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This review contains spoilers
Trails into Reverie is a wonderful send off to the first half of the Trails saga.
This game's narrative is so well thought out and the way it uses context from previous entries while not overdoing it on narrative fanservice was incredible. I was genuinely surprised the writers were able to hold back on several things that might have bogged down the game and made it feel like a simple "fanservice fest." Thankfully they avoided that and managed to smartly retcon a couple decisions from previous entries to enhance the experience.
The gameplay is the same as every other previous entry, the additions only serve to further break the combat system, even further than it was already broken. If you like turn based combat you'll enjoy this game.
Spoilers
The Chapter 2 fight where the player swaps between parties in the middle of a fight was incredible, I hope the franchise continues to experiment with that stuff in the future. Multi-party management was already a thing in previous entries but swapping side mid-battle was a true novelty, something I've never seen a game do before. Unironically so cool.
The use of the good ending of Cold Steel 4 to complete Rean's character arc was one of the smartest things in the franchise. Not since Loewe was I more captivated by an Antagonist's presence, and that is saying something.
Of course the star of this game's show is the equivalent of Sky 3rd's Star Doors. Such a great set of short stories that let us get to know our favorite characters even more.
Recommended to anyone who likes Trails, but obviously you should play the previous games first.
This game's narrative is so well thought out and the way it uses context from previous entries while not overdoing it on narrative fanservice was incredible. I was genuinely surprised the writers were able to hold back on several things that might have bogged down the game and made it feel like a simple "fanservice fest." Thankfully they avoided that and managed to smartly retcon a couple decisions from previous entries to enhance the experience.
The gameplay is the same as every other previous entry, the additions only serve to further break the combat system, even further than it was already broken. If you like turn based combat you'll enjoy this game.
Spoilers
The Chapter 2 fight where the player swaps between parties in the middle of a fight was incredible, I hope the franchise continues to experiment with that stuff in the future. Multi-party management was already a thing in previous entries but swapping side mid-battle was a true novelty, something I've never seen a game do before. Unironically so cool.
The use of the good ending of Cold Steel 4 to complete Rean's character arc was one of the smartest things in the franchise. Not since Loewe was I more captivated by an Antagonist's presence, and that is saying something.
Of course the star of this game's show is the equivalent of Sky 3rd's Star Doors. Such a great set of short stories that let us get to know our favorite characters even more.
Recommended to anyone who likes Trails, but obviously you should play the previous games first.
2023
This review contains spoilers
Full Spoilers for the entire story of the game.
Final Fantasy XVI aims fairly high. It aims to be both a course correction and an evolution of the foundation XV and XIII both laid out, while borrowing from other franchises like Devil May Cry and even a tiny bit of Tales Of in it's gameplay design.
The story has some definite ups and downs. Clive's character arc is super interesting until it seemingly ends 2/3 of the way through. The prologue is an easy 10/10, but feels deflated after knowing that Joshua has been alive the whole time. Cid is a really cool character, but we spend more time being told about him than actually seeing him in action.
The highs in this game are some of the highest in all of video games. The prologue is at once epic, heartbreaking, and brutal, the Bahamut fight puts most boss fights to shame from a scale perspective, in fact most of the Eikon fights are high points.
However, this game takes it's sweet time getting to those high points. The game has "stages" that are a bit like DMC5 stages where you walk from battle to battle, maybe engaging in some other activity like walking through a window or watching a cutscene, until you reach the boss. Then you fight the boss and boom, stage is over.
There is also the "open world," which is really just 4 maps that Clive gets dropped into. This is where all of the side content takes place, and all of the side content is incredibly hit or miss. The stages are all fun, but the side content is either interesting and reveals something about the world, or just mindless padding intended to extend the run time.
The narrative itself also feels like it takes a massive turn thematically at about the 2/3 mark. It's not outright bad, but abandoning the politics of the world in favor of a much more straightforward hero's journey felt a bit cheap in the grand scheme.
The gameplay is fantastic as expected of DMC5's combat director, but I will say that the enemy variety is sorely lacking. While the bosses are all great, I do wish they had experimented a little bit more with the stagger mechanic. I would have loved to air combo some of the human sized bosses like in DMC or Kingdom Hearts.
