Well, it was a tough road. Ok I'm lying calling this tough would be an insult, this may quite possibly be the most merciless, relentless, soul-crushing and dare I say lobotomizing experience I have ever undergone in gaming and I despise it with every fiber of my being. No game has ever brought out such unfathomable rage in me as this game has, this game is genuinely out to kill you and drag you down to your lowest possible state.

But even then, despite it all, despite everything I've said above and will say in the future, I still love this game. The writing, characters, thematic messages and implications, all of it, everything and fuck it even the gameplay. If you the reader can persevere from everything this game throws at you as part of its masterfully crafted ludonarrative, one day you'll see the light. Quite possibly the greatest ludonarrative ever conceived

This game won't just tell you that life is worth is living, it'll go beyond and ask you to kill yourself just to test how hard you WANT to live. Unironic 10/10 masterpiece, I would wish this game upon my worst enemy.

I'll be real here, if this wasn't a spoiler free review this would be five times the length but I'm not here to subject you that, in fact we can both do that once you the reader are done with this game one day! I'm here to try my level best to condense my thoughts into something coherent without ANY spoilers, without sounding like a crazy lunatic, on selling to you what is arguably my favorite story in fiction so here goes. There will be ABSOLUTELY ZERO SPOILERS in this review, I'll be making sure of that. Spoiling this game for someone or for yourself has to be a cardinal sin or something SO I HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOT LOOKING UP ANYTHING ABOUT THIS GAME UNTIL YOU BEAT IT, NOTHING ABOUT THE CHARACTERS, NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THE TERMS YOU HEAR AND DON'T EVEN MAKE A SIMPLE SEARCH ABOUT THE CHARACTERS I'M SO SERIOUS. LOOK UP ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

First off, what is 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim? Well in a nutshell it’s a VN-esque game pumped full of steroids and cranked up to the max. This game features a non-linear narrative revolving around, you guessed it, 13 distinct characters. There are 2 types of gameplay options: Remembrance and Destruction. Remembrance is the real meat of this game and features the non-linear story with you controlling characters in a side-scrolling scenario whereas Destruction is the RTS (Real Time Strategy) section where you control the Sentinels as per the games namesake. Usually, you're mostly here for Remembrance which is understandable, I was too, but I personally find Destruction quite fun despite some considering it the weaker part of the game which I disagree with, it is genuinely really fun once you get the hang of it. It doesn't take too long once you get the hang of it either and the gameplay itself is quite minimalist, simple and most importantly it ends rather quickly as to not distract you from the story, in fact it adds even more to the story but that's a discussion for another day. That's it for the basic rundown of this game but allow me to go in depth and the reason why I hold this game in such high regard without spoiling anything for you.

This will be talking exclusively about Remembrance for the record but let me to get the simpler stuff out of the way first: the visuals are absolutely fucking gorgeous, so is the artwork and animations, characters have such subtle animations during events in order express their personality with some even happening in the background unbeknownst to the player and all accompanied by stellar voice acting in both languages but I personally find the dub much more enjoyable and would recommend it. The game is a visual treat for the eyes, this is Vanillaware at its peak, the music and even the sound effects are absolutely phenomenal as well but that's enough of the little stuff let’s move onto why you're really here. This game has the most unique way of telling a story that I've ever seen in a game, you can quite literally play the story in any order you like hence the obvious reason it’s called a non-linear narrative along with swapping between Remembrance and Destruction at your leisure albeit you will need to fulfil certain criteria to progress the overall narrative but worry not, the game spells out exactly which pre-requisite you need to do for unlocking the next segments. Every single character has their own distinct stories which branch into multiple other stories, oh and a neat fact, every single one of their stories is a unique spin on an existing piece of media or a movie, the characters themselves are also exceptionally well written for the most part. This may seem daunting but its presented in a way to hook the reader in, the stories overlap and intersect, there are countless clashes between the characters and their own goals and beliefs, some work together, some are at odds with each other and what really drives this home is the fact that eventually you will be seeing these certain events from another characters perspective sooner or later when you pursue the aforementioned characters story which on its own sheds even more light to the overarching narrative along with adding even more context on the event you just experienced. Again, this may seem daunting but it truly isn't, I say it has a unique way of presenting its story but it’s not merely just presented, the real reason is that piecing together the story IS the gameplay and I don't just mean the overall mystery, the game trusts and respects the players intelligence unconditionally. If a certain word is said again in another route? There is no flashback or "I remember them saying this" for the most part, the game reminds the player nothing because it trusts the player to remember the finer details and it does not let up in the slightest along with giving you an extensive archive to help you keep track. The plot is this constantly changing schematic inside your head which changes drastically as you take in and learn new information and plot threads, sometimes even flipping it over its head entirely, challenging everything you may have pieced together thus far. You the player are tasked with piecing this gigantic puzzle together, that in itself IS the gameplay, the puzzle may not make sense at first but you soon suddenly have some manner of "OH NOW I GET IT" moment which feels immensely satisfying BECAUSE you did this all yourself, the game did not feed you this revelation in a traditional manner, you the player pieced it together before the answer was even presented to you. It’s such a unique concept and I wish more games went to the lengths 13 Sentinels does in respecting the players intelligence to do. No matter how farfetched a plot detail may seem the game WILL expand on it in a well-executed manner at a certain point, the game trusts the player and it expects the player to trust the game in return, a symbiotic relationship if you will. Every bit of info, every bit of context from a different perspective and every single plot thread is tailor made to fit into the overarching narrative in such a disturbingly cohesive manner that you gotta wonder how long it took for the writers to make everything not seem nonsensical in fear of it seeming like multiple asspulls. Then again, this game WAS delayed multiple times so mayhap that was the reason, contrary to popular belief I haven't exactly deep dived into this game’s development cycle... yet.

