Game reviews

I played a game and I have an opinion.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning splash
Game reviews

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

I have enjoyed over fifty hours of play time in Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (referred to as “Reckoning” from here on) in the past month. Re-Reckoning is a technology refresh of the 2012 release which corrects some bugs and adds console support but otherwise leaves the original game largely untouched.

I didn’t play Reckoning back when it originally released. It was/is an open world fantasy themed roleplaying game set in an original world which R.A. Salvatore contributed to. It sounds like a game that I should have jumped on, but for some reason I didn’t even try it out. I vaguely recall being ambivalent due to the problems around its development and the almost immediate collapse of its original developer, Big Huge Games. And for various reasons I missed out on picking it up even as the years (decades) passed. Not even the release of the refreshed version in 2021 drew me in.

But I am here to say that Reckoning is a pretty good RPG even nearly 15 years after its release. Fun and engaging combat, a pretty intriguing story, and decent (for the time) graphics create a fairly enjoyable whole, especially for less than $10 which is what I paid on Xbox Live.

Game reviews

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

I really enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, but it is a game that in some ways begs to be poorly reviewed. It isn’t really great at any one thing other than building a cinematic mood. The combat is kind of ‘meh’, the platforming and puzzles are okay, and the enemy AI is occasionally quite comical.

But the pieces come together in a way that makes me feel like I truly am Indiana Jones when I’m playing it. I’m going to do my best in this review to explain why the not-so-great mechanics somehow produce magic.

TitleIndiana Jones and the Great Circle
DeveloperMachineGames (Bethesda)
TypeAction RPG
Platform(s)Xbox Series X / S, Windows; Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Kelly Score ™95 / 100
image of dragon age dragon
Game reviews

Dragon Age: the Veilguard- Endings

I completed Veilguard after 2 days, 23 hours, and 16 minutes of play time, reaching level 50 (the maximum) during my playtime. Endings in games that I enjoy are rarely ‘great’: they are coloured by the fact that stories I have enjoyed participating in are now over. Veilguard doesn’t buck this trend, but it does end well with a good sense that the main story threads have reached a reasonable conclusion.

And, along with my previous thoughts on the game, I feel like I can summarize my recommendation. Veilguard is a game that I’d strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys action oriented role playing experiences with deep in-game stories and character development. Tons of lore, enjoyable character interactions, and an excellent combat system made every hour I spent in Thedas enjoyable.

I have a bit more detail and caveats to offer in the balance of this post.

TitleDragon Age: the Veilguard
DeveloperBioware
TypeAction RPG
Platform(s)Playstation 5, Xbox Series X / S, Windows; Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Kelly Score ™93 / 100
Review summary
Dragon Age: The Veilguard new game screen
Game reviews

Dragon Age: the Veilguard- first hours

Dragon Age: the Veilguard- hereafter referred to as ‘Veilguard’- released on October 31: at 9:00 AM Pacific time where I live. I’ve been having an absolute blast playing it since that moment. I think it is safe to say that Bioware has created a great game.

This isn’t a ‘proper’ review as I don’t think I’m far enough along in the story yet. I haven’t found all the companions I understand exist in the world, for one thing. Instead I want to talk a bit about some of my early impressions of Veilguard’s mechanics and why they are making me happy.

image of va'ruun outpost and player starship
Game reviews

Starfield Shattered Space expansion: initial opinion

I am a long-time enjoyer of Bethesda games. Fallout and Elder Scrolls are near and dear to my heart. And yes, I like Starfield. I don’t love it with quite the fervour I have for Bethesda’s earlier games, but I have enjoyed spending over 100 hours of my time exploring their version of outer space.

I recently spent a day, perhaps ten hours in total, playing the first Starfield expansion: Shattered Space. I’m not finished as I am intentionally taking the ‘scenic’ route by completing several side quests. But I do have some initial thoughts, mostly in contradiction of some of the generally negative reviews I’ve read and watched.

My opinion: Shattered Space is good, a worthy expansion of a game I’ve enjoyed. But it won’t change anyone’s mind about Starfield if they didn’t like the base game.

Kay and Nix
Game reviews

Star Wars Outlaws

I’ve been playing Star Wars Outlaws for the past couple of weeks, just finishing the main quest line last night after about 25 hours or so of play time.

Overall, it is a good albeit somewhat basic journey through some of the ‘darker’ aspects of the Star Wars universe. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Star Wars and the stories that occur in that universe, enjoys a bit of stealth action, and likes some direction to their narrative experience.

The hate and toxicity around Star Wars Outlaws are in my opinion just worthless noise. Kay isn’t ‘woke’ unless you consider ‘normal looking women’ to be ‘woke’. There was, in my experience, no egregious monetization or excess ‘Ubisoft quest marker’ spam. There were few bugs, serviceable AI, enjoyable combat, and good difficulty controls. The game is not ‘genre defining’ and may not be for everyone, but for me it was worth the money spent.

TitleStar Wars Outlaws
DeveloperUbisoft
TypeAction / Stealth RPG
Platform(s)Playstation 5, Xbox Series X / S, Windows; Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Kelly Score ™75 / 100
Review summary

Onward to some details…

image- my top games of 2024
Game reviews

My top games of 2024 so far

I haven’t posted much recently on the topic of gaming. I should probably give some thought regarding why that is the case. Part of it, I suspect, is that I have thought for quite a while that I should move my gaming-related content onto its own blog like what I did with my motorcycle content and Geek on a Harley. But any more in-depth analysis regarding my relative silence on the gaming front is a topic for a different post.

Game reviews

Elden Ring: not my ‘game of the year’

Elden Ring is a new game from FromSoftware. They are famous for their ‘Souls’ games that established a whole genre of their own: games with gigantic boss enemies and unforgiving combat. Basically, these games were the origin of the ‘git gud’ meme.

Elden Ring is that “Souls-like’ concept writ large. I have proven once again that I don’t like this style of gaming: but once again it taught me some things about why. It isn’t because I’m ‘not good’ or don’t know how to play. I’ve been playing computer games for over 40 years and, although I’m not claiming any great skill, I can work out the basics. Elden Ring just appeals to a very specific player which isn’t me.

The prescription…
Game reviews

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Title Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Developer Ubisoft
Type Action RPG
Platform(s) XBox One, PS4, PC (reviewed on XBox)
Kelly Score ™

80/ 100

 

 

I’ve been playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey for a few weeks now.  I think I can form a personal opinion: it is good, excellent in parts, but struggles somewhat under a weight of grinding which seems clearly in service of micro transactions.  Overall, I’m definitely enjoying the game, but I also feel a little bit ‘dirty’… and not because of all the murder.

Scroll to Top