guiltyparty
Nasu utilizes the rich worldbuilding of the previous route to full advantage, using the clash of heroes to tell a story about the nature and ideal of heroism itself. A rewarding character study in its own right.
A challenging game with highly entertaining patterns and visual cues, set to some of ZUN's strongest tracks. Not for the faint of heart.
While the patterns may not be as exhilarating as Youyoumu's, the soundtrack here is ZUN in absolute top form. The audio alone is well worth the price of admission.
A great entry point to the franchise, despite how unforgiving the patterns can be. Good for getting the gist of the fundamentals, and some solid tunes to boot.
1992
Lots of avenues for experimentation through the job system. Pretty straightforward plot, but the gameplay here is some of the franchise's most robust.
1991
A bit more ambitious than its predecessors, Final Fantasy IV introduced gameplay elements that would become franchise staples. Some shaky storytelling aside (often through contrived excuses to swap out party members), the game holds up remarkably well.
1994
One of the franchise's most beloved entries, and for good reason. Featuring an astoundingly diverse cast, a rich setting that blends magic and machinery, an intricate plot, groundbreaking cinematic tricks, and one of Uematsu's finest scores, Final Fantasy VI has withstood the test of time.
One of the most ingenious games of the generation; a sprawling sci-fi drama that takes great influence from shoujo manga, with crisp visuals to match. Remarkably well-crafted and deliberately paced.
2016
Charming character dialogue and occasionally satisfying cinematics do little to distract from this game's more egregious shortcomings, which are amplified by the sky-high expectations it set for itself over the course of its ten-year dev cycle. Ultimately a fair game, but as the credits roll on this "Final Fantasy for fans and first-timers," it leaves one wondering just what could have been.
A brave take on a beloved classic, with many new charm points to flaunt, in both gameplay and presentation. Though some occasional padding makes longer chapters overstay their welcome, the overall package is crisp, bold, and exciting.
2020
An enjoyable exploration of the DualSense controller, with plenty of nods to Sony's history littered throughout. In particular, the haptic feedback is a treat for the hands, and opens up a swath of opportunities as we head into the next console generation.
2020
A relatively bare-bones expansion of the first game, that offers precious little in the way of new content. Though the fresh coat of paint is sweet enough on an aesthetic level, slightly increased handling and additional line-clear delay hinder high-speed gameplay — especially when playing against opponents who have the flashy new cut-ins turned off. From a gameplay standpoint, there's not much reason to spring for the sequel unless you're looking to mess around with the janky Skill Battle mode, or you're itching to play as Sonic, for some reason.
Sporting a tidy narrative with a strong thematic core, Innocent Sin's punchy and personal character writing makes it a standout among its contemporaries. Unfortunately, the real meat and potatoes are hidden behind a sluggish battle system that requires minimal player engagement until the final boss hits. Push through the exasperating encounter rate and you'll find a story with a fair amount of bite, that isn't afraid to throw you into the deep end.
2019
While it does little to rectify the thematic hiccups of the original game, The Royal builds nicely on its stylish base, with some nifty quality-of-life changes and overhauled combat. A sublime experience for those who haven't played the original, but if you've already put your 100 hours into the vanilla version, sinking your teeth into this one for the lean third semester alone might be a tough sell. Still, it's every bit the aesthetic marvel of the 2016 hit, and an objective improvement upon a benchmark in the genre.
2019
While the 2011 version's tight gameplay is mostly intact (with a new Remix Mode for old-timers looking for a twist), each narrative change here deliberately throws a wrench into the base game's structure, intentionally pulling back from its narrow focus. In the process, it does a disservice to what was once a fairly earnest narrative, undermining its cast as the scope of the new content expands. A third romance option was always going to be a bold decision when the original game was so deeply rooted in binaries -- unfortunately, like most of the Full Body-exclusive content, the new character is implemented in a way that lacks the finesse needed to make that decision work. There's still a lot to love in Full Body, particularly in the work that went into the Ideal Voice set, but the game is a shell of its former self, and it sports only a fraction of the punch.