Reviews - blobyblue

I am going to give it a 10 because I am a huge fan of the concept of what they are trying to bring to life. That being said, it needs some SERIOUS work. I'll just list a bunch of positives and negatives, not in any specific prioritized order.

What's Good:
1. The maps are huge and have different landscapes and structure from the base game; level design is very good.
2. The IDEA of a new storyline(though it was poorly executed).
3. Meeting with Strelok's group; it gives a nice interactive backstory feel.
4. References to the movie give it a very deep meaningful feel, like the game is only a small part in The Zone's existence.
5. Bigger maps means more POTENTIAL for NPC bases and more lore about The Zone.
6. dx10 and dx9 lighting are beautiful. especially on a foggy, sunny morning.
7. Vehicles and trunks are awesome, but some vehicles need handling characteristics changed.
8. Upgrades are a welcome addition, but it seems to be so glitched as of patch 1.3003 that some "upgrades" make your weapon have worse characteristics.
9. First and third person mode quick switches are awesome. Third person makes it feel like you are playing a completely different game
10. The new .44 revolvers are fun.
11. I like that there are artifacts laying around as opposed to only noticeable with a detector. Also, the fact that they are hard to see during the day but easily spotted at night gives reason for night exploration.
12. Sleeping is a good addition, though you should be able to do it anytime regardless of how tired you are.

What Needs Work:
1. (one of the most important)The storyline should be completely changed; The Zone is supposed to be above human abilities, more mysterious and surreal than anything anyone could imagine. This theme dates back all the way to the book/movie that the game is based on. Lost Alpha's story, without giving spoilers, is quite the opposite, and disappointingly so.
2. Bad Voice acting; I know this costs money, and I am happy to donate, but the abysmal voice acting contributed to the story being so bad.
3. Maps need more life; the maps are enormous, but it would be great if there were a bunch of NPC bases similar to the ONE that is found in Forest. I save right before I kill off a group of human enemies and then reload like it never happened because I know there is such a limited amount of life in Lost Alpha.
4. The game needs more Lore. Stalkers that you talk to could reference legendary stalkers, or dangerous areas or mutant dens in conversation more often, or tell folklore or legends of things happening in the Zone. These conversations can be hints as to where the stalker can travel in the zone to uncover the truth. Even altering the descriptions of suits and weapons would help this. Or maybe adding cool unique weapons with an interesting backstory.
5. More new weapons would be nice. (not really a priority, I know this isn't an arsenal mod)
6. Weapon sounds are pretty terrible. Gunshot sound contributes big time to gun feel. I modded a few weapon sounds and there was a significant improvement in "satisfaction" of firing the gun.
7. Weapon sway while using iron sights is glitched; if you are sprinting then immediately crouch and aim, the sway is massive, as if you are still sprinting. Then if you unaim then aim again sway is as it should be.
8. Third Person aiming is glitched; when right clicking to aim in third person view the gun isn't as accurate as when you aim in first person view.
9. Knife doesn't work in third person view.
10. The combat AI is incredibly inconsistent. Sometimes enemies are smart and will use cover or try to sneak up on you, and sometimes they just stand there as their friends are dying by being shot with guns without a silencer.
11. Weather system is broken. It ALWAYS rains around 12:30-15:30. There should be an option to choose what weather you want at any given time.
12. That ending... oh god why.

I think the reason people are so disappointed in the game is that Dezowave is acting like it is finished when it clearly is still a work in progress. Dezowave needs to accept that it is still in development, and work on it like they have people waiting for the final product. I am patiently awaiting the day they complete it. And we should all support them every step of the way by leaving constructive reviews, and not just rating it 1 star and saying "this game sux!!!1!".