March 2024 General Game Discussion Thread

[Zloth]

Games finishing their shake-down runs this month...

March 1: Leap

LEAP on Steam

LEAP is a fast-paced, multiplayer first-person shooter featuring epic large scale battles, each with players armed to the teeth. Fight for either the United Earth Defense Coalition (UEDC) or the rebel Exo-Terrans - whoever pays the most, wins your trigger finger and excessive arsenal.

store.steampowered.com

March 2: Meg's Monster

Meg's Monster on Steam

Take control of the Underworld’s grumpiest ghoul to help a lost little girl find her way home in this creepy-cute indie adventure. Just be warned: if she cries, the whole world dies.

store.steampowered.com

March 3: Day Dream Prologue

DDR: The Beginning on Steam

Little Griffin is trapped in an ominous new world with his only friend, Birly the teddy bear. Solve clever puzzles and encounter terrifying creatures as the pair embark on a journey to discover what lurks beyond their nightmares.

store.steampowered.com

4: Anemoiapolis

Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1 on Steam

The most relaxing horror game you'll ever play. Anemoiapolis exists in the uncanny valley of American architecture -- endless carpeted floors and lonely malls. Escape for your life, and enjoy the scenery.

store.steampowered.com

5: Silver Axe - The Honest Elf

Silver Axe - The Honest Elf on Steam

Classic 2D platformer, play as a nimble elf and dash through the ancient fairytale forest. Defeat powerful Insomniac creatures, cast spells by combining four elements to summon thunder and entangle flame. Collect the heart of the goddess, unleash the hidden power of your Silver Axe.

store.steampowered.com

Dark Prospect

Dark Prospect on Steam

Dark Prospect is an asymmetrical FPSvsRTS multiplayer game. FPS players must survive by gathering resources, building defenses and fighting against a player or AI who summons, commands, upgrades monsters and casts spells from an RTS perspective.

store.steampowered.com

6: Dead Cells - Return to Castlevania

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania on Steam

Battle through the ancient corridors of Dracula’s Castle in this expansion to the acclaimed fast-paced action roguelite Dead Cells. Team up with Richter Belmont & Alucard and wield iconic Castlevania weapons against hordes of monsters to reach the throne room of the Dark Lord himself...

store.steampowered.com

7: Outlanders

Outlanders on Steam

Welcome to the Outlands! A faraway place where work is hard but rewarding, where people dream big but stay grounded, where friends become family, and settlements become cities.

store.steampowered.com

8: Contraband Police

Contraband Police on Steam

Take over the duties of a border guard inspector in a communist country of the 80's. Smuggling, corruption and forgery are the order of the day here. Be vigilant and earn the respect of your superiors.

store.steampowered.com

(And a whole bunch of Call of Duty stuff)

9: The Last Spell

The Last Spell on Steam

Defend the last bastion of humanity with your squad of heroes! Exterminate fiendish monsters with magic and brute force by night and re-build your battered city defenses by day in this tactical RPG with rogue-lite mechanics.

store.steampowered.com

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos on Steam

Hunted by mercenaries of an enemy with untold power, the fighter Pseudo and the creature under his protection begin a perilous quest to the edges of strange lands.

store.steampowered.com

Terraformers

Terraformers on Steam

Terraform Mars in this turn-based colony builder and resource management game with roguelike elements. Explore the planet, develop spectacular cities, spread life and turn the Red Planet into a green one!

store.steampowered.com

Fatal Frame / Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

FATAL FRAME / PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse on Steam

Japanese survival horror game "FATAL FRAME / PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse" is back with better graphics.

store.steampowered.com

10: Sea of Craft

Sea of Craft on Steam

Hello! Captain! “Sea Of Craft” is a sandbox ocean-building game with realistic physics simulation. In “Sea of Craft”, you can build your exclusive ship with hundreds of materials, and explore intriguing stages on planet Beella as well as adventures of wonders in the great ocean!

store.steampowered.com

11: Sun Haven {jeez there are a TON of these economic sim games}

Sun Haven on Steam

Build your farm and relationships with townsfolk, or forge ahead on a quest of magic, monsters, and dragons. Level up through a skill tree in 8 person multiplayer, or adventure solo!

store.steampowered.com

12: Nothing but sex games {even more of those than economic sim games}

13: Barotrauma

Barotrauma on Steam

Barotrauma is a 2D co-op submarine simulator – in space, with survival horror and RPG elements. Steer your submarine, complete missions, fight monsters, fix leaks, operate machinery, man the guns and craft items, and stay alert: danger in Barotrauma doesn’t announce itself!

