Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn is perhaps one of the best experiences that the Intelligent Systems team have composed. The story is a direct sequel to Fire Emblem Path of Radiance, that takes the world, characters, and politics set up in that game and expands upon it all greatly in a grandiose and exciting adventure. It almost feels like Path of Radiance acts as an extended prologue to this game's story which is impressive considering that PoR is it's own epic story. The story in this game takes ton of characters and concepts from the previous entry and takes them in crazy an unique directions I never expected them too. The gameplay on the other hand is relatively the same as PoR's while tweaking a couple minor things and mechanics such as the UI and Award EXP which was fine by me considering that the gameplay loop of PoR was pretty addicting and fun. Of course there could always be little quality of life things they could've fixed here and there but it was nothing that took away from the experience. Unlike the previous game however, the story is broken up into 4 acts with 3 separate playable teams of units each with their strengths and weaknesses. Personally I would have preferred if we had stuck with Ike and his comrades for the length of this game, but playing as Team Micaiah, and Team Elencia wasn't the end of the world. It's just that Ike's chapters felt more engaging and interesting to me personally, but I can see how people would prefer Micaiah's story. I can say with complete certainty though that this game handles the multiple teams concept better than how Fire Emblem Echoes did, as I found every team in this game were comprised interesting and fun primary characters, unlike Echoes where I found Celica a complete bore as a character (Alm was awesome however.) All in all I think the Radiant duology are some of the best Fire Emblem games you can play, it's just a shame that games are an absurd amount of money on the secondary market. Hopefully one day Nintendo will see fit to re-release both games in a collection or perhaps give them the Echoes treatment so more people get to enjoy these great games.

Shantae is the first game in the legendary platforming series known for it's excellent sprite animations, and lovable character designs. The story revolves around a Half-genie, the titular Shantae, who is the guardian of a port side village called Scuttletown. One day her village is attacked by the nefarious Pirate Queen, Risky Boots who steals the plans from a local inventor to build a steam powered machine of destruction. Now it is up to Shantae to not only avenge her friends but also stop Risky from taking over the 7 seas. The story is rather simplistic, however it is still enjoyable as all the characters you encounter are all vastly unique, and have their own quirky character animations that help them stand out from each other. So certainly don't expect a NieR, or Killer7 level of writing with this game, and to me that's just fine to sit back and enjoy a fun little adventure. The gameplay is a rather traditional sidescroller platforming adventure on the surface but what makes Shantae stand out from the crowd is the transformations you unlock as you progress through the game. Shantae can transform into things like Monkeys, Spiders, or even Elephants to help traverse through her world and this opens up many possibilities for solving puzzles or defeating enemies. Speaking of enemies, one of the major drawbacks in my opinion is that Shantae's primary method of attack is whipping her hair at enemies which all things considered is a very short ranged attack. The problem with this is that most enemies you encounter through dungeons or the overworld are rather tanky taking upwards for 5-10 hits to dispatch, meaning you have to be right up on the enemy whipping your hair as fast as possible. This causes a problem when a lot of these enemies have a combination of ranged and close quarter attacks meaning you'll almost always take hits, even if you are really skilled. I found most of the time I just ended up skipping most of the fights I could just to avoid losing HP and personally I feel like that strips away some of the fun of a platformer. Overall however, Shantae is a very unique game, and is perhaps one of the best games to have originally come out on the GBC. The version I played was the remaster on Nintendo Switch, where they used a proprietary engine to upscale and faithfully recapture the original game's feeling and appearance and to that I say they did a pretty good job, also with adding a couple filters to best suit the player's taste. Shantae is a solid first entry to what would later become a very popular franchise, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into what the later games have in store as there is a lot of potential here to improve and make a truly unforgettable experience.

