The story has always been weak,
And the writing's easy to critique,
But the gameplay is king,
And Gemdrop's big swing,
turns this classic into something chic.

One of the most content-packed games that I have ever played, I have still not gotten sick of it yet. Incredibly impressive attention to detail and full voice acting literally everywhere arouses my loser ass that cannot read attentively. I want Karlach to ignite my balls. I haven't been so genuinely engrossed in a game's plot or characters in forever and it feeds the little man in my brain who yearns for bedtime stories. My only complaint is streaks of personal bad luck except that contributes to comical failures that end up being fun regardless.

I finished my first playthrough with 150 hours and I am already planning for my 2nd and 3rd playthroughs.

One of the most fundamentally satisfying combinations of gameplay loops make this feel so effortlessly solid just from reading the basic description that you hunt fish in a tiny roguelite loop during the day to sell them in your sushi restaurant at night. That is a perfect premise already. The presentation, music and steady supply of new systems, upgrades and tons of little gameplay twists and flourishes then elevate this to greatness and most remarkably keep a consistent fresh pacing over the almost 30 hours it unexpectedly took me to complete this, never running out of steam. It struck a similar nerve for me as Cult of the Lamb last year which I was just as hopelessly addicted to, so beware, Dave the Diver will leech your time and you won't even notice it.

I have had mixed feelings on this game ever since I began playing it. On paper, this is a game I would love, a revenge story focusing on two brothers in a medieval dark fantasy world with the gameplay of a character action game and rpg progression, its like it was made for me.

However the longer I played the game the less I began to like it, I found little things that bugged me, I found I was rarely if ever invested in the seemingly never ending flood of cutscenes, the rpg elements seemed almost non-existent, and the combat revealed itself to be more shallow than I originally thought. I realized this is a game of breathtaking highs and mind numbing lows. I started to dread playing the game as the lows seemed to consume the highs for hours at a time until we come to this point now where I'm writing this review and the things that stick out in my mind about this game after finishing it are the numerous problems I had with it rather than the stunning highlights.

I'll go over what I liked first. The visuals and overall presentation are stunning, I had minor performance issues but I can excuse them when the game looks this good. I found the first probably 40% of the story to be very engaging and exciting. This section focus almost entirely on the protagonist Clive and his personal arc. This section feels like it should have been the entire game and ended much too early in my opinion. I constantly wanted to see what would happen next and I was looking forward to learning more about the characters and the world. The combat looks and feels good even if it doesn't have much depth. I really liked some of the characters and I thought Clive was particularly good. Along with the last point I thought all the performances were great, I played in English and it felt like everyone brought their A-game. And finally, the boss fights and set pieces are some of the best I have ever experienced in a game and were fun enough to keep me playing through the second half of the game. That is where the positives end for me, however, the things this game does well are done to near perfection and make me hesitant to straight up say I disliked the game.

Onto what I disliked. The second half of this game was a genuine slog to get through. The story goes from being personal revenge narrative that is hyper-focused on a single character and their struggle into a very generic jrpg plot with an attempted political drama backdrop. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, but the politics fell flat for me once I realized that there are very few differences between the political factions, they all want the same things, and they almost never collide with each other leaving me to question the heavy focus the story gives this section with one exception which I won't spoil. Without interesting politics all that's left is the aforementioned generic jrpg plot which also feels underdeveloped, neither the characters nor the world itself react or change because of the massive events that take place in the set pieces, which makes the story feel stagnant in my opinion.

I've gone back and forth on how I feel about the combat, but as of right now while writing this I can't say I think the combat in this game is good. They did away with almost all traditional rpg aspects including a controllable party, turned-based combat, elemental weaknesses, and even ability selection from the past two real-time Final Fantasy games for something more closely resembling a character action game. I don't mind the change on paper, Devil May Cry is one of my favorite franchises, I love games like Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising and a big part of that are the easy-to-learn-hard-to-master combat systems those games have. Unfortunately the game doesn't really commit to either style of gameplay. There are loose rpg elements although I'd argue they are too simple to really think about in most cases, equipment is just stat increases, and the skills mostly come down to if you want single-target or AOE damage. This would be fine if the character action side was polished enough to stand with the best of 'em, but its not. There are no combo extension tools, air mobility, stylish combos (or more than one combo in general), or even multiple weapons/stances. The main thing feature it brings are the Eikon abilities which each give Clive one unique ability to use in combat along with it's skills which as mentioned before, mostly boil down to simple damage. These abilities are pretty cool and some of them are incredibly useful even if a good number of them feel kind of same-y. However, because you can only equip 3 at a time, I gravitated towards the 3 I thought were best and never changed them, I also don't see myself changing them at all if I ever replay the game because the abilities are either clearly inferior to others, or they don't change the gameplay enough to warrant using over something else. The combat simply doesn't have the depth or replayability of the average character action game. This leaves the combat feeling that of an action rpg, but the rpg elements are missing, see what I'm getting at here? Add onto this the lack of controllable party members and it leaves little room for variation. It feels like there was supposed to be more to this. Each Eikon changes the element of Clive's magic, the problem is because there are no elemental weaknesses this change means nothing. It makes more sense to me to look at it as if there were originally things like elemental weaknesses and controllable party members but they were cut and the developers just gave everything to Clive. Overall I thought the combat was okay, I didn't get bored but I wasn't wowed by it and I'm certainly to itching to play more of it, I prefer FF7 Remake and even FF15's styles of combat over this game.

