Definitely a vast improvement over Portable Ops. The game being mission-based rather than location-based makes it easier to decide what to do and when, the gameplay is much improved thanks to the better recruitment system and HD Edition's better controls, and the story is much more impactful and compelling. The improved Mother Base system and Outer Ops also make gaining new recruits much more impactful. However, the missions can get repetitive, especially in the endgame, the bosses are absolute damage sponges, especially the optional ones, and the best equipment takes way too long to develop. Still, definitely worth playing, and a good lead-in to MGSV.

It's very clear why this game was such a big hit when it came out. The story still holds up, the presentation is a huge step up from the MSX2 games, and the characters start truly becoming memorable with this game. However, the boss fights are straight-up unfun, the graphics have obviously not aged well (being a PS1 game, that much should be obvious), and even with the better gameplay, aiming is a massive pain, and fist-fighting is actually worse than in Metal Gear 2. Even so, a definite classic, but if you prefer better gameplay and graphics, and don't mind the cutscenes being even more over-the-top, I'd recommend the GameCube remake over the original.

An absolute masterpiece of a collect-a-thon. The worlds, for the most part, are just the right size, densely packed with collectibles and things to do. The soundtrack is one of gaming's finest. The characters and locations are oozing with charm and personality. The size and scope of the game may not be the biggest, but it's perfect for speedrunning. If you have an Xbox One/Series X|S, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, or a legit Nintendo 64 and can afford the physical cartridge, you owe it to yourself to play this beauty.

I went in giving this game the benefit of the doubt, and ended up disappointed. The combat system is decently fun and a Ninja Gaiden spinoff that introduces a rival to Ryu Hayabusa isn't inherently a terrible idea, but the execution is incredibly flawed. The attacks have no impact which makes it hard to tell when you're landing hits at times, the enemies are overly tanky and barely flinch, and Yaiba can take about 3-5 good hits before dying. The graphic style, while not outright horrible, is much more ugly than other cel-shaded/comic inspired games, the story and writing are bland and outright juvenile at times, and the voice acting in cutscenes is overly loud and bit-crushed. Toward the end of the game, arenas become packed with the toughest kinds of enemies, and the bosses become outright unfun slogs. Thankfully, it's not too long, but an action game not being terribly long and not having much replay value isn't the best thing. Overall, the game has kind of a shovelware feel, which is a damn shame for a game in one of the most influential, long-lasting action series out there.

A great retro-style FPS that takes the best parts of both the retro games it takes inspiration from, and their more modern successors. There's great variety in weapons and enemies, pulse-pounding and exciting music, and some of the best blood and gore I've ever seen in a video game. My only real complaint is the lack of bosses, but it's not a deal-breaker. If you're a fan of retro-style FPS games, or have ever just wanted to paint an area blood red (and later, neon blue) with reckless abandon, don't pass this up.

I'm kinda mixed on this game. On the one hand, the combat is solid, the music is catchy, and the over-the-top, parodical nature of the characters and plot makes the game far more fun and funny. But the padding between plot missions breaks up the pace, the side-missions and grinding for money range from being boring to an outright pain in the ass, the motion controls occasionally decide to just not work, and Travis comes off as an outright unlikable douche at times (which I'm sure was the point, but it doesn't help the issue of not being able to relate to him as a result). Overall, I don't regret playing the game, but I'm a bit disappointed. I'm sure that if I had played it at the time it originally came out, I would have loved it. I just hope the sequels fix the issues that I have.

This game is a lot of fun. The combat's great, Soul Shield is a really cool and fun ability, all the different classes and weapon types are fun to switch around with, and breaking enemies and shattering them into crystals is satisfying as hell. All of the locations are based on areas from the mainline Final Fantasy games, and actually use remixes of the relevant music, which is a nice touch. If you're worried about difficulty, don't be, because this is probably the easiest "Souls-like" game that I've ever played. Sure, some enemies and bosses are frustrating, the climax seems kinda rushed, and the postgame is just repeating the same stages on higher difficulties for better loot, but it's still a fun time. If you're a fan of Final Fantasy and action games, give this game a shot.

Not bad for what was essentially the first attempt at a stealth game, but far too obtuse and restrictive for its' period, especially if you don't have a guide. Lots of the mandatory fights can be brute-forced with rapid gunfire and plenty of rations, there are a lot of specific things that you need to do that only come up once, if at all, and certain parts are absolute bullshit even if you know what to do. Overall, not horrible for its time, but it hasn't aged well, especially compared to later games in the series.

I'm ultimately disappointed here. The combat is serviceable and the graphics and music are perfectly fine. However, the enemies are too tanky, constantly guarding or swarming you so you can't pull off sick moves, certain bosses are absolute bullshit that require you to grind for essence to buy items, and the final boss is outright impossible if you used too many items on the previous stage, because FOR SOME FUCKING REASON THERE'S NO SHOP IN THE FINAL STAGE. An absolutely sadistic game, play at your own risk.

A much more forgiving game than Sigma 1. The difficulty is more balanced, the action more fast-paced, the new systems for health regeneration outside of combat and enemy executions are very welcome, there's much less need to grind for essence and items, and the additional characters aside from Ryu are much less awkward to play as than Rachel in Sigma 1. The game is a lot more linear than Sigma 1, and much less difficult. Overall, for someone like me, it's easy to say that this is far superior to Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1.