VeryRealFiamma
2001
[11/14/2023]
The beginning of a new era for gaming as a whole. Birth of the two-weapon system in FPS games, awesome plot twists, and the beginning of a fucking incredible trilogy. But, god, does this game just fall apart after the sixth mission. Everything before rules, though.
The beginning of a new era for gaming as a whole. Birth of the two-weapon system in FPS games, awesome plot twists, and the beginning of a fucking incredible trilogy. But, god, does this game just fall apart after the sixth mission. Everything before rules, though.
2023
[11/15/2023]
yeah i'm sticking to Horizon 5
yeah i'm sticking to Horizon 5
2014
[11/17/2023]
Dude.
This game.
Where Halo 1 created a franchise, Halo 2 created a world. Two, actually. Where we saw Master Chief's accomplishment and commendation from the previous game, we saw Thel 'Vadam's failure and punishment. The UNSC's duty to prevent total galactic destruction, the Covenant's dogmatic pursuit of the Great Journey. Doubling the size of the world and its stories by expanding upon the Covenant to be more than just genocidal aliens, evolving the story and conflict to become more than a simple "humans vs. aliens war" story, helped elevate this game and the Halo series to legend status.
This and Halo 3 are constantly fighting for the position of my absolute favorite FPS of all time. Halo 2 wins by the slightest margin by virtue of the worldbuilding. Perfect sequel, and sets up an incredible finale with Halo 3.
Also, unlike CE Anniversary, this game's remaster actually looks good!
Dude.
This game.
Where Halo 1 created a franchise, Halo 2 created a world. Two, actually. Where we saw Master Chief's accomplishment and commendation from the previous game, we saw Thel 'Vadam's failure and punishment. The UNSC's duty to prevent total galactic destruction, the Covenant's dogmatic pursuit of the Great Journey. Doubling the size of the world and its stories by expanding upon the Covenant to be more than just genocidal aliens, evolving the story and conflict to become more than a simple "humans vs. aliens war" story, helped elevate this game and the Halo series to legend status.
This and Halo 3 are constantly fighting for the position of my absolute favorite FPS of all time. Halo 2 wins by the slightest margin by virtue of the worldbuilding. Perfect sequel, and sets up an incredible finale with Halo 3.
Also, unlike CE Anniversary, this game's remaster actually looks good!
2007
This review contains spoilers
[11/19/2023]
Yes, I'm spoiler tagging Halo fucking 3. You need to play these if you haven't.
I already said that Halo 2 and this game are always at odds when it comes to being my favorite entry in the series alongside my favorite FPS ever, but whenever I complete Halo 3 again, it just makes that competition even more tight.
The end to a trilogy that started 6 years prior, this game goes all in on the cinematic angle to really drive the "Finish the Fight" point home. With uneasy allies following the Elites breaking off from the Covenant back in Halo 2, Truth's turn from heel to even heeler heel, the Flood's desperate final push for complete galactic saturation, and the foils of Master Chief and the Arbiter reaching the climax of their respective arcs being put together to become an iconic duo while working alongside Miranda Keyes, Sgt. Johnson, and the Elite Shipmaster, it's also aiming to keep bringing in surprises to the very end with the highest stakes possible. These events are aided by the best soundtrack in the series, all thanks to that piano.
My only real complaint is that Arbiter's arc was definitely planned to have a more elaborate resolution. He does not exist as a character between killing Truth and the end of the game. His one-liners are still badass, though. I don't have an issue with Truth becoming an outright villain, though. I'd assume he'd show his true colors and become even more dogmatic after becoming the sole Prophet of the Covenant. I'm sure there's something about religious movements being hijacked in there somewhere, even if the pre-existing one was equally murderous.
It's not unpopular to say that Halo 3's reputation is probably carried by the combined hype of being the third game in an extremely popular series, Halo 2's cliffhanger ending, and its marketing campaign. But with the approach to the campaign they took, they absolutely knew, and it worked out so damn well. Halo 3 is the spitting image of sending something out with a bang.
Yes, I'm spoiler tagging Halo fucking 3. You need to play these if you haven't.
I already said that Halo 2 and this game are always at odds when it comes to being my favorite entry in the series alongside my favorite FPS ever, but whenever I complete Halo 3 again, it just makes that competition even more tight.