The structure of the game becomes very formulaic at a certain point. Clive will go to a new place on the map and do some of the most boring quests you can imagine, receive a kind of entry pass, go through this game's version of a traditional dungeon which plays more like levels from DMC, then there is one of those amazing set pieces I mentioned earlier concluding with Clive facing off against the minor villain of the week. This happens over and over again except it feels like the quests you are forced to go through become more and more boring the longer the game goes on. This brings me another major problem, the quests. These main filler quests and nearly all of the side quests are awful. They are designed like MMO quests, "go here get this", "retrieve 3 of these things and maybe fight an enemy", "talk to these people in order" and so on. I originally planned to do something I almost never do, I was going to complete all of the side quests, and those who know me know I do not often do side content without a very good incentive. I thought this was feasible because the number of side quests given in the early game is so low. I thought I could get some xp on the side doing these boring quests every now and then. However, as the side quests became more numerous more frequently and the main quests started to resemble the side quests more and more, I gave up, it was just too boring. These filler main quests also contributed to the problem of the game being too long in my opinion. Many of the quests felt like complete filler that could be taken out completely and the game would lose nothing of value. I've heard that there are nearly 20 hours of cutscenes in this game. If this number is accurate I will have spent more time watching cutscenes than playing the game yet I still don't know surface level details about the game's world and many of it's characters. What was that time spent on? I honestly don't know because one would assume the game would convey much more information than it did during that time.

This review seems much more negative than I originally intended, the more I think about this game the less I like it. Almost everything I think is good about the game occurs in the first 10-15 hours and then the quality falters more as the game reaches it end. Right now I'm giving the game a 6/10 although that could easily go up or down depending on the day and what part of the game I'm thinking about. I was quite disappointed by Final Fantasy 16.

“I am Joshua’s Shield. I’m sworn to protect him… He takes too many risks. I only wish I could save him from himself.”

“Clive, you... Well, if you’re not going to pray to Metia for your safe return, I shall just have to do it for you.”

These lines are spoken in the very first hour, and detail three crucial details. His duty as Joshua’s Shield. How much he cares for his brother, and how Jill prays for his safe return. It’s simple, to the dot, and captures the player’s attention immediately. Statements are said with conviction, will, and resolve. Told during the halcyon days of their youth. Ahhh. But terrible storms gather nearby. For Clive, Jill, and Joshua their fates will change forevermore…

Final Fantasy(FF) is no stranger to taking risks. And each iteration boldly goes where the previous ones have not walked. And FFXVI is no different. We follow Clive Rosfield’s journey as a young lad into something more. For better or worse, he and others are embroiled in a political drama within Valisthea. A large continent with six nations all with their factions, agendas, and notorious individuals with nefarious goals. And Rosfield is the poor sod who has to survive, kill and go past his limits. Make no mistake, out of all the FF games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Sixteen consumed my waking thoughts, and remained a constant as I went through the daily motions and as the days passed into weeks. I am astonished by how much there is to do, uncover and learn. I have gone the distance to see as much as I possibly can within two playthroughs. And here I am staring at my google docs page after an exhaustive duel, spending countless hours figuring out if it deserves to reach my top 5 FFs. And it does. I don’t say that statement lightly, since I love the series since starting with thirteen and have enjoyed over twenty-two entries. So you could say I am very familiar. Now then it is time to review the latest entry to one of Square Enix’s(SE) long-running IPs.

Combat is addicting. I couldn’t get enough of it. Experimenting with new skills and outfitting my kit. Or rushing to face numerous bosses that are both fair and hit the right spots. Tweaking the difficulty at your leisure from story or action focused. The former grants free rings at the start to aid you. The latter, you don’t acquire automatically. But you can freely switch difficulties at any time, so you won’t miss out. Equip accessible rings to make combat easier for ya. Auto dodge, auto combo, auto potion, and more are available. A nice way to make fights easier or harder depending on your preference. With the help of Kingdom Hearts developers and PlatinumGames. And signing up Ryota Suzuki. A Capcom veteran and one who has worked on the Devil May Cry franchise. A triple alliance emerges between these forces and at the helm is Creative Business Unit III(CBU3) joining to make an impressive quad squad. The titular and amazing Naoki Yoshida(Nicknamed Yoshi-P) is the producer. A man who has worked tirelessly to reform the original FFXIV launch into one of the most successful MMORPGs today. So you could say these guys are in very safe hands. Unafraid of taking risks, each FF entry strives to make combat innovative, but also familiar to entertain both veterans and sprouts(newbies). Traditional turn-based gameplay has radically shifted since its foundation, shifting into real-time action. And as someone who favors the turn-based approach, I don’t mind the change to real-time. I appreciate it. There is a fluid momentum persisting as you dodge, parry, and execute Eikon's abilities. Goblins? Move over Goblin Slayer, Dude will incinerate them to kingdom come. Phoenix shifting, with relentless fury as if the wind has blessed him with deadly claws. I didn’t find clunky movements wherever I treaded, making battles go smoothly. Transitions into these skirmishes are near instant. So don’t be afraid of a lengthy wait. Quick and nimble is the key here. And I had no problem acquiring different abilities to experiment and juggle my enemies. Didn’t find an issue with the experience. The gain was fair. Both in leveling up and upgrading my skills. I was satisfied to a degree of wanting more and the developers gave me that and extra.

