Playing this entry after I played Armored Core For Answer is such a wild feeling. Since, I officially started the series with Armored Core 2 and have enjoyed all of the entries up to For Answer. Well… except Nine-Breaker, but that’s a story for another day. And so when I started to play Armored Core V. I wondered if I would enjoy this entry too. And is it worth playing for newcomers?

And the answer is very mixed…

First off, your mech is bulky and can’t fly high to the sky anymore like in past entries and the game maintains a mech altitude closer to the ground. If you want to go at a higher altitude you need to wall boost your way, by repeatedly jumping onto buildings.

Certainly, you can customize your AC with light parts, light load, and a big generator with a low-consumption booster. In becoming more mobile. But it's just not the same as the previous titles due to the other added features which I'll go into.

Controlling your AC, especially at the start, feels clunky and slow throughout the game. I even completed all the story and optional order missions and still felt that to some extent. I did update my build more than several times to see any difference or if my feelings would shift.

And upon reflection, they adjusted once I tried to see these new developments under different lenses and thematically I think it does work to some extent. Combat feels a bit more personal since you’re mostly fighting in cities and other open areas in a wasteland. But mostly the former than the latter. And it feels better winning close encounters with an AC than battling them from far away.

However, there are just too many changes here I did not like. Such as the implementation of online modes. But I can’t even access the online features since the servers are down which is a shame. I think there are some workarounds to it for pc and emulation, but I’m not sure on that front.

Moving on. Making scan mode mandatory to recover energy at a faster rate, seeing objective routes and the inability to attack is a weird compromise to make the gameplay more tactical. But I ultimately felt it was bothersome and distracted me from fighting. Even when I could activate and deactivate it at a moment's notice. The mechanic seems a bit weird to use and while I appreciate some moments for it. I just didn't like utilizing the feature throughout my playthrough.

I also didn’t like the multiple resistances here you have to remember. Its too complicated playing rock, paper, scissors, further confusing newcomers and perhaps veterans like me in wondering why my weapons aren’t effective. So it sucks when you’re already on a mission and can’t complete it because you don’t have the right weapon to be more effective in damaging the enemy. Sure you have workshop sites to change parts, but good luck changing that when you're facing off an enemy AC and can't find a workshop site available. And you can't enter a site if enemies are nearby. So these new elements are more of a chore.

Aside from these mixed feelings, I do have with the game. I do appreciate some other new changes like sorties. Which allows the player to restart from a saved checkpoint within story missions. This is a feature I super love and makes redoing missions less of a frustration and more of an easier way to retry attempts.

In addition to that, I love how you can go to multiple workshop sites in the game to replenish ammo, modify parts and recover your health. For a small price. It goes up as I consecutively use more workshop sites while in story missions. So it's very nice to diversify your build midway through a mission instead of having to do that each time before you head into battle.

The soundtrack is fire and demonstrates mechanized warfare for Armored Core standards to a T. Where fights are a bit more visceral and up close. And tracks becoming triumphant but also somber. Fitting for the game’s storyline to be so grimdark, dangerous, and full of chaos.

And the order missions are good, sometimes dropping lore bits and more since these missions take place after the main story. So you have 83 missions to dig into. All with different mission parameters ranging from defeating enemy ACs, destroying all enemy units, completing the mission within a time limit, and more.

Story is decent. Being serviceable and I like the villains here since they ooze personality.

So in the end is Armored Core V worth playing still?

A bit of a yes, a bit of a no. There are too many modifications this entry does which I didn’t appreciate at the end which makes combat a bit of a mess to enjoy and doesn’t leave a good first impression I think.

I still enjoyed my time with the game to some extent. I just wish the multiple resistances, scan mode, and online feature being implemented so heavily are tweaked or removed. Resistances just remove that. Or keep it simple to one not multiple. For scan mode. Make it so you can attack and tweak the overlay a bit to allow that or remove it and allow route markers to happen naturally. And allow some online modes playable with ai.

If you’re looking for another Armored Core entry by Fromsoftware to sink your teeth into since you already played the past entries, then I give a shaky thumbs up for this entry. And for newcomers I am hesitant to recommend this entry and would point you to Armored Core 4 or Armored Core: For Answer. Heck, I would even go so far as to recommend past PS2 titles like Armored Core 2, 3, or Nexus instead.


6/10

For a long time, I have wished for one game to give me a similar feeling of wonder and discovery as my time with Dark Souls 1. For years I have searched, and as the market filled with countless soul's-likes, I was still unsatisfied. Because they strive to fulfill different criteria of what makes a soul's-like truly great in varying degrees. Except for a single Indie RPG. Bleak Faith: Forsaken.

Made by 3 developers. And one I feel has nearly enough to stand next to Fromsoftware's beloved Soul's games for an indie RPG. Yet, the recent release has been unjustly, unfairly, and unreasonably panned by many users on the web for bugs and an Epic controversy. The former has been hyperbolized beyond disbelief and gatekeeping, while the latter is a rabbit hole; I'm not going to discuss it here.

Despite, these major claims, I sought to review the game based on its own merits upon release. This is my review of Bleak Faith: Forsaken after 34 hours. For full disclosure, I did not ask the developers for a review copy since I wanted to experience it with everyone else.

Anyway, let's get started.

