The onset to John-117’s battle against the opposing Covenant and parasitic Flood is brought upon the chaos of a mysterious ring-shaped structure that is believed to be used as a weapon. Sounds familiar? That’s because Bungie took inspiration from a Larry Niven novel entitled “Ringworld” to establish their universe and battleground for the player.

"While the music largely stays true to the original, there are a few issues that plague the PC version."

The port’s gameplay remains faithful to the original Xbox release with hardly any noticeable alterations to the mechanics and style Bungie had created almost two decades ago. The visual toggle feature, where you can switch from the classic Halo graphics to the updated Anniversary one will be appreciated by both, the nostalgic hungry fans and newcomers to the series. As one might say, “it’s a blast from the past,” and a welcome re-visitation for players who played Combat Evolved with their mates to duel it out in Battle Creek and Chill Out all those years ago.

Some of its age is starting to show, however. As the progression of the video games industry continues to evolve, some players might be turned away from the devolution of the gameplay compared to the addictive action that Reach provided a few months ago. Still, 343’s plan to release each individual title from the prequel that is Reach to the Forerunner encounter in Halo 4 is an effective tactic to keep the community of Halo fans invested. Combat Evolved is an essential title for The Collection, and it only adds more to what we can expect as the rest of the series is released.

The music in the PC version is as fantastic as ever. Featuring composition from Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori for the campaign and menus, every percussion loop to choirs, as well as the untouched vocal work of the actors and alien sound effects in Halo still sounds exceptional even after so many years.

While the music largely stays true to the original, there are a few issues that plague the PC version. There’s a certain delay in character death’s audio that occur more so in the multiplayer than the campaign due to which a fallen player’s audio would take a second before it’s registered resulting into a minor but noticeable annoyance. The assault rifle continues to be problematic with its odd firing sound, while the plasma pistol’s charge sound effect would play out even after a tiny round is fired, dangerously increasing the audio to an ear-hurting effect. It’s only temporary, but is pretty annoying nonetheless.

Halo: Combat Evolved revolutionized single-player experiences as well as multiplayer battlegrounds, and its nature remains nearly untarnished in this PC port, even in terms of the issues the original had. Newcomers will be frustrated from the over-powered M6D pistol, while returning fans will revere in the classic map designs, competitiveness and craziness of Slayer.

Matchmaking for the most part was fine but sometimes I experienced a few glitches when backing out of multiplayer where the screen would freeze. I also experienced a few noticeable delays while matchmaking. While I was still able to connect to a good number of matches, I don’t recall having this much delay when Reach was released.

"Since this is the 2011 Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary version being ported to the PC, it’s fair to say that the multiplayer has shown its age by this point, with small errors that can either frustrate one player while ungracefully awarding the other."

The PC port also adds a 3D model viewer to the Spartan customization screen along with text chat, ultrawide resolution support and the option to switch between the classic and Anniversary audios for multiplayer. Furthermore, the PC port of Combat Evolved supports 4K resolution at 60 frames per second along with adjustable field-of-view, which will be appreciated by fans across the board.

Since this is the 2011 Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary version being ported to the PC, it’s fair to say that the multiplayer has shown its age by this point, with small errors that can either frustrate one player while ungracefully awarding the other. In the end, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is all about pure nostalgia, and that might be an issue to those who are new to the franchise. Die-hard Halo fans on the other hand, who have long waited for Master Chief’s return to PC, will surely have a great time with this classic.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

Through a procedurally generated system of progression, you’ll travel across ruined and technologized lands whilst slaying all those who stand in your path. Armed with a talking sword named Ferguson, experience points will be earned and body parts will be collected as you work your way through a small array of foes until you reach the endgame of Warlander: defeating Morven the Immortal.

"The opening journey for Bruce begins on a high note, but due to the lack of rewards and scarce memory fragments (which are memory collectibles in the game, duh!) to collect, I started to lose interest in the story. "

For video game titles that feature procedurally generated worlds, the results could either be very rewarding or quite dull. In Warlander’s case, it’s leading more towards the former. Thanks to the procedurally generated worlds and abilities you can acquire from defeating the bosses, the replay factor remains high even after you’ve replayed the game for the fourth or fifth time. And did I told you the game features permadeath  elements? While permadeath is well implemented in the game, it can be frustrating when you accidentally dash off a ledge and fall down to your death.

