Recent reviews by antiklaus

PROs:
· stunning visuals - even compared to the first game
· obviously great optimisation
· real good photomode
· hugo is way more bearable in this game (a low bar, I know)
· a lot of added gameplay-mechanics...


CONs:
· ... maybe even too many mechanics for my liking
· taking control of my keyboard rpg-lights without asking permission is a no-go for any game
· way too over the top
· too long for its own good. it kept dragging on in the end, trying to up itself over and over again.. which eventuall was just tedious and kinda boring.

tl;dr:
if you liked the first plague tale, then this is probably a must. I personally prefere the first game. even though that eventually went too far near the end, the sequel just keeps going from there and amping up everything untill it is just too much. it is still a very good game: the gameplay is mostly fun and solid, the story is ok but at some point it was too "out there" for me.
I realise that I enjoy watching these games more than playing them.

one of the best pieces of media out there!

After the initial desaster of No Man's Sky I was sceptical of what Hello Games would deliver with this but it looked too intriguing to pass up. I am glad I gave it a chance because this game offers such a lovely experience that I own it on multiple platforms now and is now one of my all time favourite games of all time.

Selfloss is a gorgeous game I want to love, because it can be heartwarming and enjoyable - but it can be frustrating just as much.

the visuals, sound and overall atmosphere is everything I wanted. the artstyle is great and the minimalistic sound and use of music is on point. the story has been great so far and I like the themes they tackle and the way it goes about it.
it sadly is just disappointing in the gameplay. most sessions I quit being frustrated. I feel like some more external testing might have given them feedback to mend some aspect, because they are so close to an amazing game. instead everything feels just slightly "off" enough to annoy me. the controls do not seem utterly broken, but rather too slow to respond in addition to the choice of having a slow character. the subpar camera does not help the cause: gets in the way in some places and in others reveals increadible vistas. all these small annoyances combined add up.
slightly floaty movement, slow to respond movement, sub-par player feedback and a camera that can straight up obscure the most important things on the screen. it all just sadly turns into something that, at least on paper, should have been exactly what I wanted, into a game that was too irritating to continue to play.
one moment it was this eery and rather relaxed game with phantastic vibes and the next I wanted to scream in frustration and quit the game, ruining the experience.
I hope the devs make another game and improve on what they made so far. they have great potential and I am willing to give them another chance. but I can just not recommend Selfloss.

it was already amazing before the full release:
- it ran well while still holding up visually (not a given for most VR games)
- the controls were not a hot mess, like most VR games
- it is an amazing playground / sandbox

if they did not royally screw it up with full release it can only have gotten better:
time to reinstall.

So far, so good!
The vibes are as they should be, difficulty certainly is and visually it is impressive. Audio is great as well AND it still runs pretty well, without me having to dial down the settings too much. I am pretty sure there will be more stress-testing for the game but as of yet I am very, very pleased and feel young(er) again :D
The only thing I did not like that much was the tutorial and way too heavily scripted intro. I guess there will be more story sections that are like this, but normal gameplay seems oldschool as it should be.
If anything changes over my course of playing, then I might edit the review - but if you like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. then this will make your brain be happy.

Why is it, that with every indie early access game, that the community is crying and whining that the game is buggy and unfinished, but when the big companies sell unfinished bull-crap with not even 1% of the passion and inspiration behind them, that Gamers™ lap it up and want seconds of the ♥♥♥♥-sandwich?

this game is fine, and for the asking price even more so.
is it perfect? nope!
but it is working, charming and the devs were honest enough to have this sold as early access and not aksing 100 bucks for a supposed finished AAA-game that is still not working 2 years after release.
if you liked the trailer and wanna jump in mid-development, realising that that means bugs and unfinished features: go ahead.
if you want a finished, polished game? you are out of luck - this is 2024.

I am still torn on the 1st person Resident Evil games.
they are fun and all but the oldschool fixed camera just had so much more flair.
and this game is such a mixed bag of what it is or wants to be...
if it were not for big mummy it would not have had SUCH a vast amount of hype. and for that the big vampire lady was not in the game for enough time.

If I push all the way through a horror game it means I really liked it.
Still Wakes the Deep takes the best things from the Amnesia-games and Alien Isolation and combines it into a neat, compact game that is dense with detail, real good checkpoints, stunning visuals and top notch sound design... AND a good story. on top you have f-bomb-dropping scottsmen - what is not to like?
If you like body horror like "The Thing" or "Virus" and the dread of being defenseless and only being able to run & hide, then you will like this.
it is rather short so maybe consider this when buying. average is supposedly 5-ish hours.

A good remake of a amazing classic!

I am still not liking bloober team but they did not really mess this up - even if most of my issues with the remake stem from the things they changed, it is still very enjoyable.
it will never replace the original for me, but is a good entrypoint for modern audiences and people that just want more silent hill.

my main issue is with the increased number of enemies. which quickly takes away from the tense atmosphere and instead nearly makes it a chore to go through the late game areas. the original was scary and intense because you never knew if there was something around the corner. now you can basically guarantee there is something. and that just takes away from the suspense. (just like overusing jumpscares - another thing bloober team loves. but gladly there is precious few here.)
the lack of more fixed camera angles is gladly not as much an issue as I expected and the redesign of the monsters, while not really being my thing, doesn't bother me too much either.
visually this is one of the most stunning games I played and that is why I am sure I will be lured back in again. and again.
most of the additional puzzles and areas to find add to the sense of exploration and make sense; not feeling like unnecessary filler.
so if you wanna revisit our favourite foggy town again, or if you wanna experience this place for the first time:
I can only recommend the game.

I officially stand corrected in my scepticism, expecting bloober team to butcher the franchise even further than Konami already did. they delivered on a great game!


mostly because it isn't theirs :P

IF you understand what Early Access actually means, you are interested in what has been shown so far and wanna support the devs: go get it!
so far it is what I expected, even if it is in a rough state (again: early access!) looking forward to sinking many hours into this.

IF you want a finished and polished AAA by-the-numbers game: this is not for you.

and yes: if you do not play regularly then your hub will slowly fall into disrepair. real time, not playtime. this is what they envisioned and I doubt it will be changed. I know it is brutal but before being too upset about it, ask yourself this question:
what is the best part of games like this?
when everything is fully kitted out and you are a god of war, OR when you struggle to make ends meet and everything you find is still a blessing?
so if the later is what you love in survival and hardcore games, then this is a non-issue. if you want a power fantasy, then the Forever Winter is not the right game for you.