It's a regular turn-based RPG format but with cutesy internet cat-type characters. the abilities and combat are interesting, but a lot of how movement controls work and menunavigation works could use some QOL improvements. The bosses are also mostly a drag, taking very long to just chip away at bit by bit. I abandoned because the game glitched and froze when i was getting close to 50% of the way through a very difficult boss in the construction area. when I reloaded (autosaves made it not too bad), RNG was quite unkind to me and I couldn't get anywhere near to what I did that first time. I don't find needing to go back and grind to be an enjoyable experience, so that was all I was willing to do for this.

Third GOTM finished for April 2024. Does it show its age as an early 3D game from the 90's going back to it now? Absolutely. Is it still one of the most incredible, influential games ever made? Absolutely. The Ship of Harkinian port made this one feel like I remember playing it as a kid, with the improvements really heightening my experience revisiting this one. Hard to say much about arguably one of the most talked about games to ever exist, but I had an absolute blast revisiting my childhood in the world of Hyrule!

I mean what's there to say? It's one of the most revered VNs of all time and there's good reason for that. For most people I think the answer arcs are gonna deliver on an insane setup. It's better paced than the first half, too. Gone is sitting through 2 hours of increasingly unfunny club activities and instead we actually get to know the characters and their struggles.
6 and 7 are the obvious peaks, I absolutely loved 7 from beginning to end. 8 feels a little anticlimactic with how the last conflict just slowly peters out rather than a big bang of an end, but I guess that's warranted given the themes it's going for. The only thing keeping this from a 10 is it's very very hard to sympathize with a certain character after what happens in episode 7 so some of what happens in 8 feels a little hollow, but that could be just a me thing.
Still, this is the best game I've played all year. There's not a shred of gameplay in this entire 50+ hour VN and I stuck through to the end because it's just fantastically written. Excited to read Umineko but I think I need a ryukishi07 tolerance break after I play Rei and Hou+ before I dive into another mammoth VN.

This game was absolutely unhinged and insane in the best ways possible. They built upon the bare bones turn based combat of the previous game and turned it into something more engaging with the ability to move and combo off of your teammates more. The new classes are all a blast to use as well. Oh and the side content. There is an INSANE amount of stuff to get sidetracked and do; you can be a Door Dash Demon, a trainer who captures other humans and puts them against battle with other trainers, or you can literally just play Animal Crossing. That’s only the major side content that’s offered. It’s just such a massive upgrade in terms of gameplay.

My main criticisms lie in the writing for this game. It feels as if RGG Studio has wrote themselves in a weird limbo where they can’t quite seem to move on from Kiryu, but still want Ichiban as the MC moving forward. Also who would’ve seen the plot twist coming? (That was a sarcastic question)

Overall it’s a great game and it is definitely worth playing as a Yakuza fan, just don’t expect the story to be on par with the previous games.

Fantastic world, gameplay, and story. Voice acting is incredible and I love all of the characters. Extremely fleshed out lore and the vibe is on point. Feels like it kinda wanted to be a movie sometimes, but low-key I was engaged the whole time in both gameplay and plot. Loses a little bit of steam at the end and becomes a little too "JRPG" for a pretty grounded game, but meh I think it wouldn't be FF without that. The side quests however completely kill all plot momentum and I wish the game was just set piece to set piece. Overall really great and an extctiting look at what a FF XVII may look like if Square takes what they have learned from this, FF XVI and Rebirth. Probably will be one of the best mainline games.

When 'comfort food' turns into 'fast food': quickly consumed, quickly forgotten. When you've put in the effort to play through Mario's 3D series from the beginning, one can't help but feel disappointed, especially when considering Super Mario 3D World as a follow-up to Super Mario Galaxy: the game feels quite conventional both in its physics, its movement possibilities, and its level design.

I'd almost venture to say it's more of a Mario 2.5D, given how the camera remains predominantly fixed (sometimes offering a choice of 3 viewing angles, and that's it). I can't quite find the words, but it feels like a detachment from the character, creating less immersion.

It also seems like the first game where Nintendo is recycling ideas rather than introducing new ones. Aside from the multiplayer mode (which I haven't tried) and the integration of the Wiiverse (RIP), the game revisits worlds and themes that are overly familiar. It appears to rely on gimmicks rather than innovative ideas. The cat suit is a prime example: it's amusing, it looks nice on the game cover, but in reality, it detracts from the gameplay because it's too overpowered. You end up wanting to have it all the time, which is a shame for other power-ups.

Regarding bosses, even though I know it's not Mario's strong suit, the simplification here seems somewhat absurd. In fact, it feels like the game almost abandons the concept of bosses altogether, turning the Bowser cat phase (final boss) into essentially a platforming segment. They didn't even try.

Now, it's evident that this game has clear strengths, particularly in its accessibility (it could be the ideal first Mario game), its vibrant graphics, and its music. It's from the perspective of considering Super Mario 3D World as a sequel to Mario Galaxy (Super Mario Gravity, I'm counting on you) that I was disappointed.