GlacialMandala
Don't care Turbo sucks, all my homies hate Turbo. Finally done with all SFII's in the anniversary collection.
I played as FeiLong
I played as FeiLong
There's some nice additions to Miles' combat abilities compared to Peter here but in terms of story it doesn't compare, with what little screentime they're allowed it's hard to care about anyone besides Miles, only other character I'd say was good is his uncle tbh.
1998
Pretty solid first entry with a good roster size and surprisingly already has a lot in place of what's in later games, no crazy guest characters here but I wasn't expecting any right off rip anyway.
This one expands the roster an extra 4 characters and also feels like it plays a little better, not sure if it actually does though or if I'm just better with Cammy, who I played here.
This is essentially a balance patch for Champion Edition, not much new to say. I played as Chun Li.
2018
The story mode of this game is some hot trash, hense why despite playing this game back when it came out I never felt compelled to finish it and only doing so now because it had been sitting in the backlog so long.
As with any modern fighter though the meat of this game is in the online which admittedly I am not the greatest at (especially after not playing for over a year) but I still had my fun with it nonetheless.
As with any modern fighter though the meat of this game is in the online which admittedly I am not the greatest at (especially after not playing for over a year) but I still had my fun with it nonetheless.
2021
This is probably the first Final Fantasy game I would say I consider to be a good representation of what the franchise is, everything feels a lot more polished and it introduces some mechanics that stay around for a while like the ATB gauge as well as having summons. I wouldn't quite call it a culmination of the series thus far but nonetheless it continues to make a steady increase in quality, and hopefully that mountain doesn't end too soon.
As always the soundtrack is pretty good, we haven't gotten to the era of peak soundtracks yet but there is a little in there, characters arent bad, main case I like besides Rosa who I feel pretty neutral about, in some ways I'd say she seems like Cecil's sidehoe rather than an important.
As for the story itself, it follows the usual ff formular of collecting/protecting crystals and doesn't deviate much from there, plot is decent but the character interactions is where I think it shines best, it also loves it's fake-outs with almost nobody dies and a lot of fake deaths seem to be played just for a brief moment of tricking you into feeling sad for some reason, as well as some rather silly 'sacrifices' at times as well as a few plot twists that seemed to come from nowhere.
As always the soundtrack is pretty good, we haven't gotten to the era of peak soundtracks yet but there is a little in there, characters arent bad, main case I like besides Rosa who I feel pretty neutral about, in some ways I'd say she seems like Cecil's sidehoe rather than an important.
As for the story itself, it follows the usual ff formular of collecting/protecting crystals and doesn't deviate much from there, plot is decent but the character interactions is where I think it shines best, it also loves it's fake-outs with almost nobody dies and a lot of fake deaths seem to be played just for a brief moment of tricking you into feeling sad for some reason, as well as some rather silly 'sacrifices' at times as well as a few plot twists that seemed to come from nowhere.
2015
Wild to think this has been around almost a decade now as I still consider it to be Nintendo's newest big series, and it has grown quite popular in the years since.
The game itself is quite fun, a lot of variety in weapons, a decent campaign albeit pretty short and it's definitely one of the most unique shooters out there even all these years later. I'd say I'm interested to see what the future holds for it but I'm very much aware already. As such I'll just say I'm looking forward to checking out the sequels.
The game itself is quite fun, a lot of variety in weapons, a decent campaign albeit pretty short and it's definitely one of the most unique shooters out there even all these years later. I'd say I'm interested to see what the future holds for it but I'm very much aware already. As such I'll just say I'm looking forward to checking out the sequels.
The story was an improvement over Persona 5 Arena, and I liked the progression of Labrys character, Sho was just alright, didn't really find myself that interested in him.
Episode P4 was decent, and I liked Adachi's chapter which honestly might have been the highlight, enjoyed seeing his character progression. After about halfway into Episode P3 however I did start to get pretty bored as the content repeated a bit too much by the end.
Episode P4 was decent, and I liked Adachi's chapter which honestly might have been the highlight, enjoyed seeing his character progression. After about halfway into Episode P3 however I did start to get pretty bored as the content repeated a bit too much by the end.
The same as the original game only now you can play as the members of Shadaloo who were only enemies in the original game, I played as Balrog.
