Despite its reputation, I picked this up because I'm recovering from a surgery and needed something basically brain dead, something low-key to just hang out with. I have a severe aversion to open-world design (it even tanked Elden Ring for me earlier this year) and was really surprised to find myself enjoying FFXV's take on the form, which is largely non-committal and vibes-centric. I was really grooving with the FFXI-ness of the game, from its generally passive open spaces to its combat that doesn't ask much of the player beyond specific things, to its general hangout-itude. And then Chapter 9 came around and it became apparent that everything after that point was rushed, misguided, or maybe a bit of both. I am usually the person decrying overfocus on story and pleading for more sparseness and room to breathe, but god almighty I would've killed for a 30 minute cutscene to flesh out some of this stuff. By the last chapter I was begging for it to be over, and the ending was basically incomprehensible. Went from something I was shocked to find myself enjoying to being a nightmare in a very short span of time. Here's hoping XVI's better.

It's hard for me to think of a more unfairly maligned game in recent memory than FFXIII.

The first (and only) mainline Final Fantasy game to release on Sony's PS3, XIII distances itself from its predecessors by taking a much more streamlined and linear approach to its design, to many fans dismay at the time. Gone are the towns, the shops & npc's, the overworld and many other jrpg genre hallmarks, in favour of a more direct and cinematic experience that somewhat redefines what a 'Final Fantasy' title can be.

Border-line avant-garde, seemingly dedicated solely to the premise of presentation above all else, XIII is a graphical and aesthetic tour de force. A daring synthesis of old and new, endeavouring to be different and drive the series in to uncharted territory, in a time when a safer follow up in the style of FFX would have been much easier pill to swallow for purists of the series. A ballsy move no doubt, but with hindsight one that I think pays off in spades.

Quite possibly the most breath-taking game ever made from an audio-visual standpoint (no small claim but something I stand firmly behind), FFXIII combines a kaleidoscope of beautiful sights and sounds to feast your senses on- from its jaw dropping backgrounds and lovingly rendered character models to its sweeping, luscious musical score and out-of-this-world FMV cutscenes, there's rarely a moment in this stunningly crafted title that fails to inspire awe from an artistic standpoint. These production values extend all the way down to the gorgeous UI and menu screens, which are animated with little visual flourishes that makes the presentation feel so polished and refined, making even the simple feat of navigating menus feel lavish and memorable- just look at this, and this.

So damn sexy.

Featuring a leaner, more responsive and dynamic battle system than seen before thanks to the new 'Paradigm' mechanic, which assigns each party member an offensive, defensive, or healing role and allows you to switch between them on the fly by executing 'Paradigm Shifts' to create various combinations of the three, combat feels immediate and exciting but also layered with strategy and easily rivals the best of the series previous offerings. These advancements to the battle system ultimately result in a delicate dance between you and your foes, with rhythm and timing playing key roles to victory. It's a seriously fun and addictive gameplay loop that rewards experimentation and finding optimal setups for each encounter. Helped further by the various quality of life changes, such as auto healing your teammates in and out of battle, and a generous checkpoint system, the game feels slicker as result and cuts out a lot of busy work, making tough battles and boss fights more forgiving and approachable overall while still retaining the strategy and challenge the series is known for.

And what of the story? Undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of the series. Well, it may not quite reach the heights of some of the heavy hitters in the franchise, but the world of Pulse is actually remarkably unique and offers a great canvas for the narrative and characters. Unfortunately, the story fails to completely land and at times character actions and motivations feel awkward and confusing- not helped by the fact the lore is buried under mountains of text and data logs. The characters are a mixed bag but generally likeable, and it's notable how their relationships actually evolve and change convincingly throughout the course their journey- shout out to Sazh in particular who steals the majority of scenes he appears in. The main antagonist is pretty forgettable by Final Fantasy standards but does at least offer a few particularly challenging boss battles. So really then, the uniqueness of the setting, some decent character moments and the fantastic presentation helps make up for any shortcomings I had with the story. The feeling of awe when landing on Gran Pulse after hours of navigating long, linear sci-fi corridors and being greeted by a vast open expanse of nature to freely roam around was a masterstroke of game design imo and well worth the long pay off.