The controls are easy to learn and navigate since the standard skill tree in the game offers several upgrades for Bruce. You can unlock special moves such as throwing your sword and having it come back to you; grabbing objects and enemies with a vine arm that can be quite useful in intense situations; shooting stakes from your arm to impale and decapitate the undead Techno soldiers. In no time, you’ll assemble a decent arsenal to go along with various buffs the game throws at you. These range from improving the character’s movement speed to increasing health, to even procuring the ability steal life from your opponents after each strike.

The opening journey for Bruce begins on a high note, but due to the lack of rewards and scarce memory fragments (which are memory collectibles in the game, duh!) to collect, I started to lose interest in the story. The repeating dialogue between Bruce and Ferguson (and general lack of overall dialogue, as well) becomes futile and annoying, and it doesn’t help that the voice acting isn’t performed with sufficient convincing and passion to make it more engaging. But as you progress and start collecting the memory fragments, Bruce will get to relive his memories before his death. These moments are worth experiencing since it provides deeper insight into the lore.

"The sound effects, on the other hand, could use a bit more polishing. "

Enemy encounters have their own musical cues that aren’t mundane, and they fit appropriately well within fantasy/sci-fi setting of the game. When facing enemies, the music would mix guitar riffs with futuristic loops that would get me pumped to slice apart my adversaries. Even when you’re entering a section where you pay tribute to a certain Devouring Tree to upgrade your abilities, the music feels really good.

The sound effects, on the other hand, could use a bit more polishing. There are certain breakages in the sound effects when the action escalates, and the effect would cut off for a split second. Usually when this happens, the game will drop a few sound effects and then quickly resume to normality. It’s not a huge issue, but it can get annoying after a while.

The graphics and the art style are pretty impressive; it feels cartoonish with all the bright colors and neon lights, but at times the environments can get eerie. Unfortunately, some of the arenas are shamefully copy and pasted. I wish there was more of a variety with the arenas you visit because the core graphics are actually pretty solid.

"The graphics and the art style are pretty impressive; it feels cartoonish with all the bright colors and neon lights, but at times the environments can get eerie."

The journey of avenging your people and reaching the endgame of Warlander comes to a sudden stop after you enter through the final portal of the game. It basically goes back to the bottom of the tree with increased difficulty and altered paths different from the previous life. As long as you don’t die, you’ll get to keep all your acquired buffs and skills, but the campaign loops itself to only defeat Morven once again – only harder this time. Because of this, the game can get a bit repetetive and that can put off some players. But the core action mechanics, even after packing several hours into it, never gets old.

This game was reviewed on PC.

The game is going to be released with both a single player campaign and a multiplayer component. For the campaign and the setting, it takes place in the distant future where human brains are being preserved in robotic armatures for the sake of the human existence. You play as an Integrated being named Romer Shoal, a part-human/almost full machine that goes against the deadly opposing Rayonne forces, who are hellbent on wiping out the remains of human society. Armed with a flying combat machine and a team of Outlaws to fight by your side, it’s up to you to lead them into victory and hopefully have the chance to reboot humanity.

Upon initial glance at Disintegration, there’s a wide spectrum of inspired mechanics that any experienced player can recognize. During the single player showcase and the multiplayer closed beta, I jotted down all the familiar mechanics that came blending in together to create a different experience. You can choose to upgrade your Gravcycle (the “Gravity Cycle” is the primary combative aircraft in the game) and fellow Outlaws with customizable weaponry and attire whilst scavenging the land for supplies – these fall into the RPG category. The FPS aspect goes without question since you’re essentially an aerial mech gunning down enemies from the comfort of your cockpit. Commanding your fellow Outlaws on the ground brings a solid mixture of real-time strategy gameplay from just about any RTS experience with the Delta Squad point-and-go teamwork and dialogue from Star Wars: Republic Commando.

It’s a nice blend of simulator combat and real-time strategy where you pilot a Gravcycle and hover over the battlefield with a few loyal Outlaws to assist you on the battlefield. The cockpit reminds me of one of those bigger characters from Overwatch but with that mech aesthetic that we’ve grown accustomed to. The way the arms and cannons wave and adjust when you’re flying over destroyed territory hasn’t gotten old for me yet and knowing that I can select a different faction to play as only adds more to the replay value.