Overall, I have mixed feelings. The highs are so high that I kind of have to recommend it, but the downtime takes up so much of the experience that it is hard to recommend to everyone.
Final Fantasy XVI aims fairly high. It aims to be both a course correction and an evolution of the foundation XV and XIII both laid out, while borrowing from other franchises like Devil May Cry and even a tiny bit of Tales Of in it's gameplay design.
The story has some definite ups and downs. Clive's character arc is super interesting until it seemingly ends 2/3 of the way through. The prologue is an easy 10/10, but feels deflated after knowing that Joshua has been alive the whole time. Cid is a really cool character, but we spend more time being told about him than actually seeing him in action.
The highs in this game are some of the highest in all of video games. The prologue is at once epic, heartbreaking, and brutal, the Bahamut fight puts most boss fights to shame from a scale perspective, in fact most of the Eikon fights are high points.
However, this game takes it's sweet time getting to those high points. The game has "stages" that are a bit like DMC5 stages where you walk from battle to battle, maybe engaging in some other activity like walking through a window or watching a cutscene, until you reach the boss. Then you fight the boss and boom, stage is over.
There is also the "open world," which is really just 4 maps that Clive gets dropped into. This is where all of the side content takes place, and all of the side content is incredibly hit or miss. The stages are all fun, but the side content is either interesting and reveals something about the world, or just mindless padding intended to extend the run time.
The narrative itself also feels like it takes a massive turn thematically at about the 2/3 mark. It's not outright bad, but abandoning the politics of the world in favor of a much more straightforward hero's journey felt a bit cheap in the grand scheme.
The gameplay is fantastic as expected of DMC5's combat director, but I will say that the enemy variety is sorely lacking. While the bosses are all great, I do wish they had experimented a little bit more with the stagger mechanic. I would have loved to air combo some of the human sized bosses like in DMC or Kingdom Hearts.
Overall, I have mixed feelings. The highs are so high that I kind of have to recommend it, but the downtime takes up so much of the experience that it is hard to recommend to everyone.
2005
Kingdom Hearts 2 and Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix are my most played games of all time, excluding maybe Destiny and Destiny 2, but that's a massive maybe.
I have played through the game so many times, I imported the Japanese version of 2FM just to play the extra content, and have bought most of the rereleases of 2FM that have come out since. I've played the randomizer many times as well, and I even know a few speedrun tactics that kind of invalidate some bosses.
I know this game like the back of my hand, and I love it to death. It's not without it's flaws. The world design is a bit hit-or-miss with many of them being a collection of combat rooms. The forced minigames range from charming to atrocious, and some of the bosses are horrendous.
That said, everything else about this game is a massive improvement over 1. The combat system is spectacular, the story is a lot of fun, the prologue has actual direction in it's gameplay, the soundtrack is another absolute banger from Yoko Shimomura, and the visuals are top-notch for a PS2 era game.
While the game does have some bad bosses, it also has some of the greatest in all of video games. All of Organization XIII, Lingering Will, and most of the other human-sized bosses are all incredible and set a standard that not many other action games reach in terms of satisfying boss design.
This game is an absolute treat, and while I would definitely recommend playing 1 first, if you only have time for one game, just play Kingdom Hearts 2. It'll be fine.
I have played through the game so many times, I imported the Japanese version of 2FM just to play the extra content, and have bought most of the rereleases of 2FM that have come out since. I've played the randomizer many times as well, and I even know a few speedrun tactics that kind of invalidate some bosses.
I know this game like the back of my hand, and I love it to death. It's not without it's flaws. The world design is a bit hit-or-miss with many of them being a collection of combat rooms. The forced minigames range from charming to atrocious, and some of the bosses are horrendous.
That said, everything else about this game is a massive improvement over 1. The combat system is spectacular, the story is a lot of fun, the prologue has actual direction in it's gameplay, the soundtrack is another absolute banger from Yoko Shimomura, and the visuals are top-notch for a PS2 era game.
While the game does have some bad bosses, it also has some of the greatest in all of video games. All of Organization XIII, Lingering Will, and most of the other human-sized bosses are all incredible and set a standard that not many other action games reach in terms of satisfying boss design.
