Unfortunately I did not get around to this one as a child, so there was no nostalgia to be had. I had to undergo the painful process of examining something so beloved by so many with my stupid cobweb-addled adult brain. So while I did not love it, I had a damn good time making my way through the story. It is simply remarkable how much creativity is on display here for a linear, turn-based RPG. There's not a single hour of gameplay that really feels like another. It's kind of a masterpiece, really. I just didn't lose myself in it.

Contentious little bugger, isn't it? Haha. I had my gripes with this game. I wasn't as outright TRIGGERED as so much of gamer nation seems to have been. I just didn't entirely appreciate the way Neil Druckmann's presence can be felt, just over your shoulder, suppressing a giggle and whispering "gotcha!" . It's like.. I know what you're doing Neil. You're not surprising me. This character's not going to grow on me just because you're forcing their presence upon me. I don't hate them because of what they did, I just find them generally unpleasant. I... what? STOP SMIRKING AT ME NEIL!

This game is every bit as good as they say it is. It's also long as sin, incredibly repetitive, and I didn't do one important thing during my run, so I got locked out of the entire Royal epilogue. Needless to say it left a sour taste in my mouth. I inquired about this on the Persona subreddit and was torn to absolute shreds by Ann Simps and Morgana Fursonas. "WHY DON'T YOU JUST PLAY IT AGAIN!?" they shouted at me, from a basement somewhere in the deep south, their puberty-stricken voices crackling and hissing with sheer, unbridled vehemence. "I dunno" I responded, "I guess I just don't have another 120 hours to spare".

Screw this game man. Screw breakable weapons. Screw going 30 mins out of your way to collect your mount, only to immediately ride up on the edge of a cliff and have to leave it behind. Screw waiting for the rain to pass so that you can climb a hill. Screw waiting for your stamina to replenish every three seconds as you run across endless plains. Screw detouring for an entire play session only to stumble upon a completely empty environment. Screw the repetitious shrine design.

There are, obviously, glimmers of greatness to be had here. And the discovery factor in its opening hours is entirely mystifying.

But screw this game.

Playing this online co-op was an complete and utter revelation. Yes, it's a rogue-like, and yes, you can get screwed by the RNG, but I'll gladly die on this hill. The more you come to understand the game, the more it reveals itself to you. Once you're in deep enough to have experienced some minor success, you'll realize it's got its hooks all the way in. The story is incredible. The gameplay is SO polished. The co-op implementation isn't perfect (the game wasn't initially designed with co-op in mind, after all) but once you've figured out how to iron out the kinks, you're in for a great time. The game doesn't totally start you over from the beginning every time, there IS progress to be made. It's a blast.