CtheIronblooded
344 Reviews liked by CtheIronblooded
This review contains spoilers
‘Now Rean, Let us begin. Together, we shall write the end to this wretched fairy tale. In ink, black as despair.’
People have been debating for a while now whats the best entry into the series. There's Trails in the Sky FC, which is a little dated, but is probably the best entry point (Though I do agree that it is hard to get into so maybe getting hooked into the series first is better). Trails from Zero, although more modern, is also hard to get into, but I would personally recommend this to people who wanted to get into the series. Trails of Cold Steel is also another great entry point, and people have also said Daybreak is another great entry point. Why is this relevant you might ask, well my entry point was Trails of Cold Steel III. Yeah, not my proudest moment, I thought they were standalone games when I initially played this game but I was invested and didn't want to give up there. If i've told anyone that I started with CS1, I apologise, but it's kind of embarassing. Anyways..
Trails of Cold Steel III is the DEFINITION of peak fiction and cinema. This game got me into the series, despite me not knowing anything about it and being confused like 95% of the time, so that has to say something. A smaller group of main characters and a setup that will make you miserable, angry, and depressed, that is what this game is all about. I could write a whole ass essay on this game, but if I did that, this would be the longest review on Backloggd. Just gotta say it's my favourite game in the series, and despite some pretty minor flaws, its a banger in many categories.
Storywise, this game is throwback central. You get callbacks to characters like Tita, Agate, Lloyd, KeA, Arios, and some others who are more relevant to the story like Randy. Instead of being a student this time around, Rean is an instructor for Thors Branch Campus, taking lead over his own Class VII. Each member has their own personality quirks, and some experience more development than others, but that's probably because they still have CS4 to develop. This game is like the replication of CS1, but in my opinion, done so much better because this game just has higher-stakes. Field Exercises are way more enjoyable than Field Studies, going to places like Saint-Arkh, Parm, Hamel, Crossbell, Ordis, Raquel, and Heimdallr. Heimdallr especially feels more high-stakes, even the music, sounding less juvenile, like in CS1. Class VII isn't the only new characters in this game, and I like interacting with all of the major students from the branch campus, each having their own individual quirks and struggles too. Now talking about the main story, Chapter 1 just makes me so excited for the rest of the game because of the return of Ouroboros, as well as the raid on the Field Exercise Camp, and the reunion of a couple of Class VII members. I will say, finally getting to explore Hamel was great, and just made it that much eerie, especially with the appearance of Fie's 'father' and a divine knight that looks eerily similar to Valimar. I will say that I believe Chapter 2 is probably my favourite chapter across the entire trails series because of how pissed it made me. I've heavily invested in the Trails world, and when they stir shit with Crossbell, I lose it, which is probably why Juna is my favourite character in this game, because of her entire arc in this chapter, I completely get her. Chapter 2 is just great in general because we get more development from Ash and Musse, and more insight into how dodgy the Ironbloods and related parties are becoming. Can't forget 3D Crossbell, with the return of Tio, and reunions from Emma and Alisa (Machias is there as well I guess). We also get more of Sharon's backstory, as she's remained a mystery most of the first-half of the arc. We also get a great segment from McBurn and Campanella (though I wish I could say the same about both boss fights but Emma just destroys both of them). I've never been as politically invested into a world and into a country as I am with Crossbell and I was literally on the verge of breakdown when they kept slandering it (this what happens when I got to invested into Zero and Azure). Overall, a great chapter that just has so many highs. Chapter 3 Ash and Musse join Class VII, and I'm happy to get to learn more about them. We get to go to Ordis, probably one of the most gorgeous towns in Trails, and everything is just jampacked. From jaegers, to the Imperial Provincial Council, to the infamous Wilhelm Ballad, and the railway cannons that are aimed at Ordis. We also can't forget the Stahlritter, Arianrhod, and the battle for Juno. This chapter is great and everything just kept changing and changing, and we even get cryptic conversations from both Ash and Musse, making me even more interested in them, as well as the cliffhanger with Angelica at the cemetry. The highlight of the chapter is of course the battle between Class VII and Aurelia vs. Arianrhod and the Stahlritter, it truly is that epic. Chapter 4 is probably where all hell breaks loose. The branch campus versus the main campus, the catacombs, terrorists, and then the inevitable curse that prompts Ash to shoot the Emperor. You can really tell how much the tone shifts between Chapter 4 and the finale. Everyone turns on Class VII. The Ironbloods, Sharon, Aurelia and co (though I wouldn't call that turning on us), George, everyone truly sucks in this timeline. The Infernal Castle didn't feel that satisfying because people kept saving us, but the Spiral of Erebos was truly a great dungeon. There is no cavalry following Class VII to aid us, we are truly the sole cavalry. It's Class VII versus everyone else to prevent the 'end of the world'. The series of events that occur in this dungeon just sweeps me off of my feet. Olivier, Toval, and Viscount Arseid die in an explosion, George turns traitor on everyone, Gaius reveals himself as a member of the Gralsritter, 'Siegfried's' mask breaks, Alisa whips out another orbal gear, Cedric choking Altina (screw you Cedric), Millium sacrificing herself to save Altina and Rean, Rean going berserk due to Millium's death causing the end of the world, and then that bone-chilling cliffhanger that gives me goosebumps anytime I witness it, this is truly the best game in the series for me, hands down. I will say I am not fond of the developers painting Rean as a pedophile at the start of Chapter 2 in Crossbell over a misunderstanding from Altina, didn't find it very funny and probably the worst part of the game for me imo. The game also heavily reuses the 'Heed my call Vali-' and the 'That won't be necessary' schtick. The story in this game had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it.
Characters. There's just so many great additions, between all of the new Class VII members, Aurelia, Arianrhod, Duvalie, they are all great. Highlights for me are definitely Juna and Altina. I'm still annoyed by the bonding point system, but it doesn't affect me on NG+ runs. This game is also great at making me hate certain characters, like Cedric and Rufus, they're written to perfection, but I hate their guts and want to deck them in the face. Then there's misses, like Angelica, who's libido has been upped by like x1000 since the last game, and Black Alberich, dude is boring as hell. I also want the game to stop pushing Rean and Elise, as well as Agate and Tita together. The game has a great cast of characters, with a couple of duds, but these do not sour my experience with the game.
