RustySteiner
2023
The Remake for one of the most influential and generational games of all time... is a masterpiece
What a surprise. I usually write a long review detailing my experience but I gotta play it again ASAP and aim for S rank. Hasta luego!
22 hours and 200 "¡Un forastero!" later, I give Resident Evil 4 Remake a 5/5
What a surprise. I usually write a long review detailing my experience but I gotta play it again ASAP and aim for S rank. Hasta luego!
22 hours and 200 "¡Un forastero!" later, I give Resident Evil 4 Remake a 5/5
Didn't care for the story, main villains, and some character resolution genuinely suck IMO but I can't ignore the fun I've had during the entire experience either from the vastly-improved gameplay, fun and addicting side-content, charming cast of characters (Yamai especially), banger OST, and Hawaii as the new setting (I lived in Waianae for 2 years so maybe there's bias into that. It really felt like I was there. They did a great job with the immersion).
I won't be forgetting this game soon and personally worth the price but I wish the story and ending resonated with me as that's what I usually care for the most in the series. Also it sucks that NG+ and Platinum Trophy was locked via DLC. I usually do those after so I'm bummed to shelve the game for a while until it goes on a steep sale.
117 hours and 50 days in Dondoko Island later, I give Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth a 4/5
I won't be forgetting this game soon and personally worth the price but I wish the story and ending resonated with me as that's what I usually care for the most in the series. Also it sucks that NG+ and Platinum Trophy was locked via DLC. I usually do those after so I'm bummed to shelve the game for a while until it goes on a steep sale.
117 hours and 50 days in Dondoko Island later, I give Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth a 4/5
2005
I came for the boobs and gore but found so much more
I recently played God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla and quickly found out that I barely remember Kratos' story at all. I came into the series as a horny teen who played for the boobs and gore so I guess I didn't pay attention to anything beyond those at the time. That's why returning with a mature mindset and appreciation for story/character + the context of Valhalla and Kratos' recent development was a massive payoff that I didn't expect returning to this game.
The combat aged like fine mead. It's snappy, has a lot of combo and ability variety that keeps the flow of combat so satisfying. Blades of Chaos is iconic from the get-go and the finishers are brutal af. I never got bored of the combat at all.
My only gripe throughout was some section that breaks the pace or was a bit too difficult (Pushing the box while archers rain arrows down on you, slooowly pushing giant pillars even with the kick, that one section where bats will push you down the beams, etc) and also sometimes the grab finishers misses but overall, super fun experience.
check my logs for moment-to-moment thoughts and a best/worst of list at the end
7.45 hours and later, I give God of War a 4.5/5
I recently played God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla and quickly found out that I barely remember Kratos' story at all. I came into the series as a horny teen who played for the boobs and gore so I guess I didn't pay attention to anything beyond those at the time. That's why returning with a mature mindset and appreciation for story/character + the context of Valhalla and Kratos' recent development was a massive payoff that I didn't expect returning to this game.
The combat aged like fine mead. It's snappy, has a lot of combo and ability variety that keeps the flow of combat so satisfying. Blades of Chaos is iconic from the get-go and the finishers are brutal af. I never got bored of the combat at all.
My only gripe throughout was some section that breaks the pace or was a bit too difficult (Pushing the box while archers rain arrows down on you, slooowly pushing giant pillars even with the kick, that one section where bats will push you down the beams, etc) and also sometimes the grab finishers misses but overall, super fun experience.
check my logs for moment-to-moment thoughts and a best/worst of list at the end
7.45 hours and later, I give God of War a 4.5/5
Have you heard of the critically acclaimed 3rd person action-adventure game God of War Ragnarök which has an expanded free DLC that you can play through as the voice of award-winning actor Christopher Judge for free with no restrictions on playtime because it's a roguelite now?! Download and enjoy Valhalla today! https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/god-of-war-ragnarok/god-of-war-ragnarok-valhalla/
Seriously, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla is a prime example of the perfect DLC. It neatly ties into the base game; adds some much needed lore into Valhalla; further develops the already-compelling characters such as the Valkyries, Freya, Tyr, Mimir, and especially Kratos; adds insane replayability to the gameplay formula by TURNING IT INTO A ROGUELITE THAT'S SO SMART AAAAH; and best of all is that it's all FREE!. It's not hyperbole when I say I'll easily pay $15 for this. It's THAT GOOD.
If there's a gripe, and this is extremely small and personal, it's that there's only 12 trophies. I find trophies tied to collectibles and challenges add to the fun and incentivize me to just dive deep into everything the game has to offer. It's especially true on roguelites so it's a biiiit disappointing getting all of it within a few runs and with no fanfare (I didn't realize I got it all until I checked the day after). Not much of a gripe to knock the rating off tho, and I forced myself to think of one in this case.
Anyway, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla is a 5/5. GO PLAY IT
Seriously, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla is a prime example of the perfect DLC. It neatly ties into the base game; adds some much needed lore into Valhalla; further develops the already-compelling characters such as the Valkyries, Freya, Tyr, Mimir, and especially Kratos; adds insane replayability to the gameplay formula by TURNING IT INTO A ROGUELITE THAT'S SO SMART AAAAH; and best of all is that it's all FREE!. It's not hyperbole when I say I'll easily pay $15 for this. It's THAT GOOD.
If there's a gripe, and this is extremely small and personal, it's that there's only 12 trophies. I find trophies tied to collectibles and challenges add to the fun and incentivize me to just dive deep into everything the game has to offer. It's especially true on roguelites so it's a biiiit disappointing getting all of it within a few runs and with no fanfare (I didn't realize I got it all until I checked the day after). Not much of a gripe to knock the rating off tho, and I forced myself to think of one in this case.
Anyway, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla is a 5/5. GO PLAY IT
"Oh Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is JUST a small side-game we made in like 2 hours. Don't expect anything much lol" - RGG Studio, 2022
RGG Studio lied as naturally as they breathed
+ Best Coliseum/Arena in ANY RGG game. You can play as a chicken, goat, giant baby, ninja, robot with chainsaw, etc.
+ Best OST in ANY RGG game. That Final Boss theme slaps HARD
+ Best Final Boss of all time. Maybe on par with Yakuza 5 and I'm not joking.
+ Arguably the bestKiryu Joryu combat in Dragon Engine. Juggling enemies are so fun while using gadgets Amon-style.
+ You wanted more from Yakuza 6 as a swansong to Kiryu? Well here you go. When they announced this I was like "oh c'mon y'all are ruining the ending of 6" but now that I've played it, damn I am happy Gaiden exists. That ending alone is a MUST SEE.
+ Akame
I recommend Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name to all RGG fans. It is a MUST-PLAY after Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon and especially if you love Kiryu. I would love to see more of the Gaiden format in future titles (Bring Shinada back you cowards)
4.5/5
RGG Studio lied as naturally as they breathed
+ Best Coliseum/Arena in ANY RGG game. You can play as a chicken, goat, giant baby, ninja, robot with chainsaw, etc.
+ Best OST in ANY RGG game. That Final Boss theme slaps HARD
+ Best Final Boss of all time. Maybe on par with Yakuza 5 and I'm not joking.
+ Arguably the best
+ You wanted more from Yakuza 6 as a swansong to Kiryu? Well here you go. When they announced this I was like "oh c'mon y'all are ruining the ending of 6" but now that I've played it, damn I am happy Gaiden exists. That ending alone is a MUST SEE.
+ Akame
I recommend Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name to all RGG fans. It is a MUST-PLAY after Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon and especially if you love Kiryu. I would love to see more of the Gaiden format in future titles (Bring Shinada back you cowards)
4.5/5
2023
This review contains spoilers
TRANSMISSION STARTS
Dead Space Remake is genuinely one of the best horror experience I've had in gaming. Here are my rambly, Marker-induced thoughts.
