Where’s the petition for shooters to go back to ripping off Halo campaigns instead of CoD campaigns?

Having played Halo 3 first, I’m really impressed with how much of what I liked about that game was here right from the start in Combat Evolved. The fluid control, the smart AI, the physics, the diversity of locales, the score, the atmosphere and I really took notice to the balancing in this one, how some weapons are godly at taking out certain enemy types, but useless against others, and how I was forced to pick and choose and think a lot more here than in Halo 3. It has some rough edges, I found a couple levels a bit confusing and repetitive to navigate, the Library level most notably. For the most part though, it’s a remarkably confident and well polished game for one that came from nothing, and honestly I think it still holds up better than an overwhelming majority of shooters today.

Journey can be said to exist almost without words. All story lines conveyed to the audiences appear in flash cut scenes that provide freedom of interpretation of what actually happened. Nevertheless, you can find a common thread, despite the various theories that may arise from it. You are seen playing the role of a red-robed explorer who seems to have one main goal which is to head to a mountain split by pillars of light in the distance. As if trying to find answers to what really happened to all the civilizations you pass through, mysteries emerge from every corner. The encounter of the character you use with a similar figure but in white clothes seems to imply the theme of enlightenment and self-discovery which seems to be the identity of Journey.

In terms of gameplay, Journey can be said to be very simple. I would categorize it as a platformer/adventure game, with the classic goal which is getting from point A to point B. Implementing a bit of an open world element in it, the world is offered in a fairly open format. Journey clearly makes exploration the foundation of its gameplay. It is more focused on finding a way to get to the next place, with challenges generally rooted in position, puzzle sequences, or the limitations of the main character you use yourself. At some points in the game you have to face aggressive enemies, but you are still in a "peaceful" position. Avoidance is the only way to continue living.

Your main character, also known as "The Traveler", comes with several standard main movements, of course apart from walking through various terrains. He can jump, and can also whistle weakly or strongly as a means of communication and a solution to existing puzzles. However, The Traveler himself is only able to execute one of these movements in a limited number of times. You can whistle as freely as you want, but your jumping ability will be very limited. The main indicator is a scarf that flutters every time you move. Each jump will consume some of the patterns on the eye-pleasing fabric, which, when used up, will eliminate your jumping ability which also means, loss of access to higher ground.

Journey also offers a fantastic world for the audiences to enjoy, not only from the visual side, but also audio. During the trip while you explore, you will also enjoy beautiful and stunning views. Whether you see the small sand tunnel that is created every time the Traveler slides over it, or when the cold snow starts to make your clothes turn white and look heavy, or simply because of the effect of light that appears from the sun at the end of the horizon that refuses to sink. Each of these moments felt extraordinary. It is also supported by soundtracks that is no less evocative. Your journey through so many exotic places with amazing designs seems to be enhanced by the music that accompanies your every small step.

The dreamy vibe and ‘show don’t tell’ approach are also present in the character animations, which I absolutely need to highlight. The living pieces of fabric all wave in the air representing a certain type of animal and the overall animations that come with crossing the extreme surroundings convey a certain weight to the player. Slowly pushing yourself through a snowstorm while your thumbstick says full force forward, or gently letting yourself turn from right to left when sliding down the loose sand of a dune, it all feels very convincing and natural.

At first glance, Journey might look like an experimental project that has the potential to be boring because of the lack of action. But once you start playing it, once you become a Traveler, as soon as your feet step on the first sand of your desert, you can feel the magical power that radiates from this game. It is a wonderful experience that feels as a breather between all the competitive, complex and story-driven games that require the fullest of your attention.

I took both Thursday and Friday off to play the DLC. And all I can say is what a journey from start to finish it was.
Just entering the Realm of Shadow for the first time was fucking incredible, the world looked beautiful and I could already see tons of new areas which I would eventually find.

I immediately went to go look for the Scadutree blessings (which I cannot recommend enough) and explored the immediate surroundings. This is what people should absolutely be paying attention to when playing the DLC, I truly believe that the Scadutree blessing level is a game-changer.

The bosses were absolutely phenomenal, they seem so imposing and challenging at first but they HAVE learnable patterns. They might seem really overtuned or spammy, but don't lose hope, they are genuinely a blast to fight and some of this DLC's bosses have already entered my personal top 10. The final boss is probably the craziest challenge fromsoft has ever put out. Might it disappoint some? Maybe. Personally, I loved the reveal, and I felt rewarded for doing the NPC quests and being able to put together everything. I definitely expect a nerf soon though.

