Airborne Empire was provided by Stray Fawn Publishing for review. Thank you!
When it comes to the city-builder genre, I'm amazed by how one of the oldest video game genres is still finding new ways to present unique challenges and gameplay mechanics. Airborne Empire is one such example, putting players in charge of an airship that is entirely customizable as they embark on a journey to explore the world from above.
While there are survival elements to Airborne Empire, I wouldn't necessarily bunch this one in with your traditional games in that genre, such as Banished or Frostpunk. Yes, you do have to gather food, water, and fuel for your airship to survive, but the focus is on expanding and improving its capabilities, not just on providing the essentials.
The purpose of the game is to explore new areas and eliminate the pirate threat in that area to prevent the sky pirates from attacking both your airship and the defenseless kingdoms on the ground. While you do this, you'll have to provide for your citizens, research new structures, and complete the odd sidequest for some juicy loot, such as blueprints for new structures.
Airborne Empire's structure puts it at odds with your traditional city-builders. While you can build whatever you want on your airship, the game feels less like an open-ended sandbox and more akin to what the developers sell it as, an RPG. You will largely be doing quests for the kingdoms below, which often involve traveling to somewhere nearby and expending some of your resources to aid them, and there's little reason to do anything but the quests in the game.
The game is fully open world and quite large, but it does feel as though certain parts of the map serve little purpose. There are only a few resource types in the game, which are fairly abundant pretty much everywhere from the start, and the focus will be on visiting a city, completing its quests, and moving on to the next city. Admittedly, there are some optional side quests that encourage you to explore further, but even then, some parts of the map feel a little superfluous.
Then we move on to the combat in Airborne Empire, which is fairly laid back. Your main defense against the sky pirates will be your Defense Towers and, later on, your own planes. The Defense Towers are pretty place-and-forget structures; assign workers to them, and they will automatically fire at any enemy within range. Then you have manual weapons, like cannons for ground structures and combat planes for other aircraft, which are as simple as selecting them, clicking the enemy you wish to attack, and letting your workers handle it from there. There is little "action" to the combat, but that suits a city-builder like this.
Fulfilling the basic needs of your citizens is a non-issue, and "progress" is made in the form of expanding your arsenal of weapons in order to take down the sky pirate threat pretty early on. As you expand, your citizens will demand more of you, but by that point, I either already had the resources or acquiring them was easy, so I could immediately fulfill their needs.
Airborne Empire is an enjoyable time. It's an odd mix of a role-playing adventure mixed with a city-builder, although neither side has too much depth to it. There are quests, but they follow a similar "go here and spend resources, then return" pattern. While I'm sure you could make a pretty airship, my build was rather utilitarian, and there are limited benefits to designing a well-organized and structured base, as area-of-effect buildings aren't really a thing in Airborne Empire. A clinic on one side of your airship will serve the other side, no problem, for example.
As is often the case with strategy games, controls are an issue for Airborne Empire on the Steam Deck. You'll need to use a custom controller layout as the game has no built-in controller support. Fortunately, there are already custom layouts available made by the community, so head into the Steam Input community layouts for the game and pick one that suits your preferred scheme.
Airborne Empire supports 1280x800 as a resolution, but the graphics don't scale well. I would recommend choosing the "Custom" graphics option and setting everything to "Very Low". The "Very Low" preset itself doesn't actually set everything to Very Low, for some reason.
The game exhibits strange behavior, and in certain areas, performance tanks to 20 FPS for seemingly no reason. My only suggestion to mitigate this is to set the GPU clock manually to 1600 MHz, as the Steam Deck doesn't seem to ramp up the GPU to handle this sudden performance hit. With the manual GPU clock, you can mostly hold 30 FPS.
Using the Very Low settings, you can generally expect to play at 30 FPS, but occasionally you will experience drops into the 20s. There is also occasional stutter, usually when rotating the camera to look at new pieces of the world, or when visual effects play for the first time in a while, likely due to loading new assets. As well as the 20 FPS issue described above, but the game is on the cusp of playability, I would say.
If you are very desperate to avoid frame rate drops, you can disable the day/night cycle in the options menu, which does improve performance slightly; you will get drops, but they are less severe, mostly to around 27-28 FPS.
Power draw was around 18W-20W due to the manual GPU clock; without the manual clock, usage is more around 16-18W. Temperatures were around 65-70 °C. Expect battery life to be around 2.5 hours on a Steam Deck OLED and around 1.5 hours on a Steam Deck LCD.
Airborne Empire has little in the way of accessibility. All dialogue is text-based, and you can reduce the effect of sudden light flashes. There is no UI scaling, which can be problematic as certain text is small and somewhat hard to read on the Steam Deck, but it is legible.
Airborne Empire tries to merge a role-playing adventure experience with a city-builder, and while neither area excels at what they do, the game is enjoyable for a playthrough of the Adventure Mode. I can't see myself returning for repeats or trying out the non-story modes, though.
Performance on the Steam Deck is rather poor, though, given the game's slow-paced nature, arguably still playable. Do expect to have to fiddle a little with the controls, though. If possible, Airborne Empire is best enjoyed on a more powerful device than the Steam Deck.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.
After almost six years since its first reveal trailer, it's safe to say that Cyberpunk 2077 lives as one of the most anticipated games the industry has ever seen. At the time, it was hard to grasp the idea of CD Projekt RED, the Poland-based development team behind the masterpiece The Witcher 3, one of the defining trademarks of the RPG genre, releasing a brand-new massive RPG set in an entirely different environment. Expectations were sky-high, but sadly, it didn’t live up to them on launch. In fact, it was the exact opposite.
When Cyberpunk 2077 launched, it became one of the biggest disappointments in recent gaming history. Countless game-breaking bugs, underwhelming visuals and animations, horrendous enemy AI, frequent crashes; too many problems to count. I played it on release day, and it felt noticeably unfinished, almost as if it had never been properly play-tested. The situation became so severe that refunds were offered across all game stores regardless of playtime or purchase date.
Still, the gaming industry has seen some incredible comebacks. No Man’s Sky, Fallout 76, and Final Fantasy XIV all launched in rough states, faced massive criticism, and were buried with their disappointment. Yet with enough determination, vision, and relentless support, they proved there was a gem hidden beneath the surface. Polish, and lots of it, is what makes the gem shine.
And Cyberpunk 2077 ultimately endured the same redemption arc after countless hotfixes, the massive 2.0 update in 2023 that fundamentally reworked core systems, and most importantly, showcased a genuine labor of love from the developer. Today, it offers players a smooth, immersive experience in its wild dystopian future, a beautiful and ambitious RPG that finally feels complete.
In Cyberpunk 2077, we control V, a charismatic mercenary with big plans and even bigger dreams. In a city like Night City, dreams are currency. Everyone wants to become a legend, and V is no different. Alongside their partner Jackie, V takes on increasingly dangerous jobs, climbing the ladder in a world ruled by corporations, gangs, and power-hungry elites. Things start small: street deals, fixer contracts, risky gigs. But one job changes everything.
A high-profile heist that promises fame and fortune goes horribly wrong. In the chaos, V ends up with a mysterious biochip implanted in their head. That chip carries the digital personality of Johnny Silverhand, a long-dead rockstar and terrorist with a deep hatred for the corporate world. Johnny isn’t just a voice in V’s head; he’s slowly overwriting V’s mind.
From that point on, the story becomes more personal than political. It’s no longer about becoming a legend; it’s about survival. V is racing against time, trying to find a way to remove the chip before it completely erases who they are. Along the way, they form fragile alliances, dive into Night City’s darkest corners, and question what identity, legacy, and freedom really mean in a world where even your mind can be altered.
At its core, Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t just about dystopian tech or corporate conspiracies. It’s about mortality. About what it means to leave a mark. And about whether becoming a legend is worth losing yourself.
Initially, the game offers three different life paths: Nomad, Corpo, and Street Kid. On paper, this is a very risky design choice. If the differences between them are too small, the whole system feels pointless. Why even pick a background if it changes nothing? But if the differences are too drastic, then you’re basically locking major content behind multiple playthroughs, forcing players to replay the entire game just to see everything.