This game is an absolute treat, and while I would definitely recommend playing 1 first, if you only have time for one game, just play Kingdom Hearts 2. It'll be fine.
2002
Kingdom Hearts 1 feels like a lot of "first games" that came out in the PS2 era.
It's definitely a quality experience, the gameplay has a unique twist on character action mechanics, the graphics are gorgeous, the music is revelatory, and the story, while a bit tropey and basic, has a lot of heart backed by a voice cast who absolutely nails it.
However, this being the first game, there are a lot of gameplay elements that feel included without fully baking them. The exploration elements often cause me more frustration than they do joy, and some of the level design feels antithetical to the movement system at times. This is the only Kingdom Hearts game that has true platforming in it, and most times it shows up it sucks.
Add to that the Gummi missions absolutely grinding the pace to a halt every time they show up, some of the objectives being needlessly vague (the game opening on a material collecting segment that is never mentioned or brought back while also not pointing the player in the direction to find said items is something I will never forgive), and a finale that, while mostly good, feels like it'll never end, I have a hard time seeing this game as anything other than required reading.
That said, this game is legendary for a reason, and given that I find most of the franchise to be as good or better than this game, I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a new franchise to get into, and it definitely serves as a great intro to action rpgs.
It's definitely a quality experience, the gameplay has a unique twist on character action mechanics, the graphics are gorgeous, the music is revelatory, and the story, while a bit tropey and basic, has a lot of heart backed by a voice cast who absolutely nails it.
However, this being the first game, there are a lot of gameplay elements that feel included without fully baking them. The exploration elements often cause me more frustration than they do joy, and some of the level design feels antithetical to the movement system at times. This is the only Kingdom Hearts game that has true platforming in it, and most times it shows up it sucks.
Add to that the Gummi missions absolutely grinding the pace to a halt every time they show up, some of the objectives being needlessly vague (the game opening on a material collecting segment that is never mentioned or brought back while also not pointing the player in the direction to find said items is something I will never forgive), and a finale that, while mostly good, feels like it'll never end, I have a hard time seeing this game as anything other than required reading.
That said, this game is legendary for a reason, and given that I find most of the franchise to be as good or better than this game, I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a new franchise to get into, and it definitely serves as a great intro to action rpgs.
2023
I've played a fair bit of MiHoYo's other two major releases, Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact, and I can say without a doubt this one is my favorite of the three.
This game's battle system is nothing short of amazing. Every character feels satisfying and distinct, including the protagonist who, in most gacha games tends to fall flat. Add to that the fact that it's turn-based, and the game actually feels like it has a decent balance of mobile and console elements that lends itself to the crosssave nature of the game.
Unlike most of MiHoYo's previous games, I actually find the narrative to be relatively compelling. Not anything spectacular, and I still find the overabundance of high-concepts to be a bit tiring, but the actual plot is easy to follow and there are some compelling character arcs behind it.
The game is gorgeous as expected and the music is catchy to a fault. Overall, I've enjoyed it a lot and I'm looking forward to future updates!
This game's battle system is nothing short of amazing. Every character feels satisfying and distinct, including the protagonist who, in most gacha games tends to fall flat. Add to that the fact that it's turn-based, and the game actually feels like it has a decent balance of mobile and console elements that lends itself to the crosssave nature of the game.
Unlike most of MiHoYo's previous games, I actually find the narrative to be relatively compelling. Not anything spectacular, and I still find the overabundance of high-concepts to be a bit tiring, but the actual plot is easy to follow and there are some compelling character arcs behind it.
The game is gorgeous as expected and the music is catchy to a fault. Overall, I've enjoyed it a lot and I'm looking forward to future updates!
2023
Hi-Fi Rush is one of those few "only could have been a video game" games.
Taking a rhythm game and making it into a character action game with incredibly stylistic visuals and a fun, heartfelt story? Right up my alley.
It's not perfect, some of the enemy types are annoying and some of the puzzle/platformer elements left me wishing I could just go back to fighting.
Still, most of the experience is absolutely stellar and highly recommended to anyone who doesn't mind being a little overstimulated after playing a video game. Definitely on my Game of the Year shortlist.
