It feels weird to rate this game due to what it is. It’s a remaster of a PSP game from the early 2000s, and it still plays and acts like that in many ways, yet there is still a lot that I loved during my time with Crisis Core. First off, the main characters are great! Zack, Sephiroth, Cloud, and Aerith all serve their purpose in the story and do it very, very well, which is what kept me playing. I also enjoyed the addition of some of the newer characters, like Angeal and Cissnei. However, even with all that I like about the characters and the moments they have when interacting with Zack, the story of this game is still very convoluted and kind of all over the place. Even though I liked Angeal, it still feels like he and Genesis have an incomplete arc thrown at you during the game. None of the stakes or issues brought to you by these two ever feel grounded enough for me to take them seriously, and funnily enough, it’s Sephiroth (who isn’t even evil for 90% of the game) that remains the best antagonist during Crisis Core. The combat and side missions are nothing to write home about. Simple yet fun and effective combat mixed with repetitive and boring “side missions,” which can be excused to an extent since this was originally a PSP game. The ending to this game is an absolute masterpiece, though.
After the mediocre boss fight with Genesis, we see Zack travel with Cloud on the way to Midgar, where the Shinra army eventually stops them, and damn…what a conclusion for Zack. Seeing him give up his dreams, his life, and the girl that he loves so that he can protect Cloud was gut-wrenching. After fighting hundreds of soldiers, we finally see Zack get gunned down and effectively pass over his dreams and will to Cloud, who eventually ends up fulfilling everything that Zack dreamt of becoming during his journey in FF7. What a tragic yet beautiful way to end this game, and damn is Clouds VA so good when he screams out in agony over Zack's death. It's pure peak fiction. Overall, I still enjoyed my time with this game but pondered why Square Enix made this remaster instead of just revamping the game from the ground up as they did with the FF7 Remake. I feel like this game could’ve been so much better if it went through a remake process and got the full love that it deserves.

Final Score: 7/10

In an era of empty and uninspired open worlds, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth immediately shoots you into its enthralling universe from the moment you begin the game. Each open-world area, from the Grasslands to Nibelheim, constantly feels fresh and exciting to explore while also presenting you with a multitude of open-world activities, quest lines, and mini-games. The sprawling open world is just one of the three major components solidifying this game as one of the all-time greats. The combat system is a huge step above what it was in Remake (which was already fantastic), and it keeps refreshing itself the more you gain levels and begin learning the different mechanics. Finally, the cream of the crop in this game is the story because wow. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth reintroduces the original FF7 story with heightened character development and interactions that truly make you attached to the cast and the adventure that they have embarked upon. Progressing through this story showed me why so many people claim FF7 as not only one of the best stories in gaming but one of the best stories ever told. The only legitimate complaints I can have about this game are little nitpicks that I began to notice throughout my 130 hours of gameplay, that being Lighting issues in the open world and textures either not loading at times or just straight up being low quality. However, these problems did not affect my journey throughout the game, yet it wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t mention them regardless. My final verdict on this game is that it is not only the clear front-runner for the 2024 GOTY but that it is nothing short of a masterpiece and is most definitely one of the greatest games ever made. My excitement for Part 3 is to the moon and back as I await the conclusion to this beauty of a trilogy.

10/10

FF7 remake is a game with incredibly high highs and annoyingly unavoidable lows. There is a lot that I love about this game: the story, characters, music, combat, graphics, art style, and set pieces are all something to write home about, but there are also small yet mind-numbing problems that take away from the experience at times. The story is incredible for the most part until it randomly takes a break and hits you with literal filler chapters that do nothing to progress the plot (train graveyard). It is not only this unnecessary fluff that slightly hinders my experience but also the lack of good side missions. Are there good side missions in this game? Absolutely! I love practically all of the side missions in the Don Corneo section of the game, but despise the side missions prevalent in other areas of the world. The Sector 5 & 7 slums have many of the same copy-paste missions, which disappoints me, knowing Square could’ve done way better. Overall, I love this game and my experience with it, and I cannot wait to play Rebirth!

Final Score: 9/10

Resident Evil 2 remake shows out as not only one of the most graphically and technically impressive games of all time but also as an absolute spectacle from the horror action genre. Incredible game that gives you S tier story, gameplay, voice acting, mechanics and etc. The true ending was beautiful and playing through the game both as Leon and Claire is 100% worth it and is different enough to feel like 2 separate stories worthy of your playing time and they both find a way to mash up for a perfect ending. I had a joy of a time throughout my 16 hours of gameplay and can EASILY say that this is one of the best games ever made and is one that everyone must experience at least once.

After 15 hours I can confidently say that Elden Ring is incredible, but I’m afraid that it’s flaws take me away from the experience. Maybe it’s just my view of it but the world is so massive and seems so empty half the time. A lot of the “exploration” in this games consists of running around in random directions with no real goal or purpose besides bumping into random enemies which you can literally just skip past. I believe the game having no quest log or way points for the main line bosses is what makes the game feel tiring. I love it when I play an open world game and head towards my destination only for me to see something on my way there and have a “oh that looks awesome!” moment which pulls me away from the main story and has me playing 4 hours before I realize what main quest I actually set myself to complete. The emptiness and lack of direction in the open world is what halts me from continuing Elden Ring but hopefully I can get around to it some time in the future.