I beat the entirety of the DLC solo, without summons (save the one during the Bayle fight), no meta build, or bleed weapons. I played through with my Strength Faith character and I had tons of fun finding new weapons for my build and trying them out (and for any other STR-FAITH enthusiasts out there, this expansion has a ton of goods for us :D). Another common theme in this dlc is how I was DYING to re-spec every time I found a new weapons. All of the new weapon types I found were absolutely insane and looked so fucking cool. Incantations and spells didn't disappoint either, really.

Only real critique is the fact that a few map fragments are a little inaccesible. Takes a bit of the fun out of exploring if you can't even look at the map. I believe having the entirety of the map available from the start could be helpful, or if not, just place them in more "accesible" areas. Looking at you, Abyssal Woods and Rauh Base.

Overall, this DLC scores a high 9.5/10. I'm not really taking optimization issues into account because that's really only been a huge issue for Steam and we can be sure that Fromsoft is already working on a few patches.

Cocoon is an immersive and ethereal science fiction puzzle game, as well as an experience that’s difficult to capture in words. This is partially because the game itself is completely void of them, and also because the game’s setting is so detailed and unique. The way the universe of Cocoon works is easy to understand as you witness it for yourself, but when it comes to explaining it… it’s a bit of a struggle. This game’s universe is something that you really have to see for yourself, as it plays a big part in what makes Cocoon so enthralling and engaging. You play as a small bug humanoid that I refer to as “Little Guy”. Little Guy traverses through and explores several alien worlds over the course of his lonely and silent journey.

Given the fact that the game completely and totally lacks any text or dialogue whatsoever, summarizing the story and making a synopsis for it is pretty much impossible. It’s up to the player to interpret what’s going on and what exactly Little Guy is trying to achieve over the course of his quest as you come across shadowy, hostile beings and you observe the fascinating alien technology as well as the ecosystems and flora and fauna of the different worlds. All of this is communicated via the game's utterly impeccable art direction, environment and creature design, as well as its ambient synth soundtrack. The game truly feels like a glimpse into an alien culture that’s far beyond the understanding of mere humans. The story is told through its visuals and overall presentation, and it's done so in a way that’s succinct and beautiful.

The puzzles revolve around exploring and traveling to and from several planets, however, the way you go about doing this is rather unheard of. You use transporters to travel to and from them, but whenever you exit a planet, that planet becomes an orb that you can carry on your back. The orbs themselves also have unique traits that affect your environment, leading to really creative puzzle design. The puzzles themselves are never too difficult, but they can stretch the mind at times, and they’re satisfying all the same once you complete them. That being said, despite such a novel concept for puzzle design, it doesn’t really feel like it's pushed all that hard. The puzzles themselves don’t really use the core design in a way that requires mind bending solutions until towards the very end, and while the puzzles that are there are certainly really solid and executed quite well, at the same time it feels like more could have been done with them.

You will also occasionally run into a few boss fights, however, they’re not boss fights that you can die to. Losing to one will simply result in you getting tossed out of a world to the nearest transporter, and you can immediately warp back and attempt to fight them again. The bosses are also never all that difficult. They’re fun, but I couldn’t help but feel that unlike everything else regarding the game, they weren’t quite as unique. Pretty much every boss I came across felt like a boss I had fought in some other video game at one point or another. Still, they serve their purpose, and aren’t bad whatsoever.

Compared to my usual output, this review is on the shorter side of things. Like I said, there’s a lot about the game that’s just really difficult to put into words. It truly is something that you need to experience and take in for yourself. It’s a great game to play in the dark so that you can be as immersed in its otherworldly nature as much as possible. It’s a short, sweet, and very enjoyable time. Its puzzles aren’t especially difficult and while I feel like connoisseurs of the genre might be a bit put off by that, it does make the game all the more inviting to casuals who are looking for something new and fresh to enjoy.

I don't like most of Puppet Combo's games but i can confidently say that this is the worst one.

This game has every single issue that i have with their games, fast flashing lights (without any warning), Loud, ear-piercing noises everytime the killer spots you (also no warning) and confusing, claustrophobic environments to navigate. This being one of the first Puppet Combo games shows that the dev has barely made any improvements in his future titles.

