CtheIronblooded
2019
The TL;DR of it is, the game is a masterpiece and my new fave in the series surpassing even Ys VIII.
Now for my full detailed review.
Story: Ys VIII laid the groundwork for a more story driven Ys and Monstrum Nox just amplified it by 11. This is the most detailed and narrative driven Ys game to date and it's a fantastic one at that. It has a much darker, oppressive and mature tone than any other Ys game and it works incredibly well with the setting.
The basic premise is Adol and Dogi arrive in the prison city of Balduq, Adol immediately gets detained for suspicious activity due to his past adventures, Adol escapes the prison and on his way out he meets a mysterious woman name Aprilis who shoots him with a magical bullet turning him into a Monstrum. A cursed superhuman being with paranormal powers who is bound to fight demons in a parallel dimension called the Grimwald Nox, oh and they can't leave the city. So now Adol must break his curse to escape the city and be able to set off on his next adventure.
The story honestly blew me away in this game. I see people say it's inferior to VIII, but while Ys VIII had a solid story it wasn't the story that made that game incredible, it was that feeling of adventure. Ys IX doesn't have as much of that feeling because the whole point of the game is Adol is trapped from going on his next big adventure, he has to break this curse so he can be free to go on another adventure basically, but what it lacks in that tone and feeling it makes up for with a much more personal story with some incredible plot-twists and mysteries to unravel and the underlying themes of self-discovery and embracing the future while not letting your past define you felt more like something you'd see explored in the Persona or Trails series than it did Ys, but it was executed incredibly well and told a story just as captivating, emotional and memorable as those series are known for.
World-building: It's no secret Falcom are masters of world-building and Ys IX proves that once again. All throughout my playthrough I never got tired of learning about the massive history of Balduq. Between the legends of the ancient Hundred Years War and Saint Rosvita, the Nors mythology and gods (Even if it is just basically Norse mythology lol) to the political struggles of the Romun Empire or something as simple as the business practices of the Pendleton Trading Company, the city of Balduq always felt lively and realistic and easy to be immersed in. Another thing to note is the many mentions and references of Adol's previous adventures by various characters really enhances enjoyment if you've witnessed those older games for yourself.
Characters: I loved every single character in this game. From all 6 major party members to every single NPC that joins as a collaborator for your home base at the Dandelion Bar. They were all fantastically written, with so much depth, detail and development that when I finished the game and played the epilogue saying my goodbyes to every one made me cry because how much I came to love everyone. Even minor NPCs you talk to around the world like Jeannette and Reno have so much personality I know I'll fondly look back on my memories of the people I met in Balduq for years to come. I also have to mention I love the formula of the first 6 chapters being dedicated to learning all about a character of the main party, while slowly unravelling the greater mystery at hand as well.
Combat: This is what Ys has always been known for and Ys IX, simply put, has the best and most fluid combat in the series yet. It takes the same system Ys VIII had with the 3 character party member swapping system, each character having their own attack type of slash, strike or pierce due to different enemies being weak to different types and learning new skills as you level up to assign to various button combinations and execute combos, but polishes and refines to absolute perfection. Also bringing back the Boost gauge from the old Ys games like Origin/Felghana was a really nice touch.
Side Note: Raid battles from Ys VIII are also back, but this time their entire purpose ties into the actual plotline of the game and work much better for it.
Level Design/Exploration: It takes some real balls to have your game take place in 90% one area and it takes even more to actually be able to pull it off. Ys IX most definitely pulls it off. The prison city of Balduq and the outskirts surrounding it are both packed to the brim with secret areas and collectibles to find by utilizing all of the Monstrum's Gift abilities like a wall run, a glide or grapple hook which made the movement and exploration of Ys IX some of the most enjoyable and satisfying of any game I've ever played. All the dungeons were very well designed and fun to explore as well. Yes the visual representation is much more subdued compared to VIII or most other Ys games, but I really couldn't picture this story being told any other way, it wouldn't have kept the same kind of oppressive and claustrophobic tone if you enjoyed being imprisoned in the city because it looks beautiful, not to mention I think the grey, dark and dreary color scheme and gothic scenery helps to contrast the vibrantly colorful and almost visual-kei looking designs of the Monstrums and make them stick out that much more.
Bosses: All the bosses were excellently designed with a lot of later bosses even implementing the use of the various Monstrum gifts in battle in clever ways. The final boss was one of the most epic I've fought in both the whole Ys series and just any video game in general.
Music: Ys is known for having OSTs that are equally as amazing and heart racing as it's fast paced gameplay and Monstrum Nox continues this trend. Sure there's some more variety than usual with more orchestral tracks and melancholic piano pieces for mood setting, but the intense, shreddy neo-classical metal tracks are just as prevalent and you'll hear not only some jaw dropping guitar work, but lots of baroque instruments like harpsichord as well which fit perfectly with the gothic aesthetics.
All in all Ys IX: Monstrum Nox was everything I could've ever wanted and more. Taking all the best things Ys VIII laid the groundwork for and amplifying them to 11, adding an even greater emphasis on story, world-building and character development while staying true to the series lightning fast gameplay and infectiously catchy music along with incredible metroidvania-like exploration makes Ys IX not only the strongest entry in the Ys series to me, but an instant classic, an all time favorite and even a strong contender for Game of the Year, despite the Year just starting. The time I spent in the prison city of Balduq with Adol and friends is not something I'll be forgetting any time soon and I'm already greatly anticipating Adol's next big adventure.
Now for my full detailed review.
Story: Ys VIII laid the groundwork for a more story driven Ys and Monstrum Nox just amplified it by 11. This is the most detailed and narrative driven Ys game to date and it's a fantastic one at that. It has a much darker, oppressive and mature tone than any other Ys game and it works incredibly well with the setting.
The basic premise is Adol and Dogi arrive in the prison city of Balduq, Adol immediately gets detained for suspicious activity due to his past adventures, Adol escapes the prison and on his way out he meets a mysterious woman name Aprilis who shoots him with a magical bullet turning him into a Monstrum. A cursed superhuman being with paranormal powers who is bound to fight demons in a parallel dimension called the Grimwald Nox, oh and they can't leave the city. So now Adol must break his curse to escape the city and be able to set off on his next adventure.
The story honestly blew me away in this game. I see people say it's inferior to VIII, but while Ys VIII had a solid story it wasn't the story that made that game incredible, it was that feeling of adventure. Ys IX doesn't have as much of that feeling because the whole point of the game is Adol is trapped from going on his next big adventure, he has to break this curse so he can be free to go on another adventure basically, but what it lacks in that tone and feeling it makes up for with a much more personal story with some incredible plot-twists and mysteries to unravel and the underlying themes of self-discovery and embracing the future while not letting your past define you felt more like something you'd see explored in the Persona or Trails series than it did Ys, but it was executed incredibly well and told a story just as captivating, emotional and memorable as those series are known for.
World-building: It's no secret Falcom are masters of world-building and Ys IX proves that once again. All throughout my playthrough I never got tired of learning about the massive history of Balduq. Between the legends of the ancient Hundred Years War and Saint Rosvita, the Nors mythology and gods (Even if it is just basically Norse mythology lol) to the political struggles of the Romun Empire or something as simple as the business practices of the Pendleton Trading Company, the city of Balduq always felt lively and realistic and easy to be immersed in. Another thing to note is the many mentions and references of Adol's previous adventures by various characters really enhances enjoyment if you've witnessed those older games for yourself.
Characters: I loved every single character in this game. From all 6 major party members to every single NPC that joins as a collaborator for your home base at the Dandelion Bar. They were all fantastically written, with so much depth, detail and development that when I finished the game and played the epilogue saying my goodbyes to every one made me cry because how much I came to love everyone. Even minor NPCs you talk to around the world like Jeannette and Reno have so much personality I know I'll fondly look back on my memories of the people I met in Balduq for years to come. I also have to mention I love the formula of the first 6 chapters being dedicated to learning all about a character of the main party, while slowly unravelling the greater mystery at hand as well.
Combat: This is what Ys has always been known for and Ys IX, simply put, has the best and most fluid combat in the series yet. It takes the same system Ys VIII had with the 3 character party member swapping system, each character having their own attack type of slash, strike or pierce due to different enemies being weak to different types and learning new skills as you level up to assign to various button combinations and execute combos, but polishes and refines to absolute perfection. Also bringing back the Boost gauge from the old Ys games like Origin/Felghana was a really nice touch.