The soundtrack is subtle, but full of magic. Composed by Masayoshi Soken Who has worked just as tirelessly as Yoshi-P in composing FFXIV melodies. Sixteen’s composition is distinct from the compositions of Nobuo Uematsu(FF1->10), Masashi Hamauzu(FF13 trilogy), Yoko Shimomura(FF15), and other composers. More in line with Hitoshi Sakimoto's works. Of FF Tactics and Vagrant Story fame. Subtle, in a good way. I think most if not all tracks work in favor of providing a layer I don’t find as bombastic, full of vocals, or orchestral. Going more tranquil, peaceful, and in some cases filled with tension creates a tightrope to induce fear and bravery. There is meaning and weight to these songs. Triumphant lyrics are largely missing in favor of the solemn and at times contemplative ambient sounds gracing our ears. Pleasant, soothing, and incredibly transformative. Didn’t hear the same old repetitive track again and again. Always something unfamiliar to hear, and listen to when I travel new places around the block. I could say more, but for the life of me, I cannot describe it justice enough. Just know when the epic tunes hit they hit bloody hard. There is a payoff in going subtle here. And if Uematsu could hear this, I think he would clap in joy for Soken’s work.

Gratifying gameplay loop that is cyclical, interconnected and works in tandem with the other systems in place. Get too tired with combat? That's fine. Take a breather with some side quests(SQ) that are almost perfect. Hitting the near-zenith of Witcher 3 SQ quality combined with consistently powerful worldbuilding I haven’t seen since I last played through The Legend of Heroes IP. Specifically, the Sky trilogy, Crossbell duology, and Cold Steel tetralogy. There is so much depth, I am left in wonder and awe to study more about the history of Valisthea and its denizens. More often than not you will encounter chunks of lore. To varying degrees. Religion and societal customs included. Unexpected discoveries in interpersonal relationships with folks I didn’t expect. Helping people in need at the main hub to assist strangers out in the wild. And these are not pointless to do, since the rewards can range from increasing your potions limit to rewarding items, weapons, equipment, materials, and key items. Worth it, both in the physical and knowledge aspects. Easily, the strongest SQs are the ones related to the main character(MC), his party members, and by extension those who are allied with him. Granting a decent to lengthy quest chains to learn more. Bond further and even partner up! Worthwhile to do and I encourage everyone to complete as many as they possibly can. Some of these connect with quests benefiting players and heck if you’re bored you can even undertake a hunt mission. Which are like bounties to defeat unique monsters out in the wild. Fun to do and a worthwhile conflict awaits. A solid way, building up renown to earn supplementary rewards. It's gotten to the point I couldn’t wait to finish the main story quests(MSQ) so I can complete new SQs/hunts popping up on my radar.

And Clive. Bless his soul. Doesn’t mind at all aiding those in need. Especially to offer a guiding hand to Bearers. People who are essentially slaves and can use magic. Commonfolk can’t use magic innately. Used by slave masters, nobility as a means of cheap labor. Bearers are human tools. Do you want your garden trimmed? Let the boy use wind magic to trim the bushes into a presentable state. No need to work yourself and use bladed shears. Need clothes to dry quickly rather than letting the sun do the work? Let the Bearer use wind magic again to blow air on your wet clothes becoming a human dryer. Oh, need consistent fire for your blacksmithing duties? Grab one of those filthy Bearers and order them to use their magic to cast fira. Heating the stones instead of using natural fire. I kid you not these instances I saw plenty throughout and equally jaw-dropping tales inside. In some cases, my emotional state stewed in conniptions. I was immensely saddened to see a mirror image of our world’s history of slavery. And the developers(devs) have managed to capture these horrific moments in ways I was reeling. I won’t go into the exact details, but my heart bled for each one. And I quickly without hesitation became the shield for these unfortunate souls who were suffering without end.