The music is great. My favourite is definitely the Spiral of Erebos theme. I also enjoy the new Abend Time theme, and all of the town themes, and the battle themes, and probably all of the music in this game. The composers truly do not disappoint me with more banger tracks in each game.
Gameplay! I love how games where you can just abuse the system to make the game x100 easier. Brave Orders completely break the game, with Juna's especially allowing you to insta-break any enemy and send them to the shadow realm. Musse is a war machine in the late game with high tier arts, and Rean is just an overall powerful unit with Gale now on his craft list. I love break gauges in gameplay, and Trails is no exception, it just makes me enjoy combat way more. I love building Fie as a 'plague-spreader' as she can equip every status ailment quartz, and just give every enemy cancer. Nightmare is pretty much a breeze in this game, but that's porbably because I'm well-experienced in the games combat. Overall, solid gameplay, that offers a wide variety of customisation.
I have to always praise trails and their NPC dialogue, because its so great. I love how little substories develop as the game goes on, like how some of the shop owners are getting together, or two nobles are planning to run away together, i just love seeing how these subplots unfold, in relation to the main story. Probably one my favourite features of trails games (and probably the main reason why I don't play any of the other released trails games in Japanese because I don't believe the translators translate all NPC dialogue). If you haven't given talking to every NPC a go, I highly recommend it, it is very enjoyable.
I need to end this review somehow, and I just want to talk about how much of a masterpiece this game truly is. I enjoy every second of this game, and it truly is the reason why I've gotten into this series, so I do have a place in my heart for it. The story is amazing, with a brilliant cast of characters, with great gameplay and music, with a couple of duds, but not everything can be perfect. Osborne is the perfect villain, and the way this game leaves you on a cliffhanger is exhilarating. I could talk about a lot more, but I'm going to stop my review here before I keep rambling.
UPDATE: I lied. I need to ramble more. This game reminds me of the end of the Infernal Castle with the amount of plot twists that they throw at you at the end of the game. We beat the final boss, but it doesn't feel like a good ending, no, Rean just unleashed a curse onto the entire world. Rean is even taken captive by the enemy. Can my man catch a break? Seriously, this series just loves dunking on Rean, he deserves the best. Also they made Shining op for the fact that it has a small AoE now and isn't single target, what were they thinking? Also, CROW ARMBRUST IS BACK AAAAAAAAAAAA!
People have been debating for a while now whats the best entry into the series. There's Trails in the Sky FC, which is a little dated, but is probably the best entry point (Though I do agree that it is hard to get into so maybe getting hooked into the series first is better). Trails from Zero, although more modern, is also hard to get into, but I would personally recommend this to people who wanted to get into the series. Trails of Cold Steel is also another great entry point, and people have also said Daybreak is another great entry point. Why is this relevant you might ask, well my entry point was Trails of Cold Steel III. Yeah, not my proudest moment, I thought they were standalone games when I initially played this game but I was invested and didn't want to give up there. If i've told anyone that I started with CS1, I apologise, but it's kind of embarassing. Anyways..
Trails of Cold Steel III is the DEFINITION of peak fiction and cinema. This game got me into the series, despite me not knowing anything about it and being confused like 95% of the time, so that has to say something. A smaller group of main characters and a setup that will make you miserable, angry, and depressed, that is what this game is all about. I could write a whole ass essay on this game, but if I did that, this would be the longest review on Backloggd. Just gotta say it's my favourite game in the series, and despite some pretty minor flaws, its a banger in many categories.
Storywise, this game is throwback central. You get callbacks to characters like Tita, Agate, Lloyd, KeA, Arios, and some others who are more relevant to the story like Randy. Instead of being a student this time around, Rean is an instructor for Thors Branch Campus, taking lead over his own Class VII. Each member has their own personality quirks, and some experience more development than others, but that's probably because they still have CS4 to develop. This game is like the replication of CS1, but in my opinion, done so much better because this game just has higher-stakes. Field Exercises are way more enjoyable than Field Studies, going to places like Saint-Arkh, Parm, Hamel, Crossbell, Ordis, Raquel, and Heimdallr. Heimdallr especially feels more high-stakes, even the music, sounding less juvenile, like in CS1. Class VII isn't the only new characters in this game, and I like interacting with all of the major students from the branch campus, each having their own individual quirks and struggles too. Now talking about the main story, Chapter 1 just makes me so excited for the rest of the game because of the return of Ouroboros, as well as the raid on the Field Exercise Camp, and the reunion of a couple of Class VII members. I will say, finally getting to explore Hamel was great, and just made it that much eerie, especially with the appearance of Fie's 'father' and a divine knight that looks eerily similar to Valimar. I will say that I believe Chapter 2 is probably my favourite chapter across the entire trails series because of how pissed it made me. I've heavily invested in the Trails world, and when they stir shit with Crossbell, I lose it, which is probably why Juna is my favourite character in this game, because of her entire arc in this chapter, I completely get her. Chapter 2 is just great in general because we get more development from Ash and Musse, and more insight into how dodgy the Ironbloods and related parties are becoming. Can't forget 3D Crossbell, with the return of Tio, and reunions from Emma and Alisa (Machias is there as well I guess). We also get more of Sharon's backstory, as she's remained a mystery most of the first-half of the arc. We also get a great segment from McBurn and Campanella (though I wish I could say the same about both boss fights but Emma just destroys both of them). I've never been as politically invested into a world and into a country as I am with Crossbell and I was literally on the verge of breakdown when they kept slandering it (this what happens when I got to invested into Zero and Azure). Overall, a great chapter that just has so many highs. Chapter 3 Ash and Musse join Class VII, and I'm happy to get to learn more about them. We get to go to Ordis, probably one of the most gorgeous towns in Trails, and everything is just jampacked. From jaegers, to the Imperial Provincial Council, to the infamous Wilhelm Ballad, and the railway cannons that are aimed at Ordis. We also can't forget the Stahlritter, Arianrhod, and the battle for Juno. This chapter is great and everything just kept changing and changing, and we even get cryptic conversations from both Ash and Musse, making me even more interested in them, as well as the cliffhanger with Angelica at the cemetry. The highlight of the chapter is of course the battle between Class VII and Aurelia vs. Arianrhod and the Stahlritter, it truly is that epic. Chapter 4 is probably where all hell breaks loose. The branch campus versus the main campus, the catacombs, terrorists, and then the inevitable curse that prompts Ash to shoot the Emperor. You can really tell how much the tone shifts between Chapter 4 and the finale. Everyone turns on Class VII. The Ironbloods, Sharon, Aurelia and co (though I wouldn't call that turning on us), George, everyone truly sucks in this timeline. The Infernal Castle didn't feel that satisfying because people kept saving us, but the Spiral of Erebos was truly a great dungeon. There is no cavalry following Class VII to aid us, we are truly the sole cavalry. It's Class VII versus everyone else to prevent the 'end of the world'. The series of events that occur in this dungeon just sweeps me off of my feet. Olivier, Toval, and Viscount Arseid die in an explosion, George turns traitor on everyone, Gaius reveals himself as a member of the Gralsritter, 'Siegfried's' mask breaks, Alisa whips out another orbal gear, Cedric choking Altina (screw you Cedric), Millium sacrificing herself to save Altina and Rean, Rean going berserk due to Millium's death causing the end of the world, and then that bone-chilling cliffhanger that gives me goosebumps anytime I witness it, this is truly the best game in the series for me, hands down. I will say I am not fond of the developers painting Rean as a pedophile at the start of Chapter 2 in Crossbell over a misunderstanding from Altina, didn't find it very funny and probably the worst part of the game for me imo. The game also heavily reuses the 'Heed my call Vali-' and the 'That won't be necessary' schtick. The story in this game had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it.