Thankfully, your chosen life path doesn’t completely rewrite the main story. You won’t feel like you’re playing three entirely separate campaigns. At the same time, it’s far from meaningless. It changes dialogue options, offers unique ways to approach certain situations, unlocks additional context in conversations, and makes some relationships feel more believable depending on your background.
It’s not a Resident Evil 2 situation where you feel like you’re missing half the story if you don’t replay it. But it’s also not a cosmetic choice that exists just for flavor. The balance is smart. Players who want to experience the game once won’t feel punished, and hardcore fans who replay it will still discover new perspectives and subtle differences that enrich the experience.
One of Cyberpunk 2077’s greatest strengths is its characters. Night City doesn’t just feel alive because of its lights and chaos. It feels alive because of the people in it. The game does an exceptional job of writing characters that feel layered, flawed, and human. They have their own motivations, fears, and agendas. They’re not just quest givers standing around waiting for you.
Conversations rarely feel like filler. Dialogue flows naturally, and many choices feel meaningful and personally reflective of the characters and world around you. You can build trust, burn bridges, form genuine bonds, or create lasting resentment. What makes it even stronger is that the game gives you space to care. You spend time with these characters outside of main missions, seeing their vulnerable sides, ambitions, and mistakes. At some point, you realize you’re no longer just completing objectives; you’re making decisions that affect people you’ve grown attached to. You can admire them or hate them, disappoint them, or you make them proud. That emotional involvement makes the bigger story moments hit much harder.
Let’s talk about the gameplay… and yeah, we really need to talk about it. Not because it’s purely amazing or terrible, but because there’s just so much happening at all times. Cyberpunk 2077 feels like a “jack of all trades, master of none” kind of game, at least when it comes to gameplay variety.
You can play it as a full run-and-gun shooter, kick down doors, steal cars, cause chaos GTA style, and just go loud every single mission. Or you can slow things down, plan your approach, put a silencer on your weapon, and move like you’re in a stealth military game. You can barely be seen, barely be heard, and clear entire areas without anyone realizing what happened. And if that’s not your thing, you can lean into hacking and basically play as a cyber-mage, taking down enemies without even pulling the trigger. Or you can go full swordsman, rushing in with blades, parrying attacks, reflecting bullets, and turning every fight into a fast-paced bloodbath.
Then, there’s the RPG side of it. You can completely immerse yourself in your own version of V, shape your build through skills, perks, cyberware, weapons, and loot, and approach situations in ways that genuinely feel different. It’s not just cosmetic customization; your build changes how you think, move, and solve problems.
At times, it almost feels like playing several subgenres at once. Shooter, stealth, action RPG, immersive sim, all blended into one package. But here’s the problem. Every aspect I just talked about has already been done better somewhere else.
The gunplay feels solid, but not groundbreaking. It works, it’s satisfying enough, but it doesn’t have that tight, refined punch you’d expect from a pure shooter. Stealth can be fun, but it’s often too forgiving and a bit shallow compared to games that are fully built around stealth. Melee combat, especially early on, can feel clunky rather than precise and skill-based. And honestly, all of those are understandable because when a single mission can be approached in five or six completely different ways, you can’t realistically expect each of those paths to feel like a fully fleshed-out standalone subgenre.
It would be unrealistic to design a deep military stealth system, a top-tier FPS combat loop, a complex hacking simulator, and a refined melee action game all within the confines of one single game. So no, the combat isn’t bad, it just rarely shines. It’s there to experiment with, to toy around, and to express your build. It serves the role-playing, and that supports the experience, but it doesn’t dominate it.
However, the best parts of this game are found in the world-building and atmosphere. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said this is one of the most impressive worlds I’ve ever seen in a video game. From the spectacular visuals to the bold artistic direction, everything feels carefully crafted. But more importantly, it feels alive.
The lightning is genuinely phenomenal. Neon signs reflect off wet streets, shadows stretch across alleyways, and every district carries its own visual identity. The city feels crowded, noisy, and constantly in motion. NPCs aren’t just placed there to fill space; they make the world feel active, unpredictable, and lived-in. When all of this comes together, the futuristic design, the density, the atmosphere, it creates something special. Something that goes beyond just “good graphics.” This is a six-year-old game, yet visually it still competes with major releases in 2026.
The atmosphere is so immersive and mesmerizing that it genuinely changes how you play the game. I’m usually someone who fast-travels everywhere without thinking twice. But in Cyberpunk 2077, I found myself doing the exact opposite. I would drive manually, letting the city unfold before me, or taking the long way on purpose just to experience it. Watching the gorgeously crafted environments and listening to the distant noise of the city turn simple travel into part of the experience.
Despite all the improvements over the years, some visual bugs still pop up from time to time. They’re not game-breaking, but they can momentarily pull you out of the immersion with certain areas that feel a bit repetitive. The overall aesthetic of Night City is strong, but it sometimes leans too heavily on the same visual theme. After dozens of hours, you start noticing familiar layouts and similar environmental patterns.
And then there’s the sound design in public spaces with constant commercials and looping advertisements that can become grating. Hearing the same voices every few minutes starts to wear thin. A bit more variety would have gone a long way in making the city feel even more alive and organic.
Sound design and music are often praised in Cyberpunk 2077. And while I understand the appeal, I personally found parts of it surprisingly generic. The heavy EBM and techno tracks that dominate combat and high-intensity moments are definitely hype-inducing. They fit the on-screen chaos and amplify the action, but beyond that initial energy, they never felt particularly memorable. There wasn’t a single theme that truly stuck in my head after I stopped playing.
I’m not saying the music is bad. It works, especially during combat, and it supports the immersion, but the repetitiveness and the lack of standout identity make it feel somewhat uninspired.
Sound effects also feel a bit inconsistent. Gunshots have weight, but melee combat in particular can sound underwhelming, which makes close-range fights feel less impactful than they should.
On the other hand, the performances and voice acting are exceptional. The delivery of the lines captures the characters' emotional tone perfectly. Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand is arguably one of the strongest casting choices in modern gaming, going a step further to define his character's presence.
Despite everything the game does right, there are areas where it struggles. One of the biggest issues, especially in the early hours, is how overwhelming it can feel. From the start, you’re introduced to life paths, attributes, perk trees, cyberware, weapon stats, crafting systems, quickhacks, and street cred. It throws a lot at you all at once.
At first, it almost feels unnecessarily complex. As if the game expects you to understand a dozen interconnected systems before you’ve even had time to settle into the world. But as you keep playing, you slowly realize it’s not as complicated as it first appears. The systems start making sense. The upgrades become intuitive, and the game opens up instead of suffocating you.
And then there’s the stealth issue. While missions technically allow multiple approaches, the narrative tone often nudges you toward staying quiet. Characters repeatedly suggest avoiding attention, not causing chaos, and keeping things clean. Even though going in loud is always an option mechanically, it sometimes feels like the story subtly discourages it.
From a pure gameplay standpoint, you’re free, but from a roleplay perspective, it can feel like you’re being steered in a certain direction, and that can slightly hurt immersion, especially if your version of V isn’t the sneaky type.
Side quests are also a mixed bag. Some of them are genuinely excellent. They can be funny, unexpectedly emotional, or surprisingly creative. At times, they allow you to get to know certain characters on a deeper level, strengthening your relationship with them in ways the main story alone wouldn’t. These quests feel fluid, well-written, and thoughtfully designed. In many cases, they don’t feel like side content at all, but like essential pieces of the overall narrative.
But when it comes to gigs, my experience was different. At first, they feel exciting with new locations, new objectives, and new contracts to complete. But after a while, the formula becomes noticeable. Go to point A, neutralize or retrieve something, leave the area, and repeat. Individually, they’re fine, but collectively, they start to become extremely repetitive and bloat our map due to the sheer number of them.
