Laxy
2024
This game is really good when you don't have an annoying FES purist telling you how it's soulless
2023
Alan Wake II: Awake to the Darkness
The first Alan Wake was a solid, but not rememberable game. It had its pros and cons, but Remedy seemed to take everything great from the first Alan Wake, add to it, and blow it out of the water with Alan Wake 2. The story in the first Alan Wake was a pretty solid but did not reach its full potential until Alan Wake 2 came around to doing so. Alan Wake 2 builds on top of the first Alan Wake, as well as Alan Wake's American Nightmare and Control, to create a connected sea of games with thread between them. Alan Wake 2 takes inspiration from horror stories, and in doing so, it completely flips the genre away from the first game, and into a full-blown horror game, and it works amazingly.
I don't get scared by horror games that much, however, Alan Wake 2 creates such a unique feel within its atmosphere. Regardless if I was playing as Alan or Saga, the atmosphere always felt eerie. The jumpscares caught me off guard multiple times during my play-through, but one of my criticisms with this game is how some of the jumpscares have their scare factor due to how randomly placed they are. It's kinda a cheap way to get a scare off the player, and even though it works at some parts, it kinda gets predictable later on. Alan Wake 2 has two protagonists, Alan Wake of course, but a new character as well, Saga Anderson. I've enjoyed both play-throughs through each character, however, I might in the minority in saying this, but I actually liked playing as Saga more than I did as Alan.
I feel that Saga's storyline, and her overall character arc, were more engaging than Alan's storyline. I think Saga's story reached to me more than Alan's was because her story was much more human, which is the best way I can describe it without going into spoilers. Despite my praise for Saga's storyline, I did enjoy Alan's storyline as well. Naturally, with how the end of the first Alan Wake set up where Alan is in Alan Wake 2, it provides a unique change of feel and atmosphere. Playing throughout Alan's storyline made me feel alone, it feels like there is some sort of dark presence watching Alan.
To be honest I don't have much more to say about Alan's side of the game. I just feel that it kinda feels a little flatter when it comes to some chapters, and at some parts it feels like a repeat of some of the boring parts of the first Alan Wake. Graphically, this game is beautiful. I had to change the settings to performance mode because the 30 FPS was bugging me during my first few minutes in Alan Wake 2, but it is still gorgeous as a game. I love how Remedy used both in-game and live-action cinematics, and blend them together. The environments everytime I was either playing as Alan or Saga, always made me admire the graphical depth the devs at Remedy did to make this game gorgeous. I was playing on a 4K moniter with HDR support, and the lighting was just... chef's kiss
Gameplay wise I found the movement to be kinda clunky, which was kinda tedious in the first Alan Wake, but in Alan Wake 2, it's still clunky, but in an annoying way like the first game. The gameplay feels sharp, and much more refined than the first game, it feels much better to get into combat, and made it a overall enjoyable time. Overall, the story had me engaged as I dove deeper into the chapters, the gameplay kept feeling refreshing, and I never felt a moment where I was disengaged. Alan Wake 2 is a masterpiece as a story, game, and work of art. It's one of those games where you can't forget about when you beat it. I can't wait for what Sam Lake and Remedy will work on after this game, I'm sure it will keep me awake.
Stats:
2nd game I've completed in 2024
Played on PlayStation 5
Hours into Game: 17 Hours
Score: 10/10 (5/5)
The first Alan Wake was a solid, but not rememberable game. It had its pros and cons, but Remedy seemed to take everything great from the first Alan Wake, add to it, and blow it out of the water with Alan Wake 2. The story in the first Alan Wake was a pretty solid but did not reach its full potential until Alan Wake 2 came around to doing so. Alan Wake 2 builds on top of the first Alan Wake, as well as Alan Wake's American Nightmare and Control, to create a connected sea of games with thread between them. Alan Wake 2 takes inspiration from horror stories, and in doing so, it completely flips the genre away from the first game, and into a full-blown horror game, and it works amazingly.
I don't get scared by horror games that much, however, Alan Wake 2 creates such a unique feel within its atmosphere. Regardless if I was playing as Alan or Saga, the atmosphere always felt eerie. The jumpscares caught me off guard multiple times during my play-through, but one of my criticisms with this game is how some of the jumpscares have their scare factor due to how randomly placed they are. It's kinda a cheap way to get a scare off the player, and even though it works at some parts, it kinda gets predictable later on. Alan Wake 2 has two protagonists, Alan Wake of course, but a new character as well, Saga Anderson. I've enjoyed both play-throughs through each character, however, I might in the minority in saying this, but I actually liked playing as Saga more than I did as Alan.
I feel that Saga's storyline, and her overall character arc, were more engaging than Alan's storyline. I think Saga's story reached to me more than Alan's was because her story was much more human, which is the best way I can describe it without going into spoilers. Despite my praise for Saga's storyline, I did enjoy Alan's storyline as well. Naturally, with how the end of the first Alan Wake set up where Alan is in Alan Wake 2, it provides a unique change of feel and atmosphere. Playing throughout Alan's storyline made me feel alone, it feels like there is some sort of dark presence watching Alan.
To be honest I don't have much more to say about Alan's side of the game. I just feel that it kinda feels a little flatter when it comes to some chapters, and at some parts it feels like a repeat of some of the boring parts of the first Alan Wake. Graphically, this game is beautiful. I had to change the settings to performance mode because the 30 FPS was bugging me during my first few minutes in Alan Wake 2, but it is still gorgeous as a game. I love how Remedy used both in-game and live-action cinematics, and blend them together. The environments everytime I was either playing as Alan or Saga, always made me admire the graphical depth the devs at Remedy did to make this game gorgeous. I was playing on a 4K moniter with HDR support, and the lighting was just... chef's kiss
Gameplay wise I found the movement to be kinda clunky, which was kinda tedious in the first Alan Wake, but in Alan Wake 2, it's still clunky, but in an annoying way like the first game. The gameplay feels sharp, and much more refined than the first game, it feels much better to get into combat, and made it a overall enjoyable time. Overall, the story had me engaged as I dove deeper into the chapters, the gameplay kept feeling refreshing, and I never felt a moment where I was disengaged. Alan Wake 2 is a masterpiece as a story, game, and work of art. It's one of those games where you can't forget about when you beat it. I can't wait for what Sam Lake and Remedy will work on after this game, I'm sure it will keep me awake.
Stats:
2nd game I've completed in 2024
Played on PlayStation 5
Hours into Game: 17 Hours
Score: 10/10 (5/5)
2016
Bioshock: Rapture Below The Ocean
Bioshock is a game I've heard thrown around as one of those "must-play" games online. I didn't know anything about it, outside that the dude on the cover is called the Big Daddy. I got this game (alongside Bioshock 2 and Bioshock Infinite) for free back when it was given away on the Epic Game Store, and it sitting in my backlog for some time. After playing it, diving deep into the world of Bioshock, exploring Rapture, and seeing where all the praise lies. Bioshock creates a unique setting, with it's take on a 1940s aesthetic, mixed with decopunk aesthetics as well.
Right away with the introduction, I was floored by the presentation of this game. It's been a while since I played a game that felt like it had its own aesthetic and style. And throughout my playthrough, its style and aesthetic kept feeling fresh. When you first go underwater and see the city of Rapture, you as the player just see the underwater city for what it is, as Andrew Ryan speaks, and you just do nothing but take in the scenery of Rapture. I love the introduction to this game so much, it feels perfectly paced, not too slow, not too explosive, but enough of a balance to serve to the player to keep playing throughout. In Bioshock, you take control as Jack, a passenger on a plane that crashes in the Atlantic Ocean. Jack is assisted through most of the game by Atlus via radio. Throughout your time in Rapture, you find plenty of different weapons and plasmids to use. As for weapons, they're kinda of a basic selection. You have a wrench to start out with, then later a pistol, then later a machine gun, and later a shotgun, and so on. The weapons do their part as weapons, but one of the unique gameplay elements Bioshock has is with the plasmids. Plasmids add so much gameplay variety to Bioshock, it wouldn't be the same game without them. The ones I mainly used throughout my playthrough were Electro Bolt, Incinerate!, and Telekinesis. It was fun to use these plasmids on enemies, and without them, Bioshock would be an average game without them. I enjoyed the gameplay, but at certain moments, it can feel generic, and sort of "sameish" for long periods. It's good gameplay, but not necessarily something to hold in high regard.
As for the story, this is where I heard most of the praise come from. For me, I found the story of Bioshock to be somewhat inconsistent when it came to holding my interest. On one hand, I was in love with the aesthetic of the game, and wanted to learn about Rapture and Andrew Ryan, but on the other hand, most of the story is told via dialogue from other characters via the radio in the middle of gameplay, and it's really hard to pay attention to it, when I was in an encounter with an enemy. I wished these story moments told via dialogue were told in a way that gameplay not interfere, so I could've been more immersed to its story. The story is divided into different levels, 15 in total. Each level felt like an episode in a mini-series, each level felt well passed, and don't overstay their welcome. Bioshock has these little girls roaming around the levels named "Little Sisters" and they are accompanied by a Big Daddy. After you defeat the Big Daddy, you can either rescue the little sister, turn them back into a normal human girl, and get ADAM, or harvest all of their energy, causing them to die, and get more ADAM. The little sisters play more of an important role in the story of Bioshock than being there to give you ADAM. If you rescue all but one little sister, you get the good ending, but if you harvest more than one little sister, you get the bad ending. In my playthrough, I rescued all the little sisters to get the good ending, because of course I went for the good ending. I found Bioshock's ending to be beautiful, I found it poetic, and understand why it's the canon ending, but because of that, I think this game would be one of the few games I would've preferred a voiced protagonist if done right.
Overall, I found Bioshock to be a pretty captivating game. Rapture and it's tone and presentation show it's unique beauty. Gameplay is enjoyable, though bland in some cases, and the story is well executed for what it was going for. I heard that the remastered version is disliked by the Bioshock community after I beated it, because of performance. I was able to play on 4K with 120 FPS without any issue. It is a PS3/360 game for of course it's no issue for my PC, but I can understand how it may be on the console ports. I look forward to getting towards Bioshock 2 later in my backlog, I'm interested to try out Bioshock Infinite afterwords, due to how divisive it is.
Stats:
The 16th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PC
Hours into Game: 11 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Bioshock is a game I've heard thrown around as one of those "must-play" games online. I didn't know anything about it, outside that the dude on the cover is called the Big Daddy. I got this game (alongside Bioshock 2 and Bioshock Infinite) for free back when it was given away on the Epic Game Store, and it sitting in my backlog for some time. After playing it, diving deep into the world of Bioshock, exploring Rapture, and seeing where all the praise lies. Bioshock creates a unique setting, with it's take on a 1940s aesthetic, mixed with decopunk aesthetics as well.
Right away with the introduction, I was floored by the presentation of this game. It's been a while since I played a game that felt like it had its own aesthetic and style. And throughout my playthrough, its style and aesthetic kept feeling fresh. When you first go underwater and see the city of Rapture, you as the player just see the underwater city for what it is, as Andrew Ryan speaks, and you just do nothing but take in the scenery of Rapture. I love the introduction to this game so much, it feels perfectly paced, not too slow, not too explosive, but enough of a balance to serve to the player to keep playing throughout. In Bioshock, you take control as Jack, a passenger on a plane that crashes in the Atlantic Ocean. Jack is assisted through most of the game by Atlus via radio. Throughout your time in Rapture, you find plenty of different weapons and plasmids to use. As for weapons, they're kinda of a basic selection. You have a wrench to start out with, then later a pistol, then later a machine gun, and later a shotgun, and so on. The weapons do their part as weapons, but one of the unique gameplay elements Bioshock has is with the plasmids. Plasmids add so much gameplay variety to Bioshock, it wouldn't be the same game without them. The ones I mainly used throughout my playthrough were Electro Bolt, Incinerate!, and Telekinesis. It was fun to use these plasmids on enemies, and without them, Bioshock would be an average game without them. I enjoyed the gameplay, but at certain moments, it can feel generic, and sort of "sameish" for long periods. It's good gameplay, but not necessarily something to hold in high regard.
As for the story, this is where I heard most of the praise come from. For me, I found the story of Bioshock to be somewhat inconsistent when it came to holding my interest. On one hand, I was in love with the aesthetic of the game, and wanted to learn about Rapture and Andrew Ryan, but on the other hand, most of the story is told via dialogue from other characters via the radio in the middle of gameplay, and it's really hard to pay attention to it, when I was in an encounter with an enemy. I wished these story moments told via dialogue were told in a way that gameplay not interfere, so I could've been more immersed to its story. The story is divided into different levels, 15 in total. Each level felt like an episode in a mini-series, each level felt well passed, and don't overstay their welcome. Bioshock has these little girls roaming around the levels named "Little Sisters" and they are accompanied by a Big Daddy. After you defeat the Big Daddy, you can either rescue the little sister, turn them back into a normal human girl, and get ADAM, or harvest all of their energy, causing them to die, and get more ADAM. The little sisters play more of an important role in the story of Bioshock than being there to give you ADAM. If you rescue all but one little sister, you get the good ending, but if you harvest more than one little sister, you get the bad ending. In my playthrough, I rescued all the little sisters to get the good ending, because of course I went for the good ending. I found Bioshock's ending to be beautiful, I found it poetic, and understand why it's the canon ending, but because of that, I think this game would be one of the few games I would've preferred a voiced protagonist if done right.
Overall, I found Bioshock to be a pretty captivating game. Rapture and it's tone and presentation show it's unique beauty. Gameplay is enjoyable, though bland in some cases, and the story is well executed for what it was going for. I heard that the remastered version is disliked by the Bioshock community after I beated it, because of performance. I was able to play on 4K with 120 FPS without any issue. It is a PS3/360 game for of course it's no issue for my PC, but I can understand how it may be on the console ports. I look forward to getting towards Bioshock 2 later in my backlog, I'm interested to try out Bioshock Infinite afterwords, due to how divisive it is.
Stats:
The 16th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PC
Hours into Game: 11 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
2001
Pikmin: Stepping Stone Towards Better To Come
Pikmin began as a series created by Mario creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. The foundation of Pikmin can be found in a GameCube-era tech demo called Super Mario 128, it showed the performance of the GameCube, being able to animate 128 copies of Mario at once, and this concept of multiple characters running at once moved over to what we know today as Pikmin. Pikmin is probably one of the more unique Nintendo series out there. There's your normal Mario's, Zelda's and Metroid's, as well Fire Emblem and Xenoblade for the weebs, but Pikmin as a series is kinda the middle child of Nintendo IPs. It's not as popular as Mario or Zelda, but it's not as niche as Fire Emblem or Xenoblade over here in the west. I initially knew Pikmin only as the series Olimar from Super Smash Bros was from, said 9-year-old me.
I remember trying out Pikmin before, I believe I played either Pikmin 1 or 2 on my old Wii before, I don't know which one exactly, but I never completed it, and I didn't like the controls. I was only a kid at the time, so it was only natural for me to be dogshit at games that weren't Mario or Pokemon. I decided to pick up Pikmin 1 + 2 on the Switch because this was the most accessible version available to me as a newcomer to the series. (I'm writing my review here because backloggd's system when it comes to ports/remasters is dogshit) I am able to play the Wii version of Pikmin 1 & 2, but I've heard about the mixed reception of the motion controls, and with a game like Pikmin, I didn't hate myself enough to subject myself to motion controls, so I got the Switch version. I'll be writing about Pikmin 1 here and Pikmin 2 later, for now, all I have to say about Pikmin 1 is that Pikmin 1 was such a nice change of pace from all the games I've played this year so far.
It was sorta calming to play this game, the soundtrack was composed by Hajime Wakai and adds so much to crafting the atmosphere when you explore this planet as Olimar. Olimar is a Hocotatian (I checked the Pikmin wiki to make sure before I made a fool of myself and say Olimar was human. Pikmin lore goes deep) who crashes his ship onto the planet where the Pikmin inhabit. Since Oilmar's ship is out of work, he befriends the Pikmin and uses them to collect the missing pieces of his ship on the planet to make sure he has all the pieces, or else in 30 days, the oxygen in his space helmet will run out, and he will die. You have limited time each day you play Pikmin, each day matters, and it's best to use each day to its best by either getting a missing piece of the ship or harvesting some more Pikmin. In Pikmin 1, there are only 3 types of Pikmin, Red Pikmin, Blue Pikmin, and Yellow Pikmin.
Red Pikmin are the first ones you get in the game and can withstand flames and anything similar to heat, Blue Pikmin can be brought underwater while the other ones melt to death, and Yellow Pikmin can withstand electricity. Compared to Pikmin 2, and the later games, this is quite basic, but as the first game in the series, it works and works perfectly for newcomers. This is the perfect entry point for me, I was able to understand the 3 basic Pikmin types perfectly, and going into Pikmin 2 after this game felt like a smooth transition. Pikmin isn't a game you play for a story, it's all about gameplay, and the gameplay is so satisfying. Compared to Pikmin 2, it's quite basic since this was the first game, but I still had a fun time with it. It was fun to explore the little planet with the Pikmin and explore to find treasure.
