As a child who grew up in the heyday of Pokémon and Digimon, Megami Tensei always seemed to me like the next step, and I couldn't even imagine how correct I would be.

It's incredible how here Atlus and their team wanted to do something new for the third game in the series, and they hit the mark so well, so majestically on the first try. If there's a leap in quality like the one from the second Shin Megami Tensei to the third, I personally am unaware of it. Nocturne isn't the template used in the majority of post-Nocturne Megaten for nothing; this formula is particularly amazing, and the Press-Turn System is the most enjoyable thing that has ever come out of JRPGs. All the other systems seem like they play in an inferior and separate league when compared to it.

Of course, it's a game that leans more towards the hardcore side of things, with quite a bit of friction and some completely unfair deaths (Hama and Mudo in this game are kind of OP, aren't they?). But it's cool because it's a series that generally wants you always on the edge, always prepared for the worst, and these games, when made with such quality, become unforgettable experiences. And sometimes it seems like they don't make things like this anymore, on a large scale.

Indeed, there's almost nothing I would change about this experience, in this brutalist visual style that has aged so well, in this absurd pacing that makes the game almost feel like a boss rush, in its minimalist story that makes you think more about each of the reasons. In its soundtrack, in its different guitar solos for each phase of the moon, in its metallic and completely unique vocals with that broken English (although I would have changed the audio quality in the remaster, but that's another story...).

Some things have improved in later games, like choosing fusion skills (thankfully implemented in the remaster), better balance without demons that will carry you through the whole game like the Fiends here, and the audio quality itself. But nothing has really captured the experience as a whole like in Nocturne. And of course, its leap in quality compared to the games before it is out of this world too. Nocturne was my first Megami Tensei, and even though I eventually became a big fan of the series, playing everything Atlus could offer, including spin-offs, nothing has impressed me like it until today. A cult classic for a reason.

If I told you that Wild Arms is the most underrated series in video games and that Wild Arms 3 is possibly the most perfect game in its genre, would you believe me?

Wild Arms 3 is a game that doesn't do anything even remotely in a mediocre manner, everything in here is done in a superlative way. From its opening (which is as good as those of the previous games), its protagonist who defies some unpleasant genre tropes, its unique and solid party, to its setting... And of course, the level design of its dungeons, its puzzles, and its incredibly rich, vast, and dense world map. Few times in my life have I had the pleasure of solving puzzles in a game or exploring its world map as in Wild Arms 3. Its gameplay system is also absurdly well-crafted, a game where you just don't buy healing items, that are fruits because the world is in decay and nothing else grows in this desert (except in one place), perfectly aligning with the setting of the game (a thematic consistency that I always admire, and of course, adding a survivalist aspect to the game that I also love).

And of course, the way the game itself is structured. Its plot twist in the final arc, when a game is so full of content that it has another entire arc ahead when you least expect it. And it's even better because it doesn't give any sense that it shouldn't be there. On the contrary, it's more of the excellence that the game has been providing for the last 50 hours. And in those moments, I almost forget to mention the soundtrack, which, as usual for the series, is of the highest possible level. "Fate Breaker" would be the highlight of any soundtrack in another game; in Wild Arms, it's just another excellent track for a dungeon, among many. Wild Arms 3 is such a high point that after it, the series changed completely, never reaching the same level as the initial trilogy.

And despite all this, it has never been a series widely discussed, never appears in rankings of the best games in the JRPG genre or never had good performances, sometimes not even remembered as a hidden gem or something like that, fated to limbo with inferior series even though it excels in many aspects compared to the greats of the JRPG genre. Wild Arms: the pride and sorrow of JRPGs, never receiving its due recognition. But it will always be my favorite series.

It sounded like a prophecy. My cousin, the biggest "culprit" for making me love video games so much, in the early 2000s told me about Dragoon and concluded with: "I think this will be your favorite game."
How right he could be.

Shortly after, I played Legend of Dragoon, one of the most revered cult classics in the JRPG genre. It's funny that even though I've played hundreds of games since then, it consistently remains my favorite. My top has changed a lot over the years, but the #1 spot has always been consistent.
I love everything about Dragoon: its pace reminiscent of a good shounen anime, its almost alien visuals, its gameplay system that is a pleasure to master, its color-coded and elemental-coded party, its soundtrack completely different from other games in the genre, the idea of drawing inspiration from cultures beyond medieval Europe.