Side Note: Raid battles from Ys VIII are also back, but this time their entire purpose ties into the actual plotline of the game and work much better for it.
Level Design/Exploration: It takes some real balls to have your game take place in 90% one area and it takes even more to actually be able to pull it off. Ys IX most definitely pulls it off. The prison city of Balduq and the outskirts surrounding it are both packed to the brim with secret areas and collectibles to find by utilizing all of the Monstrum's Gift abilities like a wall run, a glide or grapple hook which made the movement and exploration of Ys IX some of the most enjoyable and satisfying of any game I've ever played. All the dungeons were very well designed and fun to explore as well. Yes the visual representation is much more subdued compared to VIII or most other Ys games, but I really couldn't picture this story being told any other way, it wouldn't have kept the same kind of oppressive and claustrophobic tone if you enjoyed being imprisoned in the city because it looks beautiful, not to mention I think the grey, dark and dreary color scheme and gothic scenery helps to contrast the vibrantly colorful and almost visual-kei looking designs of the Monstrums and make them stick out that much more.
Bosses: All the bosses were excellently designed with a lot of later bosses even implementing the use of the various Monstrum gifts in battle in clever ways. The final boss was one of the most epic I've fought in both the whole Ys series and just any video game in general.
Music: Ys is known for having OSTs that are equally as amazing and heart racing as it's fast paced gameplay and Monstrum Nox continues this trend. Sure there's some more variety than usual with more orchestral tracks and melancholic piano pieces for mood setting, but the intense, shreddy neo-classical metal tracks are just as prevalent and you'll hear not only some jaw dropping guitar work, but lots of baroque instruments like harpsichord as well which fit perfectly with the gothic aesthetics.
All in all Ys IX: Monstrum Nox was everything I could've ever wanted and more. Taking all the best things Ys VIII laid the groundwork for and amplifying them to 11, adding an even greater emphasis on story, world-building and character development while staying true to the series lightning fast gameplay and infectiously catchy music along with incredible metroidvania-like exploration makes Ys IX not only the strongest entry in the Ys series to me, but an instant classic, an all time favorite and even a strong contender for Game of the Year, despite the Year just starting. The time I spent in the prison city of Balduq with Adol and friends is not something I'll be forgetting any time soon and I'm already greatly anticipating Adol's next big adventure.
2012
It's just a super watered down, shallow, casualized version of Bejeweled with micro-transactions and p2w features. Why anyone would ever play this over Bejeweled is seriously beyond me.
Yeah it's addicting, but so is crack and you wouldn't do crack (Well I hope you wouldn't at least) so stop doing Candy Crush as well.
Yeah it's addicting, but so is crack and you wouldn't do crack (Well I hope you wouldn't at least) so stop doing Candy Crush as well.
The World Ends With You is truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I wish I would've played this game years ago on the DS, but better late than never. I've been playing RPGs for over 2 decades now and I was just blown away by the sheer amount of creativity this game has to offer, I've never played anything else quite like it and I loved absolutely everything about it.
In The World Ends With You we follow the narrative of an anti-social teenager named Neku Sakuraba who finds himself in the Shibuya shopping district in Tokyo, but it isn't the Shibuya he knows, no, this is an alternate plane of existence ran by mysterious beings known as Reapers who are forcing everyone here to play a deadly death game known as the Reapers Game where your only means of survival is to work together with a partner and clear daily missions set by the Reapers themselves, those who fail face the threat of being erased from existence itself. There's one major problem though, Neku has what I call 'J-RPG protagonist syndrome' meaning that he's come down with a bad case of amnesia and is about as clueless as to what's going on as we the player are ourselves. How did Neku end up in this plane of existence? Just who are the Reapers and what is their end game? This and many more questions will be answered as you progress through the 25 hour main narrative and what a narrative it is too! I'm a sucker for a great mystery and that is exactly what TWEWY is, a compelling mystery with many unexpected twists and turns and I was thoroughly captivated from start to finish.
Aside from the plot itself, one of the most important things about a great J-RPG is equally great characters and thankfully TWEWY excels on this level as well. Neku meets many colorful characters during his journey and though he is reluctant to open up to them at first, he has incredible development and slowly learns to trust and work alongside his new friends and partners. All the main characters are complex with fleshed out personalities and relatable human struggles.
Combat can be experienced in two ways, 1) playing the Switch in handheld mode which uses the touch screen or 2) playing docked which utilizes the Switch's motion control features and though it has a bit of a learning curve and takes some time to get used to I really ended up loving it. Neku and friends engage in combat by using abilities called 'psychs' which come from collectible pins that can be activated in various ways like tapping, scratching, slashing and pressing the screen, the enemies on the screen and sometimes Neku himself. The sheer variety in the abilities and how you can fastly chain them together made the combat system continuously fresh and fun. I also liked how all the pins have brands attached to them and attacking with different brands in different areas of the map will increase their power.
Another major thing that defines TWEWY is the art direction and music. TWEWY has a very big urban/street aesthetic to it in everything from the character designs to the backgrounds, hell even all the fashion brands the characters wear in game and the OST as well which is full of hip hop and R&B tracks (Which are bangers btw). All of this combined gives TWEWY a very distinct and one-of-a-kind style that stands out from all its other J-RPG counterparts.
When all is said and done I never got to play TWEWY back on the DS so I have no nostalgia for this game and everything I'm typing right now are 100% my honest thoughts and those thoughts say that this game is simply an incredible J-RPG unlike anything else I've ever played before that is just dripping in distinctive style, utilizing a super fun combat system, featuring a compelling narrative full of mystery and suspense alongside a well written cast of eclectic characters and an absolutely banging OST making it a must play for any J-RPG fan.
In The World Ends With You we follow the narrative of an anti-social teenager named Neku Sakuraba who finds himself in the Shibuya shopping district in Tokyo, but it isn't the Shibuya he knows, no, this is an alternate plane of existence ran by mysterious beings known as Reapers who are forcing everyone here to play a deadly death game known as the Reapers Game where your only means of survival is to work together with a partner and clear daily missions set by the Reapers themselves, those who fail face the threat of being erased from existence itself. There's one major problem though, Neku has what I call 'J-RPG protagonist syndrome' meaning that he's come down with a bad case of amnesia and is about as clueless as to what's going on as we the player are ourselves. How did Neku end up in this plane of existence? Just who are the Reapers and what is their end game? This and many more questions will be answered as you progress through the 25 hour main narrative and what a narrative it is too! I'm a sucker for a great mystery and that is exactly what TWEWY is, a compelling mystery with many unexpected twists and turns and I was thoroughly captivated from start to finish.
Aside from the plot itself, one of the most important things about a great J-RPG is equally great characters and thankfully TWEWY excels on this level as well. Neku meets many colorful characters during his journey and though he is reluctant to open up to them at first, he has incredible development and slowly learns to trust and work alongside his new friends and partners. All the main characters are complex with fleshed out personalities and relatable human struggles.
Combat can be experienced in two ways, 1) playing the Switch in handheld mode which uses the touch screen or 2) playing docked which utilizes the Switch's motion control features and though it has a bit of a learning curve and takes some time to get used to I really ended up loving it. Neku and friends engage in combat by using abilities called 'psychs' which come from collectible pins that can be activated in various ways like tapping, scratching, slashing and pressing the screen, the enemies on the screen and sometimes Neku himself. The sheer variety in the abilities and how you can fastly chain them together made the combat system continuously fresh and fun. I also liked how all the pins have brands attached to them and attacking with different brands in different areas of the map will increase their power.
Another major thing that defines TWEWY is the art direction and music. TWEWY has a very big urban/street aesthetic to it in everything from the character designs to the backgrounds, hell even all the fashion brands the characters wear in game and the OST as well which is full of hip hop and R&B tracks (Which are bangers btw). All of this combined gives TWEWY a very distinct and one-of-a-kind style that stands out from all its other J-RPG counterparts.
When all is said and done I never got to play TWEWY back on the DS so I have no nostalgia for this game and everything I'm typing right now are 100% my honest thoughts and those thoughts say that this game is simply an incredible J-RPG unlike anything else I've ever played before that is just dripping in distinctive style, utilizing a super fun combat system, featuring a compelling narrative full of mystery and suspense alongside a well written cast of eclectic characters and an absolutely banging OST making it a must play for any J-RPG fan.
