kenshero
71 reviews liked by kenshero
A neat little JRPG which while not revolutionary, takes a lot of tropes from the genre and executes them well.
The graphics are pretty good and if you compare them to other games on the PSP, are amongst the handheld's best. There wasn't anything from the soundtrack which stood out though.
The combat system and overall structure of the game was pretty similar to Final Fantasy 1-3 for the most part, albeit very linear, though with a good amount of side quests to make up for that.
The combat also has a "unity command" which is basically like techniques from Chrono Trigger, which I liked.
The game is on the easier side, but the last 2 bosses were tough and you'll have to grind for a bit before being an adequate enough level to beat them without much issue.
The game also does a few small things which were cool. An example was the enemies looking exhausted which indicated they were at low HP.
An overall solid JRPG, though if you've played a large amount of games from the genre, you might find it a little lackluster, since it doesn't do anything that hasn't been done before. If you haven't, this is a good choice to start with, as it's both casual and has a lot of tropes common for the genre.
The graphics are pretty good and if you compare them to other games on the PSP, are amongst the handheld's best. There wasn't anything from the soundtrack which stood out though.
The combat system and overall structure of the game was pretty similar to Final Fantasy 1-3 for the most part, albeit very linear, though with a good amount of side quests to make up for that.
The combat also has a "unity command" which is basically like techniques from Chrono Trigger, which I liked.
The game is on the easier side, but the last 2 bosses were tough and you'll have to grind for a bit before being an adequate enough level to beat them without much issue.
The game also does a few small things which were cool. An example was the enemies looking exhausted which indicated they were at low HP.
An overall solid JRPG, though if you've played a large amount of games from the genre, you might find it a little lackluster, since it doesn't do anything that hasn't been done before. If you haven't, this is a good choice to start with, as it's both casual and has a lot of tropes common for the genre.
Dust is a game I have a bit of history with. As a teenager in 2013, I was exposed to the game, if I'm not mistaken, by a few friends of mine. Always down to try the things my friends were into, I picked it up on the 360, played a chunk of the game, and really enjoyed it... before putting it down for literally the next near decade, with my last achivement being dated August 12, 2013.
Picking the game up again in the need of something relatively short to get off my backlog in the midst of unemployeement, and since it's on my list of "I'll Finish You One Day" games, sharing spots with Ocarina Of Time 3D, Cave Story, and many another title that I've picked up and put down in the spur of the moment, I figured now was the perfect time to finally commit to it. And I gotta say, it's pretty good.
Plotwise, you're not getting too much; Dust, an amnesiac hero, awakens to the goal of finding his memory, aided by talking sword Ahrah, and Fidget, his kind of annoying companion. While the story's not too deep, and gets kind of predictable at points, there's enough there to be enjoyed, and I can't say I didn't like a lot of character interactions from both Dust and Fidget, as well as various NPCs throughout the world. The climax of the game was genuinely excellent, too; definitely worth sticking around just for that.
In terms of gameplay, Dust is a Metroidvania with a focus on combat, and what's there is pretty alright. The combat's simple enough, with Dust's midair spiral dash and how it and his standard heavy attack sync with Fidget's projectile elementals to make a hellscape of attacks to blitz enemies with serving as the highlight of any encounter. You also literally have Ninja Gaiden's Izuna Drop, so that's not something you can say about every game.
It's hard to say the combat doesn't wear its welcome out a little bit, but Fidget gets a few extra tools to mix things up, and with the right setup (by which I mean the electricity), can be absolutely game-breaking. It almost shatters the entire game's challenge in half at points, with the only things stopping you being enemies that almost require parrying, an almost unwieldy technique due to its "hold X after attacking" activation, and losing track of your rather small HP gauge amidst the chaos on screen. That said, the harsh musical chords that punctuate the start and end of your combos are an absolute delight to the ears, from the 1st time you do it, all the way to the end of the game. Game's soundtrack is pretty great stuff overall, some brilliant tracks littered in there.
