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Last Epoch

As a long time follower of the Diablo series, I found myself pleasantly surprised by Last Epoch. From the moment I delved into its world, I was greeted by an experience that seamlessly blended familiarity with innovation. The gameplay is not only enjoyable but also remarkably easy to grasp, making it a breeze to immerse oneself in the adventure.One of the standout features of Last Epoch is its engaging monoliths, each offering a distinct and captivating challenge.

Whether I was soloing or teaming up with friends, the experience remained consistently entertaining, perfect for those moments when I wanted to unwind and listen to a podcast while grinding away.However, no game is without its flaws, and Last Epoch is no exception. One aspect that left me wanting more was the lack of free respecs, which can be a deterrent for players eager to experiment with different builds without facing hefty penalties.

Additionally, while the concept of set gear holds promise, its current implementation falls short of expectations, failing to deliver the depth and excitement that such gear should bring to the table. The restriction on trading items across different maps can feel limiting and frustrating, hindering the potential for player interaction and commerce.

Despite these setbacks, Last Epoch earns a solid 8/10 rating from me. Its enjoyable gameplay, coupled with the unique challenges offered by the monoliths, make it a standout title in the action RPG genre. With some refinement, particularly in addressing the issues with respecs, set gear, and trading, Last Epoch has the potential to elevate itself even further and secure its place as a must-play for fans of the genre.

New World Closed Beta

I love the story and the idea of it. You were sent off to find a lost land where no one has come back from. Those who venture just disappear. No debris. corpse nothing. Just vanished. You set off on your adventure where you find out, first hand, what has happened the the crewmen before you and some how survive the grim fate that has befallen those before you.

There is a bit of character customization but it’s not as in-depth as a few other games. There aren’t any number dials like for noses and such but there are quite a few faces, hair styles and a glorious color wheel so you can customize as much as you want with those regards. I am a little sad you can’t change sizes of facial features ECT but I was able to make a super kawaii Viking with twin buns and a glorious beard. uwu =^.^=

I find the play style appealing and you can pretty much okay whatever you want to play. Magic classes seen to suck mana but I’m a tank class so that doesn’t do much to me. The fight style is very similar to other click fighters like Black Desert Online and Tera.

The talent tree is pretty linier. It’s more based off stats and the weapon you want. Example you need strength to use axe sword mace shield. You select different alternative attacks but you have to make sure you keep the weapon type or you just are kinda stuck. But this brings up the fact you can basically multi class. Example: You can alt-weild a staff with a sword level up your intelligence and strength and be a spell sword. You do need to swap weapons though too use the alternative attacks but you can do that. Weapon skills and usage are all based around your basic stats like Dex Strength Int ect.

You can pretty much do whatever you want in the have as well. Farming materials is a thing and you level up those skills like any other profession. Nodes are single use first come first serve so you can wait for the spawn or move on. Though I find this very annoying, there are so easy fixes around this. I understand mobs being one use only but Nodes and what not shouldn’t me. You are able to pretty much see what anyone is doing at any given time and it can create some…clutter in the overworld.

The idea of a campsite is nice as it allows you to rest, cook craft basic items and such but with how many people are playing and the fact you can see everything another player does, it can take away from the immersion when you see 100+ camp sites in one area. A perk with having so many in one area though is you always know where a town is and it looks like it’s ablaze. So that’s interesting but at the same time I don’t enjoy clutter in games…. But I suppose that could be a personal taste.

I haven’t seen any mounts yet but I’m not sure if they are going to include them. So far it hasn’t made the gave boring to just walk to the objective points.

There is also an economy system in the hand as well as factions. There if I remember correctly wars that you can fight with other affections to gain control of territories and depending on which faction owns a territory will affect auction house pricing and taxes how much experience you gain in an area etc.

There is a lot this game has going for itself and I am sad that it got pushed back. I was hoping this would be a release review but sadly we have to wait a bit more for that. I do suggest giving it a try though as it does have some things to get used to and what not that could make the game a terrible experience for you.

Back 4 Blood Closed Beta

Many many years ago, a little game called Left 4 Dead came out. It was a game set in a outbreak zone where your goal is to survive the best you can with your friends. For the time, this game was advanced. With rumors of the 3rd game coming out brought the need for a game like this to come out. This game has brought back so many memories it’s amazing.