2022
After about 35 hours I finished my first playthrough (I went for the Harmonious ending) and I have to say that Digimon Survive has become one of my favorite pieces of Digimon media now and I look forward to completing the other story routes as well.
Let's get this out of the way first, you may or may not know this already, but Survive is about 75% visual novel or more accurately put 75% ADV which is a kind of visual novel that utilizes point and click adventure game elements that let you explore and investigate your surroundings, Digimon Survive is closer to something like Danganronpa or Ace Attorney than Steins;Gate or Fate/Stay Night.
Digimon Survive features a sorta Shin Megami Tensei morality system where players dialogue choices will increase one of 3 stats Moral, Wrath or Harmony and these stats influence both the direction of the story (There's 4 different story routes) and the character's partner Digimon and their digievolution process. There are also 'Free Action' segments in each chapter where you'll have a limited number of actions to talk to your party members and build up affinity with them in a Persona-like manner.
Now as for the narrative of Survive the developers promised a uniquely dark and gritty take on Digimon and they weren't kidding, I don't think anyone was expecting Survive to be this dark. We follow a group of teenagers on a camping trip who visit an ancient shrine that honors the legend of creatures known as Kemonogami and soon after are spirited away to another world filled with these strange creatures, some want to help and become their partners and others want to use them in ritualistic human sacrifice. This is a tale of how friendships can be tested under extreme stress and trauma and a horrific tale of survival in a mysterious, unforgiving environment. Survive has a very dark and foreboding horror/thriller atmosphere almost right from the start and it really makes you fear for the characters lives. Danger is waiting around every corner and you never know who could meet with an untimely death next. I will say the plot can get a little formulaic and repetitive at times in the way it is told and the pacing starts out a bit slow, but once it picks up it really doesn't relent and there's a few good twists to the mystery that will compel you to the end.
While the characters all have their tropes and archetypes most of them also feel incredibly well written and quite realistic too. These kids all have their own personal issues and on top of that have to deal with extreme stress and anxiety, they have mental breakdowns, they develop PTSD and severe trauma, they witness death and horrible acts happen to their friends. The way the cast deals with everything reminds me of a horror movie cast because they're inexperienced, immature and often times let their fear cloud their judgment and because of that a lot of the time they don't make smart decisions, there's tons of interpersonal drama and mistrust between everyone, but how they develop and come to terms with these problems and still work together as a group is what makes them such great characters to me.
Graphically the game is undeniably out of date and could pass for something you'd see on the PS3 or a very high end mobile game, but despite its graphical setbacks the game still looks visually beautiful thanks to killer art design and very expressive character models. The OST sets the tone and helps enhance the atmosphere at all the right moments as well.
So as I mentioned in the beginning the game is 75% VN, well the other 25% is tactical RPG combat and it is mostly very standard tactical RPG gameplay. If you've played something like Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics you already know what to expect. Although the tactical gameplay is very barebones and nothing special battles are few and far between (Only a few in most chapters), but they provide just enough of a challenge that they never feel like a chore and the Digimon sprite work is gorgeous. For those who want more battles there is a 'Free Battle' option that unlocks where you can grind and get new Digimon to join your team with a Shin Megami Tensei styled interrogation mechanic. There's only a little over 100 Digimon in the game to collect and it mostly focuses on each of the character's partner Digimon much like the actual anime does.
I do need to mention my one biggest gripe with Survive and that is the localization and translation. There's a lot of typos or calling certain Digimon the wrong pronouns (like how Renamon is referred to as 'she' in one sentence and then in the next right after 'he' which just didn't make sense) and even improperly used words that don't correlate with what the Japanese voice actors (Who all do a marvelous job btw) are saying at times. It just makes me wish they would've paid for a full on English dub instead so what is being said at least translates to the words I'm reading.
At the end of the day Digimon Survive is not a monster taming/catching game and the tactical combat itself is definitely not even the selling point. You're mostly playing Survive for its story so if visual novels aren't your thing you should probably stay away, but for those who don't mind the extra reading and want a compelling Digimon mystery with a dark thriller twist I can't recommend Digimon Survive enough. It might not be the game a lot of people expected and its translation and localization definitely feel rushed and shoddy at times but that doesn't stop Digimon Survive from telling a compelling story and being a journey well worth experiencing.
Let's get this out of the way first, you may or may not know this already, but Survive is about 75% visual novel or more accurately put 75% ADV which is a kind of visual novel that utilizes point and click adventure game elements that let you explore and investigate your surroundings, Digimon Survive is closer to something like Danganronpa or Ace Attorney than Steins;Gate or Fate/Stay Night.
Digimon Survive features a sorta Shin Megami Tensei morality system where players dialogue choices will increase one of 3 stats Moral, Wrath or Harmony and these stats influence both the direction of the story (There's 4 different story routes) and the character's partner Digimon and their digievolution process. There are also 'Free Action' segments in each chapter where you'll have a limited number of actions to talk to your party members and build up affinity with them in a Persona-like manner.
Now as for the narrative of Survive the developers promised a uniquely dark and gritty take on Digimon and they weren't kidding, I don't think anyone was expecting Survive to be this dark. We follow a group of teenagers on a camping trip who visit an ancient shrine that honors the legend of creatures known as Kemonogami and soon after are spirited away to another world filled with these strange creatures, some want to help and become their partners and others want to use them in ritualistic human sacrifice. This is a tale of how friendships can be tested under extreme stress and trauma and a horrific tale of survival in a mysterious, unforgiving environment. Survive has a very dark and foreboding horror/thriller atmosphere almost right from the start and it really makes you fear for the characters lives. Danger is waiting around every corner and you never know who could meet with an untimely death next. I will say the plot can get a little formulaic and repetitive at times in the way it is told and the pacing starts out a bit slow, but once it picks up it really doesn't relent and there's a few good twists to the mystery that will compel you to the end.
While the characters all have their tropes and archetypes most of them also feel incredibly well written and quite realistic too. These kids all have their own personal issues and on top of that have to deal with extreme stress and anxiety, they have mental breakdowns, they develop PTSD and severe trauma, they witness death and horrible acts happen to their friends. The way the cast deals with everything reminds me of a horror movie cast because they're inexperienced, immature and often times let their fear cloud their judgment and because of that a lot of the time they don't make smart decisions, there's tons of interpersonal drama and mistrust between everyone, but how they develop and come to terms with these problems and still work together as a group is what makes them such great characters to me.
Graphically the game is undeniably out of date and could pass for something you'd see on the PS3 or a very high end mobile game, but despite its graphical setbacks the game still looks visually beautiful thanks to killer art design and very expressive character models. The OST sets the tone and helps enhance the atmosphere at all the right moments as well.
So as I mentioned in the beginning the game is 75% VN, well the other 25% is tactical RPG combat and it is mostly very standard tactical RPG gameplay. If you've played something like Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics you already know what to expect. Although the tactical gameplay is very barebones and nothing special battles are few and far between (Only a few in most chapters), but they provide just enough of a challenge that they never feel like a chore and the Digimon sprite work is gorgeous. For those who want more battles there is a 'Free Battle' option that unlocks where you can grind and get new Digimon to join your team with a Shin Megami Tensei styled interrogation mechanic. There's only a little over 100 Digimon in the game to collect and it mostly focuses on each of the character's partner Digimon much like the actual anime does.
I do need to mention my one biggest gripe with Survive and that is the localization and translation. There's a lot of typos or calling certain Digimon the wrong pronouns (like how Renamon is referred to as 'she' in one sentence and then in the next right after 'he' which just didn't make sense) and even improperly used words that don't correlate with what the Japanese voice actors (Who all do a marvelous job btw) are saying at times. It just makes me wish they would've paid for a full on English dub instead so what is being said at least translates to the words I'm reading.
At the end of the day Digimon Survive is not a monster taming/catching game and the tactical combat itself is definitely not even the selling point. You're mostly playing Survive for its story so if visual novels aren't your thing you should probably stay away, but for those who don't mind the extra reading and want a compelling Digimon mystery with a dark thriller twist I can't recommend Digimon Survive enough. It might not be the game a lot of people expected and its translation and localization definitely feel rushed and shoddy at times but that doesn't stop Digimon Survive from telling a compelling story and being a journey well worth experiencing.