FFXV Royal Edition lives up to is subtitle as it is the definitive way to experience the story of FFXV. I originally fell in love with the game back on release but with this re-release I only love the game more, but this most recent playthrough has definitely showed some issues I have with this title. The story follows Noctis, a young prince of a kingdom called Insomnia who begrudgingly accepts his duty to one day be king. The narrative starts with Noctis and his best friends Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis going on a road trip to meet Noctis' fiance Lady Lunafreya. Things are quickly derailed however as back home Noctis' dad is murdered during a peace treaty signing with the kingdom of Nifilheim. Now Noctis is thrust into the shoes of Kinghood as he must fight an enemy nation, and an ancient advisory to emancipate his people and his nation. Most of your playtime will be dedicated to driving around the open world with your buddies as you forge memories, and fight various monsters, and daemons. Open world is something I would use loosely however because if you spend more than a couple minutes exploring the areas off the beaten path you'll be greeted with countless fences and impassible mountains, and what little area you are able to explore off the road rarely has any content worth exploring outside of the occasional dungeon or hunt, and herein lies my main issue with XV and that is that the game came out in a time where every game had to be an open world adventure, and this game tried to do that. The world is very pretty to look at from the road but venture off the beaten path and you will notice things fall apart rather quickly. Despite this the content that is present is really good and engaging and should keep you entertained for hours on end. The combat sees Noctis use his various weapons to deliver devastating damage to his foes in a character action style which is a first for the Final Fantasy mainline series. While many fans bemoan the change in gameplay style I think it is a vast improvement over the nauseatingly mid tier combat styles Square had come up with in the last couple installments as they attempted to reinvent the wheel. As an action game XV isn't the most in depth but it delivers enough variety to take you over the finish line without it all feeling too repetitive which is more than what I can ask for. Royal Edition also adds many new cutscenes not present in the original release to further flesh out the story, and think they are all welcome additions as it helps flesh out certain characters who didn't get much screen time before. Also included with the Royal Edition are all the original DLC for the game excluding Episode Ardyn, and all the DLC help expand the world and story of XV in great ways. I have reviewed the DLC separately so I won't go over them here but they are all worth your time to get the most out of this game's story. Also included is a completely reworked final dungeon, which previously was just 2 hallways. Now the final dungeon is it's own open world area that has it's own side objectives and really helps drive home the devastation that the Nifilheim have caused. Overall while many people deemed XV as the downfall of the main series due to it's combat change, and its tumultuous development history, I think it is a step in the right direction and is a great new beginning for the series, as it seems at the time of writing this review that XVI will take many concepts and ideas explored in this game and expand upon them for the better with the awesome development team behind FFXIV working on it. FFXV is a game that has greatly impacted me on release, and I am glad to say that it still hits as hard if not harder with the new content that has come out since it's initial release and is a must play for any JRPG or gaming fans in general.

Hitman Absolution is the 5th Entry in Io-Interactive's series, and this game is sure a doozy. Following the release of the stellar entry, Hitman Blood Money, it almost felt like IO wanted to branch out and try new games which resulted in stuff like Kane and Lynch, and Mini Ninjas neither of which seemed to stick in the popular conciousness. and around the release of Kane and Lynch 2, Eidos, Former publisher for the Hitman Franchise was gobbled up by the japanese gaming conglomerate, Square Enix. These factors could have brought some stress upon the team around Absolution's development to result in such a tonally inconsistent, jumbled amalgamation of random ideas and concepts that is this game. Whatever the reason was Hitman Absolution really dropped the ball in terms of series momentum. The story follows Agent 47 as he is tasked to eliminate his former retainer, and only real friend, Diana. He soon comes to find out that the reason he was sent to eliminate her was so the Agency could get their hands on an experimental super soldier child that they had been developing who was stolen by Diana. He is left to care for the child but quickly gets out smarted by the main antagonist of this game who is just Jack Nicholson from the shining but slightly more nutty. The story tries to take it's self so seriously that it comes off incredibly edgy, and to top it all off it throws in all sorts of nonsense jokes and line delivery that throws the whole tone out the window. But most people don't play Hitman for the story, they mostly play it for the fun sand box levels and mechanics that they can play around with, so does this game deliver on that front? No. This game instead opts for an extremely linear level design philosophy which is so counter intuitive to the mechanics of the Hitman series, and this game in general. All the staple mechanics from Hitman return here such as sneaking, wearing disguises, and dragging bodies, but the way these levels are structured makes it so that all these core mechanics are pretty useless and instead the most optimal route to completion most of the time is to just instead go in guns blazing. It certainly doesn't help that this game also has really cheap enemy placement which makes it hard to not get spotted when joined together with the terrible instinct system. The basic premise of the instinct system isn't terrible, it essentially allows you to see enemies through walls and pin point targets which could be helpful for strategizing if it weren't for the fact that there is no map to reference along to like previous games. There is also the problem with disguises basically being more useless than they were in Hitman 2 Silent Assassin which says a lot. Basically any guard can see through any disguise unless you use your instinct ability to hide your features from oncoming guards. The big problem with this is that the instinct ability is based off a meter which lasts too little to really have an impact on sneaking past guards. Overall Hitman Absolution is an over bloated, mess of a game that if I had played on launch I would have assumed that this game would mark the end of the Hitman franchise as we know it. But at the time of writing this review there has been 3 additional Hitman games to have come out who bring the series back to it's roots and then some in some very impressive ways. There is only really one positive thing I can say about the game and that is that it runs as it should and isn't very buggy which nowadays is something that is far too rare. I wouldn't really recommend this entry to anyone, not even fans of the series, but if you are a completionist who has to play all the entries in the series, I just recommend playing this game more like a cover shooter, and less like a stealth game and you will have a much better time.

