Infinite Wealth has probably the most engaging modern turn based system I've experienced. In a time when I was getting bored of turn based games, this got me interested again. It's unbelievably engaging, taking the combat of Y7 and perfecting it. I mentioned years ago in my video review of Y7 that the combat was surprisingly well done for a first attempt in a long running franchise. And that if they took it further it could really be something special. That's exactly what they did with this game's combat. It's faster, more responsive, more rewarding and satisfying, includes more fun mechanics, and doesn't have the absurd difficulty curve Y7 had towards the end.

The combat isn't the only thing this game perfected. The side content was done in a way that puts all other games coming out to shame. Every mini game is unique, short and sweet, and hilarious. This includes the many throwaway minigames that only show up during side quests and never appear again. In your typical Yakuza game, there'd always be a couple of annoying minigames that make achieving 100% irritating. But here I had fun with every single one of them. From the weird Uber Eats and Tinder minigames to the Pokemon Snap ripoff. The amount of effort and love the devs poured into this game is evident. I'd go as far as to call the gameplay side of Y8 perfect in my eyes. So, why dock a point? When I have nothing but praise for the game and find it to be the best game I've played since like DMC5 in 2019. Why not give it a 5 star rating? It has to do with the writing.

While the story in Y8 isn't anywhere near bad or remotely close to the worst story. Coming from Y7's story it can feel disappointing at times. More so in the 2nd half. It feels like they shoved too much story down our throat in the 2nd half (which is a bit of a common problem with these games). This ruined the pacing of the game for me. Like they needed an extra 2 or 3 chapters or something. That and Kiryu's party isn't all too great. Ichiban is an incredible protagonist for this era of Yakuza because his personality works really well with a JRPG styled game. He is impossible to dislike and is as bright as the sun. Kiryu on the other hand is a lot quieter and stoic. And that worked incredibly for his series of games to show how his circumstances get worse with each game because he refuses to lean on anyone. And in that respect, I like what this game does to contrast Kiryu with Ichiban. Showing the differences in how they both try to handle situations. And then the outcome of Kiryu's arc from Y6 to the end of Y8. I just wish they gave it more time to simmer in the game for it to hit even harder than it did. And gave the party he was with more time to grow together. Because that's exactly what Y7 did. The pacing of the story in that game is incredible and I love every moment of it, even the stupidly ridiculous Mirror Face. Here though, Kiryu's party feels like one of those random group assignments you'd get in school where no one really knows how to naturally talk with one another.

Another thing I wasn't a fan of was Ichiban and Saeko's relationship. I'm all for romance for Ichiban, someone needs a happy romance in these games lol. But the way they handled it felt out of character for both Ichiban and Saeko. I like what they did at the start but then they never followed up on it till literally the end of the game. And even then, it's treated like a gag. It just feels so empty and disappointing. I wish they fleshed out their relationship and their issues from the start of the game if they're going to make them a couple in the following games. If they do follow through with it in Y9 I really hope they actually spend time building a proper relationship between the two of them. I have some other problems here and there but they're nitpicks really (not the devs fault but the nonsense that is NG+ and hard/legend being locked behind a large paywall is pure stupidity). They've made 2 of my favourite Yakuza games back to back and that alone makes me a happy gamer. Here's hoping we get a hat trick.

9/10

Final Fantasy VII is the most popular game in the series and one of the most popular turn based games ever. When I originally played this in 7th grade, I really wasn't too much of a fan. I loathed the game's combat for how slow it was (still kinda do tbh) and wasn't really connecting with the story much. But it's been almost 10 years since then and a lot has changed. One thing I like is how cinematic the game feels. Where VI was much more theatrical, here we have huge explosive moments and characters constantly moving and talking.

Let's start with probably my least favourite aspect of the game which is the gameplay itself. Due to the new animations and flashiness of combat, fights take waaaaay too long. To the point where it genuinely becomes boring or annoying when it's just a random mob fight. It's also too easy. The materia system and limit breaks are dope though. It's an improvement on the esper system from VI due to actual downsides to equipping them and the way they work in battle. But due to the game's poor battle menu system and main menu system, equipping and unequipping them is really annoying. Minigames also pad the game out in a bad way. but there's some great end game content.

The story is definitely the best part of this game. the main characters are relatable, have interesting motives, and are very easy to get attached to due to the setting. The game feels so lonely and desolate that you can't help but attach yourself to these characters you follow. Especially Aerith (my beloved) because of how much of a shining ray she is. She's the only one who's optimistic and helps and guides the rest of the characters. Which makes what happens at the midpoint all the more heartbreaking.