Disclaimer: Never played the original so I can't compare it
USG Ishimura is iconic. I can't put the controller down despite the chill-inducing atmosphere, alien level design, and tragic environmental lore and story. It's as if the ship is alive and a character that underwent various changes throughout. It also has SPACE BASKETBALL. What else can I say? I also like that every area is used to its maximum effect. Nothing is over/underutilized. By the end, I was intimately familiar with everything, vents included and I felt a sense of melancholy by the end. I will never forget the USG Ishimura!
The enemy variety is astounding. The Necromorphs are some of the most haunting enemies in gaming due to their grotesque design and unbreakable focus to hunt you down. Dead Space Remake is really good at balancing them as well. You don't get an unfair combination and their placement doesn't feel random during the critical story path. I love how the Necromorphs evolve throughout the game and FUCK THEM NECRO-TICKS OR WHATEVER I HATE THEM.
Isaac is one badass motherfucker for surviving throughout the game through sheer will to find his loved one and ingenious ENGINEERING. No joke. Dude kept building weapons and improving his armor from scraps and tools. I don't know if I'm reading this right but he's just a regular guy that happens to be resourceful and crafty. His way of fighting the bosses were unique, the weapons he use are all improvised, every time something goes wrong he has a quick and often impromptu solution to, and HE GETS SCARED. In most survival horror games of its era, the protagonist is this perfect action hero. Isaac is neither in that his sanity is constantly waning. He mirrors the player so well through his reactions, haggard breathing... and the stomp... oh man the stomp is simply iconic. It conveys Isaac and our emotion towards fighting necromorphs, and hints at an underlying anger issue that's perhaps a result of his upbringing through his mom and Unitology. Last thing I wanna say is Ishimura and Isaac complement each other. I can't believe the dynamic between a character and a ship would go this hard. These two make Dead Space whole... again.
A short ramble about the cast. Hammond is awesome. Sorry I doubted the man. He just wants to save his crew despite not being equipped to deal with necromorphs. Daniels is a conflicting one. Surprised how she was revealed to be an antagonist but her motive makes sense to her character and circumstance. She's a great and complex character. I wish we get to know her more though. Nicole is great as well. One of the good ones in Ishimura. She resisted the Unitology to the bitter end. Its tragic she's stuck alone, away from Isaac throughout all of this. Marcus... well damn I dunno. I like his role but his end was pretty abrupt and dissatisfying after all he's done. Overall, great cast of characters. (I'm starting to get conscious at the length of this "review")
Story is a bit convoluted and ngl I zoned out a bit halfway through all the convergence talks. All I'll say is, the idea of an alien artifact getting into the hands of a fully-indoctrinated and extremist religion is terrifying af and not far from reality if given the same circumstance.
The rest of my compliments: Diegetic UI is cool af, all weapons are cool and useful, Zero-G is a bit nauseating but a unique and fun gameplay mechanic, item scarcity adds a ton to the survival horror element, almost no loading sections, side missions adds a lot to the lore and Ishimura development, puzzles are fun.
No masterpiece is perfect. I do have some gripes with it. Game lags a bit tho not too immersion-breaking, lost a bunch of items and throwables because they kept falling through the floor, keeping track of side missions one at a time was kinda annoying. Wish there's a separate waypoint when pressing R3, waypoint is busted on Zero-G sections at times, and I get waaay too many ammo for weapons I don't use and at times too much '100 credits' that makes ammo scarcity feel a bit artificial, and lastly a personal gripe is there's no Photo Mode. Wish I could see the necromorphs and the environment in full detail. These are all small gripes on my end though and barely affects the overall enjoyment.
I have so much more to say but it's getting long. I'll just say this - Dead Space Remake is genuinely one of the best horror experience I've had in gaming. Here are my rambly, Marker-induced thoughts. Disclaimer: Never played the original so I can't compare it USG Ishimura is ico-
TRANSMISSION ENDS
21 hours and 1000 limbs dismembered later, I give Dead Space Remake a 4.5/5
Dead Space Remake is genuinely one of the best horror experience I've had in gaming. Here are my rambly, Marker-induced thoughts.
Disclaimer: Never played the original so I can't compare it
USG Ishimura is iconic. I can't put the controller down despite the chill-inducing atmosphere, alien level design, and tragic environmental lore and story. It's as if the ship is alive and a character that underwent various changes throughout. It also has SPACE BASKETBALL. What else can I say? I also like that every area is used to its maximum effect. Nothing is over/underutilized. By the end, I was intimately familiar with everything, vents included and I felt a sense of melancholy by the end. I will never forget the USG Ishimura!
The enemy variety is astounding. The Necromorphs are some of the most haunting enemies in gaming due to their grotesque design and unbreakable focus to hunt you down. Dead Space Remake is really good at balancing them as well. You don't get an unfair combination and their placement doesn't feel random during the critical story path. I love how the Necromorphs evolve throughout the game and FUCK THEM NECRO-TICKS OR WHATEVER I HATE THEM.
Isaac is one badass motherfucker for surviving throughout the game through sheer will to find his loved one and ingenious ENGINEERING. No joke. Dude kept building weapons and improving his armor from scraps and tools. I don't know if I'm reading this right but he's just a regular guy that happens to be resourceful and crafty. His way of fighting the bosses were unique, the weapons he use are all improvised, every time something goes wrong he has a quick and often impromptu solution to, and HE GETS SCARED. In most survival horror games of its era, the protagonist is this perfect action hero. Isaac is neither in that his sanity is constantly waning. He mirrors the player so well through his reactions, haggard breathing... and the stomp... oh man the stomp is simply iconic. It conveys Isaac and our emotion towards fighting necromorphs, and hints at an underlying anger issue that's perhaps a result of his upbringing through his mom and Unitology. Last thing I wanna say is Ishimura and Isaac complement each other. I can't believe the dynamic between a character and a ship would go this hard. These two make Dead Space whole... again.
A short ramble about the cast. Hammond is awesome. Sorry I doubted the man. He just wants to save his crew despite not being equipped to deal with necromorphs. Daniels is a conflicting one. Surprised how she was revealed to be an antagonist but her motive makes sense to her character and circumstance. She's a great and complex character. I wish we get to know her more though. Nicole is great as well. One of the good ones in Ishimura. She resisted the Unitology to the bitter end. Its tragic she's stuck alone, away from Isaac throughout all of this. Marcus... well damn I dunno. I like his role but his end was pretty abrupt and dissatisfying after all he's done. Overall, great cast of characters. (I'm starting to get conscious at the length of this "review")
Story is a bit convoluted and ngl I zoned out a bit halfway through all the convergence talks. All I'll say is, the idea of an alien artifact getting into the hands of a fully-indoctrinated and extremist religion is terrifying af and not far from reality if given the same circumstance.
The rest of my compliments: Diegetic UI is cool af, all weapons are cool and useful, Zero-G is a bit nauseating but a unique and fun gameplay mechanic, item scarcity adds a ton to the survival horror element, almost no loading sections, side missions adds a lot to the lore and Ishimura development, puzzles are fun.
No masterpiece is perfect. I do have some gripes with it. Game lags a bit tho not too immersion-breaking, lost a bunch of items and throwables because they kept falling through the floor, keeping track of side missions one at a time was kinda annoying. Wish there's a separate waypoint when pressing R3, waypoint is busted on Zero-G sections at times, and I get waaay too many ammo for weapons I don't use and at times too much '100 credits' that makes ammo scarcity feel a bit artificial, and lastly a personal gripe is there's no Photo Mode. Wish I could see the necromorphs and the environment in full detail. These are all small gripes on my end though and barely affects the overall enjoyment.