I found myself caring for the Pikmin I had around me, I felt like a guardian protecting its little ones, and whenever I lost one of them to an enemy, I made sure me and my children got sweet revenge by killing it and harvet its body to create more Pikmin. Surprisingly kinda dark for a Nintendo game. (insert Spongebob roller coaster meme here) To be honest, I don't have a lot to say here, because most of my praises are for Pikmin 2, but what I will say is that one of my issues with Pikmin 1, was that I felt that the Pikmin could just ignore you sometimes. Sometimes I threw a Pikmin at an enemy just for the Pikmin to walk around blind like they Stevie Wonder, but also another issue was that compared to Pikmin 2, there's not a lot of replay value. Of course, you can try to speed-run it, but everything after Pikmin 1 just does a better job. Overall, Pikmin 1 was a nice change of pace from what else I was playing this year. I believe this was the first RTS I ever played, and I loved it.
Stats:
8th Game I've Completed In 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch
Hours into Game: 10 hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Last Statement: Red Pikmin best pikmin
Pikmin began as a series created by Mario creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. The foundation of Pikmin can be found in a GameCube-era tech demo called Super Mario 128, it showed the performance of the GameCube, being able to animate 128 copies of Mario at once, and this concept of multiple characters running at once moved over to what we know today as Pikmin. Pikmin is probably one of the more unique Nintendo series out there. There's your normal Mario's, Zelda's and Metroid's, as well Fire Emblem and Xenoblade for the weebs, but Pikmin as a series is kinda the middle child of Nintendo IPs. It's not as popular as Mario or Zelda, but it's not as niche as Fire Emblem or Xenoblade over here in the west. I initially knew Pikmin only as the series Olimar from Super Smash Bros was from, said 9-year-old me.
I remember trying out Pikmin before, I believe I played either Pikmin 1 or 2 on my old Wii before, I don't know which one exactly, but I never completed it, and I didn't like the controls. I was only a kid at the time, so it was only natural for me to be dogshit at games that weren't Mario or Pokemon. I decided to pick up Pikmin 1 + 2 on the Switch because this was the most accessible version available to me as a newcomer to the series. (I'm writing my review here because backloggd's system when it comes to ports/remasters is dogshit) I am able to play the Wii version of Pikmin 1 & 2, but I've heard about the mixed reception of the motion controls, and with a game like Pikmin, I didn't hate myself enough to subject myself to motion controls, so I got the Switch version. I'll be writing about Pikmin 1 here and Pikmin 2 later, for now, all I have to say about Pikmin 1 is that Pikmin 1 was such a nice change of pace from all the games I've played this year so far.
It was sorta calming to play this game, the soundtrack was composed by Hajime Wakai and adds so much to crafting the atmosphere when you explore this planet as Olimar. Olimar is a Hocotatian (I checked the Pikmin wiki to make sure before I made a fool of myself and say Olimar was human. Pikmin lore goes deep) who crashes his ship onto the planet where the Pikmin inhabit. Since Oilmar's ship is out of work, he befriends the Pikmin and uses them to collect the missing pieces of his ship on the planet to make sure he has all the pieces, or else in 30 days, the oxygen in his space helmet will run out, and he will die. You have limited time each day you play Pikmin, each day matters, and it's best to use each day to its best by either getting a missing piece of the ship or harvesting some more Pikmin. In Pikmin 1, there are only 3 types of Pikmin, Red Pikmin, Blue Pikmin, and Yellow Pikmin.
Red Pikmin are the first ones you get in the game and can withstand flames and anything similar to heat, Blue Pikmin can be brought underwater while the other ones melt to death, and Yellow Pikmin can withstand electricity. Compared to Pikmin 2, and the later games, this is quite basic, but as the first game in the series, it works and works perfectly for newcomers. This is the perfect entry point for me, I was able to understand the 3 basic Pikmin types perfectly, and going into Pikmin 2 after this game felt like a smooth transition. Pikmin isn't a game you play for a story, it's all about gameplay, and the gameplay is so satisfying. Compared to Pikmin 2, it's quite basic since this was the first game, but I still had a fun time with it. It was fun to explore the little planet with the Pikmin and explore to find treasure.
I found myself caring for the Pikmin I had around me, I felt like a guardian protecting its little ones, and whenever I lost one of them to an enemy, I made sure me and my children got sweet revenge by killing it and harvet its body to create more Pikmin. Surprisingly kinda dark for a Nintendo game. (insert Spongebob roller coaster meme here) To be honest, I don't have a lot to say here, because most of my praises are for Pikmin 2, but what I will say is that one of my issues with Pikmin 1, was that I felt that the Pikmin could just ignore you sometimes. Sometimes I threw a Pikmin at an enemy just for the Pikmin to walk around blind like they Stevie Wonder, but also another issue was that compared to Pikmin 2, there's not a lot of replay value. Of course, you can try to speed-run it, but everything after Pikmin 1 just does a better job. Overall, Pikmin 1 was a nice change of pace from what else I was playing this year. I believe this was the first RTS I ever played, and I loved it.
Stats:
8th Game I've Completed In 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch
Hours into Game: 10 hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Last Statement: Red Pikmin best pikmin
2024
Persona 3 Reload: Life, Death, and Rebirth
Persona 5 Royal is my second favorite game of all time. It came to me during a confusing point in my life, when I didn't know where to go, or what to do. I adore Persona 5, and It's what got me into real RPGS, previously my portfolio was just Pokemon games and the Mario RPGs from the DS/3DS era that I've played, but Persona 5 got me to go play other RPG's like the Final Fantasy and Xenoblade, while also making me want to try out the other games in the wide Megaten ecosystem. After I first beat Persona 5 Royal, I was hooked on the entire Persona series. After I was done with Persona 5 Royal, I played Persona 4 Golden and loved it, not as much as I did with P5R, but still love.
I don't have a PSP or PS1, so can't comment about Persona 1 and 2, but despite only playing Persona 5 Royal and Persona 4 Golden, I have never gotten into Persona 3 yet at this point. The OG Persona 3 and FES are trapped on the PS2, and even with emulation possible, the fact that it does not have the feature to directly control your teammates was a turn-off for me, who was used to it in Persona 5 and 4. I was considering playing Persona 3 Portable (which I still might do eventually, only for FEMC since she ain't in Reload) since it did have direct commands, however, I ultimately decided to wait for Persona 3 Reload to come out since when I was thinking about this, it was only a few weeks before release. So I'm just saying all this to let you know my background with Persona 3, and Persona series in general.
I'm just going to talk about Persona 3 Reload, as its own game, without any comparisons to the original, FES, or Portable. Persona 3 Reload blew my expectations out of the water, I came into this game hoping for it to be on par with Persona 5 Royal, and I came out with that, and though as of now I hold Persona 5 Royal over Persona 3 Reload, it is possible for me in a few years to change my mind. Persona 3 Reload does everything right, it gives a cast of loveable characters, the best gameplay that the series has so far, and a story that has made me think about it for days after beating it. The gameplay feels smoother than it ever was, Tartarus is a great change from the palaces/dungeons I was used to In Persona 4 and Persona 5, and I wouldn't mind if sometihng similar to Tartarus comes in Persona 6, but I'd still like dungeons/palaces too. Each block in Tartarus feels unique enough from the other, and it creates a gameplay experience that I sometimes liked more than the palaces/dungeons in Persona 5 and 4, which is probably a controversal opinon, and I might just have recentcy bias towards Tartarus.
I love how Atlus took some inspiration from Persona 5's art style and used that inspiration to give Persona 3 Reload its own unique art style. I love the blue coloring of the UI, it makes going to the menus feel like a mini art piece every time. I love how sometimes when you attack a shadow with the right weakness element, there's a close-up shot of the character's face, as their Persona breaks through it and attacks the shadow. Little stuff like that makes it stand out from not only the original Persona 3 but also every other Persona game. One thing I do have to say about Reload's art style is with it is to the original game's art style. Yes, I loved Reload's art style, but the original had it's own, sorta edgy art style too, which isn't really here in Reload, which I would have liked, but it's not a major deal for me, but it is for those who loved the Original. The social links in Reload feel kinda weak some paired to social links in Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal, but since Persona 3 was the first Persona game to introduce social links, it's pulled off really well, for it's first time in a Persona game.
I found it weird there weren't any social links with the main party members sooner, you have to have max social stats in a specific category to start it. Like in Mitsuru's social link, you need max academics to start her social link, and even then you start her link kinda around the late game. Not only you start the social links for the main cast later, it's only the female members in the main party that have social links. Sadly Jumpei, Akakiko, Shinjiro, and Ken don't have social links, which I was bumped out to find out. I would have found their social links more interesting than Yukari's and Fuuka's, which I liked, but it just sorta bummed me out coming off of the social links from Persona 5 and Persona 4 but despite that, Persona 3 Reload has some of the best social links in the series.
My favorite in Persona 3 Reload has to be Akinari's social link, his story is a tragedy, and without spoilers, is one of the highlights that conveys the game's theme of death. I believe the reason I play Persona, is for what each game has to tell in its story. Persona 5 Royal had the theme of rebellion, Persona 4 Golden and the theme of seeking the truth, and with Persona 3 Reload, it has the theme of Death. This concept dives deep into the story, and creates a narrative that has stuck with me for days since I beat it. It is the question of life and death, that this game attempts to answer it. In the game, you play through the MC, and see what his life is like, with social links and the bonds he has with others. By the end of the game, the MC finds the answer to that question, ultimately, passing the baton onto the player, as you think of your own answer to the question of life and death, as you watch the credits.
Persona 3 Reload's story, narrative, and themes are truly spectacular. It's the type of story I love in any type of media, regardless if it's a game, movie, tv show, anime, manga, book, or album, I love it when a piece of art, such as Persona 3 Reload, can have me still thinking about it for days and weeks after being done with it. Persona 3 Reload pulls you into it's narrative and gets you unknowingly invested in this tale. Life goes on as you play, like how days pass, both in real life and in the game, but there is also death. Death can come any time, you never know when death will come to your door.
It can come all of a sudden, and that's what Persona 3 Reload conveys. There's death, and there is no way to stop it, but there is also rebirth afterward, not in the game, but in you, the player. You are reborn, with the knowledge of life and death, now it is up to you, how you will use it. Will you forge links and bonds with the people you care about? Will you make the most of each day you have in your life before death? With your rebirth, what will you do when death comes? That is what Persona 3 Reload asks you. Overall, Persona 3 Reload is a true marvel of a persona game. It has the best gameplay the series has the offer, some the best narratives and story-telling reimagined today. Regardless if you've played the original, FES, Portable or not played any version of Persona 3 yet, please do so. Reload is a must for all Persona fans.
Stats:
9th game in 2024 I've completed
Played on PlayStation 5
Hours into Game: 70 hours
Score: 10/10 (5/5)
Last Statement: Ace Dective? More like-
Persona 5 Royal is my second favorite game of all time. It came to me during a confusing point in my life, when I didn't know where to go, or what to do. I adore Persona 5, and It's what got me into real RPGS, previously my portfolio was just Pokemon games and the Mario RPGs from the DS/3DS era that I've played, but Persona 5 got me to go play other RPG's like the Final Fantasy and Xenoblade, while also making me want to try out the other games in the wide Megaten ecosystem. After I first beat Persona 5 Royal, I was hooked on the entire Persona series. After I was done with Persona 5 Royal, I played Persona 4 Golden and loved it, not as much as I did with P5R, but still love.
I don't have a PSP or PS1, so can't comment about Persona 1 and 2, but despite only playing Persona 5 Royal and Persona 4 Golden, I have never gotten into Persona 3 yet at this point. The OG Persona 3 and FES are trapped on the PS2, and even with emulation possible, the fact that it does not have the feature to directly control your teammates was a turn-off for me, who was used to it in Persona 5 and 4. I was considering playing Persona 3 Portable (which I still might do eventually, only for FEMC since she ain't in Reload) since it did have direct commands, however, I ultimately decided to wait for Persona 3 Reload to come out since when I was thinking about this, it was only a few weeks before release. So I'm just saying all this to let you know my background with Persona 3, and Persona series in general.
I'm just going to talk about Persona 3 Reload, as its own game, without any comparisons to the original, FES, or Portable. Persona 3 Reload blew my expectations out of the water, I came into this game hoping for it to be on par with Persona 5 Royal, and I came out with that, and though as of now I hold Persona 5 Royal over Persona 3 Reload, it is possible for me in a few years to change my mind. Persona 3 Reload does everything right, it gives a cast of loveable characters, the best gameplay that the series has so far, and a story that has made me think about it for days after beating it. The gameplay feels smoother than it ever was, Tartarus is a great change from the palaces/dungeons I was used to In Persona 4 and Persona 5, and I wouldn't mind if sometihng similar to Tartarus comes in Persona 6, but I'd still like dungeons/palaces too. Each block in Tartarus feels unique enough from the other, and it creates a gameplay experience that I sometimes liked more than the palaces/dungeons in Persona 5 and 4, which is probably a controversal opinon, and I might just have recentcy bias towards Tartarus.
I love how Atlus took some inspiration from Persona 5's art style and used that inspiration to give Persona 3 Reload its own unique art style. I love the blue coloring of the UI, it makes going to the menus feel like a mini art piece every time. I love how sometimes when you attack a shadow with the right weakness element, there's a close-up shot of the character's face, as their Persona breaks through it and attacks the shadow. Little stuff like that makes it stand out from not only the original Persona 3 but also every other Persona game. One thing I do have to say about Reload's art style is with it is to the original game's art style. Yes, I loved Reload's art style, but the original had it's own, sorta edgy art style too, which isn't really here in Reload, which I would have liked, but it's not a major deal for me, but it is for those who loved the Original. The social links in Reload feel kinda weak some paired to social links in Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal, but since Persona 3 was the first Persona game to introduce social links, it's pulled off really well, for it's first time in a Persona game.
I found it weird there weren't any social links with the main party members sooner, you have to have max social stats in a specific category to start it. Like in Mitsuru's social link, you need max academics to start her social link, and even then you start her link kinda around the late game. Not only you start the social links for the main cast later, it's only the female members in the main party that have social links. Sadly Jumpei, Akakiko, Shinjiro, and Ken don't have social links, which I was bumped out to find out. I would have found their social links more interesting than Yukari's and Fuuka's, which I liked, but it just sorta bummed me out coming off of the social links from Persona 5 and Persona 4 but despite that, Persona 3 Reload has some of the best social links in the series.
My favorite in Persona 3 Reload has to be Akinari's social link, his story is a tragedy, and without spoilers, is one of the highlights that conveys the game's theme of death. I believe the reason I play Persona, is for what each game has to tell in its story. Persona 5 Royal had the theme of rebellion, Persona 4 Golden and the theme of seeking the truth, and with Persona 3 Reload, it has the theme of Death. This concept dives deep into the story, and creates a narrative that has stuck with me for days since I beat it. It is the question of life and death, that this game attempts to answer it. In the game, you play through the MC, and see what his life is like, with social links and the bonds he has with others. By the end of the game, the MC finds the answer to that question, ultimately, passing the baton onto the player, as you think of your own answer to the question of life and death, as you watch the credits.
Persona 3 Reload's story, narrative, and themes are truly spectacular. It's the type of story I love in any type of media, regardless if it's a game, movie, tv show, anime, manga, book, or album, I love it when a piece of art, such as Persona 3 Reload, can have me still thinking about it for days and weeks after being done with it. Persona 3 Reload pulls you into it's narrative and gets you unknowingly invested in this tale. Life goes on as you play, like how days pass, both in real life and in the game, but there is also death. Death can come any time, you never know when death will come to your door.
It can come all of a sudden, and that's what Persona 3 Reload conveys. There's death, and there is no way to stop it, but there is also rebirth afterward, not in the game, but in you, the player. You are reborn, with the knowledge of life and death, now it is up to you, how you will use it. Will you forge links and bonds with the people you care about? Will you make the most of each day you have in your life before death? With your rebirth, what will you do when death comes? That is what Persona 3 Reload asks you. Overall, Persona 3 Reload is a true marvel of a persona game. It has the best gameplay the series has the offer, some the best narratives and story-telling reimagined today. Regardless if you've played the original, FES, Portable or not played any version of Persona 3 yet, please do so. Reload is a must for all Persona fans.