Taking a rhythm game and making it into a character action game with incredibly stylistic visuals and a fun, heartfelt story? Right up my alley.
It's not perfect, some of the enemy types are annoying and some of the puzzle/platformer elements left me wishing I could just go back to fighting.
Still, most of the experience is absolutely stellar and highly recommended to anyone who doesn't mind being a little overstimulated after playing a video game. Definitely on my Game of the Year shortlist.
2017
The game, man. This game.
I played the demo for this game, and the moment where you take the boss's arm and start using it against him had me yelling "I love video games!" at my screen.
This game's world and narrative are hard to explain, and they truly need to be seen to be believed. While it tends to look bland at times, I think it serves it's purpose of feeling like a true post-apocalyptic land. At times it feels serene and beautiful, while at other times it feels hostile and suffocating.
The narrative is absolutely stellar. The biggest issue I have with this game is pacing, because the second playthrough is mostly just the first with a new playable character and some perspective changes. The reveals and information offered in it are important, but I do think I would have liked to see a different implementation of this idea where it didn't feel like we were covering old ground.
The third playthrough, however, is one of my favorite moments in games. No spoilers, but everything that happens had me on the edge of my seat. I was hooked through and through, and when I finally reached the end, I was sobbing. Everything the game had put me through felt truly worth it in the end.
The combat is excellent as expected from Platinum, and the music is haunting and gorgeous and everything you could want in a game like this.
This game instantaneously soared into becoming my favorite game of all time, and while it might not be for everyone, I at least encourage everyone to play the demo. Absolutely incredible and deserves every accolade it has received.
I played the demo for this game, and the moment where you take the boss's arm and start using it against him had me yelling "I love video games!" at my screen.
This game's world and narrative are hard to explain, and they truly need to be seen to be believed. While it tends to look bland at times, I think it serves it's purpose of feeling like a true post-apocalyptic land. At times it feels serene and beautiful, while at other times it feels hostile and suffocating.
The narrative is absolutely stellar. The biggest issue I have with this game is pacing, because the second playthrough is mostly just the first with a new playable character and some perspective changes. The reveals and information offered in it are important, but I do think I would have liked to see a different implementation of this idea where it didn't feel like we were covering old ground.
The third playthrough, however, is one of my favorite moments in games. No spoilers, but everything that happens had me on the edge of my seat. I was hooked through and through, and when I finally reached the end, I was sobbing. Everything the game had put me through felt truly worth it in the end.
The combat is excellent as expected from Platinum, and the music is haunting and gorgeous and everything you could want in a game like this.
This game instantaneously soared into becoming my favorite game of all time, and while it might not be for everyone, I at least encourage everyone to play the demo. Absolutely incredible and deserves every accolade it has received.
2019
Devil May Cry 5 is "quality." Every inch of it, from the graphics to the narrative to the combat system to the music, is just a quality experience.
Like I said in my Devil May Cry 4 review, the combat system in that game is truly top-notch, and one of the greatest to ever grace the genre. Lifting it from that game and putting it in this game was already a good call, but it doesn't stop there. Taking that combat system and making some improvements, while maintaining an absolutely stellar level of visual fidelity remains one of the coolest things I've ever seen a franchise do. This game running consistently at 60 FPS on PS4 is absolutely nuts.
Devil May Cry 5's narrative is also absolutely stellar. It becomes pretty clear what's going on as you go through the game, but the "oh crap" moment in the final few chapters is still a jaw dropper.
The final boss is one of the greatest final fights ever and puts an amazing cap on the saga.
The soundtrack is also insanely good, the three main battle tracks are a delight, and while it didn't invent dynamic music in games, I'm glad to see more and more franchises making use of it in it's wake.
Highly recommended if you're a fan of hack-n-slash games or just enjoy good video games in general.
Like I said in my Devil May Cry 4 review, the combat system in that game is truly top-notch, and one of the greatest to ever grace the genre. Lifting it from that game and putting it in this game was already a good call, but it doesn't stop there. Taking that combat system and making some improvements, while maintaining an absolutely stellar level of visual fidelity remains one of the coolest things I've ever seen a franchise do. This game running consistently at 60 FPS on PS4 is absolutely nuts.
