As one story ends another begins. This is what brings us to Crossbell. A city state sandwiched between two political superpowers seemingly hanging on by a thread to stay afloat of outside influences. However not everything is what it seems on the surface. Crossbell is corrupt and is very limited on what it can do to fix its own issues. And only the SSS can change Crossbell's wrongdoings from within.

I love the SSS man. Every member is so fun to see and their interactions are priceless. The squad is so diverse in personality and yet they mesh so well. Even their battle styles are different. Seeing the SSS slowly get the recognition they deserve is such a payoff. They aren't just a copy of the bracer guild and made their own identity.

I find the setting of Crossbell to be very engaging especially since the state is small enough to where you are able to get to know every character including the npcs and really connect with the characters when shit hits the fan. It also isn't small to the point where you get tired of the same locations. This can also be implied due to how well this game uses its map. Like it just makes sense that you have to go all over Crossbell to retrieve an overdue book or partake in a fishing contest at the sandbar.

As always Trails and of course Falcom delivers on its soundtrack. Like every time this track played I was on the edge of my seat because I knew I had to lock in. Another great soundtrack that the music is all it takes to change your mood in an instant.

Can't talk about Zero without a certain character's journey that has spanned over 3 games now. Definetly one of the best character journeys I have seen in a video game. Every time they are on screen I always get emotional. There is just something about how its handled that it's truly special.

From what this game concludes off of, I really wonder how Azure will start off because Zero had a pretty conclusive ending but definetly has questions that needs to be answered. Just like us as the player, the SSS still doesn't know all of the answers on the why of how Crossbell functions but if we just get over the barrier only then we can seek the truth and justice be served.

"But what we need right now is the experience of overcoming these kinds of obstacles. Think about it, clear the small barriers one by one… If we do that, then someday, we’ll have the power to get over the taller barriers, too. "

"That brief hesitation was all it took to spawn a great evil. It crawled through the fields, ran through the hills, and spread disaster in the skies above. Book of Ezer, Verse 2, 'Disaster Unleashed.'"

An epilogue to a finale. The bridge which leads to the next story arc for this legendary series as well as one that is filled with context of the past, present, and future of this story.

Trails in the Sky the 3rd is massively different from its predecessors and ones that follow it. A dungeon crawler with Visual Novelesque side stories that are apart of its own door system. There is a requirement for every door and whoever fulfills it gets granted a flashback to the past. On how this is handled it is easily one of the best side story concepts I have seen in a video game. I am definitely going to miss doors like Moon Door 4, Star Door 8, and Star Door 15. Obviously there are more but those are ones that stood out to me or are the most memorable.

Although I have seen people who dislike the gameplay in this game, I personally love it. I think it was a very different change of pace considering how you're done with Estelle and Joshua's magnificent journey, and Kevin motherfuckin Graham takes over.

Kevin Graham's story is something that will stick with me for a LONG time. I thought Estelle would never be topped or let alone matched when it comes to a main character standpoint in this series and it did not take long for my expectations to be shattered. Now I don't know where I stand in the comparison between the two, but I can confidently say I love them both.

The soundtrack is somehow on par or arguably better than the last. I really don't know how this is even possible but man it is something special. When I first started the game and this track was the first thing I heard I knew we were in for something special.

Unlike SC, this game had me invested from beginning to end. There were several times where I just audibly said "wow." At this point I can just say that this is one of the best video game trilogies ever. Like each game of this trilogy just sets a high bar for the rest of the genre after experiencing it.

The Trails in the Sky trilogy has truly been an emotional and special journey and I just can't wait what future games has in store waiting for me.

Lastly although I was absolutely loving this game while playing, there was a line by Kevin himself that really stuck with me and solidified this game as an all timer.

"It's why it gave me the strength to move forward, even knowing how many hardships awaited. Because for every hardship, there'll be just as much joy waiting for me."

I don't know how to start this. But I will say this took WAY longer than I expected it would take me.

After finishing FC I pretty much just kept on going at the pace I was at since I got to chapter 3 or so. SC prologue really tugs the heartstrings after the ending of FC and you just NEED answers man. Then after that the game really gets... repetitive.