The game play is fantastic and really relies on you guys to pay attention to where the other people are as well as what is going on in the environment. There are the same type of events that force a horde, but there are also groups of birds, cars and other items that can summon them as well. The hordes can be very intense and if you are not paying attention to what is summoned it can be the end of the game. But you do have three tries to get to the next safe house so it’s not too bad.

They have added a card deck system into the game that will draw from them at the start of every game/chapter. Four cards are drawn and you select what ones you want and the game starts you in a room where you can pick up some free gear or you can open a store and purchase items with copper that you find out in the world as you play. Each player character you can pick have different group buffs that can help you out when you have a full party.

The store offers a variety of goods from health kits and pipe bombs. You can also purchase weapons and upgrades for them so you can increase damage, accuracy ect. Melee is also an option in the game. Each chapter offers weapon upgrades as the ridders get harder and stronger. I say check the stores and little crannies for weapons, upgrades and more. This game is all about strategy or you will struggle.

The game offers a unique array of special ridders from a one that will crush you to a half body pouncing from the walls and pin you down. Each one has a weak spot and it’s up to you to figure out how to make what’s best of what you have to get them down, get their weak spots and survive. It honestly took me a few downs to figure out a good strategy and keep at it.

Over all, my experience of this game is great. I honestly loved everything about it and it was just a trip down

nostalgia lane. Though there are some kinks, they’re not game breaking. It’s mostly some weird party bugs and such. I urge you guys to give it a try when it comes out to Open beta. The Closed Beta is a 7/10 Stars! Great game, I personally ran into some issues but nothing a quick restart or just starting a game over again.

Destroy All Humans

There was something about this game that I just love. I’m not sure if it’s the silly humor from the 50s or Crypto’s phrases. When I think of aliens, this is where I go to. Named after disease and anal probes just make this game one of my favorites. I know this is a little behind but I’m playing catch up. Don’t worry I’ll have a post about it soon ๐Ÿ™‚ But for now, here we gooo!

This game is exactly how I remember it when it first came out. The graphics are nostalgic and how I remember them. I will admit, the cutscenes really made it for me. The details in their faces really make the game memorable. The voices in the game add is almost word for word from the original as well…both the silly and the awful jokes. Really though, I am a huge fan of the silly dumb jokes and I don’t care what others think. It really adds to the game if you ask me even if it’s just a small chuckle or an eye roll.

The thought of being a destructive protagonist isn’t lost on me. You are able to pretty much have your way with the areas as long as you are prepared for what happens next. Sure, the maps may not be as open as one would hope but the amount of damage and torment you can cause but I think the vast arsenal you have makes up for it. You can replay the levels and try out new skills, weapons or even game styles. Some maps even allow you into your ship to cause havoc. Remember, you’re cool if you don’t look at the explosions, but I will still think you’re cool if you do.

When you start off, you start learn new skills as you progress. It’s not all Ray guns, anal probes and throwing people, cows…cars…the usual for an alien arsenal. With each new skill, you have a quick tutorial before you are sent off to the world to collect brains and intel for your domination of the world!! Not everything in this game is about going out and just attacking. There are also stealthy approaches you can take as well to make missions a little easier or to progress through the mission.

I will say though, for the most part the quests are similar to the original release. Because of that, I found some of the areas easier than others. I did notice a new quest where you are to destroy something the Air Force is working on and it caused me a little headache. Not having prior gameplay knowledge really made it a challenge to me and I rather liked it! Each area has it’s own main story line quests, but don’t forget to check your side quests!! Each zone has several for you to finish like “Exploding heads with your skills and take 8 brains” and other stuff along those line! They are all easily doable when doing the main quests too.

Honestly, there’s something about a Jack Nicholson type alien who’s goal is so explode heads, collect brains and throw cows (and other things if you wanna play the game that way hehe) Sure some of the quests are repeats with new skins but I feel like the game did it’s job making a remake without redoing everything completely. I wish some remakes took this root but I understand the way they go.

I did make this game a GOTY for 2020.

