It's hard to explain how this game, I play FFXIV since 2015 when Heavensward was out, and since then, i grew up with this game, and grow with this game is something special, it feels like i grew with all of this world, as it feels like i was in there, with Stormblood, with Shadowbringers, and then, Endwalker, was a ride full of tears, joy, and hope, thank you, Yoshida, thank you Soken and thanks to everyone who contributed to this game, for creating my favorite piece of media ever.
There's something truly unique to this game and I am so happy to have been of the travel.

Celebrating science fiction

A journey into the realm of science fiction and Japanese media, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim manages an expansive and grand narrative rarely seen in the realm of video gaming as it is. It's almost experimental in how open the format is for how much layers each character and the overall story in that you can choose how to progress through it. Some confusion will be warranted but it will all come together in the end not to mention everything else about this game is great for what it is.

The narrative and the characters that drive Vanillaware's epic are the star and show of the whole experience. It's what you're going to be mostly buying or playing this game for and I'm happy to say it has met and exceeded my very high expectations. There's a lot of intrigue and character development here and each time you play Remembrance (which is the narrative 2D adventure mode) and even some in Destruction (The strategy gameplay mode). Each segment will provide a piece of the puzzle and new context to each person's story and saying more than that will be a disservice to yourself.

The gameplay is something I can go into a little more depth in here. Remembrance is the meat of the experience is comprises of the usage of keywords to advance the plot or get information from certain characters. Destruction on the other hand is a bit more than that in terms of what you'll be able to do. As the title of the game dictates, you'll have thirteen units to customize and upgrade in whatever fashion you want within the realms of their generational abilities. An example is one generation being better at range and vice versa. The depth of customization isn't huge but it's enough that you won't feel bored with the mode here. Some units share move sets but some units only get access to very specific abilities so whichever you want to use is up to you. The actual gameplay loop for Destruction consist of a wave defense style where you have to either defend a terminal for a set amount of time or defeat all of the enemies and it rarely changes in objectives sadly. I will say though later on, enemies will completely hoard the mode and using abilities that completely destroy a portion of the map in an special effects explosion is pretty satisfying. There is a chain score mechanic in which if you're going for a high score you can albeit with the mechanic of brain overload that prevents you from overusing pilots so if you're someone that likes to go for that, keep everyone balanced. Analysis technically serves as the third mode in the general experience but it's more of just information and previous events you can view along with using the mystery points you get from playing the game to unlock more explanation on specifics.

The art design is definitely something to be praised here. The character designs and the backgrounds look amazing especially on the OLED Switch screen from how I experienced it. The way the game even does lighting is amazing or how it manages to do shadows in the background that I sometimes forget it's even a two dimensional game sometimes.

The soundtrack for the game is great honestly as it mostly revolves around calming music during Remembrance and high energy electronica during the fighting segments such as this banger but we all know what the best track truly is and it's this.

If you're a fan of the genre of science fiction, you owe it to yourself to play this game. Vanillaware manages to create one of the most ambitious narratives and deploys so many threads that eventually pay off that it's almost surprising to say the least. A Japanese love letter to the genre.

This is a PSA:

Do NOT play the PSP rerelease of this game.

Play the fan-translated PS1 version of the game instead.

The original version has:

-A fun and experimental semi-automatic battle system that only requires player input to set-up commands, and pause to edit them. This allows for fast action, natural discovery of teamwork fusion attacks, and player experimentation with the card/negotiation system.

-actual challenge that ramps up as you play and makes the player think about their compositions and actions.

-loading screens only during loading saves and loading up the game

-a far superior UI aesthetic and generally more unified vision with regard to visuals, music, and battle voice lines

-is amazing

The PSP version has:

-a butchered version of the combat system that forces the player to repeatedly input the same commands at the start of every turn for no reason whatsoever

-absolutely no challenge, even on hard mode.

-loading before every fight

-slowed down battle animations

-script censorship

-if you see reviews calling this game a slog to play, it's cause they played this one
-----------------------------
I personally played the psp version twice, not knowing at all about these differences. I played the ps1 version once and it was like a whole new game. I don't know how they fucked up the psp version so bad with the combat and balancing, but I've heard the psp version of the sequel is much better (although the fan translation is yet to come out).