Other things of note: The game consists of you finding 3 keys to open a door to escape (or navigating a cramped tunnel instead) but the key locations are randomly generated everytime you die, making the game confusing without a map of the place. The killer is faster then you, can block you around corners easily and sometimes can spot you as soon as you restart the key hunt. Oh, one more thing, for some fucking reason, there are random split second flashes of images on screen which are apparently from old paintings, most of which include nudity (not joking btw).

Despite everything, i got a lucky run where the killer didn't spawn and i beat the game. I heard that the dev is making a remastered version of the game in the future, so maybe I'll try that. But as of now, don't play this game.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End puts a fitting end to Nathan Drake's story, and it felt like a true next-gen experience when it was released. The game holds up amazingly well even today. It was one of the first games I played on PS4, and I was so engrossed that I finished it in a day or so.

The story is very good, introducing new characters while also bringing back the classic ones. Nathan’s brother, Sam Drake, is a significant addition, adding layers to Nate’s backstory and motivations. The dynamic between the brothers is well-developed and emotional. The scenery is breathtaking, taking you to incredible places like Scotland, where the atmospheric and moody landscapes enhance the sense of adventure, and Madagascar, with its vibrant and expansive environments. The semi-open world approach, especially in Madagascar, made me feel like I was in a safari simulator, exploring vast areas with a sense of freedom. The inclusion of a jeep for exploration in open areas was a fun addition, allowing for more varied gameplay. The scripted events were seamlessly integrated, adding to the flow of the gameplay. However, I wasn't a huge fan of Libertalia. While it wasn't bad, it dragged on for too long, and at some point, I lost some of the initial excitement, I wasn't feeling it anymore.

The graphics are stunning and are a joy to look at. The detailed environments, character models, and realistic lighting make the game visually spectacular. It's rarely that I care much about graphics, but I was genuinely amazed by this game. The gameplay didn't reinvent the wheel, but the new additions were very well integrated. The shooting felt solid, the climbing was improved with new mechanics like the grappling hook, which made the traversal more complex, and the overall mechanics were smooth and engaging. This game had lots of memorable moments that stick with you long after you’ve finished playing.
One of the highlights of the game is its detailed and expansive environments. Whether you’re scaling cliffs, exploring old ruins, or driving through muddy trails, each location feels meticulously crafted. The game’s attention to detail, from the lush vegetation to the intricate architecture of the ruins, enhances the experience.
The puzzles in Uncharted 4 are also worth mentioning. They are well-designed and integrate seamlessly into the environment, offering a good balance of challenge and enjoyment without breaking the flow of the game. The use of Nathan’s journal and Sam’s input adds a collaborative element to solving these puzzles, making them feel more organic to the story.

⚠️SPOILERS⚠️
I won't discuss much about the story, but I will say this: finally, an ending that doesn't involve destroying an ancient city! It was a refreshing change and a satisfying conclusion to Nathan Drake's adventures. The final scenes are poignant, wrapping up the character arcs in a heartfelt way that pretty much every fan of the series appreciated, it was a satisfying ending.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is on par with Uncharted 3 as my favorite from the Nathan Drake quadrilogy. I'm not sure which one I like more, but both hold a special place for their memorable moments, engaging gameplay, and stunning visuals. This game is a testament to how far the series has come and how well it has evolved over the years. Uncharted 4 stands as a crowning achievement in the action-adventure genre, combining cinematic storytelling with exhilarating gameplay to deliver an unforgettable experience.

This review is very personal, so if you're expecting my usual reviews where I'll throw out a couple silly comments here and there, I'll be posting one later.



This game is demeaning. It feels like it's taking my disability and turning it into some kind of commodity or circus show for people to point and laugh at before promptly moving on.