Worldbuilding is quality across the board. I usually have problems with worldbuilding in other Japanese Role-Playing Games(JRPGs). Some go too far. Gorging the player on unnecessary details. Others have too little and need more of the former. It’s been a long time since I was so engrossed in the lore and history. Sixteen manages to do it in such a way I am left hungry for more. Complementing this is a handy codex in the form of Active Time Lore(ATL for short). Where you can see relevant information during any part of the story. Yes, this includes cutscenes. Incredibly well-thought-out and as a lore nut. The feature is very satisfying to use when I need a refresher on what this legend is supposed to be. Why do we keep calling places ‘Storm’ and ‘Twins?’ What are Bearers? The plot, quests, and your companions will continually talk about these elements in rich detail. I could gush more but I think you see the picture. Wish other JRPGs and Non-RPGs learn from this.

An evolving world is persistent here. Each time a major or minor event has been resolved whether by SQ’s or MSQ. The state of NPC's is adjusted to reflect that. And the very essence of Valisthea wherever you travel to also shares the same evolution. Oh, a major event took place at [redacted]? Time to head back to and check for differences in the citizenry. This is just one example of how places may vary over time. Very reminiscent of my time with the Trails franchise. I eagerly looked forward to returning to the main hub and conversing with my comrades on the latest gossip, new information about the state of the realm, or the odd tip here and there you may not see coming. I cherished these NPCs and I would go so far as to call some, my dear friends. They all play a big role in shaping not just MC’s story, but their tales and stories are interwoven with his. Leaving me with an everlasting impression. The gentle giant Goetz, Sharp eyes Gav, the gentle but stern Tarja, the wise Harpocrates, and of course we can't forget the wise, venerable and slick leader. These individuals have their struggles, and quests from which we witness. Cooperate and in doing, so we are treated to a fantastic cast willing to shoulder our burdens. To care for our wounds. To sustain us with supplies and support us through thick and thin. Against all odds. We stand together.

There are however mixed feelings I have with this entry. Won’t say names. Since this is a non-spoiler review and certainly not a positive or a negative. But for the sake of transparency, I'm noting down here. One character in particular needed more fleshing out, some villains and to a lesser degree other persons. I felt I didn't grasp their entire being more than others. Which is funny because I adore my party. Sadly, I’ve already devoured the game as much as I possibly could in search of critical and related information I may have missed the first time around with no success. And I doubt a third go around would change my thoughts. Anyway, I think further context on the background and subsequent encounter with the MC needed more ‘meat’ so to speak for lack of better words to create a dynamic that would immerse me further. Extra side quests regarding ‘x’ nation concerning their status, additional scenes, and heavier amounts of banter, especially during battles to alleviate some silence. There is some banter, though I think the devs could’ve added a healthy amount to spare. Tease me with interconnected lore concerning their powers I wouldn’t expect. Past entries in the series had parties where I can comfortably say I know their personality, likes, dislikes, habits, quirks, relationships with others, etc. And while this one individual didn’t have to that extent. I enjoyed their presence, actions, and the precious moments they had in the story. Granted, including my suggestions would inflate the base content more in hours, but I think it's a small price to pay to receive more fleshed-out people. I’m not asking for five hours extra. Although I wouldn’t mind it. Just an hour or two. Be that as it may, it doesn't diminish the game all that much.

Wish we could control other party members and while this doesn’t make a lot of sense due to spoilers in the story. Conceptually I think it could’ve worked to give further spice to the combat capabilities. Adding a greater emphasis to my earlier point of fleshing out the characters. Since some member’s ability kit is not as varied as the MC’s which would perhaps make the players feel more lacking in the combat. However, internally I’m torn with the idea since I think this would’ve created somewhat a lesser emphasis on his story. And at its core, there is an extremely high plateau of which we the audience bear witness to his struggles, failures, and triumphs through his eyes. If we take out our(his) eyesight and perspective, then these incredible experiences we see perhaps may not have had a greater impact. Balance is key here and while I could sprout more suggestions I could see why the developer chose not to do so. It’s a troublesome matter. I've long since debated whether more or less should be added for games.

Style over substance is here. Should be noted, I don’t perceive this notion in a negative light. I can see the merits, demerits with shades in the middle. For Style It is simply amazing to behold the Eikon fights. But it becomes rinse and repeat as we continue to reuse a repetitive formula. Spamming our attacks amid downtimes of our cooldown abilities, interspersed with quick time events(QTE) to add a flourish making battles memorable. Sure there are moments when this evolves to keep the combat fresh amidst these epic David Vs. Goliath clashes. Tynan Sylvester goes deep into the subject of this in his article on "Style and Substance in Game Design" Here he posits:

“The designs all become too similar to each other because they're all simulations of the same things. The style is decided upon and a simulation is built before the substance gets tweaked. This means that the fundamentals of the games are all the same; they are just variations on one another.”

