GenericGamer32
2012
This review contains spoilers
(Heads up: this review is based on the Legendary Edition of the game)
For every good thing this game does, there is always one thing that downs the experience. For starters, the gameplay is amazing. It's very fluid and improved upon what was started in Mass Effect 2. It was nice seeing the Normandy crew actually interact between missions. The thing about this game is its story. To be perfectly fair to the developers, they were rushed, so I'm not going to be extremely harsh. And to be perfectly honest, some of the moments in the story were fantastic (like curing the Genophage). Then other moments didn't hit as well (mainly anything with Kai Leng). Plus this game seemed overly simple. Dialogue choices were reduced to a mere two (sometimes three if you want more context) choices. The list of squadmates is fairly small (one of them actually being DLC in the original release). Again, this is probably a result of rushed development. And yeah, the ending, like the rest of the game, has its moments but ultimately fell flat in a lot of aspects. It's a shame that this game had to be rushed out the door. This could have been a masterpiece but instead, it falls short.
For every good thing this game does, there is always one thing that downs the experience. For starters, the gameplay is amazing. It's very fluid and improved upon what was started in Mass Effect 2. It was nice seeing the Normandy crew actually interact between missions. The thing about this game is its story. To be perfectly fair to the developers, they were rushed, so I'm not going to be extremely harsh. And to be perfectly honest, some of the moments in the story were fantastic (like curing the Genophage). Then other moments didn't hit as well (mainly anything with Kai Leng). Plus this game seemed overly simple. Dialogue choices were reduced to a mere two (sometimes three if you want more context) choices. The list of squadmates is fairly small (one of them actually being DLC in the original release). Again, this is probably a result of rushed development. And yeah, the ending, like the rest of the game, has its moments but ultimately fell flat in a lot of aspects. It's a shame that this game had to be rushed out the door. This could have been a masterpiece but instead, it falls short.
This game allowed me to play the three Mass Effect games for the first time and it's been a treat. Getting to know the characters and the galaxy has been awesome. The Legendary Edition is a remaster of the iconic games and does a fine job. Everything people loved about the originals can be found here. As a bonus, they threw in the DLC in this remaster. The controls (I assume) are the same as the original release. A negative while playing through Mass Effect 1, but for the other two, that's more than fine. However, some bugs (some of them game-breaking) can still be found in this release. They had a chance to go back and fix them but sadly didn't. And more of a nitpick but some of the lighting here is weird. Graphically, the game looks better, but that doesn't save it from the poor lighting. Anyway, if someone is looking for a way to get into the Mass Effect franchise, I highly recommend checking this out.
2019
What an incredible journey. This game's story is fantastic. Seeing how all the plots are interconnected was very interesting. The combat is a vast improvement over the previous two installments. This game has five playable characters with new cities to explore. Kiryu's, Saejima's, and Akiyama's styles remain the same, which is all good fun. This game introduces a fan favorite, Shinada. His style is very unique since aspects of it are inspired by his days playing baseball (he's also extremely good with weapons). Haruka is playable this time around, but her style isn't fighting. It's dancing and singing, and it's great. There are even some great mini-games: taxi driving, hunting, street racing, and yes, chicken racing. Despite how great this game is, it still has some faults. Certain sections do drag on for too long. Pacing is very problematic throughout the game. Also, this bit is probably a bit biased but this game and its predecessor do this annoying thing where Majima has key connections to important characters in the story, but he's hardly in it. I can somewhat understand it with this game, but I still think he's a bit underutilized here. The ending also seems a bit rushed, but it doesn't really ruin the experience. All that being said, this game is incredible. Definitely one of the best Yakuza titles.
This being my first Final Fantasy game all I have to say is this: what a great game. When remaking a legendary title such as Final Fantasy VII, you want it to respect the original while updating it to fit modern consoles better. And boy, does this game does it. It's a beautiful game. Not only that, but the characters are loveable. The story is also fantastic. Good music is nothing new to the Final Fantasy franchise and this game is no exception. There's not a single bad track in the whole game. One thing that changed between this and the original is the gameplay. In the original, fighting was done through a turn-based system. This time the battle system is a real-time combat system. Don't go in expecting the battles to be simple though. Players must strategize on the best equipment to take with them throughout the entire game. That being said, the best equipped doesn't stop the boss fights from being challenging. Once you do defeat them, it feels extremely rewarding. There isn't that much negative to say about the game. The side quests weren't that good (in fact, they're rather dull) and areas can be quite linear which doesn't leave room for much exploration. Those two things don't stop this game from being an amazing experience. This is everything a game remake should be.
