Bio
A voice actor, streamer, writer, and musician who has a LOT of games in his backlog (heh).
A voice actor, streamer, writer, and musician who has a LOT of games in his backlog (heh).
Badges
1 Years of Service
Being part of the Backloggd community for 1 year
Best Friends
Become mutual friends with at least 3 others
Noticed
Gained 3+ followers
N00b
Played 100+ games
Favorite Games
149
Total Games Played
000
Played in 2024
030
Games Backloggd
Recently Played See More
Recently Reviewed See More
You know, it's funny. This game was beaten nearly to death upon release, and rightfully so. It's buggy, missing promised features, and wasn't the "greatest game to ever exist". But after putting 50 hours into it I realized why reviews for it were so stellar despite all of that. There's one thing I adore more in video games or any form of media more than anything: world building. Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the greatest games I've ever played in that regard, because our character isn't a fish-out-of-water. We enter this world mid-spin, so nothing is fed to us. I love a game confident in its own world to the point where we can enter and leave it in a way that lets it continue without us. Night City is a character in itself, and it's one of the evilest entities in gaming history.
In CDPR fashion, the side quests and characters are easily the best part of this game, but the main quest is really about redemption and revenge. Revenge for your fallen comrade(s), and redemption for someone trying to make a name for themselves. V is an enigmatic protagonist that has more personality than Geralt (yeah, I said it) but less than the Courier of Fallout:New Vegas. You may think that's a weird comparison but it makes sense the more you think about it.
The ONLY complaint I can have about this game is the final boss and the glitches. Despite tons of patches making the game mostly playable, there are some unbearable audio issues and visual hiccups that can break the immersion pretty easily. Also, I was a GOD by the end of the game, so the so-called grim reaper of Night City stood no chance against me. I kind of wanted a bigger challenge, but that's to be expected.
Oh, and Keanu Reeves fucking NAILED it. He's the star of this game and deserves a TON of praise for how much he put into Johnny Silverhand. One of my all time favorite performances.
Overall, this game is a fantastic joyride through one of the most manipulative settings in gaming history, one filled with promise that falls short in some regards. Kinda fitting that a game set in a Cyberpunk dystopia would contain false promises for the people entering it, no? Don't let that stop you though. I got this game at half price and I would've easily been okay paying full price for it. It was worth the ride.
ALSO SHOUTOUT TO CYBERPUNK EDGERUNNERS!!!
In CDPR fashion, the side quests and characters are easily the best part of this game, but the main quest is really about redemption and revenge. Revenge for your fallen comrade(s), and redemption for someone trying to make a name for themselves. V is an enigmatic protagonist that has more personality than Geralt (yeah, I said it) but less than the Courier of Fallout:New Vegas. You may think that's a weird comparison but it makes sense the more you think about it.
The ONLY complaint I can have about this game is the final boss and the glitches. Despite tons of patches making the game mostly playable, there are some unbearable audio issues and visual hiccups that can break the immersion pretty easily. Also, I was a GOD by the end of the game, so the so-called grim reaper of Night City stood no chance against me. I kind of wanted a bigger challenge, but that's to be expected.
Oh, and Keanu Reeves fucking NAILED it. He's the star of this game and deserves a TON of praise for how much he put into Johnny Silverhand. One of my all time favorite performances.
Overall, this game is a fantastic joyride through one of the most manipulative settings in gaming history, one filled with promise that falls short in some regards. Kinda fitting that a game set in a Cyberpunk dystopia would contain false promises for the people entering it, no? Don't let that stop you though. I got this game at half price and I would've easily been okay paying full price for it. It was worth the ride.
ALSO SHOUTOUT TO CYBERPUNK EDGERUNNERS!!!
This review contains spoilers
"Keep Living, Ichi."
You know, metaphors are a hell of a thing. "Like A Dragon" is sort of the best metaphor that could describe this game, this story, and most importantly, Ichiban Kasuga. Sure, dragons are powerful and burn their surroundings with flames as hot as the sun. But, dragons are also in nature, taking parts of various fish and bugs. Yakuza has been a very important series for me, and Kiryu will never be replaced as the MC of that series. But, this is Ichiban's series now, and the story isn't just about beating the strongest guy or saving all of Japan. It's about saving an ideal self, one that could have, or SHOULD have, died long ago.
I could gush about the deceptively complex turn-based RPG combat, the fun side-stories, or even the emotional rollercoaster of a campaign all day. What's really special about Like a Dragon, however, is its characters. Each city not only contains incredible narratives and impactful relationships, but the cities themselves serve as driving forces of the story. What you do matters in Ijincho. You make a real difference by just being a good person, and that's always been a staple in Yakuza. However, it feels more impactful here because of how genuinely overjoyed Ichiban feels whenever he makes someone's life a little better.
In my favorite sidequest, Ichiban protects a persimmon from falling off a tree because a sick girl is projecting her survival onto it. Ichiban FEVERISHLY defends this fruit, almost with his life, and in turn his kindness saves a little girl's life and gives her the will to live. The thought of how many persimmon trees we pass in our daily lives makes me want to be a kinder person to everyone. THAT is the real magic of this game.
Mechanically speaking this game is flawless, too. Which definitely helps its almost 50+ Hour runtime (in my playthrough). I was so hesitant to play this because I was so accustomed to the beat-em-up gameplay of previous entries, but this is the best spiritual successor I've ever played. And it might be my favorite RPG of all time too.
You know, metaphors are a hell of a thing. "Like A Dragon" is sort of the best metaphor that could describe this game, this story, and most importantly, Ichiban Kasuga. Sure, dragons are powerful and burn their surroundings with flames as hot as the sun. But, dragons are also in nature, taking parts of various fish and bugs. Yakuza has been a very important series for me, and Kiryu will never be replaced as the MC of that series. But, this is Ichiban's series now, and the story isn't just about beating the strongest guy or saving all of Japan. It's about saving an ideal self, one that could have, or SHOULD have, died long ago.
I could gush about the deceptively complex turn-based RPG combat, the fun side-stories, or even the emotional rollercoaster of a campaign all day. What's really special about Like a Dragon, however, is its characters. Each city not only contains incredible narratives and impactful relationships, but the cities themselves serve as driving forces of the story. What you do matters in Ijincho. You make a real difference by just being a good person, and that's always been a staple in Yakuza. However, it feels more impactful here because of how genuinely overjoyed Ichiban feels whenever he makes someone's life a little better.
In my favorite sidequest, Ichiban protects a persimmon from falling off a tree because a sick girl is projecting her survival onto it. Ichiban FEVERISHLY defends this fruit, almost with his life, and in turn his kindness saves a little girl's life and gives her the will to live. The thought of how many persimmon trees we pass in our daily lives makes me want to be a kinder person to everyone. THAT is the real magic of this game.
Mechanically speaking this game is flawless, too. Which definitely helps its almost 50+ Hour runtime (in my playthrough). I was so hesitant to play this because I was so accustomed to the beat-em-up gameplay of previous entries, but this is the best spiritual successor I've ever played. And it might be my favorite RPG of all time too.