Stats:
9th game in 2024 I've completed
Played on PlayStation 5
Hours into Game: 70 hours
Score: 10/10 (5/5)
Last Statement: Ace Dective? More like-
Xenoblade Chronicles: The Future Waits
Xenoblade was one of those Nintendo series, alongside Fire Emblem, Mother/Earthbound and F-Zero that I only knew from Smash Brothers as a kid. I didn't know jack about Xenoblade, except recognizing Shulk as "that one blond anime twink" from Smash Bros. I previously tried out Xenoblade Chronicles 2 back around early 2018, I don't remember anything about that game because I sucked at RPG's at the time. For real, I never was able to beat a Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi game, Pokemon was the only RPG that held my hand as a kid that I was able to beat. I sold my physical copy of Xenoblade 2, which I regret now cause physical copies are hard to find for Xenoblade 2 (or at least here in the U.S).
I've had Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edtion in my back for some years, I had as a Christmas present alongside Final Fantasy VII Remake. Like a lot of my games in my backlog, I'm only getting to it now after letting it sit on my shelf catching dust, and after beating Xenoblade Chronicles, all I have to say is. "Why didn't I play this sooner!?" I am in love with the Xenoblade series thanks to this game. The characters are so lovable, and each one of them are wonderful, the gameplay is rewarding if you put time into learning its mechanics, and the universe... the wider lore of this game's universe has been the reason why I added Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 into my backlog. After I was done with this game, I wanted MORE. I haven't been hooked onto a JRPG series like this since Persona, and I'm just ready to dive deeper into this Xenoblade rabbit hole!
The battle system in Xenoblade Chronicles was pretty confusing for me to understand at first. One thing I felt Xenoblade Chronicles did poorly in was its tutorials. The tutorials don't explain the main gameplay elements like Arts in a digestible way to understand. It was much easier for me to go on YouTube and find someone to explain it better than the game did. But even with the hiccups of the tutorials, Xenoblade Chronicles has a rewarding combat system that treats you right if you give it the right amount of time to learn all the ins and outs. The characters I mainly used throughout my playthrough were Shulk, Reyn, Dunban, and Riki. I mostly controlled Shulk, cause his moveset is the most friendly, but I did swap between controlling Shulk with Reyn and Dunban.
The way to level up with experience points in Xenoblade Chronicles is to do side quests surprisingly, which I really enjoyed. A lot of the time in most other RPGs, if you need to level up, you have to do some farming by killing enemies to earn exp. I love how Xenoblade Chronicles makes side quests more of an incentive to complete them. I like the side quests in Xenoblade Chronicles for being simple, just do enough to expand the world of Bionis and the Mechonis. However, I wish traditional farming for exp by killing enemies was still as helpful to earn exp. This might just be from my playthrough, but I feel that killing enemies in Xenoblade Chronicles doesn't reward as much exp as it should. It's not too bad of an issue, but a bit annoying near the end of the game, when a lot the side quests get limited and not too interesting, but nothing too big for me.
One thing I have to praise Xenoblade Chronicles for, is for it's world. Each section I explored throughout my playthrough felt unique each type I went to a new area. I know this is a remaster of a Wii game, but the visuals look pretty great for a Switch game. Moonliftsoft is probably the best Nintendo studio to use Nintendo hardware for what they have. The original Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii looks amazing for a Wii game, and I was blown away when I found out that Xenoblade Chronicles X, for as massive as that game is, runs only using 1GB of RAM. The team at Moonliftsoft deserves all of their flowers for being game development wizards, due to the magic they use to make these massive games! The Wii version looks good for what it is, and I could see some people would like that version of the game more. But you gotta be lying if you think it looks better than the Switch version. Some people don't like the overhaul they did in the games art style, which makes it more close in line to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3, but this may be my bias talking for only playing the Switch version, but I like the different art style. The OG style is great for what it is, but to be honest, it looks a bit too much like a Final Fantasy game. At least Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 have some unique-looking cel animation to make it stand out a bit more from the endless sea of anime games.
As for the story, I truly enjoyed the story, despite having one plot detail spoiled by a friend years ago about how [REDACTED] gets sent back to the lobby during the beginning parts of the game. The story was shorter than I expected, but each moment throughout was memorable thanks to the cast. Shulk is a loveable, and amazing protagonist to play as. He has some wholesome charisma about him, and it just made him one of the characters I cared for. Reyn, Dunban, and some of the other characters provide some depth to making the main cast of Xenoblade Chronicles feel diverse in their own way. The music feels amazing, whether it's the easy-going music playing while exploring, or the guitar-heavy battle music that plays during encounters, it's one of the memorable parts of Xenoblade Chronicles, and the composers just knew to make every track a banger.
The main plotline, with the Bionis and the Mechonis, was intriguing, it was a unique world, and I wanted to keep learning more about this world as I kept playing. After completing the main story, my interest in the world of Xenoblade Chronicles only grew. I was entrapped with not the world, but the universe of Xenoblade Chronicles. Finding out what gave birth to the world with the Bionis and Mechonis grabbed my interest for Xenoblade way more than I previously expected. It made me commit the sin of adding more games to my backlog, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 were added shortly after I completed Xenoblade 1, and I do wish to play Xenogears and the Xenosaga trilogy, either with emulation or hope to God I find a physical copy for cheap.
Overall, I loved my time with Xenoblade Chronicles, it was one of the most memorable experiences I've had with a this year so far. I look back to where I was with Xenoblade Chronicles when I started, and where I ended my playthrough fondly. It's funny for me to think how I wasn't too used to the battle system when I started, but now I've grown acquainted with battle system well enough. The story, and journey throughout felt like a road trip, with new destinations to check out, with side quests and main quests. The cast is amazing, their all loveable, and Xenoblade Chronicles is just a very memorable game. I highly recommend starting with this game if your new to Xenoblade like how I was, the combat system takes a bit to get used too, but Xenoblade 2 and 3 make it more complex from what I've heard. I already completed Future Connected, I thought it was a decent little piece of content, and I look forward to what Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has in store!
Stats:
The 17th game I've completed in 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch
Hours into Game: 51 Hours
Score: 10/10 (5/5)
Last Statement: "i'M rEaLlY fEeLiNg It!"
Xenoblade was one of those Nintendo series, alongside Fire Emblem, Mother/Earthbound and F-Zero that I only knew from Smash Brothers as a kid. I didn't know jack about Xenoblade, except recognizing Shulk as "that one blond anime twink" from Smash Bros. I previously tried out Xenoblade Chronicles 2 back around early 2018, I don't remember anything about that game because I sucked at RPG's at the time. For real, I never was able to beat a Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi game, Pokemon was the only RPG that held my hand as a kid that I was able to beat. I sold my physical copy of Xenoblade 2, which I regret now cause physical copies are hard to find for Xenoblade 2 (or at least here in the U.S).
I've had Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edtion in my back for some years, I had as a Christmas present alongside Final Fantasy VII Remake. Like a lot of my games in my backlog, I'm only getting to it now after letting it sit on my shelf catching dust, and after beating Xenoblade Chronicles, all I have to say is. "Why didn't I play this sooner!?" I am in love with the Xenoblade series thanks to this game. The characters are so lovable, and each one of them are wonderful, the gameplay is rewarding if you put time into learning its mechanics, and the universe... the wider lore of this game's universe has been the reason why I added Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 into my backlog. After I was done with this game, I wanted MORE. I haven't been hooked onto a JRPG series like this since Persona, and I'm just ready to dive deeper into this Xenoblade rabbit hole!
The battle system in Xenoblade Chronicles was pretty confusing for me to understand at first. One thing I felt Xenoblade Chronicles did poorly in was its tutorials. The tutorials don't explain the main gameplay elements like Arts in a digestible way to understand. It was much easier for me to go on YouTube and find someone to explain it better than the game did. But even with the hiccups of the tutorials, Xenoblade Chronicles has a rewarding combat system that treats you right if you give it the right amount of time to learn all the ins and outs. The characters I mainly used throughout my playthrough were Shulk, Reyn, Dunban, and Riki. I mostly controlled Shulk, cause his moveset is the most friendly, but I did swap between controlling Shulk with Reyn and Dunban.
The way to level up with experience points in Xenoblade Chronicles is to do side quests surprisingly, which I really enjoyed. A lot of the time in most other RPGs, if you need to level up, you have to do some farming by killing enemies to earn exp. I love how Xenoblade Chronicles makes side quests more of an incentive to complete them. I like the side quests in Xenoblade Chronicles for being simple, just do enough to expand the world of Bionis and the Mechonis. However, I wish traditional farming for exp by killing enemies was still as helpful to earn exp. This might just be from my playthrough, but I feel that killing enemies in Xenoblade Chronicles doesn't reward as much exp as it should. It's not too bad of an issue, but a bit annoying near the end of the game, when a lot the side quests get limited and not too interesting, but nothing too big for me.
One thing I have to praise Xenoblade Chronicles for, is for it's world. Each section I explored throughout my playthrough felt unique each type I went to a new area. I know this is a remaster of a Wii game, but the visuals look pretty great for a Switch game. Moonliftsoft is probably the best Nintendo studio to use Nintendo hardware for what they have. The original Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii looks amazing for a Wii game, and I was blown away when I found out that Xenoblade Chronicles X, for as massive as that game is, runs only using 1GB of RAM. The team at Moonliftsoft deserves all of their flowers for being game development wizards, due to the magic they use to make these massive games! The Wii version looks good for what it is, and I could see some people would like that version of the game more. But you gotta be lying if you think it looks better than the Switch version. Some people don't like the overhaul they did in the games art style, which makes it more close in line to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3, but this may be my bias talking for only playing the Switch version, but I like the different art style. The OG style is great for what it is, but to be honest, it looks a bit too much like a Final Fantasy game. At least Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 have some unique-looking cel animation to make it stand out a bit more from the endless sea of anime games.
As for the story, I truly enjoyed the story, despite having one plot detail spoiled by a friend years ago about how [REDACTED] gets sent back to the lobby during the beginning parts of the game. The story was shorter than I expected, but each moment throughout was memorable thanks to the cast. Shulk is a loveable, and amazing protagonist to play as. He has some wholesome charisma about him, and it just made him one of the characters I cared for. Reyn, Dunban, and some of the other characters provide some depth to making the main cast of Xenoblade Chronicles feel diverse in their own way. The music feels amazing, whether it's the easy-going music playing while exploring, or the guitar-heavy battle music that plays during encounters, it's one of the memorable parts of Xenoblade Chronicles, and the composers just knew to make every track a banger.
The main plotline, with the Bionis and the Mechonis, was intriguing, it was a unique world, and I wanted to keep learning more about this world as I kept playing. After completing the main story, my interest in the world of Xenoblade Chronicles only grew. I was entrapped with not the world, but the universe of Xenoblade Chronicles. Finding out what gave birth to the world with the Bionis and Mechonis grabbed my interest for Xenoblade way more than I previously expected. It made me commit the sin of adding more games to my backlog, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 were added shortly after I completed Xenoblade 1, and I do wish to play Xenogears and the Xenosaga trilogy, either with emulation or hope to God I find a physical copy for cheap.
Overall, I loved my time with Xenoblade Chronicles, it was one of the most memorable experiences I've had with a this year so far. I look back to where I was with Xenoblade Chronicles when I started, and where I ended my playthrough fondly. It's funny for me to think how I wasn't too used to the battle system when I started, but now I've grown acquainted with battle system well enough. The story, and journey throughout felt like a road trip, with new destinations to check out, with side quests and main quests. The cast is amazing, their all loveable, and Xenoblade Chronicles is just a very memorable game. I highly recommend starting with this game if your new to Xenoblade like how I was, the combat system takes a bit to get used too, but Xenoblade 2 and 3 make it more complex from what I've heard. I already completed Future Connected, I thought it was a decent little piece of content, and I look forward to what Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has in store!
Stats:
The 17th game I've completed in 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch
Hours into Game: 51 Hours
Score: 10/10 (5/5)
Last Statement: "i'M rEaLlY fEeLiNg It!"
2017
Yakuza Kiwami 2: Too Different, And Yet The Same
Yakuza Kiwami 2 feels like an improvement to what Kiwami 1 and 0 did before, but also a step back in some aspects. Yakuza Kiwami 2 was an interesting game to try out after Yakuza Kiwami, I've heard some divisive things about it from the reviews under here. Such as using old animations and reworking the combat system. I went into Yakuza Kiwami 2 with an open mind, hoping for a great game around the same level I hold Kiwami 1 to, and it does that for me, but I'd probably have Yakuza Kiwami 1 over Kiwami 2, due to Kiwami changing too much of the features I liked about Yakuza Kiwami, and after Kiwami 1 and 2 is Yakuza 0 of course.
To start off with the positives, the graphical overall compared Kiwami 1 and 0 is quite noticeable for the better. One of the things I didn't like about Yakuza Kiwami after coming after Yakuza 0 was how too similar it felt, both graphically, and gameplay-wise. Yakuza Kiwami 2 fixes this by making a more noticeable jump in its graphics for the better thanks to the Dragon Engine. I love this jump, but at some moments in the game, specifically around Kamurocho at nighttime, the lighting looks awful on water and walls, it makes it look too wet. I'm not someone who usually notices this kind of stuff in most games, but in Yakuza Kiwami 2 it was very noticeable to me, it looks like a fanmade game someone made on Unreal Engine 4, not bad, but should be better for RGG. Yakuza Kiwami 2's graphical jump is one of the positives I have about it being different compared to Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 0, but I can't say the same about the combat system. At first, I didn't like the combat system around the first few hours into my playthrough, but after the halfway point, I grew to accept it. Apparently, it's based on the combat system from Yakuza 6, so I'll keep that in mind when I eventually get to that game. I prefer Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 0's combat system, for being more diverse, with the different combat styles such as Rush and Beast while as Kiryu, but in Kiwami 2, Kiryu's combat styles are partially limited to just the basic Brawler combat style. It's fine... that's what I can say best about the combat system, it's more in line with the traditional fighting style of the other games, so I guess I shouldn't be to butt hurt over the combat system too much, I just hope Yakuza 3 and the future games improve or make it a little more unique in their own way.
The story in Yakuza Kiwami 2 improves in some areas after Yakuza Kiwami but also has its own issues. The story takes place a year after the events of Yakuza Kiwami 1, and I feel that the first half is way slower than Kiwami 1 and 0, it didn't have me as invested as Kiwami 1 and 0 did, but it did pick up slightly after in it's second half. Some plot points feel irrelevant and randomly reappear at the most random moments in the game's main story, the pacing just feels like a spider-web, messy with too many webs hanging. I like some of the new characters added into the story, such as Kaoru and Ryuji (For Real!?). I really liked Ryuiji as an antagonist, I wish he had more character moments in the story. I like Kiryu's character in Kiwami 2, he's gotten a little soft after the events of Yakuza Kiwami, especially since he's around Haruka, and later Kaoru, it makes him feel a little unique as a character, making him grow as a character slightly. It's a good story, I'll take it over a mediocre story, I just would've preferred something more polished.
Overall, I enjoyed Yakuza Kiwami 2 for what it is. I would've preferred it to be more in-line with Kiwami 1 and 0, but as it's own, it's a great game. I may dislike the combat system for being too simplistic and not like Kiwami 1 or 0, but it's fine and still fun to play with this combat style. I much prefer the plot of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 0, but Yakuza Kiwami 2's plot isn't bad at all, it's good, but not that great compared to Kiwami 1 or 0. It's still a great game, and one I should replay eventually to get more out of it, but til then, Yakuza 3 Remastered is next on the Yakuza list! Yakuza 3 is probably the most controversial Yakuza game I've heard from others so far, I'll see how it goes when I get to it.
Stats:
The 20th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PlayStation 5 (via PS4 backwards compatibility)
Hours into Game: 13 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Yakuza Kiwami 2 feels like an improvement to what Kiwami 1 and 0 did before, but also a step back in some aspects. Yakuza Kiwami 2 was an interesting game to try out after Yakuza Kiwami, I've heard some divisive things about it from the reviews under here. Such as using old animations and reworking the combat system. I went into Yakuza Kiwami 2 with an open mind, hoping for a great game around the same level I hold Kiwami 1 to, and it does that for me, but I'd probably have Yakuza Kiwami 1 over Kiwami 2, due to Kiwami changing too much of the features I liked about Yakuza Kiwami, and after Kiwami 1 and 2 is Yakuza 0 of course.
