Steampunky post-apocalyptic first-person shooter capturing the atmosphere similar to Mad Max.

The game very well expresses the feeling of being a mercenary-like gun for hire.

I consider this to be a hidden gem and a great standalone title as a good portion of people are not familiar with it.

By the way: my guy Jessie from Breaking Bad has phenomenal taste in games.

Despite the boxart looking hyper serious the actual game inside is very chuunicore. So be ready for that kind of plot because I like that kind of whacky bullshit but I know it's not everybody's cup of tea. The story is the main focus going on really long and taking up a lot of time. It's on the long side, but it's an alright story to get attached to the cast with. It also has social links, which unlike social links aren't interactive at all so you're mostly just in pure VN mode when those come up (and you will get a lot of those especially late game). Thankfully a few of these social links do use actual gameplay segments to break them up.

The gameplay is a decent action hack and slash where you choose from two stories. I chose Kasane, who is more range focused. You balance between your attacks and your psychokinesis attacks. Some are regular objects you chuck at foes, others have special input commands that can do things from smack them harder to spin around and beyond. You also have SAS, a system that lets you use the powers of your party members for even more mix and match variety. These are great, and you even get a super mode on top of that to help keep things from getting stale. It doesn't always keep things from getting stale though especially with the barrage of big enemies the game throws at you where you'll just be mashing out the same moves and combinations over and over hoping your super mode puts an end to the barrage.

It's a little on the too long side, but it's still a solid experience.

as i’ve begun my clearly overdue dive into the world of type-moon, i’ve stated a few times that i enjoyed games like tsukihime and kagetsu toya often in spite of themselves. i’m happy to be able to say that fate/stay night not only exceeded my expectations, but managed to be - thanks in no small part to the changes implemented in the réalta nua release of the game - the first type-moon project i wholehearted loved thoroughly to the point where i can seriously overlook what issues i do have with it more often than i can’t. despite the fact that i do find myself still a /little/ more attached to the characters of tsukihime, at least conceptually, i wholeheartedly believe fate/stay night is easily the more interesting, better written, and more fulfilling release - and it now sits comfortably among my favorite visual novels. hell, i think if i’d gotten into this in my early teenage years, around the time i was still really into shounen manga, this could’ve been a seriously formative experience for me. really bummed i missed the boat on that one. regardless, fate/stay night was an addictive experience that took me a total of eight days to read (a huge shout out to the fanmade browser port; made it way easier to read when i totally wasn’t on the clock or anything like that, because in that hypothetical situation, i couldn’t access the game itself.)

the structure of f/sn’s three major routes - fate, unlimited blade works, and heaven’s feel - is pretty interesting, because despite being just that, routes, there is a deliberate and forced order in which they are presented. there is a clear purpose for why f/sn is a decidedly more linear project than its predecessors; because despite the three routes not actually happening back-to-back, the circumstances of its protagonist shirou change and a natural evolution of his character arc and our perception of him as a person and idealist matures alongside him.

the fate route offers the game’s most traditional story - that of shirou, saber, their romance and the drama of the holy grail war. elements of this arc are decidedly by-the-numbers while maintaining integrity through really well executed action and climactic moments of emotional catharsis. it presents shirou as a naive idealist faced with a predictable hero’s story that, while not necessarily “going his way”, doesn’t do much to challenge these ideals of heroism and martyrdom he holds dear. one could even make the argument that this route deliberately justifies and enables these cornerstones of shirou’s projected disposition. to a fault, shirou maintains his white-knight virtues even when they obstruct his vision of a greater and more complex world during the fate route.

it’s with unlimited blade works where type-moon lands their first masterpiece release, in my opinion. now, in an alternative set of events, shirou aligns himself more with those who question and outright reject his line of thinking - including the critical rin tohsaka and the callous lone wolf, archer. as the gold-studded hero’s path begins to rust and shirou learns greater truths about the world, the reality of his disposition and his reliance on ideals over being actively present in the honest world, his moral whites become cloudy greys. he is forced to face himself in a battlefield of morals and question the integrity of the path he walks. the climax is nothing short of moving.