Okami is one of those legendary games that will live on through history thanks to it's impeccable style, charm, and the devotion of it's fans. The game is made by Clover Studios (Proto-Platinum Games) and is directed by the legendary Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry, Bayonetta) and sees us take on the role of Amaterasu, the legendary sun Goddess of Japanese mythology who takes on the form of a white wolf who is revived after 100 years to defeat her eternal foe Orochi who has been revived by a mysterious figure. But she quickly learns that there are threats out there far worse than Orochi who threaten the very fabric of Nippon's reality. The game takes a lot of inspiration from The Legend of Zelda, and that should be apparent to anyone who has played games like Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask. You traverse the "open" world of Nippon which is split up into multiple large sections with tons of hidden secrets and collectables to find. These areas also include dungeons which see Amaterasu gain new godly brush techniques which help her solve puzzles, fight bosses, and explore terrain. There is no lack of side content in this game with things such as side quests, collectables, and a beast journal to keep you more than occupied and engaged with the world presented. The combat starts out pretty simple, with Amaterasu encountering enemies in fields and in dungeons where she is able to land simple combos, but as you gain more brush techniques, weapons, and combo upgrades the combat becomes more in depth and allows for more experimentation in battle. The game certainly isn't the most complex action game ever, but it still mixes things up enough to keep you entertained through your journey. Speaking of journey one of my biggest gripes with this game is the length. There are multiple points in this game where it feels like the story is setting up to end but instead just keeps going. Thankfully the characters and the mysteries propped up by the writing keeps you more than interested in what's going on, but the fact is there is certainly some fat that could be trimmed off this otherwise solid experience. There is one, rather tedious, boss you have to fight 3 times over the course of the game's story it just felt a little unnecessary at the end of the day. An average play time of 30 hours for a standard action game is a bit long and I wish they could've tightened up the story just a little bit to decrease the amount of time required for the full experience. Otherwise Okami deserves it's place in gaming history as one of the most memorable games of the PS2 generation, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Platinum/Clover or just someone who likes solid action game experiences.

Layton Brothers is the first in what I like to call the sequel series to the main Professor Layton series proper. And does this child live up to the legacy of its father series? In my opinion, yes, but I can see why some would disagree. A big part of my enjoyment of the original Layton series for me was the story, characters, and music, not so much the puzzles. The puzzles were certainly fun and memorable, but my main take away from the series wasn't really the gameplay, so that's why I was glad to start this game which has a refreshing take on the world of Layton, with the same exaggerated art style, larger than life characters, and great music (although the music has shifted from the Musette style we have become accustom to for more uptempo jazz.) Even characters that only appear for a single chapter in this game are very memorable thanks to their designs and well defined personalities. But I digress; the gameplay instead of being strictly puzzle focused, is instead a crime scene investigation style of game where you gather clues to help persecute a criminal out of a lineup of suspects. So there is still puzzle solving to some regard in this game, but just a very different style. I feel like this genre change is, or rather I should say was a great direction to take the series into. The story this time around is much darker than what we are used to with the Layton series as you play as Alfendi Layton, and assistant Lucy Baker who both work in the "Mystery Room" department of the Scotland Yard. The titular Mystery Room is where special cases that normal detectives couldn't figure out get taken, so it is brought to Layton who has has a split personality, where one half is timid and kind hearted, while the other is sinister, and has the mind of a killer. With this pairing of personalities Layton is able to understand the minds of the killers he confronts while being able to persecute them for their crimes. This game deals with a lot of blood, and gore, with some very twisted characters you encounter which is a series first for games that are typically more whimsical and light hearted. Unfortunately however after this game was completed it seem like there was no real attempt to keep the story of Alfendi Layton, and Lucy Baker going, despite the game leaving the door open for sequels. No, instead we got the contentious "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy" and the subsequent anime that accompanied it staring Professor Layton's daughter, and Alfendi's Sister, Katrielle. Fortunately it seems like level5 hasn't forgotten the characters as they appear for a very brief cameo in the final episode of the anime. Overall this game is an excellent experience, and great addition to the world of Layton and it's actually a crime this game is locked behind mobile, as I feel this game would do really well if it was ported to something like the switch. The game's mix of zany characters with the lite Phoenix Wright style gameplay ought to find it's audience on a platform as wide as the switch. But alas, with the closing of Level5's studios in America, I feel like this dream is more dead than some of the cadavers you investigate in this game, which is very truly sad. I highly recommend checking this game out while you can, before it becomes phased out of later iOS or android updates like many mobile games before it have.

