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The frenchman himself

Will start writing reviews soon, maybe.
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Participated in the 2023 Game of the Year Event

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Played 100+ games

Favorite Games

Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed II
Persona 4
Persona 4
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine
Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 Royal
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet

210

Total Games Played

000

Played in 2024

003

Games Backloggd


Recently Reviewed See More

Ah, Assassin’s Creed 2. The first gaming experience that deeply resonated with me as a kid, even if I could only appreciate only half of it at first. This game was already special to me 15 years ago, but replaying it after getting older and having a better understanding of gaming as a medium, made me realize how much care and love had been put into it and how deep it actually is in some aspects.

This game is just one of these games that makes me “feel” things. You know, how a game can move you, evoke deep emotions within yourself just by sheer presentation alone. Running across Venice’s rooftops, with Jesper’s Kyd’s fabulous soundtrack playing in the background and the sound of the bustling streets below; none of the Assassin’s Creed games have been able to replicate this feeling for me, even if some handle gameplay and story elements better.

This game is our first introduction to one of gaming’s most iconic protagonists, Ezio, who is undoubtedly AC’s most loved protagonist for many reasons: one being that he is just very likable, but also because he got the most room to grow as a character thanks to having three games dedicated to him. Though not being the best part of his story, AC2 is a strong starting point that offers compelling characters and some of the most iconic scenes in the series, as well as a rich narrative that delves into subjects such as the price of revenge, or the struggle to find meaning in a conflict you were thrust into without your approval.

It also introduced many of the mysteries that made the AC franchise and its modern-day story so compelling in the first place: what happened to Altair after he defeated Al Mualim, and why did he write the codex pages? Who was Subject 16, and what did he discover while in the Animus? And who are the precursors that created the apple of eden, and what are they trying to warn us about?

Even outside the story, the game communicates through its visuals and gameplay. How each city has its unique personality, with distinct color palettes and level design, pushing you to adapt, and making the parkour rewarding and engaging. Or for instance, how you can see the color grading of Monteriggioni slowly change and the street becoming busier as you renovate the villa, reflecting its financial state. These are small details, but they matter and show the thought and care that was put into this game and now feel absent in current Ubisoft titles. It just enhances the overall atmosphere and immersion, coupled with the ambient sounds of the city and Jesper Kyd’s mysterious yet elegant soundtrack.

From a gameplay standpoint, AC2 pretty much improves and refines everything its predecessor did. More ways to assassinate your enemies with new techniques and weapons, more ways to interact with the world around you for social stealth. The combat, although simple, is stylish and you’ll find enjoyment in trying to look as cool as possible. The game structure has been made less repetitive and offer more interesting side activities to tackle, such as the iconic assassin’s tombs that are intricate parkour challenges in mesmerizing locations. Though I surely miss the more open aspect of AC1 assassinations that gave much more player agency on how to plan them out.

I will never get tired of this game, even if it's a painful reminder of what Assassin’s Creed used to be. It can be hard to believe that Ubisoft used to make games like these when we look at their current catalog. But even so, this will always be one of my favorite games and a clear example of why I love video games.





This review contains spoilers

Persona 4 Golden is a weird game for me. After finishing my first Persona game, Persona 5, which completely stole my heart (no pun intended), I was left wanting more and naturally looked into the earlier games. From the outside, Persona 4 didn’t appeal to me: for some reason the main color being yellow and the character designs just turned me off at first. At that time, the overall aesthetic of P3 spoke to me more so I went with that game instead. Fast forward a few weeks later, I dropped P3 because it felt too dated for my taste, despite enjoying some aspects, and eventually turned to P4G which became my favorite Persona game.

The main cast of characters is definitely the standout aspect of this game, the chemistry between them is just perfectly executed and none of them feel like they had not enough screen time or were underdeveloped, unlike Haru in P5. Even characters outside the main cast, such as Dojima or Nanako, are so compelling and add significant depth to P4’s story. It’s not without flaws: like every modern persona, the social links in this game are a mixed bag ranging from excellent to downright bad sometimes. Not to mention the very poor and dated writing in some cases, especially with Yosuke which seems like remnants of his cut-out romance.

On the gameplay side, we have the typical turn-based combat that’s been a staple in the franchise and remains as engaging as ever. Difficulty wise, I find it to be more challenging than Persona 5’s combat but less punishing and “unfair” than P3’s, striking a nice balance. The inclusion of a custom difficulty option is still one of my favorite features, and it still baffles me that it hasn’t returned in a more in-depth version in P5 or P3R. The dungeons are visually more varied and feel more engaging than P3's Tartarus, but feel hollow compared to P5's Palaces.

Just a quick rant on the Reaper: this is obviously far and away the worst implementation of it: not only does spawning it require opening chests for 20 minutes, but the best gear for the party can only be obtained by defeating it 14 times (21 if you also want the accesories too), making it one of the most boring and tedious grind I have ever experienced.

The murder mystery aspect of the story is incredibly compelling and had me on the edge of my seat waiting for each new story beat to happen, even though I had already been spoiled about the killer's identity. It's just really well handled for the most part. However, the addition of Marie feels somewhat underwhelming and tacked-on compared to Maruki and Kasumi in P5R, probably because it was their first attempt at something like this. Similarly, Izanami doesn’t quite measure up to my expectation for being the final enemy of this game, and I feel that Adachi/Ameno-sagiri just do a much better job.

To finish up on the visuals and music. The soundtrack, like every Persona game, is an absolute banger and I still regularly listen to some of the tracks because they are just that good. Shoutout to “The Almighty” for being my favorite boss music ever and further highlighting why the Ameno-sagiri fight is just superior to Izanami's. Being a PS2 game, the graphics are obviously dated but thanks to its art direction, still exudes so much charm that it’s not that big of a deal. The menus look very nice and stylish, but obviously are not on the level of P5’s or P3R’s.

This game is just very special to me, probably because I didn’t expect to like it as much at first. I love it so much that it isn’t really possible for me to put it into words. The game still has some rougher parts but nothing a potential remake, that will eventually happen seeing P3R’s success, can't fix. Just a tremendous experience.

LEGO Harry Potter Years 1 to 4 is still my favorite LEGO game after all these years, despite its downsides. A lot is probably due to nostalgia, but I still believe this game has a lot of merits.

Hogwarts is easily my favorite hub world in any LEGO game. It’s very enjoyable to explore all the iconic locations from the films, along with the fabulous score from John Williams. Every room serves a purpose and contains collectibles to unlock, whereas following games introduce big open-world areas that are visually impressive but feel mostly empty.

Many of the puzzles you will encounter while exploring Hogwarts are wacky and unique and make use of all the spells you will unlock by progressing through the game. Unlocking those spells will little by little open up more of the castle, making the progression feel really rewarding.

Visually, it still holds up for a 2010 game and makes use of that fine “LEGO humor” to recreate iconic scenes in really funny and clever ways. 100% the game doesn’t feel like a chore and can be done in about 15 to 20 hours, which feels relatively short compared to newer LEGO games that are way too repetitive (looking at you Skywalker Saga).

However, most story levels often feel uninspired and boring, with some areas even reused multiple times. It’s really a shame when compared to the ones in LEGO Star Wars, which are more fun and engaging but also offer a lot of replayability with Free Play. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel that bad because they are pretty short and you will be spending most of your time in the hub world anyway.

The character roster has way too much fluff, which isn’t really justified when most of them play the same. Even so, I will always find unlocking iconic characters such as “Milkman” or “Gryffindor Boy” funny as hell.

Initially, Hogwarts can feel like a pain to navigate as its layout is confusing, but you will quickly become familiar with it as you progress and the red bricks make it way easier to find missing collectibles.

At the end of the day, is it a perfect game? Far from it, but I still love it as much as I did when I first played as a kid, and it still feels like a worthwhile experience, especially when enjoyed with a friend.