After dozens of hours, I found myself doing gigs less because I was curious about the story, and more because I wanted the XP, money, and materials. They slowly shifted from feeling like captivating mercenary contracts in a living city to feeling like a checklist of chores. They’re not poorly designed. They just lack enough variation to stay consistently engaging in the long run.
This isn’t just another expansion thrown on top of an already massive game. Phantom Liberty stands as one of the most fully fledged and complete DLC experiences I’ve ever played. It doesn’t feel like side content; it feels essential to the base game's narrative.
One of the smartest decisions CD Projekt RED made was not placing this expansion after the main game's ending. Instead, Phantom Liberty triggers at a middle point within the main story. It blends naturally into the narrative, without feeling forced or detached. Whether you’re deep into your playthrough or just recently started, the transition feels natural. It doesn’t interrupt the flow; it enhances it.
Dogtown, the new region introduced in the expansion, brings a completely different atmosphere to the table. While Night City is chaotic and flashy, Dogtown feels tense, controlled, and political. The environment is tighter, more oppressive, more focused. It carries a different energy, giving the expansion a flavor that sets it apart from the base game.
But the real gem is the story. Phantom Liberty focuses heavily on political themes, moral ambiguity, and character motivations. The narrative feels more cinematic, linear, and far more intense. The writing is spectacular. The dialogue carries more weight. The choices feel heavier.
In many ways, the storytelling here surpasses even the base game. The characters are more complex, the conflicts feel more grounded, and the emotional stakes hit harder. You’re not just completing missions. You’re navigating loyalties, betrayals, ideologies, and consequences.
I don’t want to go into too much detail about the story here because it deserves to be experienced firsthand. In short, Phantom Liberty is not just a great DLC expansion, but a worthwhile, strong, and plentiful addition to the overall RPG genre.
Even though Cyberpunk is a very demanding game with gorgeous visuals, it runs surprisingly smoothly on the Steam Deck. There is a default “Steam Deck” preset, but I highly recommend not using it. It’s locked at 30 FPS, and it feels way too clunky. It occasionally drops to the low 20s, especially in open-world areas and the Phantom Liberty expansion. Also, the visuals don’t really justify losing frame rate. My recommended preset looks just as gorgeous as the default Deck preset, but manages to lock the game at a solid 40 FPS.
The first thing I tried was giving up on FSR 2.1 scaling and setting it to XeSS. On most games, it works wonders, but here it felt a bit cheap and rough around the edges. Even though it helped with the blurry image, it caused the game to lose immersion and left a bad taste in my mouth. By default, the game uses the Balanced preset for FSR 2.1. Setting it to Quality mode gives perfect sharpness, allowing you to lower the detail settings without much sacrifice.
Setting motion blur to low or off is usually a matter of preference, but with a game running in the low-40s FPS range, I personally think disabling it gives a much better experience. If you like the effect, you can set it to low, like I did, since the previous FSR 2.1 Quality setting already made the game crisp enough. Other settings mostly involved turning some lower-priority options from high to medium, or medium to low. I targeted a perfect 40 FPS even in the most demanding parts of the game, and I mostly achieved it.
In the base game, most of the time it’s going to be a smooth 40 FPS. The only exceptions are when driving cars in vast open-world areas. But those drops are rare enough that they’re hardly noticeable.
The major performance issues lie in Phantom Liberty itself. Even though it’s a DLC, it’s a huge one. It contains the full foundation of the 2.0 update, and the new Dogtown map is a very demanding place to be. In open areas of Dogtown, expecting a solid 40 FPS is unrealistic. It consistently drops into the low 30s and can even dip to 28.
The good news is that during main story quests and indoor sections, it maintains the smooth 40 FPS experience. Especially after playing the game for hours at higher FPS, locking it below 30 would hurt immersion.
It’s still highly playable and looks as gorgeous as ever. The only Deck-specific issue I found was the small HUD and hard-to-read text, but luckily, you can fully adjust it in the Accessibility tab, and I highly recommend doing so.
There is a dedicated accessibility settings tab in the game, and it’s an incredibly detailed and well-thought-out option set. There are a couple of color blind modes, adjustable HUD sizes, and even a center-of-screen dot overlay.
You can also customize subtitles in various ways, including different sizes and colors. There is aim assist for both ranged and melee combat, and it’s highly customizable as well. It’s clear that CD Projekt RED put real effort into making the game accessible for as many players as possible across all platforms and styles.
What once launched as a huge disappointment has now become one of the strongest comeback stories. Cyberpunk 2077 is now an immersive RPG that combines multiple types of gameplay in very solid ways. Its freedom, both in gameplay and in its open world design, is top-tier. No matter the platform you play it on, including the Steam Deck, it remains one of the most gorgeous-looking games available.
The early hours can feel overwhelming, some gigs become repetitive over time, and certain gameplay systems don’t fully shine compared to games that specialize in them. But despite all of that, the incredible atmosphere, engaging storylines, and well-written characters are what make Cyberpunk 2077 such an awesome experience.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.
When I first played Death Stranding when it came to PC back in 2020, I really liked Kojima’s bold and unconventional approach to the gaming industry. But even though the story was great and engaging, the gameplay felt too experimental. Now, one year after the initial release of Death Stranding 2, PC players can finally embark with Sam on a new journey filled with even more struggles, more content, and that signature Kojima-esque insanity, improving upon the experimental nature of the first game.
From the moment the game begins, you're thrown into one of gaming's most expansive atmospheres. A massive, mountainous landscape with almost photorealistic graphics, a goosebump-inducing soundtrack, and a strong sense of freedom. The game lets you know that you are about to embark on a journey that is going to be very special and truly one of a kind from minute one. No game has made me feel this excited and blown away right as we get past the main menu.
The story is set shortly after the first game. Sam has connected all of the UCA, saved the world from extinction, and moved on from his past life, now living a simple, quiet life with his former companion, now daughter, Lou, in a shelter near the Mexican border. But as you might expect, not everything goes according to plan, and he is forced back into his old porter life, this time in Mexico and Australia.
While the game’s narrative retains the predecessor’s mysterious, deep tone, it feels more grounded and clearer, thanks to more action-packed cinematics and a less confusing plot. This is a huge improvement, as almost half of the world’s lore in the first game was delivered through holographic, often dull dialogue. Now, you have clearer goals and more engaging conversations. The sense of loneliness that defined the first game is largely gone as well. This time, you have a crew and masterfully written new characters to accompany you.
Kojima’s infamous, unfiltered, awkward yet fun style also remains, but it feels less out of place and more organic this time. These “what the hell is this?” Kojima moments don’t disrupt the overall serious tone of the narrative; instead, they add a unique signature from the master himself.
The only criticism I have is that the overall story structure feels a bit too similar to the first game. Nevertheless, it’s still one of the most engaging scripts I’ve ever experienced in a video game.
I’m just going to say it without any exaggeration: the graphics in Death Stranding 2 are the best I’ve seen so far. Nothing else comes close. The attention to detail, lighting, and facial features is unmatched in the industry. It feels like mind-blowing witchcraft.
We already knew Decima was a powerful, optimized engine, but seeing this level of almost-photorealistic visuals feels genuinely surreal. Thanks to the game’s new day and night cycle, you can fully experience the beautiful sunny environments, gorgeous sunsets, and the insane blue neon chiral lights at night in every scene. The art direction and design team also deserve praise for turning post-apocalyptic Australia into a vast, incredible playground for us to explore every inch of. The motion-capture performances from well-known actors further enhance immersion, making this the most visually stunning game out there.
Much like its predecessor, the soundtrack and sound effects are also incredibly well done. The BT horror area audio design, in particular, has improved so much that it single-handedly turns these sections into a full-on horror experience. It's flawless.
The most radical and pleasantly surprising change in terms of gameplay is the main story design. In the first game, much of the experience embraced the walking-simulator and cargo-delivery style, while action, stealth, and horror mechanics felt like they were sprinkled in just to keep players from getting bored. In Death Stranding 2, it’s the complete opposite. Almost every main order turns into an encounter-driven sequence, while the traditional “delivery style gameplay loop” is mostly optional.