1991
Vast improvement over the first game, actually lets you play as other characters then just Ryu (and his clone Ken) though I still played as Ryu lol
2012
The story isn't bad, it's just set up in a way that's way too repetitive, of the 12 scenarios you can get most of what actually matters just by playing 4 of them, the best options in my opinion being Yosuke, Mitsuru, Labrys and Elizabeth. (First two can be swapped out as you like for whichever P3 or P4 character you prefer) Would have benefited from being set up the same way the Ultimax story is, even if it did mean having canon winners.
I was surprised to see this was a newer title considering it feels far more retro compared to RCG, the gameplay is pretty fun but the way difficulty settings work in this game leaves the first playthrough extremely easy.
Story wise it's fun seeing characters I knew from RCG interact in such a different setting but beyond that I wouldn't say there's much to it, and there's quite a lot of dialogue for a game with no voice acting, plus the obligatory side quests in some of the later chapters definitely felt like padding, side quests which I feel were only interesting in the last chapter. (And still probably only like half at most).
Ironically I think the bonus mode China Heroes is more fun than the actual base-game due to the variety of characters it allows you to play as, a lot of which have their own unique gimicks, would have taken that in the main game over just Kunio even if it would mean simplifying his moveset.
Ost was pretty good though at times felt rather repetitive, not sure how many tracks there are but it didn't feel like a lot.
Story wise it's fun seeing characters I knew from RCG interact in such a different setting but beyond that I wouldn't say there's much to it, and there's quite a lot of dialogue for a game with no voice acting, plus the obligatory side quests in some of the later chapters definitely felt like padding, side quests which I feel were only interesting in the last chapter. (And still probably only like half at most).
Ironically I think the bonus mode China Heroes is more fun than the actual base-game due to the variety of characters it allows you to play as, a lot of which have their own unique gimicks, would have taken that in the main game over just Kunio even if it would mean simplifying his moveset.
Ost was pretty good though at times felt rather repetitive, not sure how many tracks there are but it didn't feel like a lot.
1987
This game is for people who hate themselves
2022
This review contains spoilers
At first I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this game, I played the demo back when it released and it was enough to convince me to buy the full game but when I actually jumped into things I did like the Twilight of Edo Japan chapter though didn't find it exceptional, leaving to me making the mistake of leaving the other two from the demo until much later which ended up being some of my favourites. Instead I moved from there to Prehistory which is probably the only chapter in the game I'd say I didn't like.
Before I get into my rankings for the chapters however a few others noteworthy things I thought were pretty great about this game. Visuals for this game are gorgeous, I am definitely a sucker for the HD-2D look Octopath Traveler popularized and given how this game very much so seems like it likely influenced it is all the more reason I fully prefer this look for a game like this over a 3d remake. The soundtrack is also pretty good, and given the size of the scenarios the tracks didn't feel like they overstayed their welcome.
I would also say I quite liked the combat in this game despite it being rather simple. It runs on a grid as most tactical RPGs do, while utilising a gauge similar to the ATB gauge from games like Final Fantasy 4-7 (Not sure about 8 & 9 since I've never played them) however it also keeps in mind that it's a tactics game letting you time to think as the bar fills based on actions rather than time.
Now for the chapter ranking, I'll start from the bottom.
#10 Prehistory: Some people might find this chapter charming but I wouldn't consider myself one of them, and for a game that is almost fully voiced I wasn't too fond of this scenario with a complete lack of dialogue, plus the humour here I found to be rather trashy. Pogo himself is fine, has some cool moves but i wouldn't say he can carry the story.
#9 Wild West: Despite still being in the lower ranks I think this one is a lot better than Prehistory, Sundown Kid is a fun protagonist with a bit of a mouth on him, only reason I rank this one as low as I do is because a good chunk of this chapter is just wandering around and setting traps, so it does drag on just a little bit at times. Sundown is also pretty op and I used him as my main character for the final chapter.
#8 Present Day: This chapter is a blatant SF2 reference, with Masaru being out Ryu wannabe out to become the greatest World Warrior, plot is simple we just fight a bunch of dudes from around the world while gaining strength, but the mechanic of learning their moves after they use them in you is pretty cool and while I'm more a Tekken guy then Street Fighter it's still a fun chapter.
#7 Twilight of Edo Japan: Controversial to put this low I'm sure, but I feel the best of this route comes from stealth and that's never been my thing. Not sure how much it changes but you also have the option of being a pacifist or creating an utter bloodbath. Oboromaru was also in my final party.
