Crystar
Up front, I want to admit I'm biased towards the cinematic action-adventure genre. The PlayStation-exclusive type of game design is not my thing, and I find it to be lacking as a a genre when it comes to producing an actual video game, which is what we're here for. However, some of them do hit for me, and I get some enjoyment out of them. Hellblade 1 was one of those. I thought it was good and I liked it.
I do not like Hellblade II.
I already knew something was up when reviews were left until release day, and how reluctant Microsoft seemed to be to market the game. I saw that Hellblade II reviewed "good" at a Metascore of an 81 or so, but it was a significantly lower mark than the first game.
After playing it, I'm not too surprised. Hellblade II gives you a garbage first impression by essentially being a walking simulator for the first 20 minutes, after which Senua picks up a sword and you're given a rude awakening by being introduced to the plodding, dull, and mind-numbing combat.
This is why I don't like "cinematic" games like this, because the combat and gameplay always feels stiff. There's so much effort put into cinematography, sure, but when every combat encounter results in the same 10 or so canned animations, with little to no variation whatsoever, it becomes a snoozefest. I can't count how many times I've seen Senua get knocked on the ground after parrying a strike with the same animation each time, or using one of the same selection of execution animations. And you'll see these often too! Especially since the combat amounts to building a charge for what is essentially a one-shot, which means that combat encounters can be breezed through fairly quickly so long as you charge up that execution move. By the way, the final boss uses the same canned combat animations you've seen for the whole game.
One thing you'll notice right away while playing Hellblade II is how stunningly beautiful it is. It is one of the best-looking games you'll ever see on a console thanks to the power of UE5. I can't take anything away from that - but Hellblade II's confusing, hollow, and bland experience is not helped at all by the graphic fidelity.
It is worth mentioning that Hellblade II only runs at 30fps. Which is fine, because you're likely going to be playing this off of Game Pass. My personal belief is that if a game is $70, there should be a performance mode. If the game is on Game Pass, however, I'm only paying $15 at max, so that's no big deal. For me.
Another minor technical issue: Hellblade does not work properly with Xbox Game Streaming. The Focus button, which you need to progress the game's numerous puzzles, does not work while streaming. I was able to work around this by turning the stream off and on. Later I reached a section where you MUST sprint to survive the level's design, and Senua just wouldn't sprint because the LB button didn't work properly while streaming. Since I like streaming my Xbox audio to my PC, I had to plug in an Elgato to proceed with the level. This is only going to be a problem for maybe 1% of people who play Hellblade, so I won't give it flak for this... but this is an XBOX game. Shouldn't XBOX Game Streaming work for it at launch?
What makes Hellblade II mediocre beyond the combat? Unfortunately, it's the story.
I beat Hellblade II in only 7 hours. Originally I thought it was 5, because it didn't feel like 7, but then again my console was on pause for what added up to an hour... so let's say 6 for good measure. Those reviewers and tweets you see weren't joking about its length. It is a very short game. Nowadays playing a AAA game that is so short is an anomaly, sure, but this game was in development for FIVE years, wasn't it? How did 5 years of development result in a 5 hour game?
Hellblade 1 had a story built around Senua's psychosis, and I think that's what made it excel, and it's why I liked that game despite my aversion to the genre.
Hellblade 2's story does not feel like it is built around Senua's story. After meeting some NPCs on her journey, Senua instead ends up hunting down giants that are ruining the land after spelunking in a cave to be proven worthy. There you go, that's the plot. I don't know how Senua's psychosis is relevant to that, because I don't think it is. The point is that Hellblade 2's story is extremely generic compared to Hellblade 1, and is a concern I had almost immediately within the first hour of playing.
Hellblade 1 really shined by being a solo experience built around Senua. Hellblade 2 features multiple companions and NPCs, which doesn't really lend itself well to using Senua's psychosis in the plot. Senua's psychosis no longer feels like a relevant portion of the game's themes and story, and instead is reduced to a background element of a dull story - a story that is somehow confusing and boring at the same time. Why? Because when the story is said and done, it's not even really clear on what happened for the most part or what it even means. While Hellblade 1 had a similar feeling, you at least got the idea and thought-provoking thematics they were trying to express.
