After two years of journeying through the vast, rich world of Eorzea, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker brought me to a poignant, reflective halt as I watched the credits roll. This is more than simply a game review; it's an account of a transformative experience, a celebration of the art of storytelling, and an exploration of the core of what it is to be human. I've been thinking about this masterpiece for four days, and now I'm ready to express my opinions.

I'd like to briefly touch upon the gameplay. My gaming experience was completely changed by the addition of NPCs who followed and interacted with me on my adventures instead of just meeting up at certain locations. Checkpoint dialogues with characters like as G'raha, Alisaie, Estinien, and many more seemed more like genuine moments of connection and narrative richness than just marks of progress. With the addition of what could be the best combat music in the series, the dungeons and trials turned every battle into an unforgettable symphony of hardship and victory. The music crafted by Masayoshi Soken, particularly the songs On Blade's Edge, The Final Day, and Flow Together, has greatly raised the bar for my favorite OSTs alongside Shadowbringers.

The story of Endwalker, interlaced with the rich fabric of Ascian mythology, unveiled an epic full of existential crises and deep epiphanies. The plot took a surprising and profound turn with Zodiark's early demise, along with Hermes and Meteion's inclusion to the narrative. The story of Meteion, who's sisters traveled the universe and saw horrors far and wide, offered a tragic picture that forced reevaluation of how fleeting existence is in the face of unavoidable disintegration.

The Ultima Thule expedition is the apex of Endwalker's narrative. Close in the Distance did more than just establish the mood; when it slowly filled the eerie, hollow spaces of this last zone, it spoke straight to my soul. As I struggled with existential dread, this music, resonating through the memories of departed civilizations and Scions, became a source of understanding for me. It emphasized the idea of accepting death as a necessary part of life—not with hopelessness, but with a resolve to treasure each brief moment and stand tall.

One of the highlights of my gaming experience was facing the Endsinger as a Paladin. Final Fantasy XIV did what it does best—it flipped the script in the most dramatic and exhilarating way possible. As we braced for our inevitable defeat with the second Oblivion, the Scions' voices pierced through the despair and With Hearts Aligned began to play. After feeling so hopeless before, I couldn't help but yell with excitement. The dramatic shift from being on the edge of defeat to being carried away by this wave of hope and encouragement from well-loved characters was a masterful work of narrative and emotional design that demonstrated the game's unmatched storytelling abilities.

And then I reached true turning point of Endwalker—the confrontation with Zenos, the pinnacle of a conflict that spanned three expansions. When Zenos asked if I enjoyed the same thrills from fighting to the death, I replied that I did, a moment that chilled my spine and brought to light the complex relationship between enemies. My character Guinevere's sly acknowledgement of the rivalry, which had been built up over years of story development, highlighted this battle as more than simple one; it was a very intimate affair that signaled the end of an era and the deep journey I, as a player, had begun.

I could talk forever about this expansion, or better still, Final Fantasy XIV in its entirety. It's one of those rare games that completely changed the way I thought about video games as a medium. It's been a life-changing experience that has altered the way I think about video game storytelling and its ability to reflect the complexity of existential reflection, love, and life. Beyond just being entertained during the course of these two years, I have learned invaluable lessons about life's meaning, the importance of spending time with the people we love, and the courage that comes with accepting what is unavoidable.

Not only has Creative Business Unit III created a masterclass game, but they have crafted a profoundly uplifting experience that goes beyond the digital realm and touches the very essence of what it is to be human. I sincerely invite anyone who is intimidated by the complexity of massively multiplayer online games to give Eorzea a try. The Final Fantasy XIV experience is completely transformational, the journey is extensive, and the teachings are priceless. I look forward to the release of Dawntrail this July.

Thank you, Naoki Yoshida.

After 103 hours of playtime I have finally finished my first playthrough. I played it with two of my friends @Ruffy300 and @djoni1999 and only at the weekend that also explains why it took us 3 almost 4 freaking month to beat it. All of us have never play a CRPG before and even though we always wanted to play DnD we never did. One of the reason why I didn't buy it during early access was that I was really unsure if I would like this kind of game.

