I remember when this game was announced back in 2018, people called it "Souls-like Star Wars." The Souls-like genre gets thrown around at everything these days, but it's no understatement that some elements are inspired, such as the world structure, resting mechanic, and death XP loss progression. The game still manages to maintain an independent feeling.

The game have stunning graphics, skill trees, puzzles and an ambitious story. The different skills unlocked as you progress feel satisfying, especially when you're able to access previously unreachable areas. However, this means there's a lot of backtracking, which can become tedious due to the absence of fast travel between rest areas.

The skill tree is pretty simple, and you can get through the game even if you're leveling up the less favored skills. The puzzles are alright and a great addition. I especially appreciate the option to decide whether to hear tips or not, unlike in God of War Ragnarok where tips are forced upon you.

Unfortunately, the bosses and enemies were not memorable, with limited variety in their designs and movesets. The combat feels alright but can be clunky at times, especially because the parry has startup frames, kind of ruining the flow of combat. Additionally, the difficulty options feel unbalanced, with anything under Jedi Grandmaster being too easy, while Jedi Grandmaster itself isn't well developed. The hardest difficulty option is poorly executed, as weaker enemies around the map can one-shot you, making exploration frustrating.

I don't believe an easy option would ruin this game, as it might for a game like Dark Souls. The main appeal of such a game can also lie in its story. However, in a game like Dark Souls, the story is more cryptic, and adding an easy mode could make the game extremely bland. Many people who advocate for an easy mode fail to visualize how it would affect the game. I think the best approach to implementing an easy mode would be to alter the speed of movesets, even changing some of these movesets, rather than simply adding a damage or HP multiplier and calling it a hard or easy mode.

I played the game on Jedi Grandmaster and achieved 100% completion by alternating between the second hardest option while exploring for loot. However, finding loot crates and seeds doesn't feel worth it apart from the trophies. The customization options for the poncho, ship, robot, and lightsaber are not impressive. Despite these criticisms, I still found the game enjoyable, though perhaps I'm being too harsh.

Was sceptical that I would enjoy Tekken 8 seeing the new heat system at the game announcement, but it turned out surprisingly good. The introduction of the heat gauge brought in chip damage, dealing a bit of damage even when blocking. Being in heat provides a temporary boost for specific moves, with certain moves gaining the ability of launching and following up, but depletes the gauge faster. This mechanic promotes aggressive play without turning the game into a button mash fest (even though some people say otherwise). The gameplay emphasizes knowledge as earlier games, but maybe even more with the addition of heat gauge threats.

The story, while technically not great, is enjoyable due to its lore, stunning scenery, music and funny gags. Imagine that characters speak different languages, yet we're able to call the lore great, even having a martial arts-trained bear that can speak to other characters, like what? XD

It's difficult geting into Tekken compared to other fighting games, nevertheless Tekken 8 is definitely worth to invest in due to alot of factors. The roster is great and the new improved customization allows you to add your own unique touch. Overall, Tekken 8 exceeded expectations with its engaging gameplay, enjoyable story, FANTASTIC music, and creative customization.

At 16, after a FIFA tournament loss, I impulsively bought Dragon Ball Xenoverse for the PS3 at GameStop without knowing much about it or the Dragon Ball series. My first attempt at playing didn't last long, as Great Ape Vegeta whooped my ass.

Years later, having watched Dragon Ball, I revisited the game on PC. During winter break, I found myself immersed in its refreshing gameplay and customization options. The concept of time patrol, traveling through Dragon Ball's timeline, was brilliantly executed, making me feel part of the actual Dragon Ball story. However, the game sometimes felt grindy and tedious when collecting loot. Though enjoyable initially, the combat became repetitive. This could also be the case because I tried getting 100%, which means you have to replay quests for loot.

Despite its flaws, playing during a special Christmas period made it worth it, even with the exhausting loot grind.
Was a blast getting 100% on this game, a solid introduction to the "anime" genre in video games.