Hellblade 2's ending presents itself as if the creators believed they had just made something profound, but instead you're just left scratching your head. What's funny about this is that the first line you hear in the ending cutscene is "All the questions answered." NO, THEY WERE NOT.
I don't know what Senua's plot or story arc is supposed to be here. Does she even have a character arc in this game? I don't think she does! The game tries to toy with this idea of Senua feeling guilty for people dying... when we just spent a whole game where Senua was all alone? Senua feels like the deaths of others are her fault, and the voices in her head try to remind her of that. (Which they do a good job of. The psychosis portrayal when it comes to Senua herself is still very well-done) It just comes across as forced and doesn't really suit the kind of character arc that Hellblade 1 concluded with. Senua's story felt finite and this attempt feels aimless, a vainful venture to continue a character arc that was already concluded.
Here's an example. At the end of The Witcher 3, Geralt's story is pretty much done. This is why many speculate that The Witcher 4 will feature Ciri or a custom protagonist. Because what else is there to tell? Geralt did everything he can possibly do and his arc is at a satisfying end, so any further attempts to tell stories for Geralt will feel forced. Same thing here. Senua's story felt done already, so her arc in Hellblade II is most comparable to a D&D DM who is struggling to continue a campaign after his players hit the end of the planned Adventure.
I'm at a loss of what else to say since the experience is so short of an acid trip that I'm grasping at straws here. It's not even good acid!
I guess I can mention that it's voice-acted pretty well. I'm surprised Senua's VA hasn't gotten more roles.
All in all, Senua's confusing mess of a plot and lack of steady direction only reinforces my own personal belief that Hellblade didn't need a sequel at all.
Score: 66
I do not like Hellblade II.
I already knew something was up when reviews were left until release day, and how reluctant Microsoft seemed to be to market the game. I saw that Hellblade II reviewed "good" at a Metascore of an 81 or so, but it was a significantly lower mark than the first game.
After playing it, I'm not too surprised. Hellblade II gives you a garbage first impression by essentially being a walking simulator for the first 20 minutes, after which Senua picks up a sword and you're given a rude awakening by being introduced to the plodding, dull, and mind-numbing combat.
This is why I don't like "cinematic" games like this, because the combat and gameplay always feels stiff. There's so much effort put into cinematography, sure, but when every combat encounter results in the same 10 or so canned animations, with little to no variation whatsoever, it becomes a snoozefest. I can't count how many times I've seen Senua get knocked on the ground after parrying a strike with the same animation each time, or using one of the same selection of execution animations. And you'll see these often too! Especially since the combat amounts to building a charge for what is essentially a one-shot, which means that combat encounters can be breezed through fairly quickly so long as you charge up that execution move. By the way, the final boss uses the same canned combat animations you've seen for the whole game.
One thing you'll notice right away while playing Hellblade II is how stunningly beautiful it is. It is one of the best-looking games you'll ever see on a console thanks to the power of UE5. I can't take anything away from that - but Hellblade II's confusing, hollow, and bland experience is not helped at all by the graphic fidelity.
It is worth mentioning that Hellblade II only runs at 30fps. Which is fine, because you're likely going to be playing this off of Game Pass. My personal belief is that if a game is $70, there should be a performance mode. If the game is on Game Pass, however, I'm only paying $15 at max, so that's no big deal. For me.
Another minor technical issue: Hellblade does not work properly with Xbox Game Streaming. The Focus button, which you need to progress the game's numerous puzzles, does not work while streaming. I was able to work around this by turning the stream off and on. Later I reached a section where you MUST sprint to survive the level's design, and Senua just wouldn't sprint because the LB button didn't work properly while streaming. Since I like streaming my Xbox audio to my PC, I had to plug in an Elgato to proceed with the level. This is only going to be a problem for maybe 1% of people who play Hellblade, so I won't give it flak for this... but this is an XBOX game. Shouldn't XBOX Game Streaming work for it at launch?