I'll be the first to hold my hands up and say- I was wrong about this one and wish I hadn't listened to the general consensus for so many years. Maybe if people hadn't complained so much about XIII the series wouldn't be in the rut it is now, struggling to find an identity in the current gaming landscape.

I adored this game.

Disclaimer: The words 'fal'cie' and 'l'cie' will be etched in to your brain by the time the credits roll.

It's 2023 and developers still haven't figured out how to top the personality in this games animation. Mind-blowing to think this game is over 20 years old when most modern titles feel so stiff and lifeless in comparison. The artists and engineers at Naughty Dog absolutely nailed the feeling of controlling a tangible character with a real sense of weight interacting with their environment. There's just so much charm in Jak's exaggerated cartoon-like movements as he leaps, bounds and flings himself through the varied platforming obstacles the game has on offer. Watching him raise his legs as he wades through shallow water and snow or how his body contorts and stretches when jumping and attacking to emphasize momentum and impact- it looks and feels fantastic and is still practically unmatched to this day. Even something as simple as Jak's run animation is so satisfyingly smooth and fun, weaving side to side, his clothes and hair moving and reacting dynamically with each step while Daxter bobs up and down, perched on his shoulder. It's the small details that really sells it and helps bring these characters to life.

Anyway, this is just about as perfect as a collectathon gets, featuring all the staples you'd expect from the genre but polished to perfection in typical Naughty Dog fashion. It really feels like a culmination of the lessons and skills learned from their time working on the Crash series, taken to the natural next level both artistically and mechanically, with its top class animation work, breezy, tropical island vibes and a focus on precise platforming challenges, only this time in a much bigger and more impressive sandbox to play in. Also worth noting that it's the first game to feature seamless loading in an open world, setting a new precedent for the time.

10 Precursor Orbs out of 10.

During the Dreamcast's short but oh-so-sweet time in the spotlight, no developer more distinctly encapsulated the brands ethos and aesthetics quite like Sonic Team. Although criminally cut short due to the consoles lacklustre sales, the catalogue of varied and creative titles they put out during this time were overflowing with that special Sega sauce; colourful, fun, pick up and play classics like Sonic Adventure and Chu Chu Rocket managed to instill themselves in the hearts and minds of gamers for decades to come.

However, their most groundbreaking game by far would come at the tail end of the consoles short life, in the form of the seminal Phantasy Star Online- an insanely ambitious experiment that redefined the joy and wonder of co-operative play by introducing console gamers to the world of online play- and it would do so with that signature Sonic Team style.

From the title screen alone you knew you were in for something truly special- lulled in by its hypnotising, ethereal sci-fi intro theme, you're invited to imagine the endless possibilities that lay ahead of you at the frontier of this new age of gaming.

As a young polaroidplayboy, I was totally enamoured by PSO, and many a sleepless night ensued as I found myself teaming up with strangers (who quickly turned to friends) to explore this beautiful new and strange world, helping each other to learn the ropes, fighting ever increasingly difficult monsters as we progressed, trading the weird and wonderful rare weapons and loot we found along the way, feeding our mags and even just shooting the shit back at home base at the end of a tough boss fight. Gamers today take these simple things for granted, but at the time there was nothing else even remotely comparable.

With its stunning and vibrant cyberpunk aesthetic, married with an otherwordly, ambient techno soundtrack and a simple but seriously addictive gameplay loop, PSO helped shape my tastes for years to come.

One of my most nostalgic gaming memories by far, and unquestionably one of my all time favourite games ever.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to cook some bacon and eggs with this new weapon I just found.

Screw the haters- Tekken 4 rules.

A perfect companion piece to Ridge Racer V, the early PS2 vibes are at full force here. Fantasy takes a back seat to a more modern, military-tech themed aesthetic, with a focus on night time city environments drenched in a palette of cool blues and icy greys, marking the arrival of the new millennium in style. Kazuya donning shades. Jin sporting the effortlessly cool jacket-with-hood-up combo. Hwoarang now a tacti-cool spec ops agent. Brawling in minimalistic urban stages like Airport, Mall and Building to the impeccable techno sounds of 'Touch and Go' & 'Authentic Sky'. This 'on the cusp of the future', technologic inspired aesthetic is simply unimaginable by todays standards- a perfect time capsule from the Y2K era, where we yearned eagerly for what was waiting just around the corner. Peak. Soul. And for a title released in 2001, the graphics go hard- check out the rippling water effects in the Jungle stage as your fighters wade through the stream or the bustling npc's ringside in Underground, who can even be knocked over if your opponent is smashed into the crowd.