I have so much more to say but it's getting long. I'll just say this - Dead Space Remake is genuinely one of the best horror experience I've had in gaming. Here are my rambly, Marker-induced thoughts. Disclaimer: Never played the original so I can't compare it USG Ishimura is ico-
TRANSMISSION ENDS
21 hours and 1000 limbs dismembered later, I give Dead Space Remake a 4.5/5
2019
Great pacing for both story and combat, short but highly replayable, fun challenges, you can dress as a panda, banger OST, has the best English dub ever, and most importantly... super fun! That was the best 13-hour gaming experience of my life. 10/10
This review contains spoilers
Obtained RustySteiner's Sphere
Listen to My Story™. I was 5, I have FFIX and FFX. I played both but my dumb Rugrats-loving brain was attracted to FFIX's chibi art style so that's the game I'm most fond of. I barely remember anything about FFX outside of throwing gil at a giant whale while riding an airship. Yeah, I'm surprised I GOT that far too. I don't know how though... Anyway. Fast-forward 20+ years later, and FFX is now one of my favorite Final Fantasy games out there!
Final Fantasy X tells a story about breaking from the cycle of tradition and in a meta way, the formula of the series. It's a pretty linear game with a rich world full of subtext, symbolism, and life. In a way, it's the very essence of what a Final Fantasy is about. To be different, innovative, compelling and ultimately fun. This is gonna be extremely long (TL;DR at the end) so sit back and enjoy ze shoopuf ride to my long and rambly thoughts about this amazing game.
There's no ATB (Active Time Battle) system anymore. We instead got CTB (Cock, Torture, Blitzballs) which is nice especially the free switching system. It's fast-paced, I'm not being rushed to make decisions, status ailments and buffs matter (and are quite OP), and every party have their strengths (like throwing balls) which lends to the fun of switching them around. It's really engaging and fun! Also the summon (Aeon) lineup is hands down one of the best not because of the variety and utility of each one but because of how they tie to the theme and story. Anima is my favorite.
In relation to the combat, we have the Sphere Grid and Equipment. No more traditional stuff like leveling up, stats on weapons and armor. The players are intimately familiar at how the party grows and I like that. It's also diegetically tied to the concept of spheres, and again - breaking from the cycle of tradition as you eventually "break away" from the linear path and get to decide HOW you build your characters (like throwing balls, and DOING 99999 DAMAGE). I FREAKING LOVE IT!
Oh man the characters. I adore them so much. They're all flawed, and at times unlikable, but they grow from them and in turn makes them layered and compelling. They, much like Spira, are stuck in a cycle on their arc and I'm here to see if I can explain/bs my way on how they break away from it. (I've shortened some because it got too long btw). Also, is this the first Final Fantasy game with voice acting? If so, they did a great job... with the acting. I can't get over how Teadoos sounds like Ratchet tho.
+ Teadoos is a great protagonist. He reminds me of Zidane in how pivotal they are to their respective worlds and party members. Teadoos went from a pompous superstar with daddy issues and got transported to an unknown world with no place to fit. His background lends to his early character of being whiny, and quite intrusive but in turn, adds a different perspective to the world of Spira. His arc is amazing on how he went from a bystander to a hero. He broke from the cycle of being treated as a star, the shadow of the Michael Jordan of Blitzball, and not as an individual. It's made even tragic with how the story ends but for the first time, he became the protagonist of his own life and in turn, saved the world. He's not a dream. He's his own person, and he will live on through the party's memories.
+ As for Auron, ngl I don't have a grasp on him much. He's the mentor-type for the entire party. The arbiter. He stays the same throughout because his arc started waaay before the game but his development was supplemented through Teadoos as they share the same sentiment as they learn more about the world. He keeps the party in line for the pilgrimage but ironically, also rejects that same tradition as we will see by the end. As for his cycle, he cannot pass on. He's stuck from his previous pilgrimage out of his promise to a friend but was finally able to break free by the end. His story has passed but he's still around to guide future generations from repeating it.
+ Yuna is a great deuteragonist. She's following in the footsteps of Braska, thus going through the same cycle of Spira. She stands on her own feet, tackling life with open-mindedness and kindness. These traits and in accompaniment, Teadoos' character help shape a new perspective, one that will break Spira free from its never-ending cycle. Also, she has a cute and playful side to her that's hampered by her duty as a summoner. I love her so much. She's also my favorite summoner in any FF games I've played. I can't wait for X-2. I can tell it's gonna be all about her and Spira's newfound freedom.
+ Rikku came late to the party but she's great. I was ready to hate her because I generally don't vibe with the energetic, clumsy, happy-go-lucky archetype that she falls into but I was surprised at how tastefully she was portrayed here (except for the beginning ass shots, just why?) Not annoying at all. The Al Bhed in general are super fun and enriches the world-building so much. They have their own language and collecting them was fun. I love Brother a lot.
+ I feel the same way about Kimahri. A Guado with a few words but once he opens up, he's cool. I wish he gets more focus though and he got shafted gameplay-wise by locking his Blue Magic to overdrives (and not having a specific build). I don't mind him but a weak link to the amazing party ngl.
+ Lulu is an enigma to me. It's because there's an affection system and she's at the top of it that some scenes were weirdly out of character. It sometimes seems like she's got the hots for Teadoos but then she's monotone during regular dialog. I love her character though. She's already moved on from Chappy's death but can't escape it through Wakka and his tendency to treat Teadoos as his own. You can tell she's different from what she lets on. She uses a cute moogle as a weapon and that's a cool characterization for her. Also WHAT'S UP WITH THOSE BELTS NOMURA?! Is it because she's shackled with her husband's death and thus makes her guarded and can't show/express herself honestly?! but then why is her cleavage showing?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF YAH.
+ Wakka is AMAZING. I genuinely don't get the hate I've heard throughout the years. Yes, he's racist, prejudiced, and loves Blitzball but he grows from it, improves as a person and I think that's the beauty of flawed fictional characters. It's explained well why he is the way he is. His brother died using machina and veering from the teachings. That's a guaranteed way to fall deeper into the religion. That's a very human and real situation IRL. It's also obvious how he doesn't know a single thing about the Al Bhed outside of "they bad" as per the teachings. He can't move on from his brother's death and its circumstance that he lost any semblance of common sense. It's a very human tale of how one's loss can affect a person, and learning how to come to terms with it and overcome your prejudices, becoming a better person. I love Wakka. He's a good brudda. He throws balls. I will not accept any slander.
Whew, that was almost as long as an entire Blitzball league. Sorry for that. I'll make sure to shorten this next segment.
I love a lot of things about Final Fantasy X but with every game, comes a few gripes.
- Camera is finicky in some sections
- I like to put my fastest party formation but there's no way to save them as default so you have to change formation after each battle. A bit annoying
- I said I like the voice acting. The voice direction though is kinda bad in some spots. They sped up the dialog to match the mouth movement. I chock it up to a product of its time so I'll give them some slack but ngl some moments didn't land well because of it.
- Mini-games are okay but bogged down by its RNG nature or its tendency to lock important items and upgrades behind unnecessarily grindy requirements.
- Endgame is very much the same way in that it's way too grindy. It's optional tho so this is more my fault for doing this on my very first experience. ngl it was funny tho when I one-shotted the final boss with a single Blitzball.
I hope I got my thoughts out properly. I hate how long this is but there's just a ton in my mind. I also will watch analysis videos after. FFX is one of those that has SO MUCH hidden stuff in it that you need multiple playthroughs to truly appreciate. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it!
TL:DR: Final Fantasy X HD Remaster is GOATED. And that, as they say, is that
97 blitzball hours and 100% achievements (for FFX only) later, I give Final Fantasy X HD Remaster a 4.5/5
Listen to My Story™. I was 5, I have FFIX and FFX. I played both but my dumb Rugrats-loving brain was attracted to FFIX's chibi art style so that's the game I'm most fond of. I barely remember anything about FFX outside of throwing gil at a giant whale while riding an airship. Yeah, I'm surprised I GOT that far too. I don't know how though... Anyway. Fast-forward 20+ years later, and FFX is now one of my favorite Final Fantasy games out there!