Cloud is an even more interesting character. He's one of the best cases of an unreliable narrator I've seen. And the truth behind his character and how it builds up to it is incredible. The problem though are the other members of the crew. I really wish they were more developed, as much as I like Tifa and Barret, I wanted more from them. And the rest of the crew is kind of an afterthought with some of them even being annoying like Yuffie and Cait Sith. Shinra is really easy to hate and so is Sephiroth at times as well. But Hojo is the biggest villain in the game and I hope he burns for eternity in the worst Hell imaginable.

No matter how many issues I have with the game though. I still really like it. The story is impactful and sticks with you. And maaaaaan, the soundtrack is pure magic. I still love VI's more but something was captured with VII's soundtrack that'll never be captured again.

A solid supernatural mystery that is at its best without knowing anything. The art and presentation of the game are definitely the main highlights. Most character's designs are distinct and the art style is great to look at (including environments). The UI and menus were the most visually impressive to me though due to how well the style fits the atmosphere and era of the game. The game's soundtrack is also great but there were a few moments here and there where the accompanying OST just didn't fit.

In terms of characters, I found a few of them charming, some of them interesting, but also a few that I just didn't like. The story wasn't anything incredible or mind-bending but worked well for the game. The lore was the most interesting part of the game in terms of writing.

I do wish they toned up the horror a bit and made the game more interactive. Most of the scares were in the prologue and after that, there was barely any trace, just some disturbing files that you can read. If you're looking for a game similar to this but one with more interactivity, try the Spirit Hunter series. The writing is far worse but it gives the player a bit more freedom and is more horror-focused.

I'm hoping to see this game turned into a series with new stories because this has immense potential.

With Final Fantasy VI we saw the end of the SNES era FF games but we also saw the pinnacle of both the NES and SNES titles. It's so fucking easy to form an emotional connection with this game with the number of incredible characters and engaging story beats. Accompanied by an addicting gameplay loop, great art direction, and one of the greatest soundtracks in the medium. We get a one of a kind game.

The hopelessness of the world can be overwhelming at times but seeing our characters fight their hardest to overcome it gives you a glimmer of hope to latch on to throughout the game. Even when the world continues to become more and more hopeless, our characters can easily give up like almost everyone else, but they continue to stand back up. While it isn't without its faults, namely a few of the underdeveloped characters. This game made me tear up like over a dozen times and that's gotta count for something, right?

Probably the most leisurely paced and structured jrpg I've played. It feels like a slice of life adventure anime but in game form. Nothing major or serious really happens till the last section of the game. And I'm not really into that when it comes to video games. Sure, the amount of detail in the world and NPCs are praiseworthy, but I never found myself engaged enough to care due to how uninteresting the main story is. 80% of the game feels like a setup for future titles. And while that can eventually pay off, that doesn't mean I'll enjoy a whole game like that. I wouldn't mind as much if the game wasn't so long.

The combat isn't really anything fun. I got pretty bored of it around chapter 2. Other than that, the graphics are fine and I like the art style. The characters are actually pretty good most of the time, mainly Estelle. Menuing is pretty aggravating in this game sometimes.

I probably would've dropped this game if the soundtrack wasn't as great as it is and if it lacked a turbo mode. It isn't a bad game, just one that never really had my attention.

Much better than I remember it being. I'd also consider this the first good Final Fantasy game. It does everything that its predecessors do but better. The job system returns and has actual depth and amazing customizability options. Dungeons have some actual depth with puzzles (kinda) and interesting designs, for the most part. The ATB is back but works much better with this game's combat system than the 4th's. Levelling up means nothing really since the main way to get stronger is levelling up classes. And this leads to some addicting gameplay loops, wanting to max out all jobs for all 4 of your heroes. The music is great and has a lot of standout tracks. And while the writing in this game can't really be taken seriously because of all the awful humour. It has some key moments that would cement this franchise as the classic JRPG franchise it is. Mainly 'Battle on Big Bridge' and anything to do with Gilgamesh. I do feel this game is overlooked but the pixel remasters have made it more noticeable thankfully.

7/10

The first Final Fantasy game that feels like one. The grand writing. The Active Time Battle system. And the giant scripted fights. This game has all of those but does it pretty poorly a lot of the time. The story is dumb and silly but I can't help but connect with some of the characters and key story moments. Most of the characters lack depth like Rosa and Edge but then Rydia is a pretty good character. The combat is fun but not as fun as later uses of the ATB. The dungeons have a bit more depth but still lack complexity. It has the basis of something special, it just needs that final push. But regardless of what I say here, I know how revolutionary this game was back when it was released, no other game had tried doing something so big with its story. And for that, I really respect this game. Looking forward to replaying V next.