2022
This game manages to do a lot of good things and a lot of bad things. For their first foray into an open-world game, or as it's called in this game- open zone, Sonic Team handled it mostly well. Sonic controls pretty well and his new combat moves are cool. They also added some platforming sections on the islands and they were fun. But as stated, it isn't perfect. Pop-ins are a huge issue throughout the game. There is no mini-map to help guide the player. You have to constantly open and close the big map to help out. When starting a new island, most of the map will be blank. To gain access to parts of it, Sonic must complete puzzles that can be fairly simple to poorly designed. The final two islands are just the first one all over again. Most of the mini-games aren't that good. The only fun one was the fishing game. This may seem like I hate the game, but I don't. There are plenty of positive things to say about it. This is one of the best-written Sonic games in years. The character interactions are top-notch and the story is good too. The music is also phenomenal (a crime it wasn't nominated for best soundtrack at the Game Awards). Sonic games always seem to serve out some of the best soundtracks known to gaming and this one carries on that reputation. The boss fights (except for the final boss) are awesome. Seriously some of the best fights in the series to date. They are extremely fun and just bring a level of hype that the series has been lacking for a few years. The one thing I have mixed feelings about is Cyber Space. The concept of it is admittedly cool: take Sonic's memories and use the level design from the previous games as a special stage to help Sonic survive the islands. However, as others no doubt have stated, Sega has been doing similar stuff for years with the series. It doesn't help that the settings they picked for these levels happened to be the three most overused levels in the series. And while Sonic controls well in the open zone, the same can't be said here (but hey, most of the levels weren't designed with these controls in mind). For all my bashing of these segments, I can't say I didn't have fun with them. It's enjoyable despite its flaws. For what it's worth Sonic Frontiers is a step in the right direction for the franchise. This is probably the best 3D Sonic game in a few years (a low bar if to be honest). Sonic Team has a rock-solid foundation here, they just need to smooth things out for future games.
I wanted to like this one, but I couldn't. The plot wasn't that good. Some bits and pieces showed how much potential it had, but that wasn't enough to save it. It had some of the worst plot twists I have ever seen. My suspension of disbelief can only be suspended for so long. Also, it doesn't feel like a finale to Kiryu's arc. Most of the returning cast gets sidelined in one way or another. Some moments should have been played as a bit of self-reflection for Kiryu and it falls short. The boss fights were lame here. One thing the Yakuza series is known for is the spectacle of the boss fights. This game didn't have that. The bosses also only have one health bar. Usually, as the player progresses, the boss fights get more health bars. Here though, all except for one have one health bar. The combat isn't great either. It has been downgraded significantly. Kiryu can't carry weapons and the heat actions are very limited. A lot of the returning mini-games have been cut. The new ones that were introduced were fine though. I will say I did enjoy most of the new characters they introduced in the story. The soundtrack was great as well. It gets props for being one of the few games that's fully voice acted too. And the new location of Onomichi was cool. But, as it stands, this is a disappointing finale for the Dragon of Dojima.
What a fantastic game. For their first foray with turn-based combat, the team at RGG did an amazing job. There were some hiccups here and there, like the AI getting stuck behind objects, but nothing too earth-shattering. This whole game is a huge love letter to JRPGs, with references sprinkled throughout. The side content is amazing as well, easily the best in the series. But where the game really comes together is its story. Absolutely incredible at every turn. It is emotionally gripping from start to finish. The new cast the game introduces was also amazing. Ichiban certainly did a fine job living up to his predecessor as the protagonist. His team was also a delight. This is easily one of, if not the best Yakuza game so far.
Mad props to the developers for making it highly accurate on how people will get mad at you for having the right of way while driving. Truly the most realistic aspect of this game.
Joking aside, the game is fine. They nailed the look of 1930s America. The story and the characters are excellent, with an amazing voice cast to boot. The vehicles (for the most part) handle well. While the vehicles are fine, the same can't be said for the combat. Melee combat feels stiff most of the time. You will also be using guns throughout and... it's ok. Gun gameplay is better than the melee combat, but it feels very inconsistent. I would headshot someone and they either die on the spot or take a few more hits afterward. While I said the vehicles control well (which is true), any story mission involving them is such a chore. Easily the worst aspect of the game. And for an open-world game, it doesn't encourage players to explore it (outside of the stray collectible). A shame too because the map in this game is wonderful. Give the game a shot, it's enjoyable despite its flaws.
Joking aside, the game is fine. They nailed the look of 1930s America. The story and the characters are excellent, with an amazing voice cast to boot. The vehicles (for the most part) handle well. While the vehicles are fine, the same can't be said for the combat. Melee combat feels stiff most of the time. You will also be using guns throughout and... it's ok. Gun gameplay is better than the melee combat, but it feels very inconsistent. I would headshot someone and they either die on the spot or take a few more hits afterward. While I said the vehicles control well (which is true), any story mission involving them is such a chore. Easily the worst aspect of the game. And for an open-world game, it doesn't encourage players to explore it (outside of the stray collectible). A shame too because the map in this game is wonderful. Give the game a shot, it's enjoyable despite its flaws.
