Having failed in just about every way imaginable to make a good game with The Nomad Soul, David Cage realized the true meaning of the words "The only way to win the game is to not play". How this translates into Indigo Prophecy is an experience that is more of a suggestion of interactive storytelling which defines "interaction" into the most patronizingly condescending gameplay imaginable. Only David Cage can design a videogame whose primary method of interaction is Simon fucking Says.

Regardless, I may be inclined to agree with the design practices of Indigo Prophecy if this "minimalistic" gameplay method was in service of complex, multi-faceted, and masterful storytelling. But of course, Indigo Prophecy fails at that too, but perhaps the fact that it fails so spectacularly is what makes the game ironically entertaining as a result. The beginning hours are a slog of Cage's usually offensive portrayals of sex, race and violence combined with convoluted storytelling meant to give the impression of depth by means of confusion more than complexity.

But, after a glorious moment of what I can only describe as "enlightenment" the game makes a hard switch into stupendously over-the-top action schlock that is so non-sensical and so emotionally charged that it circles back into being a fun time, though if only because it's easier to laugh at the game than alongside it.

Go ahead, play it with a few friends and see what I mean. You may not regret it. Or just don't play it at all.

>incestual pairings
>eugenics
>child murder
>patricide
>immolation
>jihad warriors
>dense politics

Yeah, I'm thinking five stars.

Nocturne HD is extremely difficult to rate and review. How would one go about rating this remaster? Do you rate it based on what is or what isn't in this remaster? Do you base your opinions on the game or the quality of the port? Do you consider pricing and expectations or just view it on a vacuum? The important thing, to me, is that Nocturne HD is almost exactly the same game we all know and love with some changes that are minor, but ultimately enhance the experience in ways that I would consider make this the definitive way to play the game. However, this all comes with a great asterisk which is the amount of money ATLUS charged, and still charges at the date of writing this review, for the whole package. At the near retail price tag of $50 or $60 if you want all available content, you might expect that ATLUS did work comparable to other remasters offered at similar price points like "NieR Replicant ver 1.22474487139..." or "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age". You might think they improved the original's poor audio quality, remastered a great number of low quality textures, or even tweaked the code to make it run at higher than the then-standard 30fps. But they didn't do that. What you see is what you get: Nocturne but in high definition, for better and most definitely for worse. At the same time, I cannot deny that playing this remaster was an incredibly fun experience because Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne is just the kind of game that holds up spectacularly, and if this remaster is the easiest or most convenient way for you to play it, then I can have no objections to that.

Not bad by any means and hardly an offensive entry in the series. Admittedly, the absence of series main developer Rocksteady is not as forlorn as hardcore fans make it out to be since, after all, Arkham Origins is merely an iteration of its predecessor Arkham City. While in some ways it improves and it finds creative ways to reuse content and assets, it also fails to inspire any creativity. Its unique hook, of exploring Batman's origins and having him survive a Christmas of being hunted down by elite assassins, is muddled and takes a wayside to a story that can't find any focus, albeit with some good moments. Take it or leave it, but this entry is quite skippable.

TRUE GODDESS REINCARNATION

Died Oct 8, 2009 - Born Dec 12, 2023

WELCOME BACK, 真・女神転生

More or less encapsulates everything I dislike about ATLUS games released during the 5th generation. Sterile, boring and clinical 3D environments running at abysmal framerates; Ear grating MIDI sampled music; Tedious mechanics that seem to exist only to waste your time as much as humanly possible; Paper thin storyline with only hints of greater meaning; This game pretty much has them all.

I can try to give as many back-handed compliments as I can to try to understand the appeal, like pointing out obvious observations such as "Kazuma Kaneko's designs are good" or "It is interesting to see a 1997 take on the internet and VR" and "It is nice to see ATLUS try more fleshed out and fun characters", but the fact of the matter is that none of these things make this an enjoyable experience when it otherwise struggles to keep my interest in a way that none of its contemporaries really struggled with.

What I'd consider to be a highlight reel of what makes a good Fire Emblem game, and probably the most consistently good game of the series. If you are curious as to what makes me like Fire Emblem, this game pretty much has it all.

The game's story has a well constructed world with tight worldbuilding and mature character writing that helps drive the exploration of war and conflict that makes the series stand out from other Nintendo exclusives. Moreover, the refinements made to the game's mechanics over previous games make this a much more streamlined experience, without losing the unique challenge that makes the series so addictive. Path of Radiance also boasts one of the best casts out of any game in the series, with units that are unique not just from a gameplay and balance point of view, but also with how they contribute to the game's story and themes.

Still, a lot of it comes with caveats that stop me from putting it at a pedestal compared to my favorites in this series. For once, outside of the solid character designs, the presentation is terribly weak. Compared to the immaculately crafted and animated 2D sprite work of previous games, the unappealingly simplistic 3D visuals of Path of Radiance fail to hold up. Moreover, I unfortunately found the game's soundtrack to be so much less memorable than its predecessors. The game's pacing is also uneven, having a slow and restrictive first act and a lackluster third act that isn't quite so satisfying as it half-heartedly wraps up the game's plot and doesn't offer much challenge so far as map design goes.

Regardless, I would still highly recommend this as a must-play if you're in any way interested in the series.