Recent reviews by SwampDragon

This game deserves better reviews.

The negative reviews you are reading are from disgruntled older players who feel the game isn't quite the same any more. People get comfortable with things, they don't like change. I agree with some of their points but that doesn't detract from the fact the game is still very good, certainly better than the review score suggests. The only truly legitimate gripe that would deserve a mixed review (on the majority of GPU's) is the UI being terrible. But that's the menu UI. Again this doesn't detract from the fact the game, actually playing the game, is very good! Even the most scathing reviews will often admit this.

Don't be put off. Watch some footage and decide for yourself. Recommended.

[edit]
Do you think that a review which basically says "I agree with some of their points" but "decide for yourself" is deserved of jesters?

The fact of the matter is that overly salty reviews on a game that doesn't deserve it hurts us all. There is no other game like this, and there wont be any other games like this, because the reviews are killing it. Once a game is dead there will be no fixes. And so we return to the muddy pile of mediocrity that multiplayer shooters have become.

I had a lot of fun with this game playing with my partner, so I do recommend it as a looter shooter, especially on sale. However, it's far from a perfect game. Completing the campaign felt a bit empty and inconsequential because nothing actually changes; the world is unaffected, the NPC's give the same detached responses as they always have, and the core plot questions the player has remain unanswered. It feels unfinished. The only reason you know the campaign has ended is because the credits roll... before being dumped back into the hub.

Apparently the end game is re-rolling the same procedural content with some minor differences and hunting for more loot. But hunting for more loot to get more powerful, for no other reason than hunting more loot and getting more powerful, is something we had no real motivation to do. So for us the game ended after a leisurely 25 hours and felt a bit meh, to be honest. A bit more wrapping up of the story would have made the game more satisfying.

Pros:
- great character models with a fair amount of customisation
- good weapon variety with interesting upgrades
- good enemy variety with some interesting boss battles
- pretty environments

Cons:
- headache playing with steam friends through Epic Store account
- poor level design with a lot of reused tile sets
- poor story telling with very little player agency
- no proper ending for campaign

I went in blind for my first play through, as I did with Souls 1-3. Prior Souls games instilled in me the need to search every nook and cranny of the map to find all the items, secrets and NPC's. As players of those former titles know, it is easy to miss important things that would have effected your build profoundly, or just your understanding of the game. But this was my downfall. Searching every nook and cranny of Elden Ring burned me out around mid game.

So apparently, you are not supposed to search the whole map this time around, and instead (I presume) you are supposed to supplement your play through with YouTube vids and item guides and bee line for those areas. However, I am not sure that makes a good game if you want to play autonomously, and I am not sure that makes good use of the open world if you are not supposed to visit it all. The game is too big for its own good!

I also can't seem to get properly immersed in Elden Ring. With DS1 I was immediately hooked. I was undead, in a strange land, and I needed to figure out what happened. The lore, though typically nebulous, made some sense and I wanted more. It was an adventure from start to finish. But in Elden Ring I have no real connection, no personal goals. Just some vague mention of becoming a Lord or something over a land I care nothing about. It feels a bit lofty and disconnected and somewhat thrust upon me. Not very RPG in the sense I always took that.

I think the best thing about prior Souls games (yes this isn't supposed to be Dark Souls but forgive the comparison?), is the level design. The way that it all interconnects in very clever ways. It was satisfying to explore and 'map' the game out. Each bonfire, each shortcut opened felt like a milestone. There is none of that in Elden Ring and it hurts the progression experience. Again the world is just too big and barren, and disconnected for its own good.

Now do I recommend this game? Well it's hard. I can see the effort put in to this and I like that it is still challenging and not casualified (like most other AAA games), but I wouldn't want another me to put 90+ hours in to a game to slowly realise it's not the game you wanted, or expected, and that it's not that fun anymore. I am going to leave a negative review but if anyone actually reads this, then please take in to consideration that I am a minority. I mean read the other reviews!

It's like old-school Star Trek in some ways; it requires some suspension of disbelief to enjoy the scientific aspects, but the underlying mechanics and general principals involved show a love for real science. So if you can ignore some wobbly set pieces and a bit of silliness (especially with regards to scale) it's a solid 'terraforming' experience.

Putting the terraforming thing aside for now, it's a fantastic little survival game with lots of crafting, base building and rewarding exploration (which is why some people relate it to Subnautica and for good reason), and one of the best progression systems I have ever played in a game. Please go in blind because looking up anything at all will likely spoil the experience.

Recommended wholeheartedly.

15 hrs in and I can say this game is definitely worth playing. It's refreshing to see a game that really tries to understand and simulate ancient warfare. Not as depicted in the popular zeitgeist but how it may actually have been. The intelligence of the developer really shines through here.

The game lacks some quality of life features and the single player campaign is very bare bones. It's a table top (TT) simulator more than a modern video game. Keep that in mind and you will have a good time. All in all it's a great game albeit for a niche audience.

If you're fine spending your first session negotiating with flight sticks and control bindings.
Your second session learning to take off and stay in the air without your engine melting.
Your third session wishing you had friends because the single player missions are shallow and barely functional.
And then a week of sessions learning the Full Mission Builder so you can get an enjoyable gaming experience.
Then welcome, you're in the right place (especially if you have friends who want to play). If not give it a pass.

However, the historical accuracy of the planes and flight models is unmatched. If you're serious about WWII military aviation, and the Battle of Britain in particular, you simply have to play this. It's more of a study than a game, but well worth the effort.

It's a great game that has entertained me for hundreds of hours. It's definitely worth it in its current state, but my recommendation comes with a caveat:

I've owned this game for 10+ years and it's still in early access... It's suffering from the usual EA glacial development so be very aware of this going in. I am actually getting pretty sick of the hype over Build 42 which the devs have been dangling in front of the community for several years now in an attempt to keep interest alive. However, once it finally drops, if it ever does drop, it can't possibly live up to expectations, especially with the community driven to near fever pitch. I imagine the devs know this and are intentionally delaying for this reason.

So if you can stomach all the bullsh**t and delay regarding updates then go for it, it's a great game. Otherwise wait for Build 42, but keep in mind you might be waiting forever.

I nearly bounced off this game when I saw the graphical style. I thought it was a farmville-style (I haven't played that game either but it looks crap) mobile game port. However, my partner really wanted to give it a go so I decided to at least try it.

It's awesome. Even if you're a grumpy old sod used to very different games you will still likely enjoy it.

Many of the reviews mention Rimworld. While this is a Dwarf Fortress type management game just like Rimworld, it is significantly different from both. I've personally played Rimworld to death and it did not impact my enjoyment of Prison Architect whatsoever. On the contrary it scratched an old itch.

The satisfaction in this game largely comes from getting your prison ticking over autonomously, like a well oiled machine, Your design philosophy will ultimately revolve around keeping people in, not keeping them out. It's a very self contained game space which is a nice change from the usual kill boxes and raids.

People also frequently mention bugs and glitches. After playing for some time I find the game to be very stable, albeit very sensitive to not setting things up correctly. If something doesn't work how you expect, before crying 'bug' double check you've understood the mechanics involved.

It's an accomplished cRPG that stays very close to the original TT Pathfinder ruleset and Kingmaker campaign. It's more complicated than the usual D&D clones you might be used to, and the build options are endless. While this is undeniably a good thing, it will also cause decision paralysis over character builds, and campaign restarts will add even more time to an already extremely long game. I'll say right now that I burned out after 173 hours without finishing the game. Only 8% of players have ever finished this game ...

I am going to recommend this because the game is good. Whether it's for you or not largely depends upon how much time and head space you are willing to dedicate to it.