Thoughts On Various Games
No Man's Sky
The awe inspiring moments No Man’s Sky generates are quickly overshadowed by the clunky controls, repetitive grind for resources, cookie cutter buildings and space stations, terrible combat, and the motivationally crushing vastness of the universe. This game screams for a true multiplayer experience to add depth and meaning to the planets you visit, but now that I think of it, the scale of universe would make that a challenge. Planets feel almost lifelike in size, which causes more frustration than fun. I have spent more time traveling to outposts than actually exploring the planets they’re on, which eventually lose their luster after a short while, if you've visited 20 planets you've visited them all.
The procedural generation used in No Man’s Sky is definitely a technical marvel and creates some fantastic environments to explore, but the actual gameplay lacks any kind of depth to keep the player invested in the experience. I’d highly recommend picking this game up when it is under $20.
*I have also experienced more game crashes than any PS4 title I have played, specifically when warping from system to system. The game saves a lot, but be warned that this can happen
The procedural generation used in No Man’s Sky is definitely a technical marvel and creates some fantastic environments to explore, but the actual gameplay lacks any kind of depth to keep the player invested in the experience. I’d highly recommend picking this game up when it is under $20.
*I have also experienced more game crashes than any PS4 title I have played, specifically when warping from system to system. The game saves a lot, but be warned that this can happen
DOOM (2016)
DOOM’s responsive, fast paced action, and colorful environments makes for an exciting, cathartic, gore-fest that actively rewards players for their capability for violence. This game is a refreshing take on the first person shooter, and throws away many modern conventions in favor of its original design from the 90’s.
Though the game is great, I did have some issues. The loading times are long, and if timed with how many times you might accidently fall to your death due to iffy platforming, this can become annoying rather fast. The other issue I had was the confusing map layout, which caused uncomfortable gaps in-between action.
The replay value is fairly low, unless you want to obtain all the collectibles, story logs, and upgrades scattered throughout each level, but in the end there’s not much encouraging players to replay the game over and over again.
Though it largely seems like weekend entertainment, it’s definitely worth the $30-$40 price tag. Overall DOOM was one hell of a ride and a must play for those not put off by excessive gore.
