Quake 2: Call of the Machine:
This was a pretty good expansion overall, out of all the ones that got made for Quake 2, this is easily the best one. The new structure and high enemy count carries much of it and all though I didn't like that every mission you got to get your weapons back and the fact that the missions can be beaten in any order kind of like how Halo ODST did it kind of nullfies any feeling of progression, I did like that there was some attempt at innovation here since playing so many of these expansions can get pretty draining.
I love how visually distinct each locale is and if you thought the base game looked too drab and industrialized, Call of the Machine might be appealing to you.
Out of all the levels I say generally isn't good, I'd say Wastelands is the only one that is a geniune drag since you don't get the super shotgun on the beaten path throughout much if any of it.
Darkest Depths was the most visually appealing of all the expansions and it made me appreciate the Quake 1 map design a lot more.
It's also rather impressive how high the enemy count is for devs making a game on such on old engine, it's not Serious Sam levels but it is higher than the amount of enemies you would normally fight in Q2 and it's expansions. The enemy count gets so high to the point where I even had to use the power ups on normal difficulty which is pretty crazy but I like that I am finally using them actively now.
Overall, not much more to say, if there is one Quake 2 expansion you got to play, it's easily this one.
Fe:
I was looking for a game I can quickly beat in two days and this game fit the bill nicely. Outside of that, it's pretty unremarkable, not terrible but just rather dull.
It's very much a typical artsy indie game so if you never liked that kind of game, stay away from this.
What's interesting about the game is that it has various ideas like platforming, metroidvania elements and stealth but they all feel rudimentary and service level.
The dedicated map button ruins any kind of geniune discovery you could have from navigating the levels and it's not really all that great, it gives you a vague idea of where to go but it's still rather vague on what precisely you are supposed to be doing and while later in the game, you will switch between various powers/languages but since the game is so short partnered with the above mentioned problems, the exploration and light metroidvania elements can be pretty hollow.
The stealth is just your typical hide in bushes and avoid line of sight but it does have a generally forgiving detection time and if you break line of sight as the enemies are attacking you, a game over could be prevented, plus the game has a forgiving checkpoint system so it isn't too rage inducing.
The platforming is pretty basic and nothing too fast or complex, the tree climbing can be quite innovating all though too contextual for my tastes especially a late game Shadow of the Collossus style boss climb can be pretty frustrating since it's hard to tell if you will climb all the way up a tree by rapidly pressing x or you will glide off. This made that climb more aggrevating than it should be. There is only one sequence like this the whole game but it can feel like a difficulty spike since falling off the boss means you got to get back on him again.
It would've been nice if Fe combined stealth and platforming together where you had to time your jumps while avoiding enemy lines of sight. It would've given the gameplay a lot more flavour than just being a basic platformer and stealth adventure
Overall, Fe was an okay time, I was looking for a quick and easy game to beat and I got just that. I am not sure if I will remember this game all that much months down the line but at the same time, I doubt I will view with much scorn either. Its about as serviceable as serviceable can get.
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