We see this clearly with the Eikon fights and perhaps in some respects with the combat system in the non-Eikon battles. Nevertheless, it is fitting in a narrative sense due to how the plot and sequences are constructed. I think I would’ve preferred a more tactical aspect here. Instead of having mandatory engagements like these. Include more natural surprises to the player. Raising their eyebrows. Make us fight using different aspects of an Eikon. Outwitting my opponents using subterfuge, and backstabbing, Let us use the environment to our advantage, add in human enemies to avoid clashes, and instill a sense of unpredictability by introducing our loveable party members into the equation. Give us choices or perhaps go bolder where it's not even a fight, but merely a duel of words. I could say more, but I’ll withhold myself. I can’t help but begrudgingly praise how well these Eikonic clashes were done in a cinematic sense, but also what they accomplish in the story. The substance is here too. Good lord, there are simply too many to my utter joy and I’ve already said earlier regarding the worldbuilding, sidequests, and how that wonderfully ties together into not just Clive’s struggles, but the cast alongside him. Man has conflict everywhere.

FF16 RPG elements are barely within and while I think the commentary article does have some truth. I believe for the narrative this was sacrificed necessarily to focus entirely on his journey. I am not defending Sixteen by saying this, merely trying to infer based on what I've seen. There is a clear vision from which the devs have led from beginning, middle, and end for the player to see. And I for one applaud the move to risk in their grand vision, by sacrificing some RPG elements. As a result, I am given less time managing and micromanaging my units stats and equipment, in favor of returning to action. Is this a conscious effort by the team to do so? Perhaps. Should Final Fantasy have the bare minimum of RPG elements like tweaking stats, combat, and more to make it as JRPG as other entries in the past have done? I don’t know. I for one am no developer nor am I an expert in determining the correct answer to such a question. I don’t think there is even a perfect one out there from which we can all unanimously agree. maybe Chrono Trigger? Without a pedantic fella hollering “Well actually…” Comparisons will be made of course. And in tradition, we see these constant debates online. In my opinion, as long as the elements are satisfying to the player, then I think that system serves its purpose. I don’t play FF solely for the role-playing experience. Although I don’t mind if it's in-depth like say Bravely Default or other Square Enix IPs For me, I play FF to become engrossed in the story, characters, music, themes, settings, gameplay etc. And to this end, CBU3 delivers in chests full of Mythril.

The dungeons(these are places from which we fight.) Could be improved level-wise. To allow more freedom to explore. Why can’t I search for a castle more thoroughly? Why am I stuck in yet another forced battle to clear out a room of enemies and goodness by the almighty grace of Greagor please not another forced skirmish? As a consequence, a formulaic method rises as we go through the corridor and room to fight familiar enemies before we can progress. I don’t think this is a bad design. I simply believe other avenues were available. Don’t make some fights mandatory. Allow us to free-roam, and inject some npc’s to raise an eyebrow. Drop some lore papers around ruins so I have something else to do beyond fighting enemy mobs who think they have a chance of opposing me. Be bolder and go the distance by granting loads of enemies to clash with, akin to Dynasty Warriors. Scores of deadly mobs push me to the limit. To play devil's advocate, I can see why the devs didn’t do so, since sixteen is already ambitious. And the pace of how the story beats are granted is logical to me. Overall I think aesthetically they’re great, and the mini-boss/regular boss fights are a thrill to test my mettle. The dev’s don’t miss on constructing these encounters. Using their mmo skills to bring in their expertise to a single player game is a 200 IQ move.

Final Fantasy Mode seems to be the intended difficulty. Unlocked after beating the story. Featuring better tweaks by removing button prompts during QTE's and relying on visual cues to press. Adding exclusive content(in the form of upgraded weapons and accessories), increasing enemy strength, and more enemies in areas you wouldn't expect in a 1st playthrough. I feel this mode ought to be available from the start. Granting a balanced challenge to players looking for a bitter bout. But I think I understand why the developers didn’t unlock it in the beginning. Some areas felt like padding by adding a miniboss in areas when the base game didn’t have one. Which is an interesting choice. Alternatives I was thinking to alleviate this were adding 10-25% more enemy variety and injecting these instead of more mandatory fights. Nevertheless, I am a bit eh on the FF mode. Although, It is a delightful affair for those who seek it.

That’s it for my mixed feelings. Despite the unholy amount I spouted, I don’t believe they bring the entire product down a great deal. Think of these ultimately as food for thought. The rest are minor nitpicks not worth mentioning. Two last notes before I head out and I am so sorry for writing more than I thought possible. But in the writing here. I savor every word. Very mature and filled with layers deep with rich dialogue. Considering it was spearheaded from creative director/lead writer by Kazutoyo Maehiro Who was mentored by Yasumi Matsuno(He directed FFT, Vagrant Story, FFXII among others). Therefore, the writing is beautifully well crafted. Not to the extent of flowery as the Shakespearan translation of FF Tactics: War of the Lions. But a cross between Vagrant Story & FFXIV dialogue in a modern take. Resulting in naturally organic voiced scenes. I frequently traveled back to cities, towns, and my main hub and listened to unique dialog every time. No need to hit a button to converse. Simply walk by and you can hear their chatter. The MSQ cutscenes between every important individual on-screen are handled with care and delicateness. Villains too. This attention to detail is given the same treatment as we go through the SQs and man it is so worth it. Clear amounts of nuance here where you will see neither side winning or losing. But full of shades of gray in the dialogue, and how some quests are resolved in unexpected, yet realistic outcomes.