What makes Hellblade II mediocre beyond the combat? Unfortunately, it's the story.
I beat Hellblade II in only 7 hours. Originally I thought it was 5, because it didn't feel like 7, but then again my console was on pause for what added up to an hour... so let's say 6 for good measure. Those reviewers and tweets you see weren't joking about its length. It is a very short game. Nowadays playing a AAA game that is so short is an anomaly, sure, but this game was in development for FIVE years, wasn't it? How did 5 years of development result in a 5 hour game?
Hellblade 1 had a story built around Senua's psychosis, and I think that's what made it excel, and it's why I liked that game despite my aversion to the genre.
Hellblade 2's story does not feel like it is built around Senua's story. After meeting some NPCs on her journey, Senua instead ends up hunting down giants that are ruining the land after spelunking in a cave to be proven worthy. There you go, that's the plot. I don't know how Senua's psychosis is relevant to that, because I don't think it is. The point is that Hellblade 2's story is extremely generic compared to Hellblade 1, and is a concern I had almost immediately within the first hour of playing.
Hellblade 1 really shined by being a solo experience built around Senua. Hellblade 2 features multiple companions and NPCs, which doesn't really lend itself well to using Senua's psychosis in the plot. Senua's psychosis no longer feels like a relevant portion of the game's themes and story, and instead is reduced to a background element of a dull story - a story that is somehow confusing and boring at the same time. Why? Because when the story is said and done, it's not even really clear on what happened for the most part or what it even means. While Hellblade 1 had a similar feeling, you at least got the idea and thought-provoking thematics they were trying to express.
Hellblade 2's ending presents itself as if the creators believed they had just made something profound, but instead you're just left scratching your head. What's funny about this is that the first line you hear in the ending cutscene is "All the questions answered." NO, THEY WERE NOT.
I don't know what Senua's plot or story arc is supposed to be here. Does she even have a character arc in this game? I don't think she does! The game tries to toy with this idea of Senua feeling guilty for people dying... when we just spent a whole game where Senua was all alone? Senua feels like the deaths of others are her fault, and the voices in her head try to remind her of that. (Which they do a good job of. The psychosis portrayal when it comes to Senua herself is still very well-done) It just comes across as forced and doesn't really suit the kind of character arc that Hellblade 1 concluded with. Senua's story felt finite and this attempt feels aimless, a vainful venture to continue a character arc that was already concluded.
Here's an example. At the end of The Witcher 3, Geralt's story is pretty much done. This is why many speculate that The Witcher 4 will feature Ciri or a custom protagonist. Because what else is there to tell? Geralt did everything he can possibly do and his arc is at a satisfying end, so any further attempts to tell stories for Geralt will feel forced. Same thing here. Senua's story felt done already, so her arc in Hellblade II is most comparable to a D&D DM who is struggling to continue a campaign after his players hit the end of the planned Adventure.
I'm at a loss of what else to say since the experience is so short of an acid trip that I'm grasping at straws here. It's not even good acid!
I guess I can mention that it's voice-acted pretty well. I'm surprised Senua's VA hasn't gotten more roles.
All in all, Senua's confusing mess of a plot and lack of steady direction only reinforces my own personal belief that Hellblade didn't need a sequel at all.
Score: 66
Wow, I was thoroughly impressed by Shadow of Mordor! What a super-underrated game! I loved it a ton, and I wish more people talked about it. I loved running around and slaughtering Uruk. I love that Talion is essentially the Doom Slayer of Uruk. Shadow of Mordor is definitely not perfect, but I found myself grinding the hell out of it nonetheless. Not many games really do a dual protagonist thing either and it deserves credit for that.
