Daav Daavpuke

Author
72
Avg Score

This author account hasn't been claimed yet. To claim this account, please contact the outlet owner to request access.

Writing For

Latest Reviews

Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Unscored

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is a treadmill for suckers who simply must have their open world shooting game and don’t care about anything else. There’s more than plenty of that to go around, even twice, though it comes at the cost of skewing priorities towards getting it all in there, plus considerable technical ineptitude. In true Ubisoft fashion, this shooter has all the pleasing elements for an endless adventure, but it’s far from cashing in on it at launch. Maybe after reworking a ton of inexplicable design choices, it will get there in a year or so. And so it goes.

Baja: Edge of Control HD is one of a kind in the racing world, using momentum and control as its main focus. Events are a relentless fight from start to finish and that certainly keeps the driving title refreshing through its tons of tracks. A great but dead multiplayer aspect aside, that’s all the straightforward release has to offer, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing; far from it. Rather a cohesive whole than a convoluted mess, full of filler. There’s plenty complexity in the race itself anyway.

PC-specific disclaimer: We were given the PC version for review. By far, the PC version is the worst option to pick. Its positive side is that the visuals are smooth and detailed, but also scale perfectly for moderate setups and high-power rigs alike. Mortal Kombat X is going to look great on any PC. The downside is that glitches and stuttering are consistently present in every cutscene, as well as online, making it infuriating to play at times. Downloads to fix errors have been a nightmarish scenario too. Crashes happen regularly, which again affects the online community. It’s bad. Feel free to knock off several points from the main score for the PC version. Ten, twenty points; however many is necessary to make up for a lesser port. Consider getting any other version instead or be prepared to have a lot of patience.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is worthwhile on the sole basis of its unprecedented orc hierarchy. It borrows heavily from other franchises for ideas, but the one notion it fleshed out for itself did so with unparalleled care.

Endless Legend

Endless Legend

September 17, 2014
92

There is a mountain of excellence in Endless Legend. From its alluring tabletop universe to its synergy of many different aspects, it’s a pinnacle in game design. Unique empire choices, deep and intuitive management, tactical and effortless combat, diversifying RPG content; there is enough here to last ages and it all runs wonderfully. What a truly beautiful world it is to get lost in.

Dark Souls II

Dark Souls II

March 10, 2014
72

With its foul intentions clear, Dark Souls 2 is a behemoth either way. It’s the best worst game ever created. Designed to be flawed, unforgivable beyond redemption and yet it’s robust enough to withstand any criticism. This is not a game for anyone, as there’s only contempt here, yet there will be many who will find its titillation pleasing, however twisted that may be, through sheer prowess in other facets. It’s rare for a game like that to exist, if it exists at all. No game gets slack like this one does. Prepare to die.

SteamWorld Dig

SteamWorld Dig

December 4, 2013
80

At just a day’s worth of entertainment, SteamWorld Dig feels light. Yet, that time will be spent in glee, as its spaced out gameplay elements drive the action down into the digging depths, searching and uncovering more and more, to play in more varied ways. It will astonish, now and then again, but then nevermore. It is, however, definitely worth the thrilling ride of helping Rusty’s plight, as the robot grows into a machine of the ages with more powers at hand to crush soil and foes alike.

It’s hard to wrap around all the elements Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag possesses. Despite a nonsensical story and flawed multiplayer, the sheer vastness of its connected content drowns out any discrepancy. There is a vice for every whim only a few paces away at any time in the game and that in a multitude of ways. It reaches such extents that this can be fully detached from any other elements that would make the game seem less interesting than the entertainment masterpiece it is now. Don’t witness the game; play the game. Live free of rules. It’s a pirate’s life.

While it balances some moments of pursuing narrative and scare tactics, there are too few in a mostly linear game to come to great heights. It is, however, still a solid playthrough.

Despite some more troubling technical errors in the game’s functionality, Batman: Arkham Origins manages to stay the course with a mixture of many basic systems that work. It’s a convergence of skillful designs, creating a giant world that’s much more than the sum of its parts and has tons to offer anyone willing to get lost in it.