Demi_Diamond
After completing FF7 Remake, the first part of this remake project trilogy, I knew it was gonna derail from the original. I knew that whatever the writers wrote for this new journey would be something I won't like and would bring in convoluted concepts of fate and destiny, deterministic philosophy and multiverse theory that the original story didn't have in the first place, or atleast not in the forefront of the themes.
Let me say my negatives first; when I finished the game and say the ending, I didn't like it all. It was just like every other Square rpg where the 2nd half of the story would be convoluted and paced in a weird direction for the sake of ambiguity and for players to continually discuss with. A lot of the twists felt like the writers wanted the player to be emotionally confused and use those twists for the sake of shock value and fanservice. However, after some time thinking about it, I do appreciate the devs being this risky with this kind of story. It's like they trusted the players with their new vision of the game. Not many games this generation have ever went to this direction. When I finished FF7 Remake, I've already accepted the original FF7 that I've loved is gone and that whatever new stuff the devs bring to the table wouldn't be what I wanted but I'm still curious how things will turn out. Rebirth left me questioning more but wanting more. I know for a fact the next and final part will leave some unresolved plot points as red hearings but I've already accepted that. There's no getting off this crazy train.
Now positives; the gameplay and exploration is phenomenal. In terms of gameplay and graphics, this is by far the best square game they have made in the past decade or 2. I have spent so many hours just exploring every nook and crany, battling every enemy, just sucking out every enjoyable aspect that game has to offer. And the game throws in so many minigames and other activities to switch up the gameplay loop and because of this I was never bored. However, since this is an open world game I did experience some exploration fatigue and got a little tired doing the same quests over and over again, but again the switch up of gameplay sprinkled throughout the game helped alleviate this. I could easily go over the 100 hour mark This game made FF7 Remake look bad, like really bad. It's gonna be hard to go back to Remake. This game has even more strategy, more role playing aspects, more player expression, its the whole package. Another positive is how they basically nailed every character; each character as if I remembered it but in the modern age. There were some story beats that were actually better and more actualized in this game compared to the original because it added more character and understanding on each character, main or side. Scenes like the Dyne scene, cosmo canyon, and gold saucer in general where I genuinely felt it was better executed in rebirth than in the original.
I didn't hate this game, not at all. I did have expectations that I wouldn't like it after completing Remake, but I've gained an appreciation for this project and want to see more of the devs new vision on this beloved story. I'm just curious on how this will end, even if it does end up as a car crash or train wreck. This game did have too much going on, making the story even more convulted and messy than it should be. Any newcomer that hasn't played any FF7 game in the compilation would be completely lost in rebirth but I felt the basic, bare bones interpretation of the themes and message its trying to convey is there. But the complex ideas of psychology, theology, and philosophy from the original are present here but it's just different. That's one word I can sum for this game: "different." In a good and bad way. It has its pros and cons but I've learned to outweigh the pros from the cons and appreciate what the devs are trying to do. There's no getting off this train.
Let me say my negatives first; when I finished the game and say the ending, I didn't like it all. It was just like every other Square rpg where the 2nd half of the story would be convoluted and paced in a weird direction for the sake of ambiguity and for players to continually discuss with. A lot of the twists felt like the writers wanted the player to be emotionally confused and use those twists for the sake of shock value and fanservice. However, after some time thinking about it, I do appreciate the devs being this risky with this kind of story. It's like they trusted the players with their new vision of the game. Not many games this generation have ever went to this direction. When I finished FF7 Remake, I've already accepted the original FF7 that I've loved is gone and that whatever new stuff the devs bring to the table wouldn't be what I wanted but I'm still curious how things will turn out. Rebirth left me questioning more but wanting more. I know for a fact the next and final part will leave some unresolved plot points as red hearings but I've already accepted that. There's no getting off this crazy train.
