Wrote the blueprint for western turn-based RPGs.

Maybe someday I'll post a book-length review explaining all the things I love about it, but that's unlikely, because I know I'd be showing my whole old ass by doing that. I know my take is biased because I played this when I was a nerdy, lonely teen and just vibed with it immensely. I know there are a lot of things that some other folks would find rushed, or sloppy, or off-putting, or janky about it.

But... eff me it's brilliant innit? I can still look at those flaws and say with a straight face: 10-out-of-10, top 5 all-timer, perfect game.

And unlike most things in the genre it spawned, it only takes 20 hours to complete! Copy that part of it more often please, CRPG makers.

I respect it-- as an extremely bold, confident, and vital shake-up of the open world genre. Particularly, I respect the way it re-imagines progression as a thing that ebbs and flows, instead of a bar that just slowly fills up over time. I just wish I enjoyed playing it more.

Turns out, my lizard brain kinda liked that dopamine drip of ever-forward progression better, which is why I've put twice as many hours into Genshin Impact already while my Switch is over there gathering dust.

In the long run... well, in the long run it's all just pictures on a screen. Play the games that make you happy.

Playing this 15 years after release (and 20 years after Homestar Runner's zeitgeist years) was a nice rush of nostalgia at first. Thirty minutes in though I couldn't shake the feeling that this would've been soooo much better in the Wolf Among Us gameplay style instead of the o.g. Sam & Max style.

Decided that-- good early aughts feelies or no-- I didn't really wanna play this right now.

p.s. snake boxer V is weirdly compelling tho
p.p.s. the art style is spot on too