Clive’s story from start to finish is such a breathtaking journey every FF fan needs to experience. Wonderful development, in my honest opinion. I was deeply moved by how raw Ben Starr voices the MC and how these give so much intensity to candid and countless natural conversations. Hell, even the voice actors aside from Ben deserve praise. A solid crew who tests, questions, and guides. Their counterparts, the villains, provide a powerful incentive to beat. Make no mistake. His story is not for the faint of heart. But, as much as there is darkness here, so too is light and it is without a doubt impeccably strong to behold. Cuteness and priceless moments are here to counter the stormy Valisthea political climate.

Final Fantasy has always been near and dear to my heart. I have witnessed innumerable stories that resonated so powerfully. Likable to loveable casts I reminiscence from time to time. Soundtracks never failing to capture the spirit of fantasy. Gameplay that can be a hit, miss or somewhere in between. And while some entries stagger and sputter without gas. Each one has a special place in my heart. From the foundation in one to three. Ascending to greater heights than before from four to six and taking a more bold and experimental graphical change from seven to nine. Transitioning into an advanced engine from ten to thirteen. And while I haven’t played FFXII yet. By the Founder, trust me, I’ll get there. FFXIV & FFXV still kept my faith. And now for FFXVI to grace our presence I am left in awe at the immense weight of it all. The sheer depth at stake here, when analyzed under a fine magnifying glass is a bloody tour de force. I applaud Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III. Rarely do I become so absorbed in such a captivating narrative of Clive’s story. Seeing his growth from his younger days as he ages is such a vital aspect to soak in. For those who still doubts the series, this is a title that is simply a must-play and CANNOT be missed. For any newcomer to JRPGs, I envy you greatly if you start with one of the finest Final Fantasy games I’ve had the pleasure of playing.

Bravo Yoshi-P, Hiroshi Takai, Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, Masayoshi Soken, Kazutoyo Maehiro, Mitsutoshi Gondai, Ryota Suzuki, Yusuke Hashimoto, Hiroshi Minagawa, Kazuya Takahashi, and so many more who helped develop this raw title. And most of all thank you to anyone who read this long review. You guys are the best.

9/10

Note: If any links are not working please let me know and I'll update them accordingly. Worried about some FFXVI OST YT videos getting removed.

I fell absolutely head over heels in love with this game from the moment I booted up the demo for the first time. It is weird, ugly, gorgeous, clunky, satisfying and ten other adjectives that will contradict each other, because Clash revels in that contradiction and not bending to anything but the unique rule(s) of this world.

I was being reminded of the original Nier a lot with this game, not only with soundtrack similarities, which certainly play its part, both being absolutely unique and outstandingly beautiful but also the general mix of riveting storytelling and characters with at times rough execution that will undoubtely scare off a lot of players reflected in the low critics scores. Also Godhand comes to mind, filling out the gameplay side of this analogy. All of these facts also make it absolutely ripe to simmer and manifest as a hidden gem and cult classic guaranteed to become someones favorite game of all time.

All the criticism out there of this game is probably very valid, but this is this kind of game that when it clicks, it fucking clicks, which is what happened for me and I love this game to pieces without any reservation.

The last time I saw such a small team take this huge a swing at a game was Hollow Knight.

Chained Echoes is a top down 2D turn-based RPG that is equal parts Chrono Trigger and Xenoblade Chronicles. It’s a 40 hour character driven JRPG with an extremely cool world that blends mechs with Game of Thrones.

It’s also extremely smart. It doesn’t waste your time and ensures you’re always engaged and in the action at all times. Its Overdrive mechanic is one of the coolest new video game things I’ve seen in a long time, and it includes so many QOL options it’ll make your head spin. Also the gameplay shift halfway (you get mechs) adds a ton of new traversal options and flips an already great game on its head.

Difficulty is good. Hard at first but if you’re doing side stuff it gets pretty easy to manage around the halfway point.

It is telling that I never do side stuff but I finished Chained Echoes having done most of its side content. I’m also writing this review at 3am because I stayed up late playing the game.

If I had to list any imperfections, I’d say that while the scenario and characters are quite strong, the writing at times can get a little sloppy. In part, I suspect, translation issues, and in part some clunky dialogue that at times conveys serious topics with the gentle touch of a sledgehammer. Still, I get the feeling this game’s heart is in the right place, and I have high hopes for improvements from a sequel.

Overall, Chained Echoes is a brilliant rethink of what it means to be a 2DJRPG in 2022. It’s smart and sleek, and has an enormous amount of high quality content that makes its price tag a steal at full price. A lil rough around a scant few edges, but man what a huge swing this game took.

"Even in times of peace, one is not spared from the cruelty of man.”