I’m actually one of the few people who enjoyed the delivery struggles, careful planning, and overall porter-style gameplay, but even I prefer the action-packed approach this time. The main reason for that is the new variety of enemies, which was nearly non-existent in the first game.
Instead of the classic “human enemy,” “a BT,” and “a large boss BT,” we now have a whole arsenal of different enemy types. There are countless BT animals, new BT variants such as Watchers that can see you, and dozens of different mech enemies and bosses. It all feels incredibly rich. And each type of enemy requires its own specific approach, tactics, and weapons, so the original “pre-planning” magic is never lost. If anything, it’s amplified in a different way.
There are countless new weapons, fun and useful tools, transports, customization options, and a massive new talent system that are unmatched in the industry. The new day-and-night cycle adds another layer, with different wildlife and stealth possibilities, along with new natural hazards and much more. The gameplay feels truly alive and fun. The game also offers more dialogue options and lots of fun Kojima-esque mini-games. It feels impossible not to get hooked thanks to the incredible amount of improvements and unique content.
One more thing I need to highlight is the boss fights, because they are genuinely exceptional. After the bullet sponge, amateurish encounters of the first game, DS2 takes a sharp U-turn and delivers some of the best-designed boss fights I’ve seen in years. Each one feels closer to an MMO raid boss, with unique mechanics, strategies, and even puzzle-like elements you need to figure out. They all feature clearly readable attack patterns and hidden weaknesses, rewarding observation and adaptation over brute force.
Especially on the new “To the Wilder…” difficulty, you’re pushed to refine your muscle memory and come prepared. Instead of relying on bloated health pools, bosses hit incredibly hard, often taking you down in just two hits. But because every attack is avoidable with proper positioning, timing, and tactics, the challenge feels fair rather than frustrating, making each victory satisfying.
However, the PC version came with some new features that the original release never saw. The best part exclusive to the PC version is the new “To the Wilder…” difficulty option. Unlike other difficulty settings, once you choose it, you can’t change it. Honestly, it feels like the best way to experience the game.
The spike in difficulty mostly affects the more realistic, simulation-focused aspects. Combat and stealth are largely unchanged. This means you’ll lose your balance more easily, your stamina and battery drain much faster, and natural hazards affect you more severely. If you don’t like auto-piloting through even the walking simulator sections and prefer to stay engaged, I highly recommend giving it a try. You won’t regret it.
The online section of the game largely remains unchanged, with the only new addition being the Aid Request system. If you want something to be built or need specific materials, you can place a request sign anywhere on the map, and other players can help you. Other than that, seeing and using other players’ useful structures still feels awesome. Linking your zip lines with those of other players especially amplifies the sense of “connection” to a whole new level. It was an awesome feature, and it still is.
When I first opened the graphics settings for Death Stranding 2, I saw a “Portable” preset and got really excited. But once I applied it and jumped into the game, I was met with a massive disappointment. Even with upscaling set to Ultra Performance, the game struggles to reach 30 FPS outside of cinematics, mostly hovering around 13–22 FPS with heavy compromises. And that’s not even the worst part. I encountered a whopping 40-second freeze, along with a separate crash.
Similar to the first game, it heavily bottlenecks the CPU, and sadly, the Deck just can’t handle it.
Still, the presence of a Portable preset gives me some hope for the future. But even with a stable 30 FPS, I wouldn’t recommend playing this on the Deck. The Portable preset looks terrible, and this is a game that needs to be experienced in full immersion. I’m all for minor visual compromises, but when everything looks like it’s from the PS2 era, that’s simply unacceptable.
I usually hate Frame Generation and never recommend it since it usually creates more issues while fixing FPS. I must admit that turning on XeSS FG makes the game ''somewhat'' playable if you are just building structures, doing side orders, or farming materials. Combat feels awful thanks to the input delay, so stay away from enemy territories.
There are some unofficial workarounds to improve the frames and gameplay, like the Eclipse mod. I tried them all, but they became barely playable, and still not worth the effort and risk. They never perform the miracles we need for fully stable gameplay.
Death Stranding 2 is everything I could have asked for in a sequel and more. Its incredible improvements, combined with insane visual quality and immersion, make it an outstanding experience from start to finish. Even if you were put off by the first game’s gameplay loop, the sequel’s more action-packed approach and more natural, engaging narrative make it feel fresh.
If the “delivery man” aspect of the first game put you off, and you really hated the idea of all the delivering and “walking simulator” elements, that core concept and gameplay loop are still very much here. However, there's a lot more action this time around, and the experience is far more accessible than before, but it still remains a very unique game that simply won’t be for everyone.
Steam Deck users should wait for a couple of patches to see if things improve. It can still be used for simple side orders while you’re away, like I do, but playing the main story with this level of visual flaws and performance issues is something I can’t recommend.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
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Monster Hunter Stories 3 was provided by Capcom for review. Thank you!
Having played previous entries in the Monster Hunter Stories series, I was eager to get my hands on Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, and I can assure you, if you're a fan of the series, Monster Hunter Stories 3 will not disappoint you.
The gameplay itself is largely the same as previous games in the series, with turn-based battles using a rock-paper-scissors formula providing the action, where you have to figure out an enemy's attack patterns and choose the corresponding counter. It works as well as ever, and we still have the opportunity to do synergy attacks with the monsties and whichever party member is in battle with us. It requires some strategic thinking, particularly in the more challenging boss battles you'll come up against.
I also found the difficulty well-balanced, which is crucial, since the game offers no difficulty options. I did have a couple of occasions where I needed to deviate from the main storyline to do side quests in order to gain some levels to fight against a tough monster, but by no means did I ever have to repeatedly farm monsters in order to grind experience. By and large, the game presents itself as challenging rather than brutal.
Beyond the combat, we also have a beautiful open world to explore. It's not quite on the same size as the mainline Monster Hunter games, but it's decent, and there are plenty of short quests, collectibles, and hidden secrets to find in each area you'll visit. On more than one occasion, I just found myself enjoying switching between Monsties in the open world, climbing cliffs, and gliding between platforms in order to see what was awaiting me. More often than not, there was at least some reward for exploring there, even if it was just one of the many Poogies you are tasked with finding.
One very neat feature in Monster Hunter Stories 3 is the new "Habitat Restoration" mechanic. Sometimes, when playing games like these, while you are trying to co-exist with the "monsties" in the Monster Hunter Stories spin-off, you do feel like you might be doing more harm than good, such as when interfering with nests and "stealing" eggs in order to raise your own monsties. Habitat restoration helps offset this by reintegrating endangered species into their native environment. This is more than a feel-good move, as it actually affects gameplay, eventually causing additional monsters to naturally spawn in the area you reintroduced them to, helping the game world to feel more dynamic and alive.
The storyline is a step up from the previous 2 Stories games. The narrative feels on a more epic scale and introduces more serious, darker tones, as adventurers from 2 warring kingdoms team up to find the source of the blight plaguing their nations. I felt myself becoming more emotionally involved with the story than in previous iterations, and you really want to follow this group of adventurers as they rebel against their respective rulers to restore peace to the land. Despite this high-stakes setting, the game still manages to keep things relatively light-hearted in true Monster Hunter Stories fashion.
All of this takes place in a visually appealing world. The Stories series' vibrant art style is back in full force here, creating some beautiful vistas of sun-soaked lakes and forests. While I feel the characters themselves don't look great, the monsters and environments come across really well and are easy to appreciate. The voice acting of the characters is largely on point, including the English dub!
If I were to draw criticism with Monster Hunter Stories 3, I feel as though the game does force you on linear paths occasionally, which can be frustrating. Certain missions require you to play as a solo party member, but that restriction applies even when you're in free roam at that point in the storyline, so any grinding or side quests you do during that time have to be done solo, making them much harder. Starting characters' side stories, too, puts you into an almost "instanced" part of the game, where you can't continue the main storyline or any quests until you finish that side story. It would have been nicer if they were more seamlessly integrated into the game.