Along with the different factions to select from, the map creation is quite a sight to gaze and stop and look at because of what has happened to humanity within this universe. Buildings are decaying but the sun still shines on the tress and mountains with decent lighting effects; colorful explosions occur amid dead grass and rust-infested shipping containers and salvaged structures; the long stretches of field and tight corners can really shift the battle into a different direction.

The real action is, of course, when you matchmake with other online players and face each other off in three different game modes across a spread of distinctive maps. Zone Control – where you take control of zones and defend them – seemed to be the big one I was always going back into when I got on my PC for the beta. The destruction with the beautiful terrains and human decay were always a joy to watch and oftentimes trigger, and I would barely run into any bugs when tensions became intense. It feels good to pilot a Gravcycle due to the habitual controls that I picked up from previous simulator titles. I enjoyed the madness with the shoot-and-loot mode of Collector and the multi-round carnage of Retrieval, but Zone Control might be the go-to playground for those interested in V1 Interactive’s kickoff project.

While some of the gameplay can get a little stale after a while when you’re in the cockpit for the entirety of the game, I sincerely thought it was splendiferous to fight off against enemy Gravcycles, only to create more mayhem and joy to the pixelated warzone. The entire concept of humanity being preserved inside robots seems like a common sci-fi notion, but there’s the pursuit to “reboot humanity” with the help of powerful grunts and a trustworthy machine-killing ride that can make it into a narrative we might not have seen before. And thanks to the solid sound system and effects, it’s sure to be something to check out when Disintegration launches later this year.

This game was previewed on the PC.

The year is 3015, and conflicts have erupted within the Inner Sphere, a piece of space dominated by colonized planets. These tribulations have called for contracts to hire mercenaries to do the dirty work, for conflict zones have disturbed the peace among the people. After a devastating attack on a friendly base, you will rise from the rubble of trouble and make your way across stars to take up objectives and fight off the opposing forces wreaking havoc on the people.

"MechWarrior 5 is a blast for fans who are familiar with the mechanics and music of mech combat- but for any player looking for something fresh to try out this winter season, this title might not suit your fancy for various reasons."

Piloting your gigantic mech amid the war-ridden battlegrounds is an invigorating treat, even for someone who isn’t too accustomed to mech simulators. The very act of entering a BattleMech and gunning out copters, tanks, and other enemy mechs makes the game feel fresh and alive, especially with the have AI pilots fighting alongside you and help you unleash more chaos on foes. Though the overall gameplay experience can get stale after a while, with 51 different types of BattleMechs featured in the game to customize a great deal,  there is at least some variety and freedom for player expression.

There’s also a pretty neat and simple economy system in place, which sees players working out their funds to adjust expenditures such as space travel fees, salaries for crew members, negotiating for contracts to progress the campaign, all while also coming up with a way to plan out future trips and missions without going broke in the middle of space. It works well and it gives the game another layer to work with when managing your supplies and mechs.

The main narrative that serves as the backdrop for MechWarrior 5 sees you stepping into the shoes of a commander of a mercenary company, and it is up to you to oversee the progress and growth of this company, as you travel across planets and take on jobs from those that seek assistance against enemy attacks. Sadly though, that’s all there is to it. From there, you accept contracts and talk to a few NPCs, and there’s some cursory story stuff here and there, but for the most part, MechWarrior 5 is largely concerned with getting you to customize and mess about with your stored BattleMechs and then take them out into the field to cause some mayhem.

And even though it helps that you can hire AI pilots – who help spice up the adventure aspect of space warfare – ultimately, none of the objectives handed by the game really have any heart to them. It’s a case of style-over-substance, with not much heart being put into the story, and it seems to mostly just be there as a backdrop for the action. It’s not a terrible flaw, but it adds to the repetitive nature of accepting a contract, going on that mission, and taking what you get from either a successful win or an agitating death or failure.

"It’s a case of style-over-substance, with not much heart being put into the story, and it seems to mostly just be there as a backdrop for the action."

Where MechWarrior 5 doesn’t falter is with its soundtrack and sound design. The OST is an odd mix of synth piano keys and guitar riffs, and it’s strangely fitting for this particular title. There’s the distinctive synth loop that can be heard throughout the game, and to complement that the intense percussions, which, when, played during intense combat sequences, certainly ratchet up the atmosphere.