Every time I play a game I always ask myself if this game is the one that will wow and impress me. And most of the time I'm usually left with good, great, all right, meh and other regular platitudes to describe my experience after the end of a game. Chained Echoes is none of that. The game strives to become something bold and new all while standing tall on its own and merely showing what it has to offer. Matthias Linda who created the game and Eddie Marianukroh who composed the soundtrack have remarkably impressed me to a degree I haven’t seen since I played Omori. So yes this is one hell of a bar they raised.

The game doesn’t boast to wear its proud laurels touting the best of the best jrpgs of the past. Instead, the game simply describes itself as a “16-bit SNES style RPG set in a fantasy world where you follow a group of heroes traveling around the continent of Valandis to bring an end to the war between its three kingdoms.”

Not the most exciting catch to pull every consumer, but I feel it gets the job done. Because right off the bat, it is not saying they’re going to be the next classic since the time of Chrono Trigger or whatever RPG that is simply the best. Nor are they comparing their game to the JRPGs of old like other games on Steam. The devs are merely detailing what their game is going to be about. And that’s it. The game will show what it has to offer through the gameplay, story, music, characters, and more. And so the question remains. Does the game deliver? And is there a lot of content?

Chained Echoes does have a lot to offer. You have mecha gameplay. A big colorful cast of party members. The gorgeous visual style and soundtrack are worth listening to. An engrossing story, with a plot that is grounded and paced well. And scenes that left me shocked and unpredictable throughout. All of these hit me in such a way, I couldn’t stop myself from seeing one more scene, one more battle, and one more secret to find. I lost myself in the game and was chained, not willing to let me go.

Before I start, I need to preface this with some critique of the game. While excellent and remarkable in its own right, I feel the game could’ve used a bit more scenes to flesh out the characters. Not bad mind you. About three moments in the game, I feel could’ve transitioned better. Possibly, been padded a bit more to allow players to digest what happened from moment to moment between party members. It wasn’t jarring or abrupt. I just felt some scenes needed a bit more oomph in a way to let players digest a bit more context and exposition. Although, I find myself battling this point because if there is too much or too little it could break the pacing or remove the player from being immersive in the game. I equate this to deleted scenes in movies. While not strictly necessary, some additional scenes could've explained or refocused the scene differently.

Secondly, several villains except for some since they’re brilliant. Could’ve been fleshed out a bit more to make them more compelling. I noticed in their dialogue they would be in their role to be evil and explain motives and more etc. Except, during their final moments. Their character shifts in a way that is acceptable and decent, but I feel can be perceived as a tad abrupt. Not horrendous or bad. But my mind couldn’t help but consider alternatives if the scenes were rewritten or tweaked a bit. It's not a knock on the character as a whole since they performed as expected and in some cases unexpectedly, but the dialogue felt off and forced in a way. So more scenes to flesh them out really.

That’s all I can name off the top of my head.

Now let's dig into the real good stuff.

The story, caught me off-guard because I expected a standard JRPG trope affair full of references non-stop along the lines of Ready Player One. Instead, I got something the likes of Xenogears except much more grounded and taking me on a roller coaster ride. As if Chrono Trigger devs blessed the team to perfect the formula of introducing scenes to intrigue players, quick meaningful battles, excellent usage, and placement of antagonists scenes with well-placed humor sprinkled here and there that is fun and not forced.

The gameplay is fun and fresh and not all that complicated. Get into overdrive and stay there. Don’t overheat. And as I continued to gather more party members and when the game introduced mech gameplay, oh boy my grin was ear to ear. Plenty of bosses and unique enemies to fight, along with encountering a host of different creatures and beasts and humanoids here. Whereas, other games would usually change the color of an enemy and call it a day. None of that lazy stuff is in Chained Echoes. Each enemy fits their environment. Hell, there is a reward board ala FF12 style. So you can complete tasks while out on the field and get rewarded for doing so. None of the simple fetch quest and kill ‘x’ creatures stuff here. You have sidequests, buried treasure, hidden caves, unique requirements to finish off a group of enemies, defeating unique monsters, and more. Heck, the game doesn’t even have a level system so you don’t need to grind!

The game felt balanced since there are options to manage skills and upgrade them. And options to reduce enemy health and aggressiveness if you so desire. Overall, I didn’t feel tired from the combat system since the whole package of the game from reward boards, mecha gameplay, and unique enemies and bosses made the experience all the more satisfying to complete.

Visually the game is stunning and the art style works to its favor, a great deal. I was constantly impressed not seeing copy-paste areas and looking for templates where Mathias cut corners and I could not find one! Every environment is unique with a gimmick to earn your way out through small puzzles or clever switches and hidden areas to traverse. And these puzzles are implemented in such a way I wasn't truly frustrated. A nice change of pace and a breather from the regular travel and battle. Enemy design is terrifying and cute in some ways. The scenes throughout the game felt natural with animations not too sudden or too rigid. Smooth is key here and I can’t for the life of me recall a bad scene or egregious bugs.