Not only one of the greatest modern metroidvanias, but just one of the best of all time. Perfectly polished combat, lots of variety in power-ups and abilities, marvelously designed levels, challenging, but fair bosses, beautifully composed OST and awesome Tim Burton-esque art design and aesthetics. I have nothing negative to say about this masterpiece.
2013
Yeah it's an unpolished, rushed mess. Yeah the frame-rate is horrible, yeah the combat is clunky as hell, but I don't care because the music, characters and story are all so great and despite all the jank it still manages to be so much fun.
Zero is the best female character that Yoko Taro has ever written (Sorry Automata fans) and I would pay her a lot of money to step on me...Repeatedly.
Zero is the best female character that Yoko Taro has ever written (Sorry Automata fans) and I would pay her a lot of money to step on me...Repeatedly.
I have been super excited for Midnight Suns ever since it was first announced. A Marvel game made by XCOM devs Firaxis where I replace my nameless troops for iconic superheroes? Sounds awesome to me! However Midnight Suns has very little in common with XCOM and while that might have been disappointing for a lot of people looking forward to the game, for me the game we got is somehow even better than Marvel themed XCOM because we got a Marvel themed Mass Effect/Persona/Slay the Spire hybrid instead and it is a game I never knew I wanted so bad until I actually played it, but more on that in a bit.
Let's talk about story first because as with all RPGs that is the primary focus and the bulk of your 50 to 100 hour runtime is going to center around it. Everything I'm about to talk about happens within the first hour so this is spoiler free btw. In Midnight Suns the big bad is Lilith, the Mother of Demons who was recently resurrected by Hydra mad scientist Doctor Faustus. Lilith's goal is to herald the second coming of the eldritch Elder God of chaos, Chthon (Basically the Marvel equivalent to Cthulhu) and bring about the end of all creation as we know it and to do this she creates her own army made up of mind controlled Hydra soldiers, corrupted super villains such as Venom and Sabertooth and of course her own demonic forces as well. The Avengers are no match for Lilith so who can stop her?
Well that is where the protagonist of our story comes in. Enter The Hunter, a Commander Shepard-like blank slate for the player to customize as they see fit in the form of an ancient demon hunter from 1,700s Salem and the prophesied chosen one to stop Lilith. Oh yeah did I mention The Hunter is also Lilith's child and is in a constant struggle between the light and dark powers inside of them? No? Well they are and that makes for a very compelling and emotional dynamic between the main hero and villain. I personally found the tale of The Hunter and Lilith to be more entertaining than 99% of the MCU. That is not to say the story is not without its tropes that plague nearly all superhero media, but the amount of unique charm and passion put into this story is simply undeniable and helps it stand out from its contemporaries.
The main plot is simply put, batshit insane and almost feels like it was torn right off the pages of a classic Silver Age comic to be portrayed as a campy B-movie in the best way possible (With all the one-liners and over-the-top action that comes with the territory). I know I'm in the minority when I say this, but THIS is the kind of stuff that I wish the MCU did more of (Precisely the reason Multiverse of Madness is my fave movie in the MCU), Midnight Suns is a game that was made by people who clearly have a deep love and understanding of exactly what makes the medium of comic books so fun and enjoyable and they transferred that Marvel(ously) into a video game with tons of over-the-top action and set-pieces that a silver screen just couldn't do justice.
With all that said the main plot is merely half of the game because as I mentioned earlier this game takes a lot of inspiration from Persona (or Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Trails of Cold Steel etc) and when you're not experiencing the crazy tale of Hunter and Lilith you'll be at your base of operations known as the Abbey which is essentially a magical boarding house for all the heroes to stay at and while in the Abbey The Hunter can do many things (Which I'll come back to later), but the most important one is bonding with your fellow heroes by doing social link style mundane day-to-day events including everything from playing video games with Ghost Rider to Meditating with Doctor Strange or just having a drink at the bar with Iron Man. I also want to mention aside from the day-to-day events there are also special side quest club-like activities you can follow at certain times through the whole game like joining a shop class with Iron Man and Ghost Rider or a book club with Blade and Captain Marvel.
During these hangouts you get a variety of dialogue choices and choosing the right one will help build your friendship meter with said hero. The dialogue trees themselves remind me of a classic BioWare RPG like Mass Effect or Dragon Age and there's even a light and dark system which changes how different characters view the Hunter and also give the Hunter new powers, cosmetics and various passive buffs in combat. As your Hunter hangs out with the heroes they will slowly get closer and open up to you more about their backstories, inner conflicts and likes and dislikes and everything between. Firaxis basically came as close to making a dating sim without actually making a dating sim (There is some light flirting though) and the Hunter can essentially become BFFs with any hero they max out their friendship with, some say the way the friendships progress comes across as very fanfic like, but personally I think it comes across as pretty organic and natural due to the Hunter's backstory and history being relatable to many of the heroes in various ways.
Midnight Suns is a game of many tones and it flawlessly executes them all, managing to capture that ridiculous over-the-top 70s campy comic book style in the main plot, yet knowing when to get suitably dark and emotional as well, but the best and most unique part of it all has to be portraying such a great down to earth vibe with the friendship and team building mechanics that show all the mundane day-to-day events between heroes during your down time from the main plot. From Avengers to X-Men, Runaways, the titular Midnight Sons and more this cast is absolutely stacked with some of Marvel's best and coolest characters and we get to see as friendships bloom between them, rivalries form and various team conflicts happens and that's just the tip of the iceberg, just walking around the Abbey after a mission you can listen to heroes have casual conversations with each other and there is even an in game text messaging app all the heroes use which provides some great interactions.
This one game did a better job of making all these characters feel like a family than 20 movies in the MCU did and I know that's in no small part thanks to the fantastic voice acting performances which really helped to capture all the characters personalities, the fact those personalities are closer to the comics than their MCU counterparts and also most of these characters are voiced by the main actors who have been voicing them for years like Yuri Lowenthal as Spider-Man or Steve Blum as Wolverine definitely helps too. Even the characters with fresh voices were done justice like Michael Jai White as Blade or Matthew Mercer (If you play as the male Hunter which I did) as the voice of the Hunter themselves and hearing Jennifer Hale as Lilith was always a treat as well and that's just a few examples out of this massive cast too because everyone gets ample opportunity to shine. Fun fact: Btw this game has over 60,000 lines of unique voiced dialogue and it shows because the characters never ran out of things to say for me even after 80 hours.
So remember how I mentioned you could do many things at the Abbey? Well aside from bonding with your fellow heroes you can also explore the fairly sizable overworld map of the Abbey grounds which other than a small tutorial is completely optional for those who don't want to however you'd be doing yourself a disservice since I found doing it to be very immersive and rewarding because it expands the world-building and connects to a side quest which reveals more mysteries about the Hunter and their past through various documents and lore that can be found on the grounds through some light puzzle solving. There's also a decently in-depth resource management and crafting system and you can find treasure chests which unlock tons of new cosmetic options for the Hunter and skins for the other heroes.
I focused on the story, characters world etc first because this is an RPG and there was a LOT to talk about and with this game I believe Firaxis has established themselves with BioWare, Obsidian, Atlus and Falcom as one of the best RPG makers so I wanted to really go in-depth about why I believe that, but If you're still reading and you made it this far into the review it is finally time to talk about the combat system and honestly it's just as amazing as everything else this game has to offer.
With Midnight Suns Firaxis has created one of the most fun and enjoyable tactical combat systems I've ever experienced. On the surface it doesn't look like it has a lot of depth, but the more you play the deeper you realize it is. Like I mentioned earlier this is a card based combat system like Slay the Spire and every individual character has their own unique play style and set of ability cards which perfectly represent them and their unique set of abilities from Captain America drawing agro, taunting enemies and building up his resistance to Blade applying bleed and using life-steal. You can build everyone in so many different ways as you unlock new cards and level up characters by completing missions, throw in team combo attacks, using the environment and positioning of your characters to your advantage and there's just countless creative options and I barely even scratched the surface. Also the RNG of the cards keeps battles fresh even after 80 hours and the fact all the characters are well balanced and no one isn't fun to use makes this combat system so addictive. This is the natural evolution of the Slay the Spire style and I hope more games start using now. Also want to mention the attack animations are over-the-top, flashy and have all the impact one would expect from such big name heroes and I never got sick of watching them.
