BandwidthSlayer
2021
hoooo boy i was kind of afraid i'd have this opinion
whenever a game in a really big franchise like this is well liked by some hardcore fans but never really picked up by audiences at large it makes me concerned, because you know there's a reason why that entry never took off. final fantasy v is that game and now i get why it isn't more popular.
obv there's a lot to enjoy here. music is gorgeous, story is fun, there's a few EXCELLENT characters, and the game is massive in scope compared to every game before this. still, ultimately you have a game with a worse story, cast, setting, and general visuals than the game which precedes it. what is the draw here exactly? gameplay! lets talk about it lol
final fantasy v is defined by its job system and sometimes it works, too often for me it felt lacking though. there's just so much trial and error gameplay where you'll enter encounters which have very specific requirements for what sort of abilities you need to clear them with no way of knowing until the encounter begins. if things go well then cool, otherwise instant game over or potentially prepare for a long and obnoxious struggle to victory. and on that note, more than any other final fantasy game i've played, the amount of shit going on in this game which imposes no challenge or test other than that of my patience is obnoxious. idk why half of every monster formation towards the game's conclusion needed a confuse ability goodness gracious. anyway, there are certainly times when it can be fun to figure out some killer job abilities that just obliterate whatever the task at hand is, and i'm sure whenever i replay this game with all the information i know now i'll have a quite different experience, but i think a lot of the game design here was a little too trial-and-error-y for my tastes
i think final fantasy xii and x-2 spoiled me with their job systems. random note but i was surprised how easy the final boss was here, after all the nonsense to get to him lol.
anyway when in doubt remember to fall in love or something you might learn a thing or two about yourself
whenever a game in a really big franchise like this is well liked by some hardcore fans but never really picked up by audiences at large it makes me concerned, because you know there's a reason why that entry never took off. final fantasy v is that game and now i get why it isn't more popular.
obv there's a lot to enjoy here. music is gorgeous, story is fun, there's a few EXCELLENT characters, and the game is massive in scope compared to every game before this. still, ultimately you have a game with a worse story, cast, setting, and general visuals than the game which precedes it. what is the draw here exactly? gameplay! lets talk about it lol
final fantasy v is defined by its job system and sometimes it works, too often for me it felt lacking though. there's just so much trial and error gameplay where you'll enter encounters which have very specific requirements for what sort of abilities you need to clear them with no way of knowing until the encounter begins. if things go well then cool, otherwise instant game over or potentially prepare for a long and obnoxious struggle to victory. and on that note, more than any other final fantasy game i've played, the amount of shit going on in this game which imposes no challenge or test other than that of my patience is obnoxious. idk why half of every monster formation towards the game's conclusion needed a confuse ability goodness gracious. anyway, there are certainly times when it can be fun to figure out some killer job abilities that just obliterate whatever the task at hand is, and i'm sure whenever i replay this game with all the information i know now i'll have a quite different experience, but i think a lot of the game design here was a little too trial-and-error-y for my tastes
i think final fantasy xii and x-2 spoiled me with their job systems. random note but i was surprised how easy the final boss was here, after all the nonsense to get to him lol.
anyway when in doubt remember to fall in love or something you might learn a thing or two about yourself
not big on gem chain puzzle games and not big on roguelikes, still quite enjoyed this (even though i probably suck at it)
clearly i'll play anything if shovel knight is on the box art but that has failed to lead me astray so far. although in this game's case the main character was shield knight because i am bad.
ending is cute af
clearly i'll play anything if shovel knight is on the box art but that has failed to lead me astray so far. although in this game's case the main character was shield knight because i am bad.
ending is cute af
writing this review as of defeating the shadow lord in the nation missions and achieving rank 6
interesting experience lol. ff14 content drought and the incoming vanadiel raids have had me curious, and so here i am.
gameplay is interesting, its nothing like your typical mmo gameplay. its an attempt to convert traditional final fantasy atb gameplay into an open multiplayer mmo format, and it ends up being kind of cool. unfortunately due to how progression in this game works atm, i honestly don't know much about properly playing the game despite having beaten the initial final boss. npc "trust" avatar npcs carry you through much of the combat while progressing in this game and in my case, my beastmaster pets have picked up damage where the trust npcs could not. my actual playable character isn't doing much, and i assume that isn't really going to change until i hit the level cap at endgame. obviously, this makes for a less engaging experience in gameplay than the sister final fantasy mmo, and 14 already gets criticism for an unengaging gameplay loop at lower levels.