This game is an experience like no other and, full disclosure, this is just me quoting 2 certain well known and respected game developers but I truly believe there will never be another game like 13 Sentinels but I would LOVE to be proven wrong, in a perfect world maybe everything was this game but this is just me being delusional for the sake of it but its heartening to know this games sales went from poor to exceeding expectations due to strong word of mouth by its small albeit extremely dedicated fanbase, giving Vanillaware the push they needed and deserved. This game is a phenomenal work of art, an extensive labor of love and passion by the developers and if you still managed to listen to my ramblings this far, I recommend this game to you with everything I have. Now go get in that Sentinel and strap in for the ride, also here's a cool line from the game to end this review cause why not :P

"It's really happening... Just as you said it would. So we'll do what we have to do. Get in the robots and fight. Our fate was sealed a long time ago."

Honestly, I understand why people say Crossbell is peak because this duology probably has the best two games overall in the series.

I just love everything about Crossbell. I initially played this game wih the horrid translation, but still enjoyed my time with it. It wasn't until last year where I actually got to play it with a real translation in my Trails marathon, and my opinions on it definitely changed for the better.

Honestly, I think I prefer Crossbell as a setting much more to Liberl, not to say that Liberl is bad per se. Crossbell is just that good. I just love talking to each NPC in each Crossbell District after every story interaction and seeing how their dialogue changes. I also love walking along the highways (or taking the bus) and visiting the more remote locations of Crossbell like Mainz and Armorica. Crossbell is just the perfect setting for this game, especially when they explore the dark sides of Crossbell, like the Mafia. I just found it interesting how after Liberl, we were sent not to Erebonia, but to Crossbell of all places. A highly contested autonomous state between two major superpowers in Erebonia and Calvard. Crossbell is definitely my favourite country worldbuilding wise because of how much it has to even further paint the world of Zemuria. If you couldn't tell already I think Trails is the only game series ever to actually get me interested in its political structure and world.

Now let's actually start this review. From a story standpoint alone, I think this is the best game that the series has to offer (so far). I say that because, yeah, the game does start extremely slow, but I think that's valid because the Special Support Section are a new section of the Crossbell Police Department, and haven't earned the trust of locals, like the Bracer Guild has. The group has only been functioning for a little while and they're already trying to deal with Mafioso's and threat letters to celebrities. The Arc en Ciel part of Chapter 2 got me hooked into the story, exposing Mayor MacDowell's secretary and apprehending him. Chapter 3 was probably the most hype I've ever been. You got the anniversary festival with high highs with Estelle, Joshua, Wald, Wazy, and Randy. You also got the auction where you get more interested in Wazy, Mariebelle, and Lechter as characters. This chapter introduces you to KeA, who's just the ray of sunshine that the SSS needed to feel complete. The boss for Chapter 3 after stealing one of their prized posessions from the auction is probably the highlight for me. It's just so badass. I love the little intermission that gives us a little glimpse into the life of the SSS with KeA being added to their numbers. Also, storming a mafia base is just badass, and mkaes me love Chapter 4 as well.

