really tried to force myself to finish this because i thought there'd be anything of worth here but outside of takada's soundtrack (which might actually be some of his best work) there really isn't.

it's like a suda game made by people who think suda's games are only composed of random movie references (90% of Sylvia's scenes in this are just an awful Paris, Texas pastiche for no real reason other than shoving her tits on your face) and over-the-top "what were they on making this 🤣🤣" humor. without suda's manic character writing and personal reflections on alienation with the repetition and aimlessness of daily life (which the methodical structure and mostly empty open world of the first game contributed to) it just feels like a cheap and exploitative power fantasy. it's noticeable suda was more hands-on with TSA because just from what i've played of it, it already feels way more self-reflective and well thought-out than this dreck.

The worst part about this was not that it's bad (because it is not), it's just incredibly disappointing.
Halo Infinite's campaign takes the idea of something like Halo CE's 2nd level and tries to expand on it into a larger, more open area to explore on your own pace, but whereas CE and even the other Bungie games are still fun to revisit due to the carefully crafted pacing and setpieces, Infinite just feels like an absolute slog to get through at times, especially in the latter half, one of the missions for example revolves around going to 4 identical towers with the same layout and pressing a button, it's not exciting or memorable in the least, the plot being basically non-existent and resolving many of 5's plot threads off-screen (because for some reason they still think most fans go out of their way to read the books and comics) doesn't help. Even if the gameplay and movement is really solid and a step in the right direction, the level design feels the most dull and repetitive the series has ever felt, there's really nothing in this campaign that sticks out in my mind as truly impressive, it's just consistently "okay" or boring. Compared to something like 4 or 5 it's hard to blame 343i entirely for this because this is clearly a rushed project that hit tons of roadblocks during development due to how the company itself is structured (only hiring temporary contractors), countless directors leaving and having to switch engines already years into development but it's a shame that the one time it felt like they could deliver something on par with the older titles, they came out with this instead because of poor project and company management.

was NOT expecting to like this as much as i did, holy shit this rocked. i'm often mixed on urobuchi's works because while i love his quirks and style (like the intentional anticlimaxes, the unique way he deals with morality in his stories and the dramatic irony that's present in a lot of his characters' arcs) i never feel it all really comes together. but this hit all the notes for me in a way i wish fate/zero, saya no uta or even kamen rider gaim did (madoka fucking rules though). just a completely unhinged and twisted take on the hero's journey and wuxia that still manages to understand and capture the heart of why these stories work, all complete with some of his most insane action scenes. also features a much better rendition of twisted love than whatever saya no uta was trying to do imo. there's definitely problems i can point to, like the beginning being very rough and the story only coming into its own later on but it leaves such a strong impression that i can honestly mostly ignore them.
just a very fun time overall and definitely my second favorite Nitro+ VN now, only behind Muramasa for my actual favorite.

There will never be a series more perfect for just popping in and dicking around with your friends than this, this is videogames baby. Will I ever attempt an 1cc run so the game doesn't tell me I suck for rescuing 0 prisoners? Hell no, but it's still so fun for casual play despite how masochistic it feels at times.
Insane to me that SNK perfected pixel art in the 90s (and then once more with KOFXIII) and we have never reached that level again ever since. Can only wonder how the industry would be if SNK's incredibly talented pixel artists kept making cool stuff like this and didn't have to bend down to ever-changing market trends.

i didn't think 01 had particularly enjoyable gameplay but just a few hours of this already made me miss it, honestly did not expect this to have combat that somehow feels worse than fucking Dragon Quest I (1986) on the NES. legitimately some of the most frictionless, slow, poorly thought-out combat design i've ever seen, the only thing that even slightly redeems it is the turbo button but even then playing through it feels like experiencing ego death, actual kuso.

all that being said, the incredibly funny writing and flavorful translation (seriously, amazing work here) definitely helped me get through it. also much, much more enjoyable script in the moment-to-moment than 01 even if the plot pretty much goes nowhere, which i wouldn't have a problem with if it didn't feel like they just gave up having any sort of conclusion at the end. love all the witches though, excited for them to appear again.