Final Fantasy X tells a story about breaking from the cycle of tradition and in a meta way, the formula of the series. It's a pretty linear game with a rich world full of subtext, symbolism, and life. In a way, it's the very essence of what a Final Fantasy is about. To be different, innovative, compelling and ultimately fun. This is gonna be extremely long (TL;DR at the end) so sit back and enjoy ze shoopuf ride to my long and rambly thoughts about this amazing game.
There's no ATB (Active Time Battle) system anymore. We instead got CTB (Cock, Torture, Blitzballs) which is nice especially the free switching system. It's fast-paced, I'm not being rushed to make decisions, status ailments and buffs matter (and are quite OP), and every party have their strengths (like throwing balls) which lends to the fun of switching them around. It's really engaging and fun! Also the summon (Aeon) lineup is hands down one of the best not because of the variety and utility of each one but because of how they tie to the theme and story. Anima is my favorite.
In relation to the combat, we have the Sphere Grid and Equipment. No more traditional stuff like leveling up, stats on weapons and armor. The players are intimately familiar at how the party grows and I like that. It's also diegetically tied to the concept of spheres, and again - breaking from the cycle of tradition as you eventually "break away" from the linear path and get to decide HOW you build your characters (like throwing balls, and DOING 99999 DAMAGE). I FREAKING LOVE IT!
Oh man the characters. I adore them so much. They're all flawed, and at times unlikable, but they grow from them and in turn makes them layered and compelling. They, much like Spira, are stuck in a cycle on their arc and I'm here to see if I can explain/bs my way on how they break away from it. (I've shortened some because it got too long btw). Also, is this the first Final Fantasy game with voice acting? If so, they did a great job... with the acting. I can't get over how Teadoos sounds like Ratchet tho.
+ Teadoos is a great protagonist. He reminds me of Zidane in how pivotal they are to their respective worlds and party members. Teadoos went from a pompous superstar with daddy issues and got transported to an unknown world with no place to fit. His background lends to his early character of being whiny, and quite intrusive but in turn, adds a different perspective to the world of Spira. His arc is amazing on how he went from a bystander to a hero. He broke from the cycle of being treated as a star, the shadow of the Michael Jordan of Blitzball, and not as an individual. It's made even tragic with how the story ends but for the first time, he became the protagonist of his own life and in turn, saved the world. He's not a dream. He's his own person, and he will live on through the party's memories.
+ As for Auron, ngl I don't have a grasp on him much. He's the mentor-type for the entire party. The arbiter. He stays the same throughout because his arc started waaay before the game but his development was supplemented through Teadoos as they share the same sentiment as they learn more about the world. He keeps the party in line for the pilgrimage but ironically, also rejects that same tradition as we will see by the end. As for his cycle, he cannot pass on. He's stuck from his previous pilgrimage out of his promise to a friend but was finally able to break free by the end. His story has passed but he's still around to guide future generations from repeating it.
+ Yuna is a great deuteragonist. She's following in the footsteps of Braska, thus going through the same cycle of Spira. She stands on her own feet, tackling life with open-mindedness and kindness. These traits and in accompaniment, Teadoos' character help shape a new perspective, one that will break Spira free from its never-ending cycle. Also, she has a cute and playful side to her that's hampered by her duty as a summoner. I love her so much. She's also my favorite summoner in any FF games I've played. I can't wait for X-2. I can tell it's gonna be all about her and Spira's newfound freedom.
+ Rikku came late to the party but she's great. I was ready to hate her because I generally don't vibe with the energetic, clumsy, happy-go-lucky archetype that she falls into but I was surprised at how tastefully she was portrayed here (except for the beginning ass shots, just why?) Not annoying at all. The Al Bhed in general are super fun and enriches the world-building so much. They have their own language and collecting them was fun. I love Brother a lot.
+ I feel the same way about Kimahri. A Guado with a few words but once he opens up, he's cool. I wish he gets more focus though and he got shafted gameplay-wise by locking his Blue Magic to overdrives (and not having a specific build). I don't mind him but a weak link to the amazing party ngl.
+ Lulu is an enigma to me. It's because there's an affection system and she's at the top of it that some scenes were weirdly out of character. It sometimes seems like she's got the hots for Teadoos but then she's monotone during regular dialog. I love her character though. She's already moved on from Chappy's death but can't escape it through Wakka and his tendency to treat Teadoos as his own. You can tell she's different from what she lets on. She uses a cute moogle as a weapon and that's a cool characterization for her. Also WHAT'S UP WITH THOSE BELTS NOMURA?! Is it because she's shackled with her husband's death and thus makes her guarded and can't show/express herself honestly?! but then why is her cleavage showing?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF YAH.
+ Wakka is AMAZING. I genuinely don't get the hate I've heard throughout the years. Yes, he's racist, prejudiced, and loves Blitzball but he grows from it, improves as a person and I think that's the beauty of flawed fictional characters. It's explained well why he is the way he is. His brother died using machina and veering from the teachings. That's a guaranteed way to fall deeper into the religion. That's a very human and real situation IRL. It's also obvious how he doesn't know a single thing about the Al Bhed outside of "they bad" as per the teachings. He can't move on from his brother's death and its circumstance that he lost any semblance of common sense. It's a very human tale of how one's loss can affect a person, and learning how to come to terms with it and overcome your prejudices, becoming a better person. I love Wakka. He's a good brudda. He throws balls. I will not accept any slander.
Whew, that was almost as long as an entire Blitzball league. Sorry for that. I'll make sure to shorten this next segment.
I love a lot of things about Final Fantasy X but with every game, comes a few gripes.
- Camera is finicky in some sections
- I like to put my fastest party formation but there's no way to save them as default so you have to change formation after each battle. A bit annoying
- I said I like the voice acting. The voice direction though is kinda bad in some spots. They sped up the dialog to match the mouth movement. I chock it up to a product of its time so I'll give them some slack but ngl some moments didn't land well because of it.
- Mini-games are okay but bogged down by its RNG nature or its tendency to lock important items and upgrades behind unnecessarily grindy requirements.
- Endgame is very much the same way in that it's way too grindy. It's optional tho so this is more my fault for doing this on my very first experience. ngl it was funny tho when I one-shotted the final boss with a single Blitzball.
I hope I got my thoughts out properly. I hate how long this is but there's just a ton in my mind. I also will watch analysis videos after. FFX is one of those that has SO MUCH hidden stuff in it that you need multiple playthroughs to truly appreciate. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it!
TL:DR: Final Fantasy X HD Remaster is GOATED. And that, as they say, is that
97 blitzball hours and 100% achievements (for FFX only) later, I give Final Fantasy X HD Remaster a 4.5/5
They Made This Remake... Like One Of My Japanese Animes!
I started this game ready to be disappointed but I'm surprised I liked 80% of it. The upgrade to the visuals, MGS2-style gameplay is fluid and fun, collecting dog tags add variety and scratches the collectible itch for me, and of course MGS itself as a story and experience made this playthrough worth it. The caveat though is I've already played PS1 MGS multiple times so I treated this playthrough as just a fun time going through one of my favorite games rather than critically judging it as a remake.
I do get the hate though.
- The direction to the cutscenes were... pretty inconsistent with the tone of the original and even the gameplay itself. I find it hilarious how Snake can dodge bullets mid-air or ride a missile during cutscenes but he's pretty grounded if you play as him. Sure, the other MGS games have the same element to it but I like how different MGS feels and plays to the rest.
- The OST doesn't hit IMO. I guess it's too iconic that anything else doesn't do it justice.
- New voices doesn't do it for me. I guess it's more lore-accurate without the accents and such but its charm was lost in the process. I get the change tho and delivery is still good so it's a pretty minor gripe on my part.
- While I enjoy the revamped gameplay, it's pretty obvious that the levels were designed to complement the old one so there's a bit of disconnect there. I enjoyed being able to break the game and shoot in first-person tho.
