Recent reviews by Dollcis

Biggest letdown here is definitely the writing, especially how they continue the Caledon story. A lot of characters we already know barely matter this time around, including both romance options. Safi is probably the worst case. She was arguably the most important side character from the last installment being the one who kicked everything off, and we ended on a cliffhanger with her going out to find others with powers. But in this game, it feels like that whole Double Exposure storyline just got dropped. By the end of my playthrough, I still don’t understand what Safi was trying to accomplish. Even when the last game stumbled toward its later episodes, it never dipped into this level of lazy writing. The Abraxas House plotline is another weak point—it tries to frame irrelevant faculty members as classic Life is Strange-style antagonists, but it never goes anywhere meaningful.

And this doesn’t just happen to the side characters: Chloe is this conjured spirit from another timeline where both she and Arcadia Bay survived, so she’s technically not even the Chloe that you have saved from the first game. Max’s power also has no consistency whatsoever, just upgrades to whatever the writers need to get the plot moving.

More broadly, the story doesn’t feel like a continuation or a journey. It lacks the sense of adventure that defined earlier entries. Instead, it plays out like a dull drama series, with characters stuck in repetitive over-the-shoulder conversations, making speculative dialogue of whodunit that leads nowhere. The locations don't help either—feels more closed off despite being reused assets from the last game and there’s just less to do. Fewer collectibles, fewer side encounters, fewer choices.

It genuinely pains me to give this game a bad review, because there are moments that work. Most of the scenes between Max and Chloe are easily the highlight. Their interactions feel natural—they’ve grown up, but still retain the essence and demeanor of when they were younger. Chloe is calmer, less volatile, and their slightly corny banter captures that old chemistry in a really heartfelt way. There is this one moment at the end of the game, where Chloe can choose to give Max the photo for her to rewind to save more people during the fire. She acknowledges who Max is—that she’ll always try to fix things if she can—but asks her to come find her, no matter which version of Chloe exists. It’s a touching callback to what made the original game so powerful: The duo’s struggle against the inevitability of fate and death, trying to out run time itself, and the constant thread of their unyielding friendship despite everything. You can see this game tries its hardest to replicate that feeling and it’s just not enough. And yes, the ending montage is very touching.

I get what the writers are going for after End of Dragons: lower the stakes, take a breather, let the world settle down and go back to picking flowers for a bit. WoW went through the same phase, so I’m not totally against the idea. That said, both Janthir Wilds and this newest expansion barely feature any of the iconic characters we’ve grown attached to, and the story ends up feeling very plain. There’s no real urgency behind Commander’s actions, which makes it hard to feel invested.

As always, GW2 absolutely nails the visuals. The maps are gorgeous, and this expansion is no exception. But beyond looking nice, there’s nothing that really makes these areas stand out when compared to Cantha or even Janthir.

The changes to story progression also feel like they’re mostly there to stretch playtime until the next update. I don’t mind some story being locked behind experience farming, and a few collection quests are totally fine—they encourage exploring the maps and trying different events. But when that becomes the bulk of what you’re doing, especially this early into a new expansion, it's starts to feel like the devs are running out of ideas.

I love this game, but this one has to be the weakest start we had for a new expansion even with all the new elite specializations.

While it’s not perfect, Dispatch is easily one of the better games I’ve played in the last five years. It’s one of the most genuinely playable visual novels I’ve tried, and the SDN system showing up in every episode does a great job breaking up the story with something interactive. It also helps keep the pacing tight.

The animation is fantastic, and you can tell by the attention to details and camerawork that it’s clear that the animators have put a lot of work into making the game feel like an actual TV series. The weekly episodic releases have been fun to follow, and I honestly wish more games would try this format.

The writing can get a little cringe here and there, but paired with the strong voice acting cast, it’s still a really enjoyable ride. My only real gripe is the ending—it’s good, but it feels like it tries to give every character a moment, which ends up watering down some of the more important ones. Shroud, as the main villain, definitely could’ve used more buildup. Honestly, most characters could use a bit more lore and introduction.

Still, it’s a great introduction to any storytelling-focused visual novel games, especially for western audiences who might be new to the genre.

Returning to the game after its initial release to see what's changed, I found that not much has improved — the game is still ass. Overlooking all the other issues, at its very core, PD3 is simply not very fun to play. There are two main reasons why the gameplay feels so much worse compared to PD2:

Armor no longer regenerates automatically: Coordinating with randoms to ask for health and ammo was already difficult enough even back in the old titles. But now players have to beg for armor too. In solo mode, this feature makes even playing through the lower difficulties a chore: since AI teammates don't drop anything. As the mission drags on, you end up with less and less armor, as it's gradually chipped away during fights.

Before, completing a full perk deck would significantly alter your playstyle and weapon build, allowing you to optimize both damage and survivability - or at least fit the "role" / "class" it was designed for. The new perk system is essentially a worse version of what we had in PD2 - cut in half and dumbed-down. Decks no longer feel unique, as they all focus on providing trigger and uptime for Edge, Rush, and Grit. Since these buffs are shared across all decks, the concept of build crafting where you would combine certain full perk decks is basically gone. On top of that, these new buffs are just plain awkward and clunky to play around during the actual gameplay.

Good luck on the next one, Starbreeze.

A remarkable sequel to the adventure tale of Max Caulfield, this new installment arrives nearly a decade after the full release of the original Life is Strange. As a long-time fan, I approached this title with a mix of anticipation and skepticism, especially after experiencing the mediocre Deck Nine release, True Colors. Many feared that this new entry would simply be a cash grab, leaning heavily on nostalgia by bringing Max back into the spotlight. However, I assure you that it offers much more than that.