Primarily an open-world survival horror action third-person RPG. A cross between sci-fi and dark fantasy. A ‘Blame! By Tsutomu Nihei’ meets ‘Berserk by Kentaro Miura’ game. You will explore the omnistructure and discover the history behind this unforgiving world. Embrace the unknown and risk your life multiple times against powerful adversaries.

That’s the main gist of what I can glean. And for the most part, it is pretty true in exploring the omnistructure. It does share similarities as a souls-like. However, there is enough content here to differentiate itself from being another soul's clone.

You don't level conventionally in Bleak Faith. Instead, the game runs entirely based on the gear you find in the world and the equipment you earn from enemies. This is an interesting take on the gameplay formula since it eliminates the need to go to a stationary safe zone to allocate stats. Instead, it enforces a bold approach where players must venture to explore the Omnistructure.

A vast world full of verticality with medium-large levels. And where some can quickly become lost in the sheer scale of wonder and discovery. In my experience, I was captivated by the level design and appreciated the environments of sci-fi megastructures to the mix of fantasy elements of technomancy. I became lost in the narrow corridors while searching for better loot and taking in the sheer scenery of places. At times, you will need a mental map of the levels you encounter. Nonetheless, sometimes your curiosity might lead you to find a great treasure or a hidden shortcut to unlock. The great thing about playing games like these without any official guides or information on the web at the time of release is that it forces the player to go in any direction at their peril and curiosity. To my utter joy, the first area you start does a good job of dropping you into the world and letting you go off in any direction. And the 2nd area is impressive due to each level being intrinsically interconnected.

Early previews of trailers have some heavy Shadow of the Colossus inspiration here. And I am glad to report there is such a system in place to climb onto large enemies to weaken them. The mechanic is not half-baked either. You will be fighting differently by striking their legs to stagger them. And then you climb atop their body to strike at their weak points. This mix of Colossus-style combat is refreshing to the combat formula where you fight lone or multiple adversaries. Now you have to keep in mind the larger giants as well.

Climbing, jumping, water traversal are allowed in the game. Adding to the player freedom and traversal on nearly every cliff, crevice, as well as a sprinkle of platforming here. A nice change of pace from battles. To see more of the level structure, the power to do so at any time and for players to figure out their path is an incredible feeling. Granted, it is not at every level. But, the fact is we can jump anytime. Also is integrated well enough with the other mechanics, not to the point of a checklist, but each mechanic felt natural and not thrown in haphazardly. Enhancing the world to make nearly every nook and cranny possible to reach. So if you think there will be some obstacles blocking your path... Well... You know what to do.

I love your character abilities here and the perk system. They visually affect different playstyles to become extra powerful or subtly with stat upgrades. For example, I could pick the Vamprism perk, granting my character life steal. One perk: Increases the number of health potions on my belt, a passive chance to create illusions. Dual weapon & heavy weapon masteries to increase damage and more.

These coupled with interchangeable character abilities, made my playthrough very enjoyable since it emphasized different builds and experimentation.

I like the crafting system here. Since it does not contain a currency system to buy equipment or items. Unlike the Souls games it's inspired by, you don't lose currency on death, so it is okay to die. Therefore, the gameplay loop of exploration and defeating enemies to gather materials becomes a euphoric feeling. Allowing the player to become stronger as they progress further. Upgrading your weapons and gear outputs a good change in the stats of your character. As a result, the crafting system helps the player overcome bosses or tough enemy mobs.

For bosses. They are threatening and do a fantastic job of giving you a good bit of trouble. But, not to the point of being insurmountable to defeat. Simply upgrade gear and weapons, and have enough items on your belt to increase damage, armor rating, and more items. Help immensely to turn the tide of battle. And for the most part that was enough for me. Attackers are also varied and I did not see a lot of copy-paste here and there. The whole world evolves in a way I didn't expect as I progressed deeper into the game, making new foes appear.

Dig the large variety of weapons and armor you can find. Made hunting around the world for unique armor sets and equipment a pleasure and fighting opponents not dull. Considering, I wanted an enemy's gear. Cool cape? That's mine now. Woah cool staff dude. That too will be mine. So the gameplay momentum is sustained as you progress further in the omnistructure.

Weaponry feels powerful and usable in certain situations since they can have one or two unique abilities attached. A unique weapon can emit a sword slash in front of you. The other can teleport behind enemy lines backstabbing them, others can summon beams of light. I haven't found all of them yet, but the sheer amount of weapon abilities with unique animations is a great plus in my books. Just like the souls series, boss weapons feel very powerful to use and very rewarding to have after a tough fight. Also, they aesthetically look very epic.

Speaking of epic. The music slaps. And I dearly want to buy the soundtrack as soon as possible. Boss tracks especially are fitting and overworld levels give off a pleasant track tunes.

Now then, as much as I want to go on praising what works effectively here. There are some things I must critique. And granted, the developers have already fixed the controls and Giant's bug. Two major complaints I had were quickly resolved. During my playthrough. This is very satisfying to see and so, I’ll focus on other matters.

First. Inventory updates. Occasionally will not show what I acquired from an enemy or what item I found. I had to check my inventory constantly and discover, “when did I get that item?” All items should pop up clearly. So I do not need to check my inventory and double-check.