All the machine gun and missile firing sounds loud, just as it should, and as you’re stomping through environments in your mech suit, the sound design contributes a great deal toward lending that much more authenticity to all the carnage you’re unleashing with your weapons. Shooting down a gunship and watching it burst into flames while your allies destroy any straggling enemies, with guitar riffs blasting in your headphones in the background, is as fun as it sounds. These moments are the purest essence of the game, and without a doubt the highlight of the experience.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the graphics of the game, the frame-rate tends to drop when the action is getting too hectic during combat, such as when too many explosions or destructive effects are being show on-screen. Performance issues aside though, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries looks pretty good, with gorgeous environments that look even more detailed and beautiful through the first person cockpit PoV. Each biome and location feels unique in its presentation, to the extent that during my playthrough, I was almost reluctant to switch to third person view and possibly miss out on all the details. With a nice infusion of old school inspiration with modern visionary, MechWarrior 5 achieves an interesting visual aesthetic- it’s just a shame that it’s often let down in combat by the aforementioned frame-rate dips.

"With a nice infusion of old school inspiration with modern visionary, MechWarrior 5 achieves an interesting visual aesthetic- it’s just a shame that it’s often let down in combat by the aforementioned frame-rate dips."

For those looking for replayability in MechWarrior 5, something that will come in very handy is the Instant Action mode. Instant Action allows youto generate you own scenarios with different biomes and game types to fit to your liking, within the game’s given parameters. With other players and/or AI pilots, you can select any mech of your choosing to bring into battle- and you just go from there. From the smashing insanity of Demolition to the track-and-kill objectives of Assassination, when played online, MechWarrior 5 transforms into a sandbox mech shooter that can potentially deliver a lot of enjoyment.

While Instant Action can uplift the replay value of the game though, the slow progression of the single player experience is enough to turn one away from the repetitive nature that comes with the title. The story doesn’t do enough to make you care, and though customization and combat are fun, other issues like frame-rate drops or the repetitive mission design hurt the game a great deal. For fans of pure mech action, there’s enjoyment to be found in MechWarrior 5, but by and large, this is a game with a lot of unresolved issues that ultimately hold it back from being anything more than passingly fun.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

Originally released back in September of 2010, Halo: Reach was a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved while being developed by the same creative team of Bungie, who worked on the previous popular trilogy; bringing forth all of their signature aspects into their final outing before moving onto Destiny and beyond.

The PC port translates most of the body parts that came with Reach and the Collection that was released back in November of 2014 for the Xbox One. The entire campaign makes a beautiful comeback thanks to the added visual features that can be customized through the menu, along with the solid voice cast and memorable art direction that superbly seeped emotion through the cracks of warfare the player experienced and quite possibly experiences for the first time.

"The entire campaign makes a beautiful comeback thanks to the added visual features that can be customized through the menu, along with the solid voice cast and memorable art direction that superbly seeped emotion through the cracks of warfare the player experienced and quite possibly experiences for the first time."

Halo’s world-famous multiplayer sounds like a rightful place for the mouse and keyboard bunch, and it most certainly is – the capabilities feel fantastic with sensitivity controls and tuning possibilities that greatly change the game to a whole new literal level. My personal favorite, Firefight, feels like the first time I played it on the Xbox 360, where teaming up with three fellow Spartan players to fight off the Covenant made it seem as if I could go on for hours. And while Forge maybe absent at the moment, 343 Industries (with some much-appreciated assistance from Ruffian Games from Scotland and Splash Damage from London) bring home the first of many adventures that PC players have been patiently waiting for.

The massive team kept the blueprints of the original Reach in mind when redesigning the world for the keyboard-and-mouse crowd, optimizing and structurally mirroring the controls and overall feel and atmosphere of the Xbox release. The gameplay is simply astonishing, and there’s a wonder to why the PC port wasn’t done long ago. Everything from the insane weapons to the Ghost and Warthog gunning and handling ring familiar songs to the old school experience of teaming up with your pals, only this time it’s in 60 FPS. It stands out from the rest of the crowd because it’s grounded but not necessarily; gigantic yet it could get real personal with intense melee duels; frustrating but quite rewarding when landing that pitch-perfect headshot, all the while the announcing of Jeff Steitzer continues to pump up the chaos with “Double Kill!” “Betrayal!” and “Game Over!” blaring over the battlefield. It’s an absolute throwback that I’m content to have in my PC library.

