Zack Furniss
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Latest Reviews
I had hoped to enjoy Resident Evil 7 for what it appeared to be: a strange, Western approach to the series. I didn’t expect it to hark so close to the series’ roots while managing to still bring some action and more intuitive controls. Production-wise, this is the best Capcom’s ever done, with believable performances (wait ’til you see the Baker’s son. Something about him is so freakishly real to me) and wonderfully creepy audio design. With or without VR, Capcom nailed the pulse-pounding atmosphere and I am finally legitimately excited to see what it’s going to do next. Though the enemy design could have been more varied, the bosses more than make up for that. The last hour and boss is slightly underwhelming, but everything up to that is consistently amazing. Resident Evil 7 went beyond my expectations, and I feel we have an instant classic here. I want to jump back in right now, and I have a feeling I’ll be doing so for years to come.
Killing Floor 2, like its predecessor, is something I’ll be returning to for a long time. It’s not often that I stick with a multiplayer game for any length of time, but this one has its hooks in me deep. At the end, yes, you’re fighting the same enemies with the same weapons over and over again, but the level of challenging chaos keeps me coming back. Just know that as high as my score is, this is a repetitive game by nature. However, as previously mentioned, Tripwire updated the first game for years with new weapons, maps, modes, and enemies, too, so this is like an investment that I’ve already broken even on and will continue to reap benefits from. If you need something simple where you can jump in and shoot some of the best guns ever, Killing Floor 2 is your game. Now fucking play it with me, Jordan (and all of you guys, too!).
Oh, and Windows 10 decided to update when I finished this review the first time, deleting everything I did and making it so I had to rewrite this two hours before embargo. DedSec, is that you? 8.5 is a great score, please never touch my computer again.
Shadow Warrior 2 is in no way a bad game, and I found myself grinning through a lot of it. I’d groan at Wang begging to cut off a penis immediately afterwards, but some people will probably get a laugh out of that. Definite flaws and a laser focus on making the game a more universally sellable experience hurt it, but if you want to shoot shit while shooting the shit with some buddies, you could do a lot worse.
An abrupt ending that doesn’t have much of a climax and some moments of fist-clenching frustration keep Human: Fall Flat from the upper echelons of puzzle gaming, but it’s still something I plan on going back to with friends. Plus, it lets you draw on your character, leading to the butt you see in all of the screenshots. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought this was hilarious. This one was for you, Laura!
After finishing the too-long campaign, there’s an Ironbro mode (where each Bro only has one life) and a level editor to tinker with. It seems robust, but I didn’t spend much time with it. This all adds up to a decent amount of bro-time if you really want it, but I’m fairly certain whoever you play this with will end up being a not-bro for a little while. Broforce could have been a fun “Hoo-rah ‘Murica” romp, but it comes with artificial difficulty and bugs that aren’t worth dealing with. You’re better off watching First Blood again and pretending Satan is going to show up at the end.
The Swindle is nowhere near an entirely negative experience. It’s a festival of moments, of anecdotes filled with failures and smiles. I found myself holding my breath as I hacked a computer with just enough time to dodge three heavy guards coming my way, jumped over two electricity traps, clung to a wall to let a patrol pass, and bombed myself a new escape route. These pockets of perfection kept me hooked, and made me boot up The Swindle again and again in order to preserve this world of rogues. That, and my dedication to you guys. Now, the Devil’s Basilisk is for all of us to share. You’re goddamned welcome.