Falere
This review contains spoilers
It took me all year with a few monthlong breaks here and there, but I finally finished Horizon Forbidden West earlier this month (with a platinum trophy as my take-home prize!).
I loved the story for Zero Dawn and Forbidden West started out just as compelling. Collecting all of GAIA's sub-functions scattered around the world was the most exciting part of the story because it felt like Aloy was making huge progress in healing and piecing the world back together. The story gradually fell short when it became apparent that the Far Zeniths were the main antagonists.
I'm not sure if it was the stark sci-fi difference compared to the tribal aesthetics that I'm used to, but the Far Zeniths looked so damn goofy and out of place. If I compare the Far Zeniths to the Collectors in Mass Effect 2, I can look past it if Nemesis lives up to its reputation in the next game.
The ending for Forbidden West was rushed and disappointing, given how much I enjoyed the rest of the game. I keep comparing it to Mass Effect 2, given the "suicide mission" aspect of the final mission: Aloy assigning her companions different tasks, having meaningful conversations before moving out, etc. Forbidden West's attempt at a suicide mission doesn't work quite as well because I didn't have time to bond with my companions since they spent all their time at the base and I only saw them in brief cutscenes during their related missions.
The best thing about Horizon has always been the combat, and it was elevated so well in FW! I absolutely loved all the new machines, with the Slitherfang and Tideripper as my personal favorites. The absolute satisfaction of ripping off machine parts never got old.
In the end, I really loved this game even though I'm tired of the generic open world formula of hitting up '?''s on the map and uncovering map fog. I sense this formula will come back in the next game, but the combat of Horizon and love for Aloy has me looking forward to any future DLC and next entry.
I loved the story for Zero Dawn and Forbidden West started out just as compelling. Collecting all of GAIA's sub-functions scattered around the world was the most exciting part of the story because it felt like Aloy was making huge progress in healing and piecing the world back together. The story gradually fell short when it became apparent that the Far Zeniths were the main antagonists.
I'm not sure if it was the stark sci-fi difference compared to the tribal aesthetics that I'm used to, but the Far Zeniths looked so damn goofy and out of place. If I compare the Far Zeniths to the Collectors in Mass Effect 2, I can look past it if Nemesis lives up to its reputation in the next game.
The ending for Forbidden West was rushed and disappointing, given how much I enjoyed the rest of the game. I keep comparing it to Mass Effect 2, given the "suicide mission" aspect of the final mission: Aloy assigning her companions different tasks, having meaningful conversations before moving out, etc. Forbidden West's attempt at a suicide mission doesn't work quite as well because I didn't have time to bond with my companions since they spent all their time at the base and I only saw them in brief cutscenes during their related missions.
The best thing about Horizon has always been the combat, and it was elevated so well in FW! I absolutely loved all the new machines, with the Slitherfang and Tideripper as my personal favorites. The absolute satisfaction of ripping off machine parts never got old.
In the end, I really loved this game even though I'm tired of the generic open world formula of hitting up '?''s on the map and uncovering map fog. I sense this formula will come back in the next game, but the combat of Horizon and love for Aloy has me looking forward to any future DLC and next entry.
2022
I've always enjoyed strategy and tactics games (so much that even as a kid I would try to enjoy them even if I couldn't find my way to victory), and as I grow older I find that these genres may now be my favorite. That said, I absolutely loved Triangle Strategy and purposely took my sweet time going through all the endings to juice it as long as possible.
Initially, I was concerned for the lack of jobs and that each character had a static role but it came together beautifully because I became increasingly invested in each character and their part in the story. I wish that the story included more of the side characters outside of the main 8, especially depending on certain paths of the story. There were definitely some missed opportunities for interesting dialogue between characters that had a history with others.
It wasn't overly difficult in the end but still provided enough of a challenge to make me restart a few battles in order to deploy the right units. Making each character unique turned out to be a fun challenge in the final battle of the golden ending because I spent a long time mixing and matching different groups to find the best combination for each battle.