story is very mmo-y here lol. the nation missions are very basic and don't really start picking up emotional stakes until about the last second, but of course thats not really what the "story" is here. the story is how you explore the world, discover the game, meet people and make friends, etc. that being said i am hoping the expansions will have more of a traditional rpg story to offer like 14 does. as it happens i've already made some headway in chains of promathia and rhapsodies of vana'diel, due to how progression works here. the game doesn't really want you to move through expansions one after another, but rather open them up in bits and pieces to unlock stuff from them as needed. which is kind of an interesting way to do things given that the actual stories here are told in their release order.
funniest thing to me has been the timeline issues between the nation missions and the rhapsodies of vanadiel missions. the rhapsodies missions are intended to be played asap to help facilitate early progression, but the story within them assumes you have completed at least the nation missions. lion and zeid are introduced within these missions as your trusted allies, but of course you do not actually go through the scenes of meeting them until the last nation missions of the base game, where zeid in particular treats you like a stranger. feel like these rhapsodies "catch-up" missions could have had storylines that better suit the point in the game at which you are intended to play them?
the music is nice and the game looks nice too, its really nice just being in this world and getting to explore it. if not for "the vibes" i'd probably find this a lot less engaging.
on to rise of the zilart!
oh and general protip, level thief to 15 as a support job option. treasure hunter is a godsend to have when you need it.
interesting experience lol. ff14 content drought and the incoming vanadiel raids have had me curious, and so here i am.
gameplay is interesting, its nothing like your typical mmo gameplay. its an attempt to convert traditional final fantasy atb gameplay into an open multiplayer mmo format, and it ends up being kind of cool. unfortunately due to how progression in this game works atm, i honestly don't know much about properly playing the game despite having beaten the initial final boss. npc "trust" avatar npcs carry you through much of the combat while progressing in this game and in my case, my beastmaster pets have picked up damage where the trust npcs could not. my actual playable character isn't doing much, and i assume that isn't really going to change until i hit the level cap at endgame. obviously, this makes for a less engaging experience in gameplay than the sister final fantasy mmo, and 14 already gets criticism for an unengaging gameplay loop at lower levels.
story is very mmo-y here lol. the nation missions are very basic and don't really start picking up emotional stakes until about the last second, but of course thats not really what the "story" is here. the story is how you explore the world, discover the game, meet people and make friends, etc. that being said i am hoping the expansions will have more of a traditional rpg story to offer like 14 does. as it happens i've already made some headway in chains of promathia and rhapsodies of vana'diel, due to how progression works here. the game doesn't really want you to move through expansions one after another, but rather open them up in bits and pieces to unlock stuff from them as needed. which is kind of an interesting way to do things given that the actual stories here are told in their release order.
funniest thing to me has been the timeline issues between the nation missions and the rhapsodies of vanadiel missions. the rhapsodies missions are intended to be played asap to help facilitate early progression, but the story within them assumes you have completed at least the nation missions. lion and zeid are introduced within these missions as your trusted allies, but of course you do not actually go through the scenes of meeting them until the last nation missions of the base game, where zeid in particular treats you like a stranger. feel like these rhapsodies "catch-up" missions could have had storylines that better suit the point in the game at which you are intended to play them?
the music is nice and the game looks nice too, its really nice just being in this world and getting to explore it. if not for "the vibes" i'd probably find this a lot less engaging.
on to rise of the zilart!
oh and general protip, level thief to 15 as a support job option. treasure hunter is a godsend to have when you need it.