heaven’s feel deviates from the tone and presentation of the previous two routes and, to an extent, almost feels like a reworking of many of the cornerstones of tsukihime’s world, themes, and character types. an interesting concoction of near side’s horror mythos and despicable antagonists and the far side’s more intimate conversations about abuse and trauma, as well as the conflict between intent vs. actions - despite being the slowest route from a pacing perspective and (likely thanks to being such a retread of tsukihime) still managing to bump a few times on the road in the same way nasu’s earlier work did, heaven’s feel sticks the landing and manages to round out its tertiary cast in a meaningful and memorable way.

gone are the dreamy, late-summer mindscapes of tsukihime and kagetsu toya, but that’s not to say presentation is lacking here. i do prefer the look and feel of those earlier games, but fate/stay night’s loud, bombastic approach is deserved of a story with action on the scope and of the caliber as this one. fights manage to feel like big moments, and huge set piece sequences remain pretty impressive even in the current landscape of visual novels. the soundtrack is also quite good but perhaps less memorable than tsukihime’s overall for me. still, attention to details like the moving sprites, clashing and shaking of swords and weapons, thicker outlines and goofier style for the infamous tiger dojo sequences, and of course the great voice acting work all create an immersive, engaging experience befitting of such a beastly title. fate/stay night leans hard into its inspirations at times, sometimes a little too goofy shounen or adamantly sophomoric for its own good… but isn’t that reflective of shirou, and thus the target audience themselves? as i said at the start - i think this game should’ve been something i experienced earlier on in my life, because i think it could’ve been seriously formative for me. even now though, i think it really holds up and cements type-moon overall as a studio with a series that i really do care about quite a bit.

RIDE THROUGH GRAVITY

Going from an air focused approach to a gravity approach comes Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.

Zero Gravity can be said to be more a simplified Riders 1 by its toning down of the previous game's mechanics and easy to understand new gravity gimmicks (also helps it has a detailed tutorial, thank god). Is it still a good time? Hell yeah.

The gameplay, rather than aiming to enhance on what Riders 1 did, instead aims towards gameplay surrounding the gravity gimmick, and as such has a lot more distinct playing experience from riders 1. While riders 1 gives you a lot of freedom with its air and trick mechanics, ZG is more automated with a bigger emphasis on timing and quick thinking, I would argue. It also has a slower pace going for it (with the gravity gimmicks literally putting you in slow motion for a split second before boosting you off). I feel like for the above reasons there's also a heavier focus on memorizing stage layout to better utilize them.

The story is a little more serious this time with a heavier focus on the babylonians' history this time; the characters are back again, expressive as usual (although a smidge bit less than riders 1 to fit with ZG's tone) and an interesting story, although I do wish there was focus on the characters' rivalries again (besides sonic and jet of course). That said, it's a good time.

The style and vibes are IMMACULATE: ZG has a far more apparent futuristic techno aesthetic, from the menus to the settings to the gears and its all done super well, and its music and sound design is so great and aaa a a aa a I vibe with it so hard.

The main complaints with this game really come down to its gameplay when compared to Riders 1, but even then I'm unsure if I necessarily dislike it more. Both take on a different approach to racing that I just have to switch my mindset depending on which one I'm playing, and I can enjoy both thoroughly. That said, I'm still bummed about some of the changes: air boosting is entirely gone which makes attempts a catch up a little more hard, tricks are automated so you entirely have to rely on jump timing to get good trick scores, e.t.c. e.t.c. ; to put it short, ZG feels more restricted than Riders 1 and while that seemed to be the intention its not one I particularly like.

Regardless, I do think overall ZG's a good fun time :) I'll definitely be replaying it from time to time.

I'M GONNA HIT YOU WITH SONIC SPEEEEED

My experience with racing games is rather limited, but Riders immediately caught my attention with just how. Gosh.DArn.FUCKING. FUN. it is. Fast as hell hoverboard racing ooo bby yeah sign me the fuck up.

