A straightforward dungeon crawling expansion that is only really worthwhile as an excuse to spend more time with combat.
+ fairly challenging fights rewarding unique gear
+ intense spelunking atmosphere
- monotonous environments with few memorable points of interest
- dull storyline that just tapers off

Legitimately special JRPG that could have been one of the very best of its genre had its remarkable foundation be more polished.
+ intriguing story centered around a unique time travelling mechanic that lets one replay anything at any time and choose different outcomes
+ inspired turn-based battle system focused on positioning and combos
+ almost exclusively important side quests whose completion leads to an extensive epilogue
+ very solid cast explored from various angles
+ beautifully melancholic soundtrack (of which some tracks are overused, however)
+ multiple antagonists from different factions keeping the suspense high
+ numerous interesting albeit short and forced "what if" scenarios on wrong choices
+ satisfactory quality of life with the ability to skip all kinds of repetition — ignoring the bothersome party formation resets
- well-conceptualized but rather small continent
- generic character portraits compared to the original game version
- poor utilization of the battle mechanics toward the end
- occasionally unreasonable steps to progress (e.g. a random NPC only present in one of the dozen time nodes)
- very low money and experience gain without the DLC (which is unobtainable legally now and also trivializes everything)

ME1: (17h, 8/10)
+ concise plot with a fascinating twist and a lot of impactful decisions to make
+ vast space setting that has some great worldbuilding to offer
+ decent shooter combat without annoying resource management
+ excellent soundtrack all around
+ at least 3 great companions who more than make up for the couple dull ones
- rather bad character creator
- unnaturally rushed story developments particularly at the beginning and end
- very poor dialogue system considering its importance (prompts not matching what is said, easily skipped choices, awkward transitions)
- disappointing exploration with only a handful of interesting, unique environments and lots of copy-pasted assets

ME2: (23h, 8/10)
+ significantly better space exploration with many diverse locations
+ great character loyalty missions
+ amazing final mission testing the bonds of one's crew
+ improved shooting mechanics and streamlined weapon management
- overly reduced RPG elements (inventory, skills)
- tedious resource mini game
- fairly inconsequential main story that may feel like a collection of side quests in the overarching narrative

ME3: (28h, 8/10)
+ respectable effort at involving the player in a large-scale war and finishing the previously stalled narrative
+ satisfying send-offs for almost all of the many companions
+ best DLC in the trilogy by far
+ beautiful and cinematic set pieces
+ decent weapon upgrade system that sits between ME1 and ME2 in complexity
+ faster movement
+ least annoying resource gathering
- no more hacking mini games at all
- only one persistent area aside from your spaceship
- controversial ending choice that isn't foreshadowed well

DLC:
ME1 Bring Down the Sky: interesting and somewhat important, dull gameplay (7/10)
ME2 Normandy Crash Site: short and uninspired mission (5/10)
ME2 Zaeed: rough companion with an alright story attached (6/10)
ME2 Kasumi: great mission and fine companion (7/10)
ME3 From Ashes: forgettable mission but very involved character (7/10)
ME3 Leviathan: solid storyline with horror elements and important lore for the main conflict (8/10)
ME3 Omega: drawn-out action centered around an unlikable character, nice visuals and gameplay (7/10)
ME3 Citadel: remarkable fan service with great self-referential humor and a perfect opportunity to say goodbye to the cast (9/10)

A serviceable twin-stick shooter both improved and let down by its musical focus.
+ remarkable diversity in music genres (even if most individual songs are rather generic and some unsuitable for a rhythm game)
+ clean art style featuring short but well-animated cutscenes
+ very slick UI that looks modern and is generally efficient to use
+ satisfying combat hit effects
+ straightforward co-op feature
+ functional song import (which isn't impressive however, considering it only takes BPM)
- mediocre equipment system for player customization
- simplistic campaign structure with 10 themed locations of 10 stages each and no real climax
- boring story told by embarrassingly written dialogue between shallow characters
- monotonous rhythm gameplay unaffected by difficulty settings
- too many copy-pasted environments with low enemy variety

A remarkable refinement in gameplay and graphics with a less flawed narrative than Kiwami 1, as well.
+ visually stunning rendition of the metropolitan setting that is also more seamless with the removal of most loading screens
+ satisfying combat helped by the (admittedly often funny) ragdoll physics and better weapon integration
+ charismatic antagonist and a few great new main characters with significant development
+ interesting storyline that moves the worldbuilding forward a lot
+ nice incentives to engage with optional content (especially in postgame)
+ numerous payoffs to plot threads from Yakuza 0
- mostly still forgettable side quests
- only one fighting style as opposed to the previous four
- wasted potential in a few neglected characters
- hysterical ending for largely bad reasons
- several unconvincing or awkwardly executed plot points throughout