Characters. There's just so many great additions, between all of the new Class VII members, Aurelia, Arianrhod, Duvalie, they are all great. Highlights for me are definitely Juna and Altina. I'm still annoyed by the bonding point system, but it doesn't affect me on NG+ runs. This game is also great at making me hate certain characters, like Cedric and Rufus, they're written to perfection, but I hate their guts and want to deck them in the face. Then there's misses, like Angelica, who's libido has been upped by like x1000 since the last game, and Black Alberich, dude is boring as hell. I also want the game to stop pushing Rean and Elise, as well as Agate and Tita together. The game has a great cast of characters, with a couple of duds, but these do not sour my experience with the game.
The music is great. My favourite is definitely the Spiral of Erebos theme. I also enjoy the new Abend Time theme, and all of the town themes, and the battle themes, and probably all of the music in this game. The composers truly do not disappoint me with more banger tracks in each game.
Gameplay! I love how games where you can just abuse the system to make the game x100 easier. Brave Orders completely break the game, with Juna's especially allowing you to insta-break any enemy and send them to the shadow realm. Musse is a war machine in the late game with high tier arts, and Rean is just an overall powerful unit with Gale now on his craft list. I love break gauges in gameplay, and Trails is no exception, it just makes me enjoy combat way more. I love building Fie as a 'plague-spreader' as she can equip every status ailment quartz, and just give every enemy cancer. Nightmare is pretty much a breeze in this game, but that's porbably because I'm well-experienced in the games combat. Overall, solid gameplay, that offers a wide variety of customisation.
I have to always praise trails and their NPC dialogue, because its so great. I love how little substories develop as the game goes on, like how some of the shop owners are getting together, or two nobles are planning to run away together, i just love seeing how these subplots unfold, in relation to the main story. Probably one my favourite features of trails games (and probably the main reason why I don't play any of the other released trails games in Japanese because I don't believe the translators translate all NPC dialogue). If you haven't given talking to every NPC a go, I highly recommend it, it is very enjoyable.
I need to end this review somehow, and I just want to talk about how much of a masterpiece this game truly is. I enjoy every second of this game, and it truly is the reason why I've gotten into this series, so I do have a place in my heart for it. The story is amazing, with a brilliant cast of characters, with great gameplay and music, with a couple of duds, but not everything can be perfect. Osborne is the perfect villain, and the way this game leaves you on a cliffhanger is exhilarating. I could talk about a lot more, but I'm going to stop my review here before I keep rambling.
UPDATE: I lied. I need to ramble more. This game reminds me of the end of the Infernal Castle with the amount of plot twists that they throw at you at the end of the game. We beat the final boss, but it doesn't feel like a good ending, no, Rean just unleashed a curse onto the entire world. Rean is even taken captive by the enemy. Can my man catch a break? Seriously, this series just loves dunking on Rean, he deserves the best. Also they made Shining op for the fact that it has a small AoE now and isn't single target, what were they thinking? Also, CROW ARMBRUST IS BACK AAAAAAAAAAAA!
I don't even need to play the game to see how absolutely atrocious and scummy the game is. To purchase Rixia, it literally costs the same as trails game, that's hilarious. The translation is also whack, like how do they let the description of Elie be 'the mayor of McDowell' and 'serves as a staff member of the Special Agent Support Section'. Do not play it, do not touch the game, it is terrible, plain and simple.
Probably the best argument not to rely on MTL and AI for localisations I've seen in months.
Kill the past. Secure the future.
This review contains minor spoilers for Yakuza 5, 6, 7 and Gaiden.
Kiryu has to move on from his past mistakes. Put his trust in others for the first time.
Ichiban has to secure the future for all the ex-Yakuza he helped tear down. They are human too.
Ichiban has to use the past as a stepping stone to reach for even greater highs. If he got up from rock bottom, he is capable of dreaming of greater heights. His father’s footsteps. His failed confession. A brother he didn’t have the chance to change.
Kiryu has to see a brighter tomorrow, secure what little future he has left. Even if he himself tries to deny this fact. Still too afraid to let others into his life.
Wandering around the city with Kiryu, reminiscing on all the past events you and him have been through together. The hardships you have faced against the insurmountable foes behind the many multi-layered conspiracies. The laughs you had with the side characters. The infuriation you felt whilst fighting the near-immortal Amon, or the fun you had batting your stress away at the cages. Finally being able to see some of the long lost characters. This is the life Kiryu has lived. You have seen it all through. Reminisce on it one last time.
But he can't wallow in despair. He has new friends to keep his chin up. You have been an empty, depressed shell of your former self since 2011. It’s time to gain back some of that old spark. Enjoy life whilst it lasts Kiryu. Gather some positivity, if anyone could tell you how to do that, it’d be Ichi and his gang.
This is partially Ichiban’s story after all, and what is Ichiban’s story if not a spontaneous bundle of misfits reaching for the sky?
