TheOnesWhoAre
BACKER
2024
I am a much different person now than I was when I first played persona 3. I was a clueless freshman in high school, just going about my days, chilling with my friends, and being the massive nerd that I was, not knowing a pandemic was a month away from fucking everything up. Now I'm a freshman in college, and while I'm still a massive nerd, I've started feeling a little more detached from the persona series since graduating high school. I don't know, maybe I can't relate to it as much any more, or something like that. But no matter what happens to my opinions over time about the rest of the series, my feelings on Persona 3, and now Persona 3 Reload will never change.
Back then, it made me realize that, well, death is inevitable. Doesn't matter who you are, you will die. I mean, I knew that before I played the game, sorta, but Persona 3 just made me realize the full extent of it. It fucked me up, but in the best way possible. And now here I am, 4 years later, coming away with an entirely different message than before. It's kind of hard to even put into words really, especially with tears streaming down my face, but it goes something like this: I am so damn lucky to be where I am in life. All my friends, my family, all the memories I've made in high school and am making now in college. This game was sort of a wake up call for me to just stop for a second, stop worrying about the future, or the past, for just a moment and just look back at everything that's happened to me and appreciate it. Honestly, this might be the most I've ever emotionally connected to a video game, ever. I've gotten more invested in better stories that have gotten me more emotional over said stories and their characters, but I've never had a game just sit me down, slap me upside the head and tell me to just stop fucking worrying for a second, just a single damn second and realize what you have, and cherish it. So, thank you, Atlus. Thank you for creating this masterpiece.
OK. CHEESY STUFF DONE. So how's the actual game?
Yeah, the game itself is amazing too, though I do have my gripes. First of all, I need Atlus to please stop it with the oversexualization. Using it as a plot point, like with Ann in Persona 5, can work, but it gets really annoying having the characters show up to a hot spring and knowing that the next 5 minutes are about the be the cringiest thing you will ever witness. Got that? Thank you.
The gameplay here is easily the best in the series. Tartarus is actually fun to explore now, what with the monad doors and the switching up of the layouts of floors, and the actual turn based combat is the best one more style combat has ever been. Theurgies are awesome, and getting to oneshot the reaper with armageddon was immensely satisfying. The visual overhaul here is also unbelievable. Every new floor of tartarus I visited had my jaw on the floor from how good it looked, and of course the every day stuff is still very, very good looking. The social links here I think are at their best too. Everyone deserves to experience Akinari's social link at least once in their life. Also, of course, the soundtrack is still one of the best in gaming, and the new versions mostly do it justice, with some being insane improvements (CHANGING SEASONS -RELOAD- MY BELOVED)
Really, my gripes about this game are really minor stuff, like the pacing can be a bit slow at times, and this one shot after the final boss from the original wasn't in reload, or like, three of the new remixes are a little worse than their originals, and I do wish the script was altered less, but none of that is really enough to change my overall opinion on the game. It's good. It's really good. 105 hours to beat the game is a lot, though... maybe I should start saving games this long for summer. In high school I could blast through a game this long in a couple weeks, but this time it took me two full months. I just have way less time now than I did then. but eh, it is what it is.
anyways, yeah, my point is, if you have the time, play this game. It's one of the best dungeon crawlers out there, and just might change your life, like it has mine, twice over.
Back then, it made me realize that, well, death is inevitable. Doesn't matter who you are, you will die. I mean, I knew that before I played the game, sorta, but Persona 3 just made me realize the full extent of it. It fucked me up, but in the best way possible. And now here I am, 4 years later, coming away with an entirely different message than before. It's kind of hard to even put into words really, especially with tears streaming down my face, but it goes something like this: I am so damn lucky to be where I am in life. All my friends, my family, all the memories I've made in high school and am making now in college. This game was sort of a wake up call for me to just stop for a second, stop worrying about the future, or the past, for just a moment and just look back at everything that's happened to me and appreciate it. Honestly, this might be the most I've ever emotionally connected to a video game, ever. I've gotten more invested in better stories that have gotten me more emotional over said stories and their characters, but I've never had a game just sit me down, slap me upside the head and tell me to just stop fucking worrying for a second, just a single damn second and realize what you have, and cherish it. So, thank you, Atlus. Thank you for creating this masterpiece.