store.steampowered.com

14: Spin Rhythm XD

Spin Rhythm XD on Steam

Enter the Rhythm Dimension. A homage to classic arcade rhythm games (Guitar Hero, DDR), with a modern aesthetic and soundtrack. Match colours and beats, spin, tap, flick and flow through the juiciest beats in the universe. Supports multiple control styles including MIDI DJ gear on Steam!

store.steampowered.com

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure on Steam

The Special Support Section is back with more members and more cases to solve! How will this rag-tag group deal with the oncoming threats to Crossbell’s political stability while maintaining their team’s foundation?

store.steampowered.com

Half-Life MMod (free mod that has a Steam page)

Half-Life: MMod on Steam

Half-Life 1: MMod is a free, fan made modification for Half-Life aiming to refine player's arsenal and further expand player's combat options. Featuring AI tweaks, VFX and SFX overhaul in spirit of original, additional weapon functionality and bug fixes, while keeping most changes optional.

store.steampowered.com

16: WWE 2K23

WWE 2K23 on Steam

WWE 2K23 is Even Stronger with expanded features, gorgeous graphics and a deep roster of WWE Superstars and Legends. 2K Showcase returns as an interactive sports documentary focusing on the 20-year career of John Cena and WarGames is finally here!

store.steampowered.com

17: Anthology of Fear

Anthology of Fear on Steam

Take part in a one-man investigation and solve the mystery of your brother’s disappearance. Find out the truth by exploring unsettling liminal locations. Discover the story chapter by chapter, with each one unveiling their common tragedy.

store.steampowered.com

Jump all the way to
21: Deceive Inc

Deceive Inc. on Steam

Go undercover as the world’s greatest spies in this tense multiplayer game of subterfuge. Disguise as anyone, deploy an arsenal of high-tech gadgets or neutralize the competition. As long as you extract with the objective, no trick is too dirty when you work for DECEIVE INC.

store.steampowered.com

Beyond the Wall

Beyond the Wall on Steam

Classic point-and-click adventure with a magical atmosphere. Discover what happens one night Beyond the Wall of the garden. Immerse yourself into a mysterious world where fantasy meets reality with a pinch of humor. Solve puzzles, collect items, and overcome obstacles that await you on your journey.

store.steampowered.com

22: Have a Nice Death

Have a Nice Death on Steam

Have a Nice Death is a 2D action roguelike where you play as an overworked Death, whose employees have run rampant, completely throwing off the balance of souls - and his vacation plans. In order to restore order, you'll have to grab your trusty scythe and show your employees who's boss.

store.steampowered.com

23: Storyteller

Storyteller on Steam

Storyteller is an award-winning puzzle game about building stories. Start with a title, settings and characters and create a story that fits the story’s description. Play with stories of love, intrigue, crime, monsters, betrayal, and more!

store.steampowered.com

West Hunt

West Hunt on Steam

West Hunt is a 1-6 player social deduction game set in the Old West! Among the hardworking townsfolk hides an Outlaw or two causing mischief and mayhem across town. Luckily, there are eagle-eyed Sheriffs ready to sniff them out! No matter what role you play, you're sure to have a hog-killin' time!

store.steampowered.com

Magic Research

Magic Research on Steam

Magic Research is a text-based incremental game about Magic. You are the headmaster of a newly-created institution of Magic. Will you be able to lead your school to win the prestigious Tournament of Magic?

store.steampowered.com

24: Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 on Steam

Survival is just the beginning. Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors, tracks the president's kidnapped daughter to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.

store.steampowered.com

Can of Wormholes

Save 20% on Can of Wormholes on Steam

Push, slice, ingest, flip, and squish worms in this puzzle game in which you play as a little sentient tin can.

store.steampowered.com

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key on Steam

The final summer, the final secret... Ryza's final adventure is about to begin!

store.steampowered.com

27: 9 Years of Shadows

Save 30% on 9 Years of Shadows on Steam

Fight to bring beautiful colors back to a hand-crafted world of darkness and discover the story of Europa, a young warrior, and her ghostly childhood companion, Apino.

store.steampowered.com

28: The Last of Us part 1 {won the Steam award for best soundtrack}

The Last of Us™ Part I on Steam

Experience the emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters in The Last of Us™, winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards.