The time period from when I completed the first half versus literally the rest of the game is INSANE. Took me about 2 months for the first half and the second half took me a business week. I don't mind the first half as I do think there were great moments interspersed. But god that was mind-numbing. Repeating the same sequences for a good portion of the game was a turn off. But don't let this fool you. The moment you get on The Glorious EVERYTHING changes.

The story picks up tremendously and it just builds and builds until the finale.
This is when I started to realize "yea this may be one of the greatest video games ever made."

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC is the definition of a sequel in every sense of the word. Every facet gets improved. And the stakes are higher than the last. This was essentially a 70 hour long JRPG finale. And I love it for everything it stands for.

This may sound conflicting as you have two opposing opinions for each half but let me assure you that the highest of highs overshadows the lowest of lows.

Trails in the Sky SC is truly one of the best JRPG games there is and even with its flawed and monotonous first half, on the other hand you have one of the most legendary second halves to a video game. In the end I will cherish it all the same.

Oh and this soundtrack is cool.

There really isn't a game quite like Yume Nikki. It goes above and beyond of what even defines a video game. There is no goal here. You explore this dream world of Madotsuki and... that is it. Which may sound boring at first but it really isn't. It's just something you NEED to experience firsthand to just get. It is an experience that won't be understood through conventional means. Which is what makes this piece of art special. Being able to simply explore with no real apparent purpose or reason is... refreshing.

Just give this game a try I think it's something that you should experience yourself.

You know, I wasn't originally going to get into this series so soon with me having several games I wanted to get into beforehand, but I had this sudden craving for an adventure story and just couldn't help myself. I have heard massive amounts of praise about this game and franchise, and then one day I was just convinced to give this game a try. This as I look back on it after finishing this game for a little over a week now, may have been one of the best and worst decisions I have made in a long time. Best because I got to experience one of the most comfiest adventures I've had the pleasure to witness. On the other hand, worst because well I started this game during a time when I was supposed to be studying for my Finals that were coming up, but I instead decided to spend a little over 50 hours of my time on this game.

When you think of games that fall under the title the quintessential adventure video game, you may think of games such as: Final Fantasy X, Shadow of the Colossus, Death Stranding, or maybe just any Zelda game.

Well, what if I told you this game, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC, rivals those aforementioned.

It has everything you could ask for in a JRPG with minimal flaws that is left to be desired. I mean this from the story, world-building, OSTs, gameplay, characters, and most especially the dialogue.

The attention to detail and love that is poured into this game is astounding. The amount of text in here is mind-boggling. NPC dialogue refreshes after EVERY story event and treasure chests have a pun or just a line of dialogue after you open it.

The world-building is one of the game's strong suits without a doubt. Since this game is what I would like to call an "intro game", due to it being not only the first Trails game, but also it being the introduction to a world that is now at about 11 games long with Kuro no Kiseki II: Crimson Sin getting its English translation relatively soon and the recent announcement of the 13th game, Kai no Kiseki - Farewell, O Zemuria.

Each chapter you travel to each region of the country of Liberl, and you're introduced to the cast as you progress effortlessly. It's impressive at how effortlessly brilliant this game can be.

The character interactions are also one of my favorite aspects of this game as each character has their quirks and how their personality changes towards one another. This aspect gives the game its unique charm and just makes the game feel more vibrant and alive.

Every game has a hooking point and it may be different for everyone, but I believe during Chapter 2 or 3 of this game was where I was like, "Yeah it's over I'm invested now." Especially whenever you fight a certain someone and THIS SOUNDTRACK STARTS PLAYING I was for sure invested until the end credits.

The length may be something that catches your eye because this franchise has a trend of having its games go easily up to 50+ hours. Luckily those hours fly by playing this game, however.

If you want a comfy adventure to experience or just to start on a legendary franchise such as this, I cannot recommend it enough. Trails in the Sky is a worthy investment.