Now positives; the gameplay and exploration is phenomenal. In terms of gameplay and graphics, this is by far the best square game they have made in the past decade or 2. I have spent so many hours just exploring every nook and crany, battling every enemy, just sucking out every enjoyable aspect that game has to offer. And the game throws in so many minigames and other activities to switch up the gameplay loop and because of this I was never bored. However, since this is an open world game I did experience some exploration fatigue and got a little tired doing the same quests over and over again, but again the switch up of gameplay sprinkled throughout the game helped alleviate this. I could easily go over the 100 hour mark This game made FF7 Remake look bad, like really bad. It's gonna be hard to go back to Remake. This game has even more strategy, more role playing aspects, more player expression, its the whole package. Another positive is how they basically nailed every character; each character as if I remembered it but in the modern age. There were some story beats that were actually better and more actualized in this game compared to the original because it added more character and understanding on each character, main or side. Scenes like the Dyne scene, cosmo canyon, and gold saucer in general where I genuinely felt it was better executed in rebirth than in the original.
I didn't hate this game, not at all. I did have expectations that I wouldn't like it after completing Remake, but I've gained an appreciation for this project and want to see more of the devs new vision on this beloved story. I'm just curious on how this will end, even if it does end up as a car crash or train wreck. This game did have too much going on, making the story even more convulted and messy than it should be. Any newcomer that hasn't played any FF7 game in the compilation would be completely lost in rebirth but I felt the basic, bare bones interpretation of the themes and message its trying to convey is there. But the complex ideas of psychology, theology, and philosophy from the original are present here but it's just different. That's one word I can sum for this game: "different." In a good and bad way. It has its pros and cons but I've learned to outweigh the pros from the cons and appreciate what the devs are trying to do. There's no getting off this train.
2001
Amazing experience. What makes this game so unbelievably good is how it doesn’t use any cheap/forced horror or jumpscares to make it come across as scary but more on the psychological side of horror. The fear of the unknown is the kind of fear that is the most terrifying and the Silent Hill team did this in spades. I don’t want to spoil any major plot points but it is so fascinating finding out why each character is in silent hill to begin with, all the trauma they have gone through, and the devs really dig deep into their psyche, to the point that it is too painful to bear witness. As a psychology nerd, James’ character is a character arc that I’ll probably never forget. Everything that was built up til the end of the game was profoundly written and made me gitty seeing all the references to Carl Jung’s shadow theory and repressed emotions/memories. My main gripe with the game is how easy it is to get lost in this game. Granted, this could have been intentional for the purpose of being thematically accurate but sometimes it felt like I was wasting huge chunks of my time just trying to figure out where to go. I appreciate how the enemy designs were very symbolic of what James perceives but some of them were just easy to deal with and didn’ horrify me after being saturated with them. All in all, this is the kind of horror I am deeply into, it is by far the best horror game I’ve ever played and deserves all the praise it gets.
2023
After spending some time reflecting on this game, I can't help but remember its flaws overshadowing its strengths. FFXVI has some of the most incredible moments in the series but it also has some of the slowest parts the series has to offer. The gameplay, which heavily focuses on action and individual combat doesn't align well with the games storyline. While the story itself embodies the essence of a fantasy tale it lacks a sense of collective overcoming adversity due, to how Clive, the character handles everything on his own, embodying the individualistic mindset.
Without spoiling I must say that the resolution to the struggles faced by the oppressed characters was quite disappointing and unrealistic. It felt rather simplistic and doesn't reflect reality.
The game does explore themes and topics that could evoke emotions and have a profound impact. However it falls short in conveying these ideas leaving them feeling somewhat flat. It saddens me because I can see the potential for greatness in the story.
Another drawback of the game is how it leaves many questions unanswered and presents many questionable scenes without proper context. One significant example is Barnabas character; while his motivations or details about his mother are not addressed in the storyline they are explained in the Active Time Lore, though not at a time when players would prefer to read more.
The way the ATL was implemented in this game didn't quite meet my expectations. There were moments when I had questions or mysteries that weren't adequately explored and I wanted to read the ATL to learn more but it mostly provided me nothing. It felt the ATL was necessary to piece together what has happened in the story which didnt fit in with the kind of story FFXVI was trying to tell. It felt like the ATL didn't seamlessly fit into this story driven game unlike games such, as Elden Ring where lore is explained through item descriptions but still maintains a sense of exploration and combat in From Software games. In my opinion the implementation of the ATL fell short.