Riders is an extremely engaging game: the fast-paced gameplay just demands you to learn all of the knick knacks and get more skilled, utilizing the different character types, gears, and stage layout; it's so satisfying when you successfully pull off tricks to get an X rank, or successfully grind on rails and speed ahead of the rest. It's definitely a game most fun when you aim to master its mechanics. The story is wackity ass fun, the characters are awesome (and very expressive i might add) and its just a good time; while not necessarily getting too deep into them, the new characters (the babylon rogues) are pretty cool (Wave <3) and the rivalry between them and the main cast is fun (to the point that I wish we got too see more of Tails vs Wave and Knux vs Storm moments). The Babylonian lore introduced is fairly interesting too. The visuals and music are mwah mwah smooch smooch - the vibes man, they're good. I wouldn't really say its too heavily emphasized but there's a nice futurey-techno style here.

The biggest complaint with this game really is that its hard to get into the gameplay: Riders literally just does not explain shit to you about how the gameplay works apart from a half assed tutorial you have to look through the bonus menu to find. As a result it can really sour the racing experience when you don't really know what to do (of course, you can just experiment, but that's gonna take long). I just watched a tutorial vid on youtube to understand the game mechanics and tested out what i learned through free races, that's what I found to be the best way to learn the game for me.

That....really is just my only complaint honestly lol. It's the biggest hurdle and once you get over it, this game just gets so hella awesome.

I would definitely recommend mods like DX or Tournament Edition for a competitive multiplayer experience, as they enhance the game and add some new content with that purpose in mind.

anyways play sonic riders lol

2012.

Imagine a young preteen boy living out what was one of the worst years of his life. Puberty was settling upon him, causing massive changes to his body and mind, a torturous calamity the result of aging in the physical sense. This kid was a dumbass clown, never taking the right things seriously, never taking the right things jokingly.

An amoeba of borderline incel like emotions, harboring feelings for every pretty girl he'd lay his eyes on regardless of if their character was good or if he was even being reasonable in his attractions.

During one of the most emotional and terrible times of his life, the man who would eventually become his brother in law got him several Christmas Gifts for the Xbox 360 he had gotten maybe only a year or two prior. There were many games, Gears of War, Batman Arkham City, etc.

But chief among them was Fallout New Vegas.

2009-2010

Jump back a few years to when the boy was younger. He had recently left public school to enter what would be a hellish and depressive 3 year stint as a homeschooler. His half brother had recently returned into his life after mostly being out of the picture. At this point of his life, the boy was losing connection with his social life, becoming an isolated little shrimp who dare not speak to others in complete social fear. Alone, every day in his house, learning propagandist Christian homeschool work. Just him, and his brother, a recovering alcoholic.

One day, the boy and his father go to the basement where the brother lived his days out. He was playing a particular game on his Playstation 3, wearing this Abe Lincoln hat in game and wandering this devastated yet familiar landscape. The brother talked about it being the third entry in the Fallout series, and mentioned that a new game would be coming out called Fallout New Vegas.

2000-2009

The boy is born, his life shaped by his parent's love for old media. His dad really loved old music like Frank Sinatra, and once in a Blue Moon, the boy and his dad would watch an old picture together, something that made the father very happy.

The boy spent a lot of time with his mom in this time, his parents were divorced around his second to third year of existence you see. The boy would visit her work place and her parents frequently, the D.C. area was very familiar to him.

It felt like home.

2009-2010

The boy recognizes the setting of this third Fallout game to be a destroyed version of his home, with music playing that reminded him much of songs his father and him would listen too.

2011

The brother would leave and join the military. The boy never felt so alone before in his entire life.

2012

The boy returns to school, his social awareness crippled by years spent languishing on Youtube alone and being brainwashed by the Christian agenda.

He meets friends he would keep for what is currently the remainder of his life.

Which brings us to Christmas of 2012 once again.

At first the boy was not interested in this Fallout New Vegas, his cousin had ruined first person shooters for him, constantly tearing away his freedom from his own devices in order to play schlock like Modern Warfare 3.

There was a trauma that happened, we won't go into the details, but it severely impacted the boy for the rest of his life, even now.

Fallout New Vegas is what carried him through it.

It's what carried me through the difficult times in my life.