store.steampowered.com

Terra Nil

Terra Nil on Steam

Terra Nil is an intricate environmental strategy game about transforming a barren wasteland into a thriving, balanced ecosystem. Bring life back to a lifeless world by purifying soil, cleaning oceans, planting trees, and reintroducing wildlife, then leave without a trace.

store.steampowered.com

Sifu {won the Steam award for best game you suck at}

Sifu on Steam

Sifu is a realistic third-person brawler with tight Kung Fu combat mechanics and cinematic martial arts action embarking you on a path for revenge.

store.steampowered.com

Pineapple on Pizza {got the best rating of all games released today}

Pineapple on pizza on Steam

Can a video game convey a flavor?

store.steampowered.com

29: Crimson Snow 2023

Save 21% on Crimson Snow (2023) on Steam

Christmas is a joyful time, but this time something dark is hiding behind the holiday decorations. Your actions will determine whether you and your girlfriend survive Christmas night.

store.steampowered.com

30: Dredge

DREDGE

Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrou

www.gog.com

31: Reshaping Mars

Reshaping Mars on Steam

「Reshaping Mars」is a colony simulation game on Mars, you will start by gathering resources, storing food, accepting immigrants, and building a better colony together. Develop powerful technologies for Mars Reshaping, make Mars great agai..sorry, just great. Don't forget to make the residents happy.

store.steampowered.com

Papa's Freezeria Deluxe

Papa's Freezeria Deluxe on Steam

Return to Calypso Island to serve seasonal sundae treats in Papa's Freezeria Deluxe! Craft sundaes in the Freezeria for all your quirky customers while earning tips, points and Special Recipes. Switch gears and take a trip in the Food Truck to concoct your own chilly creations and see who shows up!

store.steampowered.com

Troublemaker

Save 50% on Troublemaker on Steam

Grab a backpack, boxing tape, and focus on what high school is all about: Beating the ever loving crap out of one another! Troublemaker blends favorite action-adventure-beat-'em-up elements from the strongest traditions in the genre.

store.steampowered.com

Patience for the win!
(Thank you SteamDB!)

 

[Pifanjr]

I'm curious, are you a day early or did you forget it is a leap year?

I haven't started XCOM 2 yet, I want to be sure I have enough time to at least get through the first mission. I have done a few more runs of 20 minutes till dawn, but now that I've beaten all three levels I feel like I've seen pretty much everything the game has to offer. There's still a whole bunch more stuff I can unlock, but honestly I think I'd be more interested in playing more if I didn't have to unlock new stuff first.

 

[Pvt.Vegemite]

I haven't started XCOM 2 yet, I want to be sure I have enough time to at least get through the first mission.

Another game I'll have to play again. I have it on PlayStation.

If you are interested there are "cheats" to enable the Hero characters which give you a sizable 'edge'.
Google it.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Balatro has taken over my free time for the moment. I might make a seperate thread for it when I have time if no one else wants too.

Balatro review

This poker-themed roguelike deckbuilder revels in the thrill of cheating.

www.pcgamer.com

Balatro on Steam

The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.

store.steampowered.com

I'm not very good at deckbuilders but this is hitting the same spot as Slay the Spire for me, love it.

 

[neogunhero]

I take back what I said yesterday about there being barely any button holds in Dead Island 2, there are actually tons. I think it just feels more natural on a controller but I can see how it would be more infuriating on keyboard.

I’m already halfway done with the story missions even though I feel like I’ve barely started, which I actually really like. I’m maybe only 8 hours total into the game but it’s a breath of fresh air after being glued to CP2077 for over 2 months straight. The gameplay is quite methodical and oddly relaxing, just exploring LA looking for resources and surviving against zombies.

I’m still amazed how well cloud streaming works in coop. Last night the video quality looked better than it has been, and input lag is almost entirely unnoticeable unless you really try to feel it on purpose, and for it technically being the console port the graphics still look great.

It’s a great game to decompress with and just shut your mind off. Last night I had a random person join me in coop and they were fun to play with. They didn’t try speed running the missions, stayed close with me so we could help each other fight hordes, and was competent in using their skills and throwables (called Curveballs in this game). We did a random side mission which required us to travel through 3 different levels, but it was really worth it in the end as we got a rare melee weapon modifier that increases damage quite substantially.