Minor to somewhat troublesome bugs. Compared to the exaggerated claims by some users online panning the release as unplayable due to the number of bugs. Quite frankly, I didn’t encounter that many. And when I did they were largely fixed by the re-spawn mechanic you have innately. You can spawn one nearby when there are no enemies. Nonetheless, I did experience falling off the map, not intentionally mind you two to four times, getting outside level boundaries two to three times, and collisions with the enemy where I am stuck to them about three to four times. These all occurred throughout my thirty-four-hour playthrough and one crash to the desktop. And suffice it to say I didn’t lose a major amount of progress either. Granted my playthrough could be different and I’ve seen different reviews from other reviewers who have played to end credits stating different experiences with bugs. So this could be a ‘your mileage might vary’ type of deal. Be that as it may, most reviews on Steam still have negative thumbs-down ratings. When the developers have already fixed a good number of those complaints regarding the controls, floating while jumping, and instant death from climbing giants. This is a gentle reminder to read other reviewers' impressions of the game who have played extensively. And provide clarity and logical reasoning. There is a clear difference between ten to twenty minutes of playtime to two hours or less and then compared to those who played five, ten, twenty plus hours.

Moving on.

The next points I'll cover can be a hit or miss. Not a negative or a positive. All the same, I have decided to say here for transparency.

To start, hitboxes can be a hit or miss. Sometimes the weapon I am using is just a tad bit short. Other times it is great when evading an enemy. Could be better I feel.

I wish there is a 'perk reset' button or drinking a unique consumable to revert perks. I made the mistake of clicking one perk thinking, "This will be good." Except it's not. And now I'm stuck with a perk for my whole playthrough. Granted, there was a warning attached of picking a perk being irreversible. So that's on me.

Has jank when it was good. But also jank when it is bad. Yet, I still had a lot of fun throughout my playthrough and didn't reach a point of frustration to the degree I wanted to gatekeep this indie RPG for good. In several cases, I had jolly good laughs on some jank occurring. Some of which work in my favor!

I wish there was more story here. Seems, the narrative can be a bit vague at times. And while I appreciated the cutscenes greatly, more dialogue to explain some lore, sidequests for more side activities to do and more NPCs to flesh out the world-building could do wonders in immersing me further.

I also think the combo system can be a hit or miss. I barely touched it early on since I couldn't get the mechanic to activate it correctly. While a friend of mine told me it works for them. So I am going back to see if I can properly activate them in fights. Probably my fault for not fully understanding how it works. Perhaps a tutorial archive in the menu to refresh players on mechanics would be nice.

And that’s it. My final score for Bleak Faith: Forsaken is an 8/10. I was thinking of a 7/10. But I feel that is way too harsh. There is plenty of good content here, the game has organically especially from 3 developers. I could see it going to a 9/10 in the coming months as the devs continue making incredible progress as each day passes. And will add more free updates. Such as NG+, content expansions, and multiplayer. But first fixes since that is a very high priority.

So! If you are on the hunt, for an indie RPG souls-like in the vein of Dark Souls 1 just as I was. A mix of sci-fi and fantasy with a cross of Blame! & Berserk. And don't mind the occasional jank here and there. Then I recommend Bleak Faith: Forsaken. I have faith that the developers from Archangel Studios will come out with something great in store for us.

"Trust me"

Been a long time since I played a great first-person shooter(FPS). And to my delight, Titanfall 2 exceeded my expectations beyond ‘great’. To the point, it has solidified into one of my favorite FPS games. Trust me, It’s a titanic achievement and one I feel deserves a review. So here it is.

You play as Jack Cooper. A run-of-the-mill rifleman in the distant future. Where humanity somehow has colonized other worlds and where titans, big hulking mechs you can pilot dominate the battlefield. He has been assigned to learn under a mentor who pilots a titan. However, after training, events spiral out of control and he must now stop a corporation called Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation(IMC) from launching a super weapon that threatens a militia planet called Harmony.

Outgunned, outmatched, and without any nearby allies it’s up to him to turn the tide. And boy does the game detail his journey throughout and whether or not he will succeed. Jack doesn’t start with much, but soon enough he can pilot a titan. A titan with personality and artificial intelligence. And one who can converse with Jack. This is an interesting mix to the FPS formula where usually I’m alone in combating many baddies with some occasional support from my allies. Here we see the bond between Jack and his titan called BT-7274(or BT for short) emerge and man it is one of the strongest points the game has to offer. Jack is young, inexperienced, and most of all doesn’t know how to pilot a Titan. And yet BT has no problem showing him the ropes. Awesome to see and integrated, not half-baked either since there are plenty of moments where BT will mentor and guide Jack as they go up against the IMC. Providing a fascinating buddy companion who can think for themselves while allowing you to pilot them and work together to eliminate hostiles.

Super thumbs up on the gameplay. Providing a mirror's edge-esque ability to wall run and jump innately. Keeping the momentum fresh and not awkward. It feels good to go between walls again and again while evading enemy fire. And the checkpoint system here is very balanced, so you don’t lose a lot of progress going from one area to the next upon death. Level-wise it's linear, With areas to explore. Not always corridors either. There’s plenty of open space to explore here. And even better when the game will throw a puzzle here and there to keep the pace ongoing. I can hide using an innate stealth camo. And kill any enemies from behind. Jump into my titan and mow down enemies and seamlessly jump out and fight baddies without my Titan. Level design is very varied and I didn’t see much copy-paste design. Interesting biomes to see, fight and traverse, and enough to tinker your brain with puzzle segments and more. It doesn’t bedazzle us with explosions and more explosions without context. There is motive and purpose here as you progress through the plot to stopping the IMC.