I also encountered an infinite-loading-screen bug. Fortunately, the game autosaves frequently, and not much progress was lost. I also wasn't able to reproduce the bug in the same area again.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 runs well on the Steam Deck, but we do have to make some visual compromises.
As far as controls go, everything is perfect; the game is designed for controllers first. We don't get support for the 1280x800 resolution here, so we have to run 1280x720 with black borders along the top and bottom.
Generally speaking, we run the "High" preset for Monster Hunter Stories 3 and then set a 30 FPS limit using the in-game framerate cap. We also enable AMD FSR Upscaling and set it to Balanced.
Here are the full settings I used for my playthrough. Click the images to enlarge them:
These settings will maintain 30 FPS throughout gameplay, with some stuttering during battle animations and momentary slowdowns in cutscenes when a scene suddenly changes.
Even at the lowest settings with FSR on Balanced, the FPS can drop below 40 on occasion, with the additional stuttering proving irritating for me personally, so I don't recommend lowering the graphics further to try and improve performance. Given the turn-based nature of the game's critical moments, a lower framerate works fine here.
Power draw is around 15W-18W, meaning you should expect about 3 hours of battery life from a Steam Deck OLED and around 2 hours from a Steam Deck LCD. Temperatures were generally around 60-65 °C.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 has some accessibility options. You can enable subtitles for all voiced dialogue, including speaker names, with a background and a larger font if necessary. You can also set the sound to "mono" and disable camera shake.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 keeps the good parts of its predecessors, the solid battle system, the vibrant art style, and the creature collecting, then backs it up with the best storyline in the series yet. This, combined with the new habitat restoration feature and a beautiful new world, makes it my favorite entry into the series yet.
The good news carries through to Steam Deck, where we can get a pretty stable 30 FPS experience with the main compromise being FSR upscaling. It controls well, and the world really pops on the Steam Deck OLED's display.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
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The Outer Worlds 2 was provided by Xbox Game Studios for review. Thank you!
Having not played the original The Outer Worlds game, I wasn't sure what to expect from The Outer Worlds 2, but I would say I was pleasantly surprised. What I ended up finding was a story-based, structured RPG where almost everything has its purpose, except for maybe the copious amounts of loot!
As far as the storyline of The Outer Worlds 2, there's a mix of personal revenge and an overarching plot affecting far more than yourself, although both are intermingled. It's an intriguing, if slightly odd, plot. Some of it felt somewhat contrived, but it does build up nicely, and there are some good set pieces.
The game also does a decent job of giving players some freedom to decide how the storyline progresses, mostly by letting them choose which characters and factions to side with. Although the immediate results aren't too different, the final ending of the game and its various factions will be affected by the choices you make throughout the game, even choices that don't seem particularly critical.
There are 3 main factions in the game, but only 2 are available to side with (or neither), and all 3 are very cult-like in their operations. A sense of loyalty to the factions is a pretty major theme throughout the storyline, and the majority of people you meet will belong to one of the three factions.
When it comes to the actual gameplay, The Outer Worlds 2 does feel pretty decent. The movement feels fine, although vaulting over objects is a little fiddly and seems restrictive at times; you do feel a little stuck to the ground in the game, and I would have liked to feel a bit freer in my movement. The guns feel good to use, though, and even though the enemies do lean on the side of being a bit bullet-spongey, you do still feel somewhat powerful if you have a decent weapon by your side, especially as you lean into automatic weapons later on.
As for the amount of content in the game, there is plenty to sink your teeth into. You have your main quests, which advance the plot, as well as plenty of side quests and companion quests to carry out, which often have an impact on the main quests, such as making them easier to do, so it's to your advantage to explore the world a little and interact with the NPCs.
It's one of the nicer ways I've seen side quests handled in an RPG, to be honest. You don't feel like you're finishing quests just to get experience points. Finishing these quests usually makes something easier later down the line, or will affect the story in a small way at least.
One of my main criticisms of The Outer Worlds 2 is the enemy AI; it's really disappointing in places. Simple things, such as shutting doors or going into another room, seemed to really confuse pursuing AI. They also seemed unable to see through entirely transparent windows; they are treated the same as solid walls for AI detection. which really pulls you out of the game, especially since the game often offers stealth as an option. The systems in place aren't really up to scratch for the game to work as a "Stealth" game.
Beyond the stealth mechanics, the AI sometimes seemed not to know what to do, and some ignored my presence entirely during a fight.
As for the loot in the game, it suffers from the same bloat that Bethesda games suffer from. Some areas just have an abundance of loot that's there for the taking, mostly food products that heal you for about 4-6% of your health. While it's not strictly necessary to loot them, you are going to lose out if you don't. The saving grace here is that at least lootable items are clearly outlined.
Visually, the game does hold up quite well; it's not spectacular; we've seen games look far better than this, but there's almost a stylized quality to the game that helps it along. It does suffer visually at lower settings, though, which is especially noticeable on the Steam Deck.
I also noticed a couple of bugs when playing, such as a character referencing a conversation I was about to have, but hadn't had yet, which was pretty strange. And I presume some of the AI behavior I experienced could also be called a "bug".
The Outer Worlds 2 makes a good first impression on the Steam Deck, defaulting to the native 1280x800 resolution and offering full controller support in all menus and gameplay. The game also runs you through the accessibility options on the first launch, so you can adjust your UI scaling/font sizes to your preference.
When it comes to the graphical settings, The Outer Worlds 2 already has a Steam Deck preset in place. Defaulting the game to the lowest settings, except keeping Shadows on Medium, I would recommend switching this to Low as well.
FSR is left on the "Quality" setting, so while there is some upscaling, it's minor, and we do still get a pretty clear image.
As for performance, the preset is clearly designed to target 30 FPS, so I would recommend using the in-game settings to lock the frame rate to 30 FPS. The SteamOS frame limiter introduces input lag in this game, so don't use it.
You will, however, still get drops below 30 FPS, even as low as 25 FPS in areas like towns where there are NPCs wandering about. In this case, the Steam Deck's CPU is struggling, so no amount of setting adjustments will help. I'd still call the game playable, but it can be a little unpleasant in these busy areas.
As far as power draw goes, expect it to be around 16W-22W, but mostly leaning on the upper side, meaning you'll be getting around 2.5 hours of battery life on a Steam Deck OLED and around 1.5 hours on a Steam Deck LCD. Temperatures were in the 70 °C - 75 °C range.
The Outer Worlds 2 has some good accessibility options. Of most note to Steam Deck users is the various UI scaling options. You can independently scale UI elements like the HUD and subtitles, and add an opaque background to subtitles to make them easier to read, ensuring text is legible on the device.
There are also other accessibility options, such as disabling camera swaying, enabling motion sickness mitigation, and adjusting aim assist. Plus, there is a "story" difficulty mode to make combat easier.
The Outer Worlds 2 is a solid game, if a little rough around the edges in places. I would classify this as a "Bethesda-lite" game. It has less content and a smaller world than, say, the Fallout games, but if you're after a more structured, story-based game, then The Outer Worlds 2 does a good job of being a first-person shooter RPG.
As for Steam Deck performance, it's a bit disappointing; holding 30 FPS just isn't realistic. On the plus side, most areas where you drop below 30 FPS are not combat ones, so I would still call the game playable.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.
FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time was provided by LEVEL5 for review. Thank you!
The Life/Farming Sim genre has been pretty active over the past 10 years, likely as a result of Stardew Valley revitalizing the genre, especially for indie developers. But LEVEL5 has brought something a little different to the table with FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and it's a welcome change from the usual state of affairs.
Don't get me wrong, I love life sims like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and Rune Factory. But FANTASY LIFE i takes a different approach to these games. In a reversal of the status quo, FANTASY LIFE i puts the story at the center of the game, with life-sim elements revolving around it. In fact, if you want to, you can pretty much just focus on the storyline, completing quests, and progressing through the world at quite a pace, but that's not really how the game is designed to be played.
