About reviews
Reviews may vary in length and topical focus based on whether a game is thought to be worthwhile. If the flaws are glaringly obvious such as in the case of overt propaganda then no further discussion is warranted. I will most often just document this propaganda and categorize the game. Although this is not a set rule as in the case of propaganda that is more subversive or popular I may choose to write at length.
Below I've listed a few guidelines on what I like versus dislike in games:
Like:
- FOSS / free (libre)
- Open Source
- Historical Accuracy / Realism
- Simulation / Physics
- Sandbox / Openworld
- Strategy / RTS / TBS
- Slavjank / Eurojank
Dislike:
- Weeabooism / Anime
- Propaganda / ESG
- Revisionism / Unrealistic Fantasy
- Live-service / Always-online / GaaS
- Horror / Zombies
- DRM / No source / Bad licensing / No developed way to self-host
For nonfree (paid) software I rarely take the price into consideration since I advocate for piracy in most cases. However, I can plainly say that no game is ever worth more than $40 USD. If it's a multiplayer game that releases lots of DLC then that will be considered or something else like an early access scam.
FOSS
Free and open-source software
Wiki List: Open-source video games
Upcoming Games
Soon-to-be-released™ games
Likely Good:
- Flyout
- Space Engineers 2
- Kingcome Come 2
- Revenge - Iran's Call of Duty
- Unrecord
- OPERATOR
- Nuclear Option
Certainly Bad:
- Starfield
- Stalker 2
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- ARMA 4
- Payday 3
Good
Good games without any propaganda that I found to be distasteful.
- BeamNG.drive
- Assetto Corsa
- Kerbal Space Program
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Insurgency
- HighFleet
- Total War: Napoleon
- Wargame: Red Dragon
- Wargame: AirLand Battle
- WARNO
- Sprocket
- Brick Rigs
- Nuclear War Simulator
- (Old) Minecraft
- Terraria
- Gunner, Heat, PC
- SimplePlanes; SimpleRockets / Juno: New Origins
- Flight of Nova
Good but flawed
Good but something wrong like bad DLC practices, abandonware, or a dash of propaganda.
Good but too janky, buggy, outdated
Ok if you can stomach the issues.
**Games below include too much propaganda (or are just bad) to earnestly recommend them.**
Maybe Playable
Games that are deeply flawed (likely too much propaganda) but may have some quality or redeemable aspects to them (maybe only high-budget game in their genre).
Games that became bad
notice the trend of live-service games
Games with DRM
Games with strong or untouched/uncracked DRM that are otherwise good.
Bad
junk
- Mass Effect (series)
- Kerbal Space Program 2
- Bioshock (series)
- Baldur's Gate (series)
- Bethesda (The Elder Scrolls (series); Fallout (series*)
- Obsidian (Fallout: New Vegas; The Outer Worlds)
- Overwatch 2
- Insurgency: Sandstorm
- Path of Exile (PoE)
- Diablo IV
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Witcher (series)
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Trepang2
- Redfall
- Vampyr
- The Last of Us (series)
- Uncharted (series)
- Psychonauts (series)
- Patherfinder (series)
- Rust
- Final Fantasy (series)
- Detroit: Become Human
- Undertale
- SIGNALIS
- Call of Duty (series)
- Mafia III
- Watch Dogs 2 & 3/Legions
- Control
- FromSoftware (Souls games, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Elden Ring, Armored Core)
- Kojima Games (MGS/Metal Gear Solid, Death Stranding)
- Silent Hill (series)
- Resident Hill (series)
- Remnant 2
- Dwarf Fortress
- Vampire Survivors
- Tomb Raider
- Metroid
- Star Citizen
- God of War (series)
- Saints Row (series)
- Red Dead Redemption (series)
- Stellaris
- Amazon Games (Blue Protocol, New World, Lost Ark)
- Project Reality (Battlefield 2 mod)
- Squad
- Battle Bit Remastered
- Owlcat Games (Pathfinder (series))
- Games Workshop (Warhammer (series))
Need to research/play
Games that I need to research more or play to make a better decision.