Frenetic, yet balanced. This is how I’d describe the gameplay formula as you blaze your way through new areas. There are plenty of weapons scattered throughout the levels and I feel the game structures the weapon placement pretty well. There’s enough to be varied and quite a lot of grenades to choose from as well. So I didn’t have trouble picking new weaponry or looting ammo. If anything, the weapon diversity is included when you pilot a titan. With their own unique abilities equipped. Some can project a shield to reflect enemy fire. Launch multiple rockets. Place mines on a grid, launch a fire salvo or lay pound the ground and set the ground on fire in a vertical direction to burn soldiers. Each time you pick up a new weapon for BT, you can choose from more than five different weapon load-outs. Each with their own abilities attached and unique ultimate abilities too. Of course, you don’t unlock them all early on. You have to progress through the game to earn it.

I constantly used different titan weaponry load-outs as I fought baddies. You’ll use them extensively since you can’t just mow down enemies inside a titan all day. And its incredibly boring using the same old weapon again and again. So I really love the fact you can switch to different load-outs you have available. There are fights with other larger enemies… So I made good use of which weapon and abilities I needed to combat them. I found those battles to be cool and enjoyed them thoroughly since each one offers a different combat advantage from the other enemies. Not going to say any more on that though. Best to experience it blind in my opinion. One last thing before I delve into my critique.

There is an aspect introduced part way, which elevated the game further in my eyes. It’s done in a way that feels natural and became one of my favorite moments. I want to gush about it more, but I don’t want to keep this review longer than intended.

Now, my mixed feelings.

I kind of wish the campaign was longer. I clocked in at just a little over five hours and every moment was savored throughout the game. I feel just a bit more length could’ve propelled the stronger points to greater heights and explored a deeper sense of world-building in the sense of who and what kind of military are we siding with at the beginning of the game and throughout. Titans history. How they function, how they came to be, their combat effectiveness, and any historical significance regarding major/minor battles in history. Jack Cooper’s background and more. We don’t learn much about him really in his past, his relationships with anyone he knows from familial to friends he made in the past. There are audio logs throughout the game, and I did listen to them. They provide extra detail in the world and characters which I appreciate, but still not enough. I think a codex would be a nice addition to learning more about the world and characters here.

While I did appreciate the short campaign nature. The additional missions could've helped let the game breathe so to speak. Granted there are moments, where the pace will let you slow down and breathe, but these moments are few and far in between to truly grasp the world here and the main plot. I feel Titanfall 2 fails in this aspect to immerse me further. I would've included cutscenes, to flesh out the main character and BT more. Along with the villains and side-cast as well. Moreover, briefings could be longer to let the player ask questions and delve more into the tactical, and strategic side of things. Thereby, allowing Jack and BT to have more moments to shine throughout the game and show more moments where it's not just fighting.

Additionally, this may be a hot take, but I would like a health bar to see when I'm fighting on foot. I died more on foot than my time piloting a titan. Since I could adjust and know when to retreat. Here the health bar is when the screen would darken with blood on all corners of my screen and would become larger the more Jack is hit. I feel this isn’t a good way to implement a health system. And while I appreciate the immersiveness of it, I think players would be better off with a visible health bar so they can know when to retreat and recover health naturally.

It's weird having these mixed feelings since there were plenty of moments that stood out to me. In areas where it does have strengths and lows where it needs improvement to go from excellent to truly masterful. There is potential here. And I am here for it. If the developers at Respawn Entertainment ever come back to making another Titanfall campaign.

And that’s it! I don't play a lot of FPS. But this one exceeded my expectations a lot. It doesn't boast the sheer scale of Halo. Nor does it reach the banter I love from the Bad Company games. Doesn't even touch the powerful abilities like Crysis. Nor delving deep into psychological themes like Spec Ops: The Line. Instead, Titanfall 2 shines in the sheer mobility of run and gun here. Interesting level design and transitions kept my interest afloat and I haven’t personally seen it done in other FPS games. Even going above and beyond by introducing an aspect I love and the developers deciding “Let’s go wack” only adds to the sheer balls of them to do so. And it just works. Fluidly and organically without throwing my suspense of disbelief and destroying it with a meteor strike. The fact you can pilot a mech and they can talk to you adds so much to the gameplay and level structure. Great bonding moments between man and machine. Easily a must-play for any FPS fan and even those curious to try an first person shooter for the first time.

8/10

“What does honor mean to you?”

“I guess… protecting people.”

“The ones who can’t fight for themselves.”

Act I - The Tale of Samurai

These lines resonated deeply with me in the first 25 minutes. As someone who always tries to role-play a good guy in RPGs. And sure, Ghost of Tsushima(GoT) isn’t an RPG, and yet it embodies beliefs and morals I find in parallel with what I like to do in role-playing games(RPG). To help those in need & punish the wicked. Lines up well, with the 10th point in the ten commandments of Chivalry. Why is this relative to GoT? Because “chivalry is analogous to Bushido”(A Japanese code of behavior valuing honor above life… For the Samurai class)” Sucker Punch(SP) sells the concept to the player of what it means to be a samurai and beautifully deconstructs the notion as you progress through Jin’s story. Funnily enough, according to Michael Smathers, who wrote an article called Bushido: The Samurai Code of Honor. He mentions one virtue of Bushido.