Ichiban’s tale is always penned in the love he has for his friends. The pals he can always confide in, Adachi and Nanba. The person most unapproachable to him, Saeko. The unpredictable ex-mafia who can whip up a mean dim sum, Zhao. The initially cold, but ultimately human members of the Geomijul, Joongi and Seonhee.
Joining Ichiban’s group of middle aged do-gooders are the helpful wheelchair-bound Eiji. The cabbie who tried to rob him at gunpoint, Tomizawa. The girl who knows more than she lets on, Chitose. Lastly, the brick-faced Yakuza legend, Kiryu Kazuma himself.
Putting Kiryu in Ichibans crew was an interesting decision. These are people he has never had a heart to heart with before. Complete strangers as far as he is concerned. But it worked. The relationship between Kiryu and these people clicked. Ichiban’s cheerfulness can even tear down the greatest of walls. Kiryu quickly found that he had a lot more in common with this pick ‘n’ mix of Japan's (and Hawaii’s) most bold.
What really, really helps the bonds you forge with the party is all of the gameplay additions surrounding it. Wandering around the map could trigger a conversation where Seonhee mentions Joongi watching videos of rubber bands blowing up watermelons. Or a discussion between Ichiban and Tomizawa about hermit-crab real estate. Every one of these conversations is as enamoring as the last.
But it's not limited to just this, eat at restaurants and the crew might burn their tongues on sesame balls or talk about how their sensitive molars make the party weak to ice magic. Levelling up your bonds allows you to do tag team attacks, combo enemies with your allies, and unlock new skills and jobs to experiment with.
Everything you do with your party increases their bond level, as you increase their bond you can go out and grab drinks, usually resulting in a small character arc for that party member. Unlike 7, the characters have plenty of good moments and screen time. So it's not like Zhao or Joongi get a particularly short end of the stick like they did previously. Most of these drink links have nice conclusions, or add particularly entertaining bits of depth to the characters.
So all of this makes the party fantastic. But what's a good band of heroes without some ruthless masterminds?
The majority of the villains are quite good. Together they form a super solid antagonistic cast, though individually they are a bit hit or miss.
Yamai is the standout here. Solid design, fantastic arc, great boss fights and extremely memorable voicework to boot. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone among the fanbase who didn’t end up a fan.
Ichiban’s final boss is not bad, but it definitely will not make it to the hall of fame of RGG’s greats like Aoki, Shishido or Mine. However, Ichiban’s story does not end there. His big moment comes afterwards. His final scene, helping up someone from rock bottom through a naive, one-sided love is just so… Ichiban. The dream present in this scene never came to fruition before. But he made it possible now.
Kiryu’s final boss has a few minor issues. I really don't know why they felt the need to include a “we are not so different, he and I” moment, when I think that much was made clear. But at the same time,
I…
I APOLOGISE.
This game is nothing short of fantastic, following up on every idea, every core concept in this 9-game series is nothing short of monumental work. To be able to do it in this fashion, and deliver it with this much purpose is stunning.
Something as special as this does not come around often.
This review contains minor spoilers for Yakuza 5, 6, 7 and Gaiden.
Kiryu has to move on from his past mistakes. Put his trust in others for the first time.
Ichiban has to secure the future for all the ex-Yakuza he helped tear down. They are human too.
Ichiban has to use the past as a stepping stone to reach for even greater highs. If he got up from rock bottom, he is capable of dreaming of greater heights. His father’s footsteps. His failed confession. A brother he didn’t have the chance to change.
Kiryu has to see a brighter tomorrow, secure what little future he has left. Even if he himself tries to deny this fact. Still too afraid to let others into his life.
Wandering around the city with Kiryu, reminiscing on all the past events you and him have been through together. The hardships you have faced against the insurmountable foes behind the many multi-layered conspiracies. The laughs you had with the side characters. The infuriation you felt whilst fighting the near-immortal Amon, or the fun you had batting your stress away at the cages. Finally being able to see some of the long lost characters. This is the life Kiryu has lived. You have seen it all through. Reminisce on it one last time.
But he can't wallow in despair. He has new friends to keep his chin up. You have been an empty, depressed shell of your former self since 2011. It’s time to gain back some of that old spark. Enjoy life whilst it lasts Kiryu. Gather some positivity, if anyone could tell you how to do that, it’d be Ichi and his gang.
This is partially Ichiban’s story after all, and what is Ichiban’s story if not a spontaneous bundle of misfits reaching for the sky?
Ichiban’s tale is always penned in the love he has for his friends. The pals he can always confide in, Adachi and Nanba. The person most unapproachable to him, Saeko. The unpredictable ex-mafia who can whip up a mean dim sum, Zhao. The initially cold, but ultimately human members of the Geomijul, Joongi and Seonhee.
Joining Ichiban’s group of middle aged do-gooders are the helpful wheelchair-bound Eiji. The cabbie who tried to rob him at gunpoint, Tomizawa. The girl who knows more than she lets on, Chitose. Lastly, the brick-faced Yakuza legend, Kiryu Kazuma himself.
Putting Kiryu in Ichibans crew was an interesting decision. These are people he has never had a heart to heart with before. Complete strangers as far as he is concerned. But it worked. The relationship between Kiryu and these people clicked. Ichiban’s cheerfulness can even tear down the greatest of walls. Kiryu quickly found that he had a lot more in common with this pick ‘n’ mix of Japan's (and Hawaii’s) most bold.
What really, really helps the bonds you forge with the party is all of the gameplay additions surrounding it. Wandering around the map could trigger a conversation where Seonhee mentions Joongi watching videos of rubber bands blowing up watermelons. Or a discussion between Ichiban and Tomizawa about hermit-crab real estate. Every one of these conversations is as enamoring as the last.
But it's not limited to just this, eat at restaurants and the crew might burn their tongues on sesame balls or talk about how their sensitive molars make the party weak to ice magic. Levelling up your bonds allows you to do tag team attacks, combo enemies with your allies, and unlock new skills and jobs to experiment with.
Everything you do with your party increases their bond level, as you increase their bond you can go out and grab drinks, usually resulting in a small character arc for that party member. Unlike 7, the characters have plenty of good moments and screen time. So it's not like Zhao or Joongi get a particularly short end of the stick like they did previously. Most of these drink links have nice conclusions, or add particularly entertaining bits of depth to the characters.
