Still one of the all time greats. Stellar writing across the board - both a sweeping epic and a fantastic revenge tale all in one go. In an era where video game writing was all over the place, this was a clear standout and it still holds up.

Gameplay holds up too, unsurprisingly. Difficult but extremely rewarding once you know what you are doing, and the plethora of options here makes things impossible to resist. The quality of life improvements are a godsend to boot, and the new companions are very well done. Classic from top to bottom.

Hard as nails but rewarding in spades; one of the better 8-bit retro titles in a good while from a sheer design perspective. It tests your skills naturally while also giving you enough wiggle room to get good and learn enemy patterns - by the end of the game you basically feel like a god but in a good way.

A great morality system, dark and oppressive story, and fantastic gore contribute to the game's overall tough atmosphere in really stellar ways too, with the only downside maybe being some obtuse controls and wonky platforming. But that's the name of the game with old school stuff like this - otherwise this is nearly as good as it gets.

Plays wonderfully but runs out of steam once you hit the second half and never recovers. Compared to the second game's dense open world and numerous options for progressing, this railroads you at multiple points and feels like it's missing content. It's story is stronger then before, sure, but that's not a high bar to begin with.

Still, it plays very well and when the gameplay loop does hit well it's a blast to play. All of the new weapons and guns introduced are a blast, and the DLC for the game is arguably the highlight of the experience. A good time diversion, but there are better open world experiences out there.

Astonishing; might possibly be the best long delayed sequel in gaming history. Everything great about the first game - the creative level design, gorgeous art direction, witty and hilarious writing (if a bit lighter then the original), and rock solid platforming - is all here, just now fine tuned with the added benefit of 16 years of hindsight and fine tuning. This plays like a dream with snappy controls and excellent movement, while also being wonderful to look at with some of the most exciting visual design in platforming of recent years.

A nigh-perfect emotional story is at the heart of this and is probably the best part about it as well - too many likable characters to count here. Explores PTSD and collective trauma in a way that's empathetic while never losing sight of it's light-hearted nature, and it's always moving. Didn't want this to end, frankly, and would kill for a third game, but alas this is exactly the sequel I've been waiting for.

One of the greats. A triumph of creative level design, incredible art direction, and some of the funniest dialogue you'll ever hear in a video game - wickedly, and twistedly, hilarious and consistently has you in stiches from it's subversions of storytelling tropes to simple running gags that get more absurd as they continue onwards.

It also has an unexpected emotional depth that separates it from other platformers on the market, and the themes and ideas it tackles here are explored beautifully. As the game goes, it becomes more and more disturbed and disgusting but that's part of the charm here - a wonderfully lingering darkness that is Don Bluth in it's influence. Just an incredible gaming experience, timeless.

Definitely rips from other games - mostly S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout - but compelling enough on it's own and brings enough to the table to be worth a play. Love the sandbox element; throws you to the wolves and says "go" and never lets up, and it quickly becomes a gloriously stressful experience. A vibe game if the vibes were always bad.

Story could be stronger and the characters are woefully lacking, but the final mission and twists are suitably gonzo enough that it makes the whole experience memorable. Mostly a gameplay and atmospheric experience though, and on that front it really succeeds. Looks great for an small indie title too, downright gorgeous at points. Solid stuff!

Ugh - the kind of lackluster anime game that is just begging for more depth. Fun for a few matches and I do like the idea of it but there is so much to be desired here just in terms of gameplay. A lot of it feels unrefined and unpolished, with the game also controlling like garbage in certain moments and a warped difficulty curve that places you against literally whoever in the matchups.

The only real perk here is that, with friends, it's somewhat bearable and, if you are a fan of the universe in general, you will find some things to enjoy here in the long term. But as anime games go, hell as Naruto games go, you can do so much better then this.

A terrific first 3/4s brought down by a lackluster final act, and not helped by the lack of meaningful substance in the gameplay. I'm not inherently against simple gameplay for stuff like this as when done right it can be so, so effective but the little mini prompt segments actually take me out of it more then anything which really sucks.

The complex cast of characters and cool sci-fi concepts at the forefront here are admittedly interesting, though, and I appreciate it's focus on human drama over spectacle, psychology over bombast. The final choices leave a bit to be desired but I do appreciate how characters arcs feel genuinely meaningful. Worth a look, if a bit too barren of gameplay to be worth a replay.