The Hunting DLC was solid, but I wasn't feeling the Bright Lord DLC as much as I wanted. Call me violent, but Branding the Uruk just isn't as fun as outright slaughtering them.
A must play for every LOTR/Middle-Earth fan regardless. I was a casual LOTR fan but this game made me buy the Silmarillion. So that should say a lot too.
Please play it on PC by the way. I'm not sure why even the GOTY edition is still locked to 30fps on consoles, even on a Series X or PS5.
Score: 88
The Hunting DLC was solid, but I wasn't feeling the Bright Lord DLC as much as I wanted. Call me violent, but Branding the Uruk just isn't as fun as outright slaughtering them.
A must play for every LOTR/Middle-Earth fan regardless. I was a casual LOTR fan but this game made me buy the Silmarillion. So that should say a lot too.
Please play it on PC by the way. I'm not sure why even the GOTY edition is still locked to 30fps on consoles, even on a Series X or PS5.
Score: 88
1995
Chrono Trigger is probably one of the best games ever made, and it is definitely one of the best JRPG ever made. The way it handles time travel is unique, fun, and somehow not that confusing to wrap your head around. It does minor things so well with the core theme of time travel, such as heading back in time to manipulate events for side quests. It does a lot of interesting things that you don't see in many games honestly, and the gameplay is actually fun to boot. Also unlike a lot of old JRPGs, I didn't feel like I needed a walkthrough for a majority of the game, and 70% of the time I was able to do things. (I'm glad I did have a walkthrough though, so I could take advantage of those Sealed Chests optimally)
I don't have any problems with Chrono Trigger, but I suppose my main critique would be that I wasn't really in love with any of the party members. I like them, but they aren't as engaging as even other old JRPGs. But I don't think it detracts enough from the game to really give it flak for that.
I also have issues with the PC port but I can't dock points from the game itself. I had to revert to a 2018 build because the 2023 build has a weird stuttering bug when you walk diagonally. The port also doesn't have proper button prompts for PlayStation controllers, so I wasn't sure what to press at some points of the game. When it came to the part where you have to play Simon Says in the fair to get (spoiler item) I kept failing and just grinded for 60K to buy it instead.
But even that doesn't change the fact that Chrono Trigger is one of the greats and a must-play JRPG.
Score: 95
I don't have any problems with Chrono Trigger, but I suppose my main critique would be that I wasn't really in love with any of the party members. I like them, but they aren't as engaging as even other old JRPGs. But I don't think it detracts enough from the game to really give it flak for that.
I also have issues with the PC port but I can't dock points from the game itself. I had to revert to a 2018 build because the 2023 build has a weird stuttering bug when you walk diagonally. The port also doesn't have proper button prompts for PlayStation controllers, so I wasn't sure what to press at some points of the game. When it came to the part where you have to play Simon Says in the fair to get (spoiler item) I kept failing and just grinded for 60K to buy it instead.
But even that doesn't change the fact that Chrono Trigger is one of the greats and a must-play JRPG.
Score: 95
2009
I miss Infamous so much. I loved this game's whole vibe. It's gritty, it's bleak, and not only that, it's fun. It encourages a second playthrough due to its Karma system, and the choices to make get difficult at times too. A truly fun superhero experience by Sucker Punch that somehow feels like an Insomniac game with its fast-paced action and parkour.
I just wish there was an easy way to play it on PS3 without having to stream it via PS Plus. Give us a remaster Sony, please.
Score: 87
I just wish there was an easy way to play it on PS3 without having to stream it via PS Plus. Give us a remaster Sony, please.
Score: 87
2022
Pentiment's not going to be for everyone. It's a visual novel mystery thriller set within Renaissance-era Germany, as a historical fiction piece. Josh Sawyer really put passion into this, you can tell, since it's a really accurate experience to the era. It has replayability with the different backgrounds you can choose for Andreas, the protagonist, unlocking different dialogue options throughout the game in true Obsidian fashion.
