Still the perfect example of a litmus test for people who can't parse a story all these years later

A product made with so much love,care and understanding,that it knew full when it was time to close the book on the series. You can see it everywhere,from the immaculate presentation and soundtrack,to the extremely well thought-out cast,whose interactions are still so goddamn entertaining and most of all,heartfelt.

There's really no other way to say it: there's no other game,outside Umineko,that truly loves stories as much as this one. Sometimes,those very lies are what keep you going through all the suffering. And that's exactly what will make me float on too.

Plus,this is the second game in which Kodaka just fellates Metal Gear Solid 2 to completion. How can you not love something so unabashedly celebratory of everything that inspired it?

FF7 might be the only game to have had so much money and manpower behind it and NOT crash and burn under the weight of its own scope and expectations.
It feels so meticulously designed in every aspect,be it score (when those piano cords hit on the overworld theme,there's a good chance I'll at least get teary-eyed), wonderfully woven characters,an endlessy replayable battle system or its world building...and yet it feels so unrestrained in what it has to tell. It says it with unbridled confidence too.
Final Fantasy 7 is a product of pure love. Simple as that.

Edit: Playing through Rebirth just reminded me how much of a miracle this whole thing is. A company at is zenith executing their story flawlessly. God.

Weirdest case of coasting on its predecessor's adjustments (for the better,I'd say) while at the same bringing the series to a different direction entirely ever.
Not much I can say about UYA outside of the fact that it's basically a fantastic experience like GC;sure,it's mostly an action game now,but goddamn does it feel good using the Rift Inducer...so I rest my case.
Oh and Nefarious is such a fantastic villain,they might wanna shove him in some further installments instead of writing new bad guys if they're up for it. If only they learned how to properly end their game without an ubrupt cut in the middle of character development.

Whenever people talk about the "perfect sequel", in that it manages to improve on the predecessor on every front,this game is always in the conversation for me. Fantastic blend of platforming and gunplay that is out-of-this-world fun every sing time you pick it up,and a huge amount of mechanics that range from generally passable to outstanding additions,like the Arenas;and none of them outstay their welcome,really.
I could replay this one endlessly,and I'd still feel like the starry-eyed child that played it for the first time as a kid. Pure magic.
Now if only Insomniac learned how to end their own stories,this game would be at least decent. 2/10.

Ok I know by all acounts this is a series still trying to find its footing;it's janky in places it really shouldn't be and it gets so ball-bustingly hard by the end you really have to crawl your way to the credits on a first playthrough.

But I still just kinda love it. Especially now that I know how to handle the bullshit it throws your way. Mostly.
I love the progression of its story,the anti-capitalist themes are played with so well,the platforming and worlds are fantastic to traverse, and clearing a tough section of a planet is the best feeling ever.
Now if only I was there and I had a strafe button,none of this would have happened.

It's hard to describe how much this game gets right,despite being a very sharp left turn compared to its predecessors. Fantastic visuals,it's fun as fuck to hit stuff and seeing that damage rack up,as well as leveling up and finding cool shit to put on and try.
Now that said,it didn't completely blow me out of the water. Maybe it's because I was constantly comparing it to Aria,which I played first,but I can't help but see some cracks here. The back half with the inverted castle particularly drained some of my goodwill,and unlike what I feel most Metroidvania manage to do, I felt like I stopped meaningfully progressing in my abilites 40% of the way through,partly because of it. Plus I kinda wish that they went harder on some of those weapons.
Overall though,still a fine banger. Yuri Lowenthal Alucard will haunt my nightmares for the rest of time.

Damn,this game is just a super tight experience all around.
Extremely charming from the get-go,with a bat-shit insane cast of kids (and cool adults,I guess) and witty dialogue that rides the line between funny and disturbing at points so well you'd think this was made by Henry Selick.
It's a surprisingly competent platformer too,barring some finicky ass tightropes and poles. Raz feels fun to move around and the worlds are some of the most inventive I've seen in this type of game. Can't say the collectables themselves are my favourites I've seen in the genre (missing figments is so easy,100% could eat my ass),and the "combat" can barely be called that,but whatever.
Also,the Meat Circus is pretty perfect as a last level,you can't change my mind. It's challenging while not being frustrating (maybe it's the "easier versioon" I've heard about?) and it's a perfect way to end Raz's arc while intertwining it with the main villain (who's otherwise missing for most of the game) in a hugely satisfying way.
Now,the version I played fucking SUCKED. I don't know wether the problem is from the port, the original ps2 version compared to the xbox one or what have you,but it's filled with slowdowns,lighting glitches,and it even crashed on me twice near the end. I almost wanted to give it way less for how much of a headache it was,but I know in my heart how good this game actually is,despite some rough edges. You got me Tim.

Ryukishi was rightfully very anxious about releasing the chapter,and yet Minagoroshi ends up being the perfect vessel to answer most of the mysteries set by the story over the years.
Full of hope and perseverance,this may be the chapter with the biggest heart of them all,even in the face of the insurmountable odds our main characters are faced with.
There's definitely something to be said about the middle of the story slowing down perhaps a bit too much,or the new character,Hanyuu,having powers a bit too undefined for a murder mystery,but these are nitpicks in the face of another banger from Ryukishi.
Yeah,Hanyuu did nothing wrong,she's a great addition to the cast,flaws and all!

This is the story of how Rena Ryuugu did her best. And it's also my favourite piece of fiction ever. Of all time. I wouldn't change a single damn thing about it.
I can't really talk about Tsumihoroboshi very well,because it's a lot of things. It's a perfect vehicle to recontextualize a lot of the mystery from the question arcs and answer them without being a (mostly) 1 to 1 retelling of a previous installment, it's another tactful exploration of mental health,self-harm,the constant struggle to find happiness,breaking free from your past sins and a hell of a lot more.
This chapter is so dense you could pick it apart forever and still find things to gush about. The parallels between how Rena handles the knowledge of a conspiracy here compared to what happened in the question arcs,one of the most satisfying uses of "the power of friendship" tropes ever,after dozen of hours of buildup...
Not many days go by without me getting brainrot over this story again. It's so powerful,understanding,human and...SOULFUL. 10/10

"I wish...I was never born"
I'm a Shion understander man. What a fucking incredible chapter.
Meakashi is so polarizing between readers:some think it's trying way too hard to be edgy or simpathetic,some just find it okay,or if you're like me,Chapter 5 is an absolute masterpiece in drawing a portrait of a thoroughly broken human being.
Ryukishi himself never asks you to forgive Shion or anyone in the story for all it matters,for what they've done. He simply wants you to see the truth inside a person,and as you try to understand them,you can come to your own conclusion of them.
But you have to try. We're only human,after all.
This is just a story of a girl who was dealt all the worng cards,and acted accordingly. And the journey is only made better thanks to all new tracks by composers such as dai,like the incredibly famous and gutting "Dear you",which manages to fuck me up without fail everytime.
Fuck you Ryukishi for this entire thing,and especially that utterly perfect last act to Shion's chapter. 10/10