On the soundtrack, I am just in awe of Eddie's work. It’s not the greatest thing since Mitsuda or Okabe. But holy hell does Eddie demonstrate MAXIMUM EFFORT here. I felt so much passion and emotion in Eddie’s soundtrack. Field themes that left me breathless and where all I wanted was to listen to the track on a loop. Catchy battle themes I never got tired of listening to these. Feeling pumped and invigorated to hear this again and again. And appropriate themes in cutscenes leave me shifting my mood to what is currently happening in the game. Serious scene. Cue slow track. Sad scene. Cue sad track. Funny moment. Cue funny track, and so on. And these cases were placed with such care I couldn’t predict what was coming next. Yet, transitioned well to match what is shown on the screen. Brilliant synergy to know what scene and track to use and display that to the player enhances their experience. Excuse me as I go back to listening to Iron Scraps for Breakfast and Flower Fields of Perpetua and so much more on repeat.

It is this pacing I want to talk about next. There is a great deal of freedom given to the player in the middle of the game that doesn’t ruin the pacing of the game at all. I feel Mathias managed to balance player freedom with nudges here and there on the main plot to give you just enough to be satisfied with your optional content and then focus back on the real task at hand. And this is exemplified again and again when I was played like a damn fiddle. Since I wasn’t exposed to constant exposition or repeated reminders of what to do, nor were there scenes where villains regurgitated lines they said previously. Character development was the answer here. Nothing too crazy and none too ambiguous or slow to manifest. Instead, used in such a way I found myself nodding. The cast struggles and learns, fails, succeeds, tries to learn to be better, fails again, and yet keeps trying is admirable and moving. It's not exactly what happens in the game, but just a rough estimate. Other elements can be injected of course like other cast members' motivations, feelings, history, and current relationships can tip the scales quite a bit to create drama or more. Keeping you the player invested in what happens next.

And this is what Chained Echoes demonstrates to an excellent degree. The pacing coupled with character development balanced it with optional content.

Before I forget, I have to give praise to the characters. Since, I doubted every single one of them and by the end of the game came away very impressed by how far each has come. Some more so than others, but for the most part, I felt attached to my characters. I hated one character quite a bit for a good chunk of the game. And yet by the end after seeing said character's struggles and scenes I couldn’t help but begrudgingly admit how hard they suffered and what they had to go through to see what becomes of them in the end. And this extends to my other party members who more or less undergo remarkable development throughout. In a manner, I found realistic without taking my suspension of disbelief to a whirlpool and flushing it down the ocean. There is a heartwarming amount of care Mathias has done to create characters with feelings that are so human and in the opposite spectrum create characters, so twisted and disgusting I can’t help but feel conniptions towards them.

Still what remains is a loveable cast of quirky characters and antagonists who are more than a simple villain here and there. A riveting story the likes I haven’t seen since Chrono Trigger and Xenogears and other wonderful JRPGs of old. Very fun and satisfying gameplay loop taking me over 40+ hours to 100% the game without being tired. Visuals aesthetically pleasing with no copy-paste artwork and unique enemies/characters/environments everywhere. The soundtrack is very satisfying to listen to, taking my breath away every time I listen to the main theme and more. Pacing and character development are balanced and excelled with nothing coming to my mind that felt forced or unnatural. And while it could’ve been improved on some villains and moment-to-moment scenes, I can forgive that since the game as a whole more than makes up for those very minor critiques.

Chained Echoes isn’t trying to become good nor does it profess to become one of the greats as classic well regarded JRPGs have done in the past of which we hold them fondly as favorites and more. Chained Echoes is one man’s vision with the help of a fantastic composer to bring to life an indie RPG with a story they want others to experience.

It’s a humbling, heartwarming game in homage to old JRPGs of the past. With enough content to stand tall with the greats. If you love JRPGs, Indie RPGs, or have a desire for a starter in the genre. And wish to be wowed like I did, to a point where you hold your favorite games close to your heart. Perhaps Chained Echoes will be that one game to impress you just as it had with me.

Can't wait for multiverse narratives to die in a fire.

Bayonetta 3 is a good action game but a huge step down for the Bayonetta franchise and perhaps the biggest disappointment I have ever felt in a game. Not only is the story an incoherent, embarrassing mess (not that the other two had a high bar to overcome), but unfortunately the gameplay is completely bogged down with the new focus on summoning gigantic monsters in every battle, which creates a clusterfuck of visual clutter and takes the fun and speed out of the otherwise flawless combat system with great new weapon additions.

Platinum really had to sign a monkey's paw deal with Nintendo it seems. On the one hand the franchise was saved, but on the other hand it was confined to the shackles of technological jail that are Nintendo's consoles, meaning that Bayonetta 3 might actually look and feel worse than Bayonetta 1 on the 360 did, which is such a bummer.

I am not hopeful at all for the future of Bayonetta, unfortunately. The story and character decisions did its part, certainly, but most importantly it feels like I have lost the confidence in the belief that Platinum has a coherent vision for the franchise and knows what the strengths are, because Bayonetta 3 certainly did not play to them.