Game_Liker
The relationship between Antea and Red feels genuinely deep, the voice acting is top quality, and the story is rich and emotional. I cried at the end. The gameplay is just WAY too generic. The open world is completely unmemorable, the combat is dead simple, and the side missions are narratively beautiful but a slog to get through.
2010
I am so glad this got revived by GOG because it is truly a special RPG. The dialogue mechanics are some of the best in any game I've played and the degree to which the story responds to your actions is amazing, even in 2024. Obsidian GOATed. The major drawback is that the gameplay outside of dialogue and cutscenes is horrific. It felt bad at launch and it feels nearly unplayable today. Definitely a hidden gem worth experiencing for the story, with the caveat that you have to play the rest of the game too.
I already thought Yakuza: Like a Dragon was a masterpiece and this improves on that game in nearly every way except the story. I love getting to spend more time with Ichiban, one of my new favorite characters in video games. It was also beautiful to reflect on the past with Kiryu. Obvious fan service but I'm a fan! It totally worked for me. I laughed, I cried, I spent many hours completely disengaged from the story perfecting my Dondoko Island.
As a kid this game would have been GOATed for me. It's still a technical marvel and a great showcase for the PS5 hardware. But the gameplay is dead simple and pretty bland despite all the flashy aesthetics.
The defining moment of my time with this game was suffering through the awful chocobo stealth sequence to finally catch the climbing chocobo, which I naturally assumed would be more mobile than the starter. I laughed out loud when I saw how slow it climbed up the giant bird wall. If you love repetitive, meaningless open world bloat then this is the game for you.
Better than the first game in every way I can imagine, but I simply don't feel compelled to finish it. I'm pretty surprised I finished the first one to be honest. These games aren't bad at all but they're completely unremarkable and only worth checking out if you're a huge Star Wars fan.
2023
A twisty, meta horror thriller that cannot be contained by the medium of video games, using cinema, television, and literature to tell a tale of two people trying to shine a light through the darkness. As with the original Alan Wake the gameplay is the weakest part, but even that aspect has been greatly improved from the first title and there are mechanics in here I have never seen in other games. A completely unforgettable experience.
2023
This is the best FromSoft game not made by FromSoft. I approached it as a joke at first - Bloodborne-like starring Pinocchio? - but it really blew me away. The combat is a beautiful blend of blocking and dodging bolstered by the experimentation of combining different weapon heads and handles. The Pinocchio story is mined for all its creepiness and the atmosphere is right up there with some of the best FromSoft games. The world is entirely linear, which is in some ways detrimental, but also has a Demon's Souls sort of charm. It really feels like they pulled the best features from FromSoft's back catalog and combined them into a delicious blend. Obviously I wouldn't recommend this if you aren't into those games, but if you are then this is a must play.
2023
No idea why I bought this game. Actually, I have a very good idea why. It was on sale and I got suckered into it. It's better than the original game in every way imaginable but it's still a super traditional JRPG and that is simply not my cup of tea. If you DO like traditional JRPGs then you'll probably think this whips.
The trailer for Dragon's Dogma 2 looked awesome and this game was on a deep sale on Steam so I finally gave it a shot. The combat is fun and the pawn system is fantastic - so much so I am shocked it hasn't been copied into other games. But this game is extremely janky and I am unable to blind myself to what I consider terrible game design decisions in order to enjoy the combat. I will likely check out the sequel when it releases, because more than a decade of feedback and ever increasing critical acclaim should have done some good.
2023
I'm kind of burnt out on 2D Metroidvanias so this wasn't the right time for me to play this, but they nailed the gamefeel. I picked the mace weapon and loved using it - very satisfying weight and combat in general was quite good. The highlight though really is the art direction. All the Spanish Catholic stuff is truly amazing and unlike any other game I've played.
2022
slaps roof of car This bad boy can fit so many game mechanics in it
2023
This was my first gacha game and I feel spoiled because it is genuinely great in a lot of ways. It feels good to play, looks expensive, and performs very well on my phone. I didn't spend money on the game but got some lucky rolls and had some awesome 5-star heroes. I enjoyed the gameplay loop and it was a good distraction on my commute, but I have reached the end of my enjoyment. Very solid mobile game!