Devil May Cry 5's narrative is also absolutely stellar. It becomes pretty clear what's going on as you go through the game, but the "oh crap" moment in the final few chapters is still a jaw dropper.
The final boss is one of the greatest final fights ever and puts an amazing cap on the saga.
The soundtrack is also insanely good, the three main battle tracks are a delight, and while it didn't invent dynamic music in games, I'm glad to see more and more franchises making use of it in it's wake.
Highly recommended if you're a fan of hack-n-slash games or just enjoy good video games in general.
2008
"Undercooked" is the best word to describe Devil May Cry 4.
The combat system is arguably one of the greatest accomplishments in game's history, so incredibly well thought out and put together that they would practically lift it from this game and put it into Devil May Cry 5. So simple to understand and yet one of the highest skill ceilings you will ever encounter in single player experience.
But the narrative and level design really feels like it takes a nosedive. For starters, the game is clearly half-finished. The first half of the game is played as Nero through a fun if sometimes boring set of levels (looking at you, Dice-game.) But then when you switch to Dante for the second half, the game ends up just sending him on a backtrack through the rest of the levels, and then ends with one of the worst final bosses to ever grace the genre.
The narrative and characters are alright, but it really a solid antagonist the way that 1 and 3 did.
I would still end up recommending it because it does feel slightly necessary to understanding Nero's history at the beginning of 5, and the combat system really is that good. But if you're here for a quality experience, you've come to the wrong place.
The combat system is arguably one of the greatest accomplishments in game's history, so incredibly well thought out and put together that they would practically lift it from this game and put it into Devil May Cry 5. So simple to understand and yet one of the highest skill ceilings you will ever encounter in single player experience.
But the narrative and level design really feels like it takes a nosedive. For starters, the game is clearly half-finished. The first half of the game is played as Nero through a fun if sometimes boring set of levels (looking at you, Dice-game.) But then when you switch to Dante for the second half, the game ends up just sending him on a backtrack through the rest of the levels, and then ends with one of the worst final bosses to ever grace the genre.
The narrative and characters are alright, but it really a solid antagonist the way that 1 and 3 did.
I would still end up recommending it because it does feel slightly necessary to understanding Nero's history at the beginning of 5, and the combat system really is that good. But if you're here for a quality experience, you've come to the wrong place.
Devil May Cry 3 is the first game that is truly recognizable as "Devil May Cry" to me.
While 1 is a solid game, it takes too much from the Resident Evil game it started as and, as somebody who detests the horror genre, I could never get into it.
Devil May Cry 3 still carries over some of these elements, but where DMC1 had an incredibly thin plot, DMC3 creates arguably one of the most influential narratives in games to this day. Vergil is the most iconic rival characters ever created, potentially only second to Shadow the Hedgehog himself, and Dan Southworth's performance in DMC3 will forever remain one of the greatest vocal performances in games history.
The combat system is also much deeper this time around, and I enjoyed the boss fights in this game significantly more than I did in DMC1.
While not my favorite entry in the series, this game is an absolute hallmark and stands as the standard by which other character-action games will forever be measured against.
While 1 is a solid game, it takes too much from the Resident Evil game it started as and, as somebody who detests the horror genre, I could never get into it.
Devil May Cry 3 still carries over some of these elements, but where DMC1 had an incredibly thin plot, DMC3 creates arguably one of the most influential narratives in games to this day. Vergil is the most iconic rival characters ever created, potentially only second to Shadow the Hedgehog himself, and Dan Southworth's performance in DMC3 will forever remain one of the greatest vocal performances in games history.
The combat system is also much deeper this time around, and I enjoyed the boss fights in this game significantly more than I did in DMC1.
While not my favorite entry in the series, this game is an absolute hallmark and stands as the standard by which other character-action games will forever be measured against.
2021
Scarlet Nexus came out at a time where JRPGs were absolutely popping off. Shin Megami Tensei V was a few months out, as were Tales of Arise and NEO: The World Ends With You to name a few.
This was my most anticipated game that year, and while it didn't end up becoming by game of the year, it certainly still held it's own.
