Recent reviews by Pridit

Initial verdict: Not good, sadly. This DLC features a new area based in the world of Losomn so very familiar enemies and visuals. This is clearly stated so wasn't a concerning factor, but I perhaps didn't expect to see quite as much recycled content off the bat.

One of the new common enemies is unbalanced, capable of one-two shotting you based on difficulty with a quick-fire ranged attack which is pretty unfun.

The optimization here is also non-existent and I experienced some of the worst performance compared to any area in the base game.

Main reason for the negative are the two points above, and I will re-evaluate the relevancy of this review if resolved but the initial point is still worth noting.

As of right now I recommend waiting for a patch as this needs some fine tuning big time.

Under The Waves is a beautiful, but tragic, emotional journey with the sights and sounds of the sea as a backdrop. This is first and foremost a story-driven game with everything else being very much secondary, which feels appropriate given the subject matter. Follow Stanley as he tries to reconcile an unfathomable loss while fighting the injustices of the company he works for in the only way he knows how to.

Games like this feel few and far between especially in recent years, so I am thankful studios are still willing to put the time and care into creating something that does not have the broadest mainstream appeal but perhaps equally as importantly publishers like Quantic Dream enabling them to pursue such endeavours. In an industry where it feels like we are increasingly served shovelware this carefully and thoughtfully crafted gem is a rarity.

The only thing that lets this game down, and I do really mean only, are the frequent crashes. Despite some patches this is very much an on-going problem, so likely won't ever be fully resolved. I wish the save system was a bit more robust to alleviate the frustration as it can set you back quite some progress depending on what you were doing and as a result this issue ultimately prevented me from wanting to pursue a completionist run.

Despite the aforementioned, studios like this are more than deserving of supporting and hopefully with a bit of luck we will continue to see games like this made.

Starfield is a masterclass in mediocrity. I struggle to figure out where to even begin with my write-up for this game as its flaws are seemingly unending; from the pathetic performance, subpar systems, unlikeable characters, uninteresting narrative, tepid exploration, braindead AI, endless loading screens, and mostly forgettable soundtrack. This is not the quality I have come to expect from a Bethesda RPG.

Let me start by saying my expectations were not high with Starfield. I understood the limitations with lack of seamlessness and the open world essentially being very large cells, which they are. This is roughly on par with the experience I was expecting from the engine, however what has stunned me is not a single area has excelled in anything compared to what we have seen previously from this studio to justify the same limitations we have had for a decade. Starfield feels more like something that was plucked straight out from 2016, and arguably had it been the reception might have been a lot more positive given what they have managed to achieve with this engine.

By far and large my biggest gripe is the performance. Todd has stated in an interview that the PC version is optimised and that consumers need to upgrade their system to play Starfield and the "next generation" experience it offers. There is absolutely nothing "next generation" about the Creation Engine that justifies just how bad the performance is. I had to tinker for hours to reach a mostly 50-60 FPS experience (with DLSS) which has been excelled in every other release this year without issue. There is no excuse for it, and based on the aforementioned quote I doubt it will ever get addressed as evidently the studio has not recognised the PC performance as an issue.

The main narrative within Starfield is quite frankly worse than something I would expect from ChatGPT, and orders of magnitude more boring and tedious than any other narrative I have seen from the studio previously. Having watched multiple others go through the main quest I quickly determined that it is not something I care at all about doing myself, even by doing so resulting in the acquisition of "powers" (knock-off version of shouts, but fewer of them and less interesting). There are several suggestions to blitz through it to reach the NG+ portion where the "real" game starts, however I would advise against that and instead I strongly recommend ditching Constellation as soon as you can to focus on something like the UC faction narrative which has been much more enjoyable.

Exploration, the element I was probably interested in the most given the scope of the game, is generally pretty poor. You will regularly overcome the hardest locks in the game, to find something like 3,000 credits and a 1,000 value helmet with a modifier. Given how tedious the Digipick minigame is at Master level I would expect something unique or at least of more significant value for each and every one of these. Despite the rewards, you will land somewhere and get a few points of interest, with buildings that seem like they were designed using the outpost system and look like monstrosities as a result. Exploration itself just is not that satisfying compared to their other games.

Speaking of the outpost system this is about 10x more confusing than the settlement system found in Fallout 4, which was not always the most straightforward thing in that game either. There seemingly has been no effort to streamline this aspect, resorting to pop-ups of text dumps when you place something down for the first time once in a while, but it will largely involve trial and error, likely sacrificing resources in the process to surmount the curve ahead of you. This is a horrible way to introduce people to this system and its complexities, somehow an even worse introduction to this system than Fallout 4, and it comes across as they just didn't care.

For a 7 year development cycle, and something that has been 25 years in the making, you have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. Do better Bethesda, because this isn't it.

BETON BRUTAL is a charming gem that I so wish I could recommend, but if you have any self respect for your own time then it is sadly probably best avoided.

Like others have mentioned, and is a common recurring theme at this point, the first 300m of this climb are close to being flawless. The level design is fantastic and satisfying coming into new interesting looking areas. Unfortunately, the fun stops there, as the "challenge" part of the game really kicks in, and repeatedly kicks you in the balls in the process.