But oh boy did I enjoy it. To be honest I noticed that my concerns were pretty much unfounded after the character editor. The editor already demonstrated how many choices you have and me and my friends spend over 2h creating our characters. Even your race and background influences the world around you and how they react to you. One race may has an advantage in one of the goblin camps because this race in particular is seen as strong and the other doesn't has this advantage so you will be attacked immediately. Or you may decide to pick a jewelry because you like shiny objects. But it turns out that this jewelry is dedicated to a specific god and when you talk to Shadowheart about that she will tell you that she is mad/offended because she believes in a different god. These are just small examples of many big and small choices that will influences your game and these decision really make a difference, you feel and see that in the world around you and when you interact with certain characters. But unfortunately that doesn't apply for every race or class. I noticed quickly that some get left in the dirt while other are really strong. I love that all of the NPC's have voices and I know that this is not normal in this genre because it is a lot of work and money for the developers. As someone who hates reading long texts in games, I can say enough how much I appreciate that. It does so much for the immersion but also makes the NPC's feel more real. Shadowheart, for example, is such a well-written character with a fantastic backstory and the relationship which you can develop to here feels natural. Yes I romanced her and probably will always do that in every playthrough and the other which I liked a lot was Astarion even though he was in our party. The only reason why he wasn't is because you only have 4 slots. But I do have to say that once you have finished romancing a character or just finished their quest that character gets pretty lifeless. This means that my interactions with Shadowheart went from very frequent and almost after every battle or quest to almost never. The ending in particular was kinda disappointing, you get maybe one or sentences with the character you've just spent over 100 hours with and then it's over. I know that it would be almost impossible to include so many fleshed out endings for some many characters. But I still think that there could have been a better way to conclude the story with certain characters or give the characters more dialogue options with their favorite characters once they have completed the character specific quest. The thing that I made me laugh the most were the many hilarious moments which I and my friends had with Baldur's Gate 3. Doesn't matter if it's an enemy that my friend used as a weapon, throwing children at enemies or the one barn scene in act 1 (you know which one if you have seen it) which will probably haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. There were still many more moments and overall was the CO-OP fantastic with a few exceptions and I'm glad that it exists. For example sometimes we couldn't switch between party members or it was delayed, often one of us was stuck before or after a cut scene or the fact that the performance of the game wasn't the best while playing with friends. But these were just small details that rarely affected the overall gaming experience. Gameplay mechanics that seem unimportant or small often had an even greater impact on my experience, ice melts and turns into water, armor and your whole body gets bloody after a fight. For me these small details are very important for a great game. A game can be great without them but it often elevates a great game to a masterpiece and yes Baldur's Gate 3 is a Masterpiece and a miracle that it exists like this. The enemy design is also fantastic, one example is the Apostle of Myrkul and the world design in general is very detailed and you have a lot of places to explore, many of which I will probably be explore in my next playthroughs. The fights were a lot of fun once you found out which class you want to play but there are also a few fights which got really annoying due to the fact that the enemies decided to spam certain attacks like Cloud of darkness. The third act seems like them most unfinished act, the performance is bad due to the big city and the loading time is quit long, sometimes the sound was buggy during dialogues and the characters were silent, assets wouldn't load especially in the last big fights or the game decided to place the camera in some strange angles. Even with all of these technical problems and the lack of dialogue options for characters which quest you have finished, I still think that Baldur's Gate 3 is a masterpiece of game and it deserves every praise that it gets. The characters and questlines are fantastic and incredibly well written. There are some many ways of playing the game and you can do almost anything you could think of. This is a game an anomaly, simply because how much content you get,it's just an example of a top tier RPG and one of my favorite games of recent years. I even bought the game twice now, the PC version and the PS5 Deluxe Edition and I can't wait to discover more if this game in my next playthroughs. I can't thank you enough Larian Studios, thank you for creating this game, I will go back and play Divinity: Original Sin 1-2 now. Last but not least thanks to my two friends for playing this masterpiece for over 100 hours with me. I know I was a real pain in the ass every time I pushed you off a cliff or simply hit your summons because I was too stupid to notice who is my ally. It was an honor to experience this game together, THANK YOU

Edit by future me : I do appreciate it a lot that they also added a playable Epilogues.