First, let's discuss the graphics and gameplay. Visually, this is undoubtedly the most stunning and hardware-intensive title in the series—especially when played at Max (haha) settings. While it does present a different art style from what Dontnod originally envisioned for the story, this modern approach is fitting for today’s gaming landscape. The cutscenes and character facial expressions are particularly impressive, enhancing the overall storytelling experience. In comparison to the horrible launch of the remastered editions, the technicality here represents a significant improvement. Hannah Telle, the voice actress behind Max, has done a commendable job of breathing life into a more matured version of the character.

In terms of gameplay, Double Exposure stands out as the most captivating in the Life is Strange series. Max now possesses the ability to explore the same area twice, thanks to her newly acquired powers, which indirectly enrich side quests, collectibles, and achievements. The game feels expansive for a “walking simulator” but not in the pretentious manner often associated with David Cage’s works. There is nothing inherently wrong with having a linear narrative; it’s the small choices along the way that shape players’ unique experiences. And oh boy, take a look at those global stats after each chapter, you have got yourself a unique adventure to tell.

As for the story. the biggest challenge for Deck Nine is the question of how are they going approach the firmly established event happened in Arcadia Bay, Oregon 10 years ago. And this is where the game sort shot itself in the foot. As much as I enjoyed seeing Max being the protagonist again, she doesn’t have to be. This is a new story with fresh superpowers. Chapter one particularly suffers as the game struggles to provide context about what occurred post-Arcadia Bay, which is undoubtedly a significant selling point—players are eager to learn about Chloe and other characters. Additionally, the game was having a hard time with introducing new characters, leading to an uneven and chaotic beginning that could have benefitted from more time and attention given. While players grow to care for the new characters as the chapters progress, the first impression is rather weak nevertheless. It took me two chapters to realize that Max is teaching rather than studying at her new school. But now that they have opened this can of worms, it would only be fair for Deck Nine to release bonus episodes or DLCs to further explore the journey Max had been through after Arcadia Bay.

Wokeness and other common critiques: Compared to True Color, the messages are fairly settled. Nothing too outrageous, or at least they are not being used a writing crutch. The first Life is Stange was never about being more than just a videogame. Chloe and Max’s relationship in the originals had always been something more than friends despite what you have picked at the end. However, that concept was never explicitly stated nor categorized by Dontnod into any form of political messages. Due to the franchise's popularity across various player communities, the game has sometimes been pigeonholed into those particular narratives. And to Deck Nine’s credit, Max in this installment remains neutral on these topics, even providing players with options to explore both romantic sides. Justice for Warren…I guess.

Ultimately, if you loved the original games and have enjoyed this style of gameplay and storytelling over the years, you are likely to have a fantastic time with this sequel. However, if you’re looking for a definitive closure to Max and Chloe’s story, this may not be the complete package you’re hoping for.

Bonus last note: the ultimate edition preorder bonus includes 2 WEEKS early playtime ahead of its release date – to only play two chapters. That is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ unheard of even in today's ♥♥♥♥♥♥ modern gaming standard. Absolutely shameless on Deck Nine’s end given that the first episode of Life is Strange was offered for free 10 years ago.

Poorly Optimized: constant 30-40 frames variable depends on where you are and what’s on the screen.

Uninspiring Gameplay Loop: guns are incredibly boring to use, nothing feels punchy even for revolver and shotgun. The grappling hook feature is only there to create the illusion of movement when the game doesn’t even have sliding.

The graphic is nice at times when you first visit new zones. As soon as the combat starts your skill effects and the mob models just blend into the background texture. It’s funny how people compare this game to Destiny 2 and Warframe when it makes Outriders and Anthem look like God’s gifts.

OMG, Palworld is THE BEST GAME OF 2024 SO FAR!
This game really makes you FEEL like you are going back in time to 2014 - where all the survival crafting Minecraft clones died within a week of their releases.
Warra Unreal Engine asset flip experience for us! 10/10, memes, Pokemon with guns, etc.

Starfield - a soulless, unnecessarily massive, and uninteresting experience. First of all, the game runs like absolutely garbage without the feature of DLSS on my 3070ti. It's like we are going backwards with these AMD-patterned games. 9 hours in, I have recruited more than half of the companions roaster: most of them might as well be replaced by bunch of unexciting monologuing robots. Remember in Fallout 4 where you traverse through the wasteland to discover Diamond City and finding Piper arguing with the security at the gate? Remember how you have to fight your way out of Combat Zone to save Cait? In this game, everything is just kind of "there". Most of the NPCs that you will run into, require no effort to discover or get to know them. Their background stories are generic af. Most of them are as basic as it gets with a few exceptions - just like how our protagonist randomly gets selected into Constellation. Yesterday you are some unknown wagie miner, the next minute you get to join the legendary space exploration group, with hardly any introduction at all. The player character, a silent protagonist, seemly has no goal or interest being involved in any part of the "collecting 7 Dragon Balls" plot. WTF happened to the writing, Bethesda? Did we spend all our budget on crafting another dreadfully boring-ass planet with empty open fields or some detailed coffee mugs I can target and pick up on a desk? What happened?

I have been following the project since the kickstarter phase. Considering how small the developer group - Myosuki is, the game came out really high quality. The playtime mainly rely on going back and play through the game multiple times, unlocking different achievements and CG. It's fun and challenging at the same time, adding on to the replayability of the game. With that being said, the choices to reach the romantic endings for each girls are very bare-boned. Would be nice to have these important choices better worded, more hidden, other than just keep picking "Go Talk to XXX". Awesome job overall by Myosuki for this lovely piece, looking forward to their next game.

Oh yeah this is totally what I want in a Farcry game. A reskin of Farcry5 infested with repetitive grinding RPG elements just for the sake of inserting those microtransactions.