And what a beautiful game cinematically, with so many beautiful cities, incredible places to explore, memorable scenes like Lavitz against Lloyd, Rose in the shipwreck and her past, or Dart and Shana in the castle in disc 2. The stakes get higher and higher. The lore is rich, with a story that spans millennia. Everything about it seems tailored to appeal to my tastes as a kid who grew up in the '90s, heavily influenced by manga, shounen anime, color-coded armored people, stories of existential crisis, the power of friendship, protagonists with spiky hair, elementals, and crystals. And Dragoon has all of this in abundance.

My strong emotional connection with it makes me understand that even though it may not have a story that reaches the levels of Xenogears or FFVII, a battle system as competent as the press-turn in Megami Tensei, a soundtrack or dungeon design like Wild Arms, the best party in the genre as in Persona 2 Eternal Punishment, Dragoon is still such a strong, cohesive, and competent package in everything it sets out to do. It transports me to such a happy time in my life, and with so many elements and tropes that I grew up loving, it will probably be my favorite game of all time until the end of my life. It represents much of what I love most about video games.

Coral Island brought to me the same feeling I had when I played Stardew Valley, but this time without a lockdown pandemic. I think it captures exactly what makes these games so fun to play. And I really liked the game's own twist—the ocean and museum part of it.
I had a lot of fun collecting things, growing my crops, and caring for my cows. Sadly, unlike the godly run of Against the Storm, the game feels a bit rushed even after the 1.0 release, so I will hopefully wait for a more completed version in 2.0 in 2024, so I can put 70 more hours into it and have a great time.

That was a pleasant surprise. I liked how the first Breath of Fire was essentially a Dragon Quest clone, but with the second game, Capcom decided to expand and create a larger game with serious themes, more elaborated characters, and a bigger world. I'm all for it! The plot gets kind of dark at some parts, reminiscent of some older RPGs of that decade, and the game becomes brutally difficult at times (honestly, I had an easier time with some Megami Tensei games).

I believe this one needed a better battle system to become a SNES classic. Debuffs don't work well, and the way the Dragon transformations functioned was a bit lackluster. The shaman fusions were cool, though implemented in a somewhat awkward way too.

(played with d4s retranslation)

Or, how to ruin a console car simulator: Exhibit B. What a shame. What a pathetic attempt. I thought that my disappointment with Gran Turismo 7 would be the biggest I would ever have with a beloved racing car series, but there's this game to prove me wrong. First, talking about the PC problems: Why does this look so washed out and uglier than both Horizon 5 and FM7, and run WAY WORSE than both? That aside, the game is uninteresting, with boring tournament designs (all the older Forzas did it better), the visuals lack color, and the structure is just unfun.

I'll never forgive the GaaS gaming model for ruining two of my favorite series ever. But this isn't the only culprit here; the game is bad. With Gran Turismo 7, I was just sad that behind this shitty GaaS model (even worse than in here), the game was at least pretty good. I can't say the same about Forza Motorsport 2023, by far the worst Forza game ever (and it's not even close, sadly).

Oh God, where do I start? From the first hours of Early Access, I had this gut feeling that this would become one of my all-time favorite games. And you know what? That feeling never faded. I absolutely love Against the Storm. The game's development was smooth, free of problems, and they actively implemented player requests. I'm thrilled to have been part of it. The setting is captivating, the mechanics work seamlessly both in the game and in my mind, and the whole rainpunk aesthetic is just fantastic. After 250 hours and with the 1.0 release, this is a game I'll return to whenever I need that special feeling that only a few games can provide. It's not just the best release of 2023; it's one of the greatest games of all time.

Harvest Moon on PS1 was a cornerstone of my childhood, so I was eager to play this remake. Honestly, it did a great job modernizing the game and trimming some unnecessary elements. Sometimes, I find the animals even cuter. Nearly all the changes were for the better, except for not receiving a puppy at the start like in the original. While this one might not carry the same emotional weight, and I've played better games in the genre like Stardew Valley and Coral Island, it was still a nice and enjoyable experience.