Despite some general quality of life improvements in terms of in-game mechanics and Pokemon management, this generation of Pokemon games is about as "mid-tier" as the series can get in my book.

Setup to the game's plot is actually fairly interesting and the main game is frankly enjoyable to play through; however, the story setup results in little to no payoff once it reaches its "climax". The Wild Area is fun and unique but grows dull after a short while and makes you wish the whole game's map was just a wild area (e.g. the wild areas found in each of the two expansions).

Persona 5 is one of my personal GOATs.

Though this game was never meant to compare, it surprisingly came out of left field as having a pretty solid story along with interesting new characters and dynamics.

Unfortunately, while the action was fun, the game felt like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a traditional action RPG or a musou / "Warriors" game. While this struggle didn't ruin the game, it certainly made several boss fights dull and disengaging leaving the highlights of the combat being the "Warriors" moments where the MCs slay wave after wave of enemies in style.

Hey, Animal Crossing, its been a while.

I know I don't play you often anymore; nevertheless, the 80 or so hours you entertained and immersed me during the beginning of the pandemic will never be forgotten.

Sincerely, thank you. Never in my life has such a game come out at just the perfect time. This rating is biased in no short reason due to the external factors at the time, but I could not possible possess less regret.

I didn't even play the original and this STILL gave me nostalgia.

Though a generally misinterpreted and, honestly, misleading title; I think we are on the precipice of an epic which may very well rival (not match!) the original game.

This is my GOTY for 2020. Sue me.

I almost made the stupid mistake of letting internet discourse convince me that I would regret playing this.

Emotional regret? Debatable.

TLOU2 is one of my two GOTYs for 2020. If you are or have been on the fence about this game, try it out for yourself. It may not be for you! But you will never know otherwise imo.

Breathtaking environmental visuals with an incredible (and brutal) story. The side quests and mini objectives have succeeded in making this the most distracting game I've ever played in the best way possible. The combat mechanics and abilities are perfectly placed with the player's organic growth in terms of how to engage in various combat situations.

My only critique is that the various sword styles and mechanics eventually felt like I was just choosing them to defeat the specific enemy in front of me rather than giving me the option to competently experiment with different styles in different situations.