The one downside of playing the ps1 version of this game is that the fan translation has a little bit of that old 2000's era language in it in places and can feel like a bit of a relic (uses the word "gay" as a kind of insult for the sake of a translated pun(?) in a few places, among other stuff, but overall wasn't the worst and otherwise felt well-done and accurately localized, the translator is a bit of a legend in the realm of fan-made localizations).

“I am Alpha and Omega…
The beginning and the end…
The first and the last…”

I first played and finished Xenogears toward the end of February this year. Every day since 02/21/2021, I have thought about at least one aspect of Xenogears. Never have I played a video game that has entered my mind so relentlessly after finishing it. Since that day, I have wanted to write a review for the game, but I felt I had nothing to say that others before me haven’t already. I’m now going to make the foolish mistake of attempting to put into words just why I need to talk about it anyway.

“Those eyes were what scared me. When I looked in your eyes I saw myself staring back.”

Originally conceptualized as both a possibility for Final Fantasy VII and a potential sequel to Chrono Trigger, Xenogears did not receive the budget or support from SquareSoft as either game it could have been. This shows in its presentation graphically, opting for 2D sprites in 3D environments over the fully-3D visuals the team wished for. This could be considered “dated” by today’s standards, but if you enjoy games from the era as much as I do, you will feel right at home. By the second disc, the gap in budget and focus becomes painfully apparent as gameplay is sacrificed for the sake of finishing the story. This decision will not sit well with many, but I personally did not care much as the story content presented more than made up for the lack of consistent gameplay in the last third of the game. To make matters worse, Xenogears was meant to be the fifth part in a six-part series. Square even attempted to pressure the team into releasing Xenogears as disc one alone, but the team rightfully refused. Despite all these problems, Xenogears was finished (in a manner of speaking) and its message made clear to any who have played it.

"It's because they are weak that they can develop kindness... and never look down on people."

As with many RPGs worth mentioning, the story, characters, and world are what make Xenogears memorable, but that doesn’t mean the gameplay falls short in any regard. Combat is handled in two separate but linked forms—ground combat and Gear combat. Ground combat blends traditional ATB combat from Final Fantasy with a new Deathblow system. Characters perform attacks using the triangle, square, and cross buttons at the expense of Action Points (AP). The strength and AP cost increase from triangle to square to cross, but the accuracy decreases. This adds a layer of depth and strategy to the combat—should you risk a miss for higher damage or play it safe with weaker attacks? On top of this are the Deathblows themselves. Once you have reached the appropriate power level and experience in each attack move, characters will learn Deathblows—flashy and powerful combo finishers that make up the bulk of the damage in ground combat. AP can also be stored for future turns, allowing characters to unleash a flurry of Deathblow chains to decimate enemies.
As one might expect from reading the title, machines are involved in the form of Gears that will excite anyone familiar with the mecha genre in Japanese media. Gears perform differently in that characters must balance fuel supply and build attack power over multiple turns rather than simply performing Deathblows. Gears are customizable, allowing for more risk & reward-based strategies in combat. Should you focus on raw power? Maybe you’d rather have survivability with higher defense and more fuel efficiency.

“It’s okay not to feel ‘whole’. Even if you feel only partly complete, if you repeat that enough, it’ll eventually be ‘whole’. A part… is better than zero.”

The story of Xenogears is difficult to sell to anyone not already familiar with the game without spoiling something major in its narrative. Xenogears tackles a myriad of concepts and draws from a ridiculous amount of sources. Its influences range from numerous mecha anime to American novels and films to several paths of psychology and even a few different sects of religion. As I want to keep this review as free of spoilers as possible, I will only touch upon the themes in Xenogears lightly.
A war generations in the making finds its way to the village of pacifist Fei Fong Wong. The soldiers pilot giant weaponized mobile suits known as Gears. Caught in the crossfire, Fei takes control of a Gear himself to defend his village, thrusting him deep into the conflict. As he travels the world, Fei looks for a reason to fight, a place to call home, and sets out to discover his true self.
Through its characters and world, Xenogears tackles the horrors of war, the desire to change the world, helplessness and self-loathing, the impact of parents’ actions on their children’s psyche, psychological trauma and coping mechanisms in response, relationships that transcend lifetimes, the pursuits of retribution and redemption, fate, discrimination, god and the demiurge, the wakes of disaster brought about by blind faith, the loss of humanity through the evolution of science, the power of confluence, and last but not least—becoming whole.
Xenogears approaches all of these concepts with a surprising level of maturity and depth rarely seen in videogames during this period. Through its rough translations performed by mostly a single man, the messages of Xenogears are profound, thought-provoking, and long-lasting. I reflect upon its themes and narrative beats on a daily basis, simply because its impact is so strong.