To start off with the positives, the graphical overall compared Kiwami 1 and 0 is quite noticeable for the better. One of the things I didn't like about Yakuza Kiwami after coming after Yakuza 0 was how too similar it felt, both graphically, and gameplay-wise. Yakuza Kiwami 2 fixes this by making a more noticeable jump in its graphics for the better thanks to the Dragon Engine. I love this jump, but at some moments in the game, specifically around Kamurocho at nighttime, the lighting looks awful on water and walls, it makes it look too wet. I'm not someone who usually notices this kind of stuff in most games, but in Yakuza Kiwami 2 it was very noticeable to me, it looks like a fanmade game someone made on Unreal Engine 4, not bad, but should be better for RGG. Yakuza Kiwami 2's graphical jump is one of the positives I have about it being different compared to Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 0, but I can't say the same about the combat system. At first, I didn't like the combat system around the first few hours into my playthrough, but after the halfway point, I grew to accept it. Apparently, it's based on the combat system from Yakuza 6, so I'll keep that in mind when I eventually get to that game. I prefer Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 0's combat system, for being more diverse, with the different combat styles such as Rush and Beast while as Kiryu, but in Kiwami 2, Kiryu's combat styles are partially limited to just the basic Brawler combat style. It's fine... that's what I can say best about the combat system, it's more in line with the traditional fighting style of the other games, so I guess I shouldn't be to butt hurt over the combat system too much, I just hope Yakuza 3 and the future games improve or make it a little more unique in their own way.
The story in Yakuza Kiwami 2 improves in some areas after Yakuza Kiwami but also has its own issues. The story takes place a year after the events of Yakuza Kiwami 1, and I feel that the first half is way slower than Kiwami 1 and 0, it didn't have me as invested as Kiwami 1 and 0 did, but it did pick up slightly after in it's second half. Some plot points feel irrelevant and randomly reappear at the most random moments in the game's main story, the pacing just feels like a spider-web, messy with too many webs hanging. I like some of the new characters added into the story, such as Kaoru and Ryuji (For Real!?). I really liked Ryuiji as an antagonist, I wish he had more character moments in the story. I like Kiryu's character in Kiwami 2, he's gotten a little soft after the events of Yakuza Kiwami, especially since he's around Haruka, and later Kaoru, it makes him feel a little unique as a character, making him grow as a character slightly. It's a good story, I'll take it over a mediocre story, I just would've preferred something more polished.
Overall, I enjoyed Yakuza Kiwami 2 for what it is. I would've preferred it to be more in-line with Kiwami 1 and 0, but as it's own, it's a great game. I may dislike the combat system for being too simplistic and not like Kiwami 1 or 0, but it's fine and still fun to play with this combat style. I much prefer the plot of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 0, but Yakuza Kiwami 2's plot isn't bad at all, it's good, but not that great compared to Kiwami 1 or 0. It's still a great game, and one I should replay eventually to get more out of it, but til then, Yakuza 3 Remastered is next on the Yakuza list! Yakuza 3 is probably the most controversial Yakuza game I've heard from others so far, I'll see how it goes when I get to it.
Stats:
The 20th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PlayStation 5 (via PS4 backwards compatibility)
Hours into Game: 13 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
2023
Super Mario RPG: A Joyful Remake with it's own Charm
Super Mario RPG is a delightful remake that captures the beauty of the SNES original while giving some good, upgraded quality of life. I've played a little bit of the original game, but I have never beaten it, I have completed the main story and secret boss in the remake. Gameplay wise I found it to be quite dull, not bad by any means, I actually think it's really good as an entry-level RPG for newcomers to the genre, but if you've already played more advanced RPGs (like any SMT game for example) you might agree. Most RPGs, especially JRPGs, make the player commit a huge amount of hours to it, by having the play time to beat the main story be around 30, 40, 50 or 60 hours, some games are even 100+ hours. (cough cough Persona 5) It only took me 10 hours to beat the main story, and even though that is extremely short compared to other RPGs, I found the length to a good amount the scale of a simple, fun Mario RPG.
The world of Super Mario RPG is charming, with its delightful colorful cast, like the usual series characters like Mario, Peach and Bowser, as well as the characters that have only appeared in this game such as Geno and Mallow. Super Mario RPG has one of the most unique versions of the Mushroom Kingdom compared to any other Mario game. I found this iteration of the Mario world to be one of my favorites, due to how diverse and grand the whole world is, to me, playing the game, and exploring each new part of the world felt like a road trip, with new sights to explore and learn about. The slap-stick humor within the writing of Super Mario RPG still holds up hilariously, I wish more Mario games in the future embrace more of this game's unique writing style. The soundtrack from the original has so many iconic pieces that were redone amazingly in the remake.
I love how some songs sound grand and adventurous, as well as some tracks sound kinda playful, kinda like something from an old adventure movie from my childhood. Everything about this game is simple, the gameplay, the story, and the soundtrack. It's all straightforward, which is fine for newcomers to the genre, but it feels quite flat for those like myself experienced in the genre. Despite its simplicity, Super Mario RPG is a wonderful remake for both those who have played the original game, as well as those who haven't played the original. It's a very welcoming game, and regardless of if you've played a lot of RPGs or not, you gonna have a fun time.
Stats:
1st game I've completed in 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch
Hours into Game: 10 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Super Mario RPG is a delightful remake that captures the beauty of the SNES original while giving some good, upgraded quality of life. I've played a little bit of the original game, but I have never beaten it, I have completed the main story and secret boss in the remake. Gameplay wise I found it to be quite dull, not bad by any means, I actually think it's really good as an entry-level RPG for newcomers to the genre, but if you've already played more advanced RPGs (like any SMT game for example) you might agree. Most RPGs, especially JRPGs, make the player commit a huge amount of hours to it, by having the play time to beat the main story be around 30, 40, 50 or 60 hours, some games are even 100+ hours. (cough cough Persona 5) It only took me 10 hours to beat the main story, and even though that is extremely short compared to other RPGs, I found the length to a good amount the scale of a simple, fun Mario RPG.
The world of Super Mario RPG is charming, with its delightful colorful cast, like the usual series characters like Mario, Peach and Bowser, as well as the characters that have only appeared in this game such as Geno and Mallow. Super Mario RPG has one of the most unique versions of the Mushroom Kingdom compared to any other Mario game. I found this iteration of the Mario world to be one of my favorites, due to how diverse and grand the whole world is, to me, playing the game, and exploring each new part of the world felt like a road trip, with new sights to explore and learn about. The slap-stick humor within the writing of Super Mario RPG still holds up hilariously, I wish more Mario games in the future embrace more of this game's unique writing style. The soundtrack from the original has so many iconic pieces that were redone amazingly in the remake.
I love how some songs sound grand and adventurous, as well as some tracks sound kinda playful, kinda like something from an old adventure movie from my childhood. Everything about this game is simple, the gameplay, the story, and the soundtrack. It's all straightforward, which is fine for newcomers to the genre, but it feels quite flat for those like myself experienced in the genre. Despite its simplicity, Super Mario RPG is a wonderful remake for both those who have played the original game, as well as those who haven't played the original. It's a very welcoming game, and regardless of if you've played a lot of RPGs or not, you gonna have a fun time.
Stats:
1st game I've completed in 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch
Hours into Game: 10 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
2015
Yakuza 0: The Beginning
- I've heard a lot about the Yakuza series before starting up Yakuza 0, it was kinda of overdue, but I think it's been in my backlog for a year or two. I've heard about the over-the-top comedic gameplay, the praise of Yakuza: Like A Dragon and more. I decided to pick up Yakuza 0 since it was first in the timeline, and since it was cheap on sale including Kiwami 1 & 2, as well as 3, 4, 5, and 6. The neon-lit streets of 1980s Japan, glowed with irresistible charm, it was the opportunity to immerse myself in a world with a rich narrative with depth and compelling characters. As I fired up Yakuza 0 for the first time, I did not expect to have the curiosity to uncover the world hidden within Kamurocho and Sotenbori. I did not know that what awaited me, the world of the Yakuza, where honor, betrayal, and redemption intertwine amidst a bygone era.
Yakuza 0: Gameplay
- One thing I have to say is that I love the setting of this game, The neon-lit streets of 1980s Japan just suit the game so well, it truly feels like you're experiencing what it was like during those times as you play as Kiryu. And speaking of Kiryu, he is the the stoic yet endearing protagonist, but he's also kind of a quiet protagonist yet one of the most likable protagonists I've felt in a game in a while, He's just an absolute Chad. There is also Majima as the second protagonist, with his own distinct combat style and story arc, adding depth and variety to the gameplay experience to make it different from Kiryu, and it works out to him being as good as Kiryu. Both of them have their own different areas of Japan to themselves, as well as their own different move set, and the game does a great job setting the two apart, both feel unique enough and are fun to play regardless of who. Yakuza 0's combat system is a masterpiece of fluidity and depth, the gameplay and combat is the main piece of meat when it comes to Yakuza, it rewards you for experimenting with its combat system, it rewards you for using different combat styles and learning different combos. When I was first starting out on my first playthrough, I mainly used the Rush style as Kiryu throughout because I thought I could just be fine with using Rush as my main, that was until I got to the first boss fight with Kuze. He beat my ass multiple times, and I realized to utilize Kiryu's other combat style Brawler, and then I changed the boss fight in my favor and then beat his ass. I realized that Yakuza's combat was similar to a fighting game, easy to learn, and hard to master. I translated this knowledge into myself throughout the rest of my playthrough, and as I kept unlocking more skills in my skill tree for both Kiryu and Majima, it just gets more rewarding beating the shit out of people in the most out-of-pocket way. Speaking of which, the finishers in this game are so funny for no reason! There's one where Kiryu somehow gets a boiling hot teapot and pours it down onto a guy. Like, first of all, how tf did you get a teapot, Kiryu? And second, when did you have time to heat it up to a boil!? Of course it doesn't make sense and I love Yakuza 0 for that. The Yakuza series is kinda like Japanese GTA, well a more comedic GTA. The side quests in this game aren't dull at all, they're always filled with some interesting plot line or some funny plot line. Each encounter is a miniature narrative gem, brimming with humor, intrigue, or heartwarming moments. There are a lot of side quests you can pull up here as examples, to which I can't because they all do such a great job of keeping me engaged. However, as my journey progressed, I found myself feeling that the side quests just kinda dragged, and sometimes I fell behind on doing side quests because of that. Another one of the best things about Yakuza 0 are the minigames, they're pretty cool, and fun timekillers to do, but my favorite was the karaoke minigame, it was just funny to play a little mini-game as Kiryu poured his heart out onto the microphone. To be honest, Kiryu is surprisingly a good singer, it made me wonder why he didn't consider being a pop idol?
Yakuza 0: Story
- As for the main story, it's just as a highlight as the gameplay. Yakuza 0's main story unfolds at a slow pace, immersing players in the web of 1980s Japanese underworld politics. It's slow, but it takes it's time to get you into the world of 1980s Japan and get you acquainted with Kiryu, Majima, and all of Dojima. While Kiryu takes center stage as the series' iconic protagonist, Majima's equally compelling narrative elevates him to a co-lead role, offering a nuanced perspective on the yakuza world. The game's narrative richness lies not only in its plot twists and betrayals but also in its exploration of themes such as loyalty, honor, and redemption. Yakuza 0 has brilliance with its character development. Kiryu and Majima's journeys, though distinct, merge seamlessly, being a display of two men navigating the treacherous waters of the criminal underworld. As their paths converge and diverge, it stands to witness their evolution from mere pawns in a larger game to formidable forces in their own right. Alongside them, a colorful cast of supporting characters adds depth and dimension to the overarching narrative, each with their own motivations and agendas. One of my favorite side characters was Nishiki, he's bond with Kiryu, as brothers just sold me on him as a character. He's just an great addition to the series, and just adds more to what's to come in Kiwami 1, and to Kiryu's character. The same applies to Majima too. Majima was an interesting character to play as he was introduced randomly at the start of chapter 3, it was bizarre playing as a different person other Kiryu at first, but Majima just grew to be a compelling character, and seeing how he is as a character after the events of Yakuza 0 just puts a lot of new details about him to light. Beyond its compelling characters and intricate plotlines, Yakuza 0 excels in its ability to immerse players in the tapestry of 1980s Japan. From the streets of Kamurocho all the way to Sotenbori, every area is crafted well, providing an aura of authenticity that transports players back in time. Whether navigating the underbelly of the yakuza or indulging in moments of quiet introspection within the story, the game's immersive atmosphere serves as the perfect backdrop for its gripping narrative. At its core, Yakuza 0 is a tale of redemption, sacrifice, and the enduring bonds of brotherhood as Kiryu, or facing dilemmas as Majima. As I went and delved deeper into Kiryu and Majima's respective journeys, they were confronted with moments of triumph and tragedy, joy and sorrow. Whether forging bonds with other characters within the story or kicking the shit out of people, the emotional resonance of Yakuza 0's story leaves a mark on the player long after the credits roll.
Yakuza 0: Thoughts and Complaints
- As much as I enjoyed my time with Yakuza 0, I do have minor issues with it, such as how the side quests get repetitive over time, I couldn't shake the feeling of them feeling repetitive creeping in me as I progressed further into the game. While each quest had its own charm, they all just kinda felt the same after completing numerous amounts of similar tasks, just slightly weighing down the overall experience. Although Yakuza 0 excels in its storytelling and gameplay, I found myself occasionally grappling with some issues I felt with its pacing, particularly in the later stages of the game. As the main narrative reached near its climax, I felt that the main story was starting to go faster, and it caused some parts in the later half to feel kinda rushed. In addition to the previously mentioned gripes of mine when it came to Yakuza 0, I encountered a few minor gripes during my time with Yakuza 0. Certain gameplay mechanics, such as inventory management or navigation, felt slightly clunky at times, and felt dated, having to sort items felt like a chore. Also, I found most of the items and melee items to be useless in my playthrough. I didn't use any other healing items in combat other than the ones that restored my health and heat up to a large amount. Those were 99% of my inventory most of the time, anything else was useless to me, and buying melee weapons doesn't matter since beating people up with Kiryu's or Majima's fists is already enough, especially if you learn their combos and attacks well enough.
Yakuza 0: Conclusion
- Yakuza 0 was a blast, despite everything I've said, I still enjoyed myself with the gameplay, story, side quests, and bonus content it offered. Yakuza 0 is a game I could see myself returning to, kinda as like a time-killer game, to do, either by completing side quests I haven't done yet, or goofing off in the mini-games, there is just a lot of stuff to do in Yakuza 0. It delivered a captivating blend of engaging gameplay, compelling storytelling, and an abundance of content. Despite minor issues I've felt with Yakuza 0 with repetitive side quests and occasional pacing issues, the game's strengths far outweigh any shortcomings. Yakuza 0 stands as a testament to the series' appeal and is the perfect stepping stone for getting into the series like it did for me. I can't wait to make my way through the rest of the games, to see where Kiryu and Majima will be throughout.
Stats:
6th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PlayStation 5 (via PS4 backwards compatibility)
Hours into Game: 34 Hours
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)
- I've heard a lot about the Yakuza series before starting up Yakuza 0, it was kinda of overdue, but I think it's been in my backlog for a year or two. I've heard about the over-the-top comedic gameplay, the praise of Yakuza: Like A Dragon and more. I decided to pick up Yakuza 0 since it was first in the timeline, and since it was cheap on sale including Kiwami 1 & 2, as well as 3, 4, 5, and 6. The neon-lit streets of 1980s Japan, glowed with irresistible charm, it was the opportunity to immerse myself in a world with a rich narrative with depth and compelling characters. As I fired up Yakuza 0 for the first time, I did not expect to have the curiosity to uncover the world hidden within Kamurocho and Sotenbori. I did not know that what awaited me, the world of the Yakuza, where honor, betrayal, and redemption intertwine amidst a bygone era.
Yakuza 0: Gameplay
- One thing I have to say is that I love the setting of this game, The neon-lit streets of 1980s Japan just suit the game so well, it truly feels like you're experiencing what it was like during those times as you play as Kiryu. And speaking of Kiryu, he is the the stoic yet endearing protagonist, but he's also kind of a quiet protagonist yet one of the most likable protagonists I've felt in a game in a while, He's just an absolute Chad. There is also Majima as the second protagonist, with his own distinct combat style and story arc, adding depth and variety to the gameplay experience to make it different from Kiryu, and it works out to him being as good as Kiryu. Both of them have their own different areas of Japan to themselves, as well as their own different move set, and the game does a great job setting the two apart, both feel unique enough and are fun to play regardless of who. Yakuza 0's combat system is a masterpiece of fluidity and depth, the gameplay and combat is the main piece of meat when it comes to Yakuza, it rewards you for experimenting with its combat system, it rewards you for using different combat styles and learning different combos. When I was first starting out on my first playthrough, I mainly used the Rush style as Kiryu throughout because I thought I could just be fine with using Rush as my main, that was until I got to the first boss fight with Kuze. He beat my ass multiple times, and I realized to utilize Kiryu's other combat style Brawler, and then I changed the boss fight in my favor and then beat his ass. I realized that Yakuza's combat was similar to a fighting game, easy to learn, and hard to master. I translated this knowledge into myself throughout the rest of my playthrough, and as I kept unlocking more skills in my skill tree for both Kiryu and Majima, it just gets more rewarding beating the shit out of people in the most out-of-pocket way. Speaking of which, the finishers in this game are so funny for no reason! There's one where Kiryu somehow gets a boiling hot teapot and pours it down onto a guy. Like, first of all, how tf did you get a teapot, Kiryu? And second, when did you have time to heat it up to a boil!? Of course it doesn't make sense and I love Yakuza 0 for that. The Yakuza series is kinda like Japanese GTA, well a more comedic GTA. The side quests in this game aren't dull at all, they're always filled with some interesting plot line or some funny plot line. Each encounter is a miniature narrative gem, brimming with humor, intrigue, or heartwarming moments. There are a lot of side quests you can pull up here as examples, to which I can't because they all do such a great job of keeping me engaged. However, as my journey progressed, I found myself feeling that the side quests just kinda dragged, and sometimes I fell behind on doing side quests because of that. Another one of the best things about Yakuza 0 are the minigames, they're pretty cool, and fun timekillers to do, but my favorite was the karaoke minigame, it was just funny to play a little mini-game as Kiryu poured his heart out onto the microphone. To be honest, Kiryu is surprisingly a good singer, it made me wonder why he didn't consider being a pop idol?