FFXV was what I hoped for in a dark, modern Final fantasy for the most part. The story was executed well on some parts, although there were moments where I felt certain plot points could have had an impact. Clive facing his shadow still gives me some goosebumps thinking about it but it couldve went even further. I also wished that it delved deeper into the concepts explored by its characters. However it does touch upon their struggles to some extent. There is "some" payoff for their dilemmas so I can't fault the game entirely in that regard.
The pacing was solid in the half of the game. Things got a bit strange once the second half kicked in. As for gameplay, it was incredibly enjoyable to play; I didn't get bored fighting the enemies. However, the repetitive game design of how the side quests were handled made the action gameplay didnt mesh with the rpg elements.
I'm sure you've heard criticism about the side quests being lackluster. Not all of them were bad. Some side quests actually built upon themes like breaking free from fate or discrimination, confronting ones shadow and forging paths for people to live and die on their terms. They weren't all incredible but not every single one was terrible either; it was sadly bogged down to repetitive game design.
I genuinely appreciate the attention, to detail in the world and lore. The bosses were truly a spectacle to behold and Clive proved to be a protagonist seamlessly joining the ranks of the main characters, in the Final Fantasy series. I just want to clarify that I'm not criticizing or being negative, towards the game. As a fan of the Final Fantasy series I simply want to understand what the developers intended for us to grasp with FFXVI. My aim is to provide constructive criticism and feedback. Overall, I do believe FFXVI is a good game. I've mostly enjoyed my time with it. Although it has many flaws, my experience with the game was more or less positive, especially compared to other flawed games.
Without spoiling I must say that the resolution to the struggles faced by the oppressed characters was quite disappointing and unrealistic. It felt rather simplistic and doesn't reflect reality.
The game does explore themes and topics that could evoke emotions and have a profound impact. However it falls short in conveying these ideas leaving them feeling somewhat flat. It saddens me because I can see the potential for greatness in the story.
Another drawback of the game is how it leaves many questions unanswered and presents many questionable scenes without proper context. One significant example is Barnabas character; while his motivations or details about his mother are not addressed in the storyline they are explained in the Active Time Lore, though not at a time when players would prefer to read more.
The way the ATL was implemented in this game didn't quite meet my expectations. There were moments when I had questions or mysteries that weren't adequately explored and I wanted to read the ATL to learn more but it mostly provided me nothing. It felt the ATL was necessary to piece together what has happened in the story which didnt fit in with the kind of story FFXVI was trying to tell. It felt like the ATL didn't seamlessly fit into this story driven game unlike games such, as Elden Ring where lore is explained through item descriptions but still maintains a sense of exploration and combat in From Software games. In my opinion the implementation of the ATL fell short.
FFXV was what I hoped for in a dark, modern Final fantasy for the most part. The story was executed well on some parts, although there were moments where I felt certain plot points could have had an impact. Clive facing his shadow still gives me some goosebumps thinking about it but it couldve went even further. I also wished that it delved deeper into the concepts explored by its characters. However it does touch upon their struggles to some extent. There is "some" payoff for their dilemmas so I can't fault the game entirely in that regard.
The pacing was solid in the half of the game. Things got a bit strange once the second half kicked in. As for gameplay, it was incredibly enjoyable to play; I didn't get bored fighting the enemies. However, the repetitive game design of how the side quests were handled made the action gameplay didnt mesh with the rpg elements.
I'm sure you've heard criticism about the side quests being lackluster. Not all of them were bad. Some side quests actually built upon themes like breaking free from fate or discrimination, confronting ones shadow and forging paths for people to live and die on their terms. They weren't all incredible but not every single one was terrible either; it was sadly bogged down to repetitive game design.
I genuinely appreciate the attention, to detail in the world and lore. The bosses were truly a spectacle to behold and Clive proved to be a protagonist seamlessly joining the ranks of the main characters, in the Final Fantasy series. I just want to clarify that I'm not criticizing or being negative, towards the game. As a fan of the Final Fantasy series I simply want to understand what the developers intended for us to grasp with FFXVI. My aim is to provide constructive criticism and feedback. Overall, I do believe FFXVI is a good game. I've mostly enjoyed my time with it. Although it has many flaws, my experience with the game was more or less positive, especially compared to other flawed games.