This review contains spoilers
Many consider this game a masterpiece, but I found it just okay. The story is good with an extraordinary third act and an incredible cast of characters to boost. The open world is so well done. Not only does it nail the wild west look, but it feels so alive. You will get a variety of unique interactions with the people in this world which is nice. Not only that but there is a lot to explore. The game is so gorgeous. I love the scenery of the American west and this game just nails it. And the soundtrack for this game is fantastic. In all honesty, it's the best aspect of the game. My praises end here, however.
What bogs this game down is the gameplay. It's very repetitive. You talk to someone to start a mission, you ride your horse -usually with someone and listen to a conversation- then you have to do a shootout and escape. Rinse, wash, repeat. Plus the controls for the gameplay aren't the best. If you aren't having your hand held with auto-aim, then good luck aiming. It's atrocious. And speaking of hand-holding, this game does it a lot. There is one mission where Authur and John place explosives on a bridge and after they're done they have to avoid being smashed by a train. There is a catch though. If you do badly running away from the train then don't worry. The train will slow down if it gets too close to you. It's impossible to fail that part of the mission because the game has to hold your hand. Of course, this is when the game doesn't feel like a movie. A lot of "gameplay" moments just feel like interactive cutscenes, which I'm not a fan of. One of the missions for the epilogue was just a cutscene, but since you had to press buttons that changes everything.
This game has a focus on realism. I'll give the devs credit for taking the time and pouring in the effort to the attention to detail. However, just because it looks or feels real doesn't make it good. A lot of the animations take forever. I think the thing that falls victim to this is the horses. On one hand, I can appreciate the fact that horses aren't unstoppable freaks of nature that can take any fall, with no problem (like most games treat them). However, whistling for them is worthless. Due to the realism, they can't hear you from far away, which means if you're separated from them you're going to have to run back. Also, have fun trying to aim your gun while simultaneously trying to keep your horse going at a steady pace to outrun the law. Rockstar, I don't have enough fingers for this, the button mashing for speed wasn't a good idea.
While I said the story is good, it's not perfect. The beginning of the game is a drag. Plus, the game overstays its welcome. The epilogue is way too long and it made me lower my score for the game just a bit. If the game ended with Authur's death and 2-3 missions with John, I would've been satisfied. But no, you need to complete about 20 missions and they feel like filler.
My overall feelings about the game are complicated. A part of me enjoyed my time with it, exploring the world and interacting with others. The other part just couldn't wait for it to be done. All in all, this game has a good story and a nice open world, but that's not enough to save it from lackluster gameplay.
What bogs this game down is the gameplay. It's very repetitive. You talk to someone to start a mission, you ride your horse -usually with someone and listen to a conversation- then you have to do a shootout and escape. Rinse, wash, repeat. Plus the controls for the gameplay aren't the best. If you aren't having your hand held with auto-aim, then good luck aiming. It's atrocious. And speaking of hand-holding, this game does it a lot. There is one mission where Authur and John place explosives on a bridge and after they're done they have to avoid being smashed by a train. There is a catch though. If you do badly running away from the train then don't worry. The train will slow down if it gets too close to you. It's impossible to fail that part of the mission because the game has to hold your hand. Of course, this is when the game doesn't feel like a movie. A lot of "gameplay" moments just feel like interactive cutscenes, which I'm not a fan of. One of the missions for the epilogue was just a cutscene, but since you had to press buttons that changes everything.
This game has a focus on realism. I'll give the devs credit for taking the time and pouring in the effort to the attention to detail. However, just because it looks or feels real doesn't make it good. A lot of the animations take forever. I think the thing that falls victim to this is the horses. On one hand, I can appreciate the fact that horses aren't unstoppable freaks of nature that can take any fall, with no problem (like most games treat them). However, whistling for them is worthless. Due to the realism, they can't hear you from far away, which means if you're separated from them you're going to have to run back. Also, have fun trying to aim your gun while simultaneously trying to keep your horse going at a steady pace to outrun the law. Rockstar, I don't have enough fingers for this, the button mashing for speed wasn't a good idea.
While I said the story is good, it's not perfect. The beginning of the game is a drag. Plus, the game overstays its welcome. The epilogue is way too long and it made me lower my score for the game just a bit. If the game ended with Authur's death and 2-3 missions with John, I would've been satisfied. But no, you need to complete about 20 missions and they feel like filler.
My overall feelings about the game are complicated. A part of me enjoyed my time with it, exploring the world and interacting with others. The other part just couldn't wait for it to be done. All in all, this game has a good story and a nice open world, but that's not enough to save it from lackluster gameplay.
2010
Mafia II is a fine game if a bit repetitive. I played Mafia: Definitive Edition, a remake of the first game that came out in 2020, and it's kind of funny how that game lacks things compared to this one (a game that came out in 2010). While there isn't that much to do on the map, you can shop and eat at restaurants (an aspect that wasn't present in M: DE). The world map itself is pretty fun to drive through. Plus, you can pick out the outfits Vito can wear during a mission and there are many ways to customize cars. Another thing that was present here and not in Mafia: Definitive Edition is cops remembering you and the car after chasing you. I thought it was odd that the cops would just give up after a certain amount of time. I'm glad that's not the case here though. That's enough of me comparing two games.