Narratively interesting and much more action-focused sequel impaired by a few glaring issues that resulted from its obviously rushed development.
+ less tactical but polished and fun combat with excellent animations
+ unique story premise involving the player character moving to a troubled city with his family and making a name for himself over the years
+ memorable selection of new companions (who seem to hate each other for the most part)
+ solid skill trees that offer many choices without being overwhelming
+ viable rivalry mechanic improving upon the friendship system
+ frequently remarkable soundtrack
+/- arguably oversimplified equipment system
- lackluster conclusions to romance and companion quests
- tedious first chapter about gathering funds
- questionably written albeit exciting finale that makes waste of a compelling conflict
- huge disservice to the best character from DAO: Awakening
- significantly more side content than main story
- insultingly slow movement speed considering the amount of walking required (mod to fix this highly suggested)
- small selection of identical environments recycled over and over again even for different locations

Decent self-contained adventure that has you explore new locations and do some activities not present in the main game.
+ interesting storyline involving the primary faction of the second act
+ more colorful (if just as linear) environments
+ enjoyable boss fight at the end
+ not perfect but bearable try at a stealth section that can be skipped
- awkwardly comedic dialogue whenever romance is involved
- questionable new main character who sports a suicidal combat AI and is nowhere near as cool as the developers might have wanted her to be

Basic zombie-themed platformer whose flaws become more apparent the further you get.
+ visually interesting depiction of an overrun metropolis
+ decent mechanical variety considering the game's length (~4 hours)
- uninspired story narrated by the main character who sounds unnaturally detached
- floaty controls and mediocre level design
- countless cheap death traps that are only made bearable by the frequent checkpoints but still get very frustrating toward the end

Unusual strategy RPG that unfortunately took some rather bad ideas from the related MMO game.
+ freely customizable team of self-made units
+ uniquely appealing character portraits
+ intricate stage backgrounds
+ strong replay value due to its 3/4 different "routes" (which can be switched between at any time)
- constantly recycled levels using only 1 kind of objective
- slow battle animations with strange pauses inbetween
- pointless player avatar who only gives the illusion of choice at the start
- badly written, erratic main story that lacks an interesting antagonist
- few playable characters with an actual personality
- barely functional enemy AI (does absolutely nothing when not in attack range)
- unbalanced stat-based combat that necessitates grinding and hugely favors certain classes/attributes

An immature take on a recently oversaturated genre with little to offer now and a likely underwhelming future.
+ fundamentally sound if basic gameplay loop
+ neat weapon and pet customization
+ adjustable settings for how much input is required
- slightly amusing but far too uninspired theme
- unclear distinction between friendly and harmful particles
- small pool of largely unbalanced item choices
- no exciting features or progression (yet?)

Mechanically streamlined sequel that builds on an already great gameplay foundation with more content but misses the mark in terms of writing.
+ slightly modified turn-based combat that remains one of the very best in any game for its well-thought-out complexity and presentation
+ excellently interwoven crafting and leveling systems without the small annoyances of its predecessor
+ two selectable routes with completely different casts and story beats; connected in a solid NG+ experience
+ comfy school setting that is integrated well into the narrative structure
+ reasonably simplified item traits
+ fun returning characters
- less noteworthy music
- unsatisfying conclusion without playing both routes and the subsequent final chapter
- tedious reuse of the same maps while others are barely touched
- ironically worse comedy due to its constant presence
- unlikable cast filled with some pretty terrible people (maybe one or two exceptions on each side)

Disappointing twin-stick survival shooter with a stronger thematic and visual identity than most but too many issues to recommend (yet).
+ very distinct playable characters who each have a unique selection of abilities and mechanics
+ appealing pixel art style
+ neatly presented meta progression (upgradable town, connected levels)
+ theoretical high complexity ceiling in gameplay
- extreme visual effects hindering visibility
- clunky switching between manual and automatic shooting
- awkward controller key binds
- long time spent in the first few boring environments
- completely unbalanced characters and abilities limiting viable strategies
- small pool of actual choices making each run samey

A well-made tribute to Final Fantasy soundtracks that should appeal to anyone interested in a rhythm game about video game music.
+ huge number of songs from varying sources themed with unique backgrounds and enemies
+ distinctly flexible input scheme that is perfectly suited to a game controller
+ interesting strategic element in the extensive team building mechanic featuring more than a hundred characters with completely customizable abilities
+ engaging "Series Quests" mode which gives every game the spotlight for a while
+ generous but accurate hit detection
+ countless unlockable items for fans
- cute art style undermined by cheap animations
- little incentive to improve in skill
- inconsistent mapping quality (many songs where the timing is noticeably off)