Undoubtedly ahead of its time. MGS1’s greatest strength lies in its ability to make their cinematic vision seamlessly thrive in a time of such unadvanced & unpolished technology. Every cutscene has a clear cinematic approach, and while some may say it looks goofy due to the aged animation, I still believe it to be masterful & worthy of appreciation because of the commitment & confidence present in the execution. The game’s exceptional quality definitely deserves a remake that would allow players to fully grasp the sheer brilliance of this revolutionary PlayStation masterpiece.

FF16 has some of the best combat I’ve ever played in 2023. The different Eikons that you can switch between seamlessly make the boss fights more epic than they already are. Every entry into the series gets more and more cinematic and they might have peaked with this game. The story’s theme of defying fate is very well told throughout each act. The score from Masayoshi Soken is for sure the best music in a video game, and it makes the cutscenes and boss fights feel insanely epic. For all the positives I give this game, it’s not without its flaws. For one, the sidequests are really lifeless for the most part. They all play out really similarly and if the gameplay wasn’t so fun I wouldn’t bother doing them. The characters, while very well acted, felt very cliche. That wasn’t always a bad thing throughout the game, but it left me wanting more from them. All in all though, I really enjoyed this game as a complete package and it’s one of the best games on the PS5.

Enjoyed the combat a lot more than I thought I would, but I really didn't connect with the story or characters. I thought Zack was a decent protagonist but I didn't end up loving him as much as I wanted to. Sephiroth was done decently and Cloud's characterization was well-done for how little screen-time he really had. On the other hand, Genesis was really painful to listen to and Angeal's more human characterization unfortunately didn't last long. Although I haven't played the original PSP version, from what I've seen of it Zack's original voice carried a lot of that game's dialouge and emotional weight compared to this remaster. There's also some graphical issues that bothered me like some weird looking faces and the game feeling low-budget at times. Worth a playthrough, as it's surprisingly short, but not something I'd want to revisit anytime soon.

I was skeptical going into Like a Dragon - how would I feel about a series suddenly switching up its lead character on the 7th entry?

The first 5 or so hours also didn’t have me convinced - the Yakuza series always leant into the more “silly” side of things but had its lead be stoic and serious to balance things out. Like a Dragon takes the lead and also makes him a person who also sits more on the “unserious” side of things.

This is however, as I got more into it, actually enjoyable. It lends itself to the new turn-based combat instead of the beat-em-up type from the previous entries by making it a character trait. Ichiban sees the world and his “fighting” like his favourite video game - Dragon Quest, helping to allow for those quirky and weird enemies to fit into the world.

Ichiban does also have that emotional depth to balance out the character so it’s not all just crazy 24/7 (the ending may have gotten a tear out of me).

Not only did they swap out the lead and the combat but Ryu Ga Gotoku also switched out the main locale from series mainstay of Kamurocho to Isezaki Ijincho (Also featured in Lost Judgment), which is a decent size larger than Kamurocho.

Yet again, the story is just as good as the previous titles and really the main drawing factor for myself to play through these games, bringing in the fun and dramatic elements to truly create this video game “soap opera”.

The game also is littered, as expected, with hours upon hours of side activities and quests - from being a “Part-Time Hero” where you go around town saving people from trouble or providing them with items they’ve requested, to go-karting around the streets. Oh, and of course, sega arcades to play classic sega games.

Despite my initial scepticism of the drastic change of the series it’s certainly welcomed and needed to keep it fresh and engaging.