I don't get to "move on" from my disability. I don't get to walk away from the screen and be sure that what I am seeing; I often have these periods of time where I get a crushing feeling that what I am looking at isn't real. The sheer distrust that I have over a simple concept like colors terrifies me; it's not like a typical phobia where I can have a hope of not encountering what terrifies me, you can't escape colors just like how you can't escape gravity or oxygen. Color is a facet of daily life that I struggle with every single day, and it's something I'll have to live with until I die.
It sounds ridiculous, but my disability makes me terrified of meeting new people, especially in an academic or work environment as I'll likely have to handle something that is color-coded or they'll throw out a description that involves a color and I'll be unable to do it. I hate feeling useless and I hate feeling like a complete burden. I hate people having to work around me and I hate making people have to go out of their way to accomodate for me. It's very often that many school assignments given to me require things to be labeled or highlighted in a certain color, and I can't do it. I have to ask the teacher for a special accomodation that is typically convoluted and it makes my stomach churn.
I have a very vivid memory of volunteering to work on being a Stage Manager for one of my school plays, and part of the job required me to move around a few stage pieces. The issue rose in the fact that the places I had to move the stage pieces were labeled with red and green tape, and in the middle of the break, I had to frantically get someone to help me figure out which was which. It felt horrible having to bother someone to help me, but I didn't have a choice. It was at that moment that it really hit me; it will be like this for the rest of my life. I won't ever have the security of knowing that I can trust the colors I'm seeing, and given just how widespread the belief "colors are something everyone can see properly" is, I will never stop struggling. I will have to consistently tell people that I'm colorblind for the rest of my life and have them accomodate me like I'm extra baggage. I'll never stop hearing people ask "what color is this?" whenever I tell them I'm colorblind.

I think what doesn't help is the fact that I believe I have Tritanopia, a form of colorblindness that affects the yellow-blue spectrum. Among the typical colorblind issues I have (red-green, blue-purple, grey-green, red-orange), a particular color has been confounding me; a particular shade of green that I saw as light blue. It took a long time for me to realize, but I realized while watching a video that green and blue fall in the Tritanopia yellow-blue colorblindness spectrum, which would explain how I mixed those two colors up.
If I had Tritanopia, it would explain why I struggle with much more than just red-green like most people. In fact, it would explain why I struggle so much with color.
That said, approximately 0.0001% of the world has Tritanopia, meaning that I would be one of the approximate 80 people in the world to have this type of disability. I think that if there is a god, he must have hated who I was in my past life considering my already weak body.

I've always sought refuge in games, but games can't guarantee escapism like they do for everyone else; again, I can't really escape color in most games. My disability means I don't get to enjoy games like others do. Every time I start a new game, I have to worry if I'll be able to enjoy it. The first thought when I first start as game is "I hope I can enjoy this game without it being an issue"; is that any way to live? I should be thinking "I hope this is fun" or "I wonder if it'll incorporate aspects of similar titles in the genre".
I despise this feeling of dread that I'll eventually run into a barrier due to my disability but I hate it even more when I do. It's an added layer of unintended difficulty that I have to deal with, and if the game devs choose unfortunate colors, it becomes impossible for me to progress. I hate it so much, I despise my disability so much. I've been finding ways to cope with the contempt I have for my disability by joking about it occassionally, but it's not something I can ever hope escape.

In a way, I guess the Colorblindness Rating thing I've been doing is another way to cope with my disability. Putting words down about my specific experiences can maybe help make people consider what it's like to be in my shoes. I know it's impossible for people to see the way I do, but as long as they have read it and ponder on it for a couple seconds, I think I'll be satisfied.

Colorblindness Rating: F
My disability is not your quirky mobile game gimmick for you to play with, RocappDev.

What a miserable game; I'm going to go finish my Madou Monogatari I review.

I have gone out my way many times to express how much I don't like NES games. While this game isn't as plagued by the usual issues I have, they are still VERY much present. I will not deny that at the time, it was absolutely incredible however time has passed and the faults do show.

The main issue with this game is how it controls. Mario is very stiff and just simply isn't as fun to control as he in later games, including other NES Mario games. These ruin the game. I'd be a lot more forgiving of it if these controls were ever improved but they weren't. Not even in future rereleases, including the SNES All-Star version that I played.

There is a definite novelty to this game, though. Mario was made into an icon because of this game. Everyone knows the songs in this game and the sprites are just the pure definition of iconic. However, as mentioned earlier, on this replay I used the SNES All-Stars remake. And though this version doesn't do much to fix the gameplay, it is absolutely beautiful to look at. I always have a deep love for SNES style graphics. Unlike the NES style I feel it's extremely timeless and it does wonders for this game.

This game is still an icon. It's bogged down by the common issues I have with NES games however that doesn't change the fact that this game is a classic. If not for this game I wouldn't have my favorite games from today. It is a novelty of a game and anyone who enjoys video games should go back and play it just to pay their respects to the most important video game of all time.