2021
knocking this down a point because final fantasy iv 3d has existed for over a decade and this is definitely lesser than that version of the game. still phenomenal but if you have not played final fantasy iv before, the 3d version is the one to play. if you're just in the mood to play final fantasy iv again, enjoy!
really makes you feel like spider-man
feel bad being mean to this game because its cool and there's a lot to like, but according to the credits like 90% of the game design was by one or two people and boy does that explain a lot
you know i think a lot of people review games nowadays expecting them to provide nonstop enjoyment, as if a bit of challenge and frustration can't be satisfying and enjoyable to overcome. if playing games is your hobby i think you should be able to appreciate overcoming adversity within them.
that being said, this game really does push you up the wall for no good reason and the answers are often not super satisfying. more often than not you will need to largely avoid enemy encounters until you are equipped to effectively negate them altogether. the grinding mechanics for cards doesn't really help.
but, c'mon. its a castlevania game. amazing music, beautiful visuals, intuitive controls and super fun powers to mess with. still, i feel like you don't quite get a perfect playground to mess with all these toys.
as an aside, be nicer to harmony of dissonance c'mon lol, it does not abuse you half the ways this game does
you know i think a lot of people review games nowadays expecting them to provide nonstop enjoyment, as if a bit of challenge and frustration can't be satisfying and enjoyable to overcome. if playing games is your hobby i think you should be able to appreciate overcoming adversity within them.
that being said, this game really does push you up the wall for no good reason and the answers are often not super satisfying. more often than not you will need to largely avoid enemy encounters until you are equipped to effectively negate them altogether. the grinding mechanics for cards doesn't really help.
but, c'mon. its a castlevania game. amazing music, beautiful visuals, intuitive controls and super fun powers to mess with. still, i feel like you don't quite get a perfect playground to mess with all these toys.
as an aside, be nicer to harmony of dissonance c'mon lol, it does not abuse you half the ways this game does
every video game should be mandated to have a grapple hook. on a side note damn this rly got me in the mood for spider-man lol
cannot believe this game didn't take off harder or get more traction lol
sometimes the puzzle gameplay feels either a little basic or a little obtuse, but it constantly remains an exciting and usually fun hook that kept me glued looking for more i could do with it. works here, could make an amazing full budget console game with some prop mechanics like zelda or half-life. i found it weird that there is a hint system which sometimes will outright tell you the answers and other times be effectively worthless, only gripe that stuck out to me.
as an actual visual novel this is as good as it gets. amazing presentation, exciting story, perfect characters, and lots of little details and bits of dialogue to hunt for if you're feeling hungry. its all you could want.
if you need sumn to satiate you while waiting on some ace attorney news, this is it. going to be the game i am thinking about it for a while i think. voice acting would have been nice though
sometimes the puzzle gameplay feels either a little basic or a little obtuse, but it constantly remains an exciting and usually fun hook that kept me glued looking for more i could do with it. works here, could make an amazing full budget console game with some prop mechanics like zelda or half-life. i found it weird that there is a hint system which sometimes will outright tell you the answers and other times be effectively worthless, only gripe that stuck out to me.
as an actual visual novel this is as good as it gets. amazing presentation, exciting story, perfect characters, and lots of little details and bits of dialogue to hunt for if you're feeling hungry. its all you could want.
if you need sumn to satiate you while waiting on some ace attorney news, this is it. going to be the game i am thinking about it for a while i think. voice acting would have been nice though
goddamn 2 was so much better than 1 lol
super fun duology, really intuitive and addicting with a lot to keep you thinking on your feet. i do think some more rpg mechanics might've been good, often feels like there is not a lot of room for choice in your general strategies for solving problems. at worst sometimes it feels like you are just being thrown at chess puzzles.
sensei's theme is playing on loop in my head
super fun duology, really intuitive and addicting with a lot to keep you thinking on your feet. i do think some more rpg mechanics might've been good, often feels like there is not a lot of room for choice in your general strategies for solving problems. at worst sometimes it feels like you are just being thrown at chess puzzles.
sensei's theme is playing on loop in my head
2023
i dunno why the hell capcom made this but boy am i glad they did lol
2021
ironically, i think my thoughts on this game are how most people describe final fantasy ii
what this game attempts in gameplay is commendable and at times pretty fun and cool, but imo the job system here falls short of not only of course later sequels, but even dragon quest 3 which came before it. there's often one correct answer to any given situation and many wrong ones, and as such the job system often feels like just a set of new limitations.
the story is cute at times and i like some of the beats, but its fairly all over the place and really hard to tell what tone the game is ever going for. there aren't many characters i think i'll remember, which in my opinion is a clear step down from the game which precedes this. there is a legitimately cool setup with the warriors of darkness and balance between light and dark along with the backstory of noah and his disciples, and if the game spent more time on all that rather than sprinkling it in with flavor text here and there then it could've had a pretty great story imo. nothing gets the chance to go places in this game's script.