The end to a trilogy that started 6 years prior, this game goes all in on the cinematic angle to really drive the "Finish the Fight" point home. With uneasy allies following the Elites breaking off from the Covenant back in Halo 2, Truth's turn from heel to even heeler heel, the Flood's desperate final push for complete galactic saturation, and the foils of Master Chief and the Arbiter reaching the climax of their respective arcs being put together to become an iconic duo while working alongside Miranda Keyes, Sgt. Johnson, and the Elite Shipmaster, it's also aiming to keep bringing in surprises to the very end with the highest stakes possible. These events are aided by the best soundtrack in the series, all thanks to that piano.
My only real complaint is that Arbiter's arc was definitely planned to have a more elaborate resolution. He does not exist as a character between killing Truth and the end of the game. His one-liners are still badass, though. I don't have an issue with Truth becoming an outright villain, though. I'd assume he'd show his true colors and become even more dogmatic after becoming the sole Prophet of the Covenant. I'm sure there's something about religious movements being hijacked in there somewhere, even if the pre-existing one was equally murderous.
It's not unpopular to say that Halo 3's reputation is probably carried by the combined hype of being the third game in an extremely popular series, Halo 2's cliffhanger ending, and its marketing campaign. But with the approach to the campaign they took, they absolutely knew, and it worked out so damn well. Halo 3 is the spitting image of sending something out with a bang.
2017
[11/24/2023]
Wow, that EXP system was something. I think I like Kiwami 1's the most out of the three I've played so far. Favorite story's still 0.
Anyway, as for the story, it picks up at the second half and expands the scope with Sotenbori. I know it appeared in 0, but seeing this for the first time might have been awesome if I didn't.
It was kinda cool seeing everyone band together by the end against a common enemy. Final fight was badass. Overall, this wasn't as good as 0 in my eyes. Might have to wait a few games for that. At least the new engine was cool to see for the first time.
Also, what the fuck was that part of the game?
Wow, that EXP system was something. I think I like Kiwami 1's the most out of the three I've played so far. Favorite story's still 0.
Anyway, as for the story, it picks up at the second half and expands the scope with Sotenbori. I know it appeared in 0, but seeing this for the first time might have been awesome if I didn't.
It was kinda cool seeing everyone band together by the end against a common enemy. Final fight was badass. Overall, this wasn't as good as 0 in my eyes. Might have to wait a few games for that. At least the new engine was cool to see for the first time.
Also, what the fuck was that part of the game?
2009
[11/25/2023]
The first and only time we play as a character who is not an unstoppable killing machine (except maybe Halo 5). Witnessing the aftermath of the explosion that renders New Mombasa uninhabitable as what is effectively just another soldier, combined with the music and sense of loneliness, creates an atmosphere unique to this entry. We're introduced to Buck, who's a pretty cool guy.
The symbolism in regards to Dante's Inferno is very, VERY, apparent. I'm too dumb to analyze it, though. Gotta read it first.
The first and only time we play as a character who is not an unstoppable killing machine (except maybe Halo 5). Witnessing the aftermath of the explosion that renders New Mombasa uninhabitable as what is effectively just another soldier, combined with the music and sense of loneliness, creates an atmosphere unique to this entry. We're introduced to Buck, who's a pretty cool guy.
The symbolism in regards to Dante's Inferno is very, VERY, apparent. I'm too dumb to analyze it, though. Gotta read it first.
2010
[11/27/2023]
The end of the Bungie era of Halo. Where to go for the next main entry of the series than back? Where the original trilogy told a tale of hope admist a war where the odds are stacked against you with the Master Chief, Halo: Reach tells one of what happens when that uphill battle can't be beaten.
As a prequel, this game brings back some design choices from the first game. Health and fall damage return, although health is a bit easier to work with as it'll regenerate up to a certain point depending on how much you have. Some of the weapons you find in the game are also unique to it, which is a shame since I like some of them. The Needle Rifle supercombines in 3 shots... and that's it, really. The DMR's okay, the Concussion and Focus Rifles can go. The vehicles could also stay in the past. The Falcon is a budget Hornet which was replaced by the Wasp anyway, and the Revenant is just a mini Wraith. The obsolescence of these things just adds to the fact that this is a prequel, so them never coming back makes sense. This game's soundtrack has an undertone of desperation, but also has those moments of where you feel like you're making a difference fighting back. Key word: feel.