OK. CHEESY STUFF DONE. So how's the actual game?
Yeah, the game itself is amazing too, though I do have my gripes. First of all, I need Atlus to please stop it with the oversexualization. Using it as a plot point, like with Ann in Persona 5, can work, but it gets really annoying having the characters show up to a hot spring and knowing that the next 5 minutes are about the be the cringiest thing you will ever witness. Got that? Thank you.
The gameplay here is easily the best in the series. Tartarus is actually fun to explore now, what with the monad doors and the switching up of the layouts of floors, and the actual turn based combat is the best one more style combat has ever been. Theurgies are awesome, and getting to oneshot the reaper with armageddon was immensely satisfying. The visual overhaul here is also unbelievable. Every new floor of tartarus I visited had my jaw on the floor from how good it looked, and of course the every day stuff is still very, very good looking. The social links here I think are at their best too. Everyone deserves to experience Akinari's social link at least once in their life. Also, of course, the soundtrack is still one of the best in gaming, and the new versions mostly do it justice, with some being insane improvements (CHANGING SEASONS -RELOAD- MY BELOVED)
Really, my gripes about this game are really minor stuff, like the pacing can be a bit slow at times, and this one shot after the final boss from the original wasn't in reload, or like, three of the new remixes are a little worse than their originals, and I do wish the script was altered less, but none of that is really enough to change my overall opinion on the game. It's good. It's really good. 105 hours to beat the game is a lot, though... maybe I should start saving games this long for summer. In high school I could blast through a game this long in a couple weeks, but this time it took me two full months. I just have way less time now than I did then. but eh, it is what it is.
anyways, yeah, my point is, if you have the time, play this game. It's one of the best dungeon crawlers out there, and just might change your life, like it has mine, twice over.
tell me if you've heard this one before: "the first half of dark souls is incredible, but the second half sucks!" well I'm here to tell you that that is wrong. VERY wrong. it actually only sucks for about 20% of it!
Frankly, I came out of this second playthrough more frustrated than anything. This game is so so so good in so many ways. of course there's the legendary run of undead burg all the way to anor londo, which is rightfully regarded as some of the best level design in the series, the bosses are generally a step up from demon's souls, with only a couple exceptions, the optional areas/bosses (painted world, ash lake, gwyndolin) are really fun, the soundtrack is iconic, and the atmosphere is insane. but, and you know where i'm going with this, there is a clear drop off in quality at a certain point in the story. I already had my issues with this part of the game on my first playthrough, but I figured that, like what had happened in my demon's souls replay not too long ago, I would be so familiar with the game, that I'd be able to breeze through these low points pretty smoothly. But no, that'd would've been too easy. This being my second time through these bad areas genuinely made things even more frustrating than they had already been my first go around. dying to those stupid skeleton dog things in the tomb of the giants, dying over and over to bed of chaos, the genuine worst boss in the soulsborne franchise (original opinion i know), staring out over the demon ruins and lost izalith and just seeing random enemies littered all over the place like I was looking at a student project in a beginner game design class, and having to run all the way through the kiln of the first flame just about a billion times because, of course, the final boss would be the perfect time to add a mechanic where every time you try to heal, he has a specific move he uses to make sure you just take all that damage back, alongside his one move that comes out legitimately faster than a human can process it. It all just made me feel horrible, like somehow I was worse at the game now than I was then despite all the soulsborne experience i've gotten under my belt since. I understand that the dev team was plagued with some nasty deadlines and a near empty budget by the end of development, but I don't think that should mean I should just ignore all of this stuff.
to be honest, I was prepared to lower my score of this game to a 7/10, but unlike my first playthough where i skipped over the dlc so i could have the game done by the time elden ring came out, I actually did the Artorias of the Abyss dlc this time around. and fortunately, aside from my intense hatred for sanctuary guardian, this dlc rocked, so my score will remain 8/10. crazy how fromsoft make a basically perfect dragon fight with kalameet just to turn around and make midir, which is probably right behind bed of chaos in my least favorite bosses in the franchise list, but whatever. It really sucks that, unless this game by some miracle gets a remake, I likely won't return to it for a while, but that's just how it is, I guess.