“Mercy (Jin): As warriors, samurai held power over life and death. They were expected to exercise this power with discretion. In other words, they were to kill only for the right reasons. Of course, what that meant varied from one person to the next.”

Hmmm sounds familiar… Hold up! That’s the name of our main character(MC). Jin Sakai! A young lord who marches with his uncle Lord Shimura to stop the invasion of Mongols on the island of Tsushima. 80 Samurai against an army. You can imagine how the fight worked out at the very beginning of the game. We spend the rest of the playthrough combatting the Mongols who litter every road, town, outpost, and major stronghold. Follow his journey as he strives to uphold his samurai upbringing in the wake of an invasion that tests his very limits.

Act II - GoT gameplay with Ubisoft Formula

Just as Shadow of Mordor took inspiration from the Batman Arkham games. Some of GoT's core DNA is derived from Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed(AC) series. Trust me I’ve played a ton of them, so I’m quite familiar with what works and what doesn’t. I’m no expert though, but I’ll try my best to break down the great stuff and not-so-great stuff GoT does well.

What works is the repeated gameplay loop. Like assassinations. The AC series is known for it. GoT has them innately. Sneak up on an enemy from above or from behind in stealth and Thump! Gone. You can even activate chained assassinations to kill off your foes twice and thrice! Heck, a ‘focused hearing mode’ exists, which is eerily reminiscent of Eagle Vision, a major component of AC. A mode allowing you to spot enemy positions quickly. The combat is pretty fun. Because the rate of progression as you unlock new weapons and techniques feels balanced and fair. I didn’t have too much trouble facing off my attackers nor too little trouble on normal difficulty. I can face off my opponents in stand-offs which is an ingenious method to take out foes in one blow. The caveat though? You need to hit a button before the enemy attacks. Too fast and you get hurt. Too slow and you get hurt. These can also lead to boss encounters in the form of duels. Facing off a single boss in a 1v1 with nothing but your katana, resolve, and armor you have equipped. Duels are intense and create an incredible way to fight the most challenging of foes. Providing enough tension and anxiousness while balancing your nerves and excitement. Parry your way to victory or dodge until you see an opportunity to stagger them. You have to deal enough damage first to break through their defenses and once you do you can land critical strikes damaging their health. So be patient. Parry when you can. And dodge like a mad lad. Soon enough the blood of your enemies will fall as you walk away like a badass.

A ton of fun things to do aside from fighting. You can partake in shrines which are like small climbing puzzle sections to earn charms that can slightly upgrade our protagonists' capabilities. Allowing him to grow stronger by dealing more damage. Increase the effectiveness of arrows, restore health slowly outside of fights and so much more. Bamboo training to increase resolve is a mechanic serving as a special gauge to unlock combat arts(I’ll touch on this later). Or even partake in following foxes when you encounter a Fox Den to increase charm slots. Heck, my favorite activity to do outside of fighting is finding hot springs! Increasing your maximum health every time you rest in a new one! Seeing Jin so relaxed makes me relaxed too.

No spongy enemies exist either. You can fine-tune the difficulty from easy, medium, hard, and lethal. I primarily played on normal and thought it was very balanced. Others I’ve discussed the game with, say they played hard or on lethal. So you can’t go wrong with either choice. If you need some tips, Before I play has you covered. You may or may not need it. I didn’t read them until the very end haha. But it doesn’t hurt to know ya know? Because Jin’s capabilities in the year 1274 is quite frankly terrifying once you unlock more techniques. He can throw devastating bombs, sticky and smoke too. Kunai to whittle down opponents and stagger them. The man holds no mercy switching to different stances to dispatch shield, sword, spear, and brute enemies, and if that isn’t enough. The dude comes equipped with a bow to kill from a distance. All of these can even be upgraded as you complete story quests and other tales in the game.

No not Tales from Bamco(A funny nickname I like to call Bandai Namco heh). Tales as in sidequests. To make things easier I’ll designate them as such in this review to not confuse readers. Thankfully, not a bazillion of these are slapped willy-nilly. For the most part, they're worth completing. Some more so than others. They range from Companion tales, Mythic tales, and Tales of Tsushima(ToT).

The non-companion quests AKA ToT are decent. And yet most of them boil down to him helping the common folk(called peasants in the game). Who is caught up in the crossfire in the war between the Samurai vs. Mongols. A good chunk of the game has you play as a detective. Investigating mysteries and disappearances, Retaking a village here and there, following tracks, and escorting missions round up the majority of these quests. Demonstrated in visceral detail in every sidequest and unluckily he witnesses/helps them. A sense of fulfillment emerges in completing any request. Since the invaders hold no mercy in enacting some horrifying methods on your people.

Despite saying they were decent earlier, I still feel non-companion quests were repetitive and filler at times. Granted I will give the developers praise for vividly depicting each of them in ways I can appreciate for realism. And I had an overwhelming satisfaction in righting the wrongs against the innocent. Feels good to eliminate evil in human form. Be that as it may, I think the developers of SP could’ve made them better. Having more unique objectives. Why can’t I deliver any ingredients to them if they need them? Use some bamboo I found. Linen for clothing to help you against the rain. Ah, some iron and steel to help reinforce your home. Could’ve chained multiple quests together to be on par with companion quests. Or even more, fleshed-out NPCs so I can become more invested in their plight. I could say more, but I'll keep it short. Suffice it to say. These ToT quests felt decent. Not too bad. But at the same time not too great. Smack dab in the middle.