To top it off, no longer are you forced to fight a dumb giant demon as a final boss- no, not on Tekken 4's cool-ass watch. Instead you're thrown into a cage match with a very angry, very naked, sumo Heihachi.

Hell yeah dudes.

We Came From the Abyss

Allow me to take you back. To a time when Fromsoft, despite their rather expansive catalogue of games, were but a small curiosity outside of Japan known almost exclusively for their mecha combat series Armored Core. Back to 2003. To a time before Dark souls, and Demon Souls. Before Miyazaki. Before George R R Martin.

Enter Shadow Tower Abyss.

A game steeped in mystery, and having never left Japan, sadly allowed to fall in to near obscurity.

But a game that undoubtedly sowed the seeds of what was to come.

How did we end up in a place like this

All the staples we know and love are here; A gloomy, melancholic world that defies natural logic, seemingly frozen in time. Beautiful but hostile locales haunted by all manner of strange creatures and wayward souls, in equal parts majestic and horrific. Intricately designed looping hallways and corridors with unlockable shortcuts that expertly mark progression. A permeating sense of hopelessness. Tragic characters who meet sad and unjust ends. Obtuse, underplayed storytelling shrouded in intrigue. Messages scribbled on walls warning you of dangers yet to come. Illusory walls that hide secrets and hidden paths. Death traps that'll send you back to the title screen within minutes of loading up the game. Weapons and loot to pillage besides the resting corpses of fallen warriors. And lest we forget to mention; the infamous poisonous swamps. Ladies and gentlemen, this is page 1 from the Souls playbook (or 2 if we're counting Kings Field, which we obviously should).

But whereas the Souls titles only grew in size, Shadow Tower: Abyss is smaller by design, more restrained and intricate. You will get to know these locations intimately by the time you've finished ascending each and every distinct and varied floor of the 'Shadow Tower', inching ever closer towards the top. From subterranean forests and icy caverns, to the rot infested wastes of alien civilisations, signposted with strange moving platforms and monolithic structures, the first person perspective adds wholesale to the immersion, in turn creating a sense of claustrophobia and confinement lacking in the subsequent entries. This shift in camera perspective lends itself perfectly to the close quarters encounters, making you witness the horrors up close and personally, even allowing you to dismember and maim foes with a swing of your sword if aimed right. Roaming these strange winding hallways filled me with a sense of loneliness, dread and unease that I haven't really felt since playing Konami's Silent Hill 4: The Room.

And why are we even here, exactly? What is our goal, in this strange, forgotten and cursed land? Outside a vague notion of acquiring some ancient, hidden power, I'm not sure even our nameless protagonist knows. All we can be sure of for certain, is reaching our destination.

Will you survive, or die trying?

There are no checkpoints to be found, nor tutorials. Save points are few and far between. Traversing the labyrinthian corridors requires you to pay keen attention to your surroundings, as they're littered with pitfalls and traps designed to slow your progress. Although daunting at first, thankfully no area really outstays its welcome for too long and the game moves you along at a relatively brisk pace, so long as you're observant and resourceful. You're encouraged to map things out, take mental notes and rely on recognising landmarks to progress, as naturally there's no menu map or waypoints to be found. Different entry and exit points allow you to explore the various zones mostly in your order of choice, and if you're stuck, there's often another area off the beaten path to focus your attention on, to level up and find gear, before looping back round to where you were previously. It feels tightly designed and satisfying.

Enemies offer a challenge, especially in the early game, but none will stop you in your tracks or fully halt your progress unlike certain roadblocks encountered in the later titles. Weapons and armour are doled out generously, but are prone to degrade and break rapidly if overused. The game walks a fine line between difficulty and fairness- nothing felt cheap in my time playing, but caution and problem solving are pre-requisite to success. Should I push deeper in to the level to hopefully find that next save point, or spend time retracing my steps to heal and repair my gear first? Shout out to whoever came up with the idea of having to sacrifice your HP to repair broken gear, and vice versa- it's purely masochistic in design and brings with it a real sense of risk/reward as you're not always sure what's more important in the moment. And you can't just rely solely on combat skills alone to brute force your way through, as some areas demand solving actual puzzles to progress, which seems to be a sorely lacking aspect of Fromsoft's more recent titles.