The story in this game is pretty good and it has some good characters too. Vito's journey is intriguing. Though, I do think it can be a bit repetitive at times. The mission will start with Vito waking up at his place of residence with the phone ringing. Then you'll have to go drive to a restaurant to learn about some plan then you have to drive there and listen to a conversation in a car. It's a good story, but the setups here can get annoying after so long. I especially loved how they tied this game with the first one.
The gun gameplay here is perfectly serviceable. It's not the best, but there are worse out there. Firing the guns feel nice, though the controls for moving can be questionable at best. For whatever reason, sprinting with guns happened, or it didn't. I think the reason was that you can't sprint in buildings, but the inconsistency was quite annoying. Moving behind cover was also weird. Sometimes Vito will shift to a lower cover or sometimes he'll just stand there. As a whole though, firing the guns was fine. Occasionally, Vito will get into a fist fight and the melee combat is okay at best. It's not stiff, but it certainly isn't engaging.
Vehicles control alright. You'll have fun driving around this game's version of New York City (side note: the devs nailed the aesthetic of 1940s/1950s America). However, anytime you need to make a quick getaway, all I'll say is good luck.
Mafia II is an enjoyable game with a good story. The gameplay is fine and it can be fun. Despite all that, the game can be a bit repetitive. Even then, it won't stop someone from having a good time with this game.
The story in this game is pretty good and it has some good characters too. Vito's journey is intriguing. Though, I do think it can be a bit repetitive at times. The mission will start with Vito waking up at his place of residence with the phone ringing. Then you'll have to go drive to a restaurant to learn about some plan then you have to drive there and listen to a conversation in a car. It's a good story, but the setups here can get annoying after so long. I especially loved how they tied this game with the first one.
The gun gameplay here is perfectly serviceable. It's not the best, but there are worse out there. Firing the guns feel nice, though the controls for moving can be questionable at best. For whatever reason, sprinting with guns happened, or it didn't. I think the reason was that you can't sprint in buildings, but the inconsistency was quite annoying. Moving behind cover was also weird. Sometimes Vito will shift to a lower cover or sometimes he'll just stand there. As a whole though, firing the guns was fine. Occasionally, Vito will get into a fist fight and the melee combat is okay at best. It's not stiff, but it certainly isn't engaging.
Vehicles control alright. You'll have fun driving around this game's version of New York City (side note: the devs nailed the aesthetic of 1940s/1950s America). However, anytime you need to make a quick getaway, all I'll say is good luck.
Mafia II is an enjoyable game with a good story. The gameplay is fine and it can be fun. Despite all that, the game can be a bit repetitive. Even then, it won't stop someone from having a good time with this game.
Lego DC Super-Villains is precisely what it sounds like: an all-star game featuring beloved DC villains with the Lego style of games fans came to know and love. While this may not be the greatest Lego game of all time, it's still enjoyable.
Custom characters are nothing new to Lego games. In fact, it's a fan-favorite feature. The customization in this particular game is awesome. There are so many options to choose from; such as looks, weapons, and superpowers. The game also gets bonus points for having the custom character play an important part in the game's story too.
The story itself is fine. Going in, I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking from a Lego game. That all being said, the story in the game is enjoyable, just not noteworthy.
Voice acting in Lego games is a controversial topic, to say the least. Most people (myself included) prefer the old days when the characters mumbled in the cutscenes. However, I don't mind when there's voice acting when the game has an original story (like this) and not when they're adapting a movie. The voice acting in this game is top-notch. The performances given are excellent.
Gameplay was alright. If you played one Lego game, you've played them all. The combat was simple but fun. Like Lego Marvel Super Heroes, there is a world map to run around in. It's pretty fun to explore and seeing the iconic locations from the comics is always a treat. The level design was pretty linear though, especially compared to past Lego games. And a flaw with many Lego games is that they hardly ever give you an indication on how to solve things so you'll be running around and hitting objects aimlessly for a while.
The controls are once again fine. Characters didn't feel slick and were responsive to commands. The same can't be said about the vehicle controls though. Unlike the characters, the vehicles are extremely slick, constantly bumping into walls with the slightest touch of the joystick.
While Lego DC Super-Villains isn't as good as some past previous Lego games, it is still an enjoyable time.
Custom characters are nothing new to Lego games. In fact, it's a fan-favorite feature. The customization in this particular game is awesome. There are so many options to choose from; such as looks, weapons, and superpowers. The game also gets bonus points for having the custom character play an important part in the game's story too.
The story itself is fine. Going in, I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking from a Lego game. That all being said, the story in the game is enjoyable, just not noteworthy.
Voice acting in Lego games is a controversial topic, to say the least. Most people (myself included) prefer the old days when the characters mumbled in the cutscenes. However, I don't mind when there's voice acting when the game has an original story (like this) and not when they're adapting a movie. The voice acting in this game is top-notch. The performances given are excellent.
