Dragon Quest VIII is my favorite video game of all time because it contains everything I value in one beautiful package. Many people see DQ as a generic or uninspired series that refuses to evolve, I see the exact opposite. Dragon Quest is pure, it's wondrous, it's cozy, it's immersive, and it's unapologetically memorable. I feel right at home wandering around the towns, I feel like I am truly on an adventure when I get lost in the world, I feel victorious when I outsmart a boss, and I feel like I really got to become friends with the wonderful cast. This game is packed with so many moments that I can think back on fondly, it's got arguably the best soundtrack in video game history, and there are few things as addictive as leveling up my skills to learn a new spell or ability. I don't usually write reviews more than a couple of sentences, but for a game like this, it doesn't do it justice to skim over the impact it left on me. I have played more jrpgs than I can count at this point, but none have me sitting there reminiscing about my past adventures like DQ8 does. Absolutely perfect in every way. This is the type of game that has me reaching for my 3ds just to walk around and listen to the music and party chat with my companions months and months after the credits roll. Lots of games leave an impact on me, but this is one where I can say I don't think my life would be the same if it never crossed paths with me

SMTV is definitely one of the rawest turn based jrpgs I've played in a while. There's a formidable swag that comes with the territory, one that's difficult to keep reinventing with each new entry. I was not disappointed with much besides the difficulty - this is one of the easiest SMT titles I have played. But honestly that doesn't take away from the game. This game is easier because the accessibility to making strong demons is higher than any other title, which is really good! Party and unit management is like my favorite thing in turn based rpgs so I was a huge sucker for this game's skill customization and fusing. Nahobino is extremely overpowered I think given all the customization options. Ran a magic build and obliterated every boss.

Skipped every cutscene, no idea what happened in the story

Aside from its genuinely great music, I don't know if I have a single positive thing to say about ff8. Every single choice made in this game is one that feels like a joke made in parody to see how badly a jrpg could be constructed. Its gameplay is so broken that the most effective way to play it is to.. not play it? Its side characters are admittedly charming but the main protagonist and his 'love' story are so laughable it feels like intentional satire. The story itself is equally as goofy and nonsensical. Some of the locations like the starting Balamb garden are pretty cool, but the world just feels so simultaneously inconsistent. Everything is off here. You may wonder why I have given this game such a high score regardless? To put it simply, I found it to be such a failure that it wraps around into being absolutely hilarious. As a massive fan of jrpgs, I found myself so invested in this game because every decision was so baffling it ended up feeling extremely refreshing and subversive. It was a great experience, but you'd see me dead before I say it's a genuinely great game.