(old review; via 1.5+2.5)
(Proud Mode)
I've played this game three times and I love it still.

Death Count: 72

Screw Proud Mode sometimes tho

(old review; played via 1.5+2.5)
(Critical Mode)
I have a few problems, but otherwise I very very much like this game.
(Okay tbh I went more in-depth back when I finished this game but unfortunately I no longer have access to where I put my full thoughts.)

Oh also
Total Death Count (including Mission and Gummy Ship Fails. Not Mickey Saves though): 149

(Used the reborn/definitive mod alongside the save anywhere and old music mods)
I loved this game when I first played it, and I'm glad to say I still do (out of what I was able to do. More on that later). It's GTA III but really fun. It's got fantastic music, I love the look, I find most of the required missions fair (except Death Row,. That one sucks. Also keyword there is required because man the Lovefist missions are not fun either). The two main issues I have are that the second half can feel a bit of a grind, and, again, Death Row, otherwise this is a great one that totally gets a recommend outta me...

Though this is from what I was able to do in this playthrough (so up to the second half with the first Vercetti and last Cortez mission completed), and my memories of the rest, because (and I'm not sure this is just for me or for everyone) this game kept randomly crashing on me to the point I just wanted to stop. I'm not counting this against the game itself (this is an issue of the PC port and/or my copy), but still.

(very old review (for reasons that'll be clear, I have not finished the game any other time I tried to replay it); Sora's story only; Via 1.5)

(Standard)
Even if I don't hate it as much as others, this game sucks. The couple of bullshit boss fights that more or less force you to use game breaking shit, potentially having to grind for cards to get past doors, Sora being made unlikeable and just flat out stupid, this is the worst one outta the ones I've played. Easily.

So me from the now times of June 2024, I wanted to just put here real quick that since that playthrough (back in 2021), I have grown quite a fondness for the music, and I've warmed up to the story.
Everything else here sticks though, I still hate this game and think it's easily the worst out of what I've played.

The first game in this Cage-rilogy, and what an awful start. the game has some good points, but most of the time it's a boring or drustrating mrdd mess. Neither the L and R QTEs or the dumb Simon Says QTEs are really challenging or enjoyable (specailly the SS ones because I feel they distract too much from what's happening druing them), and especially later on can go for way way too long, the swiping to select things is...fine, but feels weird and unnessecary at points like the sex scene or choosing dialogue options, and I feel that the exploring parts can be really boring a lot of the time.

And the story? MAN. This could've been a saving throw because (outside of the bad fluff moments) I think this was a legit great drama with supernatural elements. It's starts off pretty strong (after the almost 5 minute long cutscene), The main characters and some of the prominent side characters are likeable, and I feel the mystery is pretty interesting, BUT that that all drops in the second half where it just does Matrix shit and loses itself in the stupidity od itself, alongside all three endings being bad as well as being either disgustingly happy (the good ending) or more or less game overs (the other two endings).

This game sucks. Both OG and Remaster, and I don't want to come back to this again.

Oh also the music is good and it looks alright.

Now with a second playthrough under my belt...
Yeah no I don't like this game. I like the dark humor and some of the songs, but the missions after leaving Portland can be frustrating (specially near the end), you can easily lock yourself out of 100% depending on how you do missions, the lack of an indicator for services (unless you need them for a mission) can make finding Ammunition a pain in the ass, safehouses not fully healing you means you have to spend time finding health pickups alongside going back to save, and some other things make the game one I'm not very fond of.

I wouldn't say not to play this game, but if it's either playing this or the later games (especially Vice City or IV), and you can't do both, pick the latter.

(Oh also to explain why I skipped GTA 2, the PC version I had broke and I just decided to not bother getting it fixed or get the PS1 version running.)