This review contains spoilers
The completionist in me wouldn't let this be my only unfinished Zelda game. All of my critiques from my first log hold true, but honestly the thing that bothered me the most about this game was the story.
Why complain about a Zelda story right? The story doesn't matter! Actually, I think Zelda games almost always have phenomenal stories. They're usually quite simple, sure, but they're impactful and usually pair your ultimate triumph with some kind of bittersweet loss.
BotW was the first time I thought a Zelda story was genuinely bad. And it's pretty easy to see why. You get one lore dump from the king after the tutorial and that's the whole story, everything you need to go defeat Ganon straight away. You get some additional detail about past events throughout the game, but the core story was dumped to you at the start.
TotK realizes this problem and you don't have much info to go on at the start other than "Find Zelda." That's cool! You do get the same exact lore dump cutscene after each temple - I can think of a few different ways this could be solved - but it doesn't reveal the whole story to you. You have to piece together various memory scenes and these are great. The most impactful of all is when you discover Zelda turned herself into a dragon to heal the master sword and deliver it to Link. This was my favorite emotional beat in ANY Zelda game. Realizing the dragon flying around is actually Zelda? The titular tears are from Zelda? The reason you need to find her is because she permanently transformed into a dragon and she can't communicate with you herself? Amazing stuff. Then the final boss battle with Ganondorf when he transforms himself into a dragon? And you and dragon Zelda fight dragon Ganondorf? So sick.
I was prepared to leave on a high note and maybe even love this game. But the deus ex machina moment that followed the final boss fight caused me physical pain. The reason Zelda's choice to turn into a dragon packs such an emotional punch is because it is irreversible. The game specifically states there is no going back. And it's heartbreaking! Seeing the ghosts of Rauru and Sonia show up and reverse the dragon transformation completely undermines the whole narrative. Nevermind that those ghosts showing up makes no sense in the first place - they should not have any power to affect the situation! I am in utter disbelief. I have never gone from loving to hating a game's story so quickly.
Why complain about a Zelda story right? The story doesn't matter! Actually, I think Zelda games almost always have phenomenal stories. They're usually quite simple, sure, but they're impactful and usually pair your ultimate triumph with some kind of bittersweet loss.
BotW was the first time I thought a Zelda story was genuinely bad. And it's pretty easy to see why. You get one lore dump from the king after the tutorial and that's the whole story, everything you need to go defeat Ganon straight away. You get some additional detail about past events throughout the game, but the core story was dumped to you at the start.
TotK realizes this problem and you don't have much info to go on at the start other than "Find Zelda." That's cool! You do get the same exact lore dump cutscene after each temple - I can think of a few different ways this could be solved - but it doesn't reveal the whole story to you. You have to piece together various memory scenes and these are great. The most impactful of all is when you discover Zelda turned herself into a dragon to heal the master sword and deliver it to Link. This was my favorite emotional beat in ANY Zelda game. Realizing the dragon flying around is actually Zelda? The titular tears are from Zelda? The reason you need to find her is because she permanently transformed into a dragon and she can't communicate with you herself? Amazing stuff. Then the final boss battle with Ganondorf when he transforms himself into a dragon? And you and dragon Zelda fight dragon Ganondorf? So sick.
I was prepared to leave on a high note and maybe even love this game. But the deus ex machina moment that followed the final boss fight caused me physical pain. The reason Zelda's choice to turn into a dragon packs such an emotional punch is because it is irreversible. The game specifically states there is no going back. And it's heartbreaking! Seeing the ghosts of Rauru and Sonia show up and reverse the dragon transformation completely undermines the whole narrative. Nevermind that those ghosts showing up makes no sense in the first place - they should not have any power to affect the situation! I am in utter disbelief. I have never gone from loving to hating a game's story so quickly.
2023
Story is really fun, but PvP is the juice of a modern fighting game and the online play sucks. Street Fighter 6 is still the GOAT.