Recent reviews by Swarmfly

A surprisingly simple-to-use piece of software for the joyous whimsy of character creation! If only it were still available, why delist something that was always unconditionally free right from the get-go?

Nonetheless, there is quite a hearty selection of ways to adjust and fine-tune specific body parts of one's custom-crafted character to one's liking, such as adjusting just how angled or how rounded the eyes appear, or just how shapely the face is in ways that can totally break the illusion of a human being in digital form if adventurous enough. Or one could just adopt a "close enough" preset and chisel one's way from there, like how I do because to make a nice character from the ground up would be very much quite the ask.

Hair and clothing options are a tad limited in scope, however. Shorter cuts are not particularly varied, and there really isn't much in the way of layered clothing beyond school uniforms. At least there are quite a lot of patterns to put on the latter.

Beyond that, there isn't actually much beyond making something nice and taking inspiration from it for further creative projects later (learning how to draw is key to making the best use out of this software!). The characters are seemingly bound to the creation studio as if they hadn't quite gotten the memo about the social distancing mandate being lifted a long time ago, the poor things.

The thematic presentation is actually quite marvelous! The tightly curated selection of track-going driving machines is indeed rich enough to provide a sense of variety, yet concise enough as to maintain a focused feel as opposed to the "hey, drive whatever you want" smorgasbord that perhaps leads many good car games to sorta just bleed into each other.

So, then, what's the big problem here?

The so-called "Giants" engine is, frankly, horrendously inept for the pace of the game that Project Motor Racing attempts to be. It literally was built for a farming simulator of all things! When the fastest thing going around was a tractor, it was fine because the engine didn't need to crunch numbers any faster than the leisurely same-said tractor had time to go.

But when multi-facet cars with so many mechanics such as tire wear or seat belt tightness are into account, it lugs really badly. Seriously. Other games, such as the long-since delisted Project CARS, can easily boast full grids of 20 or even 30 or more cars with modest hardware and hardly feel the effects on the CPU, but daring to include even just a middling half-dozen cars on the track at once for PMR strains one's hardware even on the most bleeding edge of consoles -- they even have the number of opponents deliberately capped to a significantly lower amount for precisely this reason! And for what?

Are the AI drivers a tad too smart? Nah, they have Forza Drivatar Syndrome, they wouldn't even attempt to dodge an obvious IED on the road if they can help it. At least Forza limits the impact of inattentive battering rams by daring to have a physics engine that works even under pressure, but PMR, dear heaven -- what part of it actually works? Applying just a little too much gas while steering results in the entire car losing all grip and spinning around like a top, having an opponent's car scrape against yours results in the entire car losing all grip and spinning around like a top, and -- believe it or not -- driving over a curb, more often than not, results in one's car losing all grip and spinning around like a top because heaven forbid the slightest nuance between complete control and utter chaos is ever applied in a premier "sim" racer.

Time will tell how much more of the tremendously overwrought Giants engine will have to be tuned and upgraded in order to make it the slightest bit competent for the game it was haphazardly grafted into, if that happens at all.

Forza Motorsport 8 is something that can be best described as something resembling the racing game version of nutraloaf.

It technically has all the ingredients and nutrients necessary to serve as a full meal all in itself, but remember that this product wasn't designed in mind for the consumer's benefit, but rather for the investors who demand for it to be put through the blender to the point of being so obnoxiously bland it offends no one but neither does it find anyone to satisfy.

A little seasoning genuinely could have added enough life to this to make it stand out in any meaningful way, but think of the suits who eschew anything that would dare make it too exciting (and therefore subject to displeasing anyone who would have their stomach troubled by good food too rich) for its own good! The color correction almost seems designed to evoke the impression of a prison cell by just how utterly, discouragingly grey it is, and any color that does appear is likewise desaturated lest it inspire too much.

But wait, there's more.

For the sakes of not providing anything that is perhaps a wee bit too daring, the only tracks on offer are officially licensed and sanctioned grey(!) roads on desaturated(!!) green fields in Ohio or wherever that all sorta just blend together into some kind of (nutraloaf 'flavored') soup. Oh, so there are actually a handful of fictional tracks -- but they all have to abide by real life regulations (lest the CPU opponents get hurt) so they all have the same prison-like aesthetic of being fenced-in enclosures surrounded by occasional bits of greenery and cardboard stands for spectators. Bold colors are deemed distracting, and are therefore prohibited.