The combat system takes it's time, but about a third into a run of either story it'll start to really open up. I love all of the combinations that are possible with combining each character's abilities, and how some abilities might change combos and how others might interact with each other in unique ways.
The narrative is perhaps this game's most divisive element, and while there are absolutely sore spots, such as the fact that incredibly foundational and massive reveals are dropped in ways that make absolutely no sense and break the pacing, I do still tend to enjoy what the game has to offer. At it's core, this game has two perspectives.
One is from Yuito, who spends most of his campaign having a noticeable effect on the lives of the people around him, and learning to let them do the same for him.
The other is from Kasane, who spends most of her campaign being affected by the people around her and learning to open up and do the same for others.
While not a perfect game by any stretch, if you're looking for a fun action rpg to sink your teeth into, Scarlet Nexus has so much on offer.
This was my most anticipated game that year, and while it didn't end up becoming by game of the year, it certainly still held it's own.
The combat system takes it's time, but about a third into a run of either story it'll start to really open up. I love all of the combinations that are possible with combining each character's abilities, and how some abilities might change combos and how others might interact with each other in unique ways.
The narrative is perhaps this game's most divisive element, and while there are absolutely sore spots, such as the fact that incredibly foundational and massive reveals are dropped in ways that make absolutely no sense and break the pacing, I do still tend to enjoy what the game has to offer. At it's core, this game has two perspectives.
One is from Yuito, who spends most of his campaign having a noticeable effect on the lives of the people around him, and learning to let them do the same for him.
The other is from Kasane, who spends most of her campaign being affected by the people around her and learning to open up and do the same for others.
While not a perfect game by any stretch, if you're looking for a fun action rpg to sink your teeth into, Scarlet Nexus has so much on offer.
When I first played A Link Between Worlds, I was a bit skeptical. I had never gotten into 2D Zelda before this game, and honestly had no intention of going back.
But soon into my first playthrough of the game, it took me over. I played this as much and as often as I could. I wanted to do everything and see everything. Much of that is thanks to an extremely tight world design where you're never on a screen that has no point of interest.
Link's toolset is also one of his best to date, and I love all of the interactions that each item has with the mechanics of the overworld as well. The game's world design explores depth in a way most 2D games only scratch the surface of.
I really like the two worlds angle this game goes for from a level design perspective and hope that the Zelda team doesn't only stick to remakes of 2D games from here on, I would love to see them tackle a new 2D Zelda at some point. While 3D Zelda will always remain my preference, A Link Between Worlds absolutely earns a recommendation and is part of the reason the 3DS has such a strong library.
But soon into my first playthrough of the game, it took me over. I played this as much and as often as I could. I wanted to do everything and see everything. Much of that is thanks to an extremely tight world design where you're never on a screen that has no point of interest.
Link's toolset is also one of his best to date, and I love all of the interactions that each item has with the mechanics of the overworld as well. The game's world design explores depth in a way most 2D games only scratch the surface of.
I really like the two worlds angle this game goes for from a level design perspective and hope that the Zelda team doesn't only stick to remakes of 2D games from here on, I would love to see them tackle a new 2D Zelda at some point. While 3D Zelda will always remain my preference, A Link Between Worlds absolutely earns a recommendation and is part of the reason the 3DS has such a strong library.
2022
This review contains spoilers
Sonic Frontiers is far from a perfect game. The sense of speed is all over the place, sometimes being too high and sometimes being abysmally low. The physics are wacked beyond belief, sometimes Sonic sticks to things he shouldn't and sometimes he starts falling on flat surfaces.
That said, this game made me feel things playing a Sonic game I haven't felt in a very long time. Playing the first boss at 3 AM when "Undefeatable" starts playing is an unmatched experience as a Sonic fan. This game's soundtrack is absolutely incredible, and after a relatively weak showing from Lost World and Forces it was so good to see the Soundtrack King retake his throne.
Wouldn't recommend to everybody, but the highs are so high I can't bear to give it a very low score.
That said, this game made me feel things playing a Sonic game I haven't felt in a very long time. Playing the first boss at 3 AM when "Undefeatable" starts playing is an unmatched experience as a Sonic fan. This game's soundtrack is absolutely incredible, and after a relatively weak showing from Lost World and Forces it was so good to see the Soundtrack King retake his throne.
