Bio
#1 METROID PRIME 4 TRUTHER

I like most games that I play

.5☆ - jesus man
1☆ - very bad, almost 0 redeeming qualities
1.5☆ - bad, has really large problems
2☆ - below average or forgettable
2.5☆ - average, completely mid
3☆ - above average, has good/great aspects but overall is just OK
3.5☆ - good, I enjoyed but maybe expected more
4☆ - great, really enjoyed this
4.5☆ - amazed, couple small flaws
5☆ - perfect/personal favorites

no score = too hard to rate or non-completable
Personal Ratings
1★
5★

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GOTY '23

Participated in the 2023 Game of the Year Event

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Mentioned by another user

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Being part of the Backloggd community for 1 year

Popular

Gained 15+ followers

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Liked 50+ reviews / lists

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Gained 10+ total review likes

GOTY '22

Participated in the 2022 Game of the Year Event

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Become mutual friends with at least 3 others

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Gained 3+ followers

N00b

Played 100+ games

Favorite Games

Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 Royal
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations

144

Total Games Played

005

Played in 2024

028

Games Backloggd


Recently Played See More

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Mar 14

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Feb 28

Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XVI

Feb 16

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Feb 03

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Jan 15

Recently Reviewed See More

I don't really feel like writing a lengthy review like I did last time for Twilight Princess, but this is a brilliant experience. A Zelda world that I actually felt like exploring every nook and cranny of is an excellent indicator of me really, REALLY enjoying something. The world is such a blast to discover. Dungeons are quick and succinct with really solid theming and bosses that mostly hit the mark. The story is a very bold step in a totally new direction for Zelda while still maintaining the classic Zelda magic and whimsy. The things that people hate this game for (slow sailing, triforce quest) are honestly really not that bad? If you experience this game earnestly and honestly try to explore discover the goodies this world has to offer throughout the entirety of the game (instead of just doing a collectathon in the end of everything), it ends up being really not that excruciating - at best, it's a fun (if tedious) romp around the world to see what you can discover with Link's full kit, and at worst it's an annoyance before the end of the game. The only thing I can knock this game for is some of the more cryptic aspects of exploration and the fact that you have to have so many rupees for endgame, but I can't complain about much else when this world is so inviting and open to freely explore.

Respect is the word I would use to describe this game best. Respect for the past of Zelda, yet respect for the need to move past Ocarina of Time's influence and try something new, respect for the intelligence and memory of the player, and respect for creativity in art style and world design. However, there is a bit of a lack of respect for the player's time. Still, this is a brilliantly fun Zelda experience that has aged so, so gracefully, especially in the visual department. If I played Wind Waker HD I think this might have been a 10 for the quality of life improvements.

Picture this: the year is 2004. You're a 16 year old boy who loves video games. The last Legend of Zelda game to release was the GameCube's Wind Waker. A fine game, but certainly far too "kiddy" with its cartoonish style, and certainly not a style that diehard Zelda players wanted to see again. No, Zelda fans wanted something dark and gritty to wash the taste of the childish "Celda" from their mouths. In a time where Nintendo had fallen out of favor of mainstream gamers with their niche, gimmicky lunchbox console with games for babies, they desperately needed to come out with something that would sway your friends at the school lunch table into thinking that Zelda was, in fact, a game for big boys. Enter E3 2004: Nintendo announces the newest game in the Zelda series, and it looks badass. Link looks realistic and the graphics look so dark and gritty. He's fighting dudes on a horse and mowing down dudes left and right, and holy shit did that say blades will BLEED? IS THERE GONNA BE BLOOD IN A ZELDA GAME? THIS RULES!

Needless to say, if you're a Nintendo fan, you know this trailer. The moment is completely electric, and who doesn't love seeing Miyamoto come out with the Master Sword and Hylian Shield? Revisiting this moment in Nintendo's history is a big part of understanding the thesis of Twilight Princess. It came in a time where Nintendo was beginning to realize that they might not be the top dog on the block anymore. Despite being among the most beloved games in Nintendo's entire library now, Wind Waker's rather annoyed reception back in 2003 was a product of a fanbase that felt belittled, almost as if they needed reassurance that they were on the right team. Nintendo won't be beaten by Sony or Microsoft, right? They can make something for adults, surely? For that reason, Twilight Princess might be the first game to ever be a direct product of peer pressure. They were gonna deliver the mature game that the fans wanted. It was gonna be dark and gritty and bloody and badass, hell yeah...