I can't say more without spoiling the game - but if you enjoy visual novels, mysteries, Obsidian's games, Josh Sawyer's games, and/or historical fiction, please give Pentiment a try.
Score: 88
I can't say more without spoiling the game - but if you enjoy visual novels, mysteries, Obsidian's games, Josh Sawyer's games, and/or historical fiction, please give Pentiment a try.
Score: 88
2020
Listen, I'll be upfront. I think this game is vastly overrated and what frustrates me most is that it gets away with things that other games get shredded for.
What don't I like about it? Well...
First off, the game doesn't run particularly well if you're not running it off of a SSD. I got the weird portrait bug multiple times during my playthrough, crazy texture pop-in and even T-posing models at times. Granted, I was running the game just fine otherwise, but it was really jarring how unpolished this game was technically just because I wasn't using an SSD.
I think the writing is extremely overrated. If someone gave you this storyline in an actual D&D game, I guarantee you would think it's boring. I don't like putting spoilers in my reviews, but yeah - the game has a twist that doesn't really end up mattering that much depending on your choices, and the overall plot just doesn't land. There's no driving factor beyond the Mindflayer thing (being careful not to spoil here). Any other game would get shredded for how utterly mid the story of BG3 is.
And people really love the characters of Baldur's Gate 3. They're designed well, they're voice acted well. But to give Astarion of all characters Best Performance? All love to the VA, but no way. Astarion's story doesn't even progress until Act 2, more specifically the end of Act 2. And then once you get to the city, his story's done. How is that worthy of Best Performance? That'd be like if in 2015 we gave Best Performance to Piper Wright of Fallout 4 instead of Geralt from The Witcher 3. It sounds ridiculous on paper.
I do like the companions, I do! But they're not that interesting. They're all good, and none of them are great. I love Gale, but his story just ends on a conversation unless you detonate him. Wyll's story is probably the most entertaining, and you have to do his too, since you can't get a satisfying end for Karlach unless you do. Yeah, unless you do these specific things for another character (Wyll), Karlach doesn't get a happy ending. I know people love Shadowheart, but good God is her story boring. I don't care about any of this, and I actually killed her by accident in dialogue at one point. Which by the way, bugged out, causing the game to fade to black, and then when the game faded back in, she was permanently gone, so I had to reload. No indication that I killed her. I got the best ending for each character and honestly, I wish I cared more.
People love calling this game a sprawling RPG, but it's actually quite small if you really think about. It has huge open areas, but those are only really a puddle deep once you really start exploring. There's a good amount of side quests, sure, but none of them were really that interesting or worth doing until you get to the city in Act 3. And I did actually like doing quests in the city. I loved doing back to back run arounds in the city, since it gave me shades of Oblivion, which I love.
I think the worst part of this game that gets a pass is the combat. But I think I just personally hate 5th Edition. I think 5E has a plethora of issues compared to previous versions that weren't mitigated in this game. Larian used the most boilerplate and generic as possible version of D&D, with what feels like the Player's Handbook alone. And then they have the nerve to cap you at Level 12 instead of 20. Why? But I'll ease up on Larian a bit and blame the issues with the combat mostly on my gripes with 5E. I've whiffed so many damned attacks in this game. I've whiffed attacks more than XCOM! How's that even possible?!
I'll leave this by saying I hated playing this game, but I respect it and I'm still going to score it high. Because I respect Larian and I think they made something great here, but I don't personally find it fun or interesting to play. To be honest, if BG3's combat used an Mana system instead of 5E, I'd enjoy it way more as a whole - because Larian is very good. The game's beautiful, it's colorful, it's voice acted well, it has choice and consequence, it has replayability, it's great. Just not for me.
TL;DR: Baldur's Gate 3 does a lot of things well, but those things it does well are Larian things in spite of how garbage D&D 5e actually is, and I believe it gets a pass for the things it doesn't do well. Overrated, but I still respect it a ton.
Score: 85
What don't I like about it? Well...
