Ah, Assassin’s Creed 2. The first gaming experience that deeply resonated with me as a kid, even if I could only appreciate only half of it at first. This game was already special to me 15 years ago, but replaying it after getting older and having a better understanding of gaming as a medium, made me realize how much care and love had been put into it and how deep it actually is in some aspects.

This game is just one of these games that makes me “feel” things. You know, how a game can move you, evoke deep emotions within yourself just by sheer presentation alone. Running across Venice’s rooftops, with Jesper’s Kyd’s fabulous soundtrack playing in the background and the sound of the bustling streets below; none of the Assassin’s Creed games have been able to replicate this feeling for me, even if some handle gameplay and story elements better.

This game is our first introduction to one of gaming’s most iconic protagonists, Ezio, who is undoubtedly AC’s most loved protagonist for many reasons: one being that he is just very likable, but also because he got the most room to grow as a character thanks to having three games dedicated to him. Though not being the best part of his story, AC2 is a strong starting point that offers compelling characters and some of the most iconic scenes in the series, as well as a rich narrative that delves into subjects such as the price of revenge, or the struggle to find meaning in a conflict you were thrust into without your approval.

It also introduced many of the mysteries that made the AC franchise and its modern-day story so compelling in the first place: what happened to Altair after he defeated Al Mualim, and why did he write the codex pages? Who was Subject 16, and what did he discover while in the Animus? And who are the precursors that created the apple of eden, and what are they trying to warn us about?

Even outside the story, the game communicates through its visuals and gameplay. How each city has its unique personality, with distinct color palettes and level design, pushing you to adapt, and making the parkour rewarding and engaging. Or for instance, how you can see the color grading of Monteriggioni slowly change and the street becoming busier as you renovate the villa, reflecting its financial state. These are small details, but they matter and show the thought and care that was put into this game and now feel absent in current Ubisoft titles. It just enhances the overall atmosphere and immersion, coupled with the ambient sounds of the city and Jesper Kyd’s mysterious yet elegant soundtrack.

From a gameplay standpoint, AC2 pretty much improves and refines everything its predecessor did. More ways to assassinate your enemies with new techniques and weapons, more ways to interact with the world around you for social stealth. The combat, although simple, is stylish and you’ll find enjoyment in trying to look as cool as possible. The game structure has been made less repetitive and offer more interesting side activities to tackle, such as the iconic assassin’s tombs that are intricate parkour challenges in mesmerizing locations. Though I surely miss the more open aspect of AC1 assassinations that gave much more player agency on how to plan them out.

I will never get tired of this game, even if it's a painful reminder of what Assassin’s Creed used to be. It can be hard to believe that Ubisoft used to make games like these when we look at their current catalog. But even so, this will always be one of my favorite games and a clear example of why I love video games.

I know reception has been mixed, but it really hit for me emotionally and stylistically. I see a lot of complaints about the way characters speak condescendingly to Harold, but that genuinely shifts around by the end of the game, and he finds his own footing and begins to get respect from those around him. I thought there was a lot of really beautiful ideas of finding a place where you can fit, even if it doesn't seem immediately apparent.

Obviously, I had some minor issues, like cutscenes ending just to put me into a two second walking section, for another cutscene, but otherwise I really liked me time with it.

I played it twice, once playing through the campaign and playing all the events with friends a year after that, and this is simply a really well-made arcade racing game. The cars handle nicely, and their variety and downloadable liveries made driving them with friends especially fun! (if beating supercars with a VolksWagen Beetle is your type of fun). The campaign structure, split between relaxed days and thrilling nights filled by police, is engaging. Don't skip on this, even though the soundtrack (especially during the day sections) is pretty mid for my taste.

Agradezco tanto al Persona 5 Royal por haberme introducido a esta saga. Había leído cosas del Persona 4 pero que querréis que os diga a mí este juego me ha ganado desde el minuto 1. No sé cómo expresar lo que me ha hecho sentir, es como un cálido abrazo, un grupo tan unido, una amistad en un pequeño pueblo... Lo he jugado en un momento en el que estaba estresada por la universidad y me ha ayudado mucho. Me han encantado sus social links y su cast.
Además he amado levear aquí, me han encantado las mazmorras.
Lo recomiendo muchísimo:')♥

THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON

The frontrunner for the RGG game with the least amount of play testing done. Yakuza: Dead Souls is frustrating. It's not good, despite being a strange case study for the flexibility of the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series and its characters. You can take these characters and place them in the most outlandish situations, but the tonal harmony the series really mastered makes it all feel believably in character in how they react to it. It's hard to take much of the game seriously when it's made clear from the get-go this is taken with light ridiculous fun. Playing this was initially interesting because there's some unique stuff here for fans of the series to experience first-hand. This is the first time you play as Majima before Yakuza 0, the only time I think we'll ever get to explore Kamurocho Hills, and jump-started an interesting trend where it feels like RGG wanted to bring back Ryuji Goda properly in the main series but for whatever reason, this is the compromise. None of it helps prop up Yakuza: Dead Souls into something more than mediocrity, though.

What kills it is a horrid framerate, whether you emulate it or not it's still never a stable experience, and gameplay that left me miserable. You play as four protagonists Yakuza 4 style and each time I swap around I just wanted this game to be over already. You aim your gun but chances are it always sways away in a different direction for no reason, zombies spawn almost indefinitely even if you take out the mini-bosses, and the closed-in camera that Yakuza/Like A Dragon adopt for tight brawler combat doesn't translate well for shooting swarms of zombies in mostly tight spaces where the framerate gets nuked. I dunno, what I got after finishing this was that RGG should never ever make a shooter again? But then again, this experience got me buying Binary Domain out of morbid curiosity to see how they did this kinda thing again. Anyways, probably franchise bottom tier.

The Trans Daigo substory was unexpectedly memorable alright.

I've loved the Breath of Fire series since I first played the GBA port of the first game as a kid, back when it was new. I unfortunately missed III and IV until I was in high school, but I got Dragon Quarter in middle school and I ADORED it, despite its very obvious antagonism toward the player. It reminded me of Chrono Cross, which I had also fallen in love with at the time.

Dragon Quarter is VASTLY different to every other game in the series, to an almost ludicrous degree. It's honestly vastly different to most games I can think of. It uses semi-roguelike mechanics (if the D% reaches 100%, then the game is over, gotta restart the whole thing- carrying over stats and items and D-Ratio improvements, but still) and an SRPG movement and action point system, and the former is even directly woven into the themes of the narrative.

All in all, if you like extremely punishing games, games with New Game+ (in this game, it's kind of mandatory), and roguelike-ish experiences, Dragon Quarter is worth at least TRYING. There is a really great game here and it has a history of being very unfairly maligned.