I'm so pumped that Square Enix decided to go strong with the strategy and tactics games lately, because it's truly a genre I can't get enough of.
Initially, I was concerned for the lack of jobs and that each character had a static role but it came together beautifully because I became increasingly invested in each character and their part in the story. I wish that the story included more of the side characters outside of the main 8, especially depending on certain paths of the story. There were definitely some missed opportunities for interesting dialogue between characters that had a history with others.
It wasn't overly difficult in the end but still provided enough of a challenge to make me restart a few battles in order to deploy the right units. Making each character unique turned out to be a fun challenge in the final battle of the golden ending because I spent a long time mixing and matching different groups to find the best combination for each battle.
I'm so pumped that Square Enix decided to go strong with the strategy and tactics games lately, because it's truly a genre I can't get enough of.
2022
I played Elden Ring with my fiancé (okay, and by play I mean I ran around slaying mobs while I handed the controller over to him for the bosses) and playing together definitely elevated the experience because this was not a game that holds your hand at all. Yes, it's a norm in Soulsborne games, but it's frustrating if you get locked out of a sidequest because you decided to progress further in one area without knowing what it cost.
I've always been a fan of the weird and the creepy enemy variety in Soulsborne games, but Elden Ring is definitely my favorite when it comes to variety. Some of my favorites were the Abductor Virgins and the dancing Midsommar ladies near Leyndell. Creepy, yet satisfying! The majority of boss designs did not disappoint, but at times there were too many repeats of the same bosses littered around the world in catacombs and dungeons.
I've always been a fan of the weird and the creepy enemy variety in Soulsborne games, but Elden Ring is definitely my favorite when it comes to variety. Some of my favorites were the Abductor Virgins and the dancing Midsommar ladies near Leyndell. Creepy, yet satisfying! The majority of boss designs did not disappoint, but at times there were too many repeats of the same bosses littered around the world in catacombs and dungeons.
I'm a longtime Pokémon fan, with my first game being Pokémon Blue and playing at least one version of every main entry since then (jokes on you Mom, you said I'd grow out of it and I never did!). I never really had a favorite game (HG/SS and Black/White 2 were the closest to best gameplay features) because there's something I like from each installment, but I can confidently say that Arceus is my absolute favorite Pokémon game to date.
The freedom of running around like an actual Pokémon trainer, not being tied down to one linear path, running and hiding from wild Pokémon was so much more fun than I expected. Trainer battles are usually one of my favorite things in mainline games, so I was worried that wild battles were the main appeal but I was so pleasantly surprised. Don't think I'll forget two wild Buizels ambushing me while I was already in combat with something else. 3v1'd by wild Pokémon!
I try to fill out the Pokédex in mainline games but I don't bend over backwards trying to finish them. In Arceus, though, I did bend over backwards. It was so much fun hitting the research checkpoints because yeeting Pokéballs at lightspeed has never been more satisfying.
I really, really hope that there'll be more Legends titles in the future that expand on what we were given, because while I'm always looking forward to the next Pokémon, I don't think the gameplay of Legends can be topped by the next mainline title.
The freedom of running around like an actual Pokémon trainer, not being tied down to one linear path, running and hiding from wild Pokémon was so much more fun than I expected. Trainer battles are usually one of my favorite things in mainline games, so I was worried that wild battles were the main appeal but I was so pleasantly surprised. Don't think I'll forget two wild Buizels ambushing me while I was already in combat with something else. 3v1'd by wild Pokémon!
I try to fill out the Pokédex in mainline games but I don't bend over backwards trying to finish them. In Arceus, though, I did bend over backwards. It was so much fun hitting the research checkpoints because yeeting Pokéballs at lightspeed has never been more satisfying.
I really, really hope that there'll be more Legends titles in the future that expand on what we were given, because while I'm always looking forward to the next Pokémon, I don't think the gameplay of Legends can be topped by the next mainline title.