Yakuza transformed; one of the most radical and honestly subversive RPGs in recent memory, continually aware of it's own bizarre nature while leaning into it with genuine sincerity. Also has some of the tightest, most attuned turn based combat in a while, and uses the franchise formula to create something really unique and exceptional in many regards.

It's also a story about the underprivileged and lower class, their relationship to the law, corruption in higher office, and the changing of the guard - thematically rich and dense with character, even more then most games in the series. Ichiban in particular is a revelation of a character, bringing new life into the series while also keeping the same energy the rest of the excellent series has. Some minor narrative grievances in the third act aside, this is as perfect as a game can get.

The inevitability of aging and the melancholic pain of having to let go of your children; one of the most bittersweet finale chapters of any game series I can think of, most triumphant in it's celebration of the series and most depressing in how it reckons with the complicated history of it's own mythos.

Game is, sadly, a bit undercooked gameplay and setting wise, though makes up for it with Onomichi being one of the best locations the series has had from a thematic and narrative perspective. Somewhat messy in execution, but with a narrative as strong as this and as powerful as this, the final moments are worth everything.

The definitive Yakuza experience - an expansive, massive game not just in things to accomplish but also in it's story. A sprawling crime epic at it's finest, sometimes overwhemlingly so, but the pieces falling into place make for a satisfying experience and the plot threads manage to intersect far better then Yakuza 4. It's killer finale is also something to behold, easily among the strongest in the series and thematically tying everything into it's main themes about dreams and those who follow them.

And outside of the fact that it plays wonderfully as well, there is something to be said on just how emotionally strong the game ends up becoming. You spend a game's amount of time with each character and seeing their stories unfold is enthralling - it takes a special kind of game to make me cry on multiple occasions but this one did it. One of the best in the series, if not the best - a triumph.

In the moment, this is one of Yakuza's finest - moving from moment to moment with a fluidity, constantly upping the stakes to absurd levels and it's biggest scale yet. Each character plays wonderfully to go along with their interesting tales, even if some overshadow others in terms of likability and impact. It's a game that build on the prior ones in the series naturally while also exploring it's own ideas, this time focused around corruption and abuse of power, and that to do with that power.

Story begins to fall apart once the pieces come together, though. Too many moving parts, one too many reveals, and a weak final act stop this from being one of the best in the series even if it comes close. There is a 5/5 game in here somewhere, but it doesn't quite get there. Still damn great though, as per usual with Yakuza.

Looks gorgeous, has a killer soundtrack, quality character writing, and an engaging story - but unfournately suffers from half-baked, unrefined gameplay, tedious grinding, and a messy final act that prevents it from becoming the classic it thinks it wants to be. This one especially hurts cause the concept and art are so great and I love indie RPGs but this was clearly too ambitious for it's own good in a lot of ways.

There is, though, a great animated series lying underneath here, one that has a fun mythos, really likable characters, and a focus on pacifism and diplomacy that keep the conflicts morally grey. It's a shame that the game it's attached to, while occasionally rising to great things, is mostly just ok.

Certainly style over substance, but what style! A wonderfully fun co-op twin-stick shooter that has a vivid, brutal, and delightfully twisted cyberpunk world with a dark sense of humor. Even by the end I was chuckling - this has it's tongue firmly in it's cheek throughout despite a lackluster story that feels unsure of what it has to say about capitalism and corporations.

It has the obvious growing pains of a first time game from a new studio though. Too much backtracking kills a lot of momentum it has in the early sections, and while discovering new areas makes the game consistently interesting (it's certainly gorgeous to boot), once they are all discovered the game loses a lot of it's luster. Still, a fun time and worth checking out!

Not without it's faults but widely overhated and another example of why Yakuza is continuously a top tier gaming experience. Okinawa setting does wonders here, allowing for a new, more laid back story and environment that makes this game feel like it's own thing compared to the prior games - for the first time, Kamurocho feels cramped, crowded, and unappealing, as Kiryu's perspectives begin to shift. And while the story occasionally veers too far into being convoluted, it's refreshingly small scale and personal, making the stakes feel just as large as before.

Gameplay is more dated then jank, still solid stuff but clearly a product of being an earlier game in the series, but it forces you to actually get good at the game despite the constant blocking from enemies. If any big problems here it's all in the villain group here who are wasted, along with a potential game changer of a reveal that doesn't go anywhere interesting. Outside of that, this is another winner for Yakuza.