Hitman Contracts is the 3rd installment in IO Interactive's Hitman Franchise, and what it doesn't do in original content makes up for in vastly superior mechanics and AI programming to it's predecessor Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. The game follows Agent 47 as he has been severely injured while on a mission and he is left to recover in his hotel room as he recollects various missions he went on, 6 of which are original scenarios for this game while the rest are remakes of levels from the original game, Hitman: Codename 47. The original levels are full of atmosphere, and condensed enough that the levels don't feel empty and lifeless like in Silent Assassin. Some stand outs include The Meat King's Party which is an orgy of blood, and ecstasy as 47 must take out truly despicable enemies. There's also Beldingford Manor which is dripping with atmosphere, and feels fully realized with so many secrets and environmental story telling that you could get lost in the level. Now with that said the levels remade from Codename 47 aren't bad in fact I feel like quite a few of them make the transition quite well such as Traditions of Trade, or The Lee Hong Assassination. The gameplay is your usual Hitman affair where you are left in a sandbox world to take out your target anyway you desire, but for the first time in series history (at the time of it's release) it feels like all the mechanics work as they should like using disguises, and being able to navigate the world with ease. I'm comfortable with saying that Hitman Contracts is the entry in which the series starts to actually be good. It is certainly far from perfect, but it is a step in the right direction from Silent Assassin, and I can't wait to see what Blood Money has in store next.

Shin Megami Tensei V is the newest entry in the long running JRPG series from Atlus, and my favorite series of all time. Does this long awaited JRPG live up to the hype and anticipation built up to it's long and troubled development? The short answer is yes and no. There are aspects to this game I really enjoy, and other aspects not so much. To start off with the positives is that SMTV is definitely the next big step of the series as this time the developers reduced the focus on big dungeons in favor for big open areas that serve as micro open worlds full of content such as side quests, treasure, various different demons to recruit and fight. One of the original concepts for Nocturne was to have a big open world to be able to see demons walking around the world, and being able to look up and get a scope of the world and how you fit into it and now it feels like that vision is finally coming to fruition and Atlus, and Team Maniax stick the landing for the most part. One of my major qualms with with the open world however is it feels like they didn't take full advantage of being able to sneak in tons of secrets like Nocturne. Nocturne had so many hidden boss fights and areas like Mara slime, and Masakado's palace with the Devas, and this would've been the perfect opportunity to explore those kind of hidden secrets even more but sadly there isn't much to be found on the over world in terms of secrets. The combat is the best that the series has ever been, with the press turn system, but also the introduction of Magatsuhi skills which allow you to pull off moves that don't take a turn that can either buff your party or deal heavy damage to your foes but thankfully the game is balanced in such a way that the Magatsuhi skills don't break the game. There is still plenty of challenge to be had, as enemies can also take advantage of Magatsuhi skills. This small tweak to the SMT formula really helps keep the combat fresh and allows for a lot of strategy when facing a boss as you may have to choose between several magatsuhi skills which could make or break the fight. Now to briefly touch on my biggest problem with the game is the story. My problem with the story doesn't stem from the writing per se as I feel it's a massive step up from Apocalypse, however the story just kinda ends. The final bit of the game just kinda deflates and it feels like a quick race to the finish line which is a huge juxtaposition to other games in the series like SMT IV and Nocturne where those game's final parts were considerably longer and delivered a lot more of a pay off. It might be because development on this game restarted part way through, or because of covid but it feels like this game just kinda ends 3 quarters of the way through the story, and that really deflated my positivity for this game. Maybe we will get an expanded release one day as the game files seem to suggest but until then SMTV is a very solid entry in the series, and is mostly a course correction from Apocalypse, but it's still far from reaching the heights and the glory of earlier Mainline titles.