Wouldn't recommend to everybody, but the highs are so high I can't bear to give it a very low score.
This review contains spoilers
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (CSIV) is truly an "Avengers" moment for the franchise. Honestly, I can't say much here without spoiling it, so all I'll say is go play the other 8 games in the franchise first before reading the rest.
Spoilers
Cold opening on the two protagonists of the previous two arcs, Estelle and Lloyd and their partners respectively, is a stroke of genius. The two groups already have their shared history, and using them to establish exactly where the rest of the world is at after the events of Cold Steel 3 (CS3).
However, my biggest criticism of the game is that after the incredible rush that is the prologue, the pacing takes an absolute nosedive. While not a horrible thing to slow things down, especially after the rush that is the finale of CS3, the bog that the game finds itself in at this point in the story feels almost ludicrous given the stakes.
That said, the opening act is not without it's merits. The character development on display is a lot of fun, and the stage-setting is pretty great in it's own right.
However, when you finally reach the intermission and begin the operation to rescue Rean after his capture at the end of CS3, the game starts to really pick up the pace. It feels a bit like everything in act one is just a warmup, and the real game begins 20 hours into the experience.
That said, nothing about this experience on it's own is really all that different from what was found it Cold Steel 2. What sets this game apart is everything from act 2 onwards. Once you board the Pantagruel and the "Avengers Assemble" so to speak, the game goes from an easy 7/10 to a 9/10 in a second.
Joshua sharing his story with Ash and the children of Hamel get to see some form of closure, Cassius and Rean sharing stories of their old shared teacher, Lloyd and Elie meeting up with the other members of the SSS, and the list goes on and on and on. The boss rush that follows is also one of the best "event battles" the series has ever seen, up there with the likes of the Loewe fight in FC and the Arios fight in Azure, and is definitely a series high.
While it does feel like a bit of a copout, I do enjoy the "reverse uno" Olivert hits the chancellor with, and feels thematic after Osborne was revealed to still be alive after CS2.
The event at Mishelam is a lot of fun, and getting to just "chill" with this giant cast of characters who all have their own things going on is not something a lot of franchises can just "do," but it feels right at home in Trails.
Rean being granted the title of Divine Blade by Cassius feels "right" in so many ways, and I'm excited to see if he actually does end up taking disciples in future games.
While I'm generally positive on the actual ending of the game, the final boss rush does feel a bit anticlimactic after the absolute highs of CS2, 3, and Azure. Half of the bosses either just fold and say "good job hope you win" or give the cast some vague hint about what's been going on (looking at you, McFireBro.)
That said, the "true final boss" of this game in Ishmelga is a great event and serves as an incredible payoff for putting in some work to actually earn the true ending.
And the final credit sequence is a real tear jerker, with Rean finally getting to have a happy ending after literally every other Cold Steel game ending poorly for him.
Definitely don't start with it, but the Cold Steel Quadrilogy is a great chapter in the Trails franchise. Can't wait for Reverie when it drops only two weeks after Final Fantasy 16 (it's been a busy 2023 for me.)
Spoilers
Cold opening on the two protagonists of the previous two arcs, Estelle and Lloyd and their partners respectively, is a stroke of genius. The two groups already have their shared history, and using them to establish exactly where the rest of the world is at after the events of Cold Steel 3 (CS3).
However, my biggest criticism of the game is that after the incredible rush that is the prologue, the pacing takes an absolute nosedive. While not a horrible thing to slow things down, especially after the rush that is the finale of CS3, the bog that the game finds itself in at this point in the story feels almost ludicrous given the stakes.
That said, the opening act is not without it's merits. The character development on display is a lot of fun, and the stage-setting is pretty great in it's own right.
However, when you finally reach the intermission and begin the operation to rescue Rean after his capture at the end of CS3, the game starts to really pick up the pace. It feels a bit like everything in act one is just a warmup, and the real game begins 20 hours into the experience.