The Ace Attorney series was something I always wanted to get into for the longest time as someone that has played Visual Novels for awhile now at this point in time of my life. I really was only interested in it mainly due to its meme status it has on modern culture and how ridiculous it seems. Well I'm glad to tell you that the first entry did not disappoint in its absurd nature.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is the first game of later on what would be a trilogy of games that mainly follows our protagonist Phoenix Wright. He is an upcoming Defense Attorney who has no prior experience before the story so we both (the protagonist and we as a self-inserted player) are introduced to the courtroom. You are accompanied with your mentor, Mia Fey who is there seemingly to guide you through your first official trial. The opposing side, the Prosecution Lawyer Winston Payne, is trying to have your defendant accused guilty of murder. You use the evidence that the game gives you and YOU need to figure out how to defend that your defendant is innocent by using context clues and finding contradictions in the witness testimony. This is where the puzzle needs to be solved with the Point-and-Click elements that is laid out for you. The first trial is more or less a tutorial but gives insight on what to do and what is to become later on.

There are 5 episodic chapters that seamlessly flow into one another to tell an overarching story. Something is lurking behind the scenes whether it being evidence that isn't always in your face, but found through bluffs to get the witness to "cough-up" their lies. The Investigations and Trials get progressively longer to unravel each case because of the nuance that goes behind it. As you could probably expect, the Investigations "mode", you could say, is where you find your decisive evidence for the actual trial for the following day or days after and this can go back and forth depending on the amount of evidence that is revealed.

I would like to think that this is a murder mystery more than anything, considering all of the cases that are presented to you are murder cases. But this is also an Adventure, which is what is tagged for this games genre. The comedic flair is there sporadically, but it isn't really what I saw from the memes I'm familiar with. The series gets more goofy as you go on, but this is just the introduction so I can see how this is more serious than what I initially expected. Although my expectations were skewed, the game is still ridiculous, but I was unsure of what since I wanted to go in blind.

Mia Fey, the person accompanying you during the first trial, is apart of the Fey clan which is a family of spirit mediums. Not much longer after the first chapter/episode is over you are introduced to Mia's little sister, Maya. Who is also a spirit medium... in training. This review will not contain spoilers so I will just say that Maya is seen more frequently from episode 2 moving forward. Mia still shows up through Maya's 'channeling' but nonetheless is replaced with her little sister, your assistant. As you could probably expect, this is used throughout the game which is just absurd in a courtroom setting, yet is very helpful when used.

The Prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth is what I would say who is the main reason what made me love the game. With him antagonizing you through every trial, minus a few, you REALLY had to think wisely of what to say and present because he will try to find a guilty verdict somehow. With that and his compelling backstory, you have a game full of twists and turns while simultaneously being an episodic thriller with high stakes and careers/lives on the line.

I've come to like the recurring characters mostly but the rest that are introduced are one-off characters that are used as plot devices. While I wouldn't consider this as a bad thing, it does show that there is a lack of a memorable cast. This is just a minor personal issue of mine, but this game is only one of many so I won't say much on the matter.

My main issue revolves around episode 5, Rise from the Ashes. Following the emotion filled and revealing closure of what is episode 4, the game went to end credits and then all of the sudden the game was like "sike bitch you thought this was over, here is a bonus chapter." Which I was kind of confused on this decision by Capcom on why they would do this. It was more or less a slap in the face and just ignoring everything that happened prior by continuing something that doesn't have much relevance from the rest of the game. And the characters that are introduced are insufferable to say the least. Ema Skye in particular is just annoying and has no common sense whatsoever. She is supposed to "replace" Maya for this chapter, but she is just a nuisance while Maya was at least funny when she was being problematic. I unfortunately cannot pretend this chapter simply does not exist when it takes up a good portion of the entire games runtime. Which was painfully boring and was not needed to be dragged out that much. I could go on and on about this, but I would be revealing too much.