ANYWAYS DEMON'S SOULS CLEARS LMAOOOOOOOOOO DARK SOULS COULD NEVER GET BLUEPOINT TO MAKE A REMAKE OF IT HAHAHAHAHAHAHA (please bluepoint please remake this game and make the late game not dogshit thank you)
Frankly, I came out of this second playthrough more frustrated than anything. This game is so so so good in so many ways. of course there's the legendary run of undead burg all the way to anor londo, which is rightfully regarded as some of the best level design in the series, the bosses are generally a step up from demon's souls, with only a couple exceptions, the optional areas/bosses (painted world, ash lake, gwyndolin) are really fun, the soundtrack is iconic, and the atmosphere is insane. but, and you know where i'm going with this, there is a clear drop off in quality at a certain point in the story. I already had my issues with this part of the game on my first playthrough, but I figured that, like what had happened in my demon's souls replay not too long ago, I would be so familiar with the game, that I'd be able to breeze through these low points pretty smoothly. But no, that'd would've been too easy. This being my second time through these bad areas genuinely made things even more frustrating than they had already been my first go around. dying to those stupid skeleton dog things in the tomb of the giants, dying over and over to bed of chaos, the genuine worst boss in the soulsborne franchise (original opinion i know), staring out over the demon ruins and lost izalith and just seeing random enemies littered all over the place like I was looking at a student project in a beginner game design class, and having to run all the way through the kiln of the first flame just about a billion times because, of course, the final boss would be the perfect time to add a mechanic where every time you try to heal, he has a specific move he uses to make sure you just take all that damage back, alongside his one move that comes out legitimately faster than a human can process it. It all just made me feel horrible, like somehow I was worse at the game now than I was then despite all the soulsborne experience i've gotten under my belt since. I understand that the dev team was plagued with some nasty deadlines and a near empty budget by the end of development, but I don't think that should mean I should just ignore all of this stuff.
to be honest, I was prepared to lower my score of this game to a 7/10, but unlike my first playthough where i skipped over the dlc so i could have the game done by the time elden ring came out, I actually did the Artorias of the Abyss dlc this time around. and fortunately, aside from my intense hatred for sanctuary guardian, this dlc rocked, so my score will remain 8/10. crazy how fromsoft make a basically perfect dragon fight with kalameet just to turn around and make midir, which is probably right behind bed of chaos in my least favorite bosses in the franchise list, but whatever. It really sucks that, unless this game by some miracle gets a remake, I likely won't return to it for a while, but that's just how it is, I guess.
ANYWAYS DEMON'S SOULS CLEARS LMAOOOOOOOOOO DARK SOULS COULD NEVER GET BLUEPOINT TO MAKE A REMAKE OF IT HAHAHAHAHAHAHA (please bluepoint please remake this game and make the late game not dogshit thank you)
expectations on this were high, and yeah, i get it, but it's definitely not perfect. the areas are generally well designed, though i think royal wood is kinda dumb to navigate. the bosses are where this dlc really shines anyway. 3/4 of them are basically the best bosses in the game. artorias is electrifyingly good, manus is fun as long as you have the pendent, and kalameet is the only dragon fight in the dark souls trilogy I don't absolutely despise! he's actually really fun to fight! fuck you midir! the one boss that's a miss, though... lord. I hate sanctuary guardian so fucking much. actual dogshit boss. anyways old hunters clears lol, but this was kickass.
2009
I just want to get one thing out of the way: the remake is better. don't let anyone tell you otherwise, the remake is better. omnidirectional rolling while locked on, a super epic new soundtrack, shortcuts added where they were desperately needed, incredible sound design and some of the best visuals that video games have to offer. it is the better game, period.
BUT
I think i kinda prefer this version.