For a quick recap on the story to whom it may concern, and notably briefly, you play as Noble-Six of Noble Team, comprised of a small band of Spartans that are deployed onto the planet of Reach, discovering only to find a Covenant invasion upon the people of the planet who seek help and rescue. Through the twelve-chapter narrative of the campaign, the events you trigger and encounter eventually lead to Master Chief’s awakening into battle (the events that lead into Combat Evolved), but before that only blood must be spilled and bullets shall be splintered through guts and sacrifice, amidst a galactic war against the Covenant and us. It’s a tale of epic proportions, and one that might even a bring a tear to one’s eye.

"Halo’s world-famous multiplayer sounds like a rightful place for the mouse and keyboard bunch, and it most certainly is – the capabilities feel fantastic with sensitivity controls and tuning possibilities that greatly change the game to a whole new literal level. "

Splash Damage senior producer George Wright commented on harmonizing the prototypical age of the games, saying that, “the games were built using older development techniques, so it’s been an interesting challenge for a lot of us used to modern AAA development to go back to the old ways,” and they’ve honestly done a wholesome job of staying true to the nature of the sound design. It’s authentic in its own way – recreating an already impressive pattern of sounds that becomes appropriately comfortable through both the campaign and multiplayer components. A few mishaps with the mixing of intertwining sound effects occur here and there, but it never intervenes with the overall universal experience for the player.

Martin O’Donnell’s composition is a staple in video game music thanks to his literal epic and heavenly – even outwardly and angelic – usage of many instruments that are featured in the campaign and the menu. With the help of some of his peers, he created a darker and more heroic mix of intense keys that musically bends both tragedy and destiny into one memorable score. Pieces such as “Winter Contingency”, “Tip of the Spear”, and even the “Epilogue” have all stuck with me throughout the years, and it was a sincere pleasure to relive those moments once more.

After some altering with the graphics settings, I was in for a quasi-remastered/copy-and-paste picture of Reach, due to the field-of-view, frames-per-second and textual level configurations I could mess around with that I couldn’t before on console. It’s marvelous to gaze upon and to become glued to. The art direction was always praise-worthy, but it’s almost a dream coming true the more I stopped and stared at the art and level design Bungie left behind for 343 for essentially replicate. With impending updates along the way, the graphics upon the PC release come to almost no fault. Small textual meshes can be seen on the grass and bases of some architectural designs depending on the player’s perspective, though it’s easy to overlook due to genuine beauty and ability to toy with the settings. In a huge way, it’s a redesign from the 2010 Xbox 360 release with a lot of passionate input in reconstructing the tools previously utilized on the older games, making it feel more at home for this special port.

"The art direction was always praise-worthy, but it’s almost a dream coming true the more I stopped and stared at the art and level design Bungie left behind for 343 for essentially replicate."

Bungie’s Halo franchise was widely known for its addicting multiplayer component back when their titles dominated the Xbox and general video game scene – the blame for countless hours being spent overnight when one couldn’t get enough Slayer action with their mates by their side. Already the game is trending on streaming websites where veterans, newbies, and all gamers in-between are clocking in countless hours into the multiplayer, reliving and making memories just like the good ole days of playing Halo. The replay value is exceptionally high in the case of Halo on PC. 343 & Co. are planning to release all of the other titles (except Halo 5) in chronological order next year of 2020, unlocking more rewards and progression stats for players eager for more Halo. The new Season addition is a welcome one to keep players hooked, and any previous stats acquired from your potential Halo Collection experience will transfer over; as soon as I logged in with my Xbox account, I was awarded with eighteen achievements thanks to already completed tasks from my Xbox One Halo days. It was quite a treat, and an exciting invitation to bring the madness onto the mouse-and-keyboard goodness.