I almost forgot to mention the OST, but that certainly doesn't make it bad, on the contrary it is quite great. The main theme is very triumphant, heroic and reminiscent of Alan Silvestri's Avengers Theme while some other tracks you hear around the Abbey have a more whimsical and magical Danny Elfman feeling to them and the battle themes really pump you up being a a mix of orchestral and metal/rock instruments, the final battle theme which is my fave track in the game and essentially instrumental symphonic black metal.
Midnight Suns is simply put, the best comic book game I've ever played and it isn't even close. Midnight Suns was everything I ever could've dreamed of and more. As a fan of classic Marvel comics, immersive RPGs with tons of dialogue, world-building and character bonding, tactics games and card games, Midnight Suns vastly exceeded my expectations across all fields becoming a truly one-of-a-kind experience and amalgamation of a bunch of my personal favorite things that it almost feels like this game was manifested from my own thoughts.
I'll admit it has performance issues, the graphics look outdated by 2 generations and I'm sure a lot of people would get bored by how slow the story progresses (especially early game) and how grindy the missions can be, but I love everything about this game so much that it feels like it was tailored to my own personal tastes and for that Midnight Suns won't be for everyone, but I can certainly say it is without a doubt one of my favorite games of 2022.
Let's talk about story first because as with all RPGs that is the primary focus and the bulk of your 50 to 100 hour runtime is going to center around it. Everything I'm about to talk about happens within the first hour so this is spoiler free btw. In Midnight Suns the big bad is Lilith, the Mother of Demons who was recently resurrected by Hydra mad scientist Doctor Faustus. Lilith's goal is to herald the second coming of the eldritch Elder God of chaos, Chthon (Basically the Marvel equivalent to Cthulhu) and bring about the end of all creation as we know it and to do this she creates her own army made up of mind controlled Hydra soldiers, corrupted super villains such as Venom and Sabertooth and of course her own demonic forces as well. The Avengers are no match for Lilith so who can stop her?
Well that is where the protagonist of our story comes in. Enter The Hunter, a Commander Shepard-like blank slate for the player to customize as they see fit in the form of an ancient demon hunter from 1,700s Salem and the prophesied chosen one to stop Lilith. Oh yeah did I mention The Hunter is also Lilith's child and is in a constant struggle between the light and dark powers inside of them? No? Well they are and that makes for a very compelling and emotional dynamic between the main hero and villain. I personally found the tale of The Hunter and Lilith to be more entertaining than 99% of the MCU. That is not to say the story is not without its tropes that plague nearly all superhero media, but the amount of unique charm and passion put into this story is simply undeniable and helps it stand out from its contemporaries.
The main plot is simply put, batshit insane and almost feels like it was torn right off the pages of a classic Silver Age comic to be portrayed as a campy B-movie in the best way possible (With all the one-liners and over-the-top action that comes with the territory). I know I'm in the minority when I say this, but THIS is the kind of stuff that I wish the MCU did more of (Precisely the reason Multiverse of Madness is my fave movie in the MCU), Midnight Suns is a game that was made by people who clearly have a deep love and understanding of exactly what makes the medium of comic books so fun and enjoyable and they transferred that Marvel(ously) into a video game with tons of over-the-top action and set-pieces that a silver screen just couldn't do justice.
With all that said the main plot is merely half of the game because as I mentioned earlier this game takes a lot of inspiration from Persona (or Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Trails of Cold Steel etc) and when you're not experiencing the crazy tale of Hunter and Lilith you'll be at your base of operations known as the Abbey which is essentially a magical boarding house for all the heroes to stay at and while in the Abbey The Hunter can do many things (Which I'll come back to later), but the most important one is bonding with your fellow heroes by doing social link style mundane day-to-day events including everything from playing video games with Ghost Rider to Meditating with Doctor Strange or just having a drink at the bar with Iron Man. I also want to mention aside from the day-to-day events there are also special side quest club-like activities you can follow at certain times through the whole game like joining a shop class with Iron Man and Ghost Rider or a book club with Blade and Captain Marvel.
During these hangouts you get a variety of dialogue choices and choosing the right one will help build your friendship meter with said hero. The dialogue trees themselves remind me of a classic BioWare RPG like Mass Effect or Dragon Age and there's even a light and dark system which changes how different characters view the Hunter and also give the Hunter new powers, cosmetics and various passive buffs in combat. As your Hunter hangs out with the heroes they will slowly get closer and open up to you more about their backstories, inner conflicts and likes and dislikes and everything between. Firaxis basically came as close to making a dating sim without actually making a dating sim (There is some light flirting though) and the Hunter can essentially become BFFs with any hero they max out their friendship with, some say the way the friendships progress comes across as very fanfic like, but personally I think it comes across as pretty organic and natural due to the Hunter's backstory and history being relatable to many of the heroes in various ways.
Midnight Suns is a game of many tones and it flawlessly executes them all, managing to capture that ridiculous over-the-top 70s campy comic book style in the main plot, yet knowing when to get suitably dark and emotional as well, but the best and most unique part of it all has to be portraying such a great down to earth vibe with the friendship and team building mechanics that show all the mundane day-to-day events between heroes during your down time from the main plot. From Avengers to X-Men, Runaways, the titular Midnight Sons and more this cast is absolutely stacked with some of Marvel's best and coolest characters and we get to see as friendships bloom between them, rivalries form and various team conflicts happens and that's just the tip of the iceberg, just walking around the Abbey after a mission you can listen to heroes have casual conversations with each other and there is even an in game text messaging app all the heroes use which provides some great interactions.
This one game did a better job of making all these characters feel like a family than 20 movies in the MCU did and I know that's in no small part thanks to the fantastic voice acting performances which really helped to capture all the characters personalities, the fact those personalities are closer to the comics than their MCU counterparts and also most of these characters are voiced by the main actors who have been voicing them for years like Yuri Lowenthal as Spider-Man or Steve Blum as Wolverine definitely helps too. Even the characters with fresh voices were done justice like Michael Jai White as Blade or Matthew Mercer (If you play as the male Hunter which I did) as the voice of the Hunter themselves and hearing Jennifer Hale as Lilith was always a treat as well and that's just a few examples out of this massive cast too because everyone gets ample opportunity to shine. Fun fact: Btw this game has over 60,000 lines of unique voiced dialogue and it shows because the characters never ran out of things to say for me even after 80 hours.
So remember how I mentioned you could do many things at the Abbey? Well aside from bonding with your fellow heroes you can also explore the fairly sizable overworld map of the Abbey grounds which other than a small tutorial is completely optional for those who don't want to however you'd be doing yourself a disservice since I found doing it to be very immersive and rewarding because it expands the world-building and connects to a side quest which reveals more mysteries about the Hunter and their past through various documents and lore that can be found on the grounds through some light puzzle solving. There's also a decently in-depth resource management and crafting system and you can find treasure chests which unlock tons of new cosmetic options for the Hunter and skins for the other heroes.
I focused on the story, characters world etc first because this is an RPG and there was a LOT to talk about and with this game I believe Firaxis has established themselves with BioWare, Obsidian, Atlus and Falcom as one of the best RPG makers so I wanted to really go in-depth about why I believe that, but If you're still reading and you made it this far into the review it is finally time to talk about the combat system and honestly it's just as amazing as everything else this game has to offer.
With Midnight Suns Firaxis has created one of the most fun and enjoyable tactical combat systems I've ever experienced. On the surface it doesn't look like it has a lot of depth, but the more you play the deeper you realize it is. Like I mentioned earlier this is a card based combat system like Slay the Spire and every individual character has their own unique play style and set of ability cards which perfectly represent them and their unique set of abilities from Captain America drawing agro, taunting enemies and building up his resistance to Blade applying bleed and using life-steal. You can build everyone in so many different ways as you unlock new cards and level up characters by completing missions, throw in team combo attacks, using the environment and positioning of your characters to your advantage and there's just countless creative options and I barely even scratched the surface. Also the RNG of the cards keeps battles fresh even after 80 hours and the fact all the characters are well balanced and no one isn't fun to use makes this combat system so addictive. This is the natural evolution of the Slay the Spire style and I hope more games start using now. Also want to mention the attack animations are over-the-top, flashy and have all the impact one would expect from such big name heroes and I never got sick of watching them.