Games I finished in 2023 Ranked

#2 in my List of Top 5 Games of 2023

Cyberpunk 2077 has always held a special place in my heart. When I first experienced it in September 2022, over a year ago, the game transformed my perception of narratives, lore, and world-building in the realm of video games. The recently released expansion, Phantom Liberty, continues this tradition by delivering an unforgettable 20-hour narrative that left me profoundly moved and prompted a deep introspection of my own moral compass.

The expansion also introduces two new amazing characters. Solomon Reed, a new character brought to life by the masterful Idris Elba, is a formidable FIA agent wrestling with internal demons. Idris Elba's portrayal is nothing short of extraordinary, and as a huge fan of his past works, I thought his performance in this role stood out as one of his most compelling acting achievements. Songbird, on the other hand, is a character of profound complexity and an enigmatic backstory. Minji Chang's portrayal breathes life into Songbird's entrancing aura and presence, and the level of detail in her chromed up character design is truly awe-inspiring. Every encounter with Songbird is a testament to the exceptional hard work invested in crafting her character.

While the majority of Phantom Liberty takes place outside the familiar confines of Night City, Dogtown, a mini-city in its own right, holds its own unique allure. Despite its relatively compact size, Dogtown pulsates with life and tension, marked by frequent confrontations between rival gangs and the formidable Barghest. Upon close inspection, the remnants of what was meant to be a resplendent Pacifica are now reduced to rubble and unfinished architecture. Dogtown's aura is distinctly unforgiving and rotten, to the extent that even the NCPD and Trauma Team hesitate to venture within its boundaries.

Gameplay enhancements in Phantom Liberty are nothing short of exceptional. The skill trees have been meticulously revamped to eliminate redundant abilities that merely bolstered statistics, making room for meaningful additions. Melee combat, now refined to perfection, has become my preferred style of engagement. The ability to hurl adversaries with guerilla hands or execute brutal decapitations with a katana exemplifies the level of refinement. Even throwing knives have been reinvented, rewarding players with an immediate recovery upon a headshot kill, leading to thrilling moments of unstoppable precision. These gameplay changes not only invigorate the expansion but also breathe new life into the base game for those contemplating a replay.

Without venturing into spoiler territory, Phantom Liberty introduces a critical narrative juncture where the plot diverges into two distinct routes, each culminating in two separate endings. After experiencing these four conclusions, players are treated to a fifth ending that pertains to the base game itself. The enigmatic quality of each ending left me deeply conflicted, unable to definitively pinpoint the "best" outcome. This expansion perpetuates the haunting thematic undercurrents of the main game, where happiness remains elusive, and every character harbors a fractured and broken facet of their being by the story's conclusion.

Phantom Liberty is a testament to the true narrative essence of the Cyberpunk universe, and it leaves me eager to explore further depths in the forthcoming Project Orion. To this day, Cyberpunk's universe stands as my favorite place to be.

It's difficult to review Tears of the Kingdom without acknowledging my bias. After playing Breath of the Wild for several years and completing multiple playthroughs, I started feeling a sense of exhaustion with the game. Having explored everything and completed all the shrines, the magic of Breath of the Wild had faded. Sadly, I experienced a similar feeling around the 93-hour mark in Tears of the Kingdom, which left me somewhat disheartened.