Fallout New Vegas is a game that is so heavily focused on showing both the consequences of your actions while simultaneously telling you to move on from the past and keep living.

Despite its post apocalyptic world, the people of New Vegas are always trying to keep going, with the backing track of songs like Jingle Jangle Jingle being very much about continuing forward through life, while other tracks like Blue Moon and Ain't That a Kick in The Head show the positive consequences that showing affection to another person can bring.

All of these songs brought together by the calm yet caring voice of Mr. New Vegas, who despite not being real in both the game and in real life, comforted me greatly and made me feel like I was wanted. That I belonged somewhere in this twisted awful place in my life.

I spent a lot of time with my companions, one in particular being Craig Boone, the soldier who lost his wife to slavery. Even to this day I sympathize with his character. This is a man who has had to suffer so much pain, even outside of just his wife and unborn child being enslaved and him mercy killing them. He's killed innocent people under orders, despite not wanting too, and at the end of the day he can atone, and be loved.

Many of the companions fit with this central theme of moving on from the past and embracing the choices you make. Veronica, Raul, Cass, Rex, ED-E, Lily, Arcade, and that's not even getting on the DLC companions, all of them have to learn to either move on or accept the past.

I think that's why this game has the draw it has, and honestly why it's so beloved by the transgender community. I'm not going to speak for them honestly, I am a cis male, but I think I understand why they love it so much.

The freedom of being able to carve your own path forward, and leave that past behind, having the choices you make find you a place to belong, I get it.

I think a part of me is very sentimental over this game, despite its various bugs and gameplay issues, but you'll have to forgive me it's almost been 10 years that this game has been in my life.

Fallout New Vegas is very much about making a new chapter in your life, and honestly...

It saved mine.

So, after playing all of the mainline Yakuza titles prior to this in release order, I’ve finally arrived at Yakuza 0. I do like this game, but I don’t really get it like most others. People online and my friends had kept telling me about how good this game is, but I didn’t always see it. For a while during my playthrough, I was skeptical of all the praise Yakuza 0 had received, although now that I’ve reached the end, I understand it a lot better now.
Starting with the combat, I found myself enjoying it as it feels very arcadey and flows well. Heat actions did feel overly long at times, which isn’t a problem exclusive to this game, however it felt particularly annoying here. Overall, I didn’t have as much fun with Kiryu’s new styles as I did in Yakuza 5. For the record, I didn’t bother with any of the Legend styles. I thought the grinding for them was a bit too much. Majima is simply fantastic though, with a varied moveset that’s very fun to experiment with. As for the bosses, most of them were pretty solid, with only a few that were… just okay. Kuze especially was a fun boss to repeat. Like I said, I had a good time with the gameplay, but I definitely prefer Yakuza 5’s or even Yakuza 2’s.
Moving onto the story, it was great and serves well as a prequel without needing to retcon past stories for fanservice. The pacing in the beginning is a bit slow, though I can look past that since the rest of the story is so engaging. Each of the new characters are also al interesting in their own right. I really love Tachibana and Makoto’s roles in the narrative. Characters are killed off in a meaningful way, which similarly reminded me of Yakuza 1 in ways. And oh boy the finale. It’d be difficult for me to put my thoughts on it into words, so I’ll just say it’s done extremely well.
Looking at the presentation, it is insanely colorful and stylish, much like the previous entries. I was wholly surprised at how consistent it performs on PS4 due to this too. Yakuza 0 doesn’t have my favorite aesthetics in the series, especially compared to Yakuza 2 and 5, but damn is it amazing nonetheless. The music has prominent electronic and dubstep, with some great themes on top of it. Although I would still say it’s not as memorable as 1-3’s to me.
In summary, I really do owe this game a lot in the end, as it’s the entire reason I even got interested in this franchise in the first place. Yakuza 0’s popularity is what sparked my interest initially, and it’s led me to this point where I absolutely fell in love with the series as a whole. While I may not have appreciated this as much as others have, it was still a blast to play through. It’s an excellent Yakuza title all the way through. Next I tackle Yakuza Kiwami. And boy, do I have some things to say about that fucking remake.