Jason Bohn
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Hardcore Gamer Latest Reviews
Davey Wreden is the name that will probably garner the most attention for Wanderstop. As one of the two creative minds behind The Stanley Parable and the dude behind The Beginner’s Guide, it’s a safe bet that whatever he does, at the bare minimum, will be fascinating. It doesn’t seem fair to call this latest his game, though, seeing as it is coming from Ivy Road, the new studio he founded along with Karla Zimonja and audio guru C418. The fresh blood is immediately apparent, leading to a cozy title that combines the humor of The Stanley Parable with the philosophical stylings of The Beginner’s Guide. Don’t let the latter dissuade you.
Starship Troopers: Extermination is a frustrating game. Not because of the challenge, but because it’s so close to being good only to crash into the ground in a heap of green blood and mandibles. The technical glitches, poor lighting and unrewarding progression system interfere with the moments that capture the feel of the action from the film. With some patches and expansion, this title could be fantastic. In its current state, players would be better off going back to Earth Defense Force or Helldivers II.
When all is said and done, Goat Simulator 3 is a solid playground to have fun in and just be the worst goat possible. There’s tons of items to find, toys to unwrap and secrets to find. It’s a well-made silly thing to follow up a joke that went too far. Even after the credits roll, it’ll still be fun to try out new ideas to see what will work and what else is hidden. Even as I am writing this, I’ve thought of a couple of things that I’m going to want to do just to see if anything happens. Based on the rest of the game, the answer is probably yes. That alone shows that the spirit of the original has been captured while still being a more complete experience. Even the bugs, and admittedly crusty references, can be ignored when there is just so much fun to be had.
When creating a business sim that attempts to capture the subject matter, a fine line needs to be walked. It can't get too deep in the weeds of minutia without offering real explanations, nor can it make those explanations boring. On the other hand, it can't make it too simple, as the subject matter is a huge draw to a specific audience. Planet Zoo pulls off the act and manages to be a great time for it. Plus, people will accidentally learn about the subject matter without ever feeling like they are playing a dreaded "educational" game. There are myriad technical issues that keep the title from being perfect and some of them are biggies. Based on Frontier Developments' track record, these will be smoothed out in the coming weeks and months. Once this is done, Planet Zoo is arguably the best of this type of game to date.
With an ever increasing amount of games getting console releases, the PC gamer can typically only point to having the best version of a title. Total War has always been a hold out and is one of the few AAA quality PC exclusive series left. While Total War veterans might be justified for feeling a bit of fatigue with the battle system, there's still plenty fresh in Total War: Three Kingdoms to enjoy. This is a game that brings an amount of depth that would be frightening if there wasn't also systems in place to help guide a new player. It's dripping with a beautiful style that evokes the era while still feeling modern. Indeed, the release of Three Kingdoms is an event. Just be prepared to lose track of time building that better China. Plus, it's a bargain. After all, it's three kingdoms for the price of one.