Gameplay was alright. If you played one Lego game, you've played them all. The combat was simple but fun. Like Lego Marvel Super Heroes, there is a world map to run around in. It's pretty fun to explore and seeing the iconic locations from the comics is always a treat. The level design was pretty linear though, especially compared to past Lego games. And a flaw with many Lego games is that they hardly ever give you an indication on how to solve things so you'll be running around and hitting objects aimlessly for a while.
The controls are once again fine. Characters didn't feel slick and were responsive to commands. The same can't be said about the vehicle controls though. Unlike the characters, the vehicles are extremely slick, constantly bumping into walls with the slightest touch of the joystick.
While Lego DC Super-Villains isn't as good as some past previous Lego games, it is still an enjoyable time.
Before I start this review, I just want to thank RGG Studio for finally releasing this title in the West. The fact that this has finally happened is like a dream come true for most fans. Anyway, on with the review.
Like a Dragon: Ishin is a remake of a spin-off of the Yakuza series (now called Like a Dragon series in the West). This game is essentially an all-star game, with the cast of the Like a Dragon series portraying major Japanese historical figures. The game's story recounts the tale of Sakamoto Ryoma. How much of this game is historically accurate is beyond me (if I were to guess the team took a lot of creative liberties given the cast), though rest assured, the game's story is excellent.
This game has a similar combat system to Yakuza 0/Kiwami. There are four styles to choose from and you have to figure out which is best suited for the combat scenario. While playing through this game, I only used two of them instead of alternating between the four. The Brawler style is the typical punching combat that the series is known for and it's not that good this time around. Compared to the other styles in the game, it's weak. The attacks do little damage so it's not worth using. The other style I didn't use a lot while playing is Gunman. As the name implies, this style primarily focuses on firing a gun. While dealing with the enemies that walk around the map, Gunman mows them down which made combat bland. Not only that but the dodge for this style wasn't the best. I did enjoy the other two, however. Swordsman Style allows the player to fight with a sword and the attacks here bring a lot of damage. This style also allows the player to block attacks, which the other ones don't offer. The other style is Wild Dancer, which combines sword and gun use. This style's attack range is wide, which makes up for its somewhat low damage output. Plus, the dodge is fantastic. I also enjoy the flamboyant nature of it.
What's new to the combat system is the controversial trooper cards system. In the original release of Ishin, these cards were exclusive to a certain game mode. This time around, they are an important part of the combat. At first, I didn't think I would enjoy this inclusion, but I ended up having fun with them. My biggest gripe is the fact that the game kind of forces you to use them. In a post before the game was released, RGG Studio described the cards as optional. However, the bosses in the game still use these special powers even if the cards aren't equipped. It unintentionally forces the player to use the cards.
Like most games in this series, Like a Dragon: Ishin is filled with side content. The mini games are fun and I enjoyed the Another Life bit. The substories here are rather forgettable though. I certainly chuckled at a few of them but none stuck out to me.
One thing this remake did was change up the cast. Since the original was released before Yakuza 0 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, characters from those games weren't featured. To make up for that, some of the characters were recast to include the newer titles. As much as I like Kuze and Zhao, I also like Hamazaki and Baba. Replacing them with characters from the more popular titles seems rather insulting (it doesn't help that Zhao looks like he knows what an iPhone is). I understand wanting to include characters from the newer games, but they could've gone about it another way: the substories. To be fair, they did do something similar for the occasional substory, but I would've liked to see more. This could've been a great way to include characters from both the new and old games, but it is what it is.
As for a remake, it doesn't change much outside of a few minor things. If that's the case, I have to wonder why remake it all? This "remake" is more like a remaster. However, I won't spend too much time on this topic because I'm just happy this game was finally released in the West in some way.
Like a Dragon: Ishin is flawed but a fun experience. The story is top-notch. The combat was okay but still enjoyable. However, some odd questionable decisions prevent me from giving this a higher score.
Like a Dragon: Ishin is a remake of a spin-off of the Yakuza series (now called Like a Dragon series in the West). This game is essentially an all-star game, with the cast of the Like a Dragon series portraying major Japanese historical figures. The game's story recounts the tale of Sakamoto Ryoma. How much of this game is historically accurate is beyond me (if I were to guess the team took a lot of creative liberties given the cast), though rest assured, the game's story is excellent.
This game has a similar combat system to Yakuza 0/Kiwami. There are four styles to choose from and you have to figure out which is best suited for the combat scenario. While playing through this game, I only used two of them instead of alternating between the four. The Brawler style is the typical punching combat that the series is known for and it's not that good this time around. Compared to the other styles in the game, it's weak. The attacks do little damage so it's not worth using. The other style I didn't use a lot while playing is Gunman. As the name implies, this style primarily focuses on firing a gun. While dealing with the enemies that walk around the map, Gunman mows them down which made combat bland. Not only that but the dodge for this style wasn't the best. I did enjoy the other two, however. Swordsman Style allows the player to fight with a sword and the attacks here bring a lot of damage. This style also allows the player to block attacks, which the other ones don't offer. The other style is Wild Dancer, which combines sword and gun use. This style's attack range is wide, which makes up for its somewhat low damage output. Plus, the dodge is fantastic. I also enjoy the flamboyant nature of it.