The game's fairly linear to the point I'd say it'd make a good entry point for anyone intimidated by the genre, so that's something worth taking into consideration for any newcomers. Only a single, 4-part fetch quest in the tail end of the game really felt like it was overstaying its welcome, and it at least lead to a decent enough boss fight, so that's more a net positive.
The game's artstyle will probably be a make or break; while the handdrawn style, which was all done by one man who taught himself how to program for the sole focus of bringing his art to life through the gaming medium, can be an absolute sight to behold with backgrounds with vibrancy and beauty as far as the eye can see, the character designs are a case of you either loving or hating them; evident by the amount of reviews here that hold them as a sticking point against the game. I'm kind of in the middle, finding Dust's design to be pretty sick aside from the moments he removes his hat.
Overall though, I can safely say that I was glad to finally have given Dust its long overdue dues. Another box checked from the long-stockpiled 2010s backlog of doom, and one I'm happy to have done at that.
Picking the game up again in the need of something relatively short to get off my backlog in the midst of unemployeement, and since it's on my list of "I'll Finish You One Day" games, sharing spots with Ocarina Of Time 3D, Cave Story, and many another title that I've picked up and put down in the spur of the moment, I figured now was the perfect time to finally commit to it. And I gotta say, it's pretty good.
Plotwise, you're not getting too much; Dust, an amnesiac hero, awakens to the goal of finding his memory, aided by talking sword Ahrah, and Fidget, his kind of annoying companion. While the story's not too deep, and gets kind of predictable at points, there's enough there to be enjoyed, and I can't say I didn't like a lot of character interactions from both Dust and Fidget, as well as various NPCs throughout the world. The climax of the game was genuinely excellent, too; definitely worth sticking around just for that.
In terms of gameplay, Dust is a Metroidvania with a focus on combat, and what's there is pretty alright. The combat's simple enough, with Dust's midair spiral dash and how it and his standard heavy attack sync with Fidget's projectile elementals to make a hellscape of attacks to blitz enemies with serving as the highlight of any encounter. You also literally have Ninja Gaiden's Izuna Drop, so that's not something you can say about every game.
It's hard to say the combat doesn't wear its welcome out a little bit, but Fidget gets a few extra tools to mix things up, and with the right setup (by which I mean the electricity), can be absolutely game-breaking. It almost shatters the entire game's challenge in half at points, with the only things stopping you being enemies that almost require parrying, an almost unwieldy technique due to its "hold X after attacking" activation, and losing track of your rather small HP gauge amidst the chaos on screen. That said, the harsh musical chords that punctuate the start and end of your combos are an absolute delight to the ears, from the 1st time you do it, all the way to the end of the game. Game's soundtrack is pretty great stuff overall, some brilliant tracks littered in there.
The game's fairly linear to the point I'd say it'd make a good entry point for anyone intimidated by the genre, so that's something worth taking into consideration for any newcomers. Only a single, 4-part fetch quest in the tail end of the game really felt like it was overstaying its welcome, and it at least lead to a decent enough boss fight, so that's more a net positive.
The game's artstyle will probably be a make or break; while the handdrawn style, which was all done by one man who taught himself how to program for the sole focus of bringing his art to life through the gaming medium, can be an absolute sight to behold with backgrounds with vibrancy and beauty as far as the eye can see, the character designs are a case of you either loving or hating them; evident by the amount of reviews here that hold them as a sticking point against the game. I'm kind of in the middle, finding Dust's design to be pretty sick aside from the moments he removes his hat.
Overall though, I can safely say that I was glad to finally have given Dust its long overdue dues. Another box checked from the long-stockpiled 2010s backlog of doom, and one I'm happy to have done at that.
CrossCode
2018
CrossCode gives us an engaging story with likeable characters but its gameplay tends to drag on a bit too long.
It's Nier with guns, and by "Nier" I mean "Asses"
Whoever chose to have Sanji sound like that, I just wanna talk.
This is my favorite One Piece Game.
This game delivers such interesting and unique islands inspired from the original series. This is truly and wonderful adventure.