I'm a sucker for Warriors spinoffs because while the main game is always better, it's satisfying to wail on hundreds of mobs as your favorite character from that series. That being said, after finishing Three Houses for the 4th time I always wanted a Warriors spinoff of it because I liked so many characters and didn't want my time in the world of Three Houses to come to an end. Cue my excitement when Three Hopes was announced!
Three Hopes did not disappoint and was even better at expanding the universe and characters of Fodlan that were only mentioned in passing in the base game. Giving Byleth a voice was a huge highlight.
Not a huge fan of Shez, but the three house leaders were, again, the best characters and made the game enjoyable enough that I didn't need to like Shez to have fun with the game. I have a huge bias with Dimitri and the Blue Lions, so being able to play as Dimitri and the rest of my favorite students was just so damn fun.
Three Hopes did not disappoint and was even better at expanding the universe and characters of Fodlan that were only mentioned in passing in the base game. Giving Byleth a voice was a huge highlight.
Not a huge fan of Shez, but the three house leaders were, again, the best characters and made the game enjoyable enough that I didn't need to like Shez to have fun with the game. I have a huge bias with Dimitri and the Blue Lions, so being able to play as Dimitri and the rest of my favorite students was just so damn fun.
2022
November update: Marking this game as "completed" since the last Pokémon Splatfest since I'll be likely be playing this less until the next Splatfest. I'm ooking forward to the new season, but instead of grinding to S+ I'll be taking things a little more casual from here on out!
I'm still enjoying multiplayer in Splatoon 3 and will be for some time, but I've played enough to say that Splat 3 brings back more of the same in a wonderful way!
Being able to play Salmon Run whenever you want is one of the biggest improvements, and I'm really enjoying that they made it more challenging (random matchmaking aside... that is a difficulty all on its own). Collecting badges and banners extends the longevity because I can't stop playing Salmon Run just to get the next badge to jazz up my banner.
It's so early in the game's lifecycle that I really look forward to the next set of weapons, maps and clothing. There's something so charming about dressing up in the best drip and splatting folks with a bathtub.
I'm still enjoying multiplayer in Splatoon 3 and will be for some time, but I've played enough to say that Splat 3 brings back more of the same in a wonderful way!
Being able to play Salmon Run whenever you want is one of the biggest improvements, and I'm really enjoying that they made it more challenging (random matchmaking aside... that is a difficulty all on its own). Collecting badges and banners extends the longevity because I can't stop playing Salmon Run just to get the next badge to jazz up my banner.
It's so early in the game's lifecycle that I really look forward to the next set of weapons, maps and clothing. There's something so charming about dressing up in the best drip and splatting folks with a bathtub.
2018
If you're familiar with MMOs, then Lost Ark is your semi-typical MMO where you grind endlessly without an end in sight. I say semi-typical because instead of grinding bosses for a 0.1% chance at a rare item, you grind the game for money and materials in order to hone your gear as high as possible so that you can kill said bosses quicker.
I've spent about 1,300 hours so far in Lost Ark and I've finally lost the drive to play this Fall after logging in daily since February. No regrets since I still enjoy the game when I do login, especially the visuals and nice character skins. I really enjoy the isometric view, it's perfect for destroying mobs of enemies with (sometimes overly) flashy moves unique to each class.
Throughout my 1,300 hour career in LoA, I created 9 characters with my highest being a 1505 GS Sharpshooter. I played this game with 3 other people, each of them slowly phasing out their time until I was the last one standing. Whenever we do get together, the game is just as fun as it was when it was new. With that said, it can still be a (mostly) enjoyable "single player experience" even as you join up with random players in raids (party finder is the only sane way to go, I only matchmake instances when I'm feeling chaotic).
I'm planning to visit LoA every once in a while (mostly to oogle the new skins!), and I'm hoping to pick it up when the Artist class gets released next year.