This is truly an electrifying time for PC players who have been looking forward to the PC port ever since the announcement was made back in March. The game runs very smoothly with barely any glitches, bugs, and crashes. I can honestly say that I ran into a handful of tiny issues throughout my revisit to Reach. It’s been tested and flighted for a bit now, and the effort from the team is transparent: it’s a reconstruction from those who loved the original tales of Master Chief and those responsible for his awakening into Halo: Combat Evolved, where the home of PC shooters has held a spot for the port to join (and technically rejoin) for so long now. With Master Chief’s adventure being retold throughout the following year, Halo: Reach is a brilliant title to begin this journey with the players who perhaps couldn’t experience those legendary Halo days way back then.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Right off the bat of booting up the game, players are welcomed to a still and deadly-looking Terminator staring right at you with the menu options by the side. It’s a good way to acknowledge and what to expect out of this adventure in the Terminator world: an iconic and cinematic villain in a freeze position with human teeth that represents the series and what to come.

The humans of the Resistance don’t know what to expect as Skynet continues to ravish the planet of Earth, enabling an apocalyptic atmosphere after the events of Judgement Day, which were showcased in the well-known films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator whilst being created and directed by James Cameron.

Licensed as a tie-in to the original two films, you play as Jacob Rivers, a solider of the Resistance who makes his way up from an ordinary scavenger to a recognized member fighting against the machines. It comes with causal knowledge that the name John Connor might ring a bell to some or a great many, for he is the leader of the Resistance, and an imperative character to the lore of the films, and it’s his cause, your involvement, and the causes and effects of Judgement Day that drive this narrative to familiar territory to those who can recall the sci-fi action blockbusters that have garnered both critical and commercial success.

"While there are barely any complaints with the sound design and effects present in the game, the score can’t seem to land on even ground when it comes to composing scenes for the narrative."

The gameplay borrows similar mechanics from a copious amount of well-known shooter tropes: from the normal run-and-gun scenarios between you and machine, to quietly approaching a plasma turret to either destroy or hack, it’s a well-rounded mix of survival and action that you can dictate just by going about and deciding what the best outcome can be.

The game doesn’t follow an open world aspect to its code, but the environments and quests make it seem so, allowing you to delve further into the backstory of the world rather than just progressing through and shooting up the place like your ordinary first-person shooter, though merely by your choice since exploring throughout the map offers little to no reward other than a wide load of trade resources used for currency.

The game takes place after the events of Judgement Day, which are shown in the films but never explored thoroughly (in the case of the first two released movies), where the machines of Skynet have disrupted the course of humanity through nuclear warfare and left the place desolate and lonely, leaving only the fighters and survivors to stand against the man-made oppressors who aim to hunt and kill them all. Jacob Rivers of the Resistance is your average scavenger who eventually gets involved in all of this, for he is under Termination from Skynet. It’s where the core and heart of the plot drive from, and it makes you intrigued in being involved with Jacob more so than your average first-person shooter.

For a sci-fi action title, the mechanics are a little too familiar by today’s standards, set within a recognized world where the lore and tricks and know-how’s are easy to recall and utilize from previous games one has played. Terminator: Resistance offers almost nothing new to the table, other than combining a few memorable aspects from other distinguishable titles: the terror and pure heart-stabbing freezes of Alien: Isolation is juiced with the enemy takedowns and environment terrorism gets blended with the noticeable shooting mechanics that become too easy to get accustomed to. And while that isn’t a big issue with this title, it still offers nothing fresh to the table in terms of first-person adventures.

As aforementioned, it’s your standard shooter, but the game does include multiple RPG elements from a few well-known titles, particularly those from Bethesda. Some character choices can impact quests, but it isn’t brought up as such a big issue when you’re merely shooting your way through the game like futuristic side chapter from a marine’s nightmare. The Skill trees and lack of distinctive weaponry make the game more of a shooter-survival with a couple choices rather than something fresh to bring forward: Any recognizable FPS mechanic one can recall will most definitely be found here.

If one can recall the future sequences from the films, they can certainly remember the sound effects and eerie score by Brad Fiedel that make the series so memorable. The plasma blasters to the roaring sounds of the patrolling machines replicate the frightening vibe the human-killing machines would put off.

While there are barely any complaints with the sound design and effects present in the game, the score can’t seem to land on even ground when it comes to composing scenes for the narrative. Indeed, when encountering enemies, the music kicks up and it works flawlessly with the anxiety of being chased by a T-800 (similar to the chase terrors of Outlast and Alien: Isolation) and partially scouted by a drone, but anywhere else in the game it seems to switch from heavy metal guitar riffs to intense and cinematic percussions that don’t mix well with each other. The overall score presents itself with some noteworthy patterns, but not enough to be inspired by when it comes to killing machines.