You go from the sunny to island to island and every island has their own secrets and unlockables. After you complete a island you make sure you come back cause you still have alot more to explore. Every island has their insects to catch, plants to catch, fishes to fish, rocks to mine & the best part is that everything is needed for something. Your progression gets stuck in upgrades and thats when exploration becomes even better.
Every character has their own customizable moveset.
For example, Zoro AAA string, you can change that string attacks to BBB or ABA, BAB, BBA its all very customizable. And to add on, every move also has his own lvl, and the higher the lvl the stronger the move is.
How do you unlock moves you ask ? Every Character have diff ways of getting new moves, either by eating specific food cooked by sanji, getting certain moves to certain lvl, unlocking items and etc.
This game just gives you so much to do and explore.
The bosses are challenging and they are presented in a very good way, be ready to get surprised by some appearances.
You also have free mode so you can play with all the characters this game has. Exactly, even the NPCs can be played in free mode. This roster is the most random roster a one Piece game had, i love it.
Even though this game is amazing it has one big flaw. You can only unlock every character if you played the prequel. I dont remember if it stops your story progression but if you want to take full advantage of this game i advise you to complete the prequel. Even with that flaw i truly love this game and is well worth getting both games for the full experience.
This game delivers such interesting and unique islands inspired from the original series. This is truly and wonderful adventure.
You go from the sunny to island to island and every island has their own secrets and unlockables. After you complete a island you make sure you come back cause you still have alot more to explore. Every island has their insects to catch, plants to catch, fishes to fish, rocks to mine & the best part is that everything is needed for something. Your progression gets stuck in upgrades and thats when exploration becomes even better.
Every character has their own customizable moveset.
For example, Zoro AAA string, you can change that string attacks to BBB or ABA, BAB, BBA its all very customizable. And to add on, every move also has his own lvl, and the higher the lvl the stronger the move is.
How do you unlock moves you ask ? Every Character have diff ways of getting new moves, either by eating specific food cooked by sanji, getting certain moves to certain lvl, unlocking items and etc.
This game just gives you so much to do and explore.
The bosses are challenging and they are presented in a very good way, be ready to get surprised by some appearances.
You also have free mode so you can play with all the characters this game has. Exactly, even the NPCs can be played in free mode. This roster is the most random roster a one Piece game had, i love it.
Even though this game is amazing it has one big flaw. You can only unlock every character if you played the prequel. I dont remember if it stops your story progression but if you want to take full advantage of this game i advise you to complete the prequel. Even with that flaw i truly love this game and is well worth getting both games for the full experience.
The Beginner's Guide
2015
One of the most influential games in my life. I played it in a moment of self doubt and weakness, and it impacted my life forever.
The Artful Escape
2021
he Artful Escape is a weird one. There is quite a lot about it that feels a bit overdone, you know? It is trying so hard to be high-minded that it might come off as vapid in another title, but here it’s wholly endearing. The game is a bit silly, and it thankfully knows it is. It melds a vibrant art aesthetic with an earnest look at the process of the artist finding their medium. What is particularly delightful about it is that it is a story of people helping you along the way. The cast of characters are as vibrant and strange as the world around them. The celebrity cast is a novelty, but credit where it is due, they don’t just phone it in. Carl Weathers in particular offers a bright light among the cast as a rock star whose light has started to fade by the time we come around. None of the supporting roles are huge parts but each plays a part in transporting star Francis Vendetti across the universe to find himself.
