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Outward is the first game developed by Nine Dot Studios. Its and open world action RPG and has received generally positive reviews with a 7/10 on Steam 89% on PC gamer and 90% of google reviewers reporting they enjoyed the game. But despite these generally good reviews I would argue that it isn't enough and that the game deserves so much more

Introduction

So i'm going to start this off with the assumption that you have never heard of this game. The reason im going to assume this is because this masterpiece is barely ever talked about. Personally when I found this game I was awestruck I was browsing youtube on a different computer so the recommendation section was a bit different than usual. This allowed me to discover a video of a guy reviewing Outward. I had never heard of Outward but noticing the thumbnails interesting monster and being a big fan of open world fantasy games like Skyrim and the Witcher I decided to check it out not expecting much within a minute I paused the video because I didn't need more convincing and I didn't want any spoilers. The game seemed like a dream, something I've been wanting for ages finally appeared in front of me and I bought it straight away.

Gameplay

Outward is a very challenging game, so challenging that I'm going to leave some tips later on to help you if you decide to buy the game. I believe that some of the negative reviews likely come from players that struggled a lot with the game. If you check the bad reviews their usual along the line of "it's too hard so it's badly designed" when in fact the design is fine you just have to play carefully you see the idea Outward tries to focus on is realism. In this game you aren't some sort of mythical hero, you don't get amazing powers or a prophecy, you're just a guy who has to leave the safety of his  village to explore the outside world full of danger and turmoil in the hopes of making money and surviving. The way I like to describe Outward is if you were playing Skyrim and all you had was a sword you could probably beat a dragon in Outward if you only have a sword you could probably beat a single hyena (the weakest and most common enemy in the game). If in Outward you expect to wrestle manticores and fight of giants you're dead wrong. You have to plan for every fight, Outward has a souls like combat system with stuns and dodging and once you take damage you're going to feel it. Some monsters will take you out in 1 or 2 hits if you're not ready, even bandits can defeat you quite easily when you start. But all of this is in a way what makes the game great. The progression in the game doesn't feel like it's weapon and amour based. Yes if you have strong tools you're going to have a higher chance of winning a fight but at the end of the day you could still lose to a bandit if you're not careful. What gets better isn't just your tools but you. You learn to fight correctly, to strike when your opponent guard is down, to set up traps around the battlefield to come prepared with potions and food. All of these things come into play and truly make the progression feel much more rewarding.

What makes the game great

So here I'm going to talk about the best parts in the game. I'm going to start with what is in my opinion the best feature, coop. You can play this game with a friend both online and locally on the same computer and the game won't slow down at all. The coop is great as exploring this dark world feels so much more exciting with a friend, it creates this new layer of coordination and add to the strategy aspect of the game, it's also nice to know at least one persons got your back in this world unless they're the type of friend to run away the second things get rough. You can also play with more than 2 people if you download the multiplayer limit remover mod which allows you to play with as many friends as you want online. Another great feature are the monsters. They are all unique and challenging which I really appreciate. In the picture above you can see one of my favourites the "Blade Dancer '' it's design is totally unique which is rare nowadays with most games having the same monsters repeatedly. I still remember finding him for the first time. Me and my friend were exploring a swamp trying to get to town where we could rest up when one of them just appeared out of nowhere. We decided to fight it and just barely won the fight and as a reward I got a mace that decreased mana usage which was great because my character was a magician who used a mace as a melee weapon. The next thing I'm going to talk about is the weapons. There are different types of weapons and all of them play differently but the main difference lies between one and two handed. One handed weapons have a free hand for something like a torch, a spell book or a dagger but two handed weapons deal more damage at a longer range and it's important to consider what skill you want to get when picking your weapon. Every weapon also has a unique skill that you can learn. For example maces can absorb a magic attack and then gain its property (So if you absorb a fireball the mace will light on fire) and spears can deflect an attack and deal high damage. Basically consider what play style you want and what skills you're going to buy as skills aren't gained through level ups, in fact there aren't any levels, instead you buy them, and when you want to get a high level skill you have to use break through points to unlock a skill tree. But keep in mind you only have 3 points so use them wisely and choose skill trees that are going to be useful if you're a fighter don't buy into a magic tree and vice versa. Now these are just some of the many fantastic features and I really want to tell you all of them but I think I should move on here and let you discover some yourself.