Yakuza 0: Story
- As for the main story, it's just as a highlight as the gameplay. Yakuza 0's main story unfolds at a slow pace, immersing players in the web of 1980s Japanese underworld politics. It's slow, but it takes it's time to get you into the world of 1980s Japan and get you acquainted with Kiryu, Majima, and all of Dojima. While Kiryu takes center stage as the series' iconic protagonist, Majima's equally compelling narrative elevates him to a co-lead role, offering a nuanced perspective on the yakuza world. The game's narrative richness lies not only in its plot twists and betrayals but also in its exploration of themes such as loyalty, honor, and redemption. Yakuza 0 has brilliance with its character development. Kiryu and Majima's journeys, though distinct, merge seamlessly, being a display of two men navigating the treacherous waters of the criminal underworld. As their paths converge and diverge, it stands to witness their evolution from mere pawns in a larger game to formidable forces in their own right. Alongside them, a colorful cast of supporting characters adds depth and dimension to the overarching narrative, each with their own motivations and agendas. One of my favorite side characters was Nishiki, he's bond with Kiryu, as brothers just sold me on him as a character. He's just an great addition to the series, and just adds more to what's to come in Kiwami 1, and to Kiryu's character. The same applies to Majima too. Majima was an interesting character to play as he was introduced randomly at the start of chapter 3, it was bizarre playing as a different person other Kiryu at first, but Majima just grew to be a compelling character, and seeing how he is as a character after the events of Yakuza 0 just puts a lot of new details about him to light. Beyond its compelling characters and intricate plotlines, Yakuza 0 excels in its ability to immerse players in the tapestry of 1980s Japan. From the streets of Kamurocho all the way to Sotenbori, every area is crafted well, providing an aura of authenticity that transports players back in time. Whether navigating the underbelly of the yakuza or indulging in moments of quiet introspection within the story, the game's immersive atmosphere serves as the perfect backdrop for its gripping narrative. At its core, Yakuza 0 is a tale of redemption, sacrifice, and the enduring bonds of brotherhood as Kiryu, or facing dilemmas as Majima. As I went and delved deeper into Kiryu and Majima's respective journeys, they were confronted with moments of triumph and tragedy, joy and sorrow. Whether forging bonds with other characters within the story or kicking the shit out of people, the emotional resonance of Yakuza 0's story leaves a mark on the player long after the credits roll.
Yakuza 0: Thoughts and Complaints
- As much as I enjoyed my time with Yakuza 0, I do have minor issues with it, such as how the side quests get repetitive over time, I couldn't shake the feeling of them feeling repetitive creeping in me as I progressed further into the game. While each quest had its own charm, they all just kinda felt the same after completing numerous amounts of similar tasks, just slightly weighing down the overall experience. Although Yakuza 0 excels in its storytelling and gameplay, I found myself occasionally grappling with some issues I felt with its pacing, particularly in the later stages of the game. As the main narrative reached near its climax, I felt that the main story was starting to go faster, and it caused some parts in the later half to feel kinda rushed. In addition to the previously mentioned gripes of mine when it came to Yakuza 0, I encountered a few minor gripes during my time with Yakuza 0. Certain gameplay mechanics, such as inventory management or navigation, felt slightly clunky at times, and felt dated, having to sort items felt like a chore. Also, I found most of the items and melee items to be useless in my playthrough. I didn't use any other healing items in combat other than the ones that restored my health and heat up to a large amount. Those were 99% of my inventory most of the time, anything else was useless to me, and buying melee weapons doesn't matter since beating people up with Kiryu's or Majima's fists is already enough, especially if you learn their combos and attacks well enough.
Yakuza 0: Conclusion
- Yakuza 0 was a blast, despite everything I've said, I still enjoyed myself with the gameplay, story, side quests, and bonus content it offered. Yakuza 0 is a game I could see myself returning to, kinda as like a time-killer game, to do, either by completing side quests I haven't done yet, or goofing off in the mini-games, there is just a lot of stuff to do in Yakuza 0. It delivered a captivating blend of engaging gameplay, compelling storytelling, and an abundance of content. Despite minor issues I've felt with Yakuza 0 with repetitive side quests and occasional pacing issues, the game's strengths far outweigh any shortcomings. Yakuza 0 stands as a testament to the series' appeal and is the perfect stepping stone for getting into the series like it did for me. I can't wait to make my way through the rest of the games, to see where Kiryu and Majima will be throughout.
Stats:
6th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PlayStation 5 (via PS4 backwards compatibility)
Hours into Game: 34 Hours
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Changing What A "Remake" Truly Means
Picture this, It's 1997, the original Final Fantasy VII was released worldwide on the PS1, and was acclaimed, with both critical and commercial success too. It was rare at the time for JRPGs to do well in the West, due to most gamers not being interested in the genre before. However, Final Fantasy VII was an unreal piece of media, not just a game at the time. It was praised for its graphics, high-tech computer-animated cutscenes, and story. It was revolutionary for JRPGs at the time, the same way Super Mario 64 was revolutionary for platformers, at the same time as well. Final Fantasy VII would go down as one of the more important JRPGs of all time... Now let's go to ahead in time, to 2006. Square Enix showcased a tech demo for the PS3, being a remake of FF7's iconic opening scene, using the tech of the PS3.
Square intended to be nothing but just a tech demo, but fans at the time ran with it and came to the assumption that there was a remake of Final Fantasy VII on the way. Square shot down the claims of a FF7 Remake at the time, but it was the spark of fans requesting it. Advent Children, despite its flaws as a movie, was a beautiful, and gorgeous looking movie to watch, and fans at the time just kept dreaming of a remake for Final Fantasy VII, a more modern, up-to-date version with modern graphics like Advent Children was a dream at the time. Well, that was a dream until E3 2015, when Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced officially to be coming to the PS4. It was a dream come true, but nobody expected the game we got on April 10, 2020.
Since this was back in 2020, with the virus going around and lockdown being in effect, some fans were more surprised at how Square decided to "remake" Final Fantasy VII. Fans soon came to realize that Final Fantasy VII Remake was a remake, not just in the scene of remaking the original game, but a remake of what we knew from before. It was a huge risk for Square to do this with a Final Fantasy game, no, just a game that is beloved such as Final Fantasy VII, and change it for the fans who grew up with it since the early parts of their childhood on the original version of the PS1. Final Fantasy VII Remake is only part 1, of a trilogy to remake the original game. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is part 2, and part 3 currently being in the works.
As for my personal connection to Final Fantasy VII, I don't have any, the original game came out before I was born, and I got FF7 Remake as a birthday gift, but even when I did decide to play it, I didn't. I played the original version first because I heard about how FF7 Remake was more than a remake than I thought, plus for some lore reasons that are in remake that I won't spoil here, but even after finishing the original Final Fantasy VII, I picked up Crisis Core, wrote my review for it, and then moved onto Final Fantasy VII Remake. Let's start off with gameplay. The gameplay feels incredibly smooth, the real-time action combat feels tight, and is a nice change from the original's take on combat. The Materia system feels recognizable from the original, with some good modern quality-of-life fixes.
The original in my opinion did not properly explain the materia system well enough to me, I didn't know materia could be paired together in the original, and there were no visual cues to let me know, but in the remake, the game does a much better job at letting me know, and the UI is much easier to understand. Everything else about the Materia system feels nearly identical to the original, even down to missing specific materia in a specific part, only to find out after you left that area later on. I love how you're able to swap between party members and take control of them when you see them. I can use Cloud's limit break on a boss, instead of being stuck controlling Cloud, I can control someone else while Cloud is dealing with his limit break, someone like Barret or Tifa, and continue attacking without being stuck. It's a small thing, but just nice to have. Graphically, this game looks incredible, I was playing on my PS5 with performance mode on for all of my playthrough. I prefer better-looking graphics when it comes to single-player games, but I'm willing to sacrifice graphics for 60 FPS, and in this case with FF7 Remake, it was a small sacrifice.
It's just a lot better with 60 FPS, and all the characters from the original have not looked better. The opening cutscene that they remade from the original just shows the magic of Square's talent when it comes to computer-animated cutscenes. You can see the growth in technology when you compare the original to the remake's recreation. It looks amazing, and though it is easy to make fun of the original's blocky characters and graphics, seeing this opening cutscene in the remake makes me wonder if this is how the kids who grew up with Final Fantasy VII back in 1997 saw this game at the time. They never knew graphics in video games would be as good as we have today. We've peaked when it came to graphics in video games, look at the jump from the PS4 generation to the PS5 generation, it's barely noticeable, and most games are still playable on both PS4 and PS5, but you gotta remember we're talking about video games in 1997, it was just not too long ago they just came off of 16-bit consoles such as the SNES and SEGA Genesis, and the PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 were relatively the next, 3D consoles with the biggest jump we've seen both in terms of gameplay and graphics. So seeing this iconic cutscene being remade just shows all the love everybody who worked remake has for the original, it captures that magic from those kids long ago.
As for FF7 Remake's story, it's split into three parts within this Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. Final Fantasy VII Remake covers around the first 6 hours of the original game's story, while Rebirth covers up to the end of Disk 1, and part 3 (assumably) covers the rest of the original. Though it is unfortunate that FF7 Remake doesn't have all of the original story, it makes sense why. The original Final Fantasy VII had it take place in Midgar for the first few hours, before becoming a semi-open world after you leave Midgar, plus, games are a lot more expensive to make and publish when it comes to triple-A releases in the current gaming market then how they were in 1997, the original Final Fantasy VII was supposed to be on the Nintendo 64, but that game was so ambitious for the time, in order for it to be possible, it would have taken 12 cartridges, meanwhile, it took two disks on the PlayStation 1. Yet for the PS4 release, it took two disks as well, so I can't fault Square for splitting Final Fantasy VII into a trilogy. So if Square only has the first 6 hours of the original for one game in a trilogy, how did they stretch it out into a 30+ hour long game?
Well, this is where Final Fantasy VII Remake splits from being a remake in the traditional scene, things play out differently than they do in the original. Sephiroth makes his physical appearance much sooner than he does in the original, and he speaks to Cloud in a way that makes it sound like he already knows much about his future and Cloud's future from the original game. This is kinda the best way I can explain it without going into spoilers. This game has some sorta commentary about the picky fans (and a lot of other people's reviews here) who want Final Fantasy VII Remake to be a one-to-one identical remake to the original. A one-to-one remake in not possible in this current gaming climate, so they need to change it, and what they changed was destiny.
Destiny is changed in FF7 Remake, things play out differently to the original, setting the stage for what's to come in Rebirth and Part 3. I'm all here for this change in what Final Fantasy VII Remake sets to do. The original story is still there in the original Final Fantasy VII if you don't like Remake's adaption, but Remake's story is meant for FF7 fans who are already experienced with the original game, though newcomers can still make FF7 Remake their entry point into FF7/Final Fantasy in general. Final Fantasy VII Remake's story stretches out the first 6 hours of the original into 30+ hours by expanding upon previously smaller details that weren't touched in the original Final Fantasy VII or any other piece of Final Fantasy VII media. They expand upon side characters like Biggs and Jessie by giving them extra screen to make the player more attached to them as characters, while also giving previously well-known characters such as Aerith or Sephiroth by showing new depth into their characters.
Aerith is a very loveable character in Final Fantasy VII Remake, her voice actor does a great job at making Aerith come off as the silly flower girl in Midgar, meanwhile, Sephiroth feels like a shadow watching over you throughout the game. Even though his physical appearance is revealed sooner than it is in the original, I like that, It makes Sephiroth come across as a force who can put himself into any scene in the game whenever and however he likes. Though I like it as someone who previously played the original FF7 before the FF7 Remake, I have to acknowledge how this may come off to newcomers who haven't played the original. Some people won't play the original because they may find it outdated, or just don't want to play a PS1-era JRPG, so this effect doesn't really affect newcomers the way it did for me. Stuff like this is one of the flaws in Remake's story, it pays off for fans who've played the original Final Fantasy VII, however, it doesn't pay off for fans who made Final Fantasy VII Remake their entry point. Preferably, it would have found a way to keep these moments pay off for OG fans, while having that effect on new players, though that is probably hard to ask for.
For any additional notes, after playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I look back on Remake as sort of a tech demo for what was to come in Rebirth. Everything about gameplay and story is enhanced in Rebirth, this was Square's first attempt with the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy, so they took the feedback into Rebirth and polished that game into a better more refined version of FF7 Remake. Also, I haven't brought up the Yuffie DLC from Intergade. I haven't played it, I watched a story recap on YouTube instead because I didn't want to spend money on DLC I didn't really care about, and I didn't want to waste any filler hours when I could just be playing something else from my Backlog. For any critiques, I previously mentioned how I felt about the story for OG fans and newcomers, but another thing I wanted to add was about Side Quests. The Side Quests are dryer than a desert, most of them are given by random NPCs that nobody gives a shit about, and I only completed them for EXP and Items. I suppose it was fine during the first parts of the game, as it kinda gives some depth to the world of Midgar, but it seems to just be tacked on later into the game.
Overall, Final Fantasy VII Remake is a great start to the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy. It's a nice stepping stone to go into Rebirth and a good stepping stone into the wider world of Final Fantasy in general for newcomers. It was a fun playthrough to see all these characters I grew to love in their original blocky PS1 from today. Every character was enhanced for the better, they are all better versions of themselves, and the story was a great change to a previously beloved story in the original Final Fantasy VII. I enjoyed my time with Remake when I first finished it around the end of January this year, and I enjoyed myself with Rebirth since that game was released, from start to finish. I can't wait to see where part 3 will go, and I can just only see it going up from here.
Stats:
7th game I've completed in 2024 (this was a coincidence I swear)
Played on PlayStation 5.
Hours into Game: 32 Hours
Favorite Characters: Cloud, Aerith, Barret & Sephiroth
Least Favorite Character: Roche & Johnny
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)
Last Statement: Sephiroth is hot ngl
Picture this, It's 1997, the original Final Fantasy VII was released worldwide on the PS1, and was acclaimed, with both critical and commercial success too. It was rare at the time for JRPGs to do well in the West, due to most gamers not being interested in the genre before. However, Final Fantasy VII was an unreal piece of media, not just a game at the time. It was praised for its graphics, high-tech computer-animated cutscenes, and story. It was revolutionary for JRPGs at the time, the same way Super Mario 64 was revolutionary for platformers, at the same time as well. Final Fantasy VII would go down as one of the more important JRPGs of all time... Now let's go to ahead in time, to 2006. Square Enix showcased a tech demo for the PS3, being a remake of FF7's iconic opening scene, using the tech of the PS3.
Square intended to be nothing but just a tech demo, but fans at the time ran with it and came to the assumption that there was a remake of Final Fantasy VII on the way. Square shot down the claims of a FF7 Remake at the time, but it was the spark of fans requesting it. Advent Children, despite its flaws as a movie, was a beautiful, and gorgeous looking movie to watch, and fans at the time just kept dreaming of a remake for Final Fantasy VII, a more modern, up-to-date version with modern graphics like Advent Children was a dream at the time. Well, that was a dream until E3 2015, when Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced officially to be coming to the PS4. It was a dream come true, but nobody expected the game we got on April 10, 2020.
Since this was back in 2020, with the virus going around and lockdown being in effect, some fans were more surprised at how Square decided to "remake" Final Fantasy VII. Fans soon came to realize that Final Fantasy VII Remake was a remake, not just in the scene of remaking the original game, but a remake of what we knew from before. It was a huge risk for Square to do this with a Final Fantasy game, no, just a game that is beloved such as Final Fantasy VII, and change it for the fans who grew up with it since the early parts of their childhood on the original version of the PS1. Final Fantasy VII Remake is only part 1, of a trilogy to remake the original game. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is part 2, and part 3 currently being in the works.