DOOM Eternal

There hasn’t been a DOOM that I haven’t liked. The mix of ambient metal music the the straight carnage there is something for every FPS gamer in the game known as DOOM Eternal. Unicorn Costume not included but it made the game better. JS.

Doom has been a staple in my gaming world for a long time. Though I wasn’t able to enjoy Doom 64 when it launched, I was able to savor the flavors of the game and appreciate it more now I think then I would have back then. Doom Eternal is just another entrรฉe for us to enjoy.

This game, is hard. Though I have always been a fan of games that offer me some short of challenge…DOOM Eternal most defiantly gave me a good run for my money. There are a lot of power ups, and such around and with the fancy kills to replenish your health, ammo ect it was very hard for me to get frustrated with this game. There are plenty of new enemies and return of some old favorites.

Not a lot, like I said before, upset me with this game. I will admit though, there were some mobs in the game that I dreaded to face. The Marauder comes to mind….*eye twitch* I..I can’t even talk about it with out feeling the anger and screaming when I say it’s name. Marauder. Going with the aspect of the game being difficult there are a lot of puzzles and platforming in this game. If you know me, you know platforms aren’t my thing. So right off the bat I wasn’t a big fan but I didn’t let that ruin my game experience. After all, I was a Unicorn Doom guy. A UNICORN!!!!

Exploration has been a good thing in this game. It isn’t as closed as some of the other games have been. Sure you have your path to follow but there’s so much to explore. You even have a home base area where you can upgrade your things and even explore it. Exploration leads to codex that lead to lore. I must admit, the amount of lore you can find is amazing, and it’s so well put together it’s easy to follow and understand the events of Eternal much better. If I don’t stop talking about this it won’t ever stop. After all, I am a Loremaster hehe I love things like this.

The story is pleasantly long. I want to say maybe I spent close to 11 hours on my first play though but the open story makes it more fun to replay and explore areas you might have missed. If it’s one thing I love it’s ability to be replayed and have a new experience. I do like to take my time with the game because I want to savor everything it has to offer. With that being said, that 11 hours wasn’t me rushing, but I wasn’t exploring every nook and cranny. My second play through was a bit longer as I took the time ti find all of the Codex, all of the new areas and just see where I could and couldn’t go.

When it comes to shooters and just plain hack n slashers, I will always recommend DOOM to anyone, and this one is no exception. All in all, This game get’s a solid 7/10 from me as well as a GOTY award. I don’t have any links if you want to play the game. It’s out there on every current generation system except the Switch (that got canceled sadly ๐Ÿ™ )

Nioh 2

I am a huge fan of the Darksouls series. From the lore to the game play, you can probably call me a glutton for punishment. This game, is literally no exception. I don’t know how many times I died, but I can assure you it was a lot. A lot of screaming, groaning and just plain anger. However, with the beauty of the game mixed with the game play and combat style, this is easily one of my GOTY choices for this year.

I would like to give this game props and I feel like we were heard when it came to this game. Being a prequel of sorts, this is worth the pain you get from playing it. We went from a set character from the west to one that you can make yourself but is silent. Think Jade Empire interactions with people. You have no voice, but you’re heard by all who speak. Though the landscape is beautiful, there are always some greener grass on the other side. There are some real life historical figures in this game as well.

Every new area offers a lot to you. From beautiful scenery all the way to the combat. Everything about this game has a purpose. There is a lot to do in this game and I can see how it can overwhelm some people. There are so many items in the game it can possibly take you a bit of time to sort everything and do your basic inventory management (If you’ve seen me play WoW, you know I struggle hard with this) There are also a lot of customization options you have. Like I said before, you are able to create your character. The amount of thought it takes to make your guy is intense. So many options. So little time.

Combat is one of the most important things in this game, it’s almost centered around it. Normally, I’d have something to say about this but frankly, combat is very impressive. Not only do you have new pieces of gear that help increase your damage, you have a lore more yokai skills you can use now, including a realm just for them. There is also a chance for items to drop that let you use enemy skills against them when brought to the right places.

You have a few different things you can do in combat. You have Soul Core moves, which I talked about above. These are very powerful attacks but they can leave you open to counter attacks and other damage. You also have Burst Counters which is a bit more exciting to me. These are just fancy parries but you can stun your foes with ease while dealing a great amount of stamina loss to your foes preventing them from using strong moves against you. Both can take some getting used to but I tell you what…when you learn this shit you’re golden.