I'll be honest, it took me a long time to start playing this series. I knew that MGS3 and MGSV were well-known, but I didn't care much

gladly i got a computer so... i started emulating

The desire to play MGS2 and MGS3 was definitely what motivated me to play this, but MGS1 wasn't at all bad, in fact, it's one of my favorite games

The entire narrative is so skillfully built that it's difficult to believe that everything mentioned matters, the plot twists were something that really caught me off guard and considering this game does not have the best in the series makes my dopamine receptors fry

if yall ever say that "the plot is way to complicated" pls shut up, thast honestly what makes this whole game good and the rest of the series ( probably )

the whole anime-esque but not exagerrated part of this game makes it much better tbh it just adds a bit of comedic relief and stupid things that any other games couldnt pull without being corny

im definitely not great with reviews but at least i tried expressing my love for this title, hope mgs2 as good or better

LOVE YOU KOJIMA <3

The Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions

🎜 "The many miles we walked, the many things we learned" 🎝

May possible be one of the biggest and longest open world games I've ever played. Almost 90h worth of mainline content and I can't imagine how much there's left for me when it comes to side content, let alone achievements. It was, for the lack of a better word: "A wild ride" to behold. It's in a whole another league compared to what we currently have in the industry and probably hasn't won't be replicated ever again. Was the sacrifice worth? Yes, to some extent.

Let's start this reading with a simple question...what is Realism? Cambridge Dictionary says: "A way of thinking and acting based on facts and what is possible, rather than on hopes for things that are unlikely to happen". Dictionary.com says: "The tendency to view or represent things as they really are". Why did I bring that up? You see, Red Dead Redemption 2 is full to the brim with details in every department it can cover or be developed on, is it really though? No, of course not is not perfectly "Realistic" but, it's realistic in a way a videogame can be, just before it starts to be annoying. Same goes for the word "Immersion", stranded in a world were you can feel it really exist, and you're part of it. "Realism" and "Immersion" are two sides of the same coin, while not exaclty meaning the same, they are rules that a certain work uses to make a peaceful cohesion in a fictional world. Realism can help a world feel more immersive since it's using real world rules, something that I think everyone knows by now. Immersion can work on it's own and does not need realism to make a world feel "real".

🎜 "..The building of a shrine. Only just to burn" 🎝

Why is Fallout New Vegas as a game more immersive than Red Dead Redemption 2? It's all about being consistent. Fallout's World doesn't aim to be "Realistic" it aims to be immersive, while Red Dead Redemption 2 tries to be both, and sort of fails in both categories. This was just a realisation I had after skinning so much animals in the wild, some had stupidly long animations that I felt were just made for comedic purposes and some didn't even had any animations to begin with. Why just don't go all the way in? Game just shitted the pants in front of me after flexing for so long I could skin an animal in with some very gruesome long animations. It was one of the most shocking aspects of Red Dead Redemption 2 to me, it could've been a perfect game in my eyes if it really want to go all in with it's mechanics. It's inconsistent, for the most part and this isn't immersive nor realistic, it's frustrating. And I can't get over the fact Rockstar did that to themselves, meaning it was intentional. As a game it is still bounded by Rockstar's philosphy.

🎝 "Shine light into darkness" 🎜

Let's just get the possitives out of the way first because this game has a lot of it. First off the story is all around great and enjoyable, really long too probably lasting as much as 90h. Arthur Morgan is a great character, everything you want in a cowboy. But most of all, he's human with all it's flaws and strenghts that comes with it, further elevated by Dutch's actions during the game. It's like you're playing as some sort of innofensive gang of villains all the way through the game surviving the rampant change of times in the middle of nowhere. It's a compelling tale from start to end, even if it drags for way more than needed. I've heard once "Time affects the way you feel towards someone or something" and I think it applies perfectly to this game.

It's not just Arthur, the whole gang adds something of value to the group of outlaws, again with it's flaws and strenghts and no one is absolutely in top of another, except for Dutch. The most important characters in the game are the ones that end going through the biggest changes, or in the words of Arthur: "Just reveal who they really are". The writting takes a huge leap in quality compared to Rockstar's past works as well, I can admire that any day of the week. I think the title of this review encapsulates the story very well too, the wrong sacrifice for a greater good or something like that. The soundtrack, which surprisngly most of it it's original as much as the first game is impecable and captures the feeling and themes of "Desolation", the very last breath of the wild west with Arthur and "Union", the new born man finally living in society with John. I love it.

