Not nearly as mediocre as I remember it. In fact, Arkham Knight is a pretty decent conclusion to the Arkham-trilogy. The issues people had with it on release still ring true, especially compared to the previous games. Do I miss the Metroidvania-style of exploration? Sure. But in a vacuum it’s a solid action adventure.

The game has a severe case of Ubisoftitis (hey, it was the 2010s’; we just have to deal with it) and the map could’ve been shrunken down quite a bit. All the (optional) watchtowers, roadblocks and what have you get old fast. And Many hanging plot threads from previous games also get dealt with pretty haphazardly and as a result some side missions are underwhelming and, frankly, quite boring.

The largest problem I had with the game was the controls. But that was probably on account of me replaying the whole trilogy back-to-back. As Knight has the added Batmotank as a mode of transportation, the layout has shifted somewhat which takes some getting used to.

There’s also the fact that the timing, and hit detection of the free flow-combat is a little bit… off? What was perfectly imbedded in my muscle memory at the end of the last game suddenly feels a little bit stiff; as if Batman’s years of crime fighting have finally catched up with him (which works thematically with the story, I guess).

However I guess I’m in the minority here, but I enjoyed the AR-challenges and Riddler-shenanigans quite a bit. They’re a blast.

Building combo streaks and finding specific ways to take out henchmen and goons on the challange maps have been single most fun I’ve had with the Arkham-games. Knight has the added variety of races and tank battles which is a welcome change of pace.

The quintessential RPG of the 16-bit era (sorry, FF6/3). Personally I’d even go as far as calling it the crown jewel of the SNES library. I know, I know. The SNES is stacked with all-time classics. But the pixelated fog creeping in over the Kingdom of Guardia 600 AD is what I picture in my mind when I hear “SNES-gaming”.

Chrono Trigger’s story, with it’s time traveling shenanigans, is epic and engaging, and set in a world that feels sprawling and lived in. It never overstays it’s welcome though. Twenty odd hours is mean and lean, compared to genre conventions.

It’s populated by a colorful cast of characters that never feel one note. From the chipper, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer, Marle to the enigmatic pragmatist Magus; Everyone feels fleshed out with a clear personality and motivations.

Granted, Chrono Trigger’s turn based combat system feels quaintly simple. Even compared to earlier Square games. But it has just enough wrinkles, with the dual -and triple techs and “active battle mode”, to keep it from feeling like a chore. My best guest is that it was meant to be accessible to new players, free from the weight of intricate systems and subsystems. It was after all an entry-level tent pole of a last hurrah, before Square went all-in on the Playstation.

All rolled up in a superbly presented gem with delicious pixelated graphics and a soundtrack of absolute bangers. In a nutshell Square picked out the best bits from the developer’s earlier SNES-games and distilled them into one perfect game. Yeah, I said it. Perfect.