As for my personal connection to Final Fantasy VII, I don't have any, the original game came out before I was born, and I got FF7 Remake as a birthday gift, but even when I did decide to play it, I didn't. I played the original version first because I heard about how FF7 Remake was more than a remake than I thought, plus for some lore reasons that are in remake that I won't spoil here, but even after finishing the original Final Fantasy VII, I picked up Crisis Core, wrote my review for it, and then moved onto Final Fantasy VII Remake. Let's start off with gameplay. The gameplay feels incredibly smooth, the real-time action combat feels tight, and is a nice change from the original's take on combat. The Materia system feels recognizable from the original, with some good modern quality-of-life fixes.
The original in my opinion did not properly explain the materia system well enough to me, I didn't know materia could be paired together in the original, and there were no visual cues to let me know, but in the remake, the game does a much better job at letting me know, and the UI is much easier to understand. Everything else about the Materia system feels nearly identical to the original, even down to missing specific materia in a specific part, only to find out after you left that area later on. I love how you're able to swap between party members and take control of them when you see them. I can use Cloud's limit break on a boss, instead of being stuck controlling Cloud, I can control someone else while Cloud is dealing with his limit break, someone like Barret or Tifa, and continue attacking without being stuck. It's a small thing, but just nice to have. Graphically, this game looks incredible, I was playing on my PS5 with performance mode on for all of my playthrough. I prefer better-looking graphics when it comes to single-player games, but I'm willing to sacrifice graphics for 60 FPS, and in this case with FF7 Remake, it was a small sacrifice.
It's just a lot better with 60 FPS, and all the characters from the original have not looked better. The opening cutscene that they remade from the original just shows the magic of Square's talent when it comes to computer-animated cutscenes. You can see the growth in technology when you compare the original to the remake's recreation. It looks amazing, and though it is easy to make fun of the original's blocky characters and graphics, seeing this opening cutscene in the remake makes me wonder if this is how the kids who grew up with Final Fantasy VII back in 1997 saw this game at the time. They never knew graphics in video games would be as good as we have today. We've peaked when it came to graphics in video games, look at the jump from the PS4 generation to the PS5 generation, it's barely noticeable, and most games are still playable on both PS4 and PS5, but you gotta remember we're talking about video games in 1997, it was just not too long ago they just came off of 16-bit consoles such as the SNES and SEGA Genesis, and the PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 were relatively the next, 3D consoles with the biggest jump we've seen both in terms of gameplay and graphics. So seeing this iconic cutscene being remade just shows all the love everybody who worked remake has for the original, it captures that magic from those kids long ago.
As for FF7 Remake's story, it's split into three parts within this Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. Final Fantasy VII Remake covers around the first 6 hours of the original game's story, while Rebirth covers up to the end of Disk 1, and part 3 (assumably) covers the rest of the original. Though it is unfortunate that FF7 Remake doesn't have all of the original story, it makes sense why. The original Final Fantasy VII had it take place in Midgar for the first few hours, before becoming a semi-open world after you leave Midgar, plus, games are a lot more expensive to make and publish when it comes to triple-A releases in the current gaming market then how they were in 1997, the original Final Fantasy VII was supposed to be on the Nintendo 64, but that game was so ambitious for the time, in order for it to be possible, it would have taken 12 cartridges, meanwhile, it took two disks on the PlayStation 1. Yet for the PS4 release, it took two disks as well, so I can't fault Square for splitting Final Fantasy VII into a trilogy. So if Square only has the first 6 hours of the original for one game in a trilogy, how did they stretch it out into a 30+ hour long game?
Well, this is where Final Fantasy VII Remake splits from being a remake in the traditional scene, things play out differently than they do in the original. Sephiroth makes his physical appearance much sooner than he does in the original, and he speaks to Cloud in a way that makes it sound like he already knows much about his future and Cloud's future from the original game. This is kinda the best way I can explain it without going into spoilers. This game has some sorta commentary about the picky fans (and a lot of other people's reviews here) who want Final Fantasy VII Remake to be a one-to-one identical remake to the original. A one-to-one remake in not possible in this current gaming climate, so they need to change it, and what they changed was destiny.
Destiny is changed in FF7 Remake, things play out differently to the original, setting the stage for what's to come in Rebirth and Part 3. I'm all here for this change in what Final Fantasy VII Remake sets to do. The original story is still there in the original Final Fantasy VII if you don't like Remake's adaption, but Remake's story is meant for FF7 fans who are already experienced with the original game, though newcomers can still make FF7 Remake their entry point into FF7/Final Fantasy in general. Final Fantasy VII Remake's story stretches out the first 6 hours of the original into 30+ hours by expanding upon previously smaller details that weren't touched in the original Final Fantasy VII or any other piece of Final Fantasy VII media. They expand upon side characters like Biggs and Jessie by giving them extra screen to make the player more attached to them as characters, while also giving previously well-known characters such as Aerith or Sephiroth by showing new depth into their characters.
Aerith is a very loveable character in Final Fantasy VII Remake, her voice actor does a great job at making Aerith come off as the silly flower girl in Midgar, meanwhile, Sephiroth feels like a shadow watching over you throughout the game. Even though his physical appearance is revealed sooner than it is in the original, I like that, It makes Sephiroth come across as a force who can put himself into any scene in the game whenever and however he likes. Though I like it as someone who previously played the original FF7 before the FF7 Remake, I have to acknowledge how this may come off to newcomers who haven't played the original. Some people won't play the original because they may find it outdated, or just don't want to play a PS1-era JRPG, so this effect doesn't really affect newcomers the way it did for me. Stuff like this is one of the flaws in Remake's story, it pays off for fans who've played the original Final Fantasy VII, however, it doesn't pay off for fans who made Final Fantasy VII Remake their entry point. Preferably, it would have found a way to keep these moments pay off for OG fans, while having that effect on new players, though that is probably hard to ask for.
For any additional notes, after playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I look back on Remake as sort of a tech demo for what was to come in Rebirth. Everything about gameplay and story is enhanced in Rebirth, this was Square's first attempt with the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy, so they took the feedback into Rebirth and polished that game into a better more refined version of FF7 Remake. Also, I haven't brought up the Yuffie DLC from Intergade. I haven't played it, I watched a story recap on YouTube instead because I didn't want to spend money on DLC I didn't really care about, and I didn't want to waste any filler hours when I could just be playing something else from my Backlog. For any critiques, I previously mentioned how I felt about the story for OG fans and newcomers, but another thing I wanted to add was about Side Quests. The Side Quests are dryer than a desert, most of them are given by random NPCs that nobody gives a shit about, and I only completed them for EXP and Items. I suppose it was fine during the first parts of the game, as it kinda gives some depth to the world of Midgar, but it seems to just be tacked on later into the game.
Overall, Final Fantasy VII Remake is a great start to the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy. It's a nice stepping stone to go into Rebirth and a good stepping stone into the wider world of Final Fantasy in general for newcomers. It was a fun playthrough to see all these characters I grew to love in their original blocky PS1 from today. Every character was enhanced for the better, they are all better versions of themselves, and the story was a great change to a previously beloved story in the original Final Fantasy VII. I enjoyed my time with Remake when I first finished it around the end of January this year, and I enjoyed myself with Rebirth since that game was released, from start to finish. I can't wait to see where part 3 will go, and I can just only see it going up from here.
Stats:
7th game I've completed in 2024 (this was a coincidence I swear)
Played on PlayStation 5.
Hours into Game: 32 Hours
Favorite Characters: Cloud, Aerith, Barret & Sephiroth
Least Favorite Character: Roche & Johnny
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)
Last Statement: Sephiroth is hot ngl
I love the Scott Pilgrim movie, anime and want to eventually read the original source material, but I just couldn’t get myself through this game. It didn’t click for me like the others did, and gameplay just feels like trash to me.
2002
Super Mario Sunshine: The Slippery Slope of 3D Mario
Growing up, one of my favorite things to do with every 3D Mario I played, was to replay them, and 100% them again and again. I've 100%'d Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 multiple times as both Mario and Luigi, collecting every power star on every level. I remember playing Super Mario 64 and its DS remake and 100%'d those games multiple times, and I've 100% Super Mario Odyessy as well. I've always had a soft spot for 3D Mario games. Super Mario Galaxy is my favorite game of all time, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Super Mario 64 are up in the high rankings for me as well, and Super Mario Odyessy is probably my second favorite, behind Galaxy 1. However, I've never felt that same level of affection with Super Mario Sunshine. I've tried in the past, me and my mom went to our local GameStop back when was I around 6-7 years old to get a used copy. It was only the original GameCube disk, no box, but I was a kid so I didn't care, we went home, I put it in my Wii, started to play it... but it just never clicked with me back then.
Maybe it was just because I was a dumb kid who sucked at Video Games at the same, this was the same kid who thought Sweet Sweet Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy was the hardest thing ever (if only he knew about Dark Souls). Fast forward to now, I've decided to give Super Mario Sunshine another chance now older. Unfortunately, I lost that original GameCube copy from all those years ago, and I don't remember what happened to my old Wii, so when I replayed this game, I was playing the version on the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection for Switch (I'm writing here cause backlogg's system for ports/remasters isn't that great). Going into Super Mario Sunshine, I wanted to 100% it as I have with every other 3D Mario I used to do as a kid, but I never ended up doing so with Super Mario Sunshine. Maybe it's because I'm older now? Maybe it's because of the game? Or maybe it's because I'm washed at 3D Mario games?
The story is pretty simple, of course for a Mario game. Mario, Peach, Toadsworth, and the Toads fly to Isle Delfino for a getaway, presumably for them to get some much-needed rest after Bowser's many attempts to capture Peach, but things aren't as comfy for Mario and pals because they encounter a mass of paint-like goop. Mario gets the Flash Liquidizing Ultra Dousing Device (F.L.U.D.D.), a water cannon created by Professor E. Gadd from Luigi's Mansion fame, and Mario uses F.L.U.D.D. to defeat slime covered Piranha Plant. To thank Mario for his good deed, the police of Isle Delfine arrest Mario. As a kid, I thought nothing of it, but looking at it now, the whole criminal justice system on Isle Delfino fucked up. Mario does not get an attorney, there were witnesses who clearly saw Mario innocent but decided not to back him up, and the prosecution pushes for a guilty verdict onto Mario off of a SKETCH! A SKETCH OF ALL THINGS!? As much as a pile of work the real-world criminal justice system is, at least I can remind myself that it isn't Isle Delfino's criminal justice system. Mario is assigned to community service and has to clean up the island and track down the real criminal.
It's such a quirky premise for a Nintendo game, and I don't think Nintendo would make a Mario game where he gets in jail today, considering how strict they are with the portrayal and copyright of their characters. Even though I never beat Super Mario Sunshine as a kid, I got spoiled the story for myself from YouTube videos, and going back to it now, I don't care that I was spoiled. It's a Mario game, I don't care I already knew the story front to end, I was coming here for the gameplay. Super Mario Sunshine is the first Mario game to introduce Bowser Jr, and this was a great introduction into his character. Bowser Jr was a fun character in this game, this game alone puts him on top above the Koopalings. The characters in Super Mario Sunshine feel unique in this game alone, the Piantas are the citizins of Isle Delfino and sorta the replacment for Toads in this game, Toads are still here, but not as much compared to other Mario games. Super Mario Sunshine has this charm and bright personality that isn't in a lot of other Mario games. The title screen, the OST, every pretty-looking thing in Super Mario Sunshine makes it feel summer-like.
To the main course, being the gameplay, all I have to say is that I am more split with this game's gameplay than I ever have been with any 3D Mario game. There are a lot of pros and cons with the gameplay of Super Mario Sunshine, I found my overall playthrough to be a great time, but there has been a lot about the gameplay mechanics that I feel hold this game back from being anything more than great. For one, I'm glad this is harder than any 3D Mario game I've played. It's sort of refreshing to have a Mario game give me a challenge, but the thing is, a lot of what makes Super Mario Sunshine difficult is either because 1. I needed to learn and adapt from the challenge I'm facing, or 2. Because of the bullshit slippery movement that Mario has throughout all of the game. I don't know if Mario has ice cubes built into his shoes, but moving as him in this game feels like you walking on ice and it's not too much of an issue throughout most of the game, but in parts where you need to be precise with your platforming, it just fucks you over, anyways.
In Super Mario 64, Mario collected power stars in that game, but here in Super Mario Sunshine, he collects Shine Sprites instead. Shine Sprites are a cool replacement for Power Stars, and the little jingle you hear every time you collect a Shine Sprite is a banger, but I wasn't as excited to collect them as I used to be with Power Stars in other Mario games. There are these blue coins you can collect throughout each level and if you have 10 blue coins, you can exchange them with a merchant on Isle Delfino for a Shine Sprite. Honestly, I found collecting the blue coins to be tedious, some are in some levels and some aren't, and overall just felt like a headache to get. As for the levels themselves, they all had some level of charm to them, but nothing quite memorable compared to the levels in Super Mario 64, the Galaxy games, or even Odyessy. The inclusion of Yoshi in this game feels so forced, you have to get Yoshi out of his egg by bringing the fruit he wants, but Yoshi isn't needed for a lot of this game unless you are going for 100%, and nothing would have changed if Yoshi wasn't included. I said how I wanted to 100% this game and never ended up doing so, that's because I found Super Mario Sunshine to not worthwhile to see through with a 100%. It is a worthwhile game to play for fun, the levels are fun on face value, but while trying go for that 100% completion, you can see a lot of the flaws of the level design.
Overall, even though I had a lot to say about the flaws of Super Mario Sunshine, at face value it's a great Mario game, just not an amazing Mario game. It's a fun time playing through Isle Delfino, there's a lot of charm, and when the game mechanics aren't against you, they're pretty bearable. I had a great time with this game, it's been a while since I played a 3D Mario game, and perhaps I should revisit one in the future before the eventual next 3D Mario game.
Stats:
The 13th game I've completed in 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch (via 3D All-Stars)
Hours into Game: 15 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Last Statement: Fuck Isle DelFino's Criminal Justice System
Growing up, one of my favorite things to do with every 3D Mario I played, was to replay them, and 100% them again and again. I've 100%'d Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 multiple times as both Mario and Luigi, collecting every power star on every level. I remember playing Super Mario 64 and its DS remake and 100%'d those games multiple times, and I've 100% Super Mario Odyessy as well. I've always had a soft spot for 3D Mario games. Super Mario Galaxy is my favorite game of all time, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Super Mario 64 are up in the high rankings for me as well, and Super Mario Odyessy is probably my second favorite, behind Galaxy 1. However, I've never felt that same level of affection with Super Mario Sunshine. I've tried in the past, me and my mom went to our local GameStop back when was I around 6-7 years old to get a used copy. It was only the original GameCube disk, no box, but I was a kid so I didn't care, we went home, I put it in my Wii, started to play it... but it just never clicked with me back then.
Maybe it was just because I was a dumb kid who sucked at Video Games at the same, this was the same kid who thought Sweet Sweet Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy was the hardest thing ever (if only he knew about Dark Souls). Fast forward to now, I've decided to give Super Mario Sunshine another chance now older. Unfortunately, I lost that original GameCube copy from all those years ago, and I don't remember what happened to my old Wii, so when I replayed this game, I was playing the version on the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection for Switch (I'm writing here cause backlogg's system for ports/remasters isn't that great). Going into Super Mario Sunshine, I wanted to 100% it as I have with every other 3D Mario I used to do as a kid, but I never ended up doing so with Super Mario Sunshine. Maybe it's because I'm older now? Maybe it's because of the game? Or maybe it's because I'm washed at 3D Mario games?
The story is pretty simple, of course for a Mario game. Mario, Peach, Toadsworth, and the Toads fly to Isle Delfino for a getaway, presumably for them to get some much-needed rest after Bowser's many attempts to capture Peach, but things aren't as comfy for Mario and pals because they encounter a mass of paint-like goop. Mario gets the Flash Liquidizing Ultra Dousing Device (F.L.U.D.D.), a water cannon created by Professor E. Gadd from Luigi's Mansion fame, and Mario uses F.L.U.D.D. to defeat slime covered Piranha Plant. To thank Mario for his good deed, the police of Isle Delfine arrest Mario. As a kid, I thought nothing of it, but looking at it now, the whole criminal justice system on Isle Delfino fucked up. Mario does not get an attorney, there were witnesses who clearly saw Mario innocent but decided not to back him up, and the prosecution pushes for a guilty verdict onto Mario off of a SKETCH! A SKETCH OF ALL THINGS!? As much as a pile of work the real-world criminal justice system is, at least I can remind myself that it isn't Isle Delfino's criminal justice system. Mario is assigned to community service and has to clean up the island and track down the real criminal.