Influenced by many works of art like Studio Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky, Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” as well as Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe,” Skies of Arcadia embodies a sense of adventure unlike any other. There is a great sense of freedom in this game. At a time where JRPGs were defined by convoluted lore, characters/themes dealing with moral ambiguity, and dark, harrowing settings, Arcadia would go back to the old JRPG roots and make its own mark on the genre. It doesn’t have heavy interpersonal drama or delve deep into the character’s psyche, but the simple joy of adventure. The game's sky-bound world serves as a backdrop for one's dreams and its enchanting soundtrack enhances the experience. Sometimes a game doesn’t need to be the most complex work ever created. Skies of Arcadia is a celebration for fans that adore JRPGs. There's a delight in playing this magical game yet if you delve deeper you'll find underlying complexity.
Granted, the game isn’t flawless; its random encounter rate in both the Dreamcast and Gamecube version is very high, and the combat is very slow, with lengthy animations. But, what the game sets out to do, its missteps are easily forgiven.
A game that brings out the inner child in me is truly priceless to me. I felt a tinge of sadness when the adventure in this game came to an end. The journey I experienced will always hold a place in my memories. Basically, this is a game that I'll definitely share with my children.
Granted, the game isn’t flawless; its random encounter rate in both the Dreamcast and Gamecube version is very high, and the combat is very slow, with lengthy animations. But, what the game sets out to do, its missteps are easily forgiven.
A game that brings out the inner child in me is truly priceless to me. I felt a tinge of sadness when the adventure in this game came to an end. The journey I experienced will always hold a place in my memories. Basically, this is a game that I'll definitely share with my children.
2000
Influenced by many works of art like Studio Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky, Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” as well as Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe,” Skies of Arcadia embodies a sense of adventure unlike any other. There is a great sense of freedom in this game. At a time where JRPGs were defined by convoluted lore, characters/themes dealing with moral ambiguity, and dark, harrowing settings, Arcadia would go back to the old JRPG roots and make its own mark on the genre. It doesn’t have heavy interpersonal drama or delve deep into the character’s psyche, but the simple joy of adventure. The game's sky-bound world serves as a backdrop for one's dreams and its enchanting soundtrack enhances the experience. Sometimes a game doesn’t need to be the most complex work ever created. Skies of Arcadia is a celebration for fans that adore JRPGs. There's a delight in playing this magical game yet if you delve deeper you'll find underlying complexity.
Granted, the game isn’t flawless; its random encounter rate in both the Dreamcast and Gamecube version is very high, and the combat is very slow, with lengthy animations. But, what the game sets out to do, its missteps are easily forgiven.
A game that brings out the inner child in me is truly priceless to me. I felt a tinge of sadness when the adventure in this game came to an end. The journey I experienced will always hold a place in my memories. Basically, this is a game that I'll definitely share with my children.
Granted, the game isn’t flawless; its random encounter rate in both the Dreamcast and Gamecube version is very high, and the combat is very slow, with lengthy animations. But, what the game sets out to do, its missteps are easily forgiven.
A game that brings out the inner child in me is truly priceless to me. I felt a tinge of sadness when the adventure in this game came to an end. The journey I experienced will always hold a place in my memories. Basically, this is a game that I'll definitely share with my children.
I've never suspected that this would be my favorite Castlevania game but everything about this game is so well executed. It is so much fun to play, lots of experimentation and the story was actually pretty solid. My only gripes is how the true ending is locked behind in the most obscure way possible but it doesn't hinder my experience with the game. Still can't believe this was for the Game Boy Advance.
1995
Incredible game and incredibly ahead of its time. It's not the most complex game ever made but its simplicity was expertly executed that makes it a very special game.
2007
I'm a JRPG fanatic, so the shooter genre is something I just can't get into. Halo is the exception. Granted, I did grow up playing these games but the spirit and the world the games exude are so expertly crafted. It'll probably forever be my favorite shooter franchise and Halo 3 was the amalgamation of everything great about halo. Finish the fight.