So all of this makes the party fantastic. But what's a good band of heroes without some ruthless masterminds?
The majority of the villains are quite good. Together they form a super solid antagonistic cast, though individually they are a bit hit or miss.
Yamai is the standout here. Solid design, fantastic arc, great boss fights and extremely memorable voicework to boot. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone among the fanbase who didn’t end up a fan.
Ichiban’s final boss is not bad, but it definitely will not make it to the hall of fame of RGG’s greats like Aoki, Shishido or Mine. However, Ichiban’s story does not end there. His big moment comes afterwards. His final scene, helping up someone from rock bottom through a naive, one-sided love is just so… Ichiban. The dream present in this scene never came to fruition before. But he made it possible now.
Kiryu’s final boss has a few minor issues. I really don't know why they felt the need to include a “we are not so different, he and I” moment, when I think that much was made clear. But at the same time,
I…
I APOLOGISE.
This game is nothing short of fantastic, following up on every idea, every core concept in this 9-game series is nothing short of monumental work. To be able to do it in this fashion, and deliver it with this much purpose is stunning.
Something as special as this does not come around often.
After seeing a fair bit of the promo materials for Infinite Wealth, and especially after playing 'The Man Who Erased His Name', I had a single great fear going into this one. Yakuza: Like a Dragon had claimed the title of my favourite RGG studios game due in no small part to the new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. It is no exaggeration for me to say he is my favourite all-time RPG protagonist, and with how things were shaping up my fear was that he would have to relinquish that spotlight back to the long-time series favourite, Kazuma Kiryu. I am more than happy to report that these fears were unfounded and Infinite Wealth simply allows both these protagonists to breathe by simply jamming two massive games together in one.
To elaborate further, the scope of this game is insane. I have that same feeling I did when I first played Yakuza 5. A whole new map to explore in Hawaii on top of Yokohama and Kamurocho, and there are a massive amount of minigames (and even a proper ass game in Dondoko Island) to go with it. Want to play a Pokemon Snap-like where you take pictures of perverts wreaking havock across Hawaii? There's Sicko Snap at three of the bus stops around town. How about a dating app where you build Kasuga's profile and do rhythm game-like inputs to score a funny date? There's Miss Match. How about straight-up Crazy Taxi x Uber Eats where you race around picking up food, doing tricks, and stopping by citizens? There's Crazy Eats. All of these are pretty fun and have a respectable amount of content and incentive to replay them, and there are plenty of other reasons to manually explore around town like Aloha Links, the Photo Rally, and the Sujimon League rather than just fast travelling from destination to destination. Having a dedicated button to wave to the people you meet, a playlist full of collectible SEGA songs, and a segway really make it comfy to explore.
Diving further in, Dondoko Island is the new 'main' minigame in Infinite Wealth as the counterpart to the Company Management in Like a Dragon. Essentially Animal Crossing, you clear out trash on your island to make room for all sorts of buildings and decorations of your own creation as you invite various people to come stay for a few days and enjoy what you've built. Once you have the requisite resources and recipes (which you gain both actively and passively), you can build it right there on the spot and place it and move it around as you see fit. Create your own paths around each area to fit the style you want, and even redecorating isn't much of a hassle. A day on Dondoko Island takes about thirty minutes or so, and each day has daily tasks to help you rake in the Dokobucks which can be used to purchase upgrades, buy special decorations, or even just convert into straight cash. It was very addicting to push my island rank all the way up to 5 stars and I ended up putting the plot on hold for a long time just for how fun it was.
Now back to talking about the real game itself, there are a handful of improvements to the combat system. The big one here is the expanded movement during battle. You have a circle which you can freely move around in, and many of the moves and attacks for each job allow you to knock enemies into each other for extra damage. It becomes a fun little game on each turn of battle how to take best advantage of the positioning of your team. There are also new tag team attacks with each party member as you level up your bonds. There are still follow-up attacks and the ability to tag-out when you have more than 4 party members, as well as new Poundmates to summon in battle. Of course, there are also a whole host of creative new jobs in addition to many of the previous ones, which you can use to customize your playstyle and team composition. It's not a dramatic change over the previous game, but it is just enough to make the combat even more enjoyable. If the level difference is high enough, you can also just start a fight with a beatdown to skip the battle for slightly less exp gains. Doing absolutely everything I could, I felt like I outpaced the plot's enemies around the halfway mark, but managed to be on par for the finale which is the important thing. Unfortunately (and maybe this is my fault for hitting too many bad guys), there weren't really any battles that felt like a stiff challenge. The previous game had (IMO) two notorious fights that hit like a truck and one of which was especially awesome for it - but there has been no such equivalent in this game. Still, the combat and job customization has been fun enough for me to really care too much about that.
As I mentioned, the story is really doing both Ichiban and Kiryu justice. They both have a personal stake in the plot, and my attachment to both characters could not be greater. I won't sugar coat it, there are a LOT of cutscenes. This is not the game for you if you thought MGS4 was excessive, because you will often (especially in the first few chapters) just be sitting your ass down to watch a movie; but god damn if it isn't an engrossing one most of the time. In fact, one other thing I noticed is that the first and last scenes of all substories are also fully voiced. There are also a ton of conversations out while wandering the world that are also fully voiced. In general, there is a lot of audio dialogue in this game! Maybe more than I have ever heard in an RPG before! Unfortunately, the overarching plot and central conflict is also the weakest aspect of the game. It feels a little bit unfocused and even occasionally just sloppy with all the key players and motivations and many feeling under-utilized, and if I were to make a comparison it actually reminds me a lot of FFXIV: Stormblood in this regard. It isn't like it's terrible, there are genuinely wonderful character moments and the themes of reflecting on your past, regrets, atonement, and forgiveness are well established and executed. I also like that they are continuing to blend fantasy elements (such as boss fights) into the """""realism""""" of the RGG series. Just overall I would not rate it amongst the highs of the series like 0 and 7.
