If you ask me what game I think is criminally underrated, this will be my answer in perpetuity. Coming right at the end of the PS1 era, Vagrant Story is perhaps the most technically impressive game on the console. The art style is gorgeous, the magic effects are astounding, and the whole experience is just a feast for the eyes and ears. The gameplay might be the thing that kept some folks away from it, but if you can give it some time, I think it's a refreshingly different experience from a Square RPG! Crafting weapons takes some time and experimentation, but if you do it right and go into fights with the ideal equipment, you'll lay waste to your foes. And the rhythm element is easy enough to get. And then there's the story, full of intrigue and mystery as you explore the dead city of Leá Monde, attempting to stop corrupt forces from seizing an ancient and powerful magic. And as I highlight in a lot of my reviews, the music is another strong point, with Hitoshi Sakimoto providing one of the all-time great OSTs, pre-empting his equally phenomenal work for FF12 (which also takes place in the same world of Ivalice). I can't say enough good things about this game.

After being somewhat let down by the first game (didn't even finish it), I was hesitant about taking on the sequel. Turns out it's pretty good! My biggest complaint was the lack of connection between the characters, and while this entry doesn't significantly change that dynamic, it does make great strides at making the party connect with each other more often. It is still largely individual stories, but I found most of them much more compelling than the first game. I also think they tried to make the individual chapters more unique and not quite as repetitive. Overall, a fun experience!

There's a lot I like about this game. The overall conceit with eight individual stories is a nice way to break up the action. I also really dig the combat and the job system. And, as always, the music is fantastic! I did not really care for the overall story and the lack of interaction between the main characters. I play RPGs to take on roles and form connections with the characters... and this completely lacked that for me. It may have been improved if the individual stories were more compelling, but many of them just didn't interest me much. Alas!

I can't rate this game higher than 4 stars, because I have to leave room for the two sequels that improved on what came before. This game is the start of an incredible journey with some of my absolute favorite characters in gaming. Tons of RPGs have great companions, but the relationships that form in the Mass Effect series are among the best. This specific entry suffers some early installment weirdness as Bioware was figuring this universe out, but the groundwork they laid led to a hell of a space opera that rivals any sci-fi story anywhere.

I don't think any game has filled me with dread quite like Subnautica. The way this game so easily taps into the fear of the unknown and very quickly turns that into straight up thalassophobia is incredible. For a setting that is almost entirely contained to the ocean, there is an amazing diversity of environments within and some of the coolest flora and fauna in any game. The game perfectly balances exploration, building, and survival, and it's one I want to keep revisiting, despite having beaten in multiple times!

I think I came into this game with the wrong expectations. Unfortunately for P4, I played Persona 5 Royal first, which colored what I wanted out of a Persona game. Mostly everything else I liked from 5 was there, including the social links, but I was less impressed with the characters. I just didn't vibe with them the same way. And then my biggest disappointment was how dull the dungeons were. Just a series of uninteresting hallways with no real special mechanics based on the setting. Perhaps if I had played 4 first I might have been more forgiving, but I feel like P5 clearly improved on what came before.

Of the three Dark Souls games, I think I've landed on this one as my favorite. It takes some of the best elements of games in the Zelda and Metroid series and infuses them with brutal difficulty in a dark fantasy setting. I loved discovering how interconnected the world is, and there's nothing quite as relieving as finding a shortcut to your nearest bonfire after a particularly grueling ordeal. This isn't the very best of the FromSoftware formula, but it's clear that they had something here that worked, and they crafted a unique experience around it.

Rightfully considered one of the best games in the Zelda franchise, A Link to the Past codified the formula for the series by returning to its origins after the less successful Adventure of Link. Not only is it a great Zelda game, but it's one of the very best adventure games of its era. The progression as you gain powerful new abilities and items on your journey is well paced and satisfying. The dungeons are unique and challenging. And, the Light/Dark world concept offers a whole new dimension to the gameplay as you gain access to new areas by switching between the two. It was a game changer at the time and remains a classic that holds up quite well!