the music is of course incredible and really carries the game, particularly adding to the finale and ending sequence.
the elephant in the room here imo is the difficulty, and its not just the crystal tower. the game loves throwing challenges at you which are more or less unfair in which you need to either grind or throw yourself at the enemy until you get lucky. i cannot imagine playing this without the pixel remaster's save system and i have little interest in ever doing so.
ultimately there's a lot to have fun with given all the cool environments to explore, unique bosses, and different gameplay styles available, but imo the game falls short of the two which came before it because it doesn't play to its strengths like those two games do.
what this game attempts in gameplay is commendable and at times pretty fun and cool, but imo the job system here falls short of not only of course later sequels, but even dragon quest 3 which came before it. there's often one correct answer to any given situation and many wrong ones, and as such the job system often feels like just a set of new limitations.
the story is cute at times and i like some of the beats, but its fairly all over the place and really hard to tell what tone the game is ever going for. there aren't many characters i think i'll remember, which in my opinion is a clear step down from the game which precedes this. there is a legitimately cool setup with the warriors of darkness and balance between light and dark along with the backstory of noah and his disciples, and if the game spent more time on all that rather than sprinkling it in with flavor text here and there then it could've had a pretty great story imo. nothing gets the chance to go places in this game's script.
the music is of course incredible and really carries the game, particularly adding to the finale and ending sequence.
the elephant in the room here imo is the difficulty, and its not just the crystal tower. the game loves throwing challenges at you which are more or less unfair in which you need to either grind or throw yourself at the enemy until you get lucky. i cannot imagine playing this without the pixel remaster's save system and i have little interest in ever doing so.
ultimately there's a lot to have fun with given all the cool environments to explore, unique bosses, and different gameplay styles available, but imo the game falls short of the two which came before it because it doesn't play to its strengths like those two games do.
2023
rad game, really hope nintendo keeps this actively supported with events and content. so funny seeing basically a multiplayer update for this game 30 years later
cute and fun time lol, but much like isle of armor its clear part 2 is where the real meat is going
also kind of funny that it somehow seems to have worse framerate than the base game
also kind of funny that it somehow seems to have worse framerate than the base game
2021
will never understand why this game has the reputation that it has.
before this remaster i'd only played the ps1 version before, not sure if the famicom or gba versions sucked or something, but i've always thought this game was excellent as far as 80s jrpgs go and pretty cool to visit in the modern era.
the story is a little basic, the combat isn't balanced in the least, and everything is kind of obtuse and confusing without a walkthrough. in other words this is a jrpg from the 80s. even dragon quest 3 is just as guilty. i'll never understand why this game gets picked on in particular.
on the contrary, i think that for the time its cool how this game has a dynamic world, memorable characters, a growth system allowing lots of freedom (which forces you to consider every action you take in battle and how it will or won't help you), and gorgeeous melancholy music which really sets the atmosphere this game goes for.
if you've never played final fantasy ii before, you should give this version a chance. there isn't really much like it from this era of gaming.
before this remaster i'd only played the ps1 version before, not sure if the famicom or gba versions sucked or something, but i've always thought this game was excellent as far as 80s jrpgs go and pretty cool to visit in the modern era.
the story is a little basic, the combat isn't balanced in the least, and everything is kind of obtuse and confusing without a walkthrough. in other words this is a jrpg from the 80s. even dragon quest 3 is just as guilty. i'll never understand why this game gets picked on in particular.
on the contrary, i think that for the time its cool how this game has a dynamic world, memorable characters, a growth system allowing lots of freedom (which forces you to consider every action you take in battle and how it will or won't help you), and gorgeeous melancholy music which really sets the atmosphere this game goes for.
if you've never played final fantasy ii before, you should give this version a chance. there isn't really much like it from this era of gaming.
2021
best way to play this classic
obviously its a little simple but i think its pretty fun for what it is, especially when ya get to some of the big bosses. always love an rpg where the buff/debuff system is key.
the arrangements of the classic music carry the shit out of this lol, they knocked that out of the park
obviously its a little simple but i think its pretty fun for what it is, especially when ya get to some of the big bosses. always love an rpg where the buff/debuff system is key.
the arrangements of the classic music carry the shit out of this lol, they knocked that out of the park