Moving on. I consider the liberation aspect of freeing occupied areas from Mongol control: farmsteads, outposts, and major strongholds. The weakest parts of the game in my opinion. Holy hell. They offer a rinse-and-repeat style formula that is monotonous and quite frankly poorly designed. I think the developers could've taken a different approach in opening up the Fog of War map akin to Ubisoft towers(These are tall buildings in the AC series you have to climb which opens up a part of the map). GoT should’ve taken major inspiration from Horizon Zero Dawn(HZD) Where the main character climbs robot dinosaurs in a fair manner to open up parts of the map. HZD implemented the design far better than GoT did by taking the Ubisoft Towers design and making it their own. Here the implementation is half-baked. Why the hell do I need to liberate all outposts, farmsteads, and strongholds to open up a region?! Check out how many are in the 1st region alone. See all those red markers? You have to eliminate all invaders occupying each of those areas. Do so and the region’s fog of war will clear up. One might say isn’t this easy to do if you eliminate all of them? I wish my dear friends. SP included an annoying aspect requiring you to rescue hostages not in every red marker, only some of them. I noticed them more in farmsteads. So not only do I have to play rescue missions along with killing Mongols without exception to liberate an area, I have to make sure they don’t die because the baddies will try to kill them. Essentially adding useless filler. I’m sorry if my tone is scathing to those who enjoyed these aspects. I feel very frustrated to have to partake in a rinse-and-repeat formula to liberate all occupied areas to open up one region of the map. And again the process repeats in the 2nd and 3rd regions. In total, I had to free 56 locations from Mongol control. Certainly, I didn’t have to do it. But in the interest of wanting to look at everything the game had to offer I had to accomplish the feat.

Alternatives I was thinking as I liberated areas is: Making shrines the go-to method to open up parts of a map. How many? Well, 16 throughout the three regions make up the island of Tsushima. So the process is greatly lessened. They're a nice change of pace from fighting. They consist of medium-length climbing sections akin to hunting tombs in the AC series or Prince of Persia-esque. So if the developers had combined the mechanic of Ubisoft towers in shrines. Then once you complete more than five in a region, then BAM! The whole map is opened to the player. Copy-paste that design again and you have reviewers praising your game instead of critiquing it. Another idea was to cull the numbers down significantly by liberating occupied areas. Taking out the hostages required. And instead, make it a stealth mission to rescue a hostage or grab an important item then have your allies storm the place as you watch them tear it apart. Or include the design during haiku. I can admire the view ahead of me, contemplate how to sort my sentences together, and open up a region if I complete all of them. This method works by giving more importance to Haiku in the world. Than calling them filler which my friend states. And and I agree with their assessment of it. Considering other miscellaneous activities felt more rewarding. Fox dens, hot springs, bamboo training, and shrines.

GoT has another main strength in the companion and mythic quests. The former is a set of sidequest chains you follow as you progress through the first, second, and third acts. Helping your companion with whatever troubles them. For Ishikawa, to correct a mistake he did not foresee. For Masako to avenge her family. And the warrior monk Norio, who fervently defends sacred temples. There are more, but I'll let those surprise you. Companion quests caught hold of me like a fish on a hook and I couldn't wait to watch more unfold. Weaving an intricate companion plot and in effect I bonded with my allies further. Trade banter at times then engage in serious conversations. Respond in binary choices during conversations, rode horseback alongside them, and fought together against the Mongols. It’s well thought out and I have no major complaints to say. Seriously. These quests are amazing.

The latter, Mythic quests by comparison I also echo the same sentiment above. Worth completing. They differ in fact, all of them detail a legend from long ago depicted in scroll tapestry. As if a storyteller is weaving their tale from the annals of history. Once you hear their story, you embark on a side quest to reclaim the item or lesson from Tsushima’s history. These can range from legendary armor to new combat arts you can use freely. Doesn’t take too long to complete. The armors you attain provide hefty bonuses for gameplay purposes or through stealth means. Arts are also noteworthy to provide new moves when fighting. Ranging from an unblockable strike to even striking three attackers in quick succession. You can’t go wrong with finishing them throughout your journey. Enriching the player even further with great worldbuilding.

Interlude - Iki Island Ruminations

Before I discuss more on the base game I have to talk about the Iki island expansion. I completed it after the main story. The expansion is short. Beat it in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Well below the average from How Long to Beat(HLTB). You can see times in the additional content section. Still worth playing for the story. You investigate Mongols on Iki who sent out a scouting party to the main island. Why does this matter? Well, the scouting party used a devastating weapon forcing Jin to investigate where the party originated from. And heck if it makes a head of a clan like Sakai go without telling any of his allies. It must be a pretty big deal. And it delves into unexpected areas from his past I didn’t expect, but welcomed all the same. Providing much-needed context on important flashbacks the MC has throughout the story in the base game. The expansion also includes an element I love. I wish I could say more, but that’s spoiler territory. Best to experience it yourself.

