Andrew Petillo

I love this game, I can say that for certain. There are so many things about it that scratch that itch that was last filled by The Last of Us multiplayer. Let me break down a few hot topics on this game to get it off my chest. Some complaints and validations. 1. Winching Phase: Many people complain that the winching phase ruins the experience. It shifts the stealth atmosphere from early game into an offense/defense where coordination and role filling is essential. That and claiming the last notch is more important than any other objective and allows players to "steal" the win. This is no different from any other multiplayer game. You can have 15 kills in Apex Legends and still get 2nd place. The reward isn't the win, it's the xp and gold. Winning overall will net you a bonus of 250-350 gold, and a good chunk of xp. But the work you do is important as well. 500 bonus xp for each objective completed before the winch, and 10 gold and 100 xp per assassination or stealth kill, and 100 gold (divvied per player on your team) for each notch you winch. I think it's fine the way it is. If you can't fill your role and properly defend the objective you lose. Same as any other game with tactics in it. 2. Melee Combat: Easy to learn, mastery is not necessarily domination. Heavy attacks are one off stamina eaters that break an opponents guard to make openings for your partner in combat, because you can block arrows too. Parries are the best way to deal with "ganking" as they stun your melee opponents. Light combos are a problem, they aren't very smooth and the timing is awkward for them. And this isn't For Honor, there aren't many opportunities for a 1 on 1 brawl, others will sneak up behind you for an assassination kill while you are distracted. This is why teamwork is essential. 3. Latency and Collision: This is the biggest glaring issue. Ping spikes will chop your frames and animations into sashimi when too much is going on at once. Some attacks will get skipped, attacks will land through blocks and dodges, and the opposite as well, arrows and swings will pass through your enemies. Assassinations suffer the most, however. You will get assassinated while facing a player when it should only happen from behind, likewise you may not be able to assassinate an enemy because the interaction will not validate, as their in game location is not what it seems. Causing some stuttering when vaulting or climbing and teleporting in combat, this needs to be addressed quickly. 4. Balance: Some hits and misses here. General base character design is good for balance, the problem lies in the perks. John has a perk where his sprint attack means instant death, Marianne has a perk where her invisibility refreshes on assassination, making these two characters far too powerful in many scenarios. Melee fighters outshine the ranged fighters, able to kill them with 2 swings at close range, and escaping or "kiting" is nearly impossible. Robin has the most balance, where skill and accuracy are rewarded and his range gives opportunities to turn things around. If a ranked mode is coming, perks must be disabled for it. 5. Content: More content is expected in the future, but right now we have barebones cosmetics and perks. Almost everything can be achieved in around 60 hours. Another game mode, and a prestige system would be ideal. Conclusion: A great game with a few flaws. It nails the gritty woodland atmosphere, gameplay feels visceral, and plays and timing have the consequences you would expect.