This game's greatest assets are the tone and characters. This is a losing battle, and if you've paid attention to the dialogue in Halo 1 and 2, you'd have known that by now. Even then, the fun of a prequel isn't in what happens. It's in how it happens. Returning to areas you've been to earlier in the campaign, burning and devoid of life, makes you wonder what or who else might fall to the Covenant next. The characters surrounding you serve to add to it, too. Noble Team is made of Spartans not individually as strong as Master Chief himself, but they make up for it with their coordination and numbers. With their own roles, personalities, and faces that we actually get to see, we witness them getting picked off one by one to emphasize just how strong the Covenant is, and how hopeless the war feels. Ultimately, you indirectly lead to the entire main Halo trilogy, and thus save all of humanity, at the cost of your own life.
After 4 games of being a hero and saving the day, the Halo franchise gets a major shift in tone, so this one is a standout as both a game and an entry in the series. Bungie ending their time with Halo with a far more bleak tone and only having a glimmer of hope at the end as the hero of our tale might be a reflection of them and the Halo series at that point in time (we know how that went). Bungie may have been able to seee what happens from outside, but Noble Six won't get to see the end of their own story. They don't know if their sacrifice actually meant anything. They have nothing but blind hope.
Ain't that a bitch?
The end of the Bungie era of Halo. Where to go for the next main entry of the series than back? Where the original trilogy told a tale of hope admist a war where the odds are stacked against you with the Master Chief, Halo: Reach tells one of what happens when that uphill battle can't be beaten.
As a prequel, this game brings back some design choices from the first game. Health and fall damage return, although health is a bit easier to work with as it'll regenerate up to a certain point depending on how much you have. Some of the weapons you find in the game are also unique to it, which is a shame since I like some of them. The Needle Rifle supercombines in 3 shots... and that's it, really. The DMR's okay, the Concussion and Focus Rifles can go. The vehicles could also stay in the past. The Falcon is a budget Hornet which was replaced by the Wasp anyway, and the Revenant is just a mini Wraith. The obsolescence of these things just adds to the fact that this is a prequel, so them never coming back makes sense. This game's soundtrack has an undertone of desperation, but also has those moments of where you feel like you're making a difference fighting back. Key word: feel.
This game's greatest assets are the tone and characters. This is a losing battle, and if you've paid attention to the dialogue in Halo 1 and 2, you'd have known that by now. Even then, the fun of a prequel isn't in what happens. It's in how it happens. Returning to areas you've been to earlier in the campaign, burning and devoid of life, makes you wonder what or who else might fall to the Covenant next. The characters surrounding you serve to add to it, too. Noble Team is made of Spartans not individually as strong as Master Chief himself, but they make up for it with their coordination and numbers. With their own roles, personalities, and faces that we actually get to see, we witness them getting picked off one by one to emphasize just how strong the Covenant is, and how hopeless the war feels. Ultimately, you indirectly lead to the entire main Halo trilogy, and thus save all of humanity, at the cost of your own life.
After 4 games of being a hero and saving the day, the Halo franchise gets a major shift in tone, so this one is a standout as both a game and an entry in the series. Bungie ending their time with Halo with a far more bleak tone and only having a glimmer of hope at the end as the hero of our tale might be a reflection of them and the Halo series at that point in time (we know how that went). Bungie may have been able to seee what happens from outside, but Noble Six won't get to see the end of their own story. They don't know if their sacrifice actually meant anything. They have nothing but blind hope.
Ain't that a bitch?
2012
[12/1/2023]
Halo 3 and Halo: Reach were both appropriate endings to the Halo franchise, both for the narrative and for the series. Historically speaking, however, if it's popular and the people keep asking, it'll never end.
As 343 Industries's debut game, Halo 4's largest issue (of which it has many) is that it has to follow up what is probably the best first-person shooter trilogy ever. This challenge is made even more difficult when the trilogy in question is famous for its story, and that said story was already wrapped up. The Covenant is gone, the Flood is gone, and humanity is saved. Even Bungie knew this, and their final two releases were set during Halo 2 and before the trilogy respectively.