(Played the XBLA version via Rare Replay)
Eeeehhhhh I didn't like this one very much. Music's catchy, it looks nice, I love the characters and humor, and I find Grunty's Lair a great hub world, but it feels like the game peaks in Spiral Mountain, Mumbo's Mountain and Treasure Trove Cove, and then just drops further and further as it goes on, the exception being Mad Monster Mansion, which I thought was pretty fun (if a bit annoying from the gravestones and dying, more on that later).
Alongside that, collecting can be really annoying at points, the swimming and flying controls aren't very good (even with the sharp turn), the mapping of Wonderwing (at least on XBLA) is a bit dumb, some enemies requiring Wonderwing to be killed is dumb, having to go from the entrance back to wherever world you were at/going to when you reload a save gets annoying when you start getting to the later levels, the spamming of the hole enemies (especially on small platforms, usually leading you to falling off if they hit you) is annoying, the lives system is very dumb (though tbf, lives systems in collectathons in general is very dumb and shouldn't be a thing and (in the XBLA version) the only way to circumvent it disables saving, dying is a pain in the ass because it resets almost everything in the level, the lack of a reticle makes egg shooting and the beak bomb annoying to work with, and the fixed camera angles can obscure important things or screw you over.

(despite all the negative things I said) I don't think it's at all a bad game, but I don't think it's great either, and it's one I don't think I'm gonna want to come back to anytime soon.

Oh yeah also the last two phases of the final boss are horseshit.

Man, talk about getting caught off guard by how much you enjoyed a game. (Partially because I played Persona 1 before it) I went into Soul Hackers expecting to like it but not love it, and I finished very much liking the game. The dungeons and combat I had fun with, the story (even if it isn't as deep as SMT and Persona) was a good time, and had some real good songs.
My only gripes would be the final boss (because it's two bosses with no save between), the inability to skip cutscenes (even on 3DS), and the flawed App system (in there's basically like 4 you'd wanna stick to for the rest of the game), but otherwise than that, I think this is a great time, and (speically given it's not very long and a bit easy) a great starting point to MegaTen...
Shame the only officially translated version (at least in the States) is the 3DS version, though.

(Played through MCC; New Graphics)
I love this game. Loved it back when I first played it many years back, and love it even more playing it now (partially because I don't suck at this game as much anymore). It's got some annoying parts at points (namely the escort part at the end from how many enemies you have to fight and I feel some of the levels being a bit too easy to get lost in), but otherwise it's great, and improves on Halo 1 in many many ways.
The story is better and deeper (also introduced best boi Thel/Arbiter)
The gameplay is improved, adding things like two playable protagonists, dual wielding, stealing and attacking enemy vehicles directly, and teammates being able to drive vehicles (though they're not very good at it), and removing stuff like the health system (in favor of just a faster recharging shield) and fall damage.
The music is great (not to say 1's is bad, though (little unmemorable to me but I digress))
The graphics (both OG and Anniversary) look great (though the latter does still kinda suffer from some levels being made too bright, ruining the point of the flashlight, and weird changes like Arbiter's last two levels not being as cloudy)

This is a great one, definite recommendation (just not on Legendary because I hear this game is like unfun hard on that difficulty)

(old review)
(Proud Mode)

Sad Catwolf noises

But that doesn't change the spell charge system that I feel gets in the way sometimes (specifically near the end), most of the bosses of the last like 3/4 of the game that were either piss easy to a fault or so infuriating I wanted to quit (specifically for the latter: Leechgrave, Phantomtail, Ruler of the Skies, and Xion's 2nd and 3rd forms), the panel system is great but needed some refinement (and I feel that kinda hurts that desire to really experiment with say the different gears), a lot of this game's stuff I feel is great but needs some refinement, and that the game really didn't need to be so damn long. Like even when treating it like a DS game and only playing it in sessions, I still was just done with it by the end.
But if to praise it outside the story, I think it's renditions and exclusive tracks are really good, I think it looks good for a DS game (a 3D one at that), and I think this game could really work if it had those refinements.
Kinda why I wish we got (or get) a re:358/2 Days at some point. Wouldn't be too hard to do given I don't think there's really anything that'd stop it from being brought over to non-DS things, I think 358 can work if it had refinements and a shorter length, and also because, tbh, while the movie is still how I recommend you experience 358, it's still not an end all solution to experiencing 358 given what's lost