That said, nothing about this experience on it's own is really all that different from what was found it Cold Steel 2. What sets this game apart is everything from act 2 onwards. Once you board the Pantagruel and the "Avengers Assemble" so to speak, the game goes from an easy 7/10 to a 9/10 in a second.
Joshua sharing his story with Ash and the children of Hamel get to see some form of closure, Cassius and Rean sharing stories of their old shared teacher, Lloyd and Elie meeting up with the other members of the SSS, and the list goes on and on and on. The boss rush that follows is also one of the best "event battles" the series has ever seen, up there with the likes of the Loewe fight in FC and the Arios fight in Azure, and is definitely a series high.
While it does feel like a bit of a copout, I do enjoy the "reverse uno" Olivert hits the chancellor with, and feels thematic after Osborne was revealed to still be alive after CS2.
The event at Mishelam is a lot of fun, and getting to just "chill" with this giant cast of characters who all have their own things going on is not something a lot of franchises can just "do," but it feels right at home in Trails.
Rean being granted the title of Divine Blade by Cassius feels "right" in so many ways, and I'm excited to see if he actually does end up taking disciples in future games.
While I'm generally positive on the actual ending of the game, the final boss rush does feel a bit anticlimactic after the absolute highs of CS2, 3, and Azure. Half of the bosses either just fold and say "good job hope you win" or give the cast some vague hint about what's been going on (looking at you, McFireBro.)
That said, the "true final boss" of this game in Ishmelga is a great event and serves as an incredible payoff for putting in some work to actually earn the true ending.
And the final credit sequence is a real tear jerker, with Rean finally getting to have a happy ending after literally every other Cold Steel game ending poorly for him.
Definitely don't start with it, but the Cold Steel Quadrilogy is a great chapter in the Trails franchise. Can't wait for Reverie when it drops only two weeks after Final Fantasy 16 (it's been a busy 2023 for me.)
I haven't done everything in the game, but at this point I feel comfortable making a call.
Breath of the Wild was an incredible rework of the Zelda formula. Honestly, when Tears of the Kingdom was announced, I was unsure how they could possibly top Breath of the Wild.
Well, they topped it. Link's toolset is expanded so far that the limits of the system seem completely unreachable. Being able to build anything with any materials is a stroke of genius from the Zelda team, and the level of freedom to tackle any problem however you want to is unmatched by other games in the genre.
However, a good sandbox is one thing, but if I just wanted a good sandbox I would go play Minecraft. When I play Zelda, I'm looking for that sense of adventure that I had when I first played Wind Waker.
Tears of the Kingdom delivers this in spades. The narrative is a vast, vast improvement over Breath of the Wild and will go down as one of the best stories in the franchise. The "journey" from a visual and gameplay standpoint is absolutely breathtaking in it's execution, with an absolutely heart-wrenching and satisfying finale that truly feels "earned."
Will go down as many people's favorite game on the Switch and has definitely landed a spot in my favorite Zelda games. The sheer quality and attention to detail makes this game worth anyone's time, and if you didn't hate Breath of the Wild, I can confidently say you will enjoy Tears of the Kingdom.
Breath of the Wild was an incredible rework of the Zelda formula. Honestly, when Tears of the Kingdom was announced, I was unsure how they could possibly top Breath of the Wild.
Well, they topped it. Link's toolset is expanded so far that the limits of the system seem completely unreachable. Being able to build anything with any materials is a stroke of genius from the Zelda team, and the level of freedom to tackle any problem however you want to is unmatched by other games in the genre.
However, a good sandbox is one thing, but if I just wanted a good sandbox I would go play Minecraft. When I play Zelda, I'm looking for that sense of adventure that I had when I first played Wind Waker.
Tears of the Kingdom delivers this in spades. The narrative is a vast, vast improvement over Breath of the Wild and will go down as one of the best stories in the franchise. The "journey" from a visual and gameplay standpoint is absolutely breathtaking in it's execution, with an absolutely heart-wrenching and satisfying finale that truly feels "earned."
Will go down as many people's favorite game on the Switch and has definitely landed a spot in my favorite Zelda games. The sheer quality and attention to detail makes this game worth anyone's time, and if you didn't hate Breath of the Wild, I can confidently say you will enjoy Tears of the Kingdom.