About Me
Inspired by Bellwoods. Self-imposed no repeats.
18 Games
All-Time Favorite
If you know anything about me, this should come as no surprise. I've been obsessed with this game since I was old enough to hold a controller. The no-repeats clause exists specifically to keep FFT from sweeping the rest of these categories. Love those little guys.
If you know anything about me, this should come as no surprise. I've been obsessed with this game since I was old enough to hold a controller. The no-repeats clause exists specifically to keep FFT from sweeping the rest of these categories. Love those little guys.
Favorite Series
Dragon Age is a series in which I actually enjoy all of the entries and feel that playing all three of them was the best way to experience it, so, despite its myriad issues, it wins this category.
Dragon Age is a series in which I actually enjoy all of the entries and feel that playing all three of them was the best way to experience it, so, despite its myriad issues, it wins this category.
Best OST
You have to admire Nobuo Uematsu's dedication to disguising a prog rock album as a video game.
You have to admire Nobuo Uematsu's dedication to disguising a prog rock album as a video game.
Favorite Protagonist
They tripped at the finish line with her, but, in a medium inundated with dude protagonists who are either vapid everymen or grimdark edgelords with nothing to say, Velvet Crowe and her violent, messy struggle to acknowledge the repressed humanity of both herself and other societal outcasts is a welcome change to the status quo. It's just a shame about the outfit.
They tripped at the finish line with her, but, in a medium inundated with dude protagonists who are either vapid everymen or grimdark edgelords with nothing to say, Velvet Crowe and her violent, messy struggle to acknowledge the repressed humanity of both herself and other societal outcasts is a welcome change to the status quo. It's just a shame about the outfit.
Best Villain
Tokiko Shigure is both extraordinarily manipulative and destructively depressed, which means I not only enjoyed the slow reveal of the intricate web she'd weaved, but I was invested in her ultimate fate. Coming out of the 2010s, the "villain who uses the protagonist to communicate directly with the player" narrative has been done many times, but rarely are they explored with a deeply traumatized woman in her fifties. More of this, please.
Tokiko Shigure is both extraordinarily manipulative and destructively depressed, which means I not only enjoyed the slow reveal of the intricate web she'd weaved, but I was invested in her ultimate fate. Coming out of the 2010s, the "villain who uses the protagonist to communicate directly with the player" narrative has been done many times, but rarely are they explored with a deeply traumatized woman in her fifties. More of this, please.
Best Story
This one is such a tough call, but I really think, for a 60+ hour RPG, Tales of the Abyss is very tight. The worldbuilding is cool, the factions are well-fleshed out, and the final, post-game realization that the Score had never actually been subverted in the end kept the game in my mind long after I finished it.
This one is such a tough call, but I really think, for a 60+ hour RPG, Tales of the Abyss is very tight. The worldbuilding is cool, the factions are well-fleshed out, and the final, post-game realization that the Score had never actually been subverted in the end kept the game in my mind long after I finished it.
Have Not Played, But Want To
It feels like a massive oversight that I've played Misericorde but not this one.
It feels like a massive oversight that I've played Misericorde but not this one.
You Love, Everyone Hates
Octopath Traveler gets a lot of (deserved) criticism from other 90s console RPG fans, in no small part because it wears its much more successful and beloved influences on its sleeve without understanding what made them great. While the narrative experience was admittedly shallow, I really did enjoy most of my time with it.
Octopath Traveler gets a lot of (deserved) criticism from other 90s console RPG fans, in no small part because it wears its much more successful and beloved influences on its sleeve without understanding what made them great. While the narrative experience was admittedly shallow, I really did enjoy most of my time with it.
You Hate, Everyone Loves
Ugh. Maybe I'll revisit ME1 (again) and fall in love with it, but I was still incredibly unimpressed after twenty or so hours. The gunplay isn't enjoyable, the military fantasy is abhorrent, and every character exists only to exposit about their eccentric alien species. More than that, I really don't care for the vise grip this reactionary video game series has on nostalgic game journalists. Maybe I wouldn't hate it so much if I felt like it had a healthy number of critics.