I've spent about 1,300 hours so far in Lost Ark and I've finally lost the drive to play this Fall after logging in daily since February. No regrets since I still enjoy the game when I do login, especially the visuals and nice character skins. I really enjoy the isometric view, it's perfect for destroying mobs of enemies with (sometimes overly) flashy moves unique to each class.
Throughout my 1,300 hour career in LoA, I created 9 characters with my highest being a 1505 GS Sharpshooter. I played this game with 3 other people, each of them slowly phasing out their time until I was the last one standing. Whenever we do get together, the game is just as fun as it was when it was new. With that said, it can still be a (mostly) enjoyable "single player experience" even as you join up with random players in raids (party finder is the only sane way to go, I only matchmake instances when I'm feeling chaotic).
I'm planning to visit LoA every once in a while (mostly to oogle the new skins!), and I'm hoping to pick it up when the Artist class gets released next year.
2022
I genuinely love Overwatch, its loveable characters and lore won me over immediately. I've spent 900+ hours in Overwatch, own most of the skins and golden weapons for half the heroes. I've spent about 50 hours in Overwatch 2 so far, and I'll preface all the negativity by saying that I do enjoy the 5v5 model more than 6v6. Team fights are generally a wipe now instead of dragging on and games end quicker. It's less chaotic, and positioning and ult usage is much more important now that there's only one tank.
With that said, it's an absolute tragedy what happened to Overwatch 2's monetization model. Players now having to pay up to $20 for skins you used to get for free by playing is tragic! I have absolutely no desire to own any new skin since I appreciate my OW1 skins so much more.
The battle pass is horrible since it's littered with what used to be just rare level drops: voice lines and sprays. No premium currency included in the pass is a huge lost opportunity. I'm not holding my breath and I don't expect Blizzard to make any changes, so moving forward I can only enjoy the game for its gameplay instead of the cosmetics.
With that said, it's an absolute tragedy what happened to Overwatch 2's monetization model. Players now having to pay up to $20 for skins you used to get for free by playing is tragic! I have absolutely no desire to own any new skin since I appreciate my OW1 skins so much more.
The battle pass is horrible since it's littered with what used to be just rare level drops: voice lines and sprays. No premium currency included in the pass is a huge lost opportunity. I'm not holding my breath and I don't expect Blizzard to make any changes, so moving forward I can only enjoy the game for its gameplay instead of the cosmetics.
2022
This review contains spoilers
Long story short: Beautiful game with a wonderful story, but had an unsatisfying combat loop and too many puzzles.
God of War Ragnarok lived up to the hype for me, thanks to its wonderful and bittersweet story. Some of the story moments will stay with me, including but not limited to Atreus and Angrboda's fight with her grandmother, fighting Garm, Odin's ultimate deception, the assault on Asgard and, of course, Brok's passing. There were so many moments that felt like I was transported to a movie theater, watching something so intense that you forget everything and just live in the moment. An absolute fantastic story that had me teary eyed in the first 15 minutes, and left me wanting to find out how they would wrap up Kratos and Atreus's journey in the Norse lands.
The gameplay, however, felt a little flat even with the addition of the Draupnir Spear. Enemies would jump out of the woodwork every 5 minutes just to add some form of combat, and some of the waves felt like they went on for too long. While they added some fun abilities to each weapon, it got tiring killing waves of ads and the same type of miniboss depending on which realm you were in.
There were also too many puzzles for my taste. Nothing was ever straightforward on the path, and sometimes you just want to proceed with riding the elevator without spending time figuring out which geyser to freeze. I appreciated the accessibility option for puzzles to nudge the player in the right direction.
One more gripe I had was the dead world. They advertised this game by making the nine realms a highlight, but some of the realms were absolute slogs and felt like fillers (looking at you, Helheim). Svartalfheim was exciting because you were visiting the homeland of the dwarves! The concept art showed dwarves working their gadgets and machinery. However, when you arrive and every resident hides from Kratos, it becomes a dead world with absolutely zero NPCs other than characters with plot armor appearing. To put in perspective, NPCs in Horizon Forbidden West were in every camp, even the small ones, and they all had some kind of dialogue. It felt like I was running around in a busy, bustling world. With the exception of Asgard, this was one of the biggest disappointments of Ragnarok, because it felt like the story driven characters were the only population in all the realms.