I don't know, man. maybe its the dreary, oppresive atmosphere, or the incredible soundtrack, which, while not as cinematic as the remakes, has a vibe that is unmatched, or maybe it was the fact that i wiped the floor with nearly every boss which was incredibly satisfying after suffering so much in my original playthrough. i don't know. I just really enjoyed my time with this version. it's honestly become one of my favorites of the fromsoft souls games.
but seriously, play the remake first, and if you like it, THEN play this version.
BUT
I think i kinda prefer this version.
I don't know, man. maybe its the dreary, oppresive atmosphere, or the incredible soundtrack, which, while not as cinematic as the remakes, has a vibe that is unmatched, or maybe it was the fact that i wiped the floor with nearly every boss which was incredibly satisfying after suffering so much in my original playthrough. i don't know. I just really enjoyed my time with this version. it's honestly become one of my favorites of the fromsoft souls games.
but seriously, play the remake first, and if you like it, THEN play this version.
before you all kill me for committing the great sin of giving this game less than a 10/10, let me explain. I still love this game. the gameplay here is a massive improvement over YLAD. the added strategy elements really go a long way, plus, the way they translated Kiryu's combat mechanics into the turn based system is some real genius shit. Some of the most fun that can be had with turn based combat is here. the story is overall very good, with some great and memorable characters and villains. really hoping Tomi and Chitose come back at some point, they are my GOATS. this game is also a massive graphical leap over YLAD, which is always nice to see. really, my biggest complaint is that this game is just... way too damn long. this shit did not need to take nearly 60 hours to beat. The story can really drag in the middle too, which almost makes me feel like RGG made it long just so they could say it's the longest in the series. Also every time Ichiban and Saeko interacted in this game I wanted to die, but I think that's just a me thing. second hand embarrassment is my nemesis. otherwise, great game, a fantastic love letter to the Dragon of Dojima, and a great improvement over YLAD, gameplay-wise. Just please have the next one be like, 30 hours or something.
Actually, I need the next one to be gaiden 2 or something, featuring you know who from the post-credits, and it better come out within the year because that ending was genuinely fucked up like come on RGG uhghghgn;jgg.
Actually, I need the next one to be gaiden 2 or something, featuring you know who from the post-credits, and it better come out within the year because that ending was genuinely fucked up like come on RGG uhghghgn;jgg.
fun and short little game. controls and camera can be finicky but its always nice to get new celeste content.
one of the best adventure/exploration games and one of the best horror games combined into one package. play it. you will thank me.
Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye is the greatest horror game I've ever played. I mean that with 100% sincerity.
Half-jokes aside, this DLC is wonderful. the mystery surrounding The Stranger is super intriguing, exploring The Stranger itself is a total treat, the story of the Owlk's is amazing and answers plenty of questions left by the base game, the music is stellar once again, and the way it all comes together in the end is beautiful. A fantastic DLC for a fantastic game.
Half-jokes aside, this DLC is wonderful. the mystery surrounding The Stranger is super intriguing, exploring The Stranger itself is a total treat, the story of the Owlk's is amazing and answers plenty of questions left by the base game, the music is stellar once again, and the way it all comes together in the end is beautiful. A fantastic DLC for a fantastic game.
2023
I was a very early adopter of Project Octopath Traveler hype. That first trailer all the way back in September of 2017 sold me instantly. From the beautiful graphics to the amazing music, I knew i would be buying it day one. And I did. And I dropped it almost immediately.
Aside from the soundtrack, which of course, was still amazing, and the visuals, which were also still very, very good, nearly nothing about the game hooked me. I found the combat to be just okay, and the the characters and story to be super boring. I think what turned me off most, though, was the lack of a connecting story. In the small amount of the game that I experienced, the characters didn't interact at all. That's when I decided it just wasn't for me, and went on with my life.
Flash forward to 2022, and Octopath Traveler II was announced. I once again, was interested, but this time, I was a lot more wary about it. When it was announced, I think I said something along the lines of "Man, I really hope this is good, but I'm not counting on it." When it was announced that characters would get crossover chapters, though, is when it really caught my attention. I still didn't buy it on launch, but I did get it for my birthday. and then didn't touch it for 7 months.