You can easily branch off from the main quest line and take on a wide range of side quests, or just explore the world and level up your various "Lives", which are the professions you can choose from in the game, ranging from a chef to a miner, and various combat roles too. You can change these on the fly once you have obtained the license for each one, which opens up the ability to perform various tasks. Each Life is leveled up separately and has its own skill tree, so progressing along the skill trees and leveling up each Life is really where a lot of your time will be spent.
If that isn't your cup of tea, then the main questline doesn't really require you to do any grinding. In fact, the game is surprisingly short. If you don't go for any side content, like optional quests or decorating your own island (more on that later), you could complete the main storyline in less than 10 hours. There are a couple of "hiccups" where you'll need to find additional friends to live on your island with you, and you'll need at least basic skills in each of the "Lives", but other than that, you can pretty much do quest after quest to progress the story.
While combat isn't really a focus of the game, there is a decent amount of it, and the mechanics in place work well enough, even if they are a bit basic. You have the ability to dodge, light attack, heavy attack, and, if you have a shield, block attacks too. Difficulty is on the easier side, although some bosses do put up a fair fight. Again, grinding usually isn't a requirement unless you're going for 100% completion, just make sure you have the right equipment and some buddies to fight alongside.
As for the story itself, as you might imagine, given the game's full title, it revolves heavily around time-traveling and time manipulation. There's not so much in the way of twists in this story; the antagonists and protagonists are revealed almost as soon as they appear, and while there are some interesting premises, there's nothing that really sets the game apart in terms of its storyline.
Shortly into the story, you'll be introduced to an island, which eventually becomes your "Home Base". A place where you can build houses, decorate your village, and gain villagers by saving them from the dark energy used by the antagonists.
This village represents a fairly significant portion of the "side content" in the game, and you'll be able to do things like accept requests from your villagers for certain items in exchange for rewards, complete guild activities to unlock more decorations, and expand your island further. It's reasonably fleshed out, and the customization, I would say, is similar to that of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, although the personalities of each villager are much less detailed and interesting.
Really, it's all about what you're buying FANTASY LIFE i for. It does have a storyline, and that's a nice rarity in the game like this, but it's not an especially deep one, and if you focus on it, you'll be done in no time. It has a fair amount of side content, but much of it revolves around grinding experience points and doing various tasks like mining, cooking, and fishing.
It lacks the close personal relationships you can build in something like Stardew Valley, as well as the fun daily systems in place in games like Animal Crossing. But you can still have plenty of fun with leveling up your jobs to get new gear and leveling up your island to get more villagers and new decorations, which is what you will spend most of your time doing, so if that does sound appealing, then FANTASY LIFE i is worth your attention.
FANTASY LIFE i is a great game to play on the Steam Deck; it has good controller support for both menus and gameplay, the game actively mentions supporting Remote Play Together for the simple co-op mode, and it has the graphics automatically configured for the Steam Deck.
The graphics preset generally falls around "Medium" settings, and targets 60 FPS, which it reaches almost 100% of the time, with the odd dip into the high 50s here and there, but not enough for me to suggest changing the settings, so leave them as-is.
Power draw does vary according to your location, but it is generally around 14-18W, so it's not too intensive on the battery. You should expect around 3.5 hours on a Steam Deck OLED and around 2-2.5 hours on a Steam Deck LCD. Temperatures were in the 65 °C - 70 °C range.
FANTASY LIFE i has limited accessibility options. All dialogue is subtitled, even voiced lines. You can enable auto-targeting of enemies when you draw a weapon, and controls are rebindable.
FANTASY LIFE i definitely has its good points. It has a decent storyline, albeit a short one, and it has plenty of side content in the form of levelling up your "lives" and enhancing your island, but it caters towards players who enjoy that grind. If that doesn't describe you, then this game might not be for you.
As for Steam Deck support, you can't really fault FANTASY LIFE i. Great controller support and a graphics preset already in place for the device mean that you can't really ask for more in terms of how well it runs on the Steam Deck.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.
Digimon Story Time Stranger was provided by Bandai Namco for review. Thank you!
Digimon Story Time Stranger has been long-awaited and highly anticipated. At least by myself! With the last Digimon Story game (Cyber Sleuth) launching way back in 2016 for Western audiences, it's been a hot minute since we've had an entry in the series. But now Digimon Story Time Stranger is here. Was it worth the wait?
Digimon Story Time Stranger begins with a short prologue, which sets the scene for the game. After a catastrophic event causes global chaos, you are thrown back 8 years into the past. Curiously, as an agent of a secret organization, you still have contact with your handler in the future, and you must work together, along with new friends, both human and Digimon, in order to prevent the same events leading up to the future disaster.
The story is a little on the generic side, but Digimon at least sets the stakes high, and unlike Pokémon, it is prepared to go for a less happy-go-lucky outlook on the world, which really does help when facing world-ending situations. That being said, Digimon Story Time Stranger is still a cheerful and light-hearted time, for the most part. And to my chagrin, we still have a silent protagonist, which I always think hurts story-focused games like this one. There's also no branching narrative. You can ask questions at various points to get additional lore, but usually only one choice advances the narrative.
The combat system should be instantly familiar to players of previous Digimon Story games and JRPG fans in general. While there are a couple of new mechanics, such as gaining "CP" to use Cross Arts periodically in battle, which can give powerful attacks or buffs, the general combat is pretty basic. You have your "types" of attack, which will have different strengths and weaknesses, as well as your basic attack and skills. Nothing revolutionary here, but I wasn't really expecting there to be. Don't fix what isn't broken, I guess?
One thing that is refreshing in this genre, though, is that everything is fast. There's sprinting in the open world, which makes you move at quite a pace, and in battles, you can speed up animations by up to 5x. I know a lot of recent JRPG remasters are putting these quality-of-life features in, but I'm glad to see it here, too. By combining the animation speed-up with the auto-battling feature, non-crucial battles can be started and finished in about 5 seconds, which is great for grinding or when a Digimon that you were trying to avoid still catches you.
To speed things up even more, you can quickly throw your Digimon at another on the open field to do an initial attack, which skips the battle if the Digimon is especially weak compared to yours. These are great quality-of-life features, and for someone like me who hates constant encounters, they help to minimize the annoyance.
We're also treated to a few difficulty options here, ranging from Story to Hard. Story difficulty pretty much lets you "auto" any battle, except the boss battles, where you may want to take control yourself to choose the most effective attacks. Hard mode is an actual challenge, and you will want to familiarize yourself with your Digimon and their moves in order to win battles.
Visually, Digimon Story Time Stranger sticks close to its anime styling; the graphics are not the best I've seen, especially given that the performance of the game doesn't seem to match its somewhat basic visuals, but it does do the job. The environments can get a bit repetitive, though. The developers definitely want to make use of the environments and assets they created. Also, some of the "digital world" dungeons are quite psychedelic in nature, with moving backgrounds and warping textures, which did cause me to feel ill occasionally.
As for the sound, I played with the English dub, and thankfully, the English voices are tolerable. We do still have a silent protagonist, but the characters around you are voiced fairly naturally, and the writing steers away from being cringey. Battle sound effects are quite repetitive, especially if you increase the animation speed; you'll hear the same sound effect play very frequently.
On the other hand, the music is a plus point, with a nice mixture to it, ranging from melancholic to tense, depending on the current vibe of the story, and it really helps to bring some emotion into certain scenes. It's a shame that there's a juxtaposition between the quality of the soundtrack and that of the battle sound effects.
Digimon Story Time Stranger does have great controller support, with it being the recommended way to play the game. It also supports the 16:10 aspect ratio of the Steam Deck, meaning we can play at 1280x800 resolution and have no black borders.
As for performance, it's perfectly adequate, although not as good as I'd hope. We're best off selecting the Medium preset, then bumping the Texture Quality to High, and aiming for a 40 FPS target with the SteamOS frame limiter.
At these settings, the game runs at 40 FPS in the majority of play, but there are occasions, either in very busy urban areas (especially in the Digital World) or areas with dense foliage, where we can see dips towards 30 FPS, and very rarely into the 20s.
You can also lower Character Density to "Low" if you wish, which may provide slight performance boosts in urban areas; you will still get drops, though.