#6 Dominion of Hate (Oersted): This is kind of an addition to the final chapter, an alternate ending so to speak, however it is largely reused content so I won't put it any higher, it is however quite unique. In this chapter we take control of the Lord of Dark who uses his powers to take control of the versions of himself throughout history, the final bosses of each scenario and leading them to victory in a reverse boss rush, it wasn't as if they needed to program anything too difficult but it is rather unique and something I've never quite seen before.
#5 The Near Future: At first I wasn't crazy about this one, Akira gave off a bit of a meh first impression, seeming like a bit of a dickhead but I think they were going for the punk archetype kinda like Josuke from JoJo. The second half however was a big improvement, I still wouldn't say I loved Akira himself though but his final stand was pretty badass.
#4 Dominion of Hate: The final chapter, the story itself here is pretty short but it also includes a small dungeon for each of the characters as well as a few super bosses, I didn't do the more tedious bosses but I did complete each of the dungeons. These are fine, nothing too special but not bad either. The meat of this chapter is the final confrontation against the Lord of Dark, Odio. I wasn't too fond of the boss rush section of this chapter but thankfully it was trivial as long as you leveled up the characters even a small amount. The final boss was also quite hype, not too challenging since levelling up in this game and grinding really doesn't seem all that necessary at least if you spend the time going the dungeon, my whole party being around level 21 in the end. It felt quite satisfying to see all the heroes of each story come together at the end too.
#3 The Middle Ages: So far each of the scenarios has followed anything but the typical jrpg storyline, how many jrpg's can you say are set in a Western or Prehistoric setting? Which is impressive for a game originally released in 1994. This chapter however is the jrpg storyline you'd come to expect, we follow Oersted the kingdoms new champion having just won the tournament and as a result the princesses hand in marriage. However this is short lived as before he knows it the Lord of Dark's underlings capture her and he must set out on a quest to save her. A rather generic premise but I think that's exactly what it was going for, so set your expectations one way while it goes the complete other. And it executes on it masterfully culminating in a fantastic yet tragic final scene that I won't spoil.
#2 The Distant Future: I was a little shocked (though I probably shouldn't have been) to see that this chapter was such a divisive one, but if it wasn't obvious I'm on the side of thinking it's pretty great. The main reason for this is that there is almost no battles in this chapter, just the final boss and an optional minigame.The chapter itself is an homage to 2001 A Space Odyssey. Cube was also in my final party, though he was the character I had in it the least as his slot was the one I cycled through for each character when doing their dungeons.
#1 Imperial China: And to top it all off we have our number one, my favourite chapter in this game. The main gimick of this chapter is training up 3 apprentices, leading to the one you show the most care taking over the role of Shifu. This allows for 3 different possibilities and led to me getting quite attached to Lei as my chosen apprentice who yes I did use in the final chapter as well. Not sure if this was the first rpg to have a succession system like this, I know there is a series that has you take control of your descendents in a similar fashion, but will definitely be interested in trying more games with something like this.
Overall this game was one that managed to exceed my expectations, I'd written it off a bit when I shelved it last year but it definitely wasn't a mistake to go back and finish it. It's got me excited more then ever to play more HD-2D style games like the upcoming Star Ocean and eventually I will give Octopath Traveler another shake.
Before I get into my rankings for the chapters however a few others noteworthy things I thought were pretty great about this game. Visuals for this game are gorgeous, I am definitely a sucker for the HD-2D look Octopath Traveler popularized and given how this game very much so seems like it likely influenced it is all the more reason I fully prefer this look for a game like this over a 3d remake. The soundtrack is also pretty good, and given the size of the scenarios the tracks didn't feel like they overstayed their welcome.
I would also say I quite liked the combat in this game despite it being rather simple. It runs on a grid as most tactical RPGs do, while utilising a gauge similar to the ATB gauge from games like Final Fantasy 4-7 (Not sure about 8 & 9 since I've never played them) however it also keeps in mind that it's a tactics game letting you time to think as the bar fills based on actions rather than time.
Now for the chapter ranking, I'll start from the bottom.
#10 Prehistory: Some people might find this chapter charming but I wouldn't consider myself one of them, and for a game that is almost fully voiced I wasn't too fond of this scenario with a complete lack of dialogue, plus the humour here I found to be rather trashy. Pogo himself is fine, has some cool moves but i wouldn't say he can carry the story.