It's such a quirky premise for a Nintendo game, and I don't think Nintendo would make a Mario game where he gets in jail today, considering how strict they are with the portrayal and copyright of their characters. Even though I never beat Super Mario Sunshine as a kid, I got spoiled the story for myself from YouTube videos, and going back to it now, I don't care that I was spoiled. It's a Mario game, I don't care I already knew the story front to end, I was coming here for the gameplay. Super Mario Sunshine is the first Mario game to introduce Bowser Jr, and this was a great introduction into his character. Bowser Jr was a fun character in this game, this game alone puts him on top above the Koopalings. The characters in Super Mario Sunshine feel unique in this game alone, the Piantas are the citizins of Isle Delfino and sorta the replacment for Toads in this game, Toads are still here, but not as much compared to other Mario games. Super Mario Sunshine has this charm and bright personality that isn't in a lot of other Mario games. The title screen, the OST, every pretty-looking thing in Super Mario Sunshine makes it feel summer-like.
To the main course, being the gameplay, all I have to say is that I am more split with this game's gameplay than I ever have been with any 3D Mario game. There are a lot of pros and cons with the gameplay of Super Mario Sunshine, I found my overall playthrough to be a great time, but there has been a lot about the gameplay mechanics that I feel hold this game back from being anything more than great. For one, I'm glad this is harder than any 3D Mario game I've played. It's sort of refreshing to have a Mario game give me a challenge, but the thing is, a lot of what makes Super Mario Sunshine difficult is either because 1. I needed to learn and adapt from the challenge I'm facing, or 2. Because of the bullshit slippery movement that Mario has throughout all of the game. I don't know if Mario has ice cubes built into his shoes, but moving as him in this game feels like you walking on ice and it's not too much of an issue throughout most of the game, but in parts where you need to be precise with your platforming, it just fucks you over, anyways.
In Super Mario 64, Mario collected power stars in that game, but here in Super Mario Sunshine, he collects Shine Sprites instead. Shine Sprites are a cool replacement for Power Stars, and the little jingle you hear every time you collect a Shine Sprite is a banger, but I wasn't as excited to collect them as I used to be with Power Stars in other Mario games. There are these blue coins you can collect throughout each level and if you have 10 blue coins, you can exchange them with a merchant on Isle Delfino for a Shine Sprite. Honestly, I found collecting the blue coins to be tedious, some are in some levels and some aren't, and overall just felt like a headache to get. As for the levels themselves, they all had some level of charm to them, but nothing quite memorable compared to the levels in Super Mario 64, the Galaxy games, or even Odyessy. The inclusion of Yoshi in this game feels so forced, you have to get Yoshi out of his egg by bringing the fruit he wants, but Yoshi isn't needed for a lot of this game unless you are going for 100%, and nothing would have changed if Yoshi wasn't included. I said how I wanted to 100% this game and never ended up doing so, that's because I found Super Mario Sunshine to not worthwhile to see through with a 100%. It is a worthwhile game to play for fun, the levels are fun on face value, but while trying go for that 100% completion, you can see a lot of the flaws of the level design.
Overall, even though I had a lot to say about the flaws of Super Mario Sunshine, at face value it's a great Mario game, just not an amazing Mario game. It's a fun time playing through Isle Delfino, there's a lot of charm, and when the game mechanics aren't against you, they're pretty bearable. I had a great time with this game, it's been a while since I played a 3D Mario game, and perhaps I should revisit one in the future before the eventual next 3D Mario game.
Stats:
The 13th game I've completed in 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch (via 3D All-Stars)
Hours into Game: 15 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Last Statement: Fuck Isle DelFino's Criminal Justice System
2004
Pikmin 2: The Definitive Sequel
Pikmin 2, in my opinion, is the perfect example of what I call a "Definitive Sequal". Everything about Pikmin 2 is just better than anything done in Pikmin 1. Pikmin 1 was a great game, however, in contrast to Pikmin 2, Pikmin 1 just felt like somewhat of a tech demo compared to Pikmin 2. I'm glad as a newcomer to the Pikmin series that I played Pikmin 1 before Pikmin 2, I previously considered either trying out Pikmin 3 or 4 as my entry points into the series, but starting off with the first two games was the best choice I made. Pikmin 2 feels like a more, better-developed version of Pikmin 1, gameplay is expanded upon with the introduction of the Purple and White Pikmin, as well as the introduction of Louie as the second in command. Louie is kinda like the Luigi of Pikmin, while Olimar is the Mario of Pikmin, being the face of the series (outside of the Pikmin themselves).
Pikmin 2 does everything a sequel should do, improve on top of the first game, and introduce new inclusions. Pikmin 2's gameplay is the same at it's core compared to Pikmin 1, however, Pikmin 2 introduces two new Pikmin, The purple and white Pikmin, and they are fantastic additions, alongside the big three, Red, Blue, and Yellow. The purple Pikmin are heavier, compared to the other Pikmin in the game, they deal more damage to enemies and can carry items more easily than other Pikmin, but they are slower, and not immune to any hazards. White Pikmin can resist poison and can dig up treasures from the ground. I love the inclusion of these new Pikmin, the purple Pikmin quickly became my favorite Pikmin to have, due to it being one hell of a tank with damage onto enemies, as well as making it easier to carry treasures. However, I like the White Pikmin, but they were my least favorite Pikmin to use throughout my playthrough.
I didn't have a lot of them stored, so I limited my use of them, only bringing them out with I found a breakable wall with poison or needed to dig up a treasure underground. One of the differences between the two new Pikmin compared to the original three is the fact that getting new purple/white Pikmin in your party is quite limiting compared to getting any new Pikmin from the original three. You can get new Pikmin of the original three types by bringing items to each respective pod, but for the Purple/White Pikmin, you have to find rare flowers called Candypop Buds, and even then, you can only create 5 per flower, so it is quite limiting. I don't mind this, I found my supply of Purple Pikmin to be constant throughout my playthrough, but by the end of my playthrough, I had less than 10 White Pikmin. This would be a problem if Pikmin 2 kept Pikmin 1's limited day system, but thankful, Pikmin 2 has scrapped that feature from Pikmin 1, and you can now spend as much time, without worrying about wasting your day.
I love this, I liked the limited day system from Pikmin 1, and I think bringing it back, as some sort of optional game mode would have been cool to bring more of a challenge to Pikmin 2, but the exclusion for Pikmin 2's core gameplay was the best decision. Pikmin 2 has so much more replayability than Pikmin 1, even after beating the game, I want to go back and collect every single treasure, and replay it again. Of course, nobody plays Pikmin for the story, but there is a story here. After the events of Pikmin 1, Oilmar comes back home and meets with his boss, who tells Oilmar that the company is in massive debt, and now needs to pay $10,000 to get rid of it. Olimar has to go back on the planet from the first game, alongside Louie, to find treasure and repay the debt. The story doesn't do anything but serve as a reason for the gameplay to exist, and for this type of game, it works.
Olimar and Louie are charming characters to play as, and the Pikmin are cute as they were before. The OST continues the beautiful, nature-sounding OST from Pikmin 1, and it's as good as it was in Pikmin 1. Hajime Wakai's compositions add a scene of life to Pikmin 2, just as he did in Pikmin 1. Every song just sounds perfect within each area of the game they play in. As for any complaints, I found the Pikmin AI to be not too great sometimes, and this was also one of my complaints I had with Pikmin 1, but it's not as bad here as it was in Pikmin 1, so I'll give it that.
Overall, Pikmin 2 as a definitive sequel, it does everything better than Pikmin 1, improves on it, and adds new additions. I absolutely loved my time with Pikmin 2, and can't wait to play Pikmin 3 and 4 later on.
Stats:
10th game I've completed in 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch (played the HD remaster from Pikmin 1 + 2 and wrote my review here cuz backloggd's system for ports/remasters suck)
Hours into Game: 12 hours and 10 minutes
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)
Last Statement: Pik(men)
Pikmin 2, in my opinion, is the perfect example of what I call a "Definitive Sequal". Everything about Pikmin 2 is just better than anything done in Pikmin 1. Pikmin 1 was a great game, however, in contrast to Pikmin 2, Pikmin 1 just felt like somewhat of a tech demo compared to Pikmin 2. I'm glad as a newcomer to the Pikmin series that I played Pikmin 1 before Pikmin 2, I previously considered either trying out Pikmin 3 or 4 as my entry points into the series, but starting off with the first two games was the best choice I made. Pikmin 2 feels like a more, better-developed version of Pikmin 1, gameplay is expanded upon with the introduction of the Purple and White Pikmin, as well as the introduction of Louie as the second in command. Louie is kinda like the Luigi of Pikmin, while Olimar is the Mario of Pikmin, being the face of the series (outside of the Pikmin themselves).
Pikmin 2 does everything a sequel should do, improve on top of the first game, and introduce new inclusions. Pikmin 2's gameplay is the same at it's core compared to Pikmin 1, however, Pikmin 2 introduces two new Pikmin, The purple and white Pikmin, and they are fantastic additions, alongside the big three, Red, Blue, and Yellow. The purple Pikmin are heavier, compared to the other Pikmin in the game, they deal more damage to enemies and can carry items more easily than other Pikmin, but they are slower, and not immune to any hazards. White Pikmin can resist poison and can dig up treasures from the ground. I love the inclusion of these new Pikmin, the purple Pikmin quickly became my favorite Pikmin to have, due to it being one hell of a tank with damage onto enemies, as well as making it easier to carry treasures. However, I like the White Pikmin, but they were my least favorite Pikmin to use throughout my playthrough.
I didn't have a lot of them stored, so I limited my use of them, only bringing them out with I found a breakable wall with poison or needed to dig up a treasure underground. One of the differences between the two new Pikmin compared to the original three is the fact that getting new purple/white Pikmin in your party is quite limiting compared to getting any new Pikmin from the original three. You can get new Pikmin of the original three types by bringing items to each respective pod, but for the Purple/White Pikmin, you have to find rare flowers called Candypop Buds, and even then, you can only create 5 per flower, so it is quite limiting. I don't mind this, I found my supply of Purple Pikmin to be constant throughout my playthrough, but by the end of my playthrough, I had less than 10 White Pikmin. This would be a problem if Pikmin 2 kept Pikmin 1's limited day system, but thankful, Pikmin 2 has scrapped that feature from Pikmin 1, and you can now spend as much time, without worrying about wasting your day.
I love this, I liked the limited day system from Pikmin 1, and I think bringing it back, as some sort of optional game mode would have been cool to bring more of a challenge to Pikmin 2, but the exclusion for Pikmin 2's core gameplay was the best decision. Pikmin 2 has so much more replayability than Pikmin 1, even after beating the game, I want to go back and collect every single treasure, and replay it again. Of course, nobody plays Pikmin for the story, but there is a story here. After the events of Pikmin 1, Oilmar comes back home and meets with his boss, who tells Oilmar that the company is in massive debt, and now needs to pay $10,000 to get rid of it. Olimar has to go back on the planet from the first game, alongside Louie, to find treasure and repay the debt. The story doesn't do anything but serve as a reason for the gameplay to exist, and for this type of game, it works.
Olimar and Louie are charming characters to play as, and the Pikmin are cute as they were before. The OST continues the beautiful, nature-sounding OST from Pikmin 1, and it's as good as it was in Pikmin 1. Hajime Wakai's compositions add a scene of life to Pikmin 2, just as he did in Pikmin 1. Every song just sounds perfect within each area of the game they play in. As for any complaints, I found the Pikmin AI to be not too great sometimes, and this was also one of my complaints I had with Pikmin 1, but it's not as bad here as it was in Pikmin 1, so I'll give it that.
Overall, Pikmin 2 as a definitive sequel, it does everything better than Pikmin 1, improves on it, and adds new additions. I absolutely loved my time with Pikmin 2, and can't wait to play Pikmin 3 and 4 later on.
Stats:
10th game I've completed in 2024
Played on Nintendo Switch (played the HD remaster from Pikmin 1 + 2 and wrote my review here cuz backloggd's system for ports/remasters suck)
Hours into Game: 12 hours and 10 minutes
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)
Last Statement: Pik(men)
2015
SOMA: Sorrows Over the Mechanical Abyss
SOMA was a game I had only recently heard about. I've heard its name thrown around, and since I happen to have it in my library, courtesy of the Epic Games Store when it was given away for free, I decided to add it to my backlog to try it out eventually. But what I got from my time with SOMA was a game that lingered with me long after my playthrough, with its psychological themes and overall tone, I didn't find SOMA to be scary in a "Booo!" jumpscare type of way, it was scary due to its undertones and atmosphere. The extra bits of lore you can find throughout the game add so much to the already fantastic narrative, and it's just one of those games you just need to play completely blind without knowing anything.
Gamplay-wise, SOMA is pretty bare-bones, the main character Simon explores different areas in a somewhat linear way, with there being puzzles along the way as well. The puzzles are pretty basic, but that's a good thing, they don't need to be anything more than basic. Along the way in Simon's journey he encounters enemies that I feel don't add much to the game. The first couple of encounters add to SOMA by being a good stepping stone into what's to come throughout the game, but as it goes on, the enemies start to feel like annoying obstacles in the way. It's no wonder the developers decided to add a no-enemy mode after the game's initial launch. In my opinion, the enemies aren't even scary, they look scary on the surface, but not at all scary to make me jump out of my chair. Movement in SOMA feels kind of stiff, I'm not sure if it's just in SOMA or in the Amnesia games, or any of Frictional Games's other games, but in SOMA it just sorta stuck out, in better words.
But, gameplay and its issues aside, the real meat and potatoes of SOMA is its story. SOMA is a walking simulator with a sci-fi story that feels like you're listening to it, rather than playing it. The gameplay elements are barebone, but the story has a lot of muscle and carries its weight. It's really hard to explain without spoilers, but what I can say is, SOMA evokes a feeling of being alone. While playing as Simon, there's a feeling of loneliness everywhere, and the ending just adds to this notion more. Simon as a character, can be seen as dumb in certain moments in the story, but as a human, we're all liable to being dumb without knowing it. It's easy to pick on Simon for being a dumbass, but let's be honest, we would just be dumber. In a game centered around robots and sci-fi elements, Simon, for all his faults, still adds the long-forgotten layer of humanity, to an otherwise, artificial world. The atmosphere SOMA creates feels grimy, dirty, all messed up, and gone to shit. It creates a feeling of dread lingering over my shoulder throughout my playthrough, each area feels unique in its own atmosphere.
Overall, I found SOMA to be a unique different take on horror games, but that's not saying much considering I don't play a lot of horror games, regardless of that, SOMA is one of those games you need to play if you're looking a unique experience, or just want to try something new. If you like sci-fi or horror, you'll love SOMA. It's a game that anybody who enjoys either genre will love, and its just a game to play completely blind.
Stats:
The 14th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PC
Hours into Game: 7 Hours & 49 minutes
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)
SOMA was a game I had only recently heard about. I've heard its name thrown around, and since I happen to have it in my library, courtesy of the Epic Games Store when it was given away for free, I decided to add it to my backlog to try it out eventually. But what I got from my time with SOMA was a game that lingered with me long after my playthrough, with its psychological themes and overall tone, I didn't find SOMA to be scary in a "Booo!" jumpscare type of way, it was scary due to its undertones and atmosphere. The extra bits of lore you can find throughout the game add so much to the already fantastic narrative, and it's just one of those games you just need to play completely blind without knowing anything.
Gamplay-wise, SOMA is pretty bare-bones, the main character Simon explores different areas in a somewhat linear way, with there being puzzles along the way as well. The puzzles are pretty basic, but that's a good thing, they don't need to be anything more than basic. Along the way in Simon's journey he encounters enemies that I feel don't add much to the game. The first couple of encounters add to SOMA by being a good stepping stone into what's to come throughout the game, but as it goes on, the enemies start to feel like annoying obstacles in the way. It's no wonder the developers decided to add a no-enemy mode after the game's initial launch. In my opinion, the enemies aren't even scary, they look scary on the surface, but not at all scary to make me jump out of my chair. Movement in SOMA feels kind of stiff, I'm not sure if it's just in SOMA or in the Amnesia games, or any of Frictional Games's other games, but in SOMA it just sorta stuck out, in better words.
But, gameplay and its issues aside, the real meat and potatoes of SOMA is its story. SOMA is a walking simulator with a sci-fi story that feels like you're listening to it, rather than playing it. The gameplay elements are barebone, but the story has a lot of muscle and carries its weight. It's really hard to explain without spoilers, but what I can say is, SOMA evokes a feeling of being alone. While playing as Simon, there's a feeling of loneliness everywhere, and the ending just adds to this notion more. Simon as a character, can be seen as dumb in certain moments in the story, but as a human, we're all liable to being dumb without knowing it. It's easy to pick on Simon for being a dumbass, but let's be honest, we would just be dumber. In a game centered around robots and sci-fi elements, Simon, for all his faults, still adds the long-forgotten layer of humanity, to an otherwise, artificial world. The atmosphere SOMA creates feels grimy, dirty, all messed up, and gone to shit. It creates a feeling of dread lingering over my shoulder throughout my playthrough, each area feels unique in its own atmosphere.