For a shooter that basically came out of nowhere, the graphics look like they line up with your standardized FPS title that you randomly boot up on an early Saturday morning away from work. Utilizing an engine with great lighting effects, the pixels the player will see before them will perfectly capture that gritty and desolate world the films were imaging where machines took over the Earth: gray landscapes littered with rubble and death buried beneath a chilly sky, only to be awaken by more ensuing chaos being performed by the ever-growing machines of Skynet.

This is where the game shines, and I would always stop here and there to glance at the soulless sky, even when a scout drone was nearby. Verily, the night sections of the game are a replicate of Cameron’s vision from the original and the day battles against the machines feel and look similar to those from the film Terminator: Salvation.

While there are some surfacing issues and the character animations are worse than any Bethesda RPG title that can come to mind, the voice acting is exceptionally well-performed, providing a human backbone to the FPS shooter title you embark on that gives you context and emotion to remember by when you face off against the machines.

Particularly from the main voice actor who voices Jacob Rivers, the performances can make up for the poor emotion animations that made it seem like an audiobook for these NPCs’ tragedies might be more fitting than the effort put behind the graphics for facial animations and general character stances and designs.

"With barely any exploration rewards to look forward, this FPS-RPG mix-up might just be a miss for those who looking for something different aside from other well-known titles in the gaming industry."

With no multiplayer component attached and no side game activity to attend to, the players can merely play through the campaign through different difficulty modes if one was feeling oh so fancy for it, but since the game mixed various genres of horror, adventure, RPG, and survival into it, there’s not a ton of replay value that makes me want to return to fight against the machines from the inception of the game’s narrative. While it was fun scavenging the land for trade resources and sneaking past patrols of machines on the streets, it felt much more like a one-off adventure for the hell of it rather than a promising title to return to.

You just keep going forward through the evolution of Jacob Rivers without feeling much influence from the game’s objectives and results. It’s said that your choices reflect the world around you in the game, but I didn’t really feel that impact since the tale of your influence merely goes through the phases with some dialogue options that may change a word or two. Because of that, there’s not a lot of reason to return to the campaign if I already know what to expect and what with.

With barely any exploration rewards to look forward, this FPS-RPG mix-up might just be a miss for those who looking for something different aside from other well-known titles in the gaming industry. Terminator: Resistance maybe a fun sci-fi stealthy-or-deadly adventure for fans of the film series, but the shooter doesn’t do much to separate itself from the popular genre we all know and love.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

From the developers of the top-down tactical RPG Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs comes forth an alternative take in the genre in another traditional and recognizable sense of tactical elements set within Warsaw, Poland, where the many faces of Polish civilization make a stand against the opposing German forces. In the game, players will pick through a variety of Poland denizens to fight off the mean-faced Nazis in a journey that will go through a violent chapter in history within a time where the world was on fire.

When it comes to commonplace turn-based titles, the mechanics and atmosphere of WARSAW are quite noticeable. After selecting your Insurgents (the heroes you basically control and grow) in the Hideout section of the game, you’ll then proceed to picking a mission on a map, stacked with information and essential data about the Morale and Attrition that’s attached with impending objectives.

"When it comes to commonplace turn-based titles, the mechanics and atmosphere of WARSAW are quite noticeable."

From the top-down navigation of the map of Poland to the transition of basic turn-based gameplay, WARSAW proceeds to be a casual clicker of a game. While I encountered a good number of deaths toward my posse of fighters, it felt nonetheless spectacular to land a kill on a Nazi. For a turn-based tactical game, it’s very satisfying to see that blood squib pop whenever you manage to put some lead into the opposing side – with hope that you and your whole squad survives until the mission comes to an end. But aside from all of the Nazi-killing glory, the gameplay feels like one of those free apps you could get on your mobile device. The skills and weapons are down to the bare minimum, and strategizing your next move merely takes a second of thought. It turns into a moderate experience at that point, and the action can become slightly boring after some time. Of course, you can skip a turn or move your characters to a specific spot for attack and defense justifications, but that’s all there really is to it with the game’s combat system. And when in attack mode, there’s always a chance of landing or missing a shot toward the opposing side, which will end your turn and you’ll just have to wait after the Nazis land a perfect one on you.