First off, the game doesn't run particularly well if you're not running it off of a SSD. I got the weird portrait bug multiple times during my playthrough, crazy texture pop-in and even T-posing models at times. Granted, I was running the game just fine otherwise, but it was really jarring how unpolished this game was technically just because I wasn't using an SSD.
I think the writing is extremely overrated. If someone gave you this storyline in an actual D&D game, I guarantee you would think it's boring. I don't like putting spoilers in my reviews, but yeah - the game has a twist that doesn't really end up mattering that much depending on your choices, and the overall plot just doesn't land. There's no driving factor beyond the Mindflayer thing (being careful not to spoil here). Any other game would get shredded for how utterly mid the story of BG3 is.
And people really love the characters of Baldur's Gate 3. They're designed well, they're voice acted well. But to give Astarion of all characters Best Performance? All love to the VA, but no way. Astarion's story doesn't even progress until Act 2, more specifically the end of Act 2. And then once you get to the city, his story's done. How is that worthy of Best Performance? That'd be like if in 2015 we gave Best Performance to Piper Wright of Fallout 4 instead of Geralt from The Witcher 3. It sounds ridiculous on paper.
I do like the companions, I do! But they're not that interesting. They're all good, and none of them are great. I love Gale, but his story just ends on a conversation unless you detonate him. Wyll's story is probably the most entertaining, and you have to do his too, since you can't get a satisfying end for Karlach unless you do. Yeah, unless you do these specific things for another character (Wyll), Karlach doesn't get a happy ending. I know people love Shadowheart, but good God is her story boring. I don't care about any of this, and I actually killed her by accident in dialogue at one point. Which by the way, bugged out, causing the game to fade to black, and then when the game faded back in, she was permanently gone, so I had to reload. No indication that I killed her. I got the best ending for each character and honestly, I wish I cared more.
People love calling this game a sprawling RPG, but it's actually quite small if you really think about. It has huge open areas, but those are only really a puddle deep once you really start exploring. There's a good amount of side quests, sure, but none of them were really that interesting or worth doing until you get to the city in Act 3. And I did actually like doing quests in the city. I loved doing back to back run arounds in the city, since it gave me shades of Oblivion, which I love.
I think the worst part of this game that gets a pass is the combat. But I think I just personally hate 5th Edition. I think 5E has a plethora of issues compared to previous versions that weren't mitigated in this game. Larian used the most boilerplate and generic as possible version of D&D, with what feels like the Player's Handbook alone. And then they have the nerve to cap you at Level 12 instead of 20. Why? But I'll ease up on Larian a bit and blame the issues with the combat mostly on my gripes with 5E. I've whiffed so many damned attacks in this game. I've whiffed attacks more than XCOM! How's that even possible?!
I'll leave this by saying I hated playing this game, but I respect it and I'm still going to score it high. Because I respect Larian and I think they made something great here, but I don't personally find it fun or interesting to play. To be honest, if BG3's combat used an Mana system instead of 5E, I'd enjoy it way more as a whole - because Larian is very good. The game's beautiful, it's colorful, it's voice acted well, it has choice and consequence, it has replayability, it's great. Just not for me.
TL;DR: Baldur's Gate 3 does a lot of things well, but those things it does well are Larian things in spite of how garbage D&D 5e actually is, and I believe it gets a pass for the things it doesn't do well. Overrated, but I still respect it a ton.
Score: 85
2017
NieR: Automata is a masterpiece, one that won't particularly hit for 100% of the players who play it, or even perhaps 50%. NieR: Automata plays with specific thematics of existential dread, humanity, and not having a purpose. For someone who was going through a phase of depression at the time, where I felt lost and didn't really know what I wanted to do in life, like I had no given purpose - NieR hit me like a freight train. It helps that I'm a big fan of hack-and-slashy gameplay, along with beautiful music. NieR has one of the best soundtracks in gaming thanks to their unique take on vocals in music via the Chaos language - a language that amounts to nothing more than gibberish, for any actual language would take away from the experience in the eyes of the composers. It's a genius decision, since the music helps build NieR's melancholy, hopeless world.
