20 reviews liked by Dronagon
Final Fantasy XVI
2023
A fun game with interesting story, but it tries to be a RPG and action game at the same time which ends up in both not reaching it's gameplay potential.
Also first game of 2024 & first big PS5 game.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
I enjoyed it but it was a bit too repetitive. Throughout the game you get new abilities and they pretty much all do the same, deal damage. I really wish more rpg elements came into play, because now I was just spamming attacks instead of having to think about what attack would do most damage (because of a weakness for example).
The icon battles were fun te see and was impressed by the visuals and such, gameplay wise it was a bit too easy.
I have to say the controls felt very nice. You felt the impact of your attacks and doing a parry or perfect invade felt satisfying.
++ Music;
Like most FF games, also this game's music was on point. I do wish they would be more suited to casually listen to, but that would have been an extra. While playing the game all music perfectly fits.
+ Graphics;
I've made several screenshots and felt like they gave you time to do so. Got some impressive visuals but most of the areas you visit feel too similar.
+ Story/Characters;
The part of the story I enjoyed the most is how the main message can be translated to real life. Makes me think about stuff, which is a plus for me.
The side missions were a bit much, especially later in the game. They surely loved talking, because plenty of things could have been told in 2 sentences instead of 15.
The characters were alright. I didn't really get attached to them and there wasn't a favorite for me in the end. Probably cid if I had to chose one.
Recommend?
Yes and no. Idk actually. I'll just say I enjoyed my time and don't regret playing it at all. I just don't know who to recommend it to, because I feel like there a other games who I would recommend instead. It's mostly because of what I said earlier, it tries to be an RPG and action game but in the end it's only half of both.
Also first game of 2024 & first big PS5 game.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
I enjoyed it but it was a bit too repetitive. Throughout the game you get new abilities and they pretty much all do the same, deal damage. I really wish more rpg elements came into play, because now I was just spamming attacks instead of having to think about what attack would do most damage (because of a weakness for example).
The icon battles were fun te see and was impressed by the visuals and such, gameplay wise it was a bit too easy.
I have to say the controls felt very nice. You felt the impact of your attacks and doing a parry or perfect invade felt satisfying.
++ Music;
Like most FF games, also this game's music was on point. I do wish they would be more suited to casually listen to, but that would have been an extra. While playing the game all music perfectly fits.
+ Graphics;
I've made several screenshots and felt like they gave you time to do so. Got some impressive visuals but most of the areas you visit feel too similar.
+ Story/Characters;
The part of the story I enjoyed the most is how the main message can be translated to real life. Makes me think about stuff, which is a plus for me.
The side missions were a bit much, especially later in the game. They surely loved talking, because plenty of things could have been told in 2 sentences instead of 15.
The characters were alright. I didn't really get attached to them and there wasn't a favorite for me in the end. Probably cid if I had to chose one.
Recommend?
Yes and no. Idk actually. I'll just say I enjoyed my time and don't regret playing it at all. I just don't know who to recommend it to, because I feel like there a other games who I would recommend instead. It's mostly because of what I said earlier, it tries to be an RPG and action game but in the end it's only half of both.
A great port of A Link to the Past. Working as a mostly 1:1 representation of the original on SNES, while adding a few additions. I have to shelf the game however as I have not, and do not currently have the resources necessary to complete the Four Swords part of the game, and experience its additional unlockable content in A Link To The Past.
I hate this game. I love this game.
This game was a pleasant surprise. When I booted up the game, it was mostly with the intention to see how it looked and how the controls felt. I did not expect to actually start a playthrough and wanted to see if I wanted to pick it up later. But once I started playing, everything just clicked. I was into the story from the start (usually I don't care for stories in games) and the gameplay felt really good and thought out. Very happy I went in blind.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
++ Gameplay;
Very good. The combat is extremely fun and tactics actually matter. having plenty of time to choose your special moves, while at the same time having fast phased combat to switch between. Might take a bit to get used to.
++ Music;
Perfect in use and sound. Beautiful OST.
+ Graphics;
Very nice. There is always something happening on screen. Sometimes the textures were a bit fuzzy, but that doesn't really matter compared to all other that looked very good
++ Story/Characters;
I expected to become a Tifa simp while playing the game. But instead I was invested in (almost) all characters. Got a real weakspot for aerith, even tho she told me not to...
Recommend?
Yes, even if you're usually not into games like this. This could be the game that gives you a new experience you didn't even know you wanted.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
++ Gameplay;
Very good. The combat is extremely fun and tactics actually matter. having plenty of time to choose your special moves, while at the same time having fast phased combat to switch between. Might take a bit to get used to.
++ Music;
Perfect in use and sound. Beautiful OST.
+ Graphics;
Very nice. There is always something happening on screen. Sometimes the textures were a bit fuzzy, but that doesn't really matter compared to all other that looked very good
++ Story/Characters;
I expected to become a Tifa simp while playing the game. But instead I was invested in (almost) all characters. Got a real weakspot for aerith, even tho she told me not to...
Recommend?
Yes, even if you're usually not into games like this. This could be the game that gives you a new experience you didn't even know you wanted.
Finished 100%
It's a very good game and almost perfect. But there are still some parts that could (easily) be improved, which ruined the gameplay a bit for me. Mostly because I had to look up what to do to progress (I wasn't the only one). Other than that a very solid metroidvania with stunning visuals, nice music and memorable environments.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
++ Gameplay;
You get a LOT of new moves in this game. I might even say too many, to the point I didn't use half of them. Still very nice the game allows you to do that, so everyone can have their own preference. It took a bit to get used to when to use R or L. All moves/attacks felt satisfying and fair, compared to the previous game.
Variation between the levels/worlds was also nice and made them unique and memorable.
+ Music;
Fitting music but not really memorable. I have nothing bad to say about it.
++ Graphics;
I played it on the switch, and sometimes I went too fast for the game to load the level. It didn't really bother me in the end, because it was still impressive how clean the game looked on the system.
+ Story/Characters;
Game introduced characters this time. it's a nice change and loved their design. Story was simple and that's completely fine for me.
Recommend?
yes, but play the first game first!
It's a very good game and almost perfect. But there are still some parts that could (easily) be improved, which ruined the gameplay a bit for me. Mostly because I had to look up what to do to progress (I wasn't the only one). Other than that a very solid metroidvania with stunning visuals, nice music and memorable environments.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
++ Gameplay;
You get a LOT of new moves in this game. I might even say too many, to the point I didn't use half of them. Still very nice the game allows you to do that, so everyone can have their own preference. It took a bit to get used to when to use R or L. All moves/attacks felt satisfying and fair, compared to the previous game.
Variation between the levels/worlds was also nice and made them unique and memorable.
+ Music;
Fitting music but not really memorable. I have nothing bad to say about it.
++ Graphics;
I played it on the switch, and sometimes I went too fast for the game to load the level. It didn't really bother me in the end, because it was still impressive how clean the game looked on the system.
+ Story/Characters;
Game introduced characters this time. it's a nice change and loved their design. Story was simple and that's completely fine for me.
Recommend?
yes, but play the first game first!
I always wanted to play this game on psp back then, even tho I never played tho original FF7. Sadly never got the chance, because I simply couldn't find the game. Years later the game has been remade and I've finished FF7 Remake, which made this game a must for me to play. A game expanding the FF7 story giving you something till rebirth comes out.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
The gameplay is pretty solid. The combat work pretty well and the variety of skills really let you customize the way you want it to. The battles feel fair till the end of the game. I've done a few missions, but they seemed all very similar and to me. It didn't really add anything to the game other than giving the game extra hours to play.
+ Music;
Good music but less than the main game.
+- Graphics;
You can really tell it is/was a psp game. Some parts have been remade and some parts are just ported over from the psp game. I'm a bit mixed about this, but in the end it didn't really bother me.
+ Story/Characters;
The story is shit and great at the same time. The dialogue sometimes is cringe but the overal story is a great set-up for the main FF7 game. It gives depth to some of the characters, which changed how I viewed them before.
Recommend?
If you played FF7 or FF7 remake and enjoyed that, feel free to pick up this game. If you're planning on playing FF7 Rebirth, then it's a MUST to play this game, or atleast watch a youtube video explaining the story of this game. If you didn't play any ff7 game, I'd recommend playing that first and then decide if you want to play this game or not.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
The gameplay is pretty solid. The combat work pretty well and the variety of skills really let you customize the way you want it to. The battles feel fair till the end of the game. I've done a few missions, but they seemed all very similar and to me. It didn't really add anything to the game other than giving the game extra hours to play.
+ Music;
Good music but less than the main game.
+- Graphics;
You can really tell it is/was a psp game. Some parts have been remade and some parts are just ported over from the psp game. I'm a bit mixed about this, but in the end it didn't really bother me.
+ Story/Characters;
The story is shit and great at the same time. The dialogue sometimes is cringe but the overal story is a great set-up for the main FF7 game. It gives depth to some of the characters, which changed how I viewed them before.
Recommend?
If you played FF7 or FF7 remake and enjoyed that, feel free to pick up this game. If you're planning on playing FF7 Rebirth, then it's a MUST to play this game, or atleast watch a youtube video explaining the story of this game. If you didn't play any ff7 game, I'd recommend playing that first and then decide if you want to play this game or not.
Final Fantasy VII
1997
After having played ff7 remake and being somewhat obsessed with the story, I ofcourse had to play the original game. Weirdly enough when I first started playing it, I couldn't get used to the battle mechanics at all. After taking some time off before giving it another try, it finally clicked. Which resulted in me having a great time with the game till the very end.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
Starting isolated in Midgar was a great start, with you getting dropped in an open world after. Once I understood how materia worked, I started to try out different combinations. I played the Switch version, which had a X3 speed option; a must nowadays. Have to say most fights felt actually fair, aside from some endgame regular enemies. idk why they did that...
++ Music;
Perfect till the last song.
++ Graphics;
I really have a weak spot for pre-rendered assets. Every visual in the game screams nostalgia even tho I can't have any nostalgia for the game. The summon animations were all very unique and gave the powerfull feeling it was trying to convey. All places you visit are visually memorable, but the overworld could have gotten a bit more variation. Other than that it pleases exactly of what I like from older games.
++ Story/Characters;
I barely play story games, but this one just does it for me. The story is so intriguing, that I want to keep knowing more about it. Not only the main characters were interesting, so were enemy characters and some side characters. Even tho I already knew how the story would go and end, I was still captivated till the very end.
Recommend?
Yes, but this should not be your first RPG. I think it's better to start with an easier (more modern) one. If you enjoy those, for sure give this one a try.
Also FF7 Remake really is a game on it's own. If you've played this one, you haven't played the other one and vice versa.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
Starting isolated in Midgar was a great start, with you getting dropped in an open world after. Once I understood how materia worked, I started to try out different combinations. I played the Switch version, which had a X3 speed option; a must nowadays. Have to say most fights felt actually fair, aside from some endgame regular enemies. idk why they did that...
++ Music;
Perfect till the last song.
++ Graphics;
I really have a weak spot for pre-rendered assets. Every visual in the game screams nostalgia even tho I can't have any nostalgia for the game. The summon animations were all very unique and gave the powerfull feeling it was trying to convey. All places you visit are visually memorable, but the overworld could have gotten a bit more variation. Other than that it pleases exactly of what I like from older games.
++ Story/Characters;
I barely play story games, but this one just does it for me. The story is so intriguing, that I want to keep knowing more about it. Not only the main characters were interesting, so were enemy characters and some side characters. Even tho I already knew how the story would go and end, I was still captivated till the very end.
Recommend?
Yes, but this should not be your first RPG. I think it's better to start with an easier (more modern) one. If you enjoy those, for sure give this one a try.
Also FF7 Remake really is a game on it's own. If you've played this one, you haven't played the other one and vice versa.
Sonic CD
2011
Enjoyed it more than the first one, the skipping to past and future parts for me are just unneccessary, weird obstacle placement is mostly out and it gives more charm to the game, it was fun.
Astro's Playroom
2020
Huge surprise, Astro's Playroom is a must play for every PS5 owner, especially if you like your platformers, I didn't even know the functions that the Dualsense had until playing this game, it's the type of game I would pay for.
Crash Bandicoot
2017
My first "real" platforming experience with a Crash Bandicoot game was a smooth one and while I don't find it the pinnacle of the genre, it has its own unique take compared to the bland platformers out there. It gives me surprises, boxes I scratched my head where they were at, sweaty palms, heart racing to get at least gold medals on time trials, acquiring those shiny gems and Stormy Ascent, even that made me almost snap my head with sheer frustration and give me a never give up attitude. It's Crash Bandicoot, PlayStation's favorite mascot, or maybe Activision? Activision Blizzard? Microsoft?!
We have a simple plot here and there is no need to be harsh about it: save the girlfriend from the evil Neo Cortex's lab, we're here for some sweet platforming after all.
In the game Crash can run, spin and jump (hit enemies on their head, Super Mario style), usual stuff it makes for cool platforming except when your perspective of space is off due to the camera and die inevitably, don't think the game is hard as I thought, it's just the die enough times and you'll get used to it, I might add that it gives that satisfying feeling when you finally do that time trial or a shiny gem and it's a feeling I don't often feel as much as before.
Played it via Steam Deck with graphics on Ultra everything was super pretty, despite some small frame drops to the low 30's in the Jungle areas that I dropped to High and it worked perfectly. The scenarios are rich of detail and the developers did an amusing job at remaking the game, no complaints.
The levels I would like to give some appraisal would be the hog ones, it was so fun and love the song, it made dying each time enjoyable, the bridge ones made me rage since I was trying to do them without dying and successfully got them. The banned level Stormy Ascent is hard, but for me it was just having lots of lives stacked, rinse and repeat, needing perfect platforming to not die, I don't hate the level but understand why it isn't present in the main game (didn't even try to do that one without dying, screw that), Aku Aku saved me on the last section, and as other collectatons (Jak and Daxter, Rachet & Clank, Spyro & Sparx), he is a good companion and I appreciate his "take one more hit" chance.
I didn't do true ending, because it felt like a chore to be honest (after discovering you had to do them all, and not just the shiny ones), also gave up on the time trials halfway through it, felt really anxious and decided it wasn't worth it to not ruin the pleasure of the game.
To conclude: Crash Bandicoot is a marvelous remake, while I didn't get the opportunity to play the original when I was younger, it gave me a taste that the Crash games are really solid platformers (started playing when I was younger the Crash Tag Team Racing game, and I expect the future iterations I play to be very good like this one, being the next one Crash Bandicoot 2)
We have a simple plot here and there is no need to be harsh about it: save the girlfriend from the evil Neo Cortex's lab, we're here for some sweet platforming after all.
In the game Crash can run, spin and jump (hit enemies on their head, Super Mario style), usual stuff it makes for cool platforming except when your perspective of space is off due to the camera and die inevitably, don't think the game is hard as I thought, it's just the die enough times and you'll get used to it, I might add that it gives that satisfying feeling when you finally do that time trial or a shiny gem and it's a feeling I don't often feel as much as before.
Played it via Steam Deck with graphics on Ultra everything was super pretty, despite some small frame drops to the low 30's in the Jungle areas that I dropped to High and it worked perfectly. The scenarios are rich of detail and the developers did an amusing job at remaking the game, no complaints.
The levels I would like to give some appraisal would be the hog ones, it was so fun and love the song, it made dying each time enjoyable, the bridge ones made me rage since I was trying to do them without dying and successfully got them. The banned level Stormy Ascent is hard, but for me it was just having lots of lives stacked, rinse and repeat, needing perfect platforming to not die, I don't hate the level but understand why it isn't present in the main game (didn't even try to do that one without dying, screw that), Aku Aku saved me on the last section, and as other collectatons (Jak and Daxter, Rachet & Clank, Spyro & Sparx), he is a good companion and I appreciate his "take one more hit" chance.
I didn't do true ending, because it felt like a chore to be honest (after discovering you had to do them all, and not just the shiny ones), also gave up on the time trials halfway through it, felt really anxious and decided it wasn't worth it to not ruin the pleasure of the game.
To conclude: Crash Bandicoot is a marvelous remake, while I didn't get the opportunity to play the original when I was younger, it gave me a taste that the Crash games are really solid platformers (started playing when I was younger the Crash Tag Team Racing game, and I expect the future iterations I play to be very good like this one, being the next one Crash Bandicoot 2)