What's new to the combat system is the controversial trooper cards system. In the original release of Ishin, these cards were exclusive to a certain game mode. This time around, they are an important part of the combat. At first, I didn't think I would enjoy this inclusion, but I ended up having fun with them. My biggest gripe is the fact that the game kind of forces you to use them. In a post before the game was released, RGG Studio described the cards as optional. However, the bosses in the game still use these special powers even if the cards aren't equipped. It unintentionally forces the player to use the cards.
Like most games in this series, Like a Dragon: Ishin is filled with side content. The mini games are fun and I enjoyed the Another Life bit. The substories here are rather forgettable though. I certainly chuckled at a few of them but none stuck out to me.
One thing this remake did was change up the cast. Since the original was released before Yakuza 0 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, characters from those games weren't featured. To make up for that, some of the characters were recast to include the newer titles. As much as I like Kuze and Zhao, I also like Hamazaki and Baba. Replacing them with characters from the more popular titles seems rather insulting (it doesn't help that Zhao looks like he knows what an iPhone is). I understand wanting to include characters from the newer games, but they could've gone about it another way: the substories. To be fair, they did do something similar for the occasional substory, but I would've liked to see more. This could've been a great way to include characters from both the new and old games, but it is what it is.
As for a remake, it doesn't change much outside of a few minor things. If that's the case, I have to wonder why remake it all? This "remake" is more like a remaster. However, I won't spend too much time on this topic because I'm just happy this game was finally released in the West in some way.
Like a Dragon: Ishin is flawed but a fun experience. The story is top-notch. The combat was okay but still enjoyable. However, some odd questionable decisions prevent me from giving this a higher score.
Mafia III is a very intriguing game. On one hand, it is an incredible tale about revenge and the criminal underworld filled with amazing characters and awesome story moments. On the other, it's an overly bloated game that is a slog to get through that makes you wonder if it's worth completing.
When the game decides to move the plot along, this is easily the best story in the series to date. Lincoln had his entire family killed by a figurehead of the Italian mafia, so it's up to him to avenge them. Everything about it was amazing and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
The characters in this game were amazing as well. By the end of this, Lincoln ended up being my favorite protagonist in the series. I especially loved him and his friendship with Donovan. The two had great chemistry together and I would love to see more of them. The rest of the cast was great in their own right, but those two stood out to me the most.
Once again, this series continues to nail the aesthetic of the time period it takes place. This game takes place in 1960s America, a very hectic time to say the least. They nailed the look, the sound, the atmosphere, and of course the music during that time.
The world map is once again great. Past entries have taken place in locations inspired by Chicago and New York City. This time, the city's inspiration was New Orleans. Driving around the city was fun and I enjoyed seeing all the different locations on the map.
The gameplay was okay at best. The guns handled fine and driving felt good. The melee combat system was nothing amazing, but it played well enough. It's nothing too noteworthy.
After reading all that praise, one would wonder why I gave this game such a low score. One word: racketeers. To progress through the story, the player must complete these missions. There are two located in every district and you must complete all of them. But what are these racketeer missions and why are they so bad?
After talking to someone at a specific location, Lincoln must go around town taking away a certain amount of money in order to draw out a mob boss to kill them. There are multiple ways to do this: killing someone, stealing money, damaging property, etc. This seems like a fine idea on paper, but the execution was horrible for multiple reasons.
The main reason why these missions are unbearable is that they take way too long. As mentioned before, there are a variety of ways to complete the mission, however, the locations are so spread out. You could be at the farthest end of the city and have to drive to another section entirely. Not only that, some locations are locked behind an informant Lincoln must interrogate to continue with the mission. After you reach the goal, you must head back to your contact and they tell you that the mob boss is in panic mode and gives you their location. The catch is, there is a chance that their location could be a place you just left so that means you have to drive right back to it. That is a complete waste of time.
It's because of the lengths of these missions I started sending mob squads in before me to wipe out most of the enemies. Is it cheating? Yes. Do I care? No. At that point, I was done messing with those missions and wanted to move on with the game.
Another reason why the racketeer missions aren't the best is their inconsistent difficulty. Some of them are fairly simple to complete. You'll barely run into any problems. Other times they are very difficult. There is no in-between.
I didn't bother with DLC for this game. As I said, I reached a point where I just wanted to finish the game and move on. Maybe someday I'll go back to finish it.
It's a shame this game had to be bogged down by racketeer missions. Underneath it is a great game that has some of the best writing in the series to date. Instead, it's a chore to get through and a relief when you finally do manage to finish it.