So yeah, I do have problems with it but thankfully this wasn't my first experience with the story. All-in-all, I'm glad I checked it out and came out pretty positive on it. A big reason for why I'm impartial to the weird changes is that I can easily separate Twin Snakes from MGS. The original PS1 game aged extremely well to the point where I do not need a remake of any kind. I can just go back and experience a masterpiece but a part of me is also a bit disappointed that we could've gotten a much better experience.
11 hours and 300 bullets dodged later, I give Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes a 3.5/5
I started this game ready to be disappointed but I'm surprised I liked 80% of it. The upgrade to the visuals, MGS2-style gameplay is fluid and fun, collecting dog tags add variety and scratches the collectible itch for me, and of course MGS itself as a story and experience made this playthrough worth it. The caveat though is I've already played PS1 MGS multiple times so I treated this playthrough as just a fun time going through one of my favorite games rather than critically judging it as a remake.
I do get the hate though.
- The direction to the cutscenes were... pretty inconsistent with the tone of the original and even the gameplay itself. I find it hilarious how Snake can dodge bullets mid-air or ride a missile during cutscenes but he's pretty grounded if you play as him. Sure, the other MGS games have the same element to it but I like how different MGS feels and plays to the rest.
- The OST doesn't hit IMO. I guess it's too iconic that anything else doesn't do it justice.
- New voices doesn't do it for me. I guess it's more lore-accurate without the accents and such but its charm was lost in the process. I get the change tho and delivery is still good so it's a pretty minor gripe on my part.
- While I enjoy the revamped gameplay, it's pretty obvious that the levels were designed to complement the old one so there's a bit of disconnect there. I enjoyed being able to break the game and shoot in first-person tho.
So yeah, I do have problems with it but thankfully this wasn't my first experience with the story. All-in-all, I'm glad I checked it out and came out pretty positive on it. A big reason for why I'm impartial to the weird changes is that I can easily separate Twin Snakes from MGS. The original PS1 game aged extremely well to the point where I do not need a remake of any kind. I can just go back and experience a masterpiece but a part of me is also a bit disappointed that we could've gotten a much better experience.
11 hours and 300 bullets dodged later, I give Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes a 3.5/5
A Masterpiece Bundled In a Shoddy and Disappointing Port
Oh man how do I review this? I bought this collection solely for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater because it's the only one of the first 3 MGS games that I've never played. I've considered emulating because of the reception but with mods and fixes, I'd say it looks and plays better.
We've got so many memorable and grounded characters, amazing CODEC conversations, a stamina system that I didn't hate, charming and campy villains, and a story that moved me to tears. My only personal gripes was the final boss theme kicked off when the fight's almost over and it took me a while to get used to the controls. I still fumble with aiming and crouching on intense situations at the end.
The remastered efforts though leaves a lot to be desired. A bunch of crashes, glaringly low quality and sometimes missing textures, colors are washed out, and at one point PARA-MEDIC's voice changed.
Overall, with HD mods and Reshade, it's an almost perfect experience and very well worth playing in 2023. I'm glad this exists for us first-timers but I hope it gets patched up eventually. I can put up with it but It sucks that this masterpiece of a game is not treated with the appropriate love and care.
My experience with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a 5/5 but because of the shoddy port, I'll settle for a 4/5
Oh man how do I review this? I bought this collection solely for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater because it's the only one of the first 3 MGS games that I've never played. I've considered emulating because of the reception but with mods and fixes, I'd say it looks and plays better.
We've got so many memorable and grounded characters, amazing CODEC conversations, a stamina system that I didn't hate, charming and campy villains, and a story that moved me to tears. My only personal gripes was the final boss theme kicked off when the fight's almost over and it took me a while to get used to the controls. I still fumble with aiming and crouching on intense situations at the end.
The remastered efforts though leaves a lot to be desired. A bunch of crashes, glaringly low quality and sometimes missing textures, colors are washed out, and at one point PARA-MEDIC's voice changed.
Overall, with HD mods and Reshade, it's an almost perfect experience and very well worth playing in 2023. I'm glad this exists for us first-timers but I hope it gets patched up eventually. I can put up with it but It sucks that this masterpiece of a game is not treated with the appropriate love and care.
My experience with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a 5/5 but because of the shoddy port, I'll settle for a 4/5
Star Ocean: First Departure R is Very Old-School Japanese RPG... And That's Good
Final Party: Roddick (Roddi)/Ilia (Ilya)/Ashlay (Ash)/Millie (Millie)/Erys (Eris)/Ronyx (Ron)/Ioshua (Josh)/Welch (...)
Disclaimer: I used a guide for Character Recruitment and Item Creation
Just like how our party got sent back 300 years into the past, I also was taken back to my early days of playing RPGs. That's the feel of playing through Star Ocean. This game is old-school af in both positive and negative ways. Let's talk about it.
Pros
+ Combat is hard. It discourages button-mashing and requires a fair bit of strategizing. I enjoyed it, until I discovered the right equipment and skills. It then becomes a bit repetitive but mostly, very fun.
+ Gameplay Progression is great. At the start, it's clunky and pretty hard but once it gets rolling, it feels like an actual party of heroes deserving to fight the Demon Lord. Roddick may be a lackluster main character, but gameplay-wise he's my favorite.
+ Characters are very likeable. Story-wise, I like that everyone, including the optional ones are proactive but the Private Actions are the MVP of this game. It helps make them feel like a real group of friends and yeah, I teared up at the ending because of it.
+ The Story is simple. It's the classic 'Take down the demon lord, o heroes' trope and ngl I don't remember a single thing about it but because of its simplicity, it's easy to digest when playing long RPGs and helps focus on the characters instead.
Cons
- The new HD portraits clash with the low-res sprites of the game. Also, a minor gripe but weird is some portraits doesn't match the sprite! Why does Ronyx have purple hair when it's black in his model?! Also the animated cutscenes use the old character designs. I'm going nuts thinking about it!
- OST is too loud. I can barely hear the VA. A simple volume slider should be very possible for a 2019 remaster.
- Roddick as a main character is really boring. He's a good guy, that's his character and it gets nowhere. He's the same in hour 1 and at the end. I guess it's a product of its time but he's no different from the silent protagonists of old JRPGs.
- Wish we jumped to different periods/planets. The game is called Star Ocean ffs. When the party goes to a different area at the end, it was awesome. I wish there's more of that in future titles.
- Gameplay has some clunky aspects to it. Auto-target sometimes makes your character just run around, seemingly having a hard time deciding whether to attack the front or back of enemies. Allies aren't smart about their use of skills, sometimes barely hitting enemies. Mages are useless for half of the game. Early-game, yeah their AOE spells are OP but about 10-hours in once you get the better skills, Melee fighters just obliterate everyone before your mage finish casting.
- Certain sections require you to grind a lot. Just that it's mind-numbingly boring when you spend at least 30 minutes to grind because some enemies just one-shot you and you don't get a healer, at least in my party setup, until 20-hours into the story.
- Backtracking sucks. You get different Private Actions per towns and you can't fast travel outside of Port Towns. There's no way to prevent encounters so it takes a while to go through every town for PAs and certain shop items.
- Menu navigation is tedious. Going through the item creation stuff involves a lot of button presses. Wish it was streamlined a bit.
- Speaking of crafting, I HATE RNG in any form. It's not hyperbole to say I spent more time crafting than the entire story itself. Mainly because It took me a while before I just gave in and just looked up a guide. Even then, it's still RNG-heavy and the only way to ease it up is to play Orchestra repeatedly. It doesn't help that the last 10 hours of content relies on you making the best set of equipment (Yes, I finished Cave of Seven Stars. It was HELL)
- Welch
I might have a lot of gripes with it but overall, I enjoyed my time with Star Ocean. I can't wait to see where this franchise goes especially after Second Story R is getting some traction. I'm a new fan and I'll definitely (slowly) play through it all someday!