Act III - Final Thoughts from a Ghost

Somehow the game runs flawlessly. I barely have time to read tips, because loading screens start and end super quickly on my PS4 Pro. For the PS5 & PS4 version, Eurogamer has all the details. John Linneman of Digital Foundry analyzes the FPS(frames per second) and more. I didn’t notice any hiccups regarding Framerate, playing on performance mode rather than resolution mode. No serious bugs or glitches either. The game runs like a dream and is perhaps what I consider as stable as the constant PS4 updates to stability memes. I’d even equate it to the legendary FOX engine employed by Konami from which Metal Gear Solid V runs on.

I rarely praise open-world games. Some games bloat worlds too much, losing the player. Others craft a tight balance, not too much and not too little with worthwhile content. GoT is the latter. The visual style and setting work phenomenally in tandem with all the bells and whistles. To my astonishment, gorgeous vistas are abundant. I gazed at the sunsets as I rode my horse called Nobu through countless grassy plains. Waited patiently for the sunrise to peek over the mountains. Was content walking and running through tree leaves of various colors. And embraced the forests as if I was a denizen of them. So much passion and care by Sucker Punch to craft such a detailed world that I am left speechless. You will have no shortage to gawk at, to stop, wonder, and for the life of me, I cannot say it enough to give the description justice.

Ironically, as much as I behold the beauty in the game. I recognize many injustices. War has come and Mongols revel in it. Sparing no expense in demonstrating the aftermath of their brutality, war crimes, and heavy topics. However, as we witness horrible acts a man & woman can do there comes the other side where we become mesmerized at the truest and sacrificial of human beings to help their fellow man/woman. Speeches rally people to rise from their peasant status and bear arms. Conventional tactics are thrown away to save our people's suffering. What use is an 'honor' when the enemy savagely uses dishonorable tactics against us? If we must strive to free ourselves we must first do so with resolve, courage, and unflinching fearlessness. In the face of overwhelming odds GoT crafted allies who rise above the occasion. From the gruff, but serious Ishikawa who desires to right a wrong. To the avenger Lady Masako who desires vengeance for her family. And even the gentle giant monk Norio who guards the temples against invaders. Their voice is another cry of suffering just as the common folk suffer. Together we can defend our home, save our friends and family and partake in camaraderie. Despite much pain. The people cling to salvation. And Jin is ready to help them along the way.

His story is an experience. We see how he has been taught the ways of samurai. To embody their tenets. Loyalty, Control, and Honor. These core lessons are ingrained in the MC. Built from the ground up. And yet what is built can also be broken down. This I feel is SP’s strongest blade at work. The struggle he endures in my playthrough was filled with an incredible transformation he undergoes. He’s not the most likable of protagonists, on the surface level. Yet underneath the underneath, there is an underrated amount of subtle themes and messages that are cyclical to embrace what is a Samurai and what is not a Samurai. Told in ways and tales I found captivating. And the game is built around this from the tranquil music, fun gameplay, worthwhile side quests(At least for Companion and Mythic tales), and an enthralling world to explore. And even the Guiding Wind mechanic guides the player which funnily enough is the personification of the protagonist's father. Fitting dialogue options during conversations. All of these come back to Jin. Again and again, hammer home important lessons and themes the game can impart to the player after witnessing the ending. And man what a finale it was.

I have never played a Sucker Punch game before. So I’m glad Ghost of Tsushima became my first one to play from the studio. Such a breath of fresh air to experience and I am thrilled to play more in their catalog for the future. And watch films by Akira Kurosawa and Takashi Miike. And heck, more Samurai mediums. Despite the critique, I said earlier. I think the game is a worthy entry point for anyone looking for a worthwhile Samurai fantasy game.

8/10

Forbes called the game a mix of “Titanfall, Dishonored, and Superhot.” PC Gamer says it's in between “Mirror's Edge and Dishonored.” For me, add Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to the above, and bam you have Ghostrunner. I’ve played all of those above Well… Dishonored I still need to finish but that’s neither here nor there.

After an assassination mission has gone wrong(You need to watch the intro cutscene starting before you reach the main menu to display a prologue of events. Kinda like Vagrant Story. Please don’t miss it.) You(Jack) are somehow alive and must climb Dharma Tower to defeat the Keymaster. A ruthless being ordering the people to work so hard, she’s milking them until they bleed while the rich stay rich. As a ghost runner who acts as a peacekeeping force such despicable actions are irredeemable! Therefore, she must be terminated. Working alongside Interesting companions as you climb to the top. And honestly, it reminds me heavily of Titanfall 2's(T2) structure where you’re not alone in your fight. Greatly enhancing my experience and making my main goal not so daunting anymore.

Give me a sharp katana, good parkour, cyberpunk setting, and you have my attention. Ghostrunner(GR) embodies all these traits and I am extremely thrilled to report the sheer momentum of slashing unaware enemies is satisfying. Movement feels super smooth and the story kept me intrigued. Teasing me with Alan Turing's ideas.

Environments are plentiful here. Industrialized factories are knit tightly together with turbines and a hodgepodge that works of uneven steel apartment buildings littering areas to traverse as you hop around rooftops and swing about like Tarzan. Felt like I was back playing Cyberpunk 2077. The setting fits. Jumping from wall to wall as I collided past each billboard was not boring at all. Levels range from less than 5-10min to finish early on and can bloom to 30 minutes later on for those who check their surroundings carefully. These areas are carefully designed to induce almost an illusion to make you think they’re larger than intended despite following a linear path. Collectibles, tucked away in places you wouldn’t expect, reward those who search every nook and cranny and offer a nice blurb of lore exposition.

