Does a decent job at capturing the feeling of a classic JRPG with the charming characters and basic plot. The story is there to serve as a reason to gather the three protagonists, but it's clear it wasn't really the main focus. The twists were predictable and even the main villain seemed like such an afterthought. Instead, I was enjoying doing the small sidequests and meeting all these NPCs with their unique personalities and fun dialogue. After a while they get really tiresome and repetitive, however.

The ones asking to gather materials are fine (it's the sort of thing you'd expect), but when they ask you to just find another NPC I'm like... okay, there's no reason not to do it since the game tells you where to go, but is it really the best they could've done? And you can't simply find the NPC, no, you also have to go back to the person who asked you so you can get your stamp. It's the back and forth that really gets on my nerves. And sometimes the person you're supposed to find is only a few meters away! Is the game mocking me?

The combat is... inoffensive. The character switch mechanic is a cool idea and it'd be pretty boring without it. The small portions of platforming were fun as well. Yes, the game is very easy, but I think it'd be really annoying gathering materials for quests if the enemies were too much of a hassle. After beating the final boss you unlock the hard difficulty, which makes some enemies more dangerous than usual, at least to the point of forcing me to use potions. It's a much better experience and I wish that was the standard difficulty.

I never played Suikoden before, but I love character focused RPGs, so I'm eager to play Hundred Heroes after it's released. Until then, Rising served as a good appetizer for what's to come.

Gameplay: C
Story: D
Characters: C
Visuals: A
Music: C
Difficulty: Easy

At first I started playing kind of feeling like it was just generic Kirby, but after a while it clicked with me for some reason. Really wish it relied less on motion controls and hypernova sections weren't so slow and repetitive, because the rest is great! Levels are surprisingly creative and bosses are incredible. Some of the optional content can be quite challenging as well.

I just recommend on not getting every sun stone before beating the game, because for some reason they made the reward a keychain of the final boss. Not only is it kind of a lame reward for the amount of trouble, but it's also a spoiler in case you care about it.

If I have to be honest, I was never really a fan of these story-driven AAA games (even if this one is technically mid-budget). I know, I know, that's such a hot take, right? Still, I always wanted to play A Plague Tale for at least trying to be a little different, even if it's basically a medieval TLOU. I really like the gimmick with the rats, using a slingshot instead of guns, using chemistry to solve puzzles, which also adds variety to the combat, etc. It's not my preferred type of game, but I still appreciate some of it.

With this sequel I was hoping the devs would've improved upon the previous title. Now, this is the part where I'd say something negative starting with "but unfortunately..." But actually, no, I think Requiem is indeed an improvement over Innocence! First of all, the story is way better paced. 18 hours is kind of taxing for this sort of game, sure, but I like how there are more space for the story to breathe. I felt like Innocence was always on turbo mode, there was always something going on, which made the characters feel underdeveloped. Requiem has a lot more interactions between the characters, so I ended up liking them more, mainly Sophia, who became my favorite. The whole middle section was great overall; it felt more like an adventure with lots of exploration, puzzles and great vistas. Speaking of which, this game is gorgeous! There were also some very haunting places that seemed right out of an alien planet. I loved that.

While I still don't like the gameplay, it's also a little better. The alchemy system is more interesting, you don't need to waste as much time grabbing items on the floor, you can play more aggressively (even if it contradicts with the game's message, but whatever) and stealth isn't as boring. I really hated how in Innocence you simply died just because a soldier got near you, but Requiem gives you more chances to keep fighting, so you're allowed to play in riskier ways. It seems like it should make the game too easy, but it's actually more challenging exactly because of that. You have more options on how to handle each situation, so levels are bigger and enemies are a bit less predictable (their AI is still dumb, but it's probably because I played on normal). Keep in mind, I know there are better stealth games out there, I just think this one is better in relation to the previous title. Also, the levels being larger makes this game more tiresome to play, but I would just take pauses when needed.

I was considering giving it four stars, but it loses a few points because of problems that permeades from Innocence. While I like how the rats make the gameplay feel quite unique, without them, you're just dealing with generic soldiers that aren't as interesting. It's also way too awkward to shoot rocks at people's face with a controller, even with aim assist, but that's on me for preferring console over PC, I guess. I also hate those parts when you have to kill waves of enemies, it reminds me of the first Uncharted, which I despise with every fiber of my being.

Despite all the issues I have, I'm still glad I've finally played these two games. However, knowing Asobo Studio is probably making a third entry, I hope it's going to be less grim this time around, since having another one like Requiem would be a bit too much if you ask me. In other words, I'm hoping to see a talking rat mascot in the sequel. That would really change things for the best.

Story: A
Characters: B
Gameplay: C
Visuals: S
Music: A
Difficulty: Optional (Normal)