I mentioned Darksouls earlier….well this game is just like it difficulty wise if you ask me. The one thing I will always give props to Team Ninja is their attention to difficulty and they do what they can to balance it even if it means there’s a secret to certain things in their games. You have an option, in most cases, to avoid combat. In fact, I don’t remember coming across anything in “the wild” as I did with the story, I feel like I can stay on a road and not get attacked.

There are a lot of things you can skip. Side missions is a big thing, but like with more challenges, they are rewarding. Though you can expect to be challenged, you don’t every have to really do them. You can just stick to the main storyline and you won’t really miss out on much except some currency and maybe some loot. I applaud this company.

All in all, this game is great and it is something I suggest you play. Obviously if you are easily frustrated with hard combat you may want to hold off or watching a gameplay video for it. Though challenging, this game is as beautiful as it is creative. The reimagination of Japan and the history of the country is a great little insight to the realm of Nioh.

Nioh 2 get’s a solid 9/10 from me. Play it! Nuff said!

Resident Evil 3 Remake

This year has most definitely been a year for remakes and rebirths of my childhood. With the hype and my undying love for the remake of Resident Evil 2. I must say this game didn’t fall short scaring the crap out of me and keep my eyes looked to the screen. You never know what’s going to be around that corner.

With Raccoon City in ruins and with some of the best bosses in the Resident Evil series it’s really hard to say anything bad about this game. With the environment being so detailed from flickering lights to ambient sounds, the game really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Compared to the Resident Evil 2 remake, the combat here is a lot more entertaining. Jill has a new move that’s like a fast side step now so she can dodge some attacks. Jill can also use a few different weapons in the game with upgrades available for you as you progress through the story. You can never go wrong with shot guns though. Just saying.

Nemesis is back…he is strong….and quick….and like holy shit excuse me? For being as BIG as he is he can’t do that…or can he? When he does show up it’s so unexpected. He got me to squeak a few times in fear…this is one of two games that I can never feel completely safe in. The first being Deadspace.

Just like with Resident Evil 2, you are able to play as Carlos. I felt like he was a bit of a hardmode character as it wasn’t as easy to dodge or do other things as him. Sure you can be a bad ass, but if you can’t dodge outta the way…what are you good for ;P I must say, thought I enjoy a challenge…I do find myself playing Jill more than the Merc Carlos.

Keeping true the nature of the rooms and spots in the series, each room has a unique story to tell you. From useful items all the way to secrets there’s always something for you and a good reason for you to explore in the world. Sure, sometimes it can seem very tedious to do some of the tasks, but you are always rewarded for your time. Thankfully there is a map to help you find your way around but be careful….was that dead body here before?

Going into this game with just my memories to help, this game seemed like a torture room before now. Honestly at first I felt like it was going to be the same. I would push in areas where it was difficult to try to get past and with one wrong move, you are dead. Though this can be frustrating, I defiantly recommend taking your time with the puzzles and bosses to the best of your skills. Based on my level of knowledge from the original game, slow and steady survive the Zombie Hoards.

This game is a beautiful challenge. It brings back the amazing memories I have of the original game with adding modern age mechanics into it. It still feels like Resident Evil 3. This is a perfect game if you like to relive the glorious past but also if you fancy a scare.

RE 3 gets a 8/10. This is one of the games that I grew up with so I could be slightly bias. I like to give honest reviews and I honestly feel like this is a game you should pick up and play. The replay value is there. Maybe you missed this room on accident? Time to go back! Jill is EZ mode? Then play as Carlos. Just play until your little zombie loving heart forgets 2020.

Baldur’s Gate III

So, I am not usually one to pay into early access of games because I’m always worried that they won’t finish the game ect ect. Well, I broke that by getting this game. I want you to keep in mind that I have been patiently waiting for this game and I was so excited to see that it was in a playable state and I just had to get into it.