So what exactly happened during the time that Master Chief was asleep, and what does he deal with now? Well, the Covenant. Again. They're a splinter faction of the original Covenant, though, which I can honestly see. As for the new enemies, we have the Prometheans. God, these guys suck. There's only three, so unlike the Covenant's six(?) that have unique roles, these guys serve multiple purposes and they're unfun to deal with. The Knights are the main enemies, being pretty tanky while also having the heavy weaponry, the ability to teleport short distances, and the ability to summon a Watcher. Crawlers are fast, fragile enemies that are the least annoying to deal with, not much to say about them. Watchers, though, fucking suck. They fly, pester us with their pistol shots, can shield other Prometheans, can throw grenades back, can ressurect fallen Knights, can spawn in Crawlers and Turrets... man. They force you to take them out first. But you want to kill the threats with more firepower first. But you'll have a harder time if Watchers are present. There are too many roles for only three enemies to fit into, and it makes Prometheans such a chore to deal with.
Ammo, for some reason, is also another issue. Why do I feel like I'm using the Famine skull whenever I play this game? Constantly swapping weapons is a thing, but this is too much.
Jumping from aliens to the people responsible for everything in the series is such an odd jump. This doesn't change in the next game. All in all, Halo 4 is definitely... a first step. Surely they don't fuck up even more.
Halo 3 and Halo: Reach were both appropriate endings to the Halo franchise, both for the narrative and for the series. Historically speaking, however, if it's popular and the people keep asking, it'll never end.
As 343 Industries's debut game, Halo 4's largest issue (of which it has many) is that it has to follow up what is probably the best first-person shooter trilogy ever. This challenge is made even more difficult when the trilogy in question is famous for its story, and that said story was already wrapped up. The Covenant is gone, the Flood is gone, and humanity is saved. Even Bungie knew this, and their final two releases were set during Halo 2 and before the trilogy respectively.
So what exactly happened during the time that Master Chief was asleep, and what does he deal with now? Well, the Covenant. Again. They're a splinter faction of the original Covenant, though, which I can honestly see. As for the new enemies, we have the Prometheans. God, these guys suck. There's only three, so unlike the Covenant's six(?) that have unique roles, these guys serve multiple purposes and they're unfun to deal with. The Knights are the main enemies, being pretty tanky while also having the heavy weaponry, the ability to teleport short distances, and the ability to summon a Watcher. Crawlers are fast, fragile enemies that are the least annoying to deal with, not much to say about them. Watchers, though, fucking suck. They fly, pester us with their pistol shots, can shield other Prometheans, can throw grenades back, can ressurect fallen Knights, can spawn in Crawlers and Turrets... man. They force you to take them out first. But you want to kill the threats with more firepower first. But you'll have a harder time if Watchers are present. There are too many roles for only three enemies to fit into, and it makes Prometheans such a chore to deal with.
Ammo, for some reason, is also another issue. Why do I feel like I'm using the Famine skull whenever I play this game? Constantly swapping weapons is a thing, but this is too much.
Jumping from aliens to the people responsible for everything in the series is such an odd jump. This doesn't change in the next game. All in all, Halo 4 is definitely... a first step. Surely they don't fuck up even more.
[12/2/2023]
And we're back. And it's gone again.
(8/10)
And we're back. And it's gone again.
(8/10)
2018
[12/3/23]
This is the combat people were complaining about? Dude, all I had to do was press B!
That aside, I like the slower pace this game has for the majority of it, especially after the events of the previous two games. Very wholesome to see Kiryu in his dad arc, taking care of several orphans. The yakuza part of the story, however, was definitely the weak aspect. I don't blame the people who say that this game has "substory vibes" because of that. Pretty wholesome, though.
I liked this more than Kiwami 2. Probably third on my list right now.
This is the combat people were complaining about? Dude, all I had to do was press B!
That aside, I like the slower pace this game has for the majority of it, especially after the events of the previous two games. Very wholesome to see Kiryu in his dad arc, taking care of several orphans. The yakuza part of the story, however, was definitely the weak aspect. I don't blame the people who say that this game has "substory vibes" because of that. Pretty wholesome, though.
I liked this more than Kiwami 2. Probably third on my list right now.