44 hours/672 battles/2000 failed crafting attempts later, I give Star Ocean: First Departure R a 3.5/5
Final Party: Roddick (Roddi)/Ilia (Ilya)/Ashlay (Ash)/Millie (Millie)/Erys (Eris)/Ronyx (Ron)/Ioshua (Josh)/Welch (...)
Disclaimer: I used a guide for Character Recruitment and Item Creation
Just like how our party got sent back 300 years into the past, I also was taken back to my early days of playing RPGs. That's the feel of playing through Star Ocean. This game is old-school af in both positive and negative ways. Let's talk about it.
Pros
+ Combat is hard. It discourages button-mashing and requires a fair bit of strategizing. I enjoyed it, until I discovered the right equipment and skills. It then becomes a bit repetitive but mostly, very fun.
+ Gameplay Progression is great. At the start, it's clunky and pretty hard but once it gets rolling, it feels like an actual party of heroes deserving to fight the Demon Lord. Roddick may be a lackluster main character, but gameplay-wise he's my favorite.
+ Characters are very likeable. Story-wise, I like that everyone, including the optional ones are proactive but the Private Actions are the MVP of this game. It helps make them feel like a real group of friends and yeah, I teared up at the ending because of it.
+ The Story is simple. It's the classic 'Take down the demon lord, o heroes' trope and ngl I don't remember a single thing about it but because of its simplicity, it's easy to digest when playing long RPGs and helps focus on the characters instead.
Cons
- The new HD portraits clash with the low-res sprites of the game. Also, a minor gripe but weird is some portraits doesn't match the sprite! Why does Ronyx have purple hair when it's black in his model?! Also the animated cutscenes use the old character designs. I'm going nuts thinking about it!
- OST is too loud. I can barely hear the VA. A simple volume slider should be very possible for a 2019 remaster.
- Roddick as a main character is really boring. He's a good guy, that's his character and it gets nowhere. He's the same in hour 1 and at the end. I guess it's a product of its time but he's no different from the silent protagonists of old JRPGs.
- Wish we jumped to different periods/planets. The game is called Star Ocean ffs. When the party goes to a different area at the end, it was awesome. I wish there's more of that in future titles.
- Gameplay has some clunky aspects to it. Auto-target sometimes makes your character just run around, seemingly having a hard time deciding whether to attack the front or back of enemies. Allies aren't smart about their use of skills, sometimes barely hitting enemies. Mages are useless for half of the game. Early-game, yeah their AOE spells are OP but about 10-hours in once you get the better skills, Melee fighters just obliterate everyone before your mage finish casting.
- Certain sections require you to grind a lot. Just that it's mind-numbingly boring when you spend at least 30 minutes to grind because some enemies just one-shot you and you don't get a healer, at least in my party setup, until 20-hours into the story.
- Backtracking sucks. You get different Private Actions per towns and you can't fast travel outside of Port Towns. There's no way to prevent encounters so it takes a while to go through every town for PAs and certain shop items.
- Menu navigation is tedious. Going through the item creation stuff involves a lot of button presses. Wish it was streamlined a bit.
- Speaking of crafting, I HATE RNG in any form. It's not hyperbole to say I spent more time crafting than the entire story itself. Mainly because It took me a while before I just gave in and just looked up a guide. Even then, it's still RNG-heavy and the only way to ease it up is to play Orchestra repeatedly. It doesn't help that the last 10 hours of content relies on you making the best set of equipment (Yes, I finished Cave of Seven Stars. It was HELL)
- Welch
I might have a lot of gripes with it but overall, I enjoyed my time with Star Ocean. I can't wait to see where this franchise goes especially after Second Story R is getting some traction. I'm a new fan and I'll definitely (slowly) play through it all someday!
44 hours/672 battles/2000 failed crafting attempts later, I give Star Ocean: First Departure R a 3.5/5
A Fantasy About Love, Succession, Fate... and TRIPLE TRIAD
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is a fun school romp about the best-looking guy in Balamb Garden named Squall. He suffers from childhood trauma, is anti-social, very lonely... and has a sick habit of taking valuable cards. The game is a heavily contentious title among the fandom and I'm here to give my honest thoughts and feelings after finishing the game in 2023
Pros:
+ Story... well requires a lot of paying attention and it can easily derail your understanding of the narrative. I love that about FF8. It gets convoluted for sure, but there's just a ton of subtext and ambiguity that once you think about or notice, can explain some of the characters' decisions, how it relates to the overall theme/message or events that came out of nowhere/hard to understand. It can be a double-edged sword for sure but I appreciate having to piece out the mysteries and the payoff was cathartic, especially the ending.
+ Junction, Draw, and Card Mod is broken af. It scratches that itch to collect everything and it's fun to feel powerful throughout the game.
+ Characters are charming as hell and feels alive. Talking to the NPCs are fun, they're very animated and I took all their cards. The same can be said about our main party. They all have an interesting backstory (IYKYK) which puts focus on in-the-moment interaction and reaction for character development. It works in making them feel like a real group of friends. Lastly, Laguna. That's enough of a reason to make this journey worth it. How can a fictional character be so likable?!
+ The humor is on point. Zell and his hotdog arc, Laguna getting the cramps, Rinoa's handmade train model, Squall's serious tone in contrast to every hijinks going around him, (... ya know) etc. So many memorable moments that made me laugh and enjoy the vibe of the game.
+ OST is, as always, amazing. Nobuo Uematsu doesn't miss.
+ TRIPLE TRIAD. More than half of my playtime is burnt on Triple Triad. I collected everything and grinded for the good items. This is just Tetra Master w/o the bs RNG. 10/10. I'm so glad I played this game.
+ Boosters actually helps tremendously with the slog of the Draw system (and a certain airship being way too slow). Without the boosters, I would probably hate the combat because collecting magic is a huge part of the junction. Also, I always lose HP when switching junctions so the God Mode booster is a God send.
Cons:
- Some of the convoluted plot and world-building are hinged on talking to the right NPCs and reading the "tutorials" section. I wish they're implemented on the plot rather than around it. Thankfully I enjoy talking to everybody but also not knowing which is important muddles the info.
- Summons and Magic are kinda useless for most of the game. With the right junction, you can just hold the attack button and watch Squall one-hit 90% of the enemies. Using Magic reduces the stat as well so there's barely any use for it in my playthrough outside of something like Aura or Meltdown. Summons, I personally just use for status effects like reflect/triple etc. Most cases, junctioning elem/stat-atk beats summoning.
- Character dynamic seems to take a backseat due to the plot and focuses more on Squall and Rinoa's relationship. A bit SaaaD because I love Quistis in the first disc and Irvine has potential with his relationship to Edea and us. But nah he's just the plot guy. After he served his role to the story, there's nothing outside of generic lines when they're in the party during scenes. His relationship with Selphie is an afterthought as well. We barely saw development outside of the Festival and the credits iirc.
- Oh Garden is being attacked and many are dying? B-but Rinoa needs to get together with Squall guys! Rinoa is unconscious? Let's joke around each other etc. Those moments just bothered me a bit and makes the tone all over the place in some big story moments.
- The reason why it took me this long to play the game was the fact that people say "grinding is bad and will mess you up". I love grinding in RPGs. Well, It wasn't THAT bad but for most of the game I was tiptoeing around because Squall doesn't leave your party, making grinding a hassle for other underleveled party members. I'm just the type that gets bothered when someone is 5 levels ahead or something so this is on me.
- HP doesn't adjust when junctioning. Using Auto will fuck you over sometimes. Just in general navigating through the magic/junction/item is a hassle especially in a game where there's a lot of items/magic being made.
- World Map and its traversal pre-Ragnarok is pretty disappointing. There's barely anything interesting on the world map. I guess it makes sense lore-wise but I wish there's more to do and places to go.
