morgau
2017
majima story good, cabaret good. checked multiple times to make sure i was on hard instead of easy. wasn't very invested in the story or ryuji, maybe my standards are too high.
2016
This review contains spoilers
ill miss nishikiyama :'( but very happy i beat him on hard with only four staminan royales, using rush and letting him regen. that was intense
This review contains spoilers
It's been a while since I fell in love with a character - thanks Ichiban. I also REALLY enjoyed the other main characters and friendship theme, so wholesome.
- Really enjoyable game with its plot and side quests. Often didn't take itself very seriously, and that was a great thing.
- Teared up at the end. Some great twists in the main plot.
- Great OST, I've been using some of it as workout music even.
- Fighting mechanics were really fun. Loved essence and poundmate attacks.
- Portrayals like the 'degenerate' enemies had bad vibes, unfortunately. My rating would have been 4.5/5 without them, don't know what to rate this now.
- Not 100% sure why Ichiban was so dedicated to Nonomiya, they could have had better writing there.
- Very satisfying end-game. The Tendo bossfight was cathartic.
Really fun game overall! I'll check out more from the Yakuza series.
- Really enjoyable game with its plot and side quests. Often didn't take itself very seriously, and that was a great thing.
- Teared up at the end. Some great twists in the main plot.
- Great OST, I've been using some of it as workout music even.
- Fighting mechanics were really fun. Loved essence and poundmate attacks.
- Portrayals like the 'degenerate' enemies had bad vibes, unfortunately. My rating would have been 4.5/5 without them, don't know what to rate this now.
- Not 100% sure why Ichiban was so dedicated to Nonomiya, they could have had better writing there.
- Very satisfying end-game. The Tendo bossfight was cathartic.
Really fun game overall! I'll check out more from the Yakuza series.
2022
Context for this review: I've hit grandmaster on tank & DPS and mostly play socially and for the gameplay. My Overwatch 1 review is four stars.
- Gameplay changes are a mixed bag, but I'm enjoying the gameplay a bit more than I expected (I had low expectations from the beta). Removing CC and shields is an upgrade. 5v5 is... I don't know, less deathmatchy than I thought it would be, though I still prefer 6v6 (especially because many heroes still aren't balanced well for this change). The faster pace kinda works, though Overwatch was fast-paced already. The new hero additions are great, best gameplay from new heroes in ages. I somewhat dislike the linearity and gameplay of push, but some of the new maps are pretty alright. Ping system is good.
- Cosmetically, definitely a downgrade. Miss the on-fire meter, player cards, old competitive ranks, the old UI, and many QOL features. The in-game leaderboard is nice from an information perspective, but could look better. Some of the new art is pretty.
- The lore is neglected - let's see if they improve on that by releasing PvE (which they'll certainly heavily monetize).
- For casual players' sense of progression, it's a huge downgrade. Cosmetics aren't viably earnable anymore, levels are removed, all to point people towards the battlepass for any dopamine. This is really bad for Overwatch's health in the long run; with the competitive scene dying, it relies on casual players.
- The monetization is atrocious and makes me want to quit the game. I'm trying to ignore it as much as possible. FOMO and preying on people with addictive impulses is the name of the game for Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard now.
Overall verdict: Worse. I'll probably still play it consistently, but the monetization scheme may make me quit in the long run.
Edit: I play only a couple times a week now, changed my rating from 3 stars to 1.5. Game is just soulless.
- Gameplay changes are a mixed bag, but I'm enjoying the gameplay a bit more than I expected (I had low expectations from the beta). Removing CC and shields is an upgrade. 5v5 is... I don't know, less deathmatchy than I thought it would be, though I still prefer 6v6 (especially because many heroes still aren't balanced well for this change). The faster pace kinda works, though Overwatch was fast-paced already. The new hero additions are great, best gameplay from new heroes in ages. I somewhat dislike the linearity and gameplay of push, but some of the new maps are pretty alright. Ping system is good.
- Cosmetically, definitely a downgrade. Miss the on-fire meter, player cards, old competitive ranks, the old UI, and many QOL features. The in-game leaderboard is nice from an information perspective, but could look better. Some of the new art is pretty.
- The lore is neglected - let's see if they improve on that by releasing PvE (which they'll certainly heavily monetize).
- For casual players' sense of progression, it's a huge downgrade. Cosmetics aren't viably earnable anymore, levels are removed, all to point people towards the battlepass for any dopamine. This is really bad for Overwatch's health in the long run; with the competitive scene dying, it relies on casual players.
- The monetization is atrocious and makes me want to quit the game. I'm trying to ignore it as much as possible. FOMO and preying on people with addictive impulses is the name of the game for Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard now.
Overall verdict: Worse. I'll probably still play it consistently, but the monetization scheme may make me quit in the long run.
Edit: I play only a couple times a week now, changed my rating from 3 stars to 1.5. Game is just soulless.
2016
a pretty great game held back by high levels of mismanagement
and like other competitive games, it can be hellish; i recommend playing it in a group with friends and laughing at any toxic people
and like other competitive games, it can be hellish; i recommend playing it in a group with friends and laughing at any toxic people