2019
[12/11/23]
Honestly, my second favorite Yakuza game so far! Even though shit gets comically stupid and I understand why people hate this game (THAT twist and the final bosses), I think the pacing being so fast that it blindsides you with more shit actually isn't a bad decision in this case. Refreshing after 2 and 3, honestly. It's so cool to see Kiryu and the three new protagonists eventually meet up with one another. I see Kiryu's odd characterization as the way other people see him, seeing that Kiryu's actions from the past games built this image of him that we see come to life. This isn't Kiryu, it's the Dragon of Dojima as Kamurocho sees it. Akiyama's GOATed as a character and a fighter, Saejima's cool even though his fighting style is my least favorite of the four, and Tanimura's parry makes him the most unique. The new characters introduced through the other three's own storylines really helps make this tiny red light district I've known for 5 games deeper and more lively now. I'm a fan of the upgrade system in this game. Definitely like it more than Kiwami 2 and 3.
Somehow, I'm still not tired of this series yet. Goes to show what happens when I'm engaged with the world, and this entry continues to add new dimensions to it.
Honestly, my second favorite Yakuza game so far! Even though shit gets comically stupid and I understand why people hate this game (THAT twist and the final bosses), I think the pacing being so fast that it blindsides you with more shit actually isn't a bad decision in this case. Refreshing after 2 and 3, honestly. It's so cool to see Kiryu and the three new protagonists eventually meet up with one another. I see Kiryu's odd characterization as the way other people see him, seeing that Kiryu's actions from the past games built this image of him that we see come to life. This isn't Kiryu, it's the Dragon of Dojima as Kamurocho sees it. Akiyama's GOATed as a character and a fighter, Saejima's cool even though his fighting style is my least favorite of the four, and Tanimura's parry makes him the most unique. The new characters introduced through the other three's own storylines really helps make this tiny red light district I've known for 5 games deeper and more lively now. I'm a fan of the upgrade system in this game. Definitely like it more than Kiwami 2 and 3.
Somehow, I'm still not tired of this series yet. Goes to show what happens when I'm engaged with the world, and this entry continues to add new dimensions to it.
2019
[12/21/2023]
This game has... a lot.
Yakuza 4 had the benefit of primarily taking place in Kamurocho so that the casts each character has deepens the world contained entirely within it. This benefit gets even cooler when each of their stories eventually intersect. So naturally, we gotta follow up the fourth game having 4 characters with the fifth one having 5, but in order to not retread old ground we force them into different cities. As for the characters in question, Kiryu (obviously), Akiyama (the GOAT), and Saejima return. The two new characters are Shinada, the definition of washed, and Haruka. Shinada's fighting style is focused on weapons and his tackle making him the most unique fighter, and Haruka is a teenager and cannot fight. Instead, we play rhythm minigames so she can pursue her dreams of becoming an idol. Lots of rhythm minigames here.
Honestly, playing Kiwami to 5 made me realize that there had been so many layers added at this point in the series that Yakuza 0's story being more streamlined felt very necessary. I'm not going to assume that this game did poorly outside of Japan when it released, but there had to be something that this game lacked that 0 had. It's probably just the fact that 0 was a new starting point, and that this is the fifth fucking game.
Also, enemies are everywhere holy SHIT
This game has... a lot.
Yakuza 4 had the benefit of primarily taking place in Kamurocho so that the casts each character has deepens the world contained entirely within it. This benefit gets even cooler when each of their stories eventually intersect. So naturally, we gotta follow up the fourth game having 4 characters with the fifth one having 5, but in order to not retread old ground we force them into different cities. As for the characters in question, Kiryu (obviously), Akiyama (the GOAT), and Saejima return. The two new characters are Shinada, the definition of washed, and Haruka. Shinada's fighting style is focused on weapons and his tackle making him the most unique fighter, and Haruka is a teenager and cannot fight. Instead, we play rhythm minigames so she can pursue her dreams of becoming an idol. Lots of rhythm minigames here.
Honestly, playing Kiwami to 5 made me realize that there had been so many layers added at this point in the series that Yakuza 0's story being more streamlined felt very necessary. I'm not going to assume that this game did poorly outside of Japan when it released, but there had to be something that this game lacked that 0 had. It's probably just the fact that 0 was a new starting point, and that this is the fifth fucking game.
Also, enemies are everywhere holy SHIT
[12/28/23]
I'm starting to realize that I enjoy some of the more personal stories from Kiryu over some of the larger scale events like the whole Tojo v. Omi fight in 2 and whatever the hell was going on in 5. I dunno, I kinda forgot because it was too damn long.