And then the game came out and people were subjected to herding goats and doing chores for the first three hours of playing.

Yeah, Twilight Princess makes a pretty rotten first impression, even when the weight of being "The Dark Zelda Game" has dissipated at this point. Being forced to tend to the village errand list for the first hour or so is bad enough, but after that, Link is relegated to Wolf Link form for the next hour and change. This is interesting initially and presents a ton of intrigue within the story, as it's a huge twist and comes with a shocking and explosive shift in tone, but once the intrigue has worn off, you're still plodding along and jumping about as a wolf, and worse yet, your primary task is a scavenger hunt to find drops of light and restore an area to its former normalcy. What the hell?

I understood later that this intro serves the game's thematic elements exceptionally well. But man, it's pretty dreadful to go through. This applies to all Wolf Link sections until the midway point of the game. A new form for the player character to transform into is a fine idea, but was the best application they could come up for this really just... a scavenger hunt for drops of light? More sluggish chores? Three damn times? It brings into question whether or not the inclusion of Wolf Link in this game was even really necessary to adding anything to the experience, or if it was perhaps just another effort to make the game appear grittier and darker. Every section that you use it in seems rushed and abbreviated to the point where I wished there was some way to skip them. I think Wolf Link could have been really brilliant if there had perhaps been a boss and perhaps a mini dungeon for each area instead of the scavenger hunts that do nothing outside of waste your time. The way it is utilized in dungeons for the second half of the game where you can freely transform back and forth (rather quickly I might add, which is nice) is much better, but it still feels tacked on and VERY undercooked.

Regardless, Twilight Princess hits its stride about halfway through the game. Getting the Master Sword is a pretty brilliant sequence, but the dungeons that follow are superb. This game has what is perhaps the tightest, most focused and succinct dungeons in the entire series. Each one has an excellent theme and atmosphere and I personally think the more ambient tunes fit them exceptionally well. None of them overstay their welcome either - each one has a great sense of momentum and progress. My personal favorite is the Temple of Time. It's shorter, and essentially a straight line, but the multipurpose nature of each room is made apparent once you get the Dominion Rod. Making your way back through the same halls with your little statue buddy is undeniably awesome. On a similar note, most of all, the items are bar none my favorite in any Zelda game. While they don't get as much use outside of those dungeons, which is unfortunate, what you do get inside the dungeons and boss battles is super fun and extremely creative.

What I think Twilight Princess excels at (and what Nintendo was REALLY trying to accomplish) is being cinematic. There's nothing brilliantly designed or absolutely revolutionary about Twilight Princess in the same way that, say, Ocarina of Time is, but everything about this game just oozes style. The items you get are all creative, yes, but each one is so... dramatic. The ball and chain is a gigantic clobbering weapon that takes a ton of windup. The spinner is a damn beyblade that you can scale tracks with. The double clawshots make you into a dynamic spider-person. The dominion rod allows you to control statues. Each one seems to have this flair in practice that isn't found in other Zelda games. The bosses are especially cinematic. While none of them were even remotely challenging, they all employed fantastic set pieces and dramatic methods of attack. The raging Fyrus requires you to yank him down with his chains; the titanic Morpheel involves Link grappling onto its eye to stab it over and over; Armogohma is defeated by the hammers of gigantic statues; Argorok has to be taken down as Link grapples through the sky and onto its back with the clawshots. It feels like Nintendo was really trying to capture the drama at every possible opportunity. That isn't even mentioning the multiple battles that Link takes part in on horseback, including a dramatic jousting match on a picturesque bridge. The realistic graphics and dark color palette were intentional, yes, but the real meat of Twilight Princess' thesis lies in the commitment to making everything feel cinematic and bold.