“That dream changed me... That dream was the catalyst for me to resolve what my purpose was. I think I know now... What I have to do... That long, long memory of a dream... Perhaps it was the memory of my soul...”

The characters of Xenogears are a mixed bag ranging from outstanding to good to practically nonexistent. For a party consisting of nine playable characters, only five of them receive a notable amount of focus and depth. Fei Fong Wong in particular is what I would consider a true contender for the greatest and most engaging protagonist in any video game. Early on, Fei shows glimpses of a deeply flawed, but ultimately human character. As the player learns more about Fei, the intricacies that make up a truly complex individual shine magnificently through his struggles. I have never been so eager to learn more about the protagonist of a game than in Xenogears.
As the deuteragonist, Elly is a perfect compliment to Fei. Much like Fei, Elly has many human characteristics without feeling outlandish or without flaw. Her growth and connection to the central plot are unexpected and rewarding to say the least. She is one of the best examples of how to write a female character in my opinion. Though she is bound to another in the narrative, Elly can stand on her own with her personal conflicts and traits.
Citan and Bart are also worthy of note, but the rest unfortunately fall flat, becoming nothing more than background noise after their respective moment.
Though half of the main cast are not within the same ballpark as Fei or Elly, the villains more than make up for the weaker examples. Each major villain is given ample screentime and attention to fully develop them into human characters much like Fei. This is not a simple good versus evil plotline. Every major player has their stake in the world’s affairs for good reason, and conflicts are far from black & white.

"Music is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it makes people remember things they do not expect. Many thoughts, feelings, memories... things almost forgotten... Regardless of whether the listener desires to remember or not."

The music in Xenogears is simply phenomenal. Composed by SquareSoft veteran Yasunori Mitsuda—famous for his work on Chrono Trigger—the soundtrack of Xenogears is beautifully crafted with nearly every song being memorable and impactful. The only problem with the soundtrack is that it consists of under 50 songs. For a title that takes place over the course of 50 or more hours, this means that a number of songs are replayed at inopportune times, potentially lessening the impact of their original use. Despite that, it is easily one of my favorite soundtracks in video games and helps create unforgettable moments within the narrative. I cannot imagine Xenogears without it.

"You appear to be looking forward, but in reality you're only looking downward. You're only looking at yourself. Like that, you will find nothing."

Xenogears is not a perfect game. It has a number of production issues, a very shoddy translation, some unbalanced pacing, and the second disc is practically a slideshow. But, despite these shortcomings, I cannot recommend this game enough. With every new scene, questions are raised and seeds are planted to grow into awe-inspiring revelations and conflicts. To anyone that enjoys storytelling, complex characters, emotional moments, JRPGs, and insightful concepts… you must play this game. I cannot objectively give this game a full 10/10 simply for the problems caused by its scope, but in my mind, it is a masterpiece. Do not pass this one up.

STAND TALL AND SHAKE THE HEAVENS

While I cannot in good conscience call it perfect, or even the best Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy VIII is indeed a contender for my favorite video game. It is an acquired taste, but should you be a part of the very specific audience that it is aimed at, then there truly is nothing else like it.

FFVIII is best described as abstract: it doesn’t have as solidly defined a setting as some of its contemporaries, its gameplay is much more open-ended and left up to the player’s discretion in terms of strategy, the narrative is loose at best, and its themes and message are an odd hodgepodge of several interconnected ideas and theories rather than a single, concrete point. What FFVIII does have to offer is raw feeling, a poignance about its atmosphere and what it conveys with its storytelling that resonates profoundly if you’re willing to play by its rules (or are naturally dispositioned towards some of its ideas to begin with).