Qualms about the central conflict aside, it's a tremendously impactful and relatable journey. Even a certain collectible that unlocks about halfway through the game moved me with each one I picked up. There are certainly a number of over-the-top ridiculous moments in the plot, but such is par for the course with RGG. At its core, you can tell a lot of love and care was put into this game, the quality and amount of content is staggering. Only time will tell if this is the recency bias talking, but I strongly feel this is one of the best turn-based RPGs ever made, and I could not be happier with how they have pulled it off. My completion time was just shy of 100 hours, and I certainly want to go back and polish off the few things I did not get to. As always, RGG fans will not want to miss this entry and it still stands among the best. I really look forward to how they will continue this series (and go back to Waikiki, because it'd be a waste to use that city after only one game!).
To elaborate further, the scope of this game is insane. I have that same feeling I did when I first played Yakuza 5. A whole new map to explore in Hawaii on top of Yokohama and Kamurocho, and there are a massive amount of minigames (and even a proper ass game in Dondoko Island) to go with it. Want to play a Pokemon Snap-like where you take pictures of perverts wreaking havock across Hawaii? There's Sicko Snap at three of the bus stops around town. How about a dating app where you build Kasuga's profile and do rhythm game-like inputs to score a funny date? There's Miss Match. How about straight-up Crazy Taxi x Uber Eats where you race around picking up food, doing tricks, and stopping by citizens? There's Crazy Eats. All of these are pretty fun and have a respectable amount of content and incentive to replay them, and there are plenty of other reasons to manually explore around town like Aloha Links, the Photo Rally, and the Sujimon League rather than just fast travelling from destination to destination. Having a dedicated button to wave to the people you meet, a playlist full of collectible SEGA songs, and a segway really make it comfy to explore.
Diving further in, Dondoko Island is the new 'main' minigame in Infinite Wealth as the counterpart to the Company Management in Like a Dragon. Essentially Animal Crossing, you clear out trash on your island to make room for all sorts of buildings and decorations of your own creation as you invite various people to come stay for a few days and enjoy what you've built. Once you have the requisite resources and recipes (which you gain both actively and passively), you can build it right there on the spot and place it and move it around as you see fit. Create your own paths around each area to fit the style you want, and even redecorating isn't much of a hassle. A day on Dondoko Island takes about thirty minutes or so, and each day has daily tasks to help you rake in the Dokobucks which can be used to purchase upgrades, buy special decorations, or even just convert into straight cash. It was very addicting to push my island rank all the way up to 5 stars and I ended up putting the plot on hold for a long time just for how fun it was.
Now back to talking about the real game itself, there are a handful of improvements to the combat system. The big one here is the expanded movement during battle. You have a circle which you can freely move around in, and many of the moves and attacks for each job allow you to knock enemies into each other for extra damage. It becomes a fun little game on each turn of battle how to take best advantage of the positioning of your team. There are also new tag team attacks with each party member as you level up your bonds. There are still follow-up attacks and the ability to tag-out when you have more than 4 party members, as well as new Poundmates to summon in battle. Of course, there are also a whole host of creative new jobs in addition to many of the previous ones, which you can use to customize your playstyle and team composition. It's not a dramatic change over the previous game, but it is just enough to make the combat even more enjoyable. If the level difference is high enough, you can also just start a fight with a beatdown to skip the battle for slightly less exp gains. Doing absolutely everything I could, I felt like I outpaced the plot's enemies around the halfway mark, but managed to be on par for the finale which is the important thing. Unfortunately (and maybe this is my fault for hitting too many bad guys), there weren't really any battles that felt like a stiff challenge. The previous game had (IMO) two notorious fights that hit like a truck and one of which was especially awesome for it - but there has been no such equivalent in this game. Still, the combat and job customization has been fun enough for me to really care too much about that.
As I mentioned, the story is really doing both Ichiban and Kiryu justice. They both have a personal stake in the plot, and my attachment to both characters could not be greater. I won't sugar coat it, there are a LOT of cutscenes. This is not the game for you if you thought MGS4 was excessive, because you will often (especially in the first few chapters) just be sitting your ass down to watch a movie; but god damn if it isn't an engrossing one most of the time. In fact, one other thing I noticed is that the first and last scenes of all substories are also fully voiced. There are also a ton of conversations out while wandering the world that are also fully voiced. In general, there is a lot of audio dialogue in this game! Maybe more than I have ever heard in an RPG before! Unfortunately, the overarching plot and central conflict is also the weakest aspect of the game. It feels a little bit unfocused and even occasionally just sloppy with all the key players and motivations and many feeling under-utilized, and if I were to make a comparison it actually reminds me a lot of FFXIV: Stormblood in this regard. It isn't like it's terrible, there are genuinely wonderful character moments and the themes of reflecting on your past, regrets, atonement, and forgiveness are well established and executed. I also like that they are continuing to blend fantasy elements (such as boss fights) into the """""realism""""" of the RGG series. Just overall I would not rate it amongst the highs of the series like 0 and 7.
Qualms about the central conflict aside, it's a tremendously impactful and relatable journey. Even a certain collectible that unlocks about halfway through the game moved me with each one I picked up. There are certainly a number of over-the-top ridiculous moments in the plot, but such is par for the course with RGG. At its core, you can tell a lot of love and care was put into this game, the quality and amount of content is staggering. Only time will tell if this is the recency bias talking, but I strongly feel this is one of the best turn-based RPGs ever made, and I could not be happier with how they have pulled it off. My completion time was just shy of 100 hours, and I certainly want to go back and polish off the few things I did not get to. As always, RGG fans will not want to miss this entry and it still stands among the best. I really look forward to how they will continue this series (and go back to Waikiki, because it'd be a waste to use that city after only one game!).
I love this series so much. Another absolute triumph from RGG that easily cemented itself in my top 3.
As much as I will always love Kiryu, Ichiban has grown on me immensely between LAD7 and Infinite Wealth. His relentless optimism, goofiness and loyalty is the perfect foil for Kiryu's cool, tough and solemn demeanor. They complement each other perfectly, and Infinite Wealth did an amazing job at giving them both a time to shine.
The gameplay is a ton of fun and is very much an improvement from the already great turn-based combat of 7. Mixing and matching skills from different classes, utilizing combo attacks, finding the perfect team synergy for each battle - I never got bored of the combat. I felt fairly over-leveled by the end of the story, but the final boss still put up a decent fight that felt fair.
The amount of content in this game is absolutely absurd. I like to focus on the story during my first play-through of a game, although I did manage to do a good chunk of side stories and optional activities but still feel like I barely scratched the surface. I have a lot of clean-up to do, but with so much variety in the activities I know I'll never get bored trying to finish everything and get the platinum, which I absolutely want to do with how good this game is.