I think the finale deserves it's own little section. Everything just hits the roof. The army and mafia have been drugged with Gnosis, and we find out one of the doctors at the hospital is the leader of a cult. The raid on the SSS and the IBC was great, but I hate how side characters like Grace and Cao were just commenting on us fighting hordes of enemies, like bro, help us? Anyways, I love the badass driving scene with Sergei and Noel, and we get to use Joshua and Estelle in the final dungeon. The final dungeon was creepy, stupid D:G cult. Honestly, the final dungeon felt rather underwhelming till the Garcia boss, and then the final boss, Joachim. Dude just downed a bunch of pills and became a demon. If not for Renne, it would of been curtains for everyone. The final boss dies, and the Brights finally adopt Renne which made me shed a tear not going to lie, it's been a three game journey for them. Overall, a very epic story, and personally one of my favourites.

Character wise, there's a bunch that stick out to me: Randy, Tio, Wazy, Fran, Jona, etc. Randy is interesting because on the surface he's all silly, but he's actually very serious. I just love and adore Tio and Fran. Jona just makes me laugh with his silly shenanigans, and Wazy is probably my favourite because he's just so mysterious and intrigues me and makes me want to know more. I actually thought Lloyd improved over time, and is a great protagonist. I know people don't really like Lloyd, but I just like how he's supportive of the entire group, and you can really tell that he cares for the entirety of the SSS, even in the little time that they spent together. Elie, I'm a bit iffy on, because I don't know what exactly she brings to the story, but maybe that's just me. Overall, this game has really good characters.

Battling, there's not much that's different from Sky, besides new Arts. At least they kept the orbment system, which I adore. I also enjoyed the addition of Evasion. Evasion Builds are just so fun in any game. Yeah, not much to say with battling, it is mostly the same.

The music. slaps. so. hard. The crossbell main theme, the highway themes, the Mainz theme, the Revache theme, the Stargazer Tower theme, the Ancient Battlefield theme, it's all just such a bop. I actually think I might prefer the Zero battle theme to Sophisticated Fight from Sky, idk it just hits differently. But yeah, the music slaps.

Some extremely minor gripes. I hate how the translators treat Lloyd like a playboy and oblivious, idk it just grates me for some reason. Also, I do not understand Wald as a character at all, he actually might be my least favourite in the series so far. That's about it for the gripes.

Overall, the game is extremely enjoyable, and I would honestly love to redo it all and experience it all again. It was that enjoyable.

DISTURBING THE PEACEEEE! LOOK INTO MY EYESSSSSSSSSSSSS!

I can gladly say that Persona 3 Reload is a really really great remake of Persona 3. Everything imo is elevated, which makes the game much more enjoyable. I can honestly say that I had a much more enjoyable time playing Reload than any of the three times I played FES. Going to keep this spoiler-free!

Let's start with the story. Honestly, nothing changes, but really nothing needed to change with the story, it was great as it is. This game probably has the best story out of three main persona games, and I see why people were so high on this game (although it might be my 3rd out of the three major persona games, that doesn't take away my enjoyment of it!).

Mechanically, social links are great. I am glad that they got rid of the Reverse system and the jealousy system because that really annoyed me in FES. I hate how I would be trying to complete every social link and I would accidentally neglect one and then they would reverse, and I would just give up on them entirely. This game does away with that, and it's honestly for the better. Speaking of social links, now that every social link is fully voiced, it makes a world of differences. It elevates each social link and makes me actually care about them (except two of them but I won't specify which because spoilers). Some of the dialogue options in the social links are brutal but I think that's a good quirk for the protagonist to have.

Coming off of social links, I want to talk about link episodes. I still think it's a crime that half of the playable characters do not get a social link. However, link episodes give us a great alternative, and probably the second best option. You get to bond with those party members that you wouldn't usually be able to thanks to the link episodes. The one gripe I had with this system was that there were some personas locked behind the completion of each characters link episodes, and I had only completed one characters link episodes (guess it's a me problem but I wanted to finish every social link so I had my priorities, will definitely do them on a replay). All in all, a great addition to Reload that it needed.

Music. Honestly, I don't really have that much of an opinion on the music in this game because I've barely listened to them except It's Going Down Now, but I love how they kept a lot of the original songs and just remade them. Although I definitely miss the old songs like When the Moon Reaches for the Stars, they do not take away from the new music.