A lot can happen in the 30 since Kiryu's story started, huh? So many characters have aged, and it's bittersweet. At least Kamurocho is as flashy as ever. The combat makes more sense here than in Kiwami 2, Onomichi is alright, and I'm finally used to the XP system here. Only took me 5 games since it's premature debut since I played them chronologically.
For a game focused on being the supposed end of Kiryu's story, it feels weird that it's actually that and doesn't really focus on other Yakuza mainstays. When Akiyama is the most prevalent returning character that isn't Date or Haruka, you know something's up. This journey is more focused on Kiryu as time catches up to him, and for a game subtitled "The Song of Life", it's fitting that family is the big focus of the game.
Anyway, I think this game is good in the same sense Yakuza 3 is good. Gameplay isn't the strong suit, but after two relatively bombastic adventures, something that gives Kiryu instead of the Dragon of Dojima time to breathe will always be welcome. I just don't think this is as good as an ending for Kiryu's story as it could have been. I hope Infinite Wealth or even Gaiden makes up for it.
I'm starting to realize that I enjoy some of the more personal stories from Kiryu over some of the larger scale events like the whole Tojo v. Omi fight in 2 and whatever the hell was going on in 5. I dunno, I kinda forgot because it was too damn long.
A lot can happen in the 30 since Kiryu's story started, huh? So many characters have aged, and it's bittersweet. At least Kamurocho is as flashy as ever. The combat makes more sense here than in Kiwami 2, Onomichi is alright, and I'm finally used to the XP system here. Only took me 5 games since it's premature debut since I played them chronologically.
For a game focused on being the supposed end of Kiryu's story, it feels weird that it's actually that and doesn't really focus on other Yakuza mainstays. When Akiyama is the most prevalent returning character that isn't Date or Haruka, you know something's up. This journey is more focused on Kiryu as time catches up to him, and for a game subtitled "The Song of Life", it's fitting that family is the big focus of the game.
Anyway, I think this game is good in the same sense Yakuza 3 is good. Gameplay isn't the strong suit, but after two relatively bombastic adventures, something that gives Kiryu instead of the Dragon of Dojima time to breathe will always be welcome. I just don't think this is as good as an ending for Kiryu's story as it could have been. I hope Infinite Wealth or even Gaiden makes up for it.
2015
[1/4/24]
I can't believe this was the first game I beat this year. I also can't believe I actually replayed this game.
Holy shit, what the fuck happened here? The story tries to do the Halo 2 thing of dual protagonists, except one of those two, Fireteam Osiris, is full of people nobody gives a shit about and also Buck from Halo 3: ODST. The other is Blue Team, comprising of Master Chief and three other Spartans nobody who exclusively sticks with the games would recognize. They focus on the Promethean aspect, something that was introduced one game ago, way too much. The "Covenant", a splinter faction of the original, has their leader killed off at the beginning with little fanfare. The game feels like it gets cut off at the end of the second act. Also, Cortana's alive because she got sent to a planet called Genesis where she effectively became immortal. The story's just very forgettable, and that's like the worst sin you can commit. What gives?
How I see it, it's the push to turn Halo into a multimedia franchise and its very apparent effects on the main games. This game is preceded by Halo: Nightfall, a miniseries that's also Locke's (the leader of Fireteam Osiris) origin story. It's just for one character. I can let that slide. The game's followed by a novel focusing on Chief's return to the UNSC and it's probably followed with a book for every member of both teams if I know this series well enough. Halo 4 tells a relatively self-contained story. Halo Infinite has a start, focuses on Discovering Hope and is deliberately left open at the end (which is when the campaign DLC would have taken place... it still hurts). And I already said that Halo 5 feels like it gets cut off. Halo 2 Anniversary used to have a cutscene where Arbiter would tell the story of that game to Locke as well. If only the vision they had for this game at the time was the actual story. It had something going about Chief and Locke butting heads but instead we just got a group chasing after Chief when we weren't playing as him. And when we did confront him? Probably the worst fistfight I've ever seen. Man, the whole marketing campaign could be a paragraph in itself.
I hate this. Why does it need to be connected to everything? Why can't the games themselves contain the main story instead of merely a snippet? Why do I need to boot up another game to see a cutscene for something that didn't even happen? What even is the point of expanding the universe other than trying to make more money? I assure you almost nobody gives a shit about the ODST crew's antics as Alpha-Nine. And I'm confident absolutely nobody gives a fuck about Guilty Spark actually surviving getting nuked by a Spartan Laser. Or the history of the Forerunners and why they needed to activate the Halo rings the first time. Or ancient humanity which is like the worst thing I've seen come out of this franchise that isn't in this game or this game itself.