The story was also excellent, although I think I liked 7's just a bit more. I'm always impressed by how well RGG can connect all of these seemingly random plot points together into a cohesive whole, as well as how big they can make the stakes feel in each game. Just when I think they couldn't possibly come up with something as grandiose as their previous game, they always manage to outdo themselves in the next entry. I appreciated the globe-trotting adventure of Infinite Wealth, and being able to flip between the two locations and parties (with no spoilers) kept things fresh and allowed the game to keep moving at a good pace. Couple that with their ability to tackle complex themes like the homelessness epidemic, wealth inequality and the harmful effects of Internet virality and you have a really amazing narrative overall.
Before I had played LAD7 I first played through the previous games in the series to catch myself up. Going into 7 I felt really connected to this story and these characters and this world, and I was nervous that with the longer wait between 7 and Infinite Wealth that I would lose that sense of connection and have a hard time feeling immersed in the world. I'm happy to say that isn't the case - playing Infinite Wealth felt like coming home in a sense, and it didn't feel like I had missed a beat when I loaded it up for the first time. This is a really special series to me, and I'm already counting down the days until we hear about the next adventure for this goofy, lovable found family.
As much as I will always love Kiryu, Ichiban has grown on me immensely between LAD7 and Infinite Wealth. His relentless optimism, goofiness and loyalty is the perfect foil for Kiryu's cool, tough and solemn demeanor. They complement each other perfectly, and Infinite Wealth did an amazing job at giving them both a time to shine.
The gameplay is a ton of fun and is very much an improvement from the already great turn-based combat of 7. Mixing and matching skills from different classes, utilizing combo attacks, finding the perfect team synergy for each battle - I never got bored of the combat. I felt fairly over-leveled by the end of the story, but the final boss still put up a decent fight that felt fair.
The amount of content in this game is absolutely absurd. I like to focus on the story during my first play-through of a game, although I did manage to do a good chunk of side stories and optional activities but still feel like I barely scratched the surface. I have a lot of clean-up to do, but with so much variety in the activities I know I'll never get bored trying to finish everything and get the platinum, which I absolutely want to do with how good this game is.
The story was also excellent, although I think I liked 7's just a bit more. I'm always impressed by how well RGG can connect all of these seemingly random plot points together into a cohesive whole, as well as how big they can make the stakes feel in each game. Just when I think they couldn't possibly come up with something as grandiose as their previous game, they always manage to outdo themselves in the next entry. I appreciated the globe-trotting adventure of Infinite Wealth, and being able to flip between the two locations and parties (with no spoilers) kept things fresh and allowed the game to keep moving at a good pace. Couple that with their ability to tackle complex themes like the homelessness epidemic, wealth inequality and the harmful effects of Internet virality and you have a really amazing narrative overall.
Before I had played LAD7 I first played through the previous games in the series to catch myself up. Going into 7 I felt really connected to this story and these characters and this world, and I was nervous that with the longer wait between 7 and Infinite Wealth that I would lose that sense of connection and have a hard time feeling immersed in the world. I'm happy to say that isn't the case - playing Infinite Wealth felt like coming home in a sense, and it didn't feel like I had missed a beat when I loaded it up for the first time. This is a really special series to me, and I'm already counting down the days until we hear about the next adventure for this goofy, lovable found family.
Control is another incredibly unique experience from Remedy. From its gripping start that left me wanting more, to plenty of secrets and rich lore waiting to be uncovered, it's a game that pulls you in and keeps you hooked. The intriguing storyline, the immersive atmosphere, the amazing sound design, and the sheer thrill and fun of hurling all kinds of objects at otherworldly beings all contribute to its unique charm.
But as the hours passed, the gameplay loop of navigating the same environments, fighting the Hiss, and cleansing the control points started to feel a bit too repetitive. While the storytelling remained creative and engaging, the lack of variation in enemies and scenery became a noticeable drawback. This honestly slowed me down quite a bit as my play sessions became less and less frequent. As much as I love story-driven games, the gameplay loop just didn't click with me as much as I wish it did. Which is a shame, because the actual gameplay with all the fun physics and abilities is buttery smooth.
Overall, I'm glad that I finally got the time to play Control and experience something special. Just like Alan Wake, Control stands as a fantastic testament to creative storytelling. It's a perfect example of how story-driven games can unfold in innovative ways.
And the Ashtray Maze was just freaking awesome. Ahti has great taste in music.
But as the hours passed, the gameplay loop of navigating the same environments, fighting the Hiss, and cleansing the control points started to feel a bit too repetitive. While the storytelling remained creative and engaging, the lack of variation in enemies and scenery became a noticeable drawback. This honestly slowed me down quite a bit as my play sessions became less and less frequent. As much as I love story-driven games, the gameplay loop just didn't click with me as much as I wish it did. Which is a shame, because the actual gameplay with all the fun physics and abilities is buttery smooth.
Overall, I'm glad that I finally got the time to play Control and experience something special. Just like Alan Wake, Control stands as a fantastic testament to creative storytelling. It's a perfect example of how story-driven games can unfold in innovative ways.
And the Ashtray Maze was just freaking awesome. Ahti has great taste in music.
Kirby as directed by Tetsuya Nomura. The final boss hurls literal ass buildings at you while trying to fuse two worlds together, then you swallow a big rig and race across more collapsed buildings floating in the ruins of the cosmos to engage in a DBZ-style Kamehameha face-off against a straight-up Toriyama-looking alien.
It's delightfully refreshing at first, but by the midgame, you'll have seen just about everything it has to offer; by the end, it felt repetitive and I was ready for this to be done -- nevermind the postgame. But the scope and creativity made this a delightful change of pace from my typical trend of inhaling JRPGs.
It also deserves recognition for being both cozy and apocalyptic -- the European power metal to Nier Automata's DSBM.
It's delightfully refreshing at first, but by the midgame, you'll have seen just about everything it has to offer; by the end, it felt repetitive and I was ready for this to be done -- nevermind the postgame. But the scope and creativity made this a delightful change of pace from my typical trend of inhaling JRPGs.
It also deserves recognition for being both cozy and apocalyptic -- the European power metal to Nier Automata's DSBM.
Stupid-a fucking game.
