HIGH Fantastic turn-based action, surprising punches of solid writing.
LOW Simplistic strategic layer, cautious tactical AI, strategic UI is rough.
WTF The emperor of the Holy Gustava Empire is named…Tim Gustav?
Welcome to This Is Not A Review. In these articles we discuss general impressions, ideas and thoughts on any given game, but as the title implies, it’s not a review. Instead, it’s an exercise in offering a quick recommendation (or dismissmal) after spending enough time to grasp the ideas and gameplay of a thing without necessarily playing it from A to Z.
The subject of this installment: the Revelations DLC for Age of Wonders: Planetfall, developed by Triumph Studios and published by Paradox Interactive.
HIGH Spectacular combo of grand strategy and tactical combat.
LOW Rough tutorial, inconsistent AI, unstable multi, minor UI bugs.
WTF The “succubots” slapping their own butts as idle animation.
HIGH Tons of variety in bike selection and track environments, on-track simulation is solid.
LOW Poor tutorials, pacing and difficulty of career mode encourages grinding, technical issues.
WTF The tutorials are so rough, the AI occasionally crashes on the flying lap
HIGH Spectacular soundtrack, evocative visuals, interesting variations on its core theme
LOW Numerous technical issues, alarmingly thin story, multiplayer feels bolted on
WTF Using the names of real-life rappers as your “wanted” level of police attention? Really?
HIGH The moment-to-moment exhilaration of fighting a gigantic monster can still feel amazing.
LOW Poor training options, hunts are structurally repetitive, area transitions disrupt fights.
WTF The localization’s fourth-wall-bending goofiness is frequently obnoxious, complete with a literal “git gud” at one point.
HIGH A fascinating blend of strategy and history rare for console gaming.
LOW The real-time tactical combat is often slow and laborious.
WTF Why are some of the most helpful menus tucked behind DS4 touchpad presses?
Gravity has had an odd place in gaming history, often serving as a secondary embellishment to the action in brawlers or platformers instead of earning its own place at the forefront as a central mechanic. Not so in Altered Matter’s puzzle-platformer Etherborn, where the entire game design revolves around the manipulation of gravity, both figuratively and literally.
HIGH Solid emulation quality and a wealth of configuration options.
LOW No supplemental museum-style content, HD rumble is uneven, challenge modes aren’t interesting.
WTF Why let players rotate the display without rotating or reorienting the controls to match?
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