Score: 97
Score: 97
2023
Sea of Stars is a middling JRPG at best and I don't understand why the media rated it so highly. The characters in this game are bland and one-note. The gameplay is dull, with barely any progression to the skillsets of the characters beyond DualTechs.
The generic piss-poor writing screams "I'm so quirky!" and it never lands. It's plain annoying. I hate this game and I don't understand why people like it.
I'll give it credit for looking just like a GBA era JRPG but that's it.
Score: 55
The generic piss-poor writing screams "I'm so quirky!" and it never lands. It's plain annoying. I hate this game and I don't understand why people like it.
I'll give it credit for looking just like a GBA era JRPG but that's it.
Score: 55
2023
Not everyone is going to jive with Octopath Traveler II, and I fully understand that. Its key flaws are that well, it's too easy compared to the original - and that its story is disjointed, just like the original. So it becomes niche in a genre that's already somewhat niche (JRPGs).
BUT - Octopath Traveler II is phenomenal if you can get past those flaws. Every party member is fantastic when it comes to characterization and voice acting. Their stories may vary in quality, but they're all at baseline good. There's more interconnectivity in OT2 compared to the original, more side missions where the party members mingle together, and the party members actually talk to each other mid-combat, etc. The new Latent Power system is great, as well as the other improvements to the first game's mechanics.
It's JRPG perfection, with a banger soundtrack to boot. It easily should've been nominated for Best Score and Best RPG of 2023. And quite frankly, it was my Game of the Year for 2023. Outstanding achievement for Team Asano, and I can't wait for what's next.
Score: 96
BUT - Octopath Traveler II is phenomenal if you can get past those flaws. Every party member is fantastic when it comes to characterization and voice acting. Their stories may vary in quality, but they're all at baseline good. There's more interconnectivity in OT2 compared to the original, more side missions where the party members mingle together, and the party members actually talk to each other mid-combat, etc. The new Latent Power system is great, as well as the other improvements to the first game's mechanics.
It's JRPG perfection, with a banger soundtrack to boot. It easily should've been nominated for Best Score and Best RPG of 2023. And quite frankly, it was my Game of the Year for 2023. Outstanding achievement for Team Asano, and I can't wait for what's next.
Score: 96
This game was THQ Nordic's attempt to make a new game in the same vein as Battle for Bikini Bottom. Apparently the remaster of BFB did well enough that Cosmic Shake got greenlit. And I did enjoy Cosmic Shake as a big BFB enjoyer, but eh... it just lacks a lot of heart the original had. SpongeBob is the only playable character this time around, and while the world design is cool, the game is much more condensed since it doesn't have the progression of the Spatulas that BFB has.
It almost feels like THQ Nordic got too excited to make a new BFB spiritual successor that they didn't stop to think about what made BFB so charming. And as a result, they made a solid game, but one that pales in comparison. Overall, good game, but disappointing and has plenty of wasted potential should they have spent more time with it.
God, am I getting this nuanced talking about a SpongeBob game?
Score: 75
It almost feels like THQ Nordic got too excited to make a new BFB spiritual successor that they didn't stop to think about what made BFB so charming. And as a result, they made a solid game, but one that pales in comparison. Overall, good game, but disappointing and has plenty of wasted potential should they have spent more time with it.
God, am I getting this nuanced talking about a SpongeBob game?
Score: 75
2008
This game's super nostalgic and has an aesthetic that Fallout 4 and New Vegas don't quite capture. It's an excellent title and is definitely not deserving of all the hate it gates. Fallout 3 brought the series back to life, brought it to 3D, and did it well! Yet... all of a sudden people hate it because of one YouTube video? Nonsense.
Fallout 3's still great. It's a little dated, I'll admit that, but it still stands as a very good game.