2000
I wouldn’t be here right now if this game didn’t exist. This game left the biggest personal impact on me. At the time, I was in a dark headspace, questioning my existence and wondering what was my place in the world. I couldn’t hold myself in high self-esteem for the longest time. I had no meaningful connection developed and was truly in a nihilistic mindset. I truly believed life was deterministic and free will was just an illusion. One day, I wanted to just get my mind off of reality and just play a game, any game. The game I chose to play that fateful day was Final Fantasy IX. This game truly saved me from my most troubling times. It probably is very cliche and over the top to say “I probably wouldn’t be here without this game,” but that’s exactly the case with FFIX.
While I was having my negative existential dread, Final Fantasy IX gave a positive conclusion to existentialism that I have never seen done in a video game: “How do we rise above existential dread and accept a deterministic world? Though your individuality and sense of self may be an illusion, everyone has the ability to experience genuine moments that are specific to you. One’s that nobody else can or will experience. The connections you’ve made, the path you went, those are yours and yours alone. Nobody would feel the same emotions in the exact same way you felt. The only way to make your experiences beautiful is if you’re with someone else, someone who cares for you. That is what makes life worth living.” It poses such a simple yet unique solution to existential dread. How could I not get so emotional after hearing that? After the credits rolled, I was so moved; I didn’t know such a game can come into my life at the perfect time. I am tremendously grateful to have played this game and I am still profoundly moved by how many people were saved by this game and went through the same dilemma that I have gone through many years back.
For this reason, Final Fantasy IX is a masterpiece in every stretch of the word. I would do anything to play this game for the first time again.
While I was having my negative existential dread, Final Fantasy IX gave a positive conclusion to existentialism that I have never seen done in a video game: “How do we rise above existential dread and accept a deterministic world? Though your individuality and sense of self may be an illusion, everyone has the ability to experience genuine moments that are specific to you. One’s that nobody else can or will experience. The connections you’ve made, the path you went, those are yours and yours alone. Nobody would feel the same emotions in the exact same way you felt. The only way to make your experiences beautiful is if you’re with someone else, someone who cares for you. That is what makes life worth living.” It poses such a simple yet unique solution to existential dread. How could I not get so emotional after hearing that? After the credits rolled, I was so moved; I didn’t know such a game can come into my life at the perfect time. I am tremendously grateful to have played this game and I am still profoundly moved by how many people were saved by this game and went through the same dilemma that I have gone through many years back.
For this reason, Final Fantasy IX is a masterpiece in every stretch of the word. I would do anything to play this game for the first time again.
I find this game to be one of the most profound games I've ever played and I do sincerely believe this story would've only worked in the video game medium. Automata is what happens when a Drakengard/Nier game has a functional gameplay system and an amazing story to back up with it. It deserves all the praise it gets. Took me years to play this game after its E3 reveal in 2015 and the hype behind it was fatiguing but I'm glad I took my time and finally played this gem of an action RPG. Its existentialist themes and the heartbreaking characters that were developed made this game a masterpiece in my eyes. One of my new favorite games from recent memory.
Xenoblade Chronicles came at the right time for me and really set itself apart from JRPGs coming out at the time. I do find Xenogears to be one of the most complex and ambitious games ever made but Xenoblade is a more condensed yet cohesive experience, in my eyes. His other works, Xenogears and Xenosaga, are all phenomenal, don't get me wrong, but both were way too ambitious to complete and end up not living up to the creator's expectations. The creator, Tetsuya Takahashi, refined and polished Xenoblade to the point where I felt his ambition was finally met. Honestly, I can gush about this game forever. I still don't think it has been receiving the praise that it truly deserves. The characters are all loveable and have a place to be in the plot (they don't just exist and have a reason to be there), the worldbuilding is the most imaginative I have seen in a video game and half of the soundtrack still gets me emotional. I am forever grateful for playing this gem of a game.
Now, I understand the criticism of this game's story, especially in the final chapters, about how it was rushed and had multiple plot twists at once, making it feel unnatural and a rollercoaster of a plot. I have the same sentiment; I really was disappointed with how the storytelling was handled and how nonstop the plot twists were at the end of the game; but, compared to the team's previous games, Xenoblade is still the game where it felt finished. No disc 2 that made the story into a visual novel like Xenogears, and no multiple games being dumbed down to half of its length due to its sales and over ambitious plan of spanning for over 10 years like Xenosaga, Xenoblade was a complete package.