Tips

Okay so now some tips keep in mind this is going to be easier said than done as the game is challenging and will require you to do a lot of the work even with these tips I can't guarantee you will succeed. First of all when you start you will have to raise 200 silver within 5 days to buy back your house. At first that's not going to seem like much or at least it didn't until I failed to get more than 50 and ran out of time. The tip here is sell everything you don't need except your water skin, bag, weapon and at least 4 predator bones and hide. You will be tempted to sell the predator bones as they go for 8 silver each but they're useful for crafting. After you buy back your house buy a weapon in the blacksmith, if you use a machete buy a sword if you use a lumber axe buy a great axe the symbol behind the weapon in your inventory tells you what type it is. After buying your weapon, buy the fang crafting recipe for the right weapon from the blacksmith. You will then be able to use your predator bones and hide to upgrade your weapon to a faster one that deals bleeding. Okay so now I'm going to talk about magic. You don't get mana at the start but you're going to want it quickly when you start you should notice a mountain with rock floating around it go to that mountain climb it and search for an entrance once you go deep enough in the mountain you will find people that can give you mana but remember you have to exchange hp and stamina. The more max hp and stamina you give away the more mana you will have so be careful. Once you give it away you can't get it back. Finally when fighting big monsters remember to place down traps and fight carefully. If you rush in you will struggle a lot. A tactic you can sometimes use is if there are other big monsters of a different type lure them close to each other and make them fight each other for you then finish off the weakened victor. I can tell you doing this to a mini boss feels super satisfying and nothing makes you feel smarter than using them like this.

Any way this one was a little long I hope you forgive me as i just love this game and can't stop talking about it. If this interested you give it a look it runs even on potato computers which is great and its honestly lots of fun. I hope you enjoyed my article, thanks.

Nice article the game kinda reminds me of old school game like ESO 2 back when they were mixing 2d and 3d.

The VR is honestly good though. It's really fun in VR and I don't think it would be the same without. Honestly the way it's made nearly necessitates VR to get the right effect.

Half-Life: Alyx is the newest game in the Half-Life series. something that has been asked for ever since Half-Life 2: episode 2 came out all the way back in 2007. I'm sure all of you are aware of the memes surrounding the newest game and are probably familiar with the joke phrase "Half-Life 3 confirmed" but did this game truly live up to the hype?

The first thing we should look at are the ratings. Half-Life: Alyx crushes them with a staggering 10/10 on steam an incredible 92% on metacritic and a shocking 97% like ration by google reviewers. These ratings are clearly incredible and the hype around the game obviously didn't disappoint but what makes this game so great?

Why is it so successful?

The first thing we have to understand is what makes the Half-Life series so great. Every Half-Life game attempts to pioneer new gaming technology. For Half-life 2 it was its physics engine which was central for many of the mechanics and puzzles. In Alyx it's obviously the VR, Alyx is the first VR game of its kind able to compete with AAA titles. Its release was widely celebrated and even though many people don't have VR headsets to play I wouldn't be surprised if some people bought some just to play this game.

The value of VR

Alyx really uses VR perfectly. The graphics are fantastic in comparison with what you usually expect from VR and this is one of the most important factors of what makes the game so great. The ambience is unique. You feel afraid at the sight of troopers and monsters to a degree you wouldn't get sitting in front of your monitor. The level of immersion is unreal and honestly can't be compared to normal games. When playing it you honestly feel like a part of the world which makes the experience much more exciting. You get to a point where you are so immersed you might even scream when you encounter an enemy at an unexpected time, it’s fantastic. Valve really pushes VR to its limits, it likes to do that in its games, create new things and progress current ideas. It nearly makes you forget you’re in VR and you really start to feel the struggle of your character, it's like you become her. I would especially recommend this game as your first VR title. Valve has basically engineered this to be the perfect game to get into VR, it uses the VR technology perfectly. It’s truly at a level where the large majority of VR cannot compete on a technical level. 

The plot

The plot consists of Alyx trying to rescue her dad, Eli, who has been kidnapped. To save him you have an array of tools such as a remote device to hack electrical systems and an array of weapons which have to be handled aimed and even reloaded by your new virtual hands. This attention to detail coupled with the fact that you can interact with practically everything really brings immersion and world building to a new level. It’s nearly like City 17 (the city you are in in the game) was made for VR as it just fits so perfectly with the theme and style it's honestly incredible.  

If you are on the fence on whether you should buy this game or even buy a VR headset to play this game, don't be, it's worth it and the VR headset is worth the price considering the hundreds of fantastic titles, like this one, that will come out in the future.

Disclaimer: Like many of my article for some reason this one was rejected for plagiarism. It's not plagiarised and I spent a lot of time writing it so I would appreciate if you don't reject it for no reason.

Dream or Dreams universe is a ps4 exclusive game that came out on the 14 of Febuary 2020. The game was published by the critically acclaimed video game publisher Media Molecule creators of the cult classic "Little Big Planet". The game has received universally positive reviews with a 89% on metacritic, a 5/5 on Common Sense Media and 96% of Google users saying they liked it.

Gameplay

What makes dreams gameplay and indeed the game itself is how it works. If you've ever played Little Big Planet its similar to that except there are no limits. Player will create games and then you play them. The game creating system has been simplified to the point were everyone can do it at relative ease, even someone with no experience can make a game that's actually fun to play. When I said you can create anything I meant it. Literally any genre is accessible, action, horror, rpg, adventure, 3D, 2D, Firts person, Third person, Top Down. The options are limitless. This makes the game a constant source of excitement as you get new games every day. Media Molecule also releases challenges where you have to makes games around a theme which encourages people to make more games. 

