Did anyone ask for this post? Probably not lmao, I doubt anyone wants to hear the gay T man ramble about a game. I mean, if you do... then be my guest. I'll be as comprehensive as I can be.
If anyone of any real importance to how this series proceeds to read this post, know half of this is opinion/bias.
I think it needs some work, and I'm saying that as someone who bought it day one. I mean, I like the concept, don't get me wrong. The setting is peak. My issue more comes from threat countering and such. Now look, I haven't beat the game being I've been too busy messing around with how the threats work, but I'm going to go off of what I've experienced with them. I'll go by how I experienced them myself (I watched no streams until after, and even then, I didn't watch much).
Tanner - He can show up when you're at one of the motel rooms or try to run in through the doors in front of the desk where the computer is. Honestly, the motel room variant is the easiest counter known to man (the controversial GAME OVER there is also easy to avoid) legit just lock the door when you go in and check the peephole before you leave, give him a few seconds to be gone. Easy. The other variant... Uh, Sound Cue is nonexistant?! (same can be said for others, but I will get to that later). The only way I have personally caught Tanner is by just managing to figure out enemy cue lineup and hitting the "panic" button on time. Granted, my ears aren't the best, but even with volume at full blast, I had no idea he was there. Overall though, besides being annoying without a motion sensor, I'd say he's not the worst. I just personally don't like his character, never really have. He's as plain as white bread to me and no one will change my mind, sorry not sorry.
Noir - Honestly, I like that there's a change in mechanic given who spawns or the order they are in, what I don't like personally is having no intel on what to do with them singularly in the document you can buy from one of the people Ronald has contact you. Patrick on his own is simple to counter, like honestly, I used the Welcome to the Game 2 and Dead Signal technique and was fine (flash for a second, turn your back and count to 10, maybe give a bonus second). Myra on her own got me numerous times because nothing mentions her at the desk, no you only find out how to deal with her by looking into Steam guides. FYI the way to deal with her in that instance specifically is by turning your head to the right until she whispers, "Good Boy." {I wish Lucas would call me that} but anyway, yeah. DO NOT get up or back on the PC until she says that, otherwise Patrick will be very unhappy. I mean past that though, I think it is just hard to remember what to do based on the order. Maybe it'll come naturally after having countless hours in the game, but currently for me with about 25 hours in game, it is hard to remember unless a guide is up. I mean, personally I wish there was an option to not be called a "good boy" being I don't necessarily care to hear it... but I get if it's more just because of who Simon is, then I'm far from surprised. (If it's fan service like all the Tanner crap though... lame. I get fanservice, but jeez, be consistent. Do fanservice for every character and then it's less complaints, more money. Sure bugs will be complained about, but I mean at least then things are fair to all fans.)
Tucker - I have not once heard his cue while outside. Most of my GAME OVERs to him are from this issue. Since the numerous patches, I have had no issues really besides the lack of a sound cue being the other attack is super easy to deal with. Hear some hillbilly ahh music? Get to the center of the parking lot and look for a door with an ace of spades playing card. Very easy, not much for me to complain about honestly besides the mentioned lack of sound cue (either too quiet for me or simply not there?)
Cletus - I have had instakills from this guy. My run is from before Normal + was introduced, but I have encountered this issue numerous times. I will spawn in after dying or something and almost immediately be killed by Cletus when I am actively trying to get what he needs. Honestly, besides that instakill, he is no issue.
Kidnapper - I rarely have encountered this dude. I have maybe been attacked by him a total of three times. Honestly it's just a matter of looking for his van from what I have seen, if you see the van, don't go outside.
The Breather - I have only encountered him from going out of bounds so to speak. Kinda sad he just has one line, but I think that can be said for any characters with rerecorded and reused lines. Then again though, from what I have seen from where the package drop location is, I may have had my headphones off during my encounters there. I do like that you run from him in this game though, it's easier on my eyes compared to the minigame from Welcome to the Game 2 specifically. I never got to the one in Dead Signal, but I assume if you have the lights off, it's just as bad.
(Major Spoiler) Bomb Maker - Surprised this guy became essentially the Dollmaker of this game, but I haven't encountered him. I've heard mixed opinions on how he works though. Note: on my personal notes for him, I have him labeled as "Pyrotechnics Extreme Guy" lmfao.