This is a game everyone needs to play at least once in their lives. Whether you'll expect to love it or hate it, atleast play it once and just to see which opinion you side on
Now, I understand the criticism of this game's story, especially in the final chapters, about how it was rushed and had multiple plot twists at once, making it feel unnatural and a rollercoaster of a plot. I have the same sentiment; I really was disappointed with how the storytelling was handled and how nonstop the plot twists were at the end of the game; but, compared to the team's previous games, Xenoblade is still the game where it felt finished. No disc 2 that made the story into a visual novel like Xenogears, and no multiple games being dumbed down to half of its length due to its sales and over ambitious plan of spanning for over 10 years like Xenosaga, Xenoblade was a complete package.
This is a game everyone needs to play at least once in their lives. Whether you'll expect to love it or hate it, atleast play it once and just to see which opinion you side on
2010
Xenoblade Chronicles came at the right time for me and really set itself apart from JRPGs coming out at the time. I do find Xenogears to be one of the most complex and ambitious games ever made but Xenoblade is a more condensed yet cohesive experience, in my eyes. His other works, Xenogears and Xenosaga, are all phenomenal, don't get me wrong, but both were way too ambitious to complete and end up not living up to the creator's expectations. The creator, Tetsuya Takahashi, refined and polished Xenoblade to the point where I felt his ambition was finally met. Honestly, I can gush about this game forever. I still don't think it has been receiving the praise that it truly deserves. The characters are all loveable and have a place to be in the plot (they don't just exist and have a reason to be there), the worldbuilding is the most imaginative I have seen in a video game and half of the soundtrack still gets me emotional. I am forever grateful for playing this gem of a game.
Now, I understand the criticism of this game's story, especially in the final chapters, about how it was rushed and had multiple plot twists at once, making it feel unnatural and a rollercoaster of a plot. I have the same sentiment; I really was disappointed with how the storytelling was handled and how nonstop the plot twists were at the end of the game; but, compared to the team's previous games, Xenoblade is still the game where it felt finished. No disc 2 that made the story into a visual novel like Xenogears, and no multiple games being dumbed down to half of its length due to its sales and over ambitious plan of spanning for over 10 years like Xenosaga, Xenoblade was a complete package.
This is a game everyone needs to play at least once in their lives. Whether you'll expect to love it or hate it, atleast play it once and just to see which opinion you side on
Now, I understand the criticism of this game's story, especially in the final chapters, about how it was rushed and had multiple plot twists at once, making it feel unnatural and a rollercoaster of a plot. I have the same sentiment; I really was disappointed with how the storytelling was handled and how nonstop the plot twists were at the end of the game; but, compared to the team's previous games, Xenoblade is still the game where it felt finished. No disc 2 that made the story into a visual novel like Xenogears, and no multiple games being dumbed down to half of its length due to its sales and over ambitious plan of spanning for over 10 years like Xenosaga, Xenoblade was a complete package.
This is a game everyone needs to play at least once in their lives. Whether you'll expect to love it or hate it, atleast play it once and just to see which opinion you side on
As a fan of Xenogears and the first Xenoblade game, I actually really like Xenoblade 2, despite it all. Sure, it has many glaring faults and its fanservice is detrimental to the game as a whole but, once you got the hang of it, the combat was really fun to play. Fixing the tutorials, redesigning the characters, and not being another Xenogears episode V rehash could've made the game better, at least in my opinion. Not as good as the first game but still a great game and story. Have a soft spot for this game.
1999
For the longest time, I've hated this game. It was very complex and dense, the dialogue was very expository and the combat was such a major downgrade to Chrono Trigger. But, after replaying it, I have grown to love this game. It expands the existentialist and the whole "free will" and "determinist" themes from the first game and it moreso complements Chrono trigger rather than tainting it. It's not a perfect game but I still find it to be one of Square's deepest games ever made.
From recent memory, I don't think I have every been so emotionally attached to its characters or its story in a long while. It's not a perfect game, nothing will ever be perfect, but what it accomplished of doing with its themes and gameplay greatly outweighs the faults it exhibits. Doesn't add to the whole Perfect Works lore but it is such an amazing self-contained story. I still can't believe this series got a trilogy and I am so happy for Tetsuya Takahashi and his team to find success with their ambition.