6.0/10

Much more interesting concepts as this is where most of the stuff Final Fantasy is known for is really birthed (moogles, the job system, summons, warriors of darkness, etc), but it's lacking in a lot of places. We see the beginning of the job system and while it's a vast improvement from whatever was going on in FF II, it still feels like it's missing things. The writing is interesting enough but falls flat in quite a few areas. And the dungeons are boring and extremely linear.

Despite all that though, my love for this game's soundtrack gives this game an edge over the first two games. And the new renditions in this remaster are fantastic.

Removed some of the annoyances from when I played the NES version but still has a lot of the problems of course. The dungeons are mostly a drag to explore due to the encounter rate but the great music helps alleviate some of that. That and a 4x speed mod...

The story and gameplay is very basic for today's standard but I still feel some of the magic. I'm happy to have played this though as it shows competence from Square Enix with these remasters. Looking forward to going through the rest of them and finally re-experiencing them in a way that doesn't look like it spits on the original's, especially VI.

8.5/10

Grand, fast, addicting. Those are the words I'd describe the remake of the Gamecube classic. You couldn't blame me for being cautious about this remake since its announcement. A remake of a game that could only exist in 2005. A game that was ground-breaking, infinitely replayable, and charming as hell. How do you remake that? What made matters worse was that this was following the underwhelming Resident Evil 3 Remake. While that game is nowhere near bad, it followed the greatest remake seen since the Gamecube remake of the original Resident Evil. Fortunately, all my worries subsided after completing the intro sequence of the game. It was pure fun. Enemies were fast and incredibly smart. Leon felt great to control. And crowd control has never been more fun in a shooting game. And luckily, the game only went up from there.

The expansion of especially the village and castle feels so natural that it took me a few minutes before I realised that this wasn't in the original. Exploring and completing side quests carries this immense satisfaction that only adds to the already addicting rhythm of the game. I like the redesigns of most characters and enjoy seeing them all in RE Engine goodness. And seeing certain encounters from the original game reimagined was the coolest shit ever.

It's hard to compare this game to one I've been playing since I was 7 but this almost reaches its heights. In fact, some parts of this game are better than the original. Exploration, bosses, enemy design, writing, and visuals (ofc). Bosses here are much more realised aside from Del Lago which is literally just the same fight but without the QTEs, making it incredibly boring. Music is just as good as the original game's which really surprised me. The bonus time music playing for the first time got me so excited. Hearing that theme remixed like that was incredible. And the new Salazar theme really caught my ear. A grand waltz that fits the almost dancing rhythm of his fight. Also fitting the added depth to his character in the remake.

Speaking of, pretty much every character in this game has been given much more depth than the original, making the nonsensical story of the original actually make sense and even become engaging. The cheesiness and camp are still there but they blend it with the darker tone and world-building of the recent RE games. Filling areas with interesting and flavourful notes that give insight on how each monster or variant of the virus you fight was created as well as other interesting stories. Other notable ideas and features include the parrying system, which is just incredibly fun to pull off. The shooting range, where I sunk hours into to try and get the best scores possible. Ashley, who's character arc is much more satisfying. And Ada and Krauser's awful voice acting. Not sure what happened there...

If the OG game is a 9/10 then this is an 8.5 and is a perfect follow-up for newcomers coming from the RE2 remake. I would understand if someone likes this as much or more than the original. This has solidified Capcom as the greatest video game company of the past 5 years. With the revival of Resident Evil and Devil May Cry and now Dragon's Dogma as well. And Monster Hunter is still dishing out good games and Street Fighter 6 looks great in comparison to the lacklustre SF5. I hope they continue to kill it. (please give me Devil May Cry 6 please and thank u)

Almost everything about this game is better than the original. From the visuals to the music to the atmosphere. It's just better. This is what I thought I was going to get with the first game rather than a run of the mill JRPG with good visuals. The combat is an improvement from the original mainly due to the new "latent powers" mechanic. And the 2x battle speed is very helpful for mob battles. I have some problems with certain bosses but for the most part, they range from fine to great.

Despite how much this game does right however, it does a lot of things wrong. The dungeons are awful and very one dimensional. Barely feeling like dungeons and more like a big room with treasure and random encounters to make it seem bigger. And speaking of treasure, chests are still very easy to discover and obtain. There's no puzzle solving or anything to that extent to reach the treasures. At most they just have pathways that are hard to see due to the almost 2D camera.

And my least favourite aspect of the game is still writing. While it is an improvement from the previous game's. Most characters still feel very one note and lack flavour and originality. The two characters that had me engaged till the end were Partitio and Temenos. The rest range from boring to decent.

Even still, I'm very happy that they chose to create a sequel because it now shows me that it's worth investing to make this a long running series. I know for a fact that this formula can be used again with new ideas to reach greater heights and to create a JRPG classic.