And if that isn't entirely your bag, did I mention there are guns in this game? Like, literal fucking Uzis and Grenade launchers.

In Summary

I hope that Fromsoft eventually decide to revisit this series in some form, if not a direct continuation (which is highly unlikely at this point), at the very least dare to return to its first person perspective and its slower, more methodical and weighty combat. For all their merits, and there are many, their later games have become a bit bloated and have started to lean too heavily on fast paced action, dodge rolling and frustratingly difficult boss battles, which in my opinion is not the reason these games are so compelling. A title that strips things back a bit, and better balances their unrivalled atmospheric design with more of an emphasis on puzzle solving as opposed to just killing increasingly difficult enemies, would do wonders in helping me to stay immersed in their worlds.

And if not? Well, I still have all the Kings Field games left to play through...

"You're tuned to seventy-six point five on your radio dial, Ridge City FM."

The sun setting on the horizon paints the city and its streets a golden yellow hue. DJ Ken Ayugai tells me over the radio that we've got the perfect weather conditions for a grand prix today. I can't say I disagree.

I take the wheel and speed my gorgeously rendered Fiera through the futuristic Japanese city streets, along looping expressways and down its winding coastal clifftops overlooking the sea, all at a lightning fast 60fps. Welcome to the age of PS2, baby.

The sound of roaring engines and rubber tires burning on asphalt fills the cool evening air.

Narrowly avoiding collision against the extremely aggressive and punishing AI, I carefully manoeuvre my way through the pack one by one towards my ridge racing destiny.

On the radio, "Paris" (Nobuyoshi Sano) begins to play, its ethereal techno sounds punctuated with cool, emotionally charged piano runs.

Chills tingle down my spine. I'm in the zone now.

I can almost feel the cool evening air in my face as I take the final stretch of road, my palms sweaty but mind razor focused.

The wise words of DJ Ken reverberate inside my head-

"Those drivers face danger at every turn of the track. You've got to give them crazy daredevils some respect for that."

Damn right you do.

The culmination of hours of practise and hard work, I ease off the accelerator, executing an inch perfect drift as I turn into the final corner, soaring past my stunned rival and putting me firmly into first place.

DJ Ken says "That's some wicked steering! Check him out!"

Thanks DJ Ken.

I can taste victory now. Those countless hours learning every inch of every track is finally paying off. This is my time.

Heart racing, I leave my opponent behind me in a trail of dust and roll over the finish line, triumphant.

"There goes the winner! What an incredible race!"

I cheered. I shouted. I fist pumped the air. Nothing prepares you for this.

I win. I am the Ridge Racer.

And just like that, I am snapped back to reality by my girlfriend, looking distinctly unimpressed…

"I'll be impressed when you stop playing on easy mode, bitch"

The most underrated Crash game by a country mile. Buttery smooth 60fps, a pleasant aesthetic with fluid animations and some genuinely fun and creative level design (shout out to the safari jeep level). It was no small task taking over the mantle from Naughty Dog, and Traveller's Tales did an admirable job given the short dev time they had. I personally had a better time with this than Warped, and it's far better than the entries that came after. Unless you're playing the version with the ten hour long loading screens, I don't see why this game gets so much hate. The dark horse of the franchise.

Possibly my most replayed game of all time; there's never an occasion that I'm not in the mood for more Sonic Adventure.

From its sandy beaches and clear blue skies to its dreamy guitar riffs and metropolitan cityscapes, Sonic Team's first foray into 3D has left an immeasurable mark on me and my gaming sensibilities. It is pure, distilled nostalgia, and no matter how many times I've slipped that CD into the tray over the years, I'm always transported back to the tender age of 11, stood at a Dreamcast demo kiosk inside my local Virgin Megastore, my eyes wide and mouth agape, the future in my hands. And what a bright future it is.

(2D Sonic fans are in denial- this is the best game in the franchise by a mile.)