Some of the boss fights can be tough and I think the games balancing is a bit wonky. Each time you level up, things increase drastically like enemy health and damage, and the damage output of weapons increased with each level up. This means if you’re not constantly upgrading your weapons which is very expensive to level it up manually, or finding really good weapons every 30 minutes, you’re gonna get out-leveled quite easily. A slight annoyance but I manage to keep myself upgraded and have a rotation of weapons going constantly.

I also got to the point of the game where you have guns and it feels more like a special ability rather than a normal weapon. Ammo is scarce so you should still use melee most of the time but the guns definitely are powerful. For a game about zombies it is weird that guns don’t attract massive hordes, games that came out well before DI2 did that much better (Days Gone is a good example of guns attracting unwanted zombie attention).

Overall like I said before, it’s a solid 6-7/10 kind of game. Nothing amazing, but a fun gameplay loop to keep me entertained. I think also it’s just a big departure from what I have been playing in the past few months that it is kind of refreshing to me.

 

[Pifanjr]

For a game about zombies it is weird that guns don’t attract massive hordes, games that came out well before DI2 did that much better (Days Gone is a good example of guns attracting unwanted zombie attention).

Why would it be better if guns attracted massive hordes?

 

[Zloth]

I'm curious, are you a day early or did you forget it is a leap year?

I didn't want some sneaky Australian popping in and starting it before me.

 

[neogunhero]

Why would it be better if guns attracted massive hordes?

Continuity’s sake I suppose (edit: originally said realism, zombies aren’t real), and it’s just a given in any media that has zombies in it. Be quiet or else you’ll attract zombies. In games like Days Gone it makes suppressors much more valuable and you’ll be less inclined to use a gun, only in situations where it’s absolutely necessary. Here I can be as loud as possible without needing to worry about that. It doesn’t necessarily make the game better or worse, but I found it strange I can cause tons of explosions and use my guns freely without worrying about aggroing a horde.

 

[Johnway]

assassins creed odyssey - 83 hrs into the game, passed the halfway mark. i'm currently level 53 so we've maxed out the levels and i can travel wherever the hell i want now. A double edged sword as i lack direction so i'm just drifting around the islands and doing some DLC missions.

But what about the previous gripes? Combat wise after a whole load of upgrades combat does feel better but the issues with elites and bosses being absolute tank\sponges it still persists. if it wasn't for certain skills it would have been a chore in a straight up fight. But luckily i can not invest in master skills which allows me upgrade my perks manually. but need to pick carefully though as it looks like only one can be slotted at any time.

Takedowns not removing some of the more elite fighters, combat is inevitable. Sometimes you can finish them off with a herostrike other times you just hack them to pieces. non lethal takedowns is just horrible and stupid as i spend my time sneaking up choking the elite unit, running away and choke them out again when its all quiet. its stupid and tedious.

The spartan kick is also extremely temperamental or downright unreliable. Sometimes you can kick people off the edge, other times they just stand their ground, other times your spartan kicks kill targets. Even though it supposed to be a non lethal takedown solution especially annoying when you try to take out captains or HVTs to integrate them into your crew. Sometimes you can do it, other times you can't, so i choose the more reliable yet tedious double choke method described above.

the other issues? yeah the grind is unreal when it comes to upgrading your ship. Sure resources are plentiful and you don't have to splash funds as you can run around pulling up trees, rocks and breaking down resources etc, but the costs of stuff is eye watering expensive. but i'm at the point where i have nothing else to spend the money so maybe its not such a bad issue. Especially despite going 50% of the main campaign my stats are around lvl 6 or 7 out of 10 upgrades.

but despite all that? i'm having a jolly good time exploring Greece despite the repetitive nature of the game.

 

[Pifanjr]

Continuity’s sake I suppose (edit: originally said realism, zombies aren’t real), and it’s just a given in any media that has zombies in it. Be quiet or else you’ll attract zombies. In games like Days Gone it makes suppressors much more valuable and you’ll be less inclined to use a gun, only in situations where it’s absolutely necessary. Here I can be as loud as possible without needing to worry about that. It doesn’t necessarily make the game better or worse, but I found it strange I can cause tons of explosions and use my guns freely without worrying about aggroing a horde.

I think most zombies in Dead Island are fairly decayed, to the point where they just shamble mindlessly towards the player, ignoring hazards and only barely going around obstacles. According to the wiki only the most recently infected zombies, the runners, are attracted to loud sounds.

 

[Zimbaly]

I'm loving Hell Divers 2. I've been playing the crap out of it. It's unforgiving, but I'm having so much fun in it.
This has filled the empty hole that was left when everyone stopped playing Lost Planet 2. It's might not be for everyone, but my god it's for me that's for sure.