Overall, the story still makes it a fantastic game that left me wanting more Kratos. I look forward to seeing where his story takes him next, and perhaps a touching reunion with grown Atreus.
God of War Ragnarok lived up to the hype for me, thanks to its wonderful and bittersweet story. Some of the story moments will stay with me, including but not limited to Atreus and Angrboda's fight with her grandmother, fighting Garm, Odin's ultimate deception, the assault on Asgard and, of course, Brok's passing. There were so many moments that felt like I was transported to a movie theater, watching something so intense that you forget everything and just live in the moment. An absolute fantastic story that had me teary eyed in the first 15 minutes, and left me wanting to find out how they would wrap up Kratos and Atreus's journey in the Norse lands.
The gameplay, however, felt a little flat even with the addition of the Draupnir Spear. Enemies would jump out of the woodwork every 5 minutes just to add some form of combat, and some of the waves felt like they went on for too long. While they added some fun abilities to each weapon, it got tiring killing waves of ads and the same type of miniboss depending on which realm you were in.
There were also too many puzzles for my taste. Nothing was ever straightforward on the path, and sometimes you just want to proceed with riding the elevator without spending time figuring out which geyser to freeze. I appreciated the accessibility option for puzzles to nudge the player in the right direction.
One more gripe I had was the dead world. They advertised this game by making the nine realms a highlight, but some of the realms were absolute slogs and felt like fillers (looking at you, Helheim). Svartalfheim was exciting because you were visiting the homeland of the dwarves! The concept art showed dwarves working their gadgets and machinery. However, when you arrive and every resident hides from Kratos, it becomes a dead world with absolutely zero NPCs other than characters with plot armor appearing. To put in perspective, NPCs in Horizon Forbidden West were in every camp, even the small ones, and they all had some kind of dialogue. It felt like I was running around in a busy, bustling world. With the exception of Asgard, this was one of the biggest disappointments of Ragnarok, because it felt like the story driven characters were the only population in all the realms.
Overall, the story still makes it a fantastic game that left me wanting more Kratos. I look forward to seeing where his story takes him next, and perhaps a touching reunion with grown Atreus.
2022
Okay, let me get my bias out of the way. I've played every mainline Pokemon game since Pokemon Blue version. It was my entry into the series and I've been a fan ever since. I've supported and enjoyed each entry, but that doesn't come without complaints on each game that Gamefreak has released.
I think Pokemon Scarlet is probably the best Pokemon game to date (well, it basically ties with Arceus). The amount of QoL changes in this game actually makes me scared for what GF will remove in the future. Being able to purchase nature mints and bottle caps alone makes me want to play this game endlessly. I've personally had a blast playing solo raids because of how easy it is to make raid ready Pokemon, and there's a huge dopamine rush when you successfully finish a 6* raid and collect your spoils.
I have intense Breath of the Wild vibes when exploring the world. I mean, when was the last time you actually wanted to explore the world in Pokemon? When was the last time we were even able to explore and not have routes be a straight line?! Arceus as an exception, of course! Having the majority of the Pokedex accessible just by exploring actually encouraged me to complete the Dex.
While Pokemon games don't have a high bar for stories, this one was actually touching and I wholeheartedly enjoyed each story path. It makes me excited for what else they'll bring as DLC because the characters in this entry were actually likeable and didn't feel like they were bogging me down.
Aaand, of course, the issues. I can honestly say that this is probably the worst performing game I've ever played on modern consoles. There are constant frame drops (I can practically hear the Switch heavy breathing when visiting the lake), the battle camera clips into the ground, and my cute little Tatsugiri never shows his full body because it's always clipping into the floor! Some parts of the environment look like they're using N64 graphics. It seems GF put all their eggs in the Pokemon and character quality basket (Finneon has scales if you look at the Pokedex entry!), and decided to leave the environment in the dust. What a shame.