The original Earthworm Jim may just be one of the most dumb and idiotic games that I have ever played in recent memory, and I absolutely love it for that, along with it being a pretty solid platformer all around. It may suffer from having some really annoying stages and being so hard to the point where it makes me wanna go outside, find a worm, and crush it under a rock, but it has plenty of solid platforming challenges that were really fun to take on, plenty of the charm and appeal that you would find in a Saturday morning cartoon that I fell in love with, and it is so utterly weird and bizarre in everything it does that you just can’t help but get suckered into its antics at every turn. Not only that, but the game did become a major success, getting positive reviews all around and selling over a million copies by the next year, so it was clear that this big worm’s strange adventures weren’t done yet, and lo and behold, just one year later, we would end up getting the direct follow-up to that original game, Earthworm Jim 2.

Even from just the opening company logo that has Princess What’s-Her-Name getting kidnapped while Jim is distracted playing the accordion, I knew I was gonna have a great time with this game. I was really excited to check it out, as I figured that, like with most good sequels, it was gonna keep up the same fun gameplay from last time, while also improving on many of the issues that that original game had to make it a much better experience. Thankfully, this did turn out to be the case, as this game turned out to be fantastic, and a definite improvement over the original in almost every way. Sure, it does have its own set of annoyances that did get in the way, along with some problems that it just couldn’t shake from the previous game, but I managed to have a blast with it either way, loving both the gameplay and presentation all over again.

The story is pretty simple as far as sequels go, where the lovely Princess What’s-Her-Name is kidnapped by the evil Psy-Crow from the previous game, who is set on forcing her to marry him through nefarious means, so it is up to Jim to set out once again, along with his new companion Snott, to take Psy-Crow down and save the fair maiden once again, which is an alright premise, although it is lacking the stupidity or the insanity that I would’ve expected from a game like this, so that is kind of a bummer. The graphics are pretty great once again, looking just as detailed, cartoony, and alive as the last game did, filled with plenty of beautiful animations for the characters and lots of fun, creative ideas for all of the worlds that draws you right in, the music is also pretty great, having a handful of great tracks to listen to as you go through these very odd scenarios, although I didn’t find the tracks as memorable as the previous game, so that kind of sucks, and the gameplay/control is mostly the same as before, except not only does it feel just as great to play as before, but there are plenty of new gimmicks and twists thrown your way this time around to make it that much more fun and memorable this time around.

The game is a 2D action platformer, where you take control of Jim once again, go through many different, crazy levels that can range from a cow farm in the middle of space to an entire level made of food, each one throwing something new in the ring for you to mess with that will challenge you in plenty of different ways, defeat the many different, strange enemies that you will encounter along the way using whatever weapon or tool is best suited for the job, gather plenty of pickups such as ammo for your gun, different types of guns, health, and extra lives to assist you on your journey ahead, and scratch your head at all of the weird, dumb, and insane shit that you will be seeing throughout the whole game, while then proceeding to laugh at it all in the process. If you have played the previous EJ game, then you know what to expect from this game for the most part, and not only does it manage to amp things up in terms of the fun platformer/puzzle challenges this time around, but it also manages to throw plenty of curveballs your way to keep you on your toes and to keep questioning if you have truly gone mad from all that you see.

Just like with the last game, this game revels in being as idiotic and silly as possible, which it excels at, and you can see this silliness everywhere you go in this game, from the environments you play through, the enemies you fight, the characters you meet, and even the ending, which somehow managed to be even weirder than the previous game, but it had me laughing quite a bit, so that’s all I cared about at the end of the day. Some examples of some of the weird shit that you will find in this game can be seen with the end of level screen, which is just a picture of two random, realistic cows, with one of them saying “Well done”, and the other one then smiling creepily at you in the background. Yeah, this game has some weird obsession with cows, but you know what, I’m all for it, as it had me laughing, while being creeped out at the same time. Another instance of weirdness can even be seen in the first level, where you reach the end and find Bob the Killer Goldfish from the previous game, and instead of fighting him in a boss fight, Jim just straight up takes him and eats him, before then moving onto the next level. I mean, come on, how can you NOT love it when a level ends on a note like that?