Going up to visit my family again so I'll get to test it on the steam deck and see how well it runs. Might play it on the train depending how good the net connection is. If it ain't good oh well. I got over 50 games on my deck to pick from. Maybe I'll do Cyberpunk and play through some more of the DLC. The deck handles that game pretty good. It's a really impressive machine.

 

[Zloth]

A double edged sword as i lack direction so i'm just drifting around the islands and doing some DLC missions.

So, do the main quest then? Or the big DLC quest?

 

[neogunhero]

I had a moment last night playing Dead Island 2 where I thought to myself, “I could be playing something better”. So I hopped off the game, doomscrolled my libraries, didn’t find anything, turned off my PC and went to bed. I’m missing Cyberpunk so bad now 😭

Now I’m in a seemingly endless search to find another game to fulfill the same feeling of attachment Cyberpunk gave me. Might be time to go back to some classics, but I never end up finishing them. I’ve been having a slight itch for some Fallout New Vegas so that may be what I play this weekend.

 

[Johnway]

So, do the main quest then? Or the big DLC quest?

part of the problem is that the map isn't linear. Some reasons are low level and then the next region is like end/late game. But since But by level 48 i could explore all regions without worrying about enemies being too high ranked and yeah, going to those areas is really empty without a main mission to explore.

Currently going through one of the larger DLCs, but not technically end game stuff. its the legacy of the first blade (rrp 20.99), where you bump into some Persian assassins and you get involved dealing with the order; a rival branch to the cult of kosmos apparently. i've nearly finished i'm on the final mission on that i think.

i've become the no.1 mercenary and it turned out the top dog himself was a key member of the cult. So i took out one of the leaders of the kult without realizing. Shame i made the effort to incapacitate him hoping to add the legend to my ship crew but nope, only kill him. Oh well, got myself a sweet horse.

But after that? no idea, i'm drifting randomly around before i go and do the main mission or bum around the main land.

 

[Zloth]

X4 continues on.

A pirate Phoenix got close to my HQ last night. It hasn't got much for defenses because it's far from the Xenon (the normal big bad) and I'm friendly with all the other factions. Even the turrets I had stuck on some of the production modules were pounding on the pirate a bit, so it turned away and started running.

I wasn't having any of it, so I sent one of my own Phoenix ships that was escorting a mining ship up against it. The pilot promptly turned upward and started flying away - maybe trying to get to max range for its main guns!? It's running, you need to SHOOT it before its travel drive spools up! Fine, if you want it done right...

So I fly right after the pirate and plug it a few times. Its already out of range of the HQ's weak defenses, but I've got an expensive Phoenix and they are just a rag-tag Phoenix using whatever parts they've scavenged. They pounded on me! I teleported off that ship to my trusty Katana - a much smaller ship but one that's able to get close in on capital ships and blast guns and engines off. They destroyed me. Twice.

I eventually hauled in a bigger capital ship to deal with the thing and the Boron government took offense, too, and started shooting it up - but I was impressed. It used a bunch of missile turrets. Guess I need to learn how to use those things, now that I'm 998.8 hours into the game.

I’ve been having a slight itch for some Fallout New Vegas so that may be what I play this weekend.

You're gonna get shot in the head again!

But after that? no idea, i'm drifting randomly around before i go and do the main mission or bum around the main land.

Have you gone through the Minotaur yet?

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

For the gamer that has everything:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWgWVWV94hs

 

[Johnway]

Have you gone through the Minotaur yet?

nah besides killingthe cyclops i haven't taken out the mythical creatures yet. haven't gone to the more distant islands.

 

[Brian Boru]

Interesting quick read from a year ago on gaming's increasing impact in the bigger picture:

Video games, power and diplomacy

Video games, power and diplomacy

Gaming is a growing source of soft power, influence—and perhaps espionage

www.economist.com

"More American children recognised Mario than Mickey Mouse"

 

[D10S]

I still buy box versions whenever possible, just got this gem for a mere 16eur

 

[BeardyHat]

I had a moment last night playing Dead Island 2 where I thought to myself, “I could be playing something better”. So I hopped off the game, doomscrolled my libraries, didn’t find anything, turned off my PC and went to bed. I’m missing Cyberpunk so bad now 😭

Now I’m in a seemingly endless search to find another game to fulfill the same feeling of attachment Cyberpunk gave me. Might be time to go back to some classics, but I never end up finishing them. I’ve been having a slight itch for some Fallout New Vegas so that may be what I play this weekend.