Astlibra Revision
2022
Apparently, it is only made by one person. Which doesn't seem that way in most of my playthrough, but I will take that into account.
I don't typically play side-scroller, but I will say that the combat is really engaging and fun. It has a complex system, which can get pretty formulaic late in the game, but I guess it's a given, considering how broken you can get later on.
The soundtrack is actually incredibly hype.
The story is where it's at. You started off playing as a hero with a bird looking for someone dear to him and you get this feeling that something is.. off. It's nothing special or unique at first glance, but this game is the epitome of going from 0 to 100. Never in a million years would I have ever guess the game's final sequence of moments or even the hours leading up to it judging from how it starts. There are a lot of plot twists that you won't expect and fortunately it's quite well done. It does get pretty "anime" at times, not in a bad way mostly, I would say it's part of the game's charm.
The characters, especially the main cast, have a soul and personality and not just there to push the MC. They all have their own goals and role to play.
My only complaint for this game is that, it does get slightly dragged near the end. There are new elements but some things are also recycled. Since, it is made just by one person, I will let that slide. Though at this point you're probably too invested for this to make you lose interest anyways.
Overall, this is hands down one of the best Indie games I've played, especially in terms of narrative. KEIZO really poured his soul into this, and I hope to see more of his work.
I don't typically play side-scroller, but I will say that the combat is really engaging and fun. It has a complex system, which can get pretty formulaic late in the game, but I guess it's a given, considering how broken you can get later on.
The soundtrack is actually incredibly hype.
The story is where it's at. You started off playing as a hero with a bird looking for someone dear to him and you get this feeling that something is.. off. It's nothing special or unique at first glance, but this game is the epitome of going from 0 to 100. Never in a million years would I have ever guess the game's final sequence of moments or even the hours leading up to it judging from how it starts. There are a lot of plot twists that you won't expect and fortunately it's quite well done. It does get pretty "anime" at times, not in a bad way mostly, I would say it's part of the game's charm.
The characters, especially the main cast, have a soul and personality and not just there to push the MC. They all have their own goals and role to play.
My only complaint for this game is that, it does get slightly dragged near the end. There are new elements but some things are also recycled. Since, it is made just by one person, I will let that slide. Though at this point you're probably too invested for this to make you lose interest anyways.
Overall, this is hands down one of the best Indie games I've played, especially in terms of narrative. KEIZO really poured his soul into this, and I hope to see more of his work.
Judgment
2018
A detective noire thriller is a genre that I least expected from RGG but somehow in classic RGG fashion they manage to not only over deliver but they make this series almost as appealing of an entry into the Like a Dragon universe as Yakuza 0. Judgment manages to juggle a country-wide conspiracy and a thrilling murder mystery without sacrificing the integrity of either, Instead choosing to entangle them making the final reveal 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 hard hitting. The only thing holding back Judgment from getting a perfect rating is the sheer amount of tailing missions that are sprinkled liberally throughout the whole game. The combat at the start of the game can also feel a bit sluggish however the Tiger and Crane speed upgrades circumvent that entirely. RGG as always bring their A game when it comes to character work and construct not only an insanely lovable little club of detectives but also some bone-chilling, psychopathic murderers who would stop at nothing to gouge out Yagami's eyes.
“EEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAGAAAAAAAAAMIIIIIIII!”
“EEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAGAAAAAAAAAMIIIIIIII!”
When Sephiroth said "Do you know the way" and I burst out laughing, I realized I have the internet equivalent of Mako poisoning.
Judgment
2018
Judgement is a Yakuza game in all but name, and RGG Studio’s first one set in Kamurocho without Kiryu as the main character. After giving up being an attorney, Takayuki Yagami becomes a freelance detective and investigates a series of murders in the city with the help of his former law office and ex-Tojo clan friend Masaharu Kaito. Substories are framed as side cases that Yagami can take on to earn some extra money, and new mini-games like drone racing and the Paradise VR board game are incredible additions. Anyone who is a fan of the Yakuza series should really check this out, and newcomers can jump right in without prior knowledge.
Judgment
2018
I don't understand how RGG can maintain this kind of quality in their games time after time.
An excellent spin-off from an already amazing series. The story was well-written and grounded, and genuinely had me surprised a lot of the time with its twists and turns. The detective aspects were solid, although the tailing missions got a bit annoying after a while. The combat was tight, responsive and so much fun once you've built up a few abilities.
Where this game went from really good to excellent for me, though, was the ending. The entire last chapter is near perfection--the narrative pay-offs are huge and the final boss fight is one of the best in the series. It's one of my favorite video game endings in recent memory.
The game isn't without it's issues though, even if my complaints are minor. The mortal wound mechanic is seriously frustrating, as you can only fix it in a very specific place; it's also difficult to stop some of the attacks that cause them when you're fighting in such tight spaces. And the combat encounters that happen in the world feel far too frequent sometimes; I'd need to get from point A to point B and be interrupted 3-4 times by a pack of goons.
Taken together, this was an amazing video game. I loved the detective mystery storyline, the combat is as fun as ever and the ending was just too damn good. I'm already eager to jump into Lost Judgment to keep the experience going.
An excellent spin-off from an already amazing series. The story was well-written and grounded, and genuinely had me surprised a lot of the time with its twists and turns. The detective aspects were solid, although the tailing missions got a bit annoying after a while. The combat was tight, responsive and so much fun once you've built up a few abilities.
Where this game went from really good to excellent for me, though, was the ending. The entire last chapter is near perfection--the narrative pay-offs are huge and the final boss fight is one of the best in the series. It's one of my favorite video game endings in recent memory.
The game isn't without it's issues though, even if my complaints are minor. The mortal wound mechanic is seriously frustrating, as you can only fix it in a very specific place; it's also difficult to stop some of the attacks that cause them when you're fighting in such tight spaces. And the combat encounters that happen in the world feel far too frequent sometimes; I'd need to get from point A to point B and be interrupted 3-4 times by a pack of goons.
Taken together, this was an amazing video game. I loved the detective mystery storyline, the combat is as fun as ever and the ending was just too damn good. I'm already eager to jump into Lost Judgment to keep the experience going.
Pizza Tower
2023
aesthetically it's like Earthbound meets Courage the Cowardly Dog, set to a beat of an AI's fever dream. submerge yourself and awaken looking like that one Kel Mitchell character in All That.