The plot, on paper, is simple enough: in a colorful high-Fantasy-turned-science fiction setting, we follow Squall Leonhart, a child soldier turned mercenary who has little ambition or purpose in life other than to become a competent, respected SeeD (for-profit mercenary). When a mission he and his team are hired for goes awry, Squall finds himself in the midst of a global conspiracy involving an ongoing global war and a mysterious, maleficent sorceress at the helm of it all. Most of the story involves Squall’s struggle to understand and accept his role in the global crisis as well as understand himself, and his growing bond with secondary protagonist Rinoa Heartilly (a member of a resistance sect poised against the ruthless imperialist nation of Galbadia).

From there... things get weird.

The plot is compelling in its own right and features a few fun (if not sometimes contrived or predictable) plot twists, but ultimately takes a backseat to the purpose it serves: establishing, developing and growing Squall and Rinoa’s characters. While plot events often have substantial narrative weight, most of what you’ll gleam from them (and want to look for) is what they tell you about the characters and the insight into their psyches. FFVIII addresses a great variety of topics that all interlink together in a tight-wound web of themes, ranging from trauma to war to time to family, all of which reflect heavily on the characters’ emotional development and personalities. Character writing is truly where FFVIII shines, and the little pieces of interaction between the cast are what will stick with you more than the bombastic action sequences. It’s a rare feat for a simple conversation or flashback to be more memorable than a fully-animated FMV sequence, but these small moments of interaction and connection are what I find myself thinking about the most often and remembering the most fondly.

Beyond our two protagonists, FFVIII has a somewhat small but lovable and memorable cast, set aside from most other Final Fantasy titles in that they’re mostly believable everyday people. As such, their characters are often not as complex or layered as the series makes a habit out of committing to, but FFVIII manages to make simplicity work in the most endearing of ways: some of the game’s most charming and enduring characters are the Momma’s-boy Zell Dincht who lives at home with his mother and has a passion for mixed martial arts, the smug and conceited teacher Quistis Trepe who acts as Squall’s mentor, and the cocky country-boy Irvine Kinneas who transfers to Squall’s team as a sharpshooter. Some of these characters transcend the convention one might associate with their description, while others embody them so wholly and blatantly that they become brilliant. FFVIII’s cast might hold hidden depths, or they might really be genuine with who they are and exemplify it to the fullest.

FFVIII’s gameplay is a controversial topic, and most often why people disparage the game if not for a dislike of Squall’s distant personality. This is understandable: it’s quite intricate and unconventional, and rarely does the game do a good job of explaining how to use it to the fullest. FFVIII retires the JRPG standard of mana meters and spell learning in favor of magic being dispensable items that can either be used in combat, or equipped (“junctioned” in game terms) to the player’s stats rather than armor or accessories, replacing level grinding as the proper method to grow characters’ stats. Said magic can be refined from cards won in the game’s Triple Triad minigame (the most efficient way of earning magic, despite the game never clarifying this) or “drawn” from enemies during combat as well as specific points in the world map. Junctioning is performed via Guardian Forces, equippable summons that each carry unique abilities and characteristics of their own. It’s true that FFVIII’s complex systems can be overwhelming and disorienting for those used to a conventional JRPG experience, but if learned and understood the amount of customization and optimization is unparalleled especially for the time period. Even if the story and characters don’t appeal to you, if you have any investment in JRPG gameplay for the sake of gameplay then it doesn’t get better than FFVIII’s complex statistic management systems.

Finally... the music. It’s incredible, one of my favorites in any game, and is worked into the storytelling in a very unique way. The scenes which take place in the present day have a sweeping, fully-orchestrated sound whereas those that take place in flashbacks to the distant past have a high-tech futuristic sound, a fun inversion of the standard one might expect from or associate with conventions of the genres.

With all of this being said: FFVIII is a unique game that caters to a very specific audience, and it banks entirely on whether or not you “get it.” If you do, you do, and if you don’t, you don’t. It’s very possible it may not simply be for you, but the best way to find out is to jump in with an open mind (and a willingness to lead the game’s systems!).