Does the game have flaws?

The game does have flaws but their temporary. The main fear I had when coming into the game was that their wasn't going to be enough content. Those fears were quickly assuaged when I noticed the already large catalogue at launch. Then the next day I saw an even greater number of games and realised content wasn't an issue. People are constantly adding new games and they clearly enjoy doing it. A lot of the games are also really good. Some games are based on shows so if you're a fan of things like anime you might get the chance to play a game using characters from a show you like. But whilst there's a lot of content based on pre-existing material there is also a ton of original ideas. For example one of the first game I played was and action rpg that supported up to 3 players (because this games also supports up to 4 player multiplayer if you want it). The game asked each player to pick a class, either rogue, mage, or knight. You then battle through a forest defeating bandit until you enter a lair where a strange shadow monster appears. The game ends here as its unfinished and its a shame as you get pretty excited for the boss fight but it's not too bad as you have hundreds of other games to play and you know this one will get updated soon. Its original content like this game that really makes dreams shine as a gem among gems and is a prime example as to why you should consider the game.

Is it really worth it?

Short answer, yes. If you're still on the fence on whether to buy the game that's fine in fact waiting is beneficial for this game. The more you wait the better it becomes so if you're not sure wait and you'll get something better. I personalty took a 2 week long break from the game to see what I could find when I came back and was surprised to see tons of new games in the top rated spot. I then picked one randomly and was stunned to have found such a fun game on my first try. The game was a top down action game where you control a wind up doll with a sword. You fight wind up slims and jack in a box monsters that pop out and shoot fire balls at you. The game presents itself a being in a toy world. You're a toy fighting of other toys, it has a dark, gritty feel for what the setting is but is very well made. There's a town where you can buy upgrades for your character like a multi hit attack and even a boss who's a giant pigeon and is surprisingly hard to beat. The game was incredibly fun and I would probably pay for it if it was a standalone title. On top of all of this the developers are planning to Implement VR into the game. They were going to have it at launch but unfortunately couldn't meet the deadline but its still coming and I am personally very excited to play some VR games. So to conclude if you're unsure about dreams that's good wait, give it some time, and then buy it because it's fantastic and i'm sure you will adore it.

Disclaimer: This article has been rejected for plagiarism, this is not plagiarised everything written here was done so by myself. Thank you.
 

Crossout is an mmo game that came out in 2017 and maintains a decent amount of relevancy to this day. The game is about building vehicles to fight enemies in 7v7 matches. The rules are once your vehicles is destroyed you're out which creates this challenging mix of strategy and action. The game is continuously updated and has received prizes on gamehag. It has also received decent ratings with 95% of google reviewers liking it and a 7/10 on steam.

The game in of itself is like robocraft but set in a post apocalyptic world. This creates a unique ambience to the game were you truly feel like a survivor searching for scrap that you'll use to upgrade your rig. The main appeal of the game is how you create you vehicle. You find or buy different parts that you attack to you truck and in this way it gets upgraded. Enough can't be said about this mechanic especially in a game like crossout were they mix this mechanic with a realistic feel making it seem realistic and gritty no matter how crazy you creations feel. This system also add to the gameplay as it makes every game different with each individual running a unique setup that forces you to analyse what they have and what they can do carefully.

This creates a competitive environment where you have to be capable of quickly estimating what your opponent is capable of whilst understanding what your team can do. This demands a deep understanding of the games mechanics as well as each part. You need to be able to recognise what you opponent is equipped with and counter it. This creates really thrilling matches, if I  had to compare it to another game I would ask you to imagine Overwatch but instead of picking a character from a list you create it and customise the abilities and skills to your liking. This makes every game, whether quick or short, memorable as you often get to see fun and creative builds from fellow players. There is also something great about creating a machine and seeing win a fight. It's like witnessing you creation grow under your guidance and see it thrive on the battlefield. Its an honestly fantastic feeling. I can't stress enough how amazing this combat system is, if you've never played a game using it give a try, I honestly believe its something every gamer has to give a go because everyone I've met who has played one loved it.

Finally I want to dedicate this section to answer the question. Is the game pay to win. The answer is no. Although you can buy parts with real money you get matched with people of similar levels. This means that you can pay to speed up and progress quickly most things are available for free and you can get them by slowly working towards them. You will rarely get matched up with someone who payed to get an advantage over, as they balance the game based on what they have and what you have.

All in all crossout is quite a fun game and I've personally gotten addicted to it for a while. I would ultimately recommend giving it a try as it is enjoyable and can be quite a nice game to either relax or search for a unique yet challenging experience.