Overall, I found SOMA to be a unique different take on horror games, but that's not saying much considering I don't play a lot of horror games, regardless of that, SOMA is one of those games you need to play if you're looking a unique experience, or just want to try something new. If you like sci-fi or horror, you'll love SOMA. It's a game that anybody who enjoys either genre will love, and its just a game to play completely blind.
Stats:
The 14th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PC
Hours into Game: 7 Hours & 49 minutes
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Hope Found Where You Go
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a game that I had low expectations for. I absolutely loved Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and kept my expectations low for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 because I went into it thinking I'd enjoy it, but not hold to that same level I do with Xenoblade Chronicles 1. But Xenoblade Chronicles 2, much like how the first game did to me, blew my expectations again. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a fantastic JRPG, with a great cast, a great world to explore, and an amazing expanded universe that was one of my favorite things about Xenoblade 1. The gameplay is an improvement from Xenoblade 1, and the story is right on par with Xenoblade Chronicles 1 as well in my opinion. This isn't my first experience with Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I actually got it at launch around December back when I was 12 years old. I remember not liking it because I never learned the combat, and because I was a dumb 12-year-old, I gave away my physical version of the game and replayed Super Mario Odyssey again for the hundredth time.
Technically speaking, this is one of the best-looking Nintendo Switch games, even now for a game that came out near the end of 2017. Even in handheld mode, it still looks and runs great, each location is unique to its style. It's a great showcase from Monolift Soft to not only show off the power of the Nintendo Switch but also the skillset the team over at Monolift Soft has when it comes to game development. The OST complements the game and each location it plays incredibly well. Whether it's the calming music that plays when you explore Alrest, or the heavy guitar bangers that play during combat, each song fits Xenoblade Chronicles 2 perfectly, and some could even be a part of the Xenoblade Chronicles 1 OST. The gameplay system in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 follows the same basic formula from Xenoblade Chronicles 1, but with some extra improvements that make it way more enjoyable.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 introduces Blades, Blades come from Core Crystals, and depending on the rarity of the Core Crystal, you could either get a basic blade or a quite useful blade to use. I found using Core Crystals and trying to get new blades not as bad as I thought. At first, it sounded like it would be pretty grindy to get any good Core Crystals and to get a good blade in the first place, but grinding for Core Crystals isn't that bad, and I had pretty good luck with getting some great blades, I got Dahlia and Godfrey pretty effortlessly without trying. Arts make a return from Xenoblade 1 but with the introduction of Blades. there are new special moves called Blade Specials, which when used create a Blade Combo that does a great amount of damage to the enemy. There are also Driver Combo's, which do a great amount of damage too when the whole party inflicts the enemy with the four status conditions (Break, Topple, Launch, and Smash) onto an enemy. If you perform a Driver Combo and a Blade combo at the same time, it creates a Fusion Combo, which gives even more damage. I absolutely love using the Driver Combo and Blade Combo, it's rewarding to inflict Topple onto an enemy and use a Blade Combo, and it was easier for me to understand and get used to the combat system in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 than it was in Xenoblade Chronicles 1. It's mostly likely due to my past experience with Xenoblade 1, but that still makes Xenoblade 2 shine in that regard.
But one thing that doesn't shine in Xenoblade 2 is the tutorials, they suck, and they don't do a good job explaining the basics well enough. The Affinity Chart is used to upgrade skills for Drivers and Blade in Xenoblade 2, pretty much being this game's equivalent of a skill tree. The Affinity Chart for Drivers like Rex and Nia for example is more in line with a basic skill tree, being able to use Skill Points to unlock new skills, while for Blades you unlock new skills for them by completing achievements, kinda like trying to get a PlayStation trophy. While cool on the surface, it is incredibly annoying when you are blocked from making progress in the main story because you don't have a blade that has [insert blade skill here] to go forward. So to make up for it, you have to take a break from the main story to complete whatever skill you need to move forward. I don't mind the Affinity Chart, but I dislike how it can be a roadblock towards making progress into the main story. I would've liked it if the skills needed to progress were naturally given by doing the main story, or something like that. It was annoying at first, but nothing too major to complain about, more so a minor inconvenience in an otherwise, stellar game.
Side quests in Xenoblade 2 fall more in line with typical side quests in other JRPGs than it does with Xenoblade 1, with Xenoblade 1, you could've done side quests and have it a good way to level up your party at the same time. That was one of my favorite parts of Xenoblade 1 because it gave more of an incentive to complete side quests, but I also wished that in Xenoblade 1 typical exp farming by killing enemies. Looks like in Xenoblade 2 I got what I wanted with typical exp farming by killing enemies, but lost out on the incentive of side quests. I somewhat understand why, I may have given away too much exp and made certain moments in the game too easy, but I just wished both were balanced well enough to have both. Despite that, I still liked the side quests in Xenoblade 2, not as engaging as the ones in Xenoblade 1, but still good to do here-and-there.
The story of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was the main factor for me being engaged with this game and what it had to tell. From beginning to end, Xenoblade 2 tells a tale about hope, finding hope in the world, and the finale act is just the icing on the cake when it comes to wrapping everything together. I love the cast of this game. Rex, Pyra/Mytrha, Nia, Jin, and Malos were some of the characters that stood out to me. I've seen some people make fun of Rex, and I can see where you may not see him seriously sometimes from an outside perspective, but over the course of the game, you see how much an amazing character he is. Rex proves why he is the main character, he is hope, and he isn't the Driver of the Aegis for nothing. He is the embodiment of what Xenoblade Chronicles 2 wants to tell you about hope. Rex is always a shining, charming person who brings hope to everybody he meets, even to the characters who are supposed to be the enemies.
While I still prefer Shulk over Rex as my favorite Xenoblade protagonist based on personal preference (haven't played Xenoblade 3 yet so I can't comment about Noah). Rex is still an amazing character, and he's only just the main character. Most of the people who talk about Pyra/Mythra are either people who haven't played Xenoblade 2, people who know them from Smash Bros, or down bad gooners who only see them as anime waifus. Pyra and Mythra are characters that humanize being a weapon. They're a part of the Aegis's power, and how a lot of guilt from their past, but over the course of the game, there is hope, there is hope to foster their strengths for the better. Other characters are like this too, Tora is a Nopon who can't be a driver, but with hope, he is able to create Poppi and have an artificial blade. Nia, Zeke, and Morag have this too, and even for Jin and Malos, it's all over the place.
Going into Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I knew about the "fanservice" that was in it, and from what I saw online, people made it out to make this game look like it was so awful with the fanservice. Dudes were making it sound like it was the High School DxD of video games and after finishing the game, the complaints about the fanservice were completely blown out of the water. There is a little bit of fanservice sometimes in the main story, but I think that was only 3 or 4 times throughout the main story, and I was fine with that. I don't mind fanservice if it doesn't interfere with the main story in any major way, and that's why I didn't mind Xenoblade 2's fanservice. There's probably more fanservice in some side quests, but I haven't played too many of the side quests to answer that. I was playing with the English Dub for all of my playthrough, but for some reason, it's pretty awkward when it comes to the voice acting. I believe the voice actors did a good job for what they had to do with what they were given, but sometimes the lip-sync between the character's lips and voice acting don't match in some cutscenes. When I first played Xenoblade 1, I was thrown off by the characters in that game having British accents, but now in Xenoblade 2, I'm thrown off by some characters not having a British accent, like Pyra for example. The journey that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 tells, exploring Alrest to find the World Tree, truly feels like a journey, and getting to that point is so rewarding.
While Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 1, they do not connect whatsoever with their story. However, I recommend you play Xenoblade 1 before Xenoblade 2 if you haven't already. The combat is much easier in Xenoblade 1 to get used to, and is an amazing game too. Coming over to Xenoblade 2 after Xenoblade 1 will help a lot, especially in certain parts of the final act of the story, which you can ignore if you haven't played Xenoblade 1, but for me who already played Xenoblade 1, I looked at those story moments like that one Leonardo DiCaprio meme of him pointing.
Overall, I loved Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It's an incredible game, and JRPG, that me and many people have slept on for too long. There is so much slander to this game thanks to content creators like videogamedunkey and others. It's a game people need to go into without the outside voices and form their own feelings and thoughts throughout their playthrough. I loved the cast, the world, the gameplay, everything. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a special game, I look forward to getting to the Torna DLC, and eventually Xenoblade Chronicles 3!
Stats:
The 21st Game I've Completed in 2024.
Played on Nintendo Switch
Hours into Game:
Last Statement: Cause look at dunkey, he made a video about Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I like some of the dunkey videos, but what the fuck does he know about Xenoblade?
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a game that I had low expectations for. I absolutely loved Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and kept my expectations low for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 because I went into it thinking I'd enjoy it, but not hold to that same level I do with Xenoblade Chronicles 1. But Xenoblade Chronicles 2, much like how the first game did to me, blew my expectations again. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a fantastic JRPG, with a great cast, a great world to explore, and an amazing expanded universe that was one of my favorite things about Xenoblade 1. The gameplay is an improvement from Xenoblade 1, and the story is right on par with Xenoblade Chronicles 1 as well in my opinion. This isn't my first experience with Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I actually got it at launch around December back when I was 12 years old. I remember not liking it because I never learned the combat, and because I was a dumb 12-year-old, I gave away my physical version of the game and replayed Super Mario Odyssey again for the hundredth time.
Technically speaking, this is one of the best-looking Nintendo Switch games, even now for a game that came out near the end of 2017. Even in handheld mode, it still looks and runs great, each location is unique to its style. It's a great showcase from Monolift Soft to not only show off the power of the Nintendo Switch but also the skillset the team over at Monolift Soft has when it comes to game development. The OST complements the game and each location it plays incredibly well. Whether it's the calming music that plays when you explore Alrest, or the heavy guitar bangers that play during combat, each song fits Xenoblade Chronicles 2 perfectly, and some could even be a part of the Xenoblade Chronicles 1 OST. The gameplay system in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 follows the same basic formula from Xenoblade Chronicles 1, but with some extra improvements that make it way more enjoyable.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 introduces Blades, Blades come from Core Crystals, and depending on the rarity of the Core Crystal, you could either get a basic blade or a quite useful blade to use. I found using Core Crystals and trying to get new blades not as bad as I thought. At first, it sounded like it would be pretty grindy to get any good Core Crystals and to get a good blade in the first place, but grinding for Core Crystals isn't that bad, and I had pretty good luck with getting some great blades, I got Dahlia and Godfrey pretty effortlessly without trying. Arts make a return from Xenoblade 1 but with the introduction of Blades. there are new special moves called Blade Specials, which when used create a Blade Combo that does a great amount of damage to the enemy. There are also Driver Combo's, which do a great amount of damage too when the whole party inflicts the enemy with the four status conditions (Break, Topple, Launch, and Smash) onto an enemy. If you perform a Driver Combo and a Blade combo at the same time, it creates a Fusion Combo, which gives even more damage. I absolutely love using the Driver Combo and Blade Combo, it's rewarding to inflict Topple onto an enemy and use a Blade Combo, and it was easier for me to understand and get used to the combat system in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 than it was in Xenoblade Chronicles 1. It's mostly likely due to my past experience with Xenoblade 1, but that still makes Xenoblade 2 shine in that regard.
But one thing that doesn't shine in Xenoblade 2 is the tutorials, they suck, and they don't do a good job explaining the basics well enough. The Affinity Chart is used to upgrade skills for Drivers and Blade in Xenoblade 2, pretty much being this game's equivalent of a skill tree. The Affinity Chart for Drivers like Rex and Nia for example is more in line with a basic skill tree, being able to use Skill Points to unlock new skills, while for Blades you unlock new skills for them by completing achievements, kinda like trying to get a PlayStation trophy. While cool on the surface, it is incredibly annoying when you are blocked from making progress in the main story because you don't have a blade that has [insert blade skill here] to go forward. So to make up for it, you have to take a break from the main story to complete whatever skill you need to move forward. I don't mind the Affinity Chart, but I dislike how it can be a roadblock towards making progress into the main story. I would've liked it if the skills needed to progress were naturally given by doing the main story, or something like that. It was annoying at first, but nothing too major to complain about, more so a minor inconvenience in an otherwise, stellar game.
Side quests in Xenoblade 2 fall more in line with typical side quests in other JRPGs than it does with Xenoblade 1, with Xenoblade 1, you could've done side quests and have it a good way to level up your party at the same time. That was one of my favorite parts of Xenoblade 1 because it gave more of an incentive to complete side quests, but I also wished that in Xenoblade 1 typical exp farming by killing enemies. Looks like in Xenoblade 2 I got what I wanted with typical exp farming by killing enemies, but lost out on the incentive of side quests. I somewhat understand why, I may have given away too much exp and made certain moments in the game too easy, but I just wished both were balanced well enough to have both. Despite that, I still liked the side quests in Xenoblade 2, not as engaging as the ones in Xenoblade 1, but still good to do here-and-there.
The story of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was the main factor for me being engaged with this game and what it had to tell. From beginning to end, Xenoblade 2 tells a tale about hope, finding hope in the world, and the finale act is just the icing on the cake when it comes to wrapping everything together. I love the cast of this game. Rex, Pyra/Mytrha, Nia, Jin, and Malos were some of the characters that stood out to me. I've seen some people make fun of Rex, and I can see where you may not see him seriously sometimes from an outside perspective, but over the course of the game, you see how much an amazing character he is. Rex proves why he is the main character, he is hope, and he isn't the Driver of the Aegis for nothing. He is the embodiment of what Xenoblade Chronicles 2 wants to tell you about hope. Rex is always a shining, charming person who brings hope to everybody he meets, even to the characters who are supposed to be the enemies.
While I still prefer Shulk over Rex as my favorite Xenoblade protagonist based on personal preference (haven't played Xenoblade 3 yet so I can't comment about Noah). Rex is still an amazing character, and he's only just the main character. Most of the people who talk about Pyra/Mythra are either people who haven't played Xenoblade 2, people who know them from Smash Bros, or down bad gooners who only see them as anime waifus. Pyra and Mythra are characters that humanize being a weapon. They're a part of the Aegis's power, and how a lot of guilt from their past, but over the course of the game, there is hope, there is hope to foster their strengths for the better. Other characters are like this too, Tora is a Nopon who can't be a driver, but with hope, he is able to create Poppi and have an artificial blade. Nia, Zeke, and Morag have this too, and even for Jin and Malos, it's all over the place.
Going into Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I knew about the "fanservice" that was in it, and from what I saw online, people made it out to make this game look like it was so awful with the fanservice. Dudes were making it sound like it was the High School DxD of video games and after finishing the game, the complaints about the fanservice were completely blown out of the water. There is a little bit of fanservice sometimes in the main story, but I think that was only 3 or 4 times throughout the main story, and I was fine with that. I don't mind fanservice if it doesn't interfere with the main story in any major way, and that's why I didn't mind Xenoblade 2's fanservice. There's probably more fanservice in some side quests, but I haven't played too many of the side quests to answer that. I was playing with the English Dub for all of my playthrough, but for some reason, it's pretty awkward when it comes to the voice acting. I believe the voice actors did a good job for what they had to do with what they were given, but sometimes the lip-sync between the character's lips and voice acting don't match in some cutscenes. When I first played Xenoblade 1, I was thrown off by the characters in that game having British accents, but now in Xenoblade 2, I'm thrown off by some characters not having a British accent, like Pyra for example. The journey that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 tells, exploring Alrest to find the World Tree, truly feels like a journey, and getting to that point is so rewarding.
While Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 1, they do not connect whatsoever with their story. However, I recommend you play Xenoblade 1 before Xenoblade 2 if you haven't already. The combat is much easier in Xenoblade 1 to get used to, and is an amazing game too. Coming over to Xenoblade 2 after Xenoblade 1 will help a lot, especially in certain parts of the final act of the story, which you can ignore if you haven't played Xenoblade 1, but for me who already played Xenoblade 1, I looked at those story moments like that one Leonardo DiCaprio meme of him pointing.
Overall, I loved Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It's an incredible game, and JRPG, that me and many people have slept on for too long. There is so much slander to this game thanks to content creators like videogamedunkey and others. It's a game people need to go into without the outside voices and form their own feelings and thoughts throughout their playthrough. I loved the cast, the world, the gameplay, everything. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a special game, I look forward to getting to the Torna DLC, and eventually Xenoblade Chronicles 3!
Stats:
The 21st Game I've Completed in 2024.
Played on Nintendo Switch
Hours into Game:
Last Statement: Cause look at dunkey, he made a video about Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I like some of the dunkey videos, but what the fuck does he know about Xenoblade?