November Play Log IV

This is a truly amazing game. It really gets you thinking about mass surveillance. It's hardly impartial, but you get to see both the good and the bad aspects. If you have an interest in privacy, play this game. If you have never given it much thought, play this game. If you've ever said 'I have nothing to hide, it doesn't matter', play this game.

Pros:

• really gets you thinking about mass surveillance
• you control how the story unfolds based on what information you pass on to the government
• the story has some really great twists and surprises that I didn't see coming

Cons:

• Playing involves dragging and dropping pieces of information onto profiles of people you're investigating, but sometimes the drag and drop function is finicky, I occasionally had to retry multiple times to grab a piece of data. Not a big issue, but a minor annoyance.

A warning to achievement hunters: do not look at any 100% achievement guides before playing, they will ruin the story. You'll need 2 playthroughs anyway. Just play through normally the first time and you should be able to get all remaining achievements the second time.

Verdict: 10/10

This game started off strong but got a bit lost along the way, perhaps because it wasn't clear what was supposed to be going on. Why on earth go down into the mine in the first place? Why not go back the way you came when it became clear something wasn't right? Maybe it would have helped if I had gotten all of the notes. If you're a fan of suspense/horror it may be worth picking up on sale. Personally I probably won't bother with the next episode if it comes out.

Pros:

• Genuinly suspenseful atmosphere
• The few puzzles there are aren't too difficult
• Not ruined by constantly dying as I found Outlast could be at times. The only exception to this rule is when you haven't figured out how to solve a puzzle (i.e. there's no 'guess you'll have to run faster/hide better and hope they don't see you' moments like I found Outlast & DLC had at times)

Cons:

• I get that a hud can detract from the overall feeling, but a map (e.g. in the pause menu) would be good given that the achievements focus on exploration. I did my best to explore everywhere but still ended up missing a lot of notes and several areas
• Candles and torches serve to light the place in areas, but if you go to close to them they'll burn you. This serves no purpose beyond being annoying.
• Some parts don't make sense (one particular enemy attacks you during the last chapter of the game, then leaves you alone at the very end seemingly for no reason)

Verdict: 7/10

Good, but doesn't add much beyond what the first game had. Maybe I'd have enjoyed it more if I hadn't played the two back to back though.

Pros:

• Adds a time mechanic so you can't blindly upload every piece of data you see.
• Takes place at the same time as the first, so if you've played it you can link your character from the first and have that same story appear in headlines.

Cons:

• The story isn't as good as the first.
• The link to the first game doesn't serve any really purpose I found beyond 'hey, that's neat'.
• The choices frequently feel like you have to choose between doing several bad things, whereas the first felt like there were 'good' options at times (even if it didn't always turn out that way).
• In the first game you're investigating a terrorist attack. In this one it's claimed this department is 'more important' but it felt to me like they were interfering without enough reason. The first game had a sense of urgency, this game failed to provoke that for me.
• I found the first game really thought provoking. Apart giving you a new scenario to think about, this one doesn't really present any new ideas/moral dilemmas/etc for you to think about beyond what the first one had.

This is a great game, there should definitely be a sequel or more levels via DLC. If you enjoy puzzle games this is a must have.

Pros:

• Levels start off easy and brief, but gradually get harder - the difficulty curve is good.
• A unique concept in my experience.
• Most of the puzzles aren't too difficult until you get towards the end.
• Playing local co-op with a friend is a lot of fun.

Cons:

• Particularly difficult parts can get frustrating enough without having to wait 15 seconds after a respawn for your marshmallow man to get up again.
• If you get stuck in an area too long a general indicator of where you should be headed would be helpful (e.g. 'go to this point' could help you figure out how to cross the gap, etc).
• I get why the climb mechanic was removed, but another shortcut in the Water level (the worst one IMO) would be nice, especially for those trying to get the head-first achievement. Having to play all the way through the level 4 times takes the fun out of it.

Verdict: 9/10