Tartarus, probably the beefiest section. I will make it a fact that I dislike Tartarus with a passion, and having to go through it three times in FES just made me dislike it even more. Like, I honestly hate this more than P4 and P5s versions because of HOW MANY FLOORS there are. What Reload did made me slightly enjoy Tartarus more. Firstly, the inclusion of destructible objects in Tartarus made me so much happier because I wouldn't have to scrounge for chests on each floor to get money. I could just get the Devil Main Arcana card from shuffle time and get 100,000 yen per run of Tartarus. For some of the blocks of Tartarus I believe there was just no way to make them play well, so for those sections I just barely went to Tartarus unless I had to. The inclusion of Monad Doors made breezing through floors not a priority, and to instead take down a Monad Door whenever I saw it. I thoroughly enjoyed them. I also enjoyed that each block of Tartarus had a Monad Corridor (I don't remember the name it's been a hot minute). I enjoyed getting new Main Arcana Cards and challenging fights from these sections of Tartarus that made it also more enjoyable. Ambush was also a good addition to make fights go much more smoother, but I am sad that they removed the choice for the Navigator to change the soundtrack (unless I'm dumb and just couldn't figure out how to do it). The inclusion of twilight fragments was very meh for me, I barely used them at the end because it just wasn't worth it. I liked how on some floors we could pay to heal with twilight fragments instead of consuming SP. Finally, the inclusion of the EXP door (I don't remember what it's called) was great because it allowed me to have two other party members keep up with my main party, and allowed me to switch out party members without being at a disadvantage because they're so low level. Overall, I enjoy Tartarus much more in this game, but I still dislike it for how many floors there are.

Gameplay, hoo boy. I just love Persona and SMT gameplay, so to see it improved makes me so happy. I enjoyed hanging out with each party member in the dorm which gives them characteristics, that just makes some of them unbelievably busted. I enjoyed the addition of Theurgy's and the way that they avoid resistances, and just let you do some insane damage. I also enjoyed how every party member gets more than one theurgy after specific story events, it's great symbolism. The protagonist keeping some of the fusion spells from original P3 is great, and I love the little animations for them between each persona pair. Finally, this game has skill assignment and you don't have to rely on RNG to give you the skills you want (I believe this was a thing in P3P but I will not be going back to P3P after playing this game, it'll be way too weird). The addition of more personas and more skills allowed for more broken builds and thats such a treat. Also gotta talk about my 1 hour fusing sessions in the velvet room, humming to Aria of the Soul, it was great, except when you fusion accident into a Slime. Great gameplay, and would probably replay the game just to make weird builds.

It does suck that The Answer comes as DLC and that we won't be getting FEMC, but this doesn't destroy the game for me, because it was a pleasantly enjoyable 90 hour experience. This was a great game to start the year off with, and I implore anyone reading this if you haven't played this game to please play it, you will not regret it!

Also, the ending was 10/10.

*I played Ys Origins "twice" on Switch and on PS5.

Ys Origin is yet another solid Ys game that polishes the Napishtim system to its max. It's the only mainline game not to have Adol Christin as the protag and the protags consist of two main characters (with a secret final character) with their own story, development, and unique play styles.

Gameplay is polished with better platforming, better use of the magic system, and the bosses mostly being fun. Music is solid with a lot of remixed songs from Ys I, though all the original songs from the game are great. The playable characters are all fun to use and I appreciate the effort they made to make them feel different from Adol. The levels of Darm Tower were all unique with a campaign that least barely under ten hours. While the side characters aren't anything special, the main playable characters were all solid characters themselves.

Despite the positives, there are a few negatives I'll share. Despite how fun all three playable character were, the mage Hugo Fact kind of makes the game really easy and invalidates many of the bosses. Finally, and the reason why I personally think Origins is my last favorite of the Napishtim system is only for the simple fact you need to play all three characters to get the full context of the story. It wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for the fact that all the levels of Darm Tower are the same regardless of which character you play. Despite the fact I still had fun and the campaigns are still short, I wished there was better variety in the Darm Tower levels between all three characters.

Despite my grievances with the needed replays, Ys Origins is a great game that give so much more context to what happened to Ys and why specific details are the way they are in Ys I and II. For that, you should play this game only after playing Ys I and II (and the other two Napishtim games for that matter). If not, it's still is a solid entry point since it is a prequel for the entire series. Easy 4/5.