- I wish we delve more into Ultimecia as a character. Sure we can assume her tragic story of being ostracized as a sorceress and her effort to break away from her fate from the lore, her dialog, and through the sorceresses by proxy but wish we got some actual scenes from her time. Her final scene at the orphanage would've hit more.
- I wish the story was segmented better. I don't mind the convoluted story as much but I wish we get more of the school and mission-based stuff on the first disc. I just enjoy the unique vibe of it and being graded at the end. Also more Laguna sections. There's some confusion for me at the start with his timeline because most of it gets skipped around.
All in all, I think Final Fantasy VIII is an excellent RPG and Final Fantasy game. It has its ups and downs but overall, a positive experience. It helps that I play each title and look at them as a separate entity rather than a sequel/prequel to this and that. I think Final Fantasy VIII deserves a second look and consider me a new fan.
82 hours (40+ of which was spent playing Triple Triad) and 100% Achievement later, I giveTriple Triad Final Fantasy VII Remastered a 4/5
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is a fun school romp about the best-looking guy in Balamb Garden named Squall. He suffers from childhood trauma, is anti-social, very lonely... and has a sick habit of taking valuable cards. The game is a heavily contentious title among the fandom and I'm here to give my honest thoughts and feelings after finishing the game in 2023
Pros:
+ Story... well requires a lot of paying attention and it can easily derail your understanding of the narrative. I love that about FF8. It gets convoluted for sure, but there's just a ton of subtext and ambiguity that once you think about or notice, can explain some of the characters' decisions, how it relates to the overall theme/message or events that came out of nowhere/hard to understand. It can be a double-edged sword for sure but I appreciate having to piece out the mysteries and the payoff was cathartic, especially the ending.
+ Junction, Draw, and Card Mod is broken af. It scratches that itch to collect everything and it's fun to feel powerful throughout the game.
+ Characters are charming as hell and feels alive. Talking to the NPCs are fun, they're very animated and I took all their cards. The same can be said about our main party. They all have an interesting backstory (IYKYK) which puts focus on in-the-moment interaction and reaction for character development. It works in making them feel like a real group of friends. Lastly, Laguna. That's enough of a reason to make this journey worth it. How can a fictional character be so likable?!
+ The humor is on point. Zell and his hotdog arc, Laguna getting the cramps, Rinoa's handmade train model, Squall's serious tone in contrast to every hijinks going around him, (... ya know) etc. So many memorable moments that made me laugh and enjoy the vibe of the game.
+ OST is, as always, amazing. Nobuo Uematsu doesn't miss.
+ TRIPLE TRIAD. More than half of my playtime is burnt on Triple Triad. I collected everything and grinded for the good items. This is just Tetra Master w/o the bs RNG. 10/10. I'm so glad I played this game.
+ Boosters actually helps tremendously with the slog of the Draw system (and a certain airship being way too slow). Without the boosters, I would probably hate the combat because collecting magic is a huge part of the junction. Also, I always lose HP when switching junctions so the God Mode booster is a God send.
Cons:
- Some of the convoluted plot and world-building are hinged on talking to the right NPCs and reading the "tutorials" section. I wish they're implemented on the plot rather than around it. Thankfully I enjoy talking to everybody but also not knowing which is important muddles the info.
- Summons and Magic are kinda useless for most of the game. With the right junction, you can just hold the attack button and watch Squall one-hit 90% of the enemies. Using Magic reduces the stat as well so there's barely any use for it in my playthrough outside of something like Aura or Meltdown. Summons, I personally just use for status effects like reflect/triple etc. Most cases, junctioning elem/stat-atk beats summoning.
- Character dynamic seems to take a backseat due to the plot and focuses more on Squall and Rinoa's relationship. A bit SaaaD because I love Quistis in the first disc and Irvine has potential with his relationship to Edea and us. But nah he's just the plot guy. After he served his role to the story, there's nothing outside of generic lines when they're in the party during scenes. His relationship with Selphie is an afterthought as well. We barely saw development outside of the Festival and the credits iirc.
- Oh Garden is being attacked and many are dying? B-but Rinoa needs to get together with Squall guys! Rinoa is unconscious? Let's joke around each other etc. Those moments just bothered me a bit and makes the tone all over the place in some big story moments.
- The reason why it took me this long to play the game was the fact that people say "grinding is bad and will mess you up". I love grinding in RPGs. Well, It wasn't THAT bad but for most of the game I was tiptoeing around because Squall doesn't leave your party, making grinding a hassle for other underleveled party members. I'm just the type that gets bothered when someone is 5 levels ahead or something so this is on me.
- HP doesn't adjust when junctioning. Using Auto will fuck you over sometimes. Just in general navigating through the magic/junction/item is a hassle especially in a game where there's a lot of items/magic being made.
- World Map and its traversal pre-Ragnarok is pretty disappointing. There's barely anything interesting on the world map. I guess it makes sense lore-wise but I wish there's more to do and places to go.
- I wish we delve more into Ultimecia as a character. Sure we can assume her tragic story of being ostracized as a sorceress and her effort to break away from her fate from the lore, her dialog, and through the sorceresses by proxy but wish we got some actual scenes from her time. Her final scene at the orphanage would've hit more.
- I wish the story was segmented better. I don't mind the convoluted story as much but I wish we get more of the school and mission-based stuff on the first disc. I just enjoy the unique vibe of it and being graded at the end. Also more Laguna sections. There's some confusion for me at the start with his timeline because most of it gets skipped around.
All in all, I think Final Fantasy VIII is an excellent RPG and Final Fantasy game. It has its ups and downs but overall, a positive experience. It helps that I play each title and look at them as a separate entity rather than a sequel/prequel to this and that. I think Final Fantasy VIII deserves a second look and consider me a new fan.
82 hours (40+ of which was spent playing Triple Triad) and 100% Achievement later, I give
A Long-awaited Localization/Restoration With a Bumpy Transition to a New Engine
Disclaimer: I played on a GTX 1070ti which runs the game fine but needs extra tinkering to eliminate stutters and get the performance/visuals that I wanted. Also played on-release so my gripes about performance could already be fixed
Like a Dragon: Ishin is a welcome remake and localization of the original released back in 2014. However, its switch to Unreal Engine 4 has introduced bugs and performance issues that may take you out of the wonderful experience the game is trying to portray. Here are my pros and cons as a fan of the series and as someone who got 100% Achievements
Pros:
+ Amazing Retelling of Sakamoto Ryoma's story w/ the blend of wacky and serious that RGG is known for
+ Cool and fun cast of beloved characters from previous Like a Dragon titles. The recasts are mostly good too
+ A nice variety of side-content that keeps you busy throughout. Casually, it's fun but extremely grindy for completionists
+ Trooper Cards are a nice addition that adds fun and keeps the gameplay fresh and more strategic
+ OST is a banger
Cons:
- Some of the recasts were worse than their original counterpart (Hanpeita and Yamazaki especially)
- Framerate Drops A TON on DX12. I had to switch to DX11 and thankfully that fixed it for me 100%
- Scummy DLC practices. You can only use the DLC items you paid for on one save, the highest difficulty level is locked on paid DLC
- Photo Mode is extremely buggy for me. It lowers resolution and there's a ton of aliasing. As a massive fan of photo mode in games, this is a definite con for me.
Overall, Like a Dragon: Ishin is a fun experience as a long-time fan and someone who already played the original Ishin. Much like the transition from the PS3-era games to Dragon Engine, the transition to Unreal Engine 4 leaves a lot to be desired. I hope RGG Studio listens to the community and apply the necessary fixes such as Shader Compilation to current and future games (as of this review on 04/08/23). With all that said, to all my RGG kyodais around the world... tomorrow is yours!