Listen, in my defense, my birthday came right after the Xenoblade 3 dlc came out, and right before Tears of the Kingdom came out. I had other priorities! Still, I regret not playing it sooner, because holy. fucking. shit.
This game is incredible. It's a completely magical experience, and an absolute love letter to JRPGs in all the best ways. This game somehow swept Digital Devil Saga 1/2 off its feet to become my new favorite turn based combat system out there. The break system is levels of genius game design my mind can't even begin to comprehend. And the gameplay twist that happens in the final boss? I don't remember the last time I've squealed like that because of a gameplay twist. I lost my shit. 10/10 combat.
The stories here are much improved from the first game. I wouldn't call them all fantastic, but all of them are at least great, with multiple making me tear up (Castti, Temenos, Throné, iykyk) and multiple making my jaw hit the fucking ground with their twists (OSVALD, THRONÉ, IYKYK), and the final chapter was, I think, a very nice ending, with quite possibly the greatest and most heartwarming title drop I've ever seen.
The cast here is a lot of what really makes this game special to me. Straight up, I think this game has one of the greatest casts in gaming. Or recent history, at least. I love every single one of them (especially Partitio, my fucking GOAT, greatest character of all time) and it makes me incredibly sad that I probably won't ever see them again unless octopath 3 has more connections to 2 past one boss fight. The travel banter, battle voice lines, and crossed paths really make this cast something special. Moments like when Partitio tried giving all his money to Agnea so she could live out her dreams, or when Ochette told Osvald the sixth source was meat, or every time Ochette called Castti Ma (MY FUCKING HEART AHHHHH), and everything inbetween. It's all so special. I can only hope Octopath 3's cast is half this good.
The last thing I'm gonna gush about here is the soundtrack. This motherfucker Yasunori Nishiki COOKED. All of the character themes are amazing, with Partitio, Castti, and Osvald's being straight up brilliant pieces of music, the environment and town themes are incredibly beautiful and atmospheric, and the battle themes. Oh my god the battle themes. Normal Battle III?? CRITICAL CLASH II???? FUCKING FOR THE DAWN????????????? peak. goated. raw. Ungodly levels of perfection here. Nishiki has to be a wizard or something. Don't even get me started on the remixed character themes before boss fights and how they transition perfectly into the boss theme. I could talk about this soundtrack, and frankly, this game, for hours, but I think I've about written enough.
In a comeback story for the ages, Octopath Traveler II has managed to steal my heart and become one of the best games I've ever played. Top 15 at least, if not higher. I cannot stress enough how special this game is. All I can hope for at this point is that this game somehow gets story DLC, and/or that Octopath 3 is at least half as good.
SPOILERS BELOW BECAUSE I HAVE AN INSANE STORY TO TELL.
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ok so that final boss yeah? the greatest fucking boss fight in gaming?
I shit you not I've spent like the last two weeks of my life trying to defeat this fucker. this absolute bastard. this complete son of a bitch who can stop you from reviving and kill pretty much anyone in one turn because of ruinous light and that other attack in phase 2. I had no idea that you had to use all 8 characters in this fight. I had used the same 4 characters for pretty much the whole game, the other 4 were all like level 35 when I strolled up to the final boss. I've been grinding and doing side content for two weeks straight and still this boss fight was the most brutal thing ever. the most raw fucking tooth and nail fight I've ever done in a video game. I've experienced nothing like it and I don't think I'll experience anything like it ever again. I was constantly on the verge of losing. I struggled to get past the first phase every attempt. my winning attempt though, oh my GOD. I had just about gotten the jackass to half health so he could initiate phase 1.5 and drag out the other half of my party when he killed two of my current party members and got another one to like, 50 health or so. I thought I was boned. I was so tempted to just restart. but I'm so glad I didn't. because I MANAGED TO BRANDS BLADE HIS NOT EVEN BROKEN ASS INTO PHASE 1.5 AND BROUGHT BACK AND HEALED MY WHOLE PARTY BEFORE THE SWITCH HAPPENED. I literally couldn't believe my eyes. I felt like a fucking god gamer. also the fight took me two fucking hours. 10/10 never fucking doing that ever again but its peak. ok reviews done now bye
Aside from the soundtrack, which of course, was still amazing, and the visuals, which were also still very, very good, nearly nothing about the game hooked me. I found the combat to be just okay, and the the characters and story to be super boring. I think what turned me off most, though, was the lack of a connecting story. In the small amount of the game that I experienced, the characters didn't interact at all. That's when I decided it just wasn't for me, and went on with my life.
