ScoutmasterDemi
This is the perfect "open-world" game: it gently guides you to the next narrative location while simultaneously handing you the reigns. You can spend days exploring islands, unearthing (un-seaing?) buried treasure... Co-op, quite rare in this series, is a blast. The Windwaker just OOZES charm: This might be the first Link with personality. BotW is great, but I don't think Zelda gets better than this.
If Square bothered to remap lip flaps to dialogue and fixed the stiff walking during cutscenes this game would be Heaven on Earth.
This review contains spoilers
I've long felt jaded with Square Enix. I expected so little from this game and was blown away by the care put into it. Battles are a unique blend of real-time and turn-based systems. Each character plays uniquely, and shifting between them is thankfully seamless! I loved loved LOVED the pacing. Midgard deserves an entire game devoted to it. The sci-fi eco-fantasy premise is still fresh as can be. You get all these disparate cultures and forces that have no right to harmonize as they do. It's magic. Final Fantasy deserves this redemption. And while the ending, uh, hmm... I truly can't wait for the next installment.
The best thing about this game is the Switch console itself. AC is such a social franchise; it was practically designed for the system! So why is it that the original Animal Crossing for Gamecube, more than 20 years old, oozes so much more personality? Neighbors run out of things to say and do by the time you've unlocked terraforming. This game is as fun as your playgroup is, but boy... There really needs to be more to do, and the SLOW loading times for parties is backbreaking.
2002
This review contains spoilers
Mario is already fun to control in 3D. F.L.U.D.D. is a simple but brilliant way to complement Mario's movement (pretty much any trick can be tweaked or enhanced with water!).
Then you have Isle Delfino, a vibrant, memorable hub world. I love that each level is thematic and cohesive; it's probably the only Mario game to commit to location, and the immersive reward is evident.
There are flaws, but it's so hard to pin-point what exactly they are. The game has this lingering feeling of being rushed or incomplete. Maybe it's the sparse storybeats, the overreliance on Shadow Mario (he quickly gets old) or the underwhelming climax. You get the sense that Sunshine could have been... more. But what it IS is such a joy. A must-play game!
Then you have Isle Delfino, a vibrant, memorable hub world. I love that each level is thematic and cohesive; it's probably the only Mario game to commit to location, and the immersive reward is evident.
There are flaws, but it's so hard to pin-point what exactly they are. The game has this lingering feeling of being rushed or incomplete. Maybe it's the sparse storybeats, the overreliance on Shadow Mario (he quickly gets old) or the underwhelming climax. You get the sense that Sunshine could have been... more. But what it IS is such a joy. A must-play game!
An absolute gem of a game. Gorgeous writing, staggeringly deep job class system. Battles are a challenge, and while permanent character death is brutal, I can't help but love the thrill it provides. I wish grinding weren't as necessary and the music is forgettable, but make no mistake: This is a phenomenal blend of story and gameplay that can't be missed.