Well, now I definitely know that RGG isn't for me. It is a huge pity, because in concept it has a lot of things I would love.

Following my disappointment with 0 years ago and not enjoying the couple hours I put into both Kiwami 1 and the original Yakuza, I decided to give this series one last chance. While diehard Yakuza fans will protest, this game is often seen as another alternate entry point, just like 0, with Infinite Wealth being the one where you have to play everything from 0 to 6, as well as Judgement, which I would've done had I loved Y7.

So, anyway, the thing I usually like the least in media are usually generic, unambitious stories that just try to be "good" and not push themselves. In my opinion, both 0 and this game fall into this category despite being solid in most aspects. At the end of the day, despite all the silly side stuff (which 1) isn't my type of humor generally and 2) I was mostly doing to "experience what Yakuza is about" without sticking to just the serious main campaign, though the place it was most useful was getting money for gear) and the cool action sequences for some bosses, it's still just what I'd consider "a normal yakuza story", and crazy maneuvers and humorous side quests aside, I feel like everything in both this and 0 acts within the confines of that. Stuff about drugs, counterfeit bills, revenge, life after crime are cool ideas, but they're not that crazy to me. It's a very straightforward execution of what you'd expect from a yakuza-themed game. I would take a more flawed story that tries to be something more yet fails any day over this. I see both 0 and this as almost on the same level as just a normal fantasy JRPG which has a heroic hero defeat the big bad or a dragon with absolutely nothing else to add.

The gameplay is weird because it both has AoE and doesn't, which manifests itself as a pretty important factor since enemy positioning (and even your positioning), as well as positioning of some stuff like bikes or boxes that you can pick up to deal extra damage being completely out of your control. This leaves a bit too much to chance for my tastes. This game is also grindy as hell, which was pretty unexpected from a 2020 JRPG. I also like the idea of a turn-based yakuza-themed JRPG with an MC who images it as Dragon Quest, but unfortunately this gets old rather quickly due to the grind and other systems, especially encounters, which get really tedious compared to the action side of Yakuza when you're on your way to your next objective and are overlevelled.

The voice acting (especially Ichiban's) and music are generally good, some of the tracks are just random dubstep (?) but there's some really cool ones like this which I'm sure I'd find more impactful if I'd played the other games.

I like the setting but the story doesn't live up to it, in my opinion. I feel like it plays it very safe, and in chapter 15 especially it feels like shit just happens. The way the story ended before the credits kind of cheapened a pretty decent scene that was going on before that.

Overall, it's certainly not bad, but it's not for me, and I don't really see how this is one of the greatest JRPGs and/or video games of all time. If someone reading this thinks so, I am happy for you, I wish I could feel the same. At least now I know that Yakuza isn't for me since I didn't care for 0 nor 7, which are often considered top-tier games in the series rankings, so it was a good indicator.

I'm speechless. Words can't do it justice.

Absolutely phenomenal game that succeeds on almost all fronts. I expected very little coming into the Crossbell games given my disappointment with the Sky games, but Zero and especially Azure blew me away.

The game has great pacing, one of the best in any JRPG I've played actually which is surprising because pacing has always been the series' weakest part for me. The cast is fantastic and a lot of them are well fleshed out with only a few exceptions. I love Randy and Wazy especially, their arcs really moved me. KeA is so adorable and she must be protected at all costs.

Lloyd motherfucking Bannings is such a great protagonist man. The perfect one for crossbell. A guy willing to stare at the face of despair and struggle with all his might no matter how hopeless the situation is. He's the perfect representation of the indomitable human spirit. He's also a great representation of Crossbell as a state, always being the underdog with constant oppressors holding them back, yet they will never ever backdown no matter what.

The plot was surprisingly complex too, escalating tremendously from the straightforward but solid narrative of Zero, tackling incredibly ambitious ideas with it delivering never ending, nail-biting twists until the very last moments of the game. Yet somehow all these twists never serve to muddy the core message of the game which is to rely on the people around you in order to overcome the mistakes of the past instead of taking the easy way out with ones problems. The game never crumbles from the weight of its own ambitions which is something I greatly commend the game for.

The antagonists are hit or miss, but generally I don't have a problem with them very much and I think they're better handled than Sky SC's antags as their dynamics with the cast feel more relevant to what's actually going on in the story instead of it being fueled by some random past history that's irrelevant to the plot. There are a few exceptions to this in SC but generally this is the case. Imo at least.

As for other stuff about the game, the ost is absolutely fantastic, easily one of my favorites in any JRPG with many bangers such as Inevitable Struggle, Mystic Core, Get over the Barrier, To be continued! And much more. The gameplay is stellar too, taking the already great foundation of the series and making it even better with the addition of Master Quartz which adds a lot more decision making in the gameplay.

All in all, Trails to Azure is essentially a masterpiece with very little issues and fixed nearly every problem I had with the series up to this point. The last stretch and conclusion of the game left me in shock and awe. Not only is it such a satisfying conclusion to the game thematically, but it also made me incredibly excited for the series moving forward.

Though it took a long while, I suppose Trails won me over at this point.

A great exploration of conflict and how prejudice towards a specific group can prevent understanding of one another. It has many glaring issues but the sheer passion and heart seeping out of every pore of it makes up for it tenfold. So many moments are executed with the utmost of sincerity that I can't help but just feel enamored by it.

The cast is also surprisingly well written with Deathpolca and Diana being the most standout. Deathpolca is an excellent protagonist that is perfect for the kind of story this is. Diana is one of my favorite JRPG party members ever with an incredibly strong character arc that had a cathartic conclusion. The rest of the cast are no slouches too with them being very endearing and having great dynamics. The weak link of the casts are sadly the antagonists but the Emperor and another one I shall not name are pretty good.

The way it functions as a prequel to King Exist is also unlike anything I've ever seen. This is a very uniquely executed prequel.

The one true flaw of the game that I can't ignore is definitely the gameplay and overall world design being boring. It is not very fun to play sadly, and when compared to other RPGM games such as Black Souls, it falls flat in this aspect for me.

I love Deathpolca so much.

King Exit translation when.

Black Souls 1 - 9/10
Black Souls 2 - 10/10

I'm at a loss for words. A perfect execution of ludonarrative harmony that's also a love letter to fairy tales and what they mean to people. It examines how people use fairy tales as an extreme way of escapism, refusing to face reality head on. It's also a story of love that knows no bounds, even when one is put through hell. In the end though, no matter how much you try to run away to a land filled with dreams, only a brutal reality awaits.

The gameplay is surprisingly very stellar too with a lot of options given to you, and the level of freedom on display is remarkable. It's perfectly interwoven with the narrative and adds to it.

This game was something very special.

OINK- A truly incredible master piece by the goat Suda51. SQUEEEELSS OINKKKKKK----- reminiscent of titles such as grunts Ergo Proxy and OINKK OINKKKK----- Ghost in the shell.

The atmosphere and vibes were just OINK-- fantastic. The plot squeels is way ahead of its time grunts the way it OINK- doesn't really say anything and makes no sense.

Hoping to grunts replay it in a few years and be able to enjoy the incredible experience of getting lost in the squeels silver case atmosphere OINK- again.

grunts Kill the past OINK-.