As of the time of this review (10/13/2020) this game isn’t completed. It is in an Alpha/Early access launch so this review will not be complete as of yet. I will be going over that I like, dislike and had problems with so you can make your own choice. Obviously I am somewhat bias right now and I think you should get it, but read what I have to say and go from there ๐Ÿ™‚

So let’s get started with Character creation. There isn’t *that* many customization options. It’s not very in depth. Each race has preset faces, hair, horns ect. I wasn’t expecting a lot of customization right of the bat. But I personally find the faces are bleh, and I’m not excited about most of them. Each race has their own eye colors though that are pretty unique. There are about 6 classes right now to choose from which is also ok. I was excited to be able to make my D&D character in the game.

Movement is hit or miss. You can swap between free movement or turn based movement when out of combat. I did have a slight issue with movement where sometimes it wasn’t registering it, but I got around it. I just shrugged it off, made a note about it and moved in. I know what I was getting into when I got the game. I’m not going to be petty. If you can’t handle the game not seeing you click or moving then don’t get it right now. Wait until it comes out or more things are fixed.

The voice acting is very well done in my opinion. Sure sometimes the mouths don’t move and the character T-poses but that’s not anything I can’t get past. In fact, I think it’s hilarious and I think it gave the game charm. To match the voices, the graphics are super beautiful when they render. Sometimes you get those weird smooth graphics on characters or scenes. Though it takes away from the immersion….it’s not like I couldn’t get sucked back in.

Combat is also interesting. I think my horrible RNG followed me into this game. I found my rolls didn’t always work, which is fine. I died quite a few times because I didn’t make my saving throws or I just made bad moves. The combat is turned based, which I am partial to. I like the idea that I can see what my options are and I don’t feel that rushed. There are some mechanics you have to get used to and TK is a thing you can do. Trust me I did it many times on accident. RiP Us T.T

Level up is similar to that of D&D. You have skill points you can manually place or have the computer place what they think is best. There are also archetypes in the game as well and a spell book with a decent size. Sure you can’t just go around and pick any random spell but I do like that you can start with Grease. Who doesn’t like grease?! Synths. That’s who.

I made sure to keep in the dark about the story until today. I can tell this is a new era in the Forgotten Realms. From what I gathered from the intro, Mind Flayers (eeeeeeeeee!) have found a way to travel across the area on massive ships and you were captured. During the scenes a tadpole from their pool was given to you and your goal is to find a cure. There are several other side quests you can go on but at the same time you can just go about your business and get that thing out of your eye.

Over all, I’m happy with my purchase. Some of the weird ass bugs, glitches and other things can be annoying but it didn’t ruin my experience. I’m still rather happy with my purchase at the moment and I encourage you to check it out. Whether you wait or get it now is up to you. You can also check out my life stream from 10/7/2020 to see the game play and listen to me complain about Us dying or having to reset the game a few times to fix errors I made.

This early access gets 7/10 stars. I like the game but there’s still a lot that needs fixed. I knew what I was getting into when I got the game and I’m still happy with it.

Edit: While the game is staying at 7/10 stars I would like to add I have been experiencing some weird lag with some combat that caused me to restart my game to fix. So make sure you save when you can.

Darksiders Genesis

So, this game first came out on PC last year but I didn’t get a chance to play it and when it was launched on console I thought, why not. This was a game series I love and I was so excited to see it was going.

For those who don’t know, Darksiders is a hack and slash type series that’s been around for quite awhile. So far, you have gotten to play as 3 siblings in their attempt to free one of their own as you go on with the series. This game, however, is the start. This is about Strife. This will be the first game that you are able to play him as well.

The dual pistol weilding protagonist is a great addition to the Darksider’s Universe. I was quite excited about the change. I’ve grown found of War’s play style of running in and hacking up the bad guys and going on. Strife is more glass canon type. The best strategy is to keep your distance and pew pew.

This game, is from the first person prespective. I didn’t really even mind. I’m a big fan of Third person games like this and normally frown upon first person but truthfully I didn’t mind at all. I was able to control my character with ease and that was the most important part. It’s hard to get into a game where you can’t really see yourself and end up missing everything you’re trying to hit because you just can’t see. UGH!