The power draw is usually around 12W-16W, but can spike up to 21W in intensive areas. Temperatures are around 55C-65C, but can reach 70C in intensive areas. You can expect a battery life of around 3-3.5 hours from a Steam Deck OLED and around 2-2.5 hours from a Steam Deck LCD.
Digimon Story Time Stranger does have rebindable keys, as well as all dialogue being subtitled. It also has support for cloud saves. There is a "story" difficulty mode, which makes battles significantly easier. Plus, if you repeatedly fail a battle, you can enable "invincible mode" for that battle, which essentially means you cannot lose.
Digimon Story Time Stranger ties a decent story with solid gameplay, backed up by familiar mechanics, meaning if you were a fan of Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth, you'll be safe with this one; it's more of the same, and that's not a bad thing in my book. If you weren't too keen on previous Digimon games, though, this one won't change your mind.
Performance on Steam Deck isn't as good as I'd hope, given how the game looks visually, but you can still get a smooth and decent-looking experience, plus the good control scheme and 16:10 aspect ratio support are great bonuses.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.
The Knightling was provided by Saber Interactive for review. Thank you!
In a time when everything is about survival crafters, roguelikes, or huge open-world sandboxes, it can be nice to go back to the late 1990s, when more focused action-adventure platformers were king. The Knightling really feels like a bridge between the classic 90s formula and a more modern take on the format.
The Knightling puts you in control of, well, the Knightling. The game's prologue places you on an adventure with your mentor, Sir Lionstone, who abruptly goes missing. Now you must step into his shoes with his trusty (and possibly sentient) shield at your hand to help the residents of Clesseia and find out what has happened to Sir Lionstone himself!
The Knightling ticks all the boxes for a fun adventure, with light-hearted dialogue, plenty of puzzles, a decent combat system, and a weird sense of nostalgia. While the game is an open world, it isn't massive. It's more of a similar scale to 1990s platformers, but if all the levels were interconnected, instead of separated by loading screens. There are plenty of side quests, but there isn't an overwhelming checklist of things to do like in a Ubisoft game or a large-scale RPG.
That being said, the game has some Ubisoft-like elements, such as finding "Cartographer Lookouts" to unveil the map. But it's on a smaller scale than your average open-world game, and doesn't feel like a laborious checklist of things to do. In a way, it reminds me a lot of a Legend of Zelda experience.
While there is this main questline to pursue, the game is non-linear, so you can head off and explore, or, as I mentioned, do the plentiful sidequests to help the residents of Clesseia with their day-to-day problems if you want a break from the storyline.
The brightly colored, saturated world and cartoon-style enemies all add to the game's light-hearted aesthetic. None of the dialogue is voiced, but it does aim to be humorous and carefree and pulls it off without being cringe-inducing. You just might hear the city residents complain about kids a lot; no one seems to like children here.
The combat, however, is a little more on the difficult side, which is why I wouldn't say this game is designed for "kids". While not a "souls-like" game, The Knightling heavily features parrying and dodging mechanics, and you will need to learn them to succeed. Some enemies take almost no damage unless their stamina is depleted, and the best way to do that is through successive hits and parrying.
It's not as enjoyable as most soulslike games, but there is a degree of satisfaction when you face an enemy, pull off multiple parries, and whittle that health bar down with combos.
The upgrade system is fairly simple, and there aren't many upgrades, but it does aid the sense of progression. You can earn many upgrades simply by exploring the map, rather than having them locked behind storyline progression. It is great for someone like me who enjoys exploring over just barreling through a storyline.
I encountered a couple of issues during my time with The Knightling. Unfortunately, both of them were quite frustrating. One was a tooltip that stuck on my screen forever, even when exiting and restarting the game, preventing other, more relevant tooltips from appearing, making it difficult to know how to proceed. Secondly, some objectives are just overly vague, or in some cases, don't spawn the required NPCs. The game gives you a task, leaving you with little information on how to accomplish that task. This wasn't helped by the aforementioned issue of being unable to learn new gameplay mechanics due to the bugged tooltip.
The Knightling has great controller support and supports 16:10 resolutions, so we get a nice full screen with no black borders. The game even has UI scaling that can go up to 125%, which I recommend for the Steam Deck, as some text becomes difficult to read at 100%.
Unfortunately, performance is a bit of an issue with The Knightling, and oddly enough, the game is CPU-bound rather than GPU-bound. This does have the advantage of us being able to bump up the graphical settings a little and having some nice shadows and textures, but depending on the area, we can struggle to maintain 30 FPS. You can see the exact settings I used in the images below; you can click to enlarge them.
Using these settings, in combat areas and the vast majority of the game, we can maintain 30 FPS and have a playable experience, even if we do drop frames here and there with some stutters. The town area taxes the CPU quite a lot, so expect some drops to the mid-20s in that area.
The power draw of the game varies a lot depending on the area, with around 18-20W in the city, about 15-17W in rural areas, and as low as 10-12W when in dungeons. I would estimate battery life at around 3-3.5 hours on a Steam Deck OLED and around 2-2.5 hours on an LCD model. Temperatures were around 70C-80C outside, dropping below 70C in dungeons.
The Knightling does have difficulty options and the option to make the player character immortal. UI scaling affects all UI, including subtitles/dialogue.
The Knightling is a game that fills me with nostalgia for the platforms and adventure games of the 1990s. It's got some rough edges here and there, but despite those issues, it's a really good time. The movement and combat feel nice and smooth, there's a decent amount of content, and the world is interesting. It's a game to check out if you enjoy platformers and feel nostalgia about the good ol' days. It's possibly the closest I've seen to a 3D Zelda game on PC.
Steam Deck performance is a little disappointing; the inability to hold a constant 30 FPS is a shame, especially when it feels like the main reason you can't is because of non-essential background NPCs and their pathfinding. However, in most combat areas and away from the city, the game tends to hold at 30 FPS, making it a playable experience.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.
Wheel World was provided by Annapurna Interactive for review. Thank you!
Cycling games are pretty few and far between, while you've got more "sporty" games like The Descenders, Wheel World instead focuses its aim on more traditional cycling, with a few twists, of course.
In Wheel World, you take on the role of Kat, who, along with a spirit in the form of a skull, must embark on a quest to upgrade a rusty bike into a "legendary" one. But to get there, Kat must earn enough reputation and upgrade their bike to take on increasingly experienced cyclists in races. Thus begins Wheel World's gameplay loop.
It's not a long game, and you can fully play through the "story" in just a few short hours. You can explore the map to find free parts, complete optional challenges to earn "coupons" which you can spend on buying parts, and then upgrade your bike's stats so you can take on races, which, would you believe it, gives you more parts!
Wheel World is all about upgrading your bike, and not everything is a straight upgrade, either. You might get a new frame that increases your "power" but lowers your handling. More power is great for rural racing, where top speed is the key, but if you're racing in the city, you'll want something that can handle those tight turns, so modifying your bike between races is key to success.
You are constantly upgrading and refitting parts on your bike in Wheel World, which is a great feeling for a while, but it does begin to wear thin. So it's probably a good thing that, as I said at the beginning, the game is shorter. Sure, you will be doing races, some planned, others impromptu, with cyclists you find out on the streets, but there isn't a lot of variety in the game.
The whole time you are playing Wheel World, you are working towards your goal; there isn't much "side content" to go at here, besides some basic challenges you're likely to complete when just playing through the races anyway. Even the leaderboards for the game appear to only work with Steam friends, not globally, and there is no multiplayer component, so the replayability value is close to zero once you've played through the game.
Fortunately, the riding mechanics themselves are simple and feel good, with just an accelerate and brake button, alongside the ability to boost and bunny hop. Beyond that, it's down to player skill and choosing the right bike parts to win your races. You must pay attention to get around these courses, and for the few hours the game lasts, it is a good time.
Visually, the game is quite striking, with a pretty unique art style that works well, although it leans on the basics. There isn't much sound in the game, but it does capture the sound of cycling, allowing you to hear the sound of your tyres on various terrains. This brings back some childhood memories of when I used to cycle often. The music also gives an almost retro 1980s vibe to the game.