Always hate that limbo period after you finish something you were really enjoying.

I'm still not playing a ton of stuff myself, again, Advance Wars 2, mainly, but I'm dabbling. I've put almost 5 hours into Lies of P over the last week or so I've owned it and...I like it? I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, actually. I don't really feel like it's fully clicked for me yet and I'm not a big fan of the Guard as a defensive gesture over the Roll like in a From game. Apparently, being a roller is the wrong way to play, but Guarding just doesn't feel right. I'll keep at it a bit, I'm hoping to like it more.

Also finally fiddled with the demo for Star Trucker, which seems awesome and I can't wait for it to release. Almost like a mix of Hardspace: Shipbreaker and American Truck Simulator; it's a pretty obvious concept, but it's damn fun.

 

[Zloth]

"More American children recognised Mario than Mickey Mouse"

What!? The story is locked behind a paywall, but some measly platforming game's star is getting media polls while RPG stars (in this case, JRPG stars) are completely ignored!?!?

 

[Brian Boru]

The story is locked behind a paywall

No, I haven't been a paying sub for a couple of years. You may need to create an account tho, I don't know—I've had one 'forever'. Maybe try in Edge browser, that worked for me when Vivaldi choked on their site.

 

[Zloth]

Oh! I just saw it fade out and assumed!

 

[Brian Boru]

Far Cry 5

Yeah, that game again. I posted a screenie here of an oddity 2-3months ago where Faith spawned 2 versions of herself. Well just got a really weird one tonight:

Yep, 5 of her. This happened after wingsuiting from Raptor's Peak WNW to east of the river which is east of Drubman Marina—roughly to the waypoint mark here:

 

[neogunhero]

Getting very close to finishing Dead Island 2. According to Xbox achievements, I’m in the groups of 25% of all players who even made it this far. You can say this about every game, but it seems tons of players dropped this game before getting far into it.

One achievement I got that less than 6% of all players have gotten is complete 5 lost and found missions. These missions are kind of hard, you find a note which leads you to 2-3 more notes which eventually leads you to a rare weapon. I don’t really want to read the notes and look up the locations in the map, instead I just use an IGN guide that shows me exactly where to go. Most players don’t bother with this at all but it’s a pretty fun way to explore the levels and the loot you get is decent, if only slightly better than weapons you normally find.

Speaking of the weapons, I’m not a huge fan of the rare weapons. They have an upgrade slot taken up and if it’s not a random upgrade you would want, then it really just wastes a space you could have slotted an upgrade into yourself. These weapons usually don’t have anything major that boosts its stats and makes it a great choice. From my experience you’re better off finding a good standard weapon and putting in upgrades yourself. I’ve made more powerful weapons than all the rare unique weapons I find.

The levels themselves are pretty awesome. They are generally pretty small, but that’s okay when it’s very highly detailed and full of secrets to find. There are tons of lockboxes and doors that require fuses to open. The lockboxes typically have a side missions attached to it to collect the key or there is a unique named enemy in the area you have to defeat to get the key. You have to buy the fuses at traders for $1500 each to open the locked doors but they are usually worth it, they are full of weapons and crafting materials. You get the most money from selling weapons, so my gameplay loop involves obtaining the weapons, selling them, buying fuses, getting crafting resources, rinse repeat. You find money and crafting material everywhere you go, but the fuses are definitely fun to use, it’s like opening a present.

Another type of mission most people don’t do according to Xbox achievements is blueprint missions. Pretty same as lost and found missions but you actually get map markers for where to go so no need to pull out my phone to google it. These are absolutely worth it if you’re into playing this game as they give you unique weapon upgrades you can’t find elsewhere. Less than 19% of players have the achievement for completing 5 of these missions, the rest are missing out.

Overall, I’ve said it before, but it really is a 6.5/10 kind of game. I really enjoy the combat, exploration, backtracking to levels to discover more parts of it (usually I don’t like this mechanic in games but here it’s fun), but I get a almost shameful feeling of playing a fairly average/mediocre game. I have amazing masterpieces like Elden Ring sitting in my library waiting for me to come back to it, yet I play Dead Island 2. I don’t know, it’s weird but if you like it then don’t let anything ruin your enjoyment of something. We all have games most would consider a 6/10 that we really like for whatever reason.