Most of the time, to be honest. I don’t find too much replay values. Most games are just kinda meh. I buy them, I beat them and I check out end game before I quietly put the game down and move on. This game was different for me. I wanted to go back and see if there was anything I missed. The environments and the amazingly done levels kept me playing the game for quite awhile (mostly until the next game came out hahah)

Truthfully, this game wasn’t as finished as the other games that have come before it. It has it’s bugs and glitches and it’s other keybinds ect. This is almost pushed aside by the fantastic combat, the great puzzles that made you really thing about to solve. The massive levels make the explorer in my so happy and it drew me back to the places I’ve been just to ensure nothing was missed.

The play time is a little short, I think I put about 16 hours into it or something like that…but it was well worth it all. Though I’m a fan of the older styles, I still enjoyed myself enough to give my copy to a friend to play and so on.

Darksiders: Genesis is a great game and was super entertaining. I def think you should give it a try if you like puzzles, shooting and beating people over the head with a giant ass sword.

There are a lot of good things about this game I like and I really think you guys should check it out! It gets a solid 7/10 review!!

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Final Thoughts

With the announcement of the physical copies of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands collectors editions I know that BFA is finally coming to a close. It’s time for my final review of the expansion and my hopes for the new one in several months.

So, I had already done my first review a few years ago. You can read it here. At the time, BFA was just here for me. There was a lot going on and a lot of gray areas in the story line. The slaughter of thousands of innocents, the betrayals…everything just made me feel unheroic. I’m sure you’re probably thinking.

“But Lily….you’ve been streaming BFA all the time why are you still sad?” Well let me tell you. To be honest with you guys, this expansion had a lot of promise. I finally felt like maybe, just maybe, the game was going to go back to it’s glory days. In some aspects it did. At the very same time though, it left my wanting more. I wanted to feel redeemed as the Champion of Azeroth. I wanted to really save her. I don’t feel like I did.

I know it seems crazy to care so much about an internet world so much but when you spend 15+ years in this universe it starts to grow on you. I digress though. The whole plot of this expansion made it seem like Lady Sylvanas was supposed to be a Garrosh 2.0. In fact she seemed slightly batshit. Now I want to add, I also read the books that are the intro to the expansions so I read about Arathi. It was heartbreaking, but that’s another story.

They really made her out to be a pawn of sorts. To be this character we are either to love or hate. She quite literally flew the bird at the Horde and even her own race. The same race that she had been working so hard to save. And for what….? What did she really accomplish? Not a lot if you ask me.

To be fair…the WTF face that forsaken guard made when she confessed that nobody meant anything to her anymore was pretty great. Gave me a good chuckle. But that was about it. There were so many wtf moments it’s hard to pick my favorite one, but this one is one of the good ones.

The real question I have for you guys was, do you even know what the whole reason of this expansion was? Because I seemed to have lost it. With a PvP mode that wasn’t ever watched or controlled by Blizz to the lack luster storyline they created it really makes me wonder, what exactly was the point of the “Battle for Azeroth”? Like was there a real point to anything?

I don’t even feel like a hero this time. The intro to this expansion was amazing and it really hit me in the feels, but now…I don’t feel anything. I feel like they just kind of tossed a lot out, retconned and lacked empathy for a lot of stuff. Personally, nothing really felt connected. What is the point of N’Zoth really? It felt like this was another fight that the Hero has to do to “save the world” in one way or another.

Don’t even get me started on War Mode. I know what you’re thinking “If you don’t like it turn it off” I get that. But, hear me out here. The lack of regulation there was made War Mode a nightmare. Literally, the opposite faction could do whatever they wanted (botting included kthx) and got away with it. There should still be some set of rules for this mode, but I feel there just wasn’t. War is cruel I suppose.

All in all, this was an expansion. It isn’t one of my favorite expansions, but it’s not my most hated expansion. The over simplifying of classes, the lack of any fun new mechanics and a broken part of the game doesn’t put it in my favor.

BFA is a solid 6/10 for me. In the beginning it was fun. At the same time, it got equally boring after some time. New patches and new content was fun, but in the end it lacked the ingredients to make it long lasting. I’m fairly disappointed by BFA…but at least I am not the only one.

But what does this mean?

I can’t wait for it to be over…and I hope that Shadowlands is better. The things I have seen so far have seemed to make it more favorable for me. However, time will tell what mysteries await us in the new lands. So until then, I will just keep running for mounts and trying to figure out what I am going to main. What will you be maining?