Did Nintendo succeed in reestablishing their brand as "The Guys Who Can Make A Dark And Gritty Zelda Game"? I mean, sure, but that isn't even what they really aimed to do here. It's what the fans wanted, and I'm sure many people who played this in 2006 felt as if it was the Zelda game of their dark and edgy dreams (after they finished herding goats, of course), but I think this is a far less ambitious title than people like to say. It's a superb Zelda game once you trim the fat of the unwarranted tedium of the Wolf Link sections, one that immerses you in the adventure of Link by way of making it feel as grandiose as possible. This game's ending embodies this philosophy most of all. A four phase war against the Great King of Evil reborn, Ganondorf, which ends with a one on one duel to the death amidst lightning and dark skies out in Hyrule Field, grappling with destiny as all of the callbacks to Ocarina of Time throughout the game have laid out the subtext of Hyrule's circular history repeating itself evermore. It's perfect for the tone of Twilight Princess and one of my personal favorite conclusions to any video game.

This review obviously glazed over a ton of key facts about Twilight Princess. The story is one of Zelda's strongest, and the character arc of Midna, everyone's favorite companion character, is probably the best in the entire series; the combat (which, of course, also commits to being bold and flashy and cinematic) that allows Link to pull off a handful of fancy maneuvers to fell enemies is a blast; and I love the fact that this game is essentially a spiritual successor to Ocarina of Time, employing some excellent callbacks and references without being overbearing. Nintendo succeeded in their quest, and despite not really doing anything to push the Zelda series or formula into the future, it still stands as a key step in the journey of 3D Zelda. It's a shame that the Wolf Link sections weigh on my mind so negatively, but otherwise, this is easily one of Zelda's strongest titles.

Final Fantasy XVI is my first fully finished foray into the series for myself, and it was a complete blast. I had no real expectations for this going in but I was pretty floored with what I ended up with. First of all, this is an incredibly well written and soulful story with lovely characters (outside of the villain) and a deep, engrossing world. I absolutely loved Clive and his journey through the story.

The gameplay here is breezy action combat, which is obviously a big departure from FF's turn based roots, but I think it is implemented really well here. I am a big fan of the cycling magic/skill system and I think it allows for a ton of customization with different loadouts making for some super fun combos as you can quickly swap from set to set. The basic moves themselves are a pretty solid skillset on their own, and Clive's movements feel like they are fast but weighty and hard-hitting too. You can do some pretty dope stuff in this game, and of course, the Eikon fights are a marvel to watch unfold. Some of the highlights of the game are these utterly insane monster fights where the drama and action is turned up to infinity.

The only gripe I have with actually playing the game is the fact that, even though the world is interesting and well-built in the narrative, the actual level design is pretty one-way and doesn't offer a ton in the way of exploring, unless it's in the form of errand-like quests in which you have to fetch endless items for minimal return on investment. Ultimately, the quests are saved by the Notorious Mark hunts, which are rare monsters found all across the world that drop good loot and raise your renown, in turn rewarding you with prizes. The fights are usually just modified bosses or suped up enemies from other parts of the game, but they're a pretty thrilling time altogether, especially the A and S rank hunts.

Speaking of which, the bosses in this game are completely incredible. Every single one feels like the most exciting thing in the game to that point, and every subsequent one just ups the ante and excitement by a factor of ten compared to whatever one just happened last. It can feel like the game throws a ton of them in a row at you sometimes, but the major bosses against the other Eikon Dominants absolutely did not disappoint in any category. Each one was a tense fight with story stakes and excellent visuals and sound to fully complete the moment.

I think if there was one more complaint I could muster about this game, it's the last third's pace. After a certain huge plot point unfolds and it feels as if the game is about to go hurtling towards the conclusion, it comes to a screeching halt with a long series of super tedious, super dull fetch/"kill these enemies" main story quests that definitely feel like padding in a game that had otherwise been very well paced to that point. It made the last 15 or so hours feel like a drag, and caused the journey to the final areas and last few bosses to feel a little more arduous than it needed to be.

Ultimately, I had a really fun time with FFXVI. The combat is fresh, I was easily invested in the story right from the extremely dynamic prologue, the game looks absolutely goddamn stunning, the soundtrack is incredible and absolutely deserved its recognition at The Game Awards, and my god, the voice cast did a spectacular job. There are some hiccups and some flaws, but this was a great time and I can't wait to explore more of the series.

Ily Dion Lesage