I'm holding out hope for a performance patch but I don't see them improving the graphics, which is an absolute shame. Ultimately, for myself, it doesn't hinder my ability to enjoy this otherwise fantastic game.
I think Pokemon Scarlet is probably the best Pokemon game to date (well, it basically ties with Arceus). The amount of QoL changes in this game actually makes me scared for what GF will remove in the future. Being able to purchase nature mints and bottle caps alone makes me want to play this game endlessly. I've personally had a blast playing solo raids because of how easy it is to make raid ready Pokemon, and there's a huge dopamine rush when you successfully finish a 6* raid and collect your spoils.
I have intense Breath of the Wild vibes when exploring the world. I mean, when was the last time you actually wanted to explore the world in Pokemon? When was the last time we were even able to explore and not have routes be a straight line?! Arceus as an exception, of course! Having the majority of the Pokedex accessible just by exploring actually encouraged me to complete the Dex.
While Pokemon games don't have a high bar for stories, this one was actually touching and I wholeheartedly enjoyed each story path. It makes me excited for what else they'll bring as DLC because the characters in this entry were actually likeable and didn't feel like they were bogging me down.
Aaand, of course, the issues. I can honestly say that this is probably the worst performing game I've ever played on modern consoles. There are constant frame drops (I can practically hear the Switch heavy breathing when visiting the lake), the battle camera clips into the ground, and my cute little Tatsugiri never shows his full body because it's always clipping into the floor! Some parts of the environment look like they're using N64 graphics. It seems GF put all their eggs in the Pokemon and character quality basket (Finneon has scales if you look at the Pokedex entry!), and decided to leave the environment in the dust. What a shame.
I'm holding out hope for a performance patch but I don't see them improving the graphics, which is an absolute shame. Ultimately, for myself, it doesn't hinder my ability to enjoy this otherwise fantastic game.
2021
I'm a huge sucker for "deck-building roguelikes", but usually drop them halfway through because the gameplay loop eventually gets stale, but Inscryption stuck immediately. I was drawn in with Inscryption's horror element and was not disappointed. I was so satisfied with the "opponent" and their use of different masks as each boss - very unsettling and hits my horror loving heart in just the right places.
The card game itself is simple, satisfying and QUICK. That was probably the key. I rarely had matches that were drawn out, and even when they were it was a rush trying to stay alive with only 5 (and 4 in Kaycee's Mod!) hitpoints.
After you finish the main story, you unlock Kaycee's Mod, which is the true roguelike, endless mode and I had so much fun unlocking new decks and cards with each victory. There are a lot of different strategies you can build for each run, and additional challenges you add on to make it unique (think "heat" from Hades). Overall, Inscryption is hands down my favorite deck-building roguelike and I wish there was more.
The card game itself is simple, satisfying and QUICK. That was probably the key. I rarely had matches that were drawn out, and even when they were it was a rush trying to stay alive with only 5 (and 4 in Kaycee's Mod!) hitpoints.
After you finish the main story, you unlock Kaycee's Mod, which is the true roguelike, endless mode and I had so much fun unlocking new decks and cards with each victory. There are a lot of different strategies you can build for each run, and additional challenges you add on to make it unique (think "heat" from Hades). Overall, Inscryption is hands down my favorite deck-building roguelike and I wish there was more.
I don't really know what constitutes "Completed" in this game in a casual sense (finishing all the series quests, I guess?) but this was a fun time killer game in my Zelda waiting room.
I enjoyed Theatrhythm a lot when it first released on the 3DS and it's nice to see the series continuing today. I miss the wonky, loopy tracks that you traced with the stylus on the 3DS, but the game works surprisingly well on Switch.