Ugh. Maybe I'll revisit ME1 (again) and fall in love with it, but I was still incredibly unimpressed after twenty or so hours. The gunplay isn't enjoyable, the military fantasy is abhorrent, and every character exists only to exposit about their eccentric alien species. More than that, I really don't care for the vise grip this reactionary video game series has on nostalgic game journalists. Maybe I wouldn't hate it so much if I felt like it had a healthy number of critics.
Best Art Style
It's Vanillaware. The women might breast boobily everywhere, but they do so in luscious colors, over gorgeous hand-painted backgrounds, and with buttery smooth animations.
It's Vanillaware. The women might breast boobily everywhere, but they do so in luscious colors, over gorgeous hand-painted backgrounds, and with buttery smooth animations.
Favorite Boss
"Who wants to go first? How about... me."
"Who wants to go first? How about... me."
Favorite Ending
The reveal of the protagonist's true identity in the final minutes of the game makes me teary-eyed every time I think about it.
The reveal of the protagonist's true identity in the final minutes of the game makes me teary-eyed every time I think about it.
Childhood Game
When I was too young to grok FFT, my sister told me to train with Rhapsody, which is a bit like telling an aspiring prima donna to practice with Taylor Swift karaoke. That being said, this is still an incredibly sweet little game with a memorably cute style. I used to listen to the soundtrack that came with the game for hours and stage my Polly Pockets to the songs.
When I was too young to grok FFT, my sister told me to train with Rhapsody, which is a bit like telling an aspiring prima donna to practice with Taylor Swift karaoke. That being said, this is still an incredibly sweet little game with a memorably cute style. I used to listen to the soundtrack that came with the game for hours and stage my Polly Pockets to the songs.
Most Relaxing
I'm not always feeling SDV, but when I am, I can't play anything else. The gameplay loop is too engaging and my chickens are too cute.
I'm not always feeling SDV, but when I am, I can't play anything else. The gameplay loop is too engaging and my chickens are too cute.
Most Stressful
I love everything about this game except actually playing it. I can barely last an hour before I need to recharge my brain cells. If Callo Merlose was playable, I'd probably be able to power through... but alas.
I love everything about this game except actually playing it. I can barely last an hour before I need to recharge my brain cells. If Callo Merlose was playable, I'd probably be able to power through... but alas.
Game You Always Come Back To
This is quite literal. I've been using the same save file for 5+ years (the longest I've played one continuous save) and return to it every eighteen months or so for a few weeks. I expect the cycle will continue in Spring 2025.
This is quite literal. I've been using the same save file for 5+ years (the longest I've played one continuous save) and return to it every eighteen months or so for a few weeks. I expect the cycle will continue in Spring 2025.
Guilty Pleasure
Like many 90s kids from the USA, I was a big Disney fan growing up. My sister was a big Final Fantasy fan. Acquiring Kingdom Hearts when it first hit the shelves was a no-brainer for our family. I don't care for Disney anymore, and I didn't like a lot of the (many, many) KH sequels and spin-offs, but I will probably always love the first game. Even though I think it's kinda cringe.
Like many 90s kids from the USA, I was a big Disney fan growing up. My sister was a big Final Fantasy fan. Acquiring Kingdom Hearts when it first hit the shelves was a no-brainer for our family. I don't care for Disney anymore, and I didn't like a lot of the (many, many) KH sequels and spin-offs, but I will probably always love the first game. Even though I think it's kinda cringe.
Tons of Hours Played
I don't want to talk about it.
I don't want to talk about it.
2 Comments
I love how our favourite games have infected each other's lists. Like your best story being Tales of the Abyss, and mine being Final Fantasy Tactics.
bellwoods
1 month ago