From the start to the end of episode 4, the game manages to tell a compelling overarching narrative, while also being engaging by its defense attorney and prosecutor dynamic. There aren't many faults to the game, despite the existence of episode 5, and is a visual novel that everyone should experience. Visual Novels are known for its pacing issues, but this one is different. It is one story that doesn't slow down, until justice is served. It made LAW fun. While it may be unrealistic in a lot of aspects, it however doesn't change what it offers as a story and as an actual game. I say objection to the contrary and you will too.

Going into this game I had some expectation considering that it’s labelled as one of the best FPS games of its time, but I wasn’t really expecting how much fun this game would truly be.

I will start off and get the negatives out of the way and follow up with the overwhelming positives.

While TimeSplitters 2 features a time-traveling storyline that adds an element of excitement and variety, it felt that the overall narrative lacked depth. The focus of the game is primarily on gameplay and multiplayer, with the story serving as a backdrop rather than a central element. As a result, the storytelling and character development may not be as robust as in other narrative-driven games. Additionally, the campaign’s overall length was found to be relatively short and wasn’t optimized fully.

Now onto the positives.

Despite not being a game that focuses on its narrative, TimeSplitters 2 offers a captivating time-traveling storyline that takes players through diverse eras, including the Wild West, the 1920s, and a futuristic robot-filled world.

The game's campaign mode delivers an array of missions with distinct objectives and settings, introducing players to varied enemies, weapons, and environments as they jump across time. In its multiplayer mode, you’re provided an extensive range of options to enhance the multiplayer experience. With support for split-screen multiplayer, you can engage in thrilling deathmatches, intense capture the flag battles, or even experience the unique "virus" mode where players transform into zombies.

The gameplay mechanics are solid and enjoyable, boasting responsive controls and satisfying shooting mechanics. In which, offers a wide selection of weapons, from classic firearms to futuristic energy-based arms, each with its own distinctive feel and characteristics. The level design strikes a well-balanced mix of tight corridors and open spaces, creating diverse and engaging combat encounters… for the most part. While the AI opponents do offer a reasonable challenge, there were instances where the enemy AI could exhibit predictable patterns or occasionally behave erratically. Which, at times, impacted the overall immersion and challenge level of certain missions.

While the graphics may not stand up to today's standards, the game still impresses with its detailed environments, diverse character models, and smooth animations, effectively utilizing the capabilities of the consoles it was released on. The soundtrack adds to the experience with its catchy tunes and atmospheric music, enhancing the overall immersion.

One of the standout features of TimeSplitters 2 is its delightful sense of humor. The game embraces a lighthearted tone, incorporating playful moments and quirky characters throughout the campaign and multiplayer modes. Like for example, there is a snowman character that players can encounter and interact with in certain levels. Amusingly, by interacting with the character, players can shoot at the snowman, causing its head to fly off, revealing a hidden item or power-up. By not taking itself too seriously, TimeSplitters 2 adds a fun and lighthearted element to the game, showcasing the game's sense of humor and attention to detail. The presence of the snowman is just one example of the game's playful and quirky nature, adding an extra layer of enjoyment for players as they explore the various levels and discover hidden surprises.

All in all, I can totally see how TimeSplitters 2 is considered one of the best FPS games of its time. Its solid mechanics, enjoyable campaign, and comedic flair make it a memorable title in the genre. Even after more than two decades since its release, TimeSplitters 2 remains an entertaining and highly replayable game. Whether you're a fan of FPS games or simply seeking a fun and unique gaming experience, TimeSplitters 2 is definitely worth exploring.

I stumbled upon this game a couple years back and had shown some interest to it but never really got far. I would play the first chapter or so and that would be it.

Time flies by and I would make decent progress until about recently. Continued and finished all the way through.

Which I must say this game is pretty slow in story and gameplay. For something that is about 10 hours or so should not make you feel that way but it did. In between chapters there would be this prolonged TV show cinematic and was pretty neat at first, but after awhile it got repetitive and frustrating. The story was convoluted with several things you had to do to follow along with the story. It was ambitious, which I admire it for doing so, but it inevitably did not execute.

All in all, the concept was there with time travel and chronostasis but just executed poorly. I wouldn’t label this as “bad” but definetly not good either. In between the two of it being just “fine” is where this game belongs.