Recent reviews by VAgentZero

A little rough around the edges, sure, but Atomfall scratches an itch for me - an "open world" game that keeps asking questions and providing story hooks throughout the experience, doesn't repeat itself with space-filling "activities", and ends right when it should. For those of you looking for a game with the mechanical complexity of STALKER, look elsewhere. If you want a game with a hundred hours of content and icons to clear, Far Cry is over that way. This feels more like a British Metro to me. It's a mystery first and an open world FPS second, and it shows in its execution; it expects you to follow leads, not map markers. Ask questions, figure out how to navigate its spaces, and learn its characters' intentions, and you'll have a great time.

The combat is a little rough -- I found myself looking for more defensive options in melee than a kick, and the ranged combat AI is a bit dodgy, charging at you Doom-style rather that seeking cover or flanking like modern Wolfenstein or The Last of Us enemies would. The default "Survivor" difficulty gave me more resources than I needed; if you want to make crafting a game of careful conservation, tick that up to the highest level.

Nevertheless, the exploration and adventure of the game kept me going, and around the 15-20 hour mark, all the leads tied themselves in a bow and pushed me toward one of the game's endings. This feels like the kind of game I'd go back to later and explore the alternate endings available, but YMMV. It's a recommendation with reservations, sure, but if you're like me, you'll love the time you spend with Atomfall.

It's an FPS developed by a one-person team, as far as I can tell, that wears its influences pretty plainly on its sleeve (Half-Life 2, Halo, and STALKER in particular), but nevertheless manages to be its own game, carve its own identity, and be a hell of a lot of fun to play.

Start with HL2, but start with a dedicated gravity gun mounted to your left arm (instead of as a side weapon). Carry three of an arsenal of 30 or more weapons and rotate through them as the situation and ammunition supply permit. And then experience a campaign with excellent low-poly art, beautiful decoration and worldbuilding, and masterful level design and pacing that truly evokes the best of HL2 and Halo. Something like four different sides/factions which all engage differently, require different tactics, and yield different experiences. So often with modern FPS games, levels feel samey, we fight against identical, indistinguishable humans, and push through "content" to get to the next story beat -- it's a lesson many developers seem to have forgotten about making games stay fresh throughout their playtime.

Then consider that at present, it has a full campaign, a sub-campaign, and an entire open-world side game? At $25 it's a *steal*. I'm most of the way through the second episode (of three, I believe) of the primary campaign which will probably finish around five hours, which seems light, but I had more fun in those five hours than I have in an FPS since the campaigns of Titanfall 2 and DOOM 2016. Then throw in an entire narrative exploration side game that evolves on STALKER? I'm constantly amazed by what I'm seeing.

The free demo lasts almost half of the campaign! It has a rough start, but stick with it and you will be well rewarded.

The hype is for real. Don't be fooled by the slightly amateur graphics -- there's an incredibly thoughtful game here, and one that respects the player's time. Unlike many horde shooters, there's a surprising skill ceiling and a very well-crafted variety in the "waves" of enemies and level design that keeps the experience novel.

I don't want to spoil the complexity of the game; let me just say there's a *lot* more to this than it lets on at the start, and it's thoughtfully revealed over time. I'll leave the rest to you to discover.

This game is worth much more than $3. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I've been playing this game since early access and it's only gotten better. A friend of mine put it best - this game is like Slay the Spire meets Metal Gear Ac!d in the best way. Surprising depth and numerous viable strategies, plus a daily play mode? Well worth the money imo.

A gorgeous shooter inspired by, but not beholden to, the state of the art in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The weapons feel fresh and familiar at the same time, and the enemies various and numerous. Colorful, innovative level design out of a fantasy fever dream, the levels still keep the creative spirit that is the hallmark of New Blood's work, but which do a much better job of being navigable than their earlier games. Playing on Hard mode is tough but fair, expecting smart movement and shooting, but the other difficulties should be plenty approachable for those looking for a little less challenge.

If you enjoy action games, I heartily recommend Amid Evil.

This game is easy to hate on a first playthrough. You're not used to the controls, it seems like you have no hope of winning. But really, it's a game about practiced attention. Learn the weapons, learn the enemies, and you can win. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. It's unlike any other game out there.

Floating Point is a simple, tranquil game of meditative practice. The only pressure is the desire to beat your own high score. When I find myself worked up and in need of a moment of peaceful respite, a few minutes of Floating Point bring me back to myself. Not to mention, the game is free, so there's really not much to lose in trying it!