Flash forward to 2022, and Octopath Traveler II was announced. I once again, was interested, but this time, I was a lot more wary about it. When it was announced, I think I said something along the lines of "Man, I really hope this is good, but I'm not counting on it." When it was announced that characters would get crossover chapters, though, is when it really caught my attention. I still didn't buy it on launch, but I did get it for my birthday. and then didn't touch it for 7 months.
Listen, in my defense, my birthday came right after the Xenoblade 3 dlc came out, and right before Tears of the Kingdom came out. I had other priorities! Still, I regret not playing it sooner, because holy. fucking. shit.
This game is incredible. It's a completely magical experience, and an absolute love letter to JRPGs in all the best ways. This game somehow swept Digital Devil Saga 1/2 off its feet to become my new favorite turn based combat system out there. The break system is levels of genius game design my mind can't even begin to comprehend. And the gameplay twist that happens in the final boss? I don't remember the last time I've squealed like that because of a gameplay twist. I lost my shit. 10/10 combat.
The stories here are much improved from the first game. I wouldn't call them all fantastic, but all of them are at least great, with multiple making me tear up (Castti, Temenos, Throné, iykyk) and multiple making my jaw hit the fucking ground with their twists (OSVALD, THRONÉ, IYKYK), and the final chapter was, I think, a very nice ending, with quite possibly the greatest and most heartwarming title drop I've ever seen.
The cast here is a lot of what really makes this game special to me. Straight up, I think this game has one of the greatest casts in gaming. Or recent history, at least. I love every single one of them (especially Partitio, my fucking GOAT, greatest character of all time) and it makes me incredibly sad that I probably won't ever see them again unless octopath 3 has more connections to 2 past one boss fight. The travel banter, battle voice lines, and crossed paths really make this cast something special. Moments like when Partitio tried giving all his money to Agnea so she could live out her dreams, or when Ochette told Osvald the sixth source was meat, or every time Ochette called Castti Ma (MY FUCKING HEART AHHHHH), and everything inbetween. It's all so special. I can only hope Octopath 3's cast is half this good.
The last thing I'm gonna gush about here is the soundtrack. This motherfucker Yasunori Nishiki COOKED. All of the character themes are amazing, with Partitio, Castti, and Osvald's being straight up brilliant pieces of music, the environment and town themes are incredibly beautiful and atmospheric, and the battle themes. Oh my god the battle themes. Normal Battle III?? CRITICAL CLASH II???? FUCKING FOR THE DAWN????????????? peak. goated. raw. Ungodly levels of perfection here. Nishiki has to be a wizard or something. Don't even get me started on the remixed character themes before boss fights and how they transition perfectly into the boss theme. I could talk about this soundtrack, and frankly, this game, for hours, but I think I've about written enough.
In a comeback story for the ages, Octopath Traveler II has managed to steal my heart and become one of the best games I've ever played. Top 15 at least, if not higher. I cannot stress enough how special this game is. All I can hope for at this point is that this game somehow gets story DLC, and/or that Octopath 3 is at least half as good.
SPOILERS BELOW BECAUSE I HAVE AN INSANE STORY TO TELL.
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ok so that final boss yeah? the greatest fucking boss fight in gaming?