Tears of the Kingdom offers an abundance of content, but this is where the game falls short for me. While the sandbox mechanics allow for inventive and absurd creations, they are not enough to carry the overall gameplay. Unlike many others on Twitter, I didn't find myself engrossed in making outlandish inventions to bother Koroks or obliterate enemy civilizations. Instead, I spent most of my time re-exploring a map that felt around 80% the same, excluding the Depths. The exploration in Tears of the Kingdom lacked the magical feeling of discovery I had cherished in Breath of the Wild. Very few locations brought about that exhilarating moment of stumbling upon something extraordinary. Hateno Village was overrun with mushrooms, Kakariko Village had ring ruins, and Hyrule Castle was elevated. Most locations remained largely unchanged, leading to accusations of the game being a DLC asset flip, and unfortunately, it did little to refute those claims.

Additionally, I found the Depths to be quite underwhelming. Initially, the concept of a creepy, pitch-dark world that was mostly optional and provided rewards seemed intriguing. However, the layout quickly became frustrating. Even with the aid of Brightbloom Seeds, I frequently encountered massive walls and blockages that appeared impassable unless I took a detour through a completely different chasm. I recall a specific scenario recently where I was attempting to head west from a northern lightroot I activated, only to be confronted by the seemingly endless expanse of the Forest Coliseum. It felt like a dead end, so I gave up and redirected my path to a lightroot south of my intended destination. While the Depths had an impressive aesthetic, exploring them often felt like a chore.

It's important to note that these criticisms might stem from my recent fatigue with Breath of the Wild. I should have anticipated that this game might not resonate as strongly with me. Nevertheless, there were positive aspects worth acknowledging. The soundtrack in Tears of the Kingdom, already a strong suit in Breath of the Wild, is phenomenal. It significantly enhanced the otherwise dull moments of the game. The finale boasts some of the best music I've heard in 2023 thus far. I particularly enjoyed the tracks featuring reversed vocals, which were not only eerie but also progressively intensified. Furthermore, considering that this game runs on a Nintendo Switch, with areas like the Depths essentially constituting two maps, it pushes the console's limits. It leaves me wondering how it would perform on a more powerful system.

Despite the lackluster exploration, I appreciated some aspects even by the end of the game. This included the memories found in the Tears, as well as the new abilities that replaced those in Breath of the Wild, especially the weapon fusing mechanic. This fuse feature genuinely astonished me, such as the ability to turn any weapon into a makeshift katana using Lizalfo horns or transform a weapon into a fire-blade with a fire horn. It significantly alleviated the tedium of combat compared to Breath of the Wild.

The game's writing initially showed promise. However, after completing the first main objective of resolving the phenomena, the writing lost its potential and became overly simplistic, similar to Breath of the Wild. The cutscenes when encountering new sages were redundant, with each one repeating the same information. By the time I reached the third and fourth sages, I found myself rolling my eyes. These cutscenes explaining the Demon King's story felt superfluous if one had already watched all the Tears cutscenes. This sense of pointlessness permeated various aspects of the game. While the dungeons did show improvement, they were not exceptional, except for the Wind Temple. The Spirit Temple, in particular, proved tedious and unengaging, making me contemplate abandoning the game. Fortunately, the game concluded shortly after. The final boss fight was captivating, particularly during the dragon encounter, but the battle against Ganondorf beforehand was frustrating and tedious due to the agonizing flurry rush face off.

It saddens me that Tears of the Kingdom initially felt like a masterpiece during the first half of my 93-hour playthrough, only to lose its charm around the 50-60 hour mark. Everything seemed to overstay its welcome, and even the side quests failed to maintain the game's magic. Despite completing around 30 side quests, none of them left a significant impact as I pushed through the main story. However, the ending was undeniably incredible, with the final cutscenes evoking intense emotions and leaving a lasting impression. While I ultimately consider this game to be decent, it falls short of being a masterpiece and is plagued by issues inherited from Breath of the Wild, which are even more apparent in this 70-hour experience. I sincerely hope the next Zelda game deviates from this formula and remains a duology, as I can't envision myself purchasing a third game built upon Breath of the Wild's foundation. With that said, I acknowledge that many people will view this game as perfect, but for me, it stands as one of the biggest letdowns in recent years.