When the game decides to move the plot along, this is easily the best story in the series to date. Lincoln had his entire family killed by a figurehead of the Italian mafia, so it's up to him to avenge them. Everything about it was amazing and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
The characters in this game were amazing as well. By the end of this, Lincoln ended up being my favorite protagonist in the series. I especially loved him and his friendship with Donovan. The two had great chemistry together and I would love to see more of them. The rest of the cast was great in their own right, but those two stood out to me the most.
Once again, this series continues to nail the aesthetic of the time period it takes place. This game takes place in 1960s America, a very hectic time to say the least. They nailed the look, the sound, the atmosphere, and of course the music during that time.
The world map is once again great. Past entries have taken place in locations inspired by Chicago and New York City. This time, the city's inspiration was New Orleans. Driving around the city was fun and I enjoyed seeing all the different locations on the map.
The gameplay was okay at best. The guns handled fine and driving felt good. The melee combat system was nothing amazing, but it played well enough. It's nothing too noteworthy.
After reading all that praise, one would wonder why I gave this game such a low score. One word: racketeers. To progress through the story, the player must complete these missions. There are two located in every district and you must complete all of them. But what are these racketeer missions and why are they so bad?
After talking to someone at a specific location, Lincoln must go around town taking away a certain amount of money in order to draw out a mob boss to kill them. There are multiple ways to do this: killing someone, stealing money, damaging property, etc. This seems like a fine idea on paper, but the execution was horrible for multiple reasons.
The main reason why these missions are unbearable is that they take way too long. As mentioned before, there are a variety of ways to complete the mission, however, the locations are so spread out. You could be at the farthest end of the city and have to drive to another section entirely. Not only that, some locations are locked behind an informant Lincoln must interrogate to continue with the mission. After you reach the goal, you must head back to your contact and they tell you that the mob boss is in panic mode and gives you their location. The catch is, there is a chance that their location could be a place you just left so that means you have to drive right back to it. That is a complete waste of time.
It's because of the lengths of these missions I started sending mob squads in before me to wipe out most of the enemies. Is it cheating? Yes. Do I care? No. At that point, I was done messing with those missions and wanted to move on with the game.
Another reason why the racketeer missions aren't the best is their inconsistent difficulty. Some of them are fairly simple to complete. You'll barely run into any problems. Other times they are very difficult. There is no in-between.
I didn't bother with DLC for this game. As I said, I reached a point where I just wanted to finish the game and move on. Maybe someday I'll go back to finish it.
It's a shame this game had to be bogged down by racketeer missions. Underneath it is a great game that has some of the best writing in the series to date. Instead, it's a chore to get through and a relief when you finally do manage to finish it.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a short, but sweet game released as an April Fool's Day joke. The tale consists of Sonic and the gang participating in a murder mystery with everyone's favorite speedy blue character. The story is nothing special, but it was enjoyable enough for a free April Fool's joke. Though for what it's worth, a person can have an enjoyable time with it despite its relatively short length.
The part of this game is the look of the game. It fits the Sonic series so well. All the characters look great with the art style. But the best part about it is the character costumes. They look great (Knuckles and Blaze are a couple of my favorites, but the rest of the cast is cool too).
This game's biggest flaw is the minigame that comes with it. At various points, you must play through a minigame as Sonic and collect a certain amount of rings before you reach the end of the stage. The designs for most of these levels are obnoxious. What makes it worse is you'll have to do these levels about six times in a row during the finale.
Outside of that, there's not much to discuss regarding this title. It's enjoyable for what it is, but an annoying minigame does bring down the experience just a bit.
The part of this game is the look of the game. It fits the Sonic series so well. All the characters look great with the art style. But the best part about it is the character costumes. They look great (Knuckles and Blaze are a couple of my favorites, but the rest of the cast is cool too).
This game's biggest flaw is the minigame that comes with it. At various points, you must play through a minigame as Sonic and collect a certain amount of rings before you reach the end of the stage. The designs for most of these levels are obnoxious. What makes it worse is you'll have to do these levels about six times in a row during the finale.
Outside of that, there's not much to discuss regarding this title. It's enjoyable for what it is, but an annoying minigame does bring down the experience just a bit.
2015
I've reviewed this game once before, and the review wasn't that good, so I decided to do it again.
Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the Yakuza series. The story details how Kiryu and Majima became the legends they are known in the games. Prequels can often be very lackluster, but thankfully, this game isn't like that. The story's execution is genuinely phenomenal. It is easily one of the best stories I have ever experienced in a game. The great cast of characters (alongside some top-notch voice acting) help elevate the story.
The combat system is the style-switching fans came to love about the series. Both Kiryu and Majima have three unique fighting styles, with an unlockable fourth one. The best way to describe these four styles is like this: basic, tank, swiftness, and legend. Switching between the styles and trying to figure out which one works best in a given scenario is fun. What makes it better is these styles don't match with the two protagonists. Say Kiryu's basic fighting style is a perfect fit for one scenario. However, when playing that scenario with Majima, his swiftness style might be the best. This game handles combat balancing extremely well, making the player think.