I encountered some issues in the game, however. A couple of times when racing, my bike sort of "fused" with another racer's bike, resulting in us being stuck together and unable to continue the race properly. I also had some weird physics reactions to hitting certain objects in the game, such as being thrown up in the air when hitting a wall once.
Wheel World isn't a full priced title, so it's up to you whether you're prepared to pay the price for what is realistically going to be little more than 5 hours of playtime, and you're unlikely ever to go back and play this one again, but the 5 hours you do have will be a pretty fun time.
Wheel World supports 1280x800 resolution and is perfect for playing on a controller, so we don't have any concerns there.
Performance is a bit more troublesome. The game seems to be pretty CPU-intensive, which harms its performance on the Steam Deck; therefore, we should limit the FPS to 30 using the in-game Framerate Limit option.
Because the issue is CPU-based, lowering graphical settings doesn't offer much benefit, so I recommend that you play the game at Medium. Check the image below for the exact options I used.
With these settings, most of the game will run at 30 FPS; however, the big city on the map will get frame drops, particularly during races. Expect frequent drops into the mid-20s during city races, occasionally stuttering down to around 20 FPS. The game is still playable, but you might have a harder time while racing in the city.
Power draw for the most part is about 12-16W, but can go up to 19W in intense situations. Temperatures are around 55-60 °C. You should expect to get around 3.5 hours of battery life from a Steam Deck OLED and around 2.5 hours from a Steam Deck LCD.
Wheel World has no accessibility options. No dialogue is subtitled.
Wheel World is a fun time, but it might have been the framework for something grander. It's a solid foundation, and ultimately, it will be down to each player to decide how much the game is worth, but at the MSRP of $20, it falls right between the line where I would have to seriously consider whether or not the 5-hour playtime justifies the price tag.
As for Steam Deck support, Wheel World isn't the best. It's playable, but performance issues have plagued the game since early playtests and still do, so don't expect to maintain 30 FPS the entire time, no matter what settings you try.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
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Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition was provided by Aspyr Media for review. Thank you!
Neverwinter Nights is an old D&D classic. It was always a name thrown around when I was young, being touted as the best RPG, with co-op support to boot. We've had Neverwinter Nights Enhanced, now it's time for its 2006 sequel to receive its Enhanced Edition. So, does Neverwinter Nights 2 Enhanced Edition bring the game to 2025 standards?
"Enhanced" is the best way to describe this version of the game. We have some mildly improved graphics, although it still does feel like a fantasy RPG from the 00s. At first glance, someone not well-versed in RPGs could mistake this for World of Warcraft Classic. We also have controller support, along with some UI changes, including a reworked UI for those playing on controller instead of keyboard and mouse.
While the visuals are slightly enhanced, many of the core gameplay elements remain untouched. This might be expected, seeing as Neverwinter Nights 2 is based on the D&D 3.5 Ruleset, so any changes to how the game plays would have to be minimal.
That being said, the gameplay is enjoyable when it works. You have many classes, skills, feats, and spells to choose from; there's no end to the builds you could develop in subsequent playthroughs. The game even has that nice CRPG depth in places, where you will get different dialogue depending on your chosen race, for example.
The storyline of the main campaign isn't anything too crazy, largely focusing on the player character being a sort of "chosen one", with intrigue being built as you play as to who your adversaries are and what they want. It's helped by the fact that the game does have a lot of voice acting, especially for a game of its time. While some dialogue is text-based, much is voiced, especially any story-related dialogue.
There are plenty of things to do beyond the main storyline, though. Almost every location you meet will have at least a couple of quests associated with it, and if you are getting tired of blazing through the story, you can easily go to the World Map and head back to previous locations and tidy up all the side quests you've picked up. Plus, there are four campaigns included in the game, besides the main storyline.
There's also no need to gradually traverse back to do quests; you can fast travel anywhere as long as you are at a fast travel point. Perhaps not realistic, but definitely appreciated by me.
Combat can get a little frenetic, ironically enough. The game isn't turn-based, and instead uses a real-time hybrid system, a bit like the Knights of the Old Republic games. Unfortunately, I found Neverwinter Nights 2 more cumbersome than Knights of the Old Republic. Switching party members requires you to press RT and then scroll down a list to select which one, instead of a quick button press to tab to the next party member, which I feel would be faster and much more conducive to micro-management.
The amount of spells you have available can also be overwhelming, given the real-time nature of the game. You'll likely be pausing frequently during combat if you aren't familiar with the game. Going through the hotbar menus and trying to discern what each spell does (there are no detailed tooltips for your hotbar) can waste valuable time while enemies hammer your party.
The difficulty is a mixed bag, and it probably depends on the class you start with. I began with a Druid, which is usually a more difficult class due to their vulnerability, and I found the game pretty brutal. On the "Normal" difficulty setting, my party wiped several times. Enemies can easily overwhelm you, and if you're a class that isn't very "tanky", you might struggle at first until you get some better skills.
There is an "Easy" difficulty option, which weights the dice rolls in your favor, and if you are finding the game as frustrating as I was, you might want to switch to that. There are also harder difficulties if you are feeling particularly sadistic.
However, I noticed a couple of issues when playing. Collisions seem somewhat temperamental, walking close by certain walls or characters causes your player to sort of "glue" to them, meaning you have to back away to keep moving.
Your AI party members also seem to struggle with pathfinding. When entering a battle, your AI party members seem to aggro onto every enemy in the vicinity, even going so far as opening doors to adjacent rooms to fight new groups of enemies. This makes combat needlessly difficult, and I found myself fighting 15 enemies instead of 5 because my AI party was aggroing every enemy they could find.
Occasionally, they stood by while I was fighting and refused to engage the enemy until I manually took control and ordered them to fight. Unfortunately, these issues happen often enough that they have caused several party wipes for me and greatly impacted my enjoyment of the game.
Speaking of Party Wipes, they're pretty brutal in the game. If you do wipe, you have to restart from your last saved game, and the game only autosaves when you go between points on the world map, so you can lose an absolute ton of progress if you aren't regularly manually saving the game. It's pretty frustrating, to say the least.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition runs pretty well on the Steam Deck. The controller support is great, which was my main concern, and the game does support the Steam Deck's 1280x800 resolution.
Performance-wise, it's pretty decent, too. We can't quite manage 60 FPS on the highest settings, but we can manage 40 FPS, which is fine for this kind of game. We also get all the graphical niceties, which is how I would recommend you play the game.
If you want to run at a locked 60 FPS with less power draw, you can lower Shadow Options to Medium, which removes dynamic shadows (such as on characters) but uses much less power.
With these settings, the game stayed at a locked 40 FPS throughout most of the game, even during large battles with 15-20 participants and many particle effects. One exception is at certain times of day (sunrise and sunset) in areas with lots of grass. The High Shadow setting, which adds dynamic shadows, does cause some drops into the 30s, but it's a small portion of the game that is affected.
The power draw varies depending on your area and situation, but generally stays around 8-12W, with spikes up to 15 - 16W in busy exterior areas; interiors stay towards the lower end of the range. Temperatures were around 55 - 60 °C. You can expect battery life to last around 4.5 - 5 hours on the Steam Deck OLED and around 3.5 - 4 hours on the Steam Deck LCD model.
Accessibility in Neverwinter Nights 2 Enhanced Edition takes the form of difficulty options and a "Level of Violence" setting, which adjusts the amount of blood shown in combat from none at all to exaggerated. All dialogue is subtitled.
Neverwinter Nights 2 Enhanced Edition certainly improves on some aspects of the game's original version, bringing slightly improved visuals, controller support, and some reworked UI. However, some technical and quality-of-life issues with the game stand out like sore thumbs and really damaged the experience for me. Hopefully, these can be resolved with patches, but now, Neverwinter Nights 2 Enhanced Edition might best be experienced by those nostalgic for the game.
As for Steam Deck performance, it's solid. The game runs and controls well, is perfectly playable from start to finish, and has decent battery life.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.