For me...? It means more to me personally than I can say, and I can only hope you’ll find as much in it as I have.

Matsuno's PlayStation miracle

I feel conflicted about my feelings about Vagrant Story, it's a technical marvel for the first Playstation with the excellent writing and storytelling I've come to expect from Matsuno but it also comes with some of the most obtuse and tedious gameplay I've had to experience in recent times. It's a bit more complicated than that but that's not to say Vagrant Story is bad by any means, I actually overall greatly enjoyed this game despite how I feel about the gameplay but that's because the rest of what's here is so good that it made the entire journey worth it.

The story that Matsuno created manages to do it again despite only being able to work with half of the scenario being cut. The excellent writing and the way he shows only tells enough without being overbearing makes each cutscene a treat to see after enough dungeon crawling that slowly puts the pieces together for you. Ashley is up there with one of the better protagonists with how he develops during the story as well with the game ending on a strong note. Something I wanted to save for the graphics but I think really helps with the story telling is the facial expressions they managed to pull off which kept me immersed throughout the cutscenes.

Vagrant Story is a bit unorthodox with how combat is presented and acted out. The combat system is incredibly in depth but I'll try to simplify it as much as possible for my own sanity. Combat works when you enter battle phase and seeing a sphere grid that represents Ashley's range and options for attack that vary on different limbs of each monster. Damage is dictated by how specialized your weapons are and having a healthy varied arsenal of weapons is extremely important here so you don't get stuck doing little to no damage here. You really can't brute force this game, you'll have to learn the system and pick the right weapons for the right job which is sadly marred by the over abundance of how many menus this whole part of the gameplay is which is the most tedious part for me that I almost actually gave up on the game. Magic and chaining attacks is also here as well and very important as well and a crafting system which will help you make the ideal weapons but that's a whole can of worms I don't want to delve into. If you learn, the game won't be too hard for you. The dungeon crawling and the puzzles are honestly the best part of the gameplay for me. Each area is truly realized and the programming wizards that made this game put an incredible amount of detail into each area that it's kinda surreal how they managed it. The puzzles albeit a great addition got pretty annoying at the end but I still enjoyed them overall. I think they really wanted to do something different here as it's hard to really put this game into any genre and I can honestly appreciate it despite how well the execution is.

The soundtrack is excellent here coming off matching Ivalice's medieval sounds while being way more chaotic and erratic to represent the difference in tone the game is trying to go for. If there was one specific track that I'd like to highlight it would be this specific boss theme early on that manages to increase the tension at just the right moments. The emotional songs during important moments are just as wonderful too being able to instill strong emotions in me especially during that ending.

It's no surprise how good Vagrant Story looks despite the hardware that it's almost famous for how much of a technical miracle this game was. The environments and buildings are some of the best if not the best looking buildings on the consoles and the way they used face textures that actually emote is something I mentioned early but it really helps improves the experience. Blood and wounds appear naturally without a weird delay or a static texture. The fact that they managed to create a lighting system in this game without actually making one at all just goes to show how much effort they put into making this game trying to realize its full potential. I could really go on here but it's hard to deny the magic they did here to pull something off like this despite not having any experience in 3D.

Despite how much I harped on the gameplay being really tedious, I can't recommend this game enough to anyone that enjoys the Ivalice games or old Square games in general. It's a game about learning to deal with the bad stuff we've done and trying to move on from them which I think is a great message especially those hanging onto more guilt than most. A reflective adventure into the darkness within humanity.

The most terrifying, oppressive, claustrophobic experience I've had in the medium is no surprise a stalking disturbing message of an encroaching patriarchal faith. Heather wants nothing to do with it, and neither will I. Monsters of repressed memories and physical/sexual trauma stalk the corridors, but catharsis is found in making them all Burn. Aborting god is probably the rawest turn on killing god tbh. I personally got lost in the woods of the threads near the end but I think on just initial reflection that there's a large point in there about an incomprehensibly massive societal issue that makes it difficult to form into something tangible (e.g. male gaze and abuse). It's also like a crystalized end to everything the series culminated in before, tying everything back together. Genuinely super well crafted, and a crazy good final message. That cycle of disparaging hatred is still overturned by the real spark of sympathy, we just want love.