Boss fights are fun if a tad bit on the easy side. The most challenging story boss in the game is the first Kuze fight. Not even the final boss is challenging. As a matter of fact, it's one of the easier bosses in the game. It's thematically cool, but that doesn't help it from being lackluster all around. That all being said, they are still enjoyable to fight against (mainly due to how fun the game's combat is).
Like most Yakuza titles, the music is amazing. The boss fight themes, the enemy encounter themes, the karaoke songs, all of it is great (and make great additions to any playlist).
One thing about this game that's rather hit-or-miss is the minigames. Most of them are fun, while some others are flat-out annoying. Minigames like karaoke and disco I could play countless times. Then there are minigames like OutRun and catfights that are highly annoying and I barely bothered playing them.
A perfect example of how hit-or-miss the minigames can be is the side businesses. In the game, both Kiryu and Majima run a side business. Kiryu runs a real estate agency while Majima runs a cabaret club. Kiryu's is boring, especially compared to Majima's. At the end of the day, the real estate business involves a bunch of waiting around. The purpose behind this is for the player to run about and explore Kamurocho. But after the player finishes everything they wanted to do, they just end up in Kiryu's office, waiting for the next payout. I'm not joking when I say I would start reading a book when I reached that point. This game mode is entirely boring (on the bright side, you can make a chicken manage it).
Then there's the cabaret club. This minigame is like Diner Dash but with a cabaret club theme. It is highly engaging and I ended up leaving a blind girl alone in a warehouse for several hours. The goal is to please the most customers you can before time runs out. To do this, the player will need the best lineup they can manage and make sure they get orders right when requested. The cabaret club is easily one of the best minigames in the entire series.
Outside of the occasional bad minigame, most of the side content is great. This game's substories are some of the best in the series. They're funny and memorable with a bit of heartwarming sprinkled in there. The perfect recipe for Yakuza substories. I was honestly disappointed when I realized I completed all of them.
Yakuza 0 is an incredible ride. It had its ups and downs, but overall, it is a magnificent journey from start to finish.
Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the Yakuza series. The story details how Kiryu and Majima became the legends they are known in the games. Prequels can often be very lackluster, but thankfully, this game isn't like that. The story's execution is genuinely phenomenal. It is easily one of the best stories I have ever experienced in a game. The great cast of characters (alongside some top-notch voice acting) help elevate the story.
The combat system is the style-switching fans came to love about the series. Both Kiryu and Majima have three unique fighting styles, with an unlockable fourth one. The best way to describe these four styles is like this: basic, tank, swiftness, and legend. Switching between the styles and trying to figure out which one works best in a given scenario is fun. What makes it better is these styles don't match with the two protagonists. Say Kiryu's basic fighting style is a perfect fit for one scenario. However, when playing that scenario with Majima, his swiftness style might be the best. This game handles combat balancing extremely well, making the player think.
Boss fights are fun if a tad bit on the easy side. The most challenging story boss in the game is the first Kuze fight. Not even the final boss is challenging. As a matter of fact, it's one of the easier bosses in the game. It's thematically cool, but that doesn't help it from being lackluster all around. That all being said, they are still enjoyable to fight against (mainly due to how fun the game's combat is).
Like most Yakuza titles, the music is amazing. The boss fight themes, the enemy encounter themes, the karaoke songs, all of it is great (and make great additions to any playlist).
One thing about this game that's rather hit-or-miss is the minigames. Most of them are fun, while some others are flat-out annoying. Minigames like karaoke and disco I could play countless times. Then there are minigames like OutRun and catfights that are highly annoying and I barely bothered playing them.
A perfect example of how hit-or-miss the minigames can be is the side businesses. In the game, both Kiryu and Majima run a side business. Kiryu runs a real estate agency while Majima runs a cabaret club. Kiryu's is boring, especially compared to Majima's. At the end of the day, the real estate business involves a bunch of waiting around. The purpose behind this is for the player to run about and explore Kamurocho. But after the player finishes everything they wanted to do, they just end up in Kiryu's office, waiting for the next payout. I'm not joking when I say I would start reading a book when I reached that point. This game mode is entirely boring (on the bright side, you can make a chicken manage it).
Then there's the cabaret club. This minigame is like Diner Dash but with a cabaret club theme. It is highly engaging and I ended up leaving a blind girl alone in a warehouse for several hours. The goal is to please the most customers you can before time runs out. To do this, the player will need the best lineup they can manage and make sure they get orders right when requested. The cabaret club is easily one of the best minigames in the entire series.
Outside of the occasional bad minigame, most of the side content is great. This game's substories are some of the best in the series. They're funny and memorable with a bit of heartwarming sprinkled in there. The perfect recipe for Yakuza substories. I was honestly disappointed when I realized I completed all of them.
Yakuza 0 is an incredible ride. It had its ups and downs, but overall, it is a magnificent journey from start to finish.