As the title of this review says "Good Intentions". Most of the negatives I just remarked, are positive for others that aren't me or some of you that didn't like this game personally. It's a sacrifice towards accesibility. I still remember reading a news article saying something like "70yo grandpa has played Red Dead Redemption 2 campaing over 20 times" or so it said. That made me smile a bit, knowing that there are people out there that are willing to play games but can't sink time in something so demanding and hostile towards them. And I'm glad this type of game exist for the right people that love it. But, Why just don't go all the way in? Rockstar is a master of their craft, but can't seem to understand their formula, desing isn't flawless in this day and age. What may have been acceptable in GTA III, in 2001 isn't much in Red Dead Redemption 2, 17 years down the road. It's a philosophy, a way of living such as Dutch said. Even if isn't perfect and they have to stand for it.

🎝 "That's the way it is" 🎝

Even if the story is great and pretty much perfect, it's sadly encapsulated, sealed in a perfectly safe bubble, a world apart from the open world. They're two separated entities working under the same roof. There's story missions Arthur Morgan which tells Dutch that killing people is a big no-no, and there is open world Arthur Morgan which internally disagrees and has commited mass genocide in Rhodes and Valentine in broad daylight, the open world does not mean much to the story and the story does not mean much to the open world itself, aside from some specific occations but they don't work together at all. This has been an issue with Rockstar in general. Specially in something, just to give you an example GTA IV. But in this game is much more aggravating knowing there are more decisions to be made, it either rewards or punishes for your behiavor, since you have more options to interact with the enviroment at your dissposal. You choose the way you want to be in the, that very system is reduced to a serviceable Honor System. The Honor only affects the open world slice of this title and affects the story in very minor key details which are some specific cutscenes towards the end of the game, before the epilogue to be exact.

And they created this fictional world that is so huge, detailed and...well...full of scripted events. It's the same plague that rottens the main campaing. Once you've seen everything that there is too it, it means there is nothing beyond it. It's scripted you can't change what's there...in a video game...a medium known for it's interactivity. A world to me doesn't just end in looking pretty, full of activities to waste your time on and scripted events. It needs to be alive. Sorry to bring up Fallout New Vegas again, but the Mojave as ugly as it can be I personally feel more connected to it because it let's me do whatever I want and I'm not limited beyond the game already tells me. And sure, you can say in Fallout New Vegas the game is "scripted" but it opens the possibility to change the world around your decisions, not just you having a bounty on your head or not, so it limits itself to a binary system without any gray zones in between.

There is too much passion, blood and tears put into this game. Down to every minuscule detail, it's honestly excessive because this isn't a "Cowboy Simulator", it comes from Rockstar; the same company that coded Grand Theft Auto V's driving. Then what? It's Red Dead Redemption just GTA's boring brother? Is GTA going to fill that rampage arcady fun of many people? Is it RDR going to be even more immersive in the next entry? Too many questions when it comes to identity, GTA V and RDR 2 are the total opossite in the same vein GTA IV and Red Dead Revolver are. Talking about excessive, Rockstar Games were caught making crounch on their developers while making Red Dead Redemption 2. The horse ball conversation is more than known by the public by now, but it's the perfect example of making pointless details that might have put just for fun at the detriment of some employees. Just imagine someone consantly supervising the work of the horse testicles shrinking by cold temperatures and all the variables that comes with them, and you're the one in charge. It honestly doesn't sound that fun. A leadership like this? Starts to sound Dutch, ambition knows no bounds for the greater good of everyone but your people.

Honestly, this game is good. But it's severly flawed. If it wasn't for the impecable story and writting probably I would've not continued playing it. Not even the survival elements can make it for a decent replay, since for the most part everything is automated and slow because "Realism". It's frustrating to know so much effort went in a game that is loved by millions but it's a clear example that more doesn't always mean better It's a game thar is less that the sum of it's parts, which means if we evaluate each component individually we'll get very high ups and very low downs.

But thanks Arthur, for trying.