I shit you not I've spent like the last two weeks of my life trying to defeat this fucker. this absolute bastard. this complete son of a bitch who can stop you from reviving and kill pretty much anyone in one turn because of ruinous light and that other attack in phase 2. I had no idea that you had to use all 8 characters in this fight. I had used the same 4 characters for pretty much the whole game, the other 4 were all like level 35 when I strolled up to the final boss. I've been grinding and doing side content for two weeks straight and still this boss fight was the most brutal thing ever. the most raw fucking tooth and nail fight I've ever done in a video game. I've experienced nothing like it and I don't think I'll experience anything like it ever again. I was constantly on the verge of losing. I struggled to get past the first phase every attempt. my winning attempt though, oh my GOD. I had just about gotten the jackass to half health so he could initiate phase 1.5 and drag out the other half of my party when he killed two of my current party members and got another one to like, 50 health or so. I thought I was boned. I was so tempted to just restart. but I'm so glad I didn't. because I MANAGED TO BRANDS BLADE HIS NOT EVEN BROKEN ASS INTO PHASE 1.5 AND BROUGHT BACK AND HEALED MY WHOLE PARTY BEFORE THE SWITCH HAPPENED. I literally couldn't believe my eyes. I felt like a fucking god gamer. also the fight took me two fucking hours. 10/10 never fucking doing that ever again but its peak. ok reviews done now bye
2019
This game and I have a bit of a history. Ever since it came out all I've heard about it is glowing praise. General reviewers and people I knew who played it all came to the conclusion that this game is art, and a one in a kind masterpiece. So obviously, I wanted on that train, and I bought it on steam.
If I'm being honest... I didn't really get it. I had no clue what I was doing, where to go, anything that was really going on, and, frankly, I just didn't feel like it was worth sitting down and giving it my full attention. So, I dropped it. Multiple times since then I've tried to pick it back up, but I always lost interest, or diverted my interest towards something more important to me.
Then, I got a steam deck.
I always thought that maybe the reason I got bored with Outer Wilds so easily was due to me having to sit down at my desk to play it, rather than on my couch or in my bed, so when I got my deck, I knew the first game I had to try out on it was Outer Wilds. And this time, it finally, FINALLY, sunk its fangs right into me.
I went on a trip pretty much immediately after getting my deck, and whenever I had a shred of downtime, I would be back to playing this game. Its such a special experience, something only the medium of video games can convey. It really can be described as art. Exploring this solar system, discovering the Nomai ruins, everything they did, and everything that led to their demise, and all the stuff that I really do not want to spoil here. The feeling of FINALLY figuring out how to get somewhere, or finding some crucial piece of information to add to the ship log. I don't think there'll ever be a game like this again, and that is a heartbreaking fact, but it only makes this game that much more special. 10/10. Unforgettable. Hell of a way to start off 2024.
If I'm being honest... I didn't really get it. I had no clue what I was doing, where to go, anything that was really going on, and, frankly, I just didn't feel like it was worth sitting down and giving it my full attention. So, I dropped it. Multiple times since then I've tried to pick it back up, but I always lost interest, or diverted my interest towards something more important to me.
Then, I got a steam deck.
I always thought that maybe the reason I got bored with Outer Wilds so easily was due to me having to sit down at my desk to play it, rather than on my couch or in my bed, so when I got my deck, I knew the first game I had to try out on it was Outer Wilds. And this time, it finally, FINALLY, sunk its fangs right into me.
I went on a trip pretty much immediately after getting my deck, and whenever I had a shred of downtime, I would be back to playing this game. Its such a special experience, something only the medium of video games can convey. It really can be described as art. Exploring this solar system, discovering the Nomai ruins, everything they did, and everything that led to their demise, and all the stuff that I really do not want to spoil here. The feeling of FINALLY figuring out how to get somewhere, or finding some crucial piece of information to add to the ship log. I don't think there'll ever be a game like this again, and that is a heartbreaking fact, but it only makes this game that much more special. 10/10. Unforgettable. Hell of a way to start off 2024.
Without question the best 2D mario since the first New Super game on the DS. Plays like a dream, incredible style, wonderful creativity in every level, music is great, and its just an all around great game. Really happy to see that 2D mario is finally good again.
