CC2 makes a lot of mediocre games that get mistaken for being good, but holy shit this one is actually pretty solid. A pretty straight retelling of DBZ with some fun open world aspects added in and the soul emblem board is a super fun way to do equipment/stat boosting while also having world flavor in it.

The combat is fun enough for what it is, but unfortunately runs into the same problem every CC2 game does where they are very bad at making satisfying gameplay loops. After you get to the Cell Saga you've seen so much of what the game has to offer through its gameplay that it becomes very rote and dull. The game also seems to run out of budget near the end of the Cell Saga and through most of the Buu saga. Really bizarre.

Still a decent game and probably one of CC2's best efforts in recent years.

This game lived up to every hope and expectation I had of it when I first heard the rumor that Team Ninja was making an action game based on the original Final Fantasy.

The action is top-notch, the RPG elements incorporated make it feel truly in line with the franchise, and the story is cheeky, self-aware, and more ambitious than it may initially seem. It perfectly marries the old storytelling of "Ah, you have a crystal? So do I! Let us quest!" with the more modern Final Fantasy narratives, full of twists, turns, and intrigue.

While it definitely offers more than enough meat to go absolutely ham on numberwang and grinding, the main story doesn't overstay its welcome, wrapping up about when you want it to, and even offering some fairly relaxed off-ramps in terms of engagement for the final couple missions, where you can take things kinda easy until the final boss if you want to.

It's a really splendid anniversary title that captures what makes so many of the Final Fantasy spinoffs so captivating, compelling, and unique, and each mission being based on a location from a previous game makes it such a wonderful celebration of the franchise.

- 60% Warcraft 3, 35% Banished, 5% Banner Saga I was surprised just how much I loved this game. It can feel too hard at first, but that just means you have to get used to the ebb and flow of its particular strategy. Stick with it and you'll feel that same pleasure you got from Warcraft campaigns back in the day. Add on that randomized single player maps, a slew of achievements, and a small, but present, online community and you'll find yourself coming back for more. My only wish was that the campaign was longer!