I almost forgot to mention the OST, but that certainly doesn't make it bad, on the contrary it is quite great. The main theme is very triumphant, heroic and reminiscent of Alan Silvestri's Avengers Theme while some other tracks you hear around the Abbey have a more whimsical and magical Danny Elfman feeling to them and the battle themes really pump you up being a a mix of orchestral and metal/rock instruments, the final battle theme which is my fave track in the game and essentially instrumental symphonic black metal.
Midnight Suns is simply put, the best comic book game I've ever played and it isn't even close. Midnight Suns was everything I ever could've dreamed of and more. As a fan of classic Marvel comics, immersive RPGs with tons of dialogue, world-building and character bonding, tactics games and card games, Midnight Suns vastly exceeded my expectations across all fields becoming a truly one-of-a-kind experience and amalgamation of a bunch of my personal favorite things that it almost feels like this game was manifested from my own thoughts.
I'll admit it has performance issues, the graphics look outdated by 2 generations and I'm sure a lot of people would get bored by how slow the story progresses (especially early game) and how grindy the missions can be, but I love everything about this game so much that it feels like it was tailored to my own personal tastes and for that Midnight Suns won't be for everyone, but I can certainly say it is without a doubt one of my favorite games of 2022.
2021
Tormented Souls is a retro throwback to classic survival horror and the first game from Chilean developers Dual Effect and for a low budget project made by such a small team it is a really damn impressive game!
You play as Caroline Walker, a Canadian girl in her 20s who one day receives a mysterious letter from the Wildberger Hospital with a picture of twin girls and the message "Do you think you can just simply abandon us here" on the back of the picture. Looking at the picture Caroline gets a sharp pain and she can't get it out of her head causing her to suffer from nightmares, so after 2 weeks she finally decides to go and investigate just what's going on at this hospital for herself. The story is mostly told in that classic survival horror method of drip-feeding the player information through various documents you find while exploring and while the actual plot wasn't bad despite being quite predictable, I was still always fully engrossed because reading all about the background of the setting and characters was often more interesting than the plot itself.
As I previously stated, Tormented Souls is a classic survival horror game and if it wasn't for the more polished and pristine graphical look everything from the tank controls and fixed camera angles to the resource management, exploration based puzzles, limited saves (Like RE's ink ribbons only tape reels instead), setting (It's a damn mansion that was remodeled into a hospital which is the perfect mix of both RE and SH), oppressive atmosphere, droning and unnerving OST, story and of course especially the campy, robotic voice acted dialogue could trick you into thinking you're actually playing a long forgotten gem from the PS2 era and I mean that in the best way possible.
I also want to make a special mention to the puzzles themselves because the developers went all out on them. These were some of the most clever, unique and at many times very confusing and cryptic puzzles I've experienced in quite some time. One of my favorite things about the game is how inventory items are used because most have multiple uses throughout the entire game and aren't just something you pick up, use on one specific puzzle and then it just dissolves from your inventory like in most games. There's legit an item you get at the very beginning of the game and it just chills in your inventory until almost the very end and that's so cool to me. The puzzles really make you use your brain and felt more akin to something you'd see in a point and click adventure game than a survival horror and while some might complain about them being a bit too cryptic or convoluted at times, I personally loved them.
Tormented Souls is a game made by fans of the classic survival horror genre with masterful knowledge of exactly what made the iconic 90s hits like Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Alone in the Dark as great as they were and why they're still regarded so highly today and while Tormented Souls is not accessible to newcomers of this genre in the slightest and it is a very (deliberately) dated game that is only going to appeal to hardcore genre fanatics, that doesn't change the fact it is one of the best survival horror games I've had the pleasure of experiencing in years and I can only hope we'll see more from Dual Effect in the future.
You play as Caroline Walker, a Canadian girl in her 20s who one day receives a mysterious letter from the Wildberger Hospital with a picture of twin girls and the message "Do you think you can just simply abandon us here" on the back of the picture. Looking at the picture Caroline gets a sharp pain and she can't get it out of her head causing her to suffer from nightmares, so after 2 weeks she finally decides to go and investigate just what's going on at this hospital for herself. The story is mostly told in that classic survival horror method of drip-feeding the player information through various documents you find while exploring and while the actual plot wasn't bad despite being quite predictable, I was still always fully engrossed because reading all about the background of the setting and characters was often more interesting than the plot itself.
As I previously stated, Tormented Souls is a classic survival horror game and if it wasn't for the more polished and pristine graphical look everything from the tank controls and fixed camera angles to the resource management, exploration based puzzles, limited saves (Like RE's ink ribbons only tape reels instead), setting (It's a damn mansion that was remodeled into a hospital which is the perfect mix of both RE and SH), oppressive atmosphere, droning and unnerving OST, story and of course especially the campy, robotic voice acted dialogue could trick you into thinking you're actually playing a long forgotten gem from the PS2 era and I mean that in the best way possible.
I also want to make a special mention to the puzzles themselves because the developers went all out on them. These were some of the most clever, unique and at many times very confusing and cryptic puzzles I've experienced in quite some time. One of my favorite things about the game is how inventory items are used because most have multiple uses throughout the entire game and aren't just something you pick up, use on one specific puzzle and then it just dissolves from your inventory like in most games. There's legit an item you get at the very beginning of the game and it just chills in your inventory until almost the very end and that's so cool to me. The puzzles really make you use your brain and felt more akin to something you'd see in a point and click adventure game than a survival horror and while some might complain about them being a bit too cryptic or convoluted at times, I personally loved them.
Tormented Souls is a game made by fans of the classic survival horror genre with masterful knowledge of exactly what made the iconic 90s hits like Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Alone in the Dark as great as they were and why they're still regarded so highly today and while Tormented Souls is not accessible to newcomers of this genre in the slightest and it is a very (deliberately) dated game that is only going to appeal to hardcore genre fanatics, that doesn't change the fact it is one of the best survival horror games I've had the pleasure of experiencing in years and I can only hope we'll see more from Dual Effect in the future.
2023
Resident Evil 4 is one of my all time favorite games. I've played it more times than I can count on multiple platforms, playing the game for the first time as a kid holds some of my fondest gaming memories and it just never gets old no matter how many times I experience it. So when I heard there was going to be a remake you can imagine I was very cautiously optimistic of it. I hoped for the best, but part of me also wondered "how can you even improve upon such an incredible game"? Well after clocking in over 24 hours on the Remake over the course of the past few days, I can confirm they did the impossible and made an already amazing game even better in just about every way imaginable.
Starting with the story, while the basic premise is still the same as we follow Leon S. Kennedy 6 years after the events of Raccoon City when he is tasked with the top secret mission of rescuing Ashley Graham, the daughter of the president of the United States from a remote village somewhere in Spain, but that's where the similarities end because so many of the main story beats and locations are re-imagined and changed around and after playing through this game as far as I'm concerned, it was for the better.
All the main characters and their personalities, their backgrounds and motivations, they are all fleshed out so much more compared to the original whether it be Leon who still retains his action hero personality and has tons of campy one-liners (both old and new), but now the narrative also explores how the aftermath of Raccoon City effected Leon and why he's so determined to not let a crisis like that happen again or Ashley who feels much less like just a damsel in distress for Leon to save and actually interacts with Leon more building up the chemistry and partner like bond between them and two of my fave characters Luis and Krauser have so much more depth as well also expanding in Leon's interactions with them and how it helps change him as a person. That's not even to mention how iconic villains like Mendez, Salazar, Verdugo and Saddler even feel fleshed out more thanks to notes you can find around the world which give a peek into their past life before the discovery of Las Plagas and it also helps that the voice acting work is all fantastic and really sells the performances even more too. Overall the writing is just top notch and without a doubt the best it has ever been in Resident Evil and while it is undeniably darker and more serious than the original game, there is also still plenty of the campy over-the-top charm from the original in tact too.
However it doesn't stop there because the gameplay has just as much improvement and refinement as well whether it be due to the new knife parrying mechanics and the resource crafting system which both add an extra level of strategy to combat encounters or the expanded treasure collecting and new Merchant requests which act as side quests to where the game encourages exploration in an almost metroidvania backtracking sense to pick up some things you can't get right away. Hell even the boss fights have been severely modified in the best way possible making them both more grandiose and over-the-top than the original and plenty challenging as well (The new Krauser fight gets my vote for the best fight in the whole series)
From the story to the gameplay, boss fights and everything in between there's just so much detail and clear passion that went into keeping the game true and loyal to the spirit of the original, but also very fresh and different at the same time and while some people will lament about a handful of iconic lines of dialogue being removed (However they're all still referenced in the names of achievements) or a few areas being reworked and a couple being removed entirely there's just as many cool new ideas implemented that I love as much in different ways so it all balances out for me in the end and while RE4 Remake will never have the revolutionary, iconic status as the original it will still certainly go down as just as much of a masterpiece as the original and arguably the greatest remake of all time.