I don't say shit like "This isn't (X)" when it comes to anything that deviates from the norm (not 100% Halo 3) like a particular subsect of Halo fans but the artstyle, narrative continuing to go down the Promethean lane, giving the bird to Halo 4 and that one guy who based the dynamic between Chief and Cortana off of his own struggles with losing his mother to dementia during development, and sidelining Chief make this game far more insulting to a fan. I can't imagine the slap in the face this must have been to longtime fans if many of them interpreted Halo 4 as one.
Also the multiplayer has lootboxes. Super Fiesta gives this game another point because it's the best version of it in the series solely due to the weapon variants.
Not cool, 343.
I can't believe this was the first game I beat this year. I also can't believe I actually replayed this game.
Holy shit, what the fuck happened here? The story tries to do the Halo 2 thing of dual protagonists, except one of those two, Fireteam Osiris, is full of people nobody gives a shit about and also Buck from Halo 3: ODST. The other is Blue Team, comprising of Master Chief and three other Spartans nobody who exclusively sticks with the games would recognize. They focus on the Promethean aspect, something that was introduced one game ago, way too much. The "Covenant", a splinter faction of the original, has their leader killed off at the beginning with little fanfare. The game feels like it gets cut off at the end of the second act. Also, Cortana's alive because she got sent to a planet called Genesis where she effectively became immortal. The story's just very forgettable, and that's like the worst sin you can commit. What gives?
How I see it, it's the push to turn Halo into a multimedia franchise and its very apparent effects on the main games. This game is preceded by Halo: Nightfall, a miniseries that's also Locke's (the leader of Fireteam Osiris) origin story. It's just for one character. I can let that slide. The game's followed by a novel focusing on Chief's return to the UNSC and it's probably followed with a book for every member of both teams if I know this series well enough. Halo 4 tells a relatively self-contained story. Halo Infinite has a start, focuses on Discovering Hope and is deliberately left open at the end (which is when the campaign DLC would have taken place... it still hurts). And I already said that Halo 5 feels like it gets cut off. Halo 2 Anniversary used to have a cutscene where Arbiter would tell the story of that game to Locke as well. If only the vision they had for this game at the time was the actual story. It had something going about Chief and Locke butting heads but instead we just got a group chasing after Chief when we weren't playing as him. And when we did confront him? Probably the worst fistfight I've ever seen. Man, the whole marketing campaign could be a paragraph in itself.
I hate this. Why does it need to be connected to everything? Why can't the games themselves contain the main story instead of merely a snippet? Why do I need to boot up another game to see a cutscene for something that didn't even happen? What even is the point of expanding the universe other than trying to make more money? I assure you almost nobody gives a shit about the ODST crew's antics as Alpha-Nine. And I'm confident absolutely nobody gives a fuck about Guilty Spark actually surviving getting nuked by a Spartan Laser. Or the history of the Forerunners and why they needed to activate the Halo rings the first time. Or ancient humanity which is like the worst thing I've seen come out of this franchise that isn't in this game or this game itself.
I don't say shit like "This isn't (X)" when it comes to anything that deviates from the norm (not 100% Halo 3) like a particular subsect of Halo fans but the artstyle, narrative continuing to go down the Promethean lane, giving the bird to Halo 4 and that one guy who based the dynamic between Chief and Cortana off of his own struggles with losing his mother to dementia during development, and sidelining Chief make this game far more insulting to a fan. I can't imagine the slap in the face this must have been to longtime fans if many of them interpreted Halo 4 as one.
Also the multiplayer has lootboxes. Super Fiesta gives this game another point because it's the best version of it in the series solely due to the weapon variants.
Not cool, 343.
[1/10/24]
HOLY SHIT.
After almost 3 months, I've made it. 8 games beaten, and just one more to go before Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases on the 26th. This was The Big One for me. It's an RPG, so it's naturally gonna be. A soft reboot that's not only the beginning of a new story with new characters in a new location, but also changing the genre of this well-established franchise, all while having the subtitle serve as another major transition for the series (at least in the west)? It's insane how they stuck the landing with all of this. 50 hours and I didn't feel bored at any point. God, I cannot wait for Infinite Wealth. It's gonna be so awesome and so tragic.