2023
THE ABSOLUTE FUCKING HIGH I AM ON RIGHT NOW, OH MY GOD. Just finished my first ever victory on this game (on monsoon difficulty btw), and yep, this game is incredible. The gameplay is tight and satisfying, the item system is still perfect, the visuals are some of the best pixel art i've ever seen, the music mindblowing (COALESCENCE AHHHHHHHHHHHH) and the final boss might be one of the greatest in gaming. It also might be one of the hardest games I've ever beaten, way harder than RoR2. My expectations were high, and god, they might have been surpassed. I just really need the mouse aiming patch to come out already, and maybe for chests and shrines and stuff to spawn more often/be more condensed, but otherwise, 10/10 I fucking love this franchise. I will be getting all achievements just like I did RoR2.
fuck.
When it was revealed that Kiryu was not only going to be back for Like a Dragon 8, but going to get his own in-between solo game, I was really worried. Rough as the overall experience can be, I still find Yakuza 6's ending to be fucking perfect. I didn't want them to mess with it, at all. That was the happiest ending Kiryu could ever get without them pulling some bullshit. Now, though... fuck man. I'm not so sure any more. This games story is really padded. Its basically the Torna: The Golden Country of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, forced side quests included. But, in that same vain, the emotional payoff here is immense. That ending man... maybe there is a way Kiryu can get the ending he deserves.
The gameplay here is probably the best of any of the action games in the series. The agent style is really cool, and kinda overpowered when you use its Extreme Heat Mode. The Yakuza style, which is just the Dragon style under a different name, is at its best here, at least when it comes to the Dragon Engine games. I much prefer the turn-based style, but for the action games, this is about as good as it gets.
These next two months waiting for Infinite Wealth are gonna be torture. But I can wait if it means we get peak gaming, which, at this point, I have no doubt that Infinite Wealth will be just that.
When it was revealed that Kiryu was not only going to be back for Like a Dragon 8, but going to get his own in-between solo game, I was really worried. Rough as the overall experience can be, I still find Yakuza 6's ending to be fucking perfect. I didn't want them to mess with it, at all. That was the happiest ending Kiryu could ever get without them pulling some bullshit. Now, though... fuck man. I'm not so sure any more. This games story is really padded. Its basically the Torna: The Golden Country of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, forced side quests included. But, in that same vain, the emotional payoff here is immense. That ending man... maybe there is a way Kiryu can get the ending he deserves.
The gameplay here is probably the best of any of the action games in the series. The agent style is really cool, and kinda overpowered when you use its Extreme Heat Mode. The Yakuza style, which is just the Dragon style under a different name, is at its best here, at least when it comes to the Dragon Engine games. I much prefer the turn-based style, but for the action games, this is about as good as it gets.
These next two months waiting for Infinite Wealth are gonna be torture. But I can wait if it means we get peak gaming, which, at this point, I have no doubt that Infinite Wealth will be just that.
Got diagnosed with Covid the literal day this game came out, so it goes without question that I've been spending most of my time playing it. yeah, this is the best one yet. It basically renders the other two obsolete. The story is just as good as the first one (if memory serves, its been a while since i played SM1). Yuri Lowenthal's performance here is mindblowing, and this cemented him as one of the best iterations of the character ever, he is SO FUCKING GOOD. The gameplay is mostly why I say the other games are obsolete, bc you get to play as both spider-men and both are better playing in this one then their respective games. Pretty much every boss fight here is incredible, although I wasn't too huge on when they pulled out random groups of grunt enemies just to make things a little bit more tedious. really my one complaint is that the pacing is a little weird but otherwise, GAS. Play this game.
Just like the main game, it's rather messy. but its the coolest fucking mess I've ever witnessed. the new characters are super fun to play as (TAILS TORNADOOOOOOOO), the game is ACTUALLY DIFFICULT NOW (and this is a DEFINITE GOOD THING AND ANYONE ELSE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE, SKILL ISSUE), and, despite me being a massive original final boss defender, the new final boss is INFINITELY BETTER THAN THE OG FINAL BOSS. GENUINELY ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS TO COME OUT OF THE SONIC FRANCHISE. Really, my only gripe is that there wasn't a wholly brand new Kellen Quinn song, but I'm sure we'll see more of him when frontiers 2 comes around, so I can wait. I'm really happy with how this turned out, and I can't wait to see whats next from the sonic team. especially now that they'll actually have a budget.