Starting with the story, while the basic premise is still the same as we follow Leon S. Kennedy 6 years after the events of Raccoon City when he is tasked with the top secret mission of rescuing Ashley Graham, the daughter of the president of the United States from a remote village somewhere in Spain, but that's where the similarities end because so many of the main story beats and locations are re-imagined and changed around and after playing through this game as far as I'm concerned, it was for the better.
All the main characters and their personalities, their backgrounds and motivations, they are all fleshed out so much more compared to the original whether it be Leon who still retains his action hero personality and has tons of campy one-liners (both old and new), but now the narrative also explores how the aftermath of Raccoon City effected Leon and why he's so determined to not let a crisis like that happen again or Ashley who feels much less like just a damsel in distress for Leon to save and actually interacts with Leon more building up the chemistry and partner like bond between them and two of my fave characters Luis and Krauser have so much more depth as well also expanding in Leon's interactions with them and how it helps change him as a person. That's not even to mention how iconic villains like Mendez, Salazar, Verdugo and Saddler even feel fleshed out more thanks to notes you can find around the world which give a peek into their past life before the discovery of Las Plagas and it also helps that the voice acting work is all fantastic and really sells the performances even more too. Overall the writing is just top notch and without a doubt the best it has ever been in Resident Evil and while it is undeniably darker and more serious than the original game, there is also still plenty of the campy over-the-top charm from the original in tact too.
However it doesn't stop there because the gameplay has just as much improvement and refinement as well whether it be due to the new knife parrying mechanics and the resource crafting system which both add an extra level of strategy to combat encounters or the expanded treasure collecting and new Merchant requests which act as side quests to where the game encourages exploration in an almost metroidvania backtracking sense to pick up some things you can't get right away. Hell even the boss fights have been severely modified in the best way possible making them both more grandiose and over-the-top than the original and plenty challenging as well (The new Krauser fight gets my vote for the best fight in the whole series)
From the story to the gameplay, boss fights and everything in between there's just so much detail and clear passion that went into keeping the game true and loyal to the spirit of the original, but also very fresh and different at the same time and while some people will lament about a handful of iconic lines of dialogue being removed (However they're all still referenced in the names of achievements) or a few areas being reworked and a couple being removed entirely there's just as many cool new ideas implemented that I love as much in different ways so it all balances out for me in the end and while RE4 Remake will never have the revolutionary, iconic status as the original it will still certainly go down as just as much of a masterpiece as the original and arguably the greatest remake of all time.
2001
Insert Tidus laugh here
One of my all time favorite games and the best FF game. Amazing world, grand story, well written and fleshed out characters with good development, gorgeous music and fun combat, plus Blitzball. How could you ask for anything more?
One of my all time favorite games and the best FF game. Amazing world, grand story, well written and fleshed out characters with good development, gorgeous music and fun combat, plus Blitzball. How could you ask for anything more?
Better than the whole sequel trilogy. It's like The Last Jedi if it was actually good. The gameplay is a lot of fun too, feels very influenced by Sekiro and it is certainly one of the better and more polished non-FromSoft Soulslike games available.
Kotaro Uchikoshi has done it once again! AI: the Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative is every bit as much of a masterpiece as the first AI: The Somnium Files was. If the first AI was 999 then nirvanA Initiative is like VLR because it is darker, more emotional, longer and most importantly much more C O M P L E X (If you're a Zero Escape fan you'll get the joke).
In AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative you follow the dual narrative of Mizuki Date and her AI companion Aiba and Ryuki Kuruto and his AI partner Tama, two ABIS (Advanced Brain Investigation Squad) agents tasked with solving the Half-Body serial killings case and to do this they'll have to use the special piece of technology known as the Psync System which allows agents to enter people's dreamscape worlds known as Somniums and obtain information from suspects and witnesses that they otherwise wouldn't be able to retrieve. Just who is the killer? What is their motive? Why has the other half of a body from 6 years ago appeared now as if they were just killed yesterday? This and so many more questions will be answered as you traverse a mind-bending narrative drenched in thought provoking philosophical symbolism spanning a 6 year time-period, multiple interconnected character plotlines and the most insane twists and turns imaginable in only a way Uchikoshi can write.
nirvanA Initiative features a huge cast of characters with many returning from the first AI and plenty new faces as well. Aside from Mizuki most of the returning characters have smaller side roles this time around and the game focuses much more on the new characters to give them sufficient time to have proper development and fully fleshed out arcs. I have to say that the cast of characters is one of the best I've ever seen in a game with them all being very interesting, lovable and well written. There's not a single character I dislike. I'd say the fantastic voice acting performances (I played in English and this game without a doubt has one of the best dubs I've experienced in years) are another reason the characters felt so realistic and human to me as well.
The gameplay in nirvanA Initiative also vastly surpasses the first AI. The Somnium sequences were already great, but now they're better than ever being much more than simple trial and error with so much more creative dreamscapes that feature various unique gimmick mechanics (Like a quiz show in one or a Pokemon style game in another) there's more emphasis on Zero Escape style puzzle solving as well. Another feature that adds more diversity to the gameplay are the VR crime scene segments where you control the protagonist and walk around in 3rd person trying to solve the mystery of a crime scene in a VR space outside of Somniums.
The OST composed by Keisuke Ito is just as memorable as ever from the ethereal sounding main theme which fits the title of the game perfectly to the mysterious electronic changed investigation theme or the various Somnium specific music. Oh and if you played the first game and experienced the greatness of Invincible Rainbow Arrow, don't worry there's a new musical/dance number just as great for this game.
Even graphically nirvanA Initiative is superior to the first AI, I wouldn't say it is by a lot, but it is noticeable. nirvanA Initiative is much more action packed than the first AI and filled with many in engine over-the-top cut-scenes and thanks to stepping up the quality of the animations these scenes are always a joy to watch and don't feel as janky as in the first game.
nirvanA Initiative is everything you could ever want from a sequel to an already peak visual novel, expanding upon the lore of the established AI universe while telling a mind-bending action-packed murder mystery narrative with a colorful cast of characters both new and old, featuring gameplay in the form of fun and creative puzzle solving and investigating and an OST full of plenty of killer memorable tracks, all while looking better than ever thanks to the improved graphics and animation quality. Simply put, if you're a fan of visual novels or just incredible murder mystery stories in general you don't want to miss out on this one because it is right up there with the best the genre has to offer!
P.S. nirvanA Initiative gave me a whirlwind of emotions and I cried at so many different spots, easily one of the most emotional games I've played in recent memory that just left me feeling drained emotionally by the end of it and I mean that in the best way possible.
In AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative you follow the dual narrative of Mizuki Date and her AI companion Aiba and Ryuki Kuruto and his AI partner Tama, two ABIS (Advanced Brain Investigation Squad) agents tasked with solving the Half-Body serial killings case and to do this they'll have to use the special piece of technology known as the Psync System which allows agents to enter people's dreamscape worlds known as Somniums and obtain information from suspects and witnesses that they otherwise wouldn't be able to retrieve. Just who is the killer? What is their motive? Why has the other half of a body from 6 years ago appeared now as if they were just killed yesterday? This and so many more questions will be answered as you traverse a mind-bending narrative drenched in thought provoking philosophical symbolism spanning a 6 year time-period, multiple interconnected character plotlines and the most insane twists and turns imaginable in only a way Uchikoshi can write.
nirvanA Initiative features a huge cast of characters with many returning from the first AI and plenty new faces as well. Aside from Mizuki most of the returning characters have smaller side roles this time around and the game focuses much more on the new characters to give them sufficient time to have proper development and fully fleshed out arcs. I have to say that the cast of characters is one of the best I've ever seen in a game with them all being very interesting, lovable and well written. There's not a single character I dislike. I'd say the fantastic voice acting performances (I played in English and this game without a doubt has one of the best dubs I've experienced in years) are another reason the characters felt so realistic and human to me as well.