Lucas - Ah, my favorite character, crush (apparent husband), and pain in my ass. Without my personal bias, I'll say this: he is also missing his audio cue or is too damn quiet for me to hear it, not to mention that his cue sounds so similar to sounds on the computer that it is hard to differentiate regardless of all the current patches and previous. Honestly needs to be a lot louder, at least in Welcome to the Game 2 I could hear him. I could beat a whole run in that game without a motion sensor (even in 1337) when I have been practicing said mode. I also think though that, while his kill animations are fuckin awesome (and some are hot as hell), there is some left to be desired. Examples being the following: When Simon runs out the front doors and Lucas garrotes him from behind, and when Lucas catches Simon anywhere excluded from hiding or the backdoors (and corners too apparently?). Firstly, I get that Lucas should be silent, but come on, be so forreal, he was audible walking around in Welcome to the Game 2, so why is he entirely silent chasing Simon out of the Motel lobby into the parking lot? This man is in dress shoes, there should be some sort of sound there to make the attack more immersive, same can be said for the other one I mentioned. Speaking of that one, I have seen that he can essentially spawn anywhere inside like this, and sometimes it is just stupid... Like how can I be back to the wall and move a centimeter forward and be killed? He also just has my Breather gripe, reused and rerecorded lines... two from Welcome to the Game 2 and one from Dead Signal. (Personally was hoping for new lines for personal reference in my writings.) but I'm getting to bias territory, so I will add that here: if another character deserved skins, Lucas was definitely one of them. I mean hell, there are numerous things to take inspo from (example being the Hitman games as number one... or consulting a fan or two for their ideas) I will add just randomly here that his kills are prone to bug out. Outside of bias overall, he can also just be annoying unfortunately, whether it be spawning him or avoiding him. Love him though all things aside, love his animations (even the ones we can't necessarily see without freecam or cameras where he comes from, there is no lockpick animation sadly though)
Back to gameplay now that the elephants in the room have been addressed...
Timers, dear god, can one even get a sense for a baseline in this game? I can't. Whether it be for Virtmesh, killers, or anything of the sort. Some is obvious due to previous game knowledge, kinda... Hacks are way too common in Normal, like... since when were we playing 1337 from Welcome to the Game 2? Plus, nothing tells you whatsoever that you have to pay someone for the 2nd and 3rd wiki links (Unless I heard wrong), and that you can be attacked during hacks (which will be problematic for anyone who knew nothing about the demo but came from previous games). Personally, I think that is rather dumb given that hacks give you money, and given how expensive things are in game, you'd think they would be a main source of income using backdoors like in previous games. Apparently not.
Notes on Virtmesh, VMs are odd being you basically lose them if you get off of said machine, and if you didn't copy them, you're essentially screwed unless you copied them back on the main PC's notes.
I also wish something told you to eventually purchase ACRS (like ASAP) , but unfortunately no. I only say it that way in the sense for new players that do not want to get spoilers from streams or guides.
I think the whole hiring the hacker, hitman, and all that are cool, but it doesn't necessarily act as a redeeming quality for me.
Closing this specific part off with the fact that I think the pacing needs work, games previous were terrifying due to the pacing they had. This one only seems to have a scare factor in first time jumpscares or unexpected ones. Nothing else really does it, there's only really a build up from what I've seen during the "tutorial" in Normal mode. If I do need to specify again, I have mainly been messing around in game, but I am going off of personal experience and what I have read. I did try in my second run, well... until Lucas surprised me. He became a main focus lol.
Closing thoughts - If you wanted fan service for Tanner or Myra, well... you got it. The rest of us stay hungry unless things are added unfortunately. I would almost say that every character besides them deserves a bit more love in terms of skins, animations, and etc. Do I recommend the game? Yes and no, depends on the type of person you are. Do you think everything in the world needs a trigger warning or something, or are you bothered by extreme topics/ depictions of said topics? Don't play it, simply put, don't make it everyone else's problem when it has been like this from the start. In terms for those who are big fans of the games in general and can handle the topics, and want to see all the new stuff and play around, then yeah, I'd get it. If you want to beat it though, I would suggest holding off until the game is patched to stability (if we can get to that point). Guides will be your best bet regardless to beat the game as it is for most if not all other games. Steam has some good guides, and I'm sure other streamers/youtubers will have out guides soon enough. I may even put my own guides on here if any of you play the games and want an honest guide. (I can mainly speak on Welcome to the Game 2, but I have a bit to say on Dead Signal as well.)
Will add here: If anything I said offended you, keep it to yourself. I don't have the time for that drama honestly, my life is a mess as is. Also, I will not be directly addressing the Tanner drama besides what I said above that eludes to it. I'm not going to give my life story or try to explain either side of the whole thing. Just know, I agree with those saying that this jumpscare is not worth complaints. I think it should have a toggle, but honestly, it is so easy to avoid I wouldn't bother. (I am not being cold and indifferent, I am a victim of SA across numerous instances, I am uncomfortable with the jumpscare, but I expected it with the character.
Anyway, I may have post after this, I don't know. It's storming and I don't know how the tornado risk is going to waver. If I have anything to add to this post, I will add in an edit or reblog with my additions.
Have a good night or day though, whenever you readers see this.
(I also hope this was comprehensive enough, I haven't had enough caffeine to be able to write things the way I want to.)