But at least the racing is, again, technically capable of proving a sufficiently challenging FOMO-powered live service line-go-upper revenue enhancing device thingamigbob, if that so should be one's cup of (nutraloaf 'flavored') tea.

This is quite possibly the most overindulgent application of unrestrained freedom in shooter game form ever.

While there is some bias toward being painstakingly methodical to win engagements as per the game's 'tactical' trappings, it (with admittedly a few needless exceptions) doesn't wrestle control from the player's hands for being pointlessly reckless.

Situation calls for strategic use of high-tech equipment to minimize risk? How about jumping from a helicopter and calling in a danger close airstrike. The story demanding for your attention for a boring mission that you supposedly have to partake in ASAP? Respond in three business days while you go do the side quests. Maintaining one's distance while using silenced, scoped rifles being the optimal way to play? I'll believe that when I get bored blasting cartel goons with my shotgun that has the effective range of a French kiss.

Okay, so occasionally you'll have to play the 'right' way. Defending delicate hostages requires restraining oneself from chucking explosives everywhere like candy, and AA batteries discourage airborne joyriding over the wrong side of the tracks.

Those are nonetheless entirely unproblematic as they stem from organic ways of shaking up the gameplay loop in a genuinely interesting manner. On the other hand, the game commits a peculiar sin in its "stealth" missions, where the player has to avoid engaging with the squad of enemy NPCs that just sort of meander around as if they have crippling social anxiety. Nope, no other playstyle permitted -- you have to be funneled into this specific way to engage with the game or it will command you a game over screen, going against the game's rather consistent thematic presentation of not doing exactly this.

Besides that, this is somehow still the only game of its type that goes so far as to provide the wealth of sandbox options as it does. While it certainly has its shortcomings that is the player's responsibility to make peace with, nothing has ever dared to compare.

A gorgeous selection of the most beautiful automobiles in the world!

The DBR1 is an especially prized favorite. It is indeed very difficult to separate one's eyes off of it in order to focus on the road -- just look at those voluptuous curves in the right places like a shapely woman! Such a shame that it is only qualified to compete against itself and itself only, given the game's rather restrained car roster.

The DBR1-2 LMP and Vantage GT3, although lacking in the timeless vintage charm as the DBR1, are nonetheless two mesmerizing darlings on the the track that have truthfully aged very little since the DLC and game's 2015 release.

Oh, the included track with all its many variants is rather snazzy -- lots of gimmicky road layouts like a totally sick oval track segment that are disappointingly absent everywhere else.

Six games, one bloated launcher, and enough power-tripping on the forums over the littlest of perceived slights to make the Covenant blush.

Gone is the ability to hold two weapons that somehow punished players who did or did not use it for the handful of toys that supported the feature.

No blue robot interruptions in the heat of gameplay.

Moving faster now an option, no longer restricted to strolling around like a mindless tourist with a gun.

Weapons can have cool camouflage patterns now.

Orange glowing Bionicles have replaced the space lasagna zombies that were frankly tedious to fight against.

Game begins to emulate Call of Duty gameplay design instead of being just a boring Marathon clone.

Why bother playing 3 when 4 clearly has improved over it in every single facet imaginable?

Knew I could always look up this sort of stuff on a guide somewhere out there, but I was lazy and have money to blow. No regrets.

The quintessential Call of Duty experience.

It is lovingly uncomplicated with its simple premise, unadulterated with predatory monetization practices, and authentic with its richly down-to-earth presentation and remarkable level of restraint whether engaged in single-player campaign or multiplayer.

Future installments in the series may carry over and expand the inherent action and gunplay aspect, amongst other things, though this is the one (alongside World at War) that can be truthfully considered an actual military shooter, distinguished from the ones that merely pretend to be.

A well-balanced, if somewhat redundant, car pack that is perhaps all too eager to bloat your garage with even more Huracan and Aventador variants- two of each provided in fact!

Aside from those, the rest of the cars are a genuine treat to behold. The two Ferrari models included are well worth it for the pack alone, especially for the stunningly beautiful Roma. The Italdesign of choice is something of an oddball, as it's from one of those obscure brands and sounds like a choking vacuum cleaner on virtue of its electric motor.

This car pack being given a general review score of "Mostly Negative", incidentally, is a lovely consequence of the players who want to have their cake and eat it too.