#9 Wild West: Despite still being in the lower ranks I think this one is a lot better than Prehistory, Sundown Kid is a fun protagonist with a bit of a mouth on him, only reason I rank this one as low as I do is because a good chunk of this chapter is just wandering around and setting traps, so it does drag on just a little bit at times. Sundown is also pretty op and I used him as my main character for the final chapter.
#8 Present Day: This chapter is a blatant SF2 reference, with Masaru being out Ryu wannabe out to become the greatest World Warrior, plot is simple we just fight a bunch of dudes from around the world while gaining strength, but the mechanic of learning their moves after they use them in you is pretty cool and while I'm more a Tekken guy then Street Fighter it's still a fun chapter.
#7 Twilight of Edo Japan: Controversial to put this low I'm sure, but I feel the best of this route comes from stealth and that's never been my thing. Not sure how much it changes but you also have the option of being a pacifist or creating an utter bloodbath. Oboromaru was also in my final party.
#6 Dominion of Hate (Oersted): This is kind of an addition to the final chapter, an alternate ending so to speak, however it is largely reused content so I won't put it any higher, it is however quite unique. In this chapter we take control of the Lord of Dark who uses his powers to take control of the versions of himself throughout history, the final bosses of each scenario and leading them to victory in a reverse boss rush, it wasn't as if they needed to program anything too difficult but it is rather unique and something I've never quite seen before.
#5 The Near Future: At first I wasn't crazy about this one, Akira gave off a bit of a meh first impression, seeming like a bit of a dickhead but I think they were going for the punk archetype kinda like Josuke from JoJo. The second half however was a big improvement, I still wouldn't say I loved Akira himself though but his final stand was pretty badass.
#4 Dominion of Hate: The final chapter, the story itself here is pretty short but it also includes a small dungeon for each of the characters as well as a few super bosses, I didn't do the more tedious bosses but I did complete each of the dungeons. These are fine, nothing too special but not bad either. The meat of this chapter is the final confrontation against the Lord of Dark, Odio. I wasn't too fond of the boss rush section of this chapter but thankfully it was trivial as long as you leveled up the characters even a small amount. The final boss was also quite hype, not too challenging since levelling up in this game and grinding really doesn't seem all that necessary at least if you spend the time going the dungeon, my whole party being around level 21 in the end. It felt quite satisfying to see all the heroes of each story come together at the end too.
#3 The Middle Ages: So far each of the scenarios has followed anything but the typical jrpg storyline, how many jrpg's can you say are set in a Western or Prehistoric setting? Which is impressive for a game originally released in 1994. This chapter however is the jrpg storyline you'd come to expect, we follow Oersted the kingdoms new champion having just won the tournament and as a result the princesses hand in marriage. However this is short lived as before he knows it the Lord of Dark's underlings capture her and he must set out on a quest to save her. A rather generic premise but I think that's exactly what it was going for, so set your expectations one way while it goes the complete other. And it executes on it masterfully culminating in a fantastic yet tragic final scene that I won't spoil.
#2 The Distant Future: I was a little shocked (though I probably shouldn't have been) to see that this chapter was such a divisive one, but if it wasn't obvious I'm on the side of thinking it's pretty great. The main reason for this is that there is almost no battles in this chapter, just the final boss and an optional minigame.The chapter itself is an homage to 2001 A Space Odyssey. Cube was also in my final party, though he was the character I had in it the least as his slot was the one I cycled through for each character when doing their dungeons.
#1 Imperial China: And to top it all off we have our number one, my favourite chapter in this game. The main gimick of this chapter is training up 3 apprentices, leading to the one you show the most care taking over the role of Shifu. This allows for 3 different possibilities and led to me getting quite attached to Lei as my chosen apprentice who yes I did use in the final chapter as well. Not sure if this was the first rpg to have a succession system like this, I know there is a series that has you take control of your descendents in a similar fashion, but will definitely be interested in trying more games with something like this.
Overall this game was one that managed to exceed my expectations, I'd written it off a bit when I shelved it last year but it definitely wasn't a mistake to go back and finish it. It's got me excited more then ever to play more HD-2D style games like the upcoming Star Ocean and eventually I will give Octopath Traveler another shake.