Beyond 300m, navigating becomes a painful, winding, uninteresting, and ever increasingly punishing slog for no real discernable reason. Several tedious unfun mechanics tirelessly repeated you just get bored of them before you get punished by them. Not to say challenge is a bad thing, but what made the start of the climb engaging by having interesting level design is just totally absent further up in favour of monotonous repetition.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this game up to 300m, and absolutely not recommend it any further than that, which is incredibly disappointing as there is much to be loved here. It is just crucially missing the caring level design the first 300m were given to add an artificial challenge and make the remaining 200m take an excruciating amount of time by making you fight for every metre.

Having now finished a run it is not something I care at all about repeating due to the tediousness of the later elevation. As a result, for a climb that is rife with shortcuts and learning opportunity, it feels like I leave with half the enjoyment I could have had.

FarSky, the best game you'll never play, and the review you'll never see. A smaller scope Subnautica in every way. This humble entry into the underwater open-world survival genre may be a tiny offering, and depressingly no longer available (the result of which the developer explained candidly), remains a personal all-time favourite.

Starting with minimal resources and a bare-bones narrative, the goal itself is to seek rescue and to achieve that you must collect parts of a submarine scattered around the seabed. In a nutshell survive the harsh environment, explore the depths to find the missing pieces, discover abandoned bases plus treasure, and call somewhere home.

All in all a short and charming experience. Those fond and familiar of underwater endeavours will feel at home and no doubt find something to appreciate. With procedural generation there's value in replayability, and endless fun with a creative mind. Well worth at least a single playthrough as relaxed or difficult as you want it.

Propnight, in its current state, for sure needs work. Having first played prior to release in an open beta test, I fell in love with the design and gameplay as it provided a fresh and interesting take on the 4v1 genre by mixing the classic horror component found in other similar genres, such as Dead by Daylight, with a compelling and satisfying prop hunt element. With that said, it's heartbreaking to have to write this negative review.

I'm unfortunately sad to have to say that the work previously referenced that the game needs has taken the form of completely overhauling almost every aspect from the visual design to the gameplay systems, which nobody asked for or wanted, into something that no longer represents the state in which it originally launched. This is a major red flag worthy of undoing any credibility, and an undertaking I don't think I've ever witnessed for a game post-launch.

Instead of simply, and I'm sure more easily, iterating on the original vision and concepts therein, the upcoming revitalization update currently known as Propnight Reborn (that is at the time of this review in beta) turns this into a mundane, bland, and (more) frustrating and imbalanced game fundamentally changing the art style and mechanics in the process. This subsequently results in an experience so far removed from the one available since launch.

Despite overwhelming community feedback on Discord negatively receiving this revitalization, and a very small minority embracing it, the developers are doubling down on their commitment to this new vision and disregarding opinions of the majority, unwilling to acknowledge that this is not a direction that makes any sense. They remain fully intent that once this update is more complete the original version as we know it will no longer be accessible.

For those excited about their next game, The Day Before, I would advise extreme caution and a lengthy post-release observation period before considering spending anything, based on how this game has been treated. Do not support a company that will fundamentally change the state of something you invested money into to the point where there is almost no recognition of how it originally was, it should be outright illegal.

I will personally never support anything from this company again after this experience unless this planned update is abandoned or made strictly optional and they start to seriously consider community feedback in a new way than they have. Ultimately it was worth the risk given the enjoyment I did have and as an insight into how their future games are likely to be handled, as it has saved me money.

Mirror's Edge Catalyst is an unfortunate, but not unexpected, misstep. A worse re-imagining in almost every possible way. As an avid fan of the original game, Mirror's Edge, this simply falls below the standards set out by its predecessor in almost all areas. An overall disappointment given what came before.

This features generic and unlikable characters, a boring and uninspired narrative, frustrating and tedious combat, padded side content, confusing world design, repetitive level design, and to top it off your escapade is rewarded with an unfinished ending. Perhaps the intent was to follow it up with a further entry, which unsurprisingly didn't come to pass.

Should you have fond memories of the original game I would probably urge you to avoid Catalyst so it can remain untarnished by this follow-up prequel. Without previous exposure and knowing how much better a game in this series can be then by all means you'll probably find something to enjoy.

Mafia is a masterpiece in storytelling. It really is that simple. You fill the shoes of Thomas Angelo, just your every day taxi driver until a chance encounter spirals his world out of control and into the pocket of one of the biggest crime families in the city. This is an utterly gritty and self reflective tale without a single dull moment.

The mechanics can be especially frustrating at times, and graphically it doesn't really hold up all that well to today's obvious standards. Despite those shortcomings, it's still entirely possible to become fully engrossed in the world of Lost Heaven.

Grit your teeth through some of the annoyances as a result of dated design, lose yourself in an impeccable narrative the game eagerly wants to share with you, and enjoy the beautiful score along the way. It's an experience you won't regret nor forget.

For those that are familiar with the remake, Mafia: Definitive Edition, I would strongly encourage avoiding. There is a huge sacrifice in quality to churn out something without any affection or care for the source material as a transparent attempt to capitalize on nostalgia.