Combat is the bread and butter here. You can’t shoot with a gun sadly, but who needs a gun when you have a katana that can delete your foes in a single blow? Parry this you filthy casual. If you are a master at parrying from a popular Souls franchise or katana-wielding games like Raiden from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, you’ll thrive here. Unfortunately, I suck at parrying. And yet to my delight in GR, they're not super strict on windows to retaliate. Play a Tetris-like upgrade system and equip chip blocks. Some blocks increase your chances of reflecting an attack. Add another dash or blink, etc. Or activate more options in assist mode, I’ll touch on this later. Under the circumstances, a bumbling dude like me can turn the tide of battle. Incredibly satisfying when a gunner tries to shoot me, only to see Jack slapping the projectile back! Hah! Moreover, despite being weak as hell in the beginning. He turns into an effective killing machine as you progress deeper to unlock new abilities. Bullet time exists here. Providing a nice twist to dodging, and I love how one of Star War’s most iconic powers is utilized to flick enemies away like a filthy bug in your vision. Yuck.

It should be noted, throughout the game if you get hit once you will die. I think dying in one hit, as a rule, is a tricky feature for developers. Lean hard and players will think it's too punishing. Go too easy and breeze through like a cakewalk. Ghost of Tsushima and Superhot tread the fine line for better or worse. Thankfully, GR is smack dab on the edge of the better side. With Assist Mode, someone like me who sucks at intense action-packed titles can somehow become an expert. Consisting of three features: One extra life(This makes it so you can survive one blow), a shorter cooldown to use abilities more, and slower gameplay speeds for more leeway in reacting. The mode single-handedly and substantially changed my experience as I sped through slicing and dicing. I was frowning heavily, during the early parts since I felt the difficulty was a bit too tough and challenging. Once I turned on some of those options my whole expression turned 180. I’m grinning like a loon and nodding my head to the beat of the music(composed by Daniel Deluxe, and man does his name roll off the tongue) where the rhythm and synth wave work in tandem to the combat. Creating a pleasant tempo to listen to. I did feel some tracks were repetitive. Although, after re-listening to the OST it works in its favor. Offering systematic beats Hm hm hm hm.

Level design for the most part is solid to a degree, I find myself reminiscing Mirror's Edge and T2. Both employ excellent sequences using parkour and unique elements. By taking advantage of environment placement and visual hints. GR is much the same. There is a frenetic pace from which you slice, parry, dodge, and adjust your balance to the course of platforming segments. Not too large and not too small either. Designed well to keep you focused, without throwing a hard curveball in your direction. One of the levels I enjoyed repeatedly are the cyber void chunks. Small bite-sized puzzle sections in the cyber world, complete these and you are rewarded a new ability. Each puzzle isn’t copy pasted from the previous iteration. You always have something new to look forward to: from jumping pieces, to mind twists, and in some cases, you have to solve something inspired by Tetris. They offer a fantastic change of pace from the usual combat of fighting and I couldn’t wait to encounter more.

The checkpoint system is very fair and re-spawning instant. I also love how wall running is slighter better here than in previous parkour titles. Over there, I can wall-run until I petered out in the end. Here, I can continue forever. Which is appreciated. In the past, I usually miscalculate. Falling to the dark abyss and greeting death like an old friend, since the main character can only wall-run a set amount. GR removes that entirely. Go the distance without fear of falling. Lastly, when you die, the dialogue resets instead of continuing as if you already know what the characters will talk about. A nice refresher for those who re-spawn repeatedly and want to hear the rest of the conversation.

Moving on. I have to talk about my mixed feelings. Not a positive or a negative. But for the sake of transparency, I'm noting them down. More often than not, I am blocked by forced enemy encounters in some sections. These encounters require me to beat a variety of enemies before I can progress. I don’t like this method, because it enforces a design to halt pacing and force players to eliminate everyone within a room or decently open-sized areas. Fighting through trial and error until you get it right. And while this is a fine idea in theory, the execution leaves much to be desired. You constantly retry to win against these enemies, forcing yourself to die when I think the developers could’ve taken different avenues instead of defeating everyone. Why not stealth? Eliminate some, then move on. Find a key while eliminating some baddies, then continue to your next objective. Why can’t I travel and evade my way to victory? Aim for higher platforming and perhaps lose my skills to force a no-power handicap. Or even to the point where there is a large open area and all you have to do is find any path to get there. Embracing diverse amounts of unique sections and in effect creates more player freedom than constrained enemy encounters. Would run in parallel with the constant momentum the game tries to inject. Additionally, I think extending the campaign to flesh out the worldbuilding, villain, and characters would work. More bosses too, since there are a few here. Nonetheless, how One More Level & Slipgate Ironworks (the developers of GR) conducted them was fairly balanced and unique in my books. As a result, I don’t see a reason why more were not included. They offer creative ways to think outside the box and provide a satisfying feeling when beating them.

With all that said, I don’t think my mixed feelings bring the whole game down a ton. I didn’t experience any bugs, crashes, or glitches. If anything, the intriguing story, slick combat, tight balance of difficulty with solid-level design, and gorgeous cyberpunk aesthetic left me hungry for more. A very generous checkