I can't put into words how much this game means to me. 11/10. Phenomenal.


This game was the perfect conclusion to Takahashi's 6 game story that he's been trying to tell for decades. I'm so happy I got to experience it. The characters are some of the best in the series with only a fraction of the screen time. The combat feels like such an upgrade from base Xenoblade 3, even though that combat was already superb. The exploration is out of this world, and introduced systems that actively reward you and encourage you to explore. This has been done other times in other games, sure, but the way that this type is implemented is done so well that it doesn't feel like you are being forced and enticed to explore, but rather the reward is just an addition for you being naturally curious and explorative in the vast detailed immersive areas found in the game. Moving on to the soundtrack, just wow. I was absolutely floored (and in tears) for the tracks with leitmotifs calling back to the previous games in the series. Also the final boss music and all the battle music was the pinnacle of Xenoblade, and I'm just so excited to see where Mitsuda and everyone on the sound design team goes next.

Finally, the narrative is so, so good. Pulling you into the past from Xenoblade 3 and tying out every single loose end and question you could have (What happened to this thing? Where are these characters? How would this work) in such an eloquent way was mind blowing. Also the parallels between Matthew and Fei were so so so enjoyable. My only complaint is that I somehow wish I received a sign from the cosmos that I needed to play Xenosaga before this to fully enjoy the radio scene.

I just don't think a game is ever going to hit me like this one did. I am so excited to see where the Xeno franchise goes next. Maybe Xenosaga HD/Remake in 2024 :)

My only real 100% / Plat Trophy of 2023.

Amazing game with really heart wrenching stories and themes. Gameplay was fantastic and deep, with a really satisfying way to keep progressing your skill as a player without just farming mobs mindlessly. Phenomenal soundtrack, characters, fight sequences, just everything. This game really was fantastic and hit my top 5 games of all time.

Ah... Xenogears. Fantastic combat, story, characters, environments, music, the whole thing. I probably would've really disliked it if I played natively on PS1 instead of Emulator but wow, this game is special. Fei's story is so enticing. Also I absolutely adore the combat and think it might be one of my favorite RPG combat systems ever.

This game was such a short, joyful, surprise for me. I absolutely adored Willump feeling so organic and alive. The story was immaculate and the immersion was top notch. This game is adorable and really fantastic. I love the messages explored throughout the game and the short but enticing adventure / journey gameplay. Plus... all the lore and set up for future installments (Riot MMO...) just pulled me in.

Xenosaga :)

I was very excited to start Xenosaga this year and am honestly a little sad I only got through the first episode completely. I think the game has definitely aged (grinding with really long animations and sequences makes you feel really bored eventually) but the story and characters were fantastic. Absolutely loved the ending sequences with Shion and Jr. facing their trauma. The combat system was actually really fun once I took the time to learn it. I'm really looking forward to the other ones.

Absolutely phenomenal game, I had so much fun with this. Changing different squads and having entirely different gameplans, strategies, and win conditions is so so so fun. I just love the gameplay loop so much. This was definitely the most fun I've had in a game in a while and honestly I should play it a little more sometime. 2nd favorite tactics game of all time for me.

Even though I've played this one before, it was a long time ago and not really to a "played" standard for me, so I'm putting this on this year.

This game is going to be one of my absolute favorites and I can just see myself coming back to it time and time again. Really really fun.

Fantastic addition to FFXVI. It's pretty short, granted, but it delivers top notch every second. Soundtrack and boss fights were absolutely crazy.

A faithful remake that brought back the waves of nostalgia. Such a joy to go through the whole time. Had a blast.

I honestly think it's a crime that I didn't put a ton of time into this game. Maybe I'll go back and 100% it one day, but until then I'll be very happy with how the base completed version of the game made me feel.

Wow the traversal and just everything feels like such a meaningful yet subtle upgrade from the first game. Really REALLY fun stuff. I literally could swing around the city for hours not doing anything. So immersive and enjoyable.

Same as Miles Morales really.

Yeah idk. I'm back on my bullshit.

I know this game deserves GOTY and is a masterclass in RPGs and I respect that and did in fact get a ton of enjoyment out of it. But somehow, the scale and overwhelming nature made me shelve the game a while ago. I'd love to get back into it and to fully complete it one day, but I don't know if I ever will.

Really fun game. I definitely am not a fan of the chapter system, and would much rather just play the entire game outright but I know that's not the style of the game and I respect that. The characters and dialogue is so perfect and funny and the gameplay (secret boss especially) is really enjoyable.

Same as above but just a little less enjoyable for me.

Really enjoyable Persona game but the dungeons were absolutely miserable. I'm really looking forward to Persona 3: Reloaded, hopefully my love for the game won't be overshadowed by bad dungeon design and slogging through some areas of the game, which is what happened with P4G.

Unfortunately a massive disappointment for me. Soundtrack was the best part by far, but that can only do so much with lack luster story, boring characters, and a shallow combat system that left me begging for anything else.

I can respect what the game is going for but I had the same exact thing happen to me with BotW where I started it, got pretty overwhelmed but invested, and then soon after dropped the game permanently. I don't think I'm ever gonna like Zelda games seeing as I've tried a bunch and none have enticed me to stick with them the whole way through. This one in particular though felt like such a chore to try and pick back up. There's such little direction that I just don't feel like trying to boot up the game and figure out what I should do.