The story elements, however, are exceptionally entertaining. The whole narrative concept of WARSAW in 1944 is non-linear, meaning any mix of characters you assemble and whatever “Event” you encounter will always be different, as well as the mission details and fights you come across. These chronicled “Events” occur during in-between segments of the game that act like a text-based computer adventure game that pins you with an interactive situation. One such Event (entitled “Ira”) leads to the final judgement of a man who was serving the Uprising after making a questionable call in the line of duty. Rewards such as supplies and Recruitments are possible to acquire through these, but it is still essential to consider your resources – even after a promising mini victory.

And when it comes to killing Nazis, evidently, it’s an act of heroism that never gets old. The whole notion of WARSAW is to imagine and feel the hope and bravery of these Polish fighters who stood up against the savage oppressors. It’s a “Once Upon a Time…” aesthetic that allows the player to proceed how they see fit in a game where it’s feasible to fight against the Germans in a few bloody ways. May it be with the rocket launcher by a barricade or a mow down with the machine gun – this game gives them the chance to do that in slow turn-based gameplay that affects the story elements with how you survive for morality or lose to savagery.

"After several campaigns – since dying occurs more than the actual exploration and progression in the game – I eventually cleared out a map after becoming acquainted with the flow of the controls and the skills I figured out through proper utilization."

In recent memory, a great number of indie titles have come out with some amazing musical scores, some even standing side-by-side with the triple A’s of the gaming industry. The classy jazz and harmonic tunes of the score in WARSAW is both soothing and cognizant of impending danger. A mix of violins and piano keys with accordions and operatic strings generates a wonderful 1940s sound that blends very well with the backdrop intensity of the game. The sound design is very on the nose regarding the overall action and response: it gives birth to this natural and unpretentious moment of gameplay as if you were feeling the recoil and passion on the battlefield.

As aforementioned, the gameplay feels very similar to a mobile game – the case can be said for the graphics. Aside from the slick-looking top-down feature where you scout and trigger encounters through the map of war-infested Poland with your squad of Insurgents, the fighting animations and general feel of the characters and environments could easily feel as if I’m playing a mobile emulation on my PC. The blood squibs and action animations are a joy to watch, but due to the rudimentary gameplay mechanics, it becomes difficult to stay hooked. Albeit the Events and potential victories will keep one afloat to play the game for a good amount of time, the overall presentation and execution feels incomplete in terms of tactical RPG standards. Its cheap progression falls extremely short after being killed over and over again, only to restart the campaign with different factors to resources and an increase in personal frustration. After a while, I lost interest in starting up another campaign since the circumstances and results were going to be nearly indistinguishable from the last run.

After several campaigns – since dying occurs more than the actual exploration and progression in the game – I eventually cleared out a map after becoming acquainted with the flow of the controls and the skills I figured out through proper utilization. It’s a somewhat light-hearted but fun clicker, as previously stated, yet it’s not enough to keep coming back to. It remains a title in my library that I’ll occasionally open to get that sweet Tarantino-esque ultraviolence to lay on those Nazi criminals, though after a short while, my interest began to decline when I try to force myself to fancy it. And with the lack of experience points and incentive to progress with the Insurgents you already have stored at Hideout, there’s not a lot of replay value to depend upon here. The absence of heart-filled character development and imperative RPG elements make WARSAW a passable pixelated war experience.

"Once the playthrough of a few campaigns is completed, the repetitive nature of the violent encounters with the Nazis and familiar progression can only play out for so long."

Once the playthrough of a few campaigns is completed, the repetitive nature of the violent encounters with the Nazis and familiar progression can only play out for so long. Sure, you’ll get a big kick out of blasting away your enemies with the rocket launcher or the hunting rifle after applying some First Aid for a wounded mate, but it isn’t sufficient to the point where I would return to this title in due time. There are other virtual worlds where you could live out your Nazi-slaying fantasies – WARSAW just might be in the middle ground when it comes to that category. It’s only enjoyable for as long as you see fit. For tactical turn-based adventures, I’m afraid this one might just be below the radar.

This game was reviewed on PC.