For the most part, the game is still your basic 2D platformer through and through, where ya run around, ya shoot things, and so on and so forth, but just like the last game, it does manage to switch things up in many different ways, even more so then the previous game, which makes it a hell of a lot more enjoyable as a result. In one level, you will just be playing your standard Earthworm Jim affair, but then in another level, you may be bringing cows to a shed in order to get milked so you can proceed forward, you could be traversing through a corridor full of light bulbs while inflating and deflating your head like a balloon, you could be running from a giant salt shaker across plenty of pieces of meat, cheese, and stoves so that you don’t end up like a shriveled corpse, and you may even be riding on a rocket, pushing a balloon full of bombs towards the end goal in order to blow up a booger guy. The possibilities are truly endless for what these games could make you do next, and it made going through these levels that much more exciting and fun, just seeing what else they could pull out of their ass next to make you do. Hell, there was even a part in the game where you just participate in a game show for no reason, answering some of the most random and dumb questions I have ever seen, and you can even win items for getting questions right. Why are you doing this? Who cares! It is just there for the sake of being funny and entertaining, and that’s all I care about.

Unfortunately though, the game does still have some of the same issues from the previous game that does hold it back, such as with the intense difficulty and some pretty annoying parts of some levels. Thankfully, both of these problems are less of a pain in the ass then they were in the previous game, especially with the extra difficulties helping things out, but it can still be quite an issue for those who aren’t ready for it. Not to mention, this game does still have some annoying levels that you have to go through, such as with the Puppy Love stages, where you have to bounce all of these little pink pups to their mom or dad over on the right side of the screen, while making sure not to drop too many of them on the ground to where they go splat. This, in itself, isn’t that bad, and I did think it was fun for a bit, changing up the gameplay quite nicely and giving you quite a challenge, but not only does this last for quite a while before you can move onto the next stage, but you also have to do this THREE TIMES in three separate stages in order to get through the game, which made these segments very tedious and boring as a result. Man, what is it with the dogs in these games that end up bringing out the worst parts of these games with them? I’m done with dogs now, I’m switching to earthworm supremacy because of them.

Overall, despite still being pretty hard and having some pretty poor levels here or there, this game manages to surpass the original game in almost every way, making for an extremely fun, goofy, and enjoyable sequel, filled with just as much zany weirdness and fun platforming challenges as the previous game, and I am so glad that I finally got to it after over two months. I would highly recommend it for those who were big fans of the original game, as well as those who love old-school platformers in general, because while I wouldn’t say this is one of the all-time best from this era, it is definitely one of the better ones, and I’m sure plenty would just as much fun with the game as I did. Yeah, sure, it can be pretty hard at points, but so what? I’m sure you can get through it! I didn’t let Doug or any of his ten nipples stop me from beating his game, so I’m sure you can do the same!

Game #624

Grandia II is a good example of how to make a sequel without repeating the original game. The setting, story and characters are quite different from the first Grandia, but the spirit is there, along with the superb battle system.

Grandia II again takes what might be a familiar setting, and takes it in unexpected and creative directions. We have yet another world living in the aftermath of a battle between two gods, their struggle faded to legend. Shockingly, an organization is working to revive one of them and destroy the world.

Against a familiar premise, we get extraordinary characters. The lead character, Ryudo, is such a mercenary and a jerk that I actually did not like him for a good chunk of the game, which is not great if you want to put yourself in their shoes. But the purpose of his characterization becomes clear as the story unfolds and his world view is challenged and his history emerges. There's actual character growth and in the end Ryudo had won me over as the reluctant hero doing what must be done.

And then there's Millenia and Elena, who have a decidedly, um, strange relationship. And once again, we get an initially unlikable character in Millenia who experiences significant character development, and is one of the most compelling antiheroes I've seen in an RPG.

The battle system is as great as the first Grandia, constantly engaging even during easy battles. There's something very satisfying about successfully anticipating enemy attacks and staging responses and counters just in time; watching a strategic plan unfold is constantly rewarding.

I didn't find the overall world as compelling or as inventively weird as the first Grandia. Much of the game felt more conventional and familiar, while Grandia's world was constantly surprising. But the story quite masterfully follows the first games gradual escalation from boots on the ground struggle to world-ending danger, so slowly and smoothly that it's never jarring. The scale of some of the battles and story beats in the third act were breathtaking.

I played on the Switch Grandia I & II HD remaster physical release, and once again I was reminded that this is a low effort remaster with muddy, smeared visuals. Fortunately I'll have the option of playing the original release on the Dreamcast soon. I played this on the hard setting, which addressed my lone major critique of the first game with its easy difficulty. I'll probably miss that with the DC release.

Even with the flawed remaster, I'm glad I got to experience this game, and I'm already looking forward to spending more time with these characters and exploring their world and story again. It's a shame the series did not continue, but we got two highly original, compelling stories from them and a huge cast of memorable characters. It's hard to ask for more from an RPG.