153 hours and 100% Achievement later, I give Like a Dragon: Ishin a 4/5
Disclaimer: I played on a GTX 1070ti which runs the game fine but needs extra tinkering to eliminate stutters and get the performance/visuals that I wanted. Also played on-release so my gripes about performance could already be fixed
Like a Dragon: Ishin is a welcome remake and localization of the original released back in 2014. However, its switch to Unreal Engine 4 has introduced bugs and performance issues that may take you out of the wonderful experience the game is trying to portray. Here are my pros and cons as a fan of the series and as someone who got 100% Achievements
Pros:
+ Amazing Retelling of Sakamoto Ryoma's story w/ the blend of wacky and serious that RGG is known for
+ Cool and fun cast of beloved characters from previous Like a Dragon titles. The recasts are mostly good too
+ A nice variety of side-content that keeps you busy throughout. Casually, it's fun but extremely grindy for completionists
+ Trooper Cards are a nice addition that adds fun and keeps the gameplay fresh and more strategic
+ OST is a banger
Cons:
- Some of the recasts were worse than their original counterpart (Hanpeita and Yamazaki especially)
- Framerate Drops A TON on DX12. I had to switch to DX11 and thankfully that fixed it for me 100%
- Scummy DLC practices. You can only use the DLC items you paid for on one save, the highest difficulty level is locked on paid DLC
- Photo Mode is extremely buggy for me. It lowers resolution and there's a ton of aliasing. As a massive fan of photo mode in games, this is a definite con for me.
Overall, Like a Dragon: Ishin is a fun experience as a long-time fan and someone who already played the original Ishin. Much like the transition from the PS3-era games to Dragon Engine, the transition to Unreal Engine 4 leaves a lot to be desired. I hope RGG Studio listens to the community and apply the necessary fixes such as Shader Compilation to current and future games (as of this review on 04/08/23). With all that said, to all my RGG kyodais around the world... tomorrow is yours!
153 hours and 100% Achievement later, I give Like a Dragon: Ishin a 4/5
2009
An Amazing Experience Marred by an Intentionally-Slow and Linear First-Half
Disclaimer: I played with HD Texture and Cutscene mods + Tweaked settings via Nvidia Profile Inspector + Reshade so I cannot comment on the performance. Only issue I had was 4 crashes through my 100+-hour playthrough
Final Fantasy XIII is an overall amazing game with an amazingly-written and grounded cast of characters. However, the first few chapters are slow by design and it definitely hampers the fun-factor of the game. It is also by far the least Final Fantasy-feeling game that I have played. Lack of towns/NPCs, an extremely-linear level design, auto-battle mechanic in combat, plot takes a backseat in exchange of developing the characters, etc. but In an era of open-world games, Final Fantasy XIII definitely stands out and feels refreshing in 2023. It is one of those games that unfortunately "gets better in xx chapters" but depending on your level of investment with the party and the world it portrays, it might give you a reason to play through the slog and have a surprisingly fun experience like it did for me.
Pros:
+ Interesting Lore and World-building. Datalog is fun to read through
+ Amazing character writing for the main party
+ Gorgeous Level Design and Animations
+ Fun and Complex Battle Mechanics by the end of the game
Cons:
- Horrible villains and underdeveloped side-characters
- Didn't care for the plot most of the time
- Extremely slow pacing in the first half of the game
- Voice audio can be low at times
- Combat takes a long time until it gets really fun and complex
- side-quests and crafting are extremely grindy and may require looking-up a guide to properly utilize it
- Personal Gripe: Vanille's constant moaning
Amidst all the cons listed above, the characters and the late-game combat are what really made me invested enough to go through all that and it paid off well. By the time I rolled credits, I am in love with Final Fantasy XIII and glad I gave it the second chance it deserves.
116 hours and 100% Achievement later, I give Final Fantasy XIII a 3.5/5
Disclaimer: I played with HD Texture and Cutscene mods + Tweaked settings via Nvidia Profile Inspector + Reshade so I cannot comment on the performance. Only issue I had was 4 crashes through my 100+-hour playthrough
Final Fantasy XIII is an overall amazing game with an amazingly-written and grounded cast of characters. However, the first few chapters are slow by design and it definitely hampers the fun-factor of the game. It is also by far the least Final Fantasy-feeling game that I have played. Lack of towns/NPCs, an extremely-linear level design, auto-battle mechanic in combat, plot takes a backseat in exchange of developing the characters, etc. but In an era of open-world games, Final Fantasy XIII definitely stands out and feels refreshing in 2023. It is one of those games that unfortunately "gets better in xx chapters" but depending on your level of investment with the party and the world it portrays, it might give you a reason to play through the slog and have a surprisingly fun experience like it did for me.
Pros:
+ Interesting Lore and World-building. Datalog is fun to read through
+ Amazing character writing for the main party
+ Gorgeous Level Design and Animations
+ Fun and Complex Battle Mechanics by the end of the game
Cons:
- Horrible villains and underdeveloped side-characters
- Didn't care for the plot most of the time
- Extremely slow pacing in the first half of the game
- Voice audio can be low at times
- Combat takes a long time until it gets really fun and complex
- side-quests and crafting are extremely grindy and may require looking-up a guide to properly utilize it
- Personal Gripe: Vanille's constant moaning
Amidst all the cons listed above, the characters and the late-game combat are what really made me invested enough to go through all that and it paid off well. By the time I rolled credits, I am in love with Final Fantasy XIII and glad I gave it the second chance it deserves.
116 hours and 100% Achievement later, I give Final Fantasy XIII a 3.5/5
2016
A Final Fantasy Brimming With Identity, Heart And Passion
Disclaimer: I used Memoria/Moguri mod to play at 60fps with various tweaks to make the experience smoother
Final Fantasy IX is an excellent RPG that stands the test of time with its visually appealing art style and pre-rendered background; deep and thematic story about life, death, and friendship; likable and charming cast of characters; and a unique and memorable OST by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu. It is a love-letter to the series as a whole and a swan song of the series' creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi.
While I have high praise for IX, it comes with a few downsides. With the help of the Moguri mod, I wasn't able to experience the slow combat and uncontrollable nature of the Trance system but be warned that it does exist in the base, unmodded version. Some mini-games are more tedious than fun to go through especially if you're going for 100% achievement like I did. Lastly, I do think some parts like the final boss, the world-building, Amarant, etc could be expanded further, though I didn't mind as much with the context of the theme and message of the game.
Personally, I'm so happy I gave my first Final Fantasy a second playthrough in 2023 when I'm going through a period of difficulties in life. Its theme of finding your place in life and overcoming its difficulties via friendship and determination will forever be instilled in me as a person moving forward. Thank you Sakaguchi for creating a masterpiece!
111 hours and 100% Achievement later, I give my very first Final Fantasy an extremely biased... 5/5
Disclaimer: I used Memoria/Moguri mod to play at 60fps with various tweaks to make the experience smoother
Final Fantasy IX is an excellent RPG that stands the test of time with its visually appealing art style and pre-rendered background; deep and thematic story about life, death, and friendship; likable and charming cast of characters; and a unique and memorable OST by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu. It is a love-letter to the series as a whole and a swan song of the series' creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi.
While I have high praise for IX, it comes with a few downsides. With the help of the Moguri mod, I wasn't able to experience the slow combat and uncontrollable nature of the Trance system but be warned that it does exist in the base, unmodded version. Some mini-games are more tedious than fun to go through especially if you're going for 100% achievement like I did. Lastly, I do think some parts like the final boss, the world-building, Amarant, etc could be expanded further, though I didn't mind as much with the context of the theme and message of the game.
Personally, I'm so happy I gave my first Final Fantasy a second playthrough in 2023 when I'm going through a period of difficulties in life. Its theme of finding your place in life and overcoming its difficulties via friendship and determination will forever be instilled in me as a person moving forward. Thank you Sakaguchi for creating a masterpiece!
111 hours and 100% Achievement later, I give my very first Final Fantasy an extremely biased... 5/5