REVIEW FOR FINAL FANTASY 1:

Final Fantasy 1 is one of the most beloved games of all time spawning one of the most beloved franchises of all time but does it still hold up today? Well there are literally dozens of different iterations and remakes of this title alone that each one has it's own balancing making slightly different experiences between each version. The version I chose to play is the PS1 version through the Origins Collection which is perhaps the most faithful adaptation to the NES version in terms of general balancing and item options. The main difference is this version has vastly improved visuals, and orchestrated soundtrack. The story follows a prophesied 4 heroes of light who set off on a journey to defeat the agents of chaos and restore balance to the lands of Cornelia. The story is rather simplistic but it has this charm to it that feels timeless almost like a fairy tail for the modern ages, especially with the the villain of the game. The combat is the bare essentials when it comes to turn based combat, but that doesn't make it any less engaging or fun to play. There are dozens of classes to choose from to build your team, and tons of resistances, and weaknesses that you can use to your advantage. With all that said FF1 is still a very basic RPG that if you go in expecting something more akin to the series' later entries you might not feel all that satisfied, but if you keep an open mind then you just may find yourself having a pretty decent time overall.

An excellent, yet flawed game. There is a lot to be enjoyed in this wonderful Open World RPG. As someone who didn't buy into the prelaunch hype, I went in with 0 expectations, and was simply blown away by the lovable cast of characters you interact with in Night City. Much like other titles before it (like death stranding) this game fell victim to high expectations before launch. There are bugs a plenty in this game, yet I didn't feel like it was an end all be all. Other games of this genre (namely Fallout New Vegas) are also riddled with similar bugs yet receive not as much hate. Hopefully this game will see a second life years down the line with some of the bugs ironed out.

As the first entry in the Professor Layton saga, The Curious Village is both a unique, interesting, yet simplistic take on the Point and Click genre of games. It's presentation as a cartoony European adventure in a mysterious and hidden Bavarian styled town is incredibly cozy and enjoyable. This combined with the folk-y accordion soundtrack carries the game for the most part. The story is a little simplistic, but engaging none the less, however the major twist on what the secret of the village is left me with a kind of odd and sour feeling and is probably my least favorite part of the game. The puzzles were fun enough to playthrough, but some puzzles felt too similar to others thus making some of the later ones too easy. All in all Professor Layton as a series has a fun cast of characters and a good enough formula that can easily be improved on, so I can't wait to see what the series has in store next.

An interesting, and engaging soft reboot for the Hitman franchise. From the ashes of Hitman Absolution, comes this game which is a refreshing take on this sandbox like genre. The freedom given to the player to try different takedowns is a really addicting aspect of this game and allows for a ton of replay value. My major complaint is the story is a little muddled and lacking for the most part. I wish they would have put a little more time into fleshing out the overall narrative, but given how constrictive Square Enix was to their western developers at the time I can see why the story was cut a little short. Overall my experience is a positive one and I can't wait to see what the next game in this reboot series has in store!

The Unwound Future is perhaps one of the best puzzle games I have played in recent memory. The puzzle selection is just superb, the environments to explore are amazingly detailed for a regular DS title and it's all amplified by the wonderfully zany and cartoony world that Professor Layton and crew inhabit. The story this time around takes some emotionally impactful twists and turns i'd never to expect to see in this particular series. The best way I could describe the unwound future is that it's both parts gleeful, and sad and does both with grace. The twist at the end of this game is perhaps the most unbelievable out of the bunch but by this point it's to be expected, and it works perfectly to convey a resonant and impactful story that will surely leave you thinking about the events that just unfolded for years to come. My only major complaint is that i'm not 100% on board with how Layton acts so dismissive around Flora, but it seems like i'm not the only one of that opinion. Otherwise this is an excellent journey and great way to cap off the original trilogy of the Layton Series. Next is the Prequel trilogy, and i'm really curious how they will approach the story from that angle.