The music, to nobody's surprise, is amazing as intended. It's so fun to play to the beat of my favorite FF tracks and I've definitely played them numerous times to try and master the next difficulty (some are downright impossible without memorizing the directional buttons though). It sends WAVES of nostalgia over me and at times I was tempted to start up a new file of the older FF games because of it.
The RPG elements are light, simple, but interesting enough for me to actually try to create a party that could do enough damage to complete quests. Overall, a cute and fun game that will be fun to start up every once in a while when I want to play around to some of the best tracks in VG history.
I enjoyed Theatrhythm a lot when it first released on the 3DS and it's nice to see the series continuing today. I miss the wonky, loopy tracks that you traced with the stylus on the 3DS, but the game works surprisingly well on Switch.
The music, to nobody's surprise, is amazing as intended. It's so fun to play to the beat of my favorite FF tracks and I've definitely played them numerous times to try and master the next difficulty (some are downright impossible without memorizing the directional buttons though). It sends WAVES of nostalgia over me and at times I was tempted to start up a new file of the older FF games because of it.
The RPG elements are light, simple, but interesting enough for me to actually try to create a party that could do enough damage to complete quests. Overall, a cute and fun game that will be fun to start up every once in a while when I want to play around to some of the best tracks in VG history.
This review contains spoilers
Paranormasight was actually so, so deliciously wonderful and the reason I gave it a 4.5 instead of 5 was because I wish there a bit more (challenging) puzzles and that it could be longer.
I'm aware it's a VN at its core and that I ultimately read through a great horror/mystery story, but there were some wonderful elements introduced but then weren't referenced again (turning the sound off in settings to avoid a curse? Genius.). I loved the weaving stories of each protagonist and that you couldn't continue with just one until playing the others to that specific point of their investigation. The game guides the player really well so that you don't miss a drop of the story.
I came for the horror element, but stayed for the art. It's absolutely wonderful and reminds me of a modern day Phoenix Wright style of characters and their expressions.
I thought I'd get a few days or a week out of this game, but I ended up finishing it one weekend! I was absolutely HOOKED! Couldn't stop playing until the end. I really hope that Square Enix continues with this line of adventurous VN, because I will be here for it on Day 1.
I'm aware it's a VN at its core and that I ultimately read through a great horror/mystery story, but there were some wonderful elements introduced but then weren't referenced again (turning the sound off in settings to avoid a curse? Genius.). I loved the weaving stories of each protagonist and that you couldn't continue with just one until playing the others to that specific point of their investigation. The game guides the player really well so that you don't miss a drop of the story.
I came for the horror element, but stayed for the art. It's absolutely wonderful and reminds me of a modern day Phoenix Wright style of characters and their expressions.
I thought I'd get a few days or a week out of this game, but I ended up finishing it one weekend! I was absolutely HOOKED! Couldn't stop playing until the end. I really hope that Square Enix continues with this line of adventurous VN, because I will be here for it on Day 1.
2023
My initial review of Season 0 after binge playing the game since early access.
I like to call Diablo 4 the "modern Diablo 2". It took the slower gameplay and darker atmosphere from D2 and incorporated some of D3's QoL changes. The game looks fantastic, voice acting is great, it's perfectly dark and gritty and I enjoyed the story for the most part. I have some gripes about the pacing of it, but that's a review for another time.
Here's where it gets difficult for me to criticize the current end game for Diablo 4. It's still early and I think the game will be completely different in a year or two. However, the lack of end game activities outside of Nightmare Dungeons isn't very enticing. My party and I spent some time grinding a dungeon for EXP and item drops, which really burnt me out. They're short, the objectives are more or less the same (see locked door, bring items to podium to open door) and the mob density doesn't have the same dopamine rush of greater rifts in D3. I have hopes that Blizzard will implement new activities that'll keep the player base going outside of the current options, but at the moment it falls short.
I like to call Diablo 4 the "modern Diablo 2". It took the slower gameplay and darker atmosphere from D2 and incorporated some of D3's QoL changes. The game looks fantastic, voice acting is great, it's perfectly dark and gritty and I enjoyed the story for the most part. I have some gripes about the pacing of it, but that's a review for another time.