Score: 90
Fallout 3's still great. It's a little dated, I'll admit that, but it still stands as a very good game.
Score: 90
2000
Final Fantasy IX plays with some themes similar to NieR: Automata, and I think Vivi is the storyline that got me the most out of any of the party members. I fully didn't expect it to. The existential dread thematic there was fantastically written. For such a colorful and whimsical-looking Final Fantasy game, it's quite dark when it comes to its story despite having the usual Final Fantasy silliness at times. Which I adore. I believe most of Final Fantasy IX's shortcomings are counteracted by how well the plot is pulled off, and although I don't find it the most fun Final Fantasy to play, I think it's firmly the best one.
Score: 96
Score: 96
1997
This review contains spoilers
Final Fantasy VII is about loss, and it plays with that theme beautifully. It deserves its place as one of the best games of all time because of that. When Aerith dies in this game, she's gone for good. She doesn't come back. An empty hole is in your party screen for the rest of the game. There's nobody who fills that slot, no replacement, nothing. You have to move on. And that's what loss and grief is about.
Every single character in this game deals with loss. Cloud lost his memories, Aerith, his mother in Nibelheim, and Zack. Tifa lost people in Nibelheim too. Barret lost Dyno. Vincent lost Lucrecia. You get it. I just feel like that lingering pain and empathy you feel while adventuring through FF7 is unrivaled when it comes to gaming, and that's why people love it so much.
Also, the Materia system is just awesome, and it's probably one of my favorite RPG mechanics in the series.
I go back and forth over whether I like this game or FF9 more as my favorite FF, but you know? It doesn't matter. FF7 stands on its own regardless and they're both phenomenal.
(Played it as a kid, replayed last year)
Score: 95
Every single character in this game deals with loss. Cloud lost his memories, Aerith, his mother in Nibelheim, and Zack. Tifa lost people in Nibelheim too. Barret lost Dyno. Vincent lost Lucrecia. You get it. I just feel like that lingering pain and empathy you feel while adventuring through FF7 is unrivaled when it comes to gaming, and that's why people love it so much.
Also, the Materia system is just awesome, and it's probably one of my favorite RPG mechanics in the series.
I go back and forth over whether I like this game or FF9 more as my favorite FF, but you know? It doesn't matter. FF7 stands on its own regardless and they're both phenomenal.
(Played it as a kid, replayed last year)
Score: 95
2013
I'm not sure why this game is getting so much retroactive hate. It plays off Americana beautifully for a story that's a bit confusing on the surface, but still rather intriguing overall. Not only that, but the dynamic between Booker and Elizabeth is excellent. BioShock Infinite is a damn good shooter as well, with enjoyable gunplay combined with the Vigors making it excellent. I've replayed this game about 3 times already, and I had a good time each run. It might be my favorite single-player FPS ever(?).
Score: 95
Score: 95
[All of this applies to HeartGold as well]
The most overrated Pokemon game. Terrible level curve, and most Johtonian Pokemon aren't even available until the post-game. Nothing happens in the main plot, and the antagonists barely do anything unlike other Pokemon games. Kanto is good nostalgia bait until you realize it has barely changed at all, so you're really just playing Kanto again. HGSS is better than the originals, but it doesn't do enough to truly fix any of the core problems Gen 2 has despite looking pretty.
Full Gen 2 review: https://medium.com/super-jump/johto-flawed-nostalgia-badc58b330ec
Score: 74
The most overrated Pokemon game. Terrible level curve, and most Johtonian Pokemon aren't even available until the post-game. Nothing happens in the main plot, and the antagonists barely do anything unlike other Pokemon games. Kanto is good nostalgia bait until you realize it has barely changed at all, so you're really just playing Kanto again. HGSS is better than the originals, but it doesn't do enough to truly fix any of the core problems Gen 2 has despite looking pretty.
Full Gen 2 review: https://medium.com/super-jump/johto-flawed-nostalgia-badc58b330ec
Score: 74