The gameplay in nirvanA Initiative also vastly surpasses the first AI. The Somnium sequences were already great, but now they're better than ever being much more than simple trial and error with so much more creative dreamscapes that feature various unique gimmick mechanics (Like a quiz show in one or a Pokemon style game in another) there's more emphasis on Zero Escape style puzzle solving as well. Another feature that adds more diversity to the gameplay are the VR crime scene segments where you control the protagonist and walk around in 3rd person trying to solve the mystery of a crime scene in a VR space outside of Somniums.
The OST composed by Keisuke Ito is just as memorable as ever from the ethereal sounding main theme which fits the title of the game perfectly to the mysterious electronic changed investigation theme or the various Somnium specific music. Oh and if you played the first game and experienced the greatness of Invincible Rainbow Arrow, don't worry there's a new musical/dance number just as great for this game.
Even graphically nirvanA Initiative is superior to the first AI, I wouldn't say it is by a lot, but it is noticeable. nirvanA Initiative is much more action packed than the first AI and filled with many in engine over-the-top cut-scenes and thanks to stepping up the quality of the animations these scenes are always a joy to watch and don't feel as janky as in the first game.
nirvanA Initiative is everything you could ever want from a sequel to an already peak visual novel, expanding upon the lore of the established AI universe while telling a mind-bending action-packed murder mystery narrative with a colorful cast of characters both new and old, featuring gameplay in the form of fun and creative puzzle solving and investigating and an OST full of plenty of killer memorable tracks, all while looking better than ever thanks to the improved graphics and animation quality. Simply put, if you're a fan of visual novels or just incredible murder mystery stories in general you don't want to miss out on this one because it is right up there with the best the genre has to offer!
P.S. nirvanA Initiative gave me a whirlwind of emotions and I cried at so many different spots, easily one of the most emotional games I've played in recent memory that just left me feeling drained emotionally by the end of it and I mean that in the best way possible.
If you haven't played Trails in the Sky: First Chapter, let me STOP YOU RIGHT HERE and tell you to go purchase that and play it ASAP. The Trails series is NOT Final Fantasy, it NEEDS to be played consecutively because the entire series is one massive interconnecting story. Second Chapter is a direct sequel to the events of the first game and if you haven't played the first game before going into this one, you'll be completely lost. It'll be like starting The Lord of the Rings trilogy on Return of the King instead of The Fellowship.
Now that I've said that piece, if you HAVE played First Chapter and you're reading reviews instead of purchasing this game INSTANTLY after that jaw-dropping ending of the first game. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR? PLAY THIS GAME NOW. It takes everything you loved about the first and amplifies it 10 fold. The story, characters and lore of the world are greatly expanded upon and developed even further, the combat is even more refined and varied with extra attack options like chain crafts and 3rd tier artes and the music is just as beautiful as the first game. If you thought First Chapter was a masterpiece like I did, you haven't seen anything yet because SC surpasses it in every-way possible.
Honestly if you're a J-RPG fan and you still haven't gotten into the Trails series in 2020, you're missing some of the absolute best the genre has to offer and should rectify that IMMEDIATELY.
Now that I've said that piece, if you HAVE played First Chapter and you're reading reviews instead of purchasing this game INSTANTLY after that jaw-dropping ending of the first game. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR? PLAY THIS GAME NOW. It takes everything you loved about the first and amplifies it 10 fold. The story, characters and lore of the world are greatly expanded upon and developed even further, the combat is even more refined and varied with extra attack options like chain crafts and 3rd tier artes and the music is just as beautiful as the first game. If you thought First Chapter was a masterpiece like I did, you haven't seen anything yet because SC surpasses it in every-way possible.
Honestly if you're a J-RPG fan and you still haven't gotten into the Trails series in 2020, you're missing some of the absolute best the genre has to offer and should rectify that IMMEDIATELY.
Well over a hundred hours of content. Incredible world-building, compelling story, great characters, deep gameplay mechanics, fantastic voice acting, amazingly detailed world design and just overall super immersive, everything you could ever want from a RPG experience and then some. It's no wonder the game is heralded as one of the best of all time, it's certainly one of my favorites.
P.S. Gwent is one of the most fun and addictive mini-games in an RPG since Blitzball, you can easily spend hours just playing it alone.
P.S. Gwent is one of the most fun and addictive mini-games in an RPG since Blitzball, you can easily spend hours just playing it alone.
I loved everything about this game. I was honestly surprised as to how much I loved it, but to call it a masterpiece is not an exaggeration. Best cinematic movie game I've ever played even surpassing my old favorite in this style which was Uncharted 4.
It's one massive intergalactic adventure that has Star-Lord and the gang traverse multiple planets and exotic locations. All the scenery and set-pieces were amazing and part of that is due to the incredible graphics as well. I have to mention I adore how at certain moments throughout the story you have to make choices and for once in a game they legitimately do matter and can change a lot of different things from playthrough to playthrough! The plot, themes about finding family and coming to terms with grief, general dialogue and character development (Each individual character has a fleshed out arc) was honestly so much better than I ever expected from a comic book game (It's a lot more faithful to the comics than the movies as well), I only wish the MCU had the kind of quality writing this game has.
I also loved all the banter between each character and their interactions as well and unlike in Marvel movies where the comedy is often cringe-worthy, the comedy in this game is actually super funny and endearing, I was laughing so much while playing. The OST kicked ass too, everything from the licensed classic rock and pop tunes of the 80s to the original in game heavy metal band Star-Lord and even the whimsical, bombastic, heroic Marvel style orchestral score, it all fit the style and theme of the game and every moment was scored perfectly.
Speaking of style, the actual gameplay of the game has you only taking control of Star-Lord himself, but it's very fast paced and fluid and as you unlock new powers and abilities you can chain together DMC style (The game even has a DMC-like style meter, there's no way it wasn't influenced by DMC) combos alongside giving orders to the other Guardians via an abilities menu you pop open during battle. When outside of battle there's some platforming and puzzle solving ala Uncharted, but the puzzles are pretty cool and creative as each Guardian has a unique overworld ability that you can command them to do in order to solve the puzzles.
All in all Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a perfect mix of the over-the-top gameplay style of DMC and the cinematic movie-like experience of Uncharted topped off with impeccable writing, fun and memorable dialogue and character interactions, a killer OST and beautiful graphics. If you're someone who plays games and is even remotely interested in Marvel you'd be crazy to skip this adventure and even if you don't like comics I'd still say give the game a shot because it might end up surprising you with how impressive it is and how much better than the movies it is.
It's one massive intergalactic adventure that has Star-Lord and the gang traverse multiple planets and exotic locations. All the scenery and set-pieces were amazing and part of that is due to the incredible graphics as well. I have to mention I adore how at certain moments throughout the story you have to make choices and for once in a game they legitimately do matter and can change a lot of different things from playthrough to playthrough! The plot, themes about finding family and coming to terms with grief, general dialogue and character development (Each individual character has a fleshed out arc) was honestly so much better than I ever expected from a comic book game (It's a lot more faithful to the comics than the movies as well), I only wish the MCU had the kind of quality writing this game has.
I also loved all the banter between each character and their interactions as well and unlike in Marvel movies where the comedy is often cringe-worthy, the comedy in this game is actually super funny and endearing, I was laughing so much while playing. The OST kicked ass too, everything from the licensed classic rock and pop tunes of the 80s to the original in game heavy metal band Star-Lord and even the whimsical, bombastic, heroic Marvel style orchestral score, it all fit the style and theme of the game and every moment was scored perfectly.
Speaking of style, the actual gameplay of the game has you only taking control of Star-Lord himself, but it's very fast paced and fluid and as you unlock new powers and abilities you can chain together DMC style (The game even has a DMC-like style meter, there's no way it wasn't influenced by DMC) combos alongside giving orders to the other Guardians via an abilities menu you pop open during battle. When outside of battle there's some platforming and puzzle solving ala Uncharted, but the puzzles are pretty cool and creative as each Guardian has a unique overworld ability that you can command them to do in order to solve the puzzles.
All in all Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a perfect mix of the over-the-top gameplay style of DMC and the cinematic movie-like experience of Uncharted topped off with impeccable writing, fun and memorable dialogue and character interactions, a killer OST and beautiful graphics. If you're someone who plays games and is even remotely interested in Marvel you'd be crazy to skip this adventure and even if you don't like comics I'd still say give the game a shot because it might end up surprising you with how impressive it is and how much better than the movies it is.