Here's where it gets difficult for me to criticize the current end game for Diablo 4. It's still early and I think the game will be completely different in a year or two. However, the lack of end game activities outside of Nightmare Dungeons isn't very enticing. My party and I spent some time grinding a dungeon for EXP and item drops, which really burnt me out. They're short, the objectives are more or less the same (see locked door, bring items to podium to open door) and the mob density doesn't have the same dopamine rush of greater rifts in D3. I have hopes that Blizzard will implement new activities that'll keep the player base going outside of the current options, but at the moment it falls short.
2023
This review contains spoilers
I haven't truly enjoyed a game's story like this for a long time. I got attached to characters and continuously hoped that some wouldn't die (aka my boy Gav), akin to my thoughts while watching a good show. With that said, there are moments in shows and movies that slow down in order to build character development and focus on world building. In FFXVI, the pacing between story events and unrelated sidequests really broke the immersion. It's an unfortunate pattern in this game where after you clash with the Eikons that shake the earth, sidequests are dropped on you in a batch instead of being spread out naturally throughout the course of the game. While you do unlock a few quests here and there when visiting new locations, the majority of them are dropped as a batch immediately after story moments. One of the best examples is actually in the late game after finishing Waloed. Right before you're given the option to launch the last mission, a batch of 10+ sidequests appear at the Hideaway that are actually quite good. Why would I want to take a break to pick a flower for Dion (just kidding, I'd do anything for Dion) when I can launch myself at Origin and stop Ultima from ending the world? The last few sidequests related to Dion, Joshua and Jill were my favorites, but having them all dropped in after Waloed, right before the suicide mission just seemed like odd pacing.
Additionally, the quality of the majority of sidequests weren't engaging or interesting. Clive was an errand boy for half of them (looking at you, Mid) and SO much of it was "I need this, find it here, fight enemies, pick up item, deliver back to npc". Classic fetch quest, but there were way too many that made it a slog to complete.
With all the downsides of the game out of the way, I can't gush enough on story, characters, gameplay and music. Those factors were enough to bring it to a 4.5/5 even with the pacing and sidequest disappointment. I loved the smoothness of combat, especially swapping Eikon abilities mid animation to chain things together to get the largest stagger damage possible. I ended up never swapping out TItan's powers after unlocking them, the oomph (and damage) of the punches was too satisfying to give up. Additionally, I can't stop listening to the OST even after completing the game. The music, in addition to the cinematics of all Eikon fights was such a perfect chef's kiss moment for each one.
The last thing I'll gush over is the Eikons themselves. So spectacular in their design! The first time I saw Odin and Bahamut on the field, I was in LOVE. Every Eikon looked fantastic and I was excited like a little kid every time a character primed into one. My personal perfect definition of "epic".
Additionally, the quality of the majority of sidequests weren't engaging or interesting. Clive was an errand boy for half of them (looking at you, Mid) and SO much of it was "I need this, find it here, fight enemies, pick up item, deliver back to npc". Classic fetch quest, but there were way too many that made it a slog to complete.
With all the downsides of the game out of the way, I can't gush enough on story, characters, gameplay and music. Those factors were enough to bring it to a 4.5/5 even with the pacing and sidequest disappointment. I loved the smoothness of combat, especially swapping Eikon abilities mid animation to chain things together to get the largest stagger damage possible. I ended up never swapping out TItan's powers after unlocking them, the oomph (and damage) of the punches was too satisfying to give up. Additionally, I can't stop listening to the OST even after completing the game. The music, in addition to the cinematics of all Eikon fights was such a perfect chef's kiss moment for each one.
The last thing I'll gush over is the Eikons themselves. So spectacular in their design! The first time I saw Odin and Bahamut on the field, I was in LOVE. Every Eikon looked fantastic and I was excited like a little kid every time a character primed into one. My personal perfect definition of "epic".