Although not without a sense of cynicism Artful Escape embraces the idea that you can do what you love and be yourself even if it takes you some time to get there. In support of this are the game’s adventure elements. The game is at its best when it is in the dialogue between characters or just Francis choosing what his rock style is going to be. It is at these moments a true adventure game focused entirely on the character and his growth. Alternatively, there are gameplay sections of platforming and rhythm games. Perfectly fine, but not remarkable. They are elevated by visual style but brought down by how plain they otherwise are. The game needed them to vary itself up but doesn’t mean they are entirely helpful. Regardless they don’t drag down the experience. It is a short and sweet little adventure and that should be enough for most. If any rockstar
Although not without a sense of cynicism Artful Escape embraces the idea that you can do what you love and be yourself even if it takes you some time to get there. In support of this are the game’s adventure elements. The game is at its best when it is in the dialogue between characters or just Francis choosing what his rock style is going to be. It is at these moments a true adventure game focused entirely on the character and his growth. Alternatively, there are gameplay sections of platforming and rhythm games. Perfectly fine, but not remarkable. They are elevated by visual style but brought down by how plain they otherwise are. The game needed them to vary itself up but doesn’t mean they are entirely helpful. Regardless they don’t drag down the experience. It is a short and sweet little adventure and that should be enough for most. If any rockstar
Life is Strange
2015
"you decide" game where choices REALLY matters. The soundtrack will be in your playlist when you finish it too, I swear.
Great story, give it a try
Great story, give it a try
Final Fantasy XVI
2023
This review contains spoilers
Final Fantasy 13 (and Lightning Returns) is my favorite of the mainline Final Fantasy games, and when I started playing this one, I knew almost right away that I was going to find a lot to love.
Now that I've finished it, I can say that FF 16 is for brothers what FF 13 is for sisters. Joshua and Clive form the emotional core of the narrative just as Lightning and Serah do with 13. More than that though, both games are primarily about family--blood family, yes, but primarily found family.
The world our characters inhabit in this game is a profoundly sad one--much like our own. It's a world beset by systemic bigotry, geopolitical strife and climate change, and one where you could forgive people for not finding much to live for.
And it's that very thing--finding something to live for--that we guide Clive and his family towards. And Clive guides his allies and the whole realm towards that same thing in kind.
This is a beautiful game full of despair, hope, love and a search for meaning. In the end, despite all of the pre-release comparisons to Game Of Thrones, FF 16 is never cynical; bonds are never tested, Clive is never found wanting. Instead, this game does something much more brave: it demonstrates to us that love and hope can and do win. The sun can--and literally does--rise the next morning on a new and better world.
I should mention the gameplay stuff I reckon too! This game has the best difficulty feature I have ever played for an action game: the ability to equip some built-in accessories that cause Clive to automatically dodge attacks as well as for the player to only have to repeatedly press the attack button to put together incredible combos! I absolutely love that part--it's what made the game playable for me. I was unable to progress past the very first boss in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake because of my inability to play action games like that--but because of the accessibility option here I was able to play, and love, this game.
Apart from that, I quite simply loved all of the gameplay elements. The hunts were fun, the side quests were lovely--it was all wonderful.
This game is as good as a modern game can get! You should play it, I think!
Now that I've finished it, I can say that FF 16 is for brothers what FF 13 is for sisters. Joshua and Clive form the emotional core of the narrative just as Lightning and Serah do with 13. More than that though, both games are primarily about family--blood family, yes, but primarily found family.
The world our characters inhabit in this game is a profoundly sad one--much like our own. It's a world beset by systemic bigotry, geopolitical strife and climate change, and one where you could forgive people for not finding much to live for.
And it's that very thing--finding something to live for--that we guide Clive and his family towards. And Clive guides his allies and the whole realm towards that same thing in kind.
This is a beautiful game full of despair, hope, love and a search for meaning. In the end, despite all of the pre-release comparisons to Game Of Thrones, FF 16 is never cynical; bonds are never tested, Clive is never found wanting. Instead, this game does something much more brave: it demonstrates to us that love and hope can and do win. The sun can--and literally does--rise the next morning on a new and better world.
I should mention the gameplay stuff I reckon too! This game has the best difficulty feature I have ever played for an action game: the ability to equip some built-in accessories that cause Clive to automatically dodge attacks as well as for the player to only have to repeatedly press the attack button to put together incredible combos! I absolutely love that part--it's what made the game playable for me. I was unable to progress past the very first boss in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake because of my inability to play action games like that--but because of the accessibility option here I was able to play, and love, this game.
Apart from that, I quite simply loved all of the gameplay elements. The hunts were fun, the side quests were lovely--it was all wonderful.
This game is as good as a modern game can get! You should play it, I think!
