Oh, these adults don't like the police." why was it considered an integral part of the game to constantly remind the player that the characters you are playing hate capitalism, hate law enforcement, and hate the world? I'll never understand, but the fact that Mae had to keep reminding the player that she hates rich college kids and the government and is willing to take part in violence against "fascists" for no true reason other than to spread a political message was totally unnecessary and the game could have done just fine without all of it. I also had an issue with how Mae was portrayed in general, how am I supposed to root and support someone who in my eyes is a terrible person? How am I supposed to like someone who: smashes up other's property, threatens violence against those who they disagree with, says terrible things to their own mother, and steals because its "fun" oh also Mae pressures Bea into stealing something from the mall too, what a great example of a friend. So truly how are you supposed to relate and sympathize for a character who you utterly hate by the ending because of her attitude and how she decides to deal with things.

On a positive note, the visuals and sound for Night in the Woods is excellent! I really liked the graphical style and the music and normal ambience of the world. The passage of time and weather was also something that I really enjoyed throughout the experience. The colors and structure of the dream sequences that Mae has was also incredible with the sounds and lighting involved. I also loved the thriller aspect of the story once it picks up beyond act one and so on, the investigation portions and seeing new parts of the world was a joy to go through!

Overall I wouldn't recommend this game because of its deathly slow pace at the start and how the characters act and are written, the story is great after it picks up (although it slows down again after the climax) and the graphics and look of the game is incredible but it isn't enough to carry the experience alone especially when the writing is constantly dragging down the story and breaks the immersion because they wanted to spout political rhetoric.

Very fun and sometimes difficult FPS a perfect shooter to introduce yourself into steam and to be active with groups also great way to play with friends

Very fun and challenging game with lots of different choices to change the ending. LET JORGIE THROUGH