This game made me realize that I have a thing for RPGs set in the modern day. This section of Yokohama is massive and is a dream come true after sticking around significantly smaller areas in the previous games. Sure, this game tones the wackiness that people know this series for way the fuck up, but it's all based on real-world concepts. It helps that new kid Ichiban Kasuga is implied to percieve the world as an RPG due to growing up on Dragon Quest. I love the hybrid combat they've created where positioning (uncontrollable, my only gripe with it) is a key factor and Ichiban can pick shit up like the other games. The job system, a subgenre of RPG that I've never looked into until this, is a perfect fit for the setting.
Whereas Kiryu is stoic and operates alone, Ichiban is the goofiest motherfucker around who knows when to get serious and has a crew that he'll do anything for. I love this cast so much. Adults all forced to deal with shitty circumstances, united by the one with probably the shittiest. The camaderie makes this entry the most wholesome one to me. The last member is my personal favorite even if they underperformed gameplay-wise in my run. Needing to build Ichiban and his party up to get people to love them after almost 15 years of Kiryu wasn't gonna be easy, but they nailed it.
Since Yakuza 0 in 2015, I feel like RGG Studio managed to hit a stride with their stories where they have some greater weight to them as to feel more than just a charmingly cheesy flick with the same structure of mystery-filled first half and an action-packed second half with some equally cheesy twists. The essence is still there, but everything else surrounding it is so much more genuine. This style of storytelling with the aforementioned party makes this my second favorite story in the series. I think the sheer stupidity of Yaluza 4 gives it a so-bad-it's-good quality, but if we're talking about genuine quality, this one is up top. Also, this game is funny as fuck and I don't recall stifling a laugh this often in recent memory.
This might have become my new favorite RPG. With the improvements coming to Infinite Wealth, that might be a short-lived title, but it's worthy of it nonetheless.
HOLY SHIT.
After almost 3 months, I've made it. 8 games beaten, and just one more to go before Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases on the 26th. This was The Big One for me. It's an RPG, so it's naturally gonna be. A soft reboot that's not only the beginning of a new story with new characters in a new location, but also changing the genre of this well-established franchise, all while having the subtitle serve as another major transition for the series (at least in the west)? It's insane how they stuck the landing with all of this. 50 hours and I didn't feel bored at any point. God, I cannot wait for Infinite Wealth. It's gonna be so awesome and so tragic.
This game made me realize that I have a thing for RPGs set in the modern day. This section of Yokohama is massive and is a dream come true after sticking around significantly smaller areas in the previous games. Sure, this game tones the wackiness that people know this series for way the fuck up, but it's all based on real-world concepts. It helps that new kid Ichiban Kasuga is implied to percieve the world as an RPG due to growing up on Dragon Quest. I love the hybrid combat they've created where positioning (uncontrollable, my only gripe with it) is a key factor and Ichiban can pick shit up like the other games. The job system, a subgenre of RPG that I've never looked into until this, is a perfect fit for the setting.
Whereas Kiryu is stoic and operates alone, Ichiban is the goofiest motherfucker around who knows when to get serious and has a crew that he'll do anything for. I love this cast so much. Adults all forced to deal with shitty circumstances, united by the one with probably the shittiest. The camaderie makes this entry the most wholesome one to me. The last member is my personal favorite even if they underperformed gameplay-wise in my run. Needing to build Ichiban and his party up to get people to love them after almost 15 years of Kiryu wasn't gonna be easy, but they nailed it.
Since Yakuza 0 in 2015, I feel like RGG Studio managed to hit a stride with their stories where they have some greater weight to them as to feel more than just a charmingly cheesy flick with the same structure of mystery-filled first half and an action-packed second half with some equally cheesy twists. The essence is still there, but everything else surrounding it is so much more genuine. This style of storytelling with the aforementioned party makes this my second favorite story in the series. I think the sheer stupidity of Yaluza 4 gives it a so-bad-it's-good quality, but if we're talking about genuine quality, this one is up top. Also, this game is funny as fuck and I don't recall stifling a laugh this often in recent memory.
This might have become my new favorite RPG. With the improvements coming to Infinite Wealth, that might be a short-lived title, but it's worthy of it nonetheless.