Recent reviews by CodeVortex

I believe this game is like the first Horizon... on steroids. Better in every aspect, from gameplay and breathtaking graphics to storytelling.

I'll describe the features that left the biggest positive impression on me. I'll also keep updating this review as I progress through the game, both with positive discoveries and criticisms.



Now you can target and tag individual machine parts, making it much easier to get your nimble fingers on that sweet component you're after.

You no longer have to mentally juggle half a dozen highlighted parts during combat, trying to remember which one is needed for a specific upgrade or salvage quest.

Even better, quest-related components receive a handy "Quest" label when highlighted, so you're always certain you're targeting the correct part.


A huge win for controller players.

This is a mechanic the first installment desperately needed. Higher difficulties were considerably harder simply because aiming with a controller was... let's politely call it an adventure.

I still remember wasting dozens of arrows trying to hit one fleeting goose.

Now jays, crows, pigeons, and other small wildlife go down much more consistently, even when your aim is just slightly off.

Sure, hardcore players might consider this "cheating," with the game gently correcting your thumbstick's existential crisis.

For me, the trade-off is completely fair.

A subtle aim assist that improves the experience of a single-player game is more than welcome. (For competitive multiplayer games, my opinion is very different.)


One of my biggest frustrations with the previous game's map has finally been fixed.

Previously, if you visited a Tallneck early (which is exactly what the game encourages you to do), the surrounding area would become visible after clearing the fog of war.

The problem?

You could never tell which areas had actually been explored on foot and which ones were merely revealed by the Tallneck. Points of interest only appeared after manual exploration, making the map surprisingly confusing.

Now the game introduces two layers of fog.

• Completely unknown areas remain hidden beneath clouds.

• Areas revealed by a Tallneck are visible but covered with a thin translucent veil, clearly indicating they haven't been explored manually.

• Areas you've personally explored appear completely clear.

Simple.

Elegant.

Problem solved.


A true blessing for every digital hoarder out there.

Hoard to your heart's content.

Excess resources are now automatically stored in your personal stash instead of being discarded.

The stash conveniently exists as a large chest in every major settlement, allowing you to refill everything you're missing with a single button press.

Whoever designed this system deserves a raise.


These are mostly UX issues rather than fundamental gameplay flaws. None of them are severe enough to outweigh the game's many strengths.


Having to hold the interaction button for so many actions quickly becomes frustrating.

For actions like loading a Boltblaster, crafting ammunition, or prying open a chest, I actually approve. They reinforce the idea that these actions take time and encourage preparation before combat.

However, the game already has multiple time progression states. During gameplay, the delay helps communicate lengthy actions such as crafting potions or traps.

Inside menus, though?

The game is already paused.

Holding a button for several seconds just to confirm an action adds absolutely nothing except unnecessary friction.


Most conversations include the excellent line-by-line skip system from the first game.

Press A on a controller (or Space on keyboard), and only the currently spoken sentence is skipped.

Perfect.

You control the pacing without missing entire conversations.

Unfortunately, many important quest conversations and ending cutscenes only offer the X Skip option, which skips everything.

Why not simply allow the same line-by-line skipping everywhere?


This remains one of the series' oldest problems.

Automatic climbing while sprinting frequently causes Aloy to latch onto nearby objects you never intended to climb.

Combined with her almost superhero-level vertical leap, but strangely limited horizontal jump, movement can become unexpectedly awkward.

This is especially noticeable in smaller rooms where she happily scales a wall instead of simply hopping over the tiny obstacle directly in front of her.

Steep cliffs are another source of frustration.

Sometimes an almost vertical cliff is perfectly climbable thanks to conveniently placed handholds.

Other times a gentle slope is mysteriously impossible to cross because... the script said so.

This breaks immersion more than almost anything else.

Mission areas are often extremely linear, forcing the player down one very specific path despite Aloy routinely tackling much harder terrain while freely exploring the open world.


Stealth is my preferred playstyle, so I used the rock-throwing mechanic constantly in the first game.

Back then, rocks followed a satisfying low arc with excellent horizontal range, allowing you to lure machines safely away.

Now the throw feels almost reversed. The horizontal distance has been dramatically reduced, while the arc launches the rock halfway toward orbit. It's almost as if Aloy is competing in the Olympic high throw instead of trying to distract nearby machines.

The mechanic has been heavily nerfed for no apparent reason.


For keyboard players, the Double Tap to Evade Roll option is inexplicably enabled by default. This creates a genuinely awful keyboard experience.

Walking along narrow mountain paths with sharp turns suddenly becomes a comedy show where Aloy occasionally decides to yeet herself off a cliff.

Thankfully, this option can be disabled.

Even then, I honestly don't understand why it exists. There is already a dedicated Left Ctrl button for rolling. An evasive maneuver should always be intentional, not something triggered because you pressed A twice a little too enthusiastically.


Occasionally you'll become trapped between foliage, rocks, or the remains of a large machine.

Fast travel usually fixes it, but by then nearby enemies may have respawned, potentially costing you valuable loot.

Enemies themselves can also become stuck inside cliffs or terrain.

Sometimes large dead machines, like Thunderjaws, seem surrounded by invisible collision boxes despite appearing completely open.

Other times you'll fire an arrow through what looks like a perfectly clear opening, only to watch it shatter against an invisible wall.

None of these bugs are game-breaking; they simply chip away at immersion.


It wasn't great in the first game. Now it's downright diabolical!

With so many craftable tools and consumables available, forcing everything into one endlessly scrolling horizontal list is painful during combat.

Nothing says "immersive combat" quite like desperately searching for a healing potion, while scrolling past twenty different traps you haven't touched in fifteen hours.

A category system, nested menus, or even another radial wheel would have been a far more elegant solution.

At the moment, the only practical approach is to manually curate the first few slots with your most-used items and pretend the rest of the menu doesn't exist.

+ new shield mechanics are awesome
+ brand new arsenal of weapons both ranged and melee that will satisfy that itch to gore demons
+ mostly easy to find secrets scratching that other itch of the completionist OCD
+ darker vibes than Doom Eternal
+ faster paced than Doom 2016, slower than Doom Eternal; the sweet spot
+ new dragon combat and riding mechanics
+ new Atlan piloting and combat mechanics

- still a bit too arcady for my taste
- very demanding title in terms of PC specs; if you haven't upgraded your machine for a while it will be sluggish or even unplayable
- sometimes you get 99% completion on levels even though you made sure to pick up everything. It's something that adds to the overall replayability, but also annoying

Just like Ziggurat 1 but better!

Let me clarify:
- better graphics, though the 3d models of heroes are a bit more cartooney and this might throw some people off a bit
- fluid motion mechanics, very fast pace just like the previous game
- added a dash mechanic (just like Doom) which makes the battle a bit more interesting but it's rather useless in small rooms
- added more lore to the game, some kind of backstory, that makes it slightly more interesting but doesn't affect the whole game that much
- engaging music that matches the pace and context of the game

Things I don't like so much:
- some unskippable scenes, like the opening scene when the hero enters each dungeon; it may seem little but in a roguelite game where replayability is in its core mechanics, i find it rather frustrating. Such delays should be eliminated or skippable at least.
- the fact that the use/interact button brings up the character sheet as well is a silly overload that can lead to erroneous activations of interactive items (e.g. triggering an anvil enhnacement with the incorrect weapon). It's also very little nuisance, but as I mentioned it hurts the otherwise smooth gameplay.

Things that I find equally annoying but also enjoyable (this shouldn't sound so weird given the masochistic nature of the game anyway):
- you start with only 2 basic heroes unlocked and the rest should be unlocked via mission progression; it gives you a sense of purpose, something to strive for harder, but also is a bit frustrating because you are stuck with the same basic heroes for the first dozen of games (unless you are a true master of the game with godlike reflexes so a few games maybe?)

One thing I've read in other reviews and I don't agree so muchis about the limited variation of the enemies, with many of them being just elemental variants of a basic version. However, I think it's forgivable as other AAA titles do the same thing and it is expected from a smaller studio as well. Having dozens of unique enemies each with its own host of abilities, attacks, weapons would be rather overwhelming for the budget of a smaller company and the specs of this game. If it was sold for 70$+ then it would be a different matter

All in all a must have title for the fans of the previous!

Quite polished game and free. It also features constant woohooing, which is also a main part of gameplay...
What more can anyone possibly want?

A worthy addition to an already successful and addictive main title. Cannot really call it a DLC as it is a standalone product, yet it kind of feels like a DLC. It cannot stand on its own neither storywise nor lengthwise especially at its current full price tag.

Do not expect an overhaul of graphics or full set of new skills. Also the same pathfinding problems that plagued the main title, still exist here. If a character is at a different elevation with his/her destination waypoint, he/she can't reach it. You must click progressively every single ladder/vine to reach the same level of elevation with the destination and then click once more to go there. I can't understand why the same dev team couldn't just copy the mechanics from the Desperados 3, which it feels way more fluid and adaptive at this concept. Maybe they'll just fix it in a future update.

Having said all that, the full price feels steep for just a few new levels of the same basic game actually. Don't buy it if you haven't played the main Shadow Tactics title. It'd be best to buy them together if you don't own either. Definitely a must-have for the current owners of Shadow Tactics, however I would wait for a discount (as I did). Put it in your wishlist today.

Finally a game that respects the gamers' (often limited) time!

Quick save your soul away with this one and be certain to come back and replay each level to complete the rest of the challenges!

Quick saved at a tough spot or for some reason you made a mistake and needed to load the game from a few minutes further back? No problem; the game keeps 2 more save slots to give you this extra flexibility.

Furthermore, if you lose that special spot where you were supposed to abush the enemy patrol -- again no problemo! You can fast-forward time pressing X, and you reach again that moment in no time!

Unfortunately the battle portion of the game you have to play with both hands!
Other than that it's definitely a worthy title to have a long lustful look at!

Do you like puzzle-platform horror adventure games like Limbo or Inside? Well, this title won't disappoint at all!
One little downside is the 2.5D perspective that at times will make your life difficult as your character may be hidden at times behind foreground objects. Also the depth dimension is not accurately designed and if not super extra careful you will occasionally jump or walk off a pipeline or catway to your death. Worry not, because checkpoints are automatic and you respawn/awake nearby. Enjoy this little gem!

It really is a single player first-person action game where multiple playthroughs are meaningful and enjoyable!
A rare gem for your collection.

A valuable addition to your Total War collection. Glorious battles, decent naval system, politics, half-decent diplomacy and everything in-between.

However for a AAA game I find it hard to digest the fact that the in-game help (hints, tips and whatnot) is so little and inefficient that one has to scavenge the forums -- or "fora" since we are dealing with ancient Rome in this game -- to find important information for terminology, such as zeal, gravitas, authority, or crucial city management information, e.g. building options, effects, strategies, and so on.

The positive thing is that once you get the grip of all these game mechanics you don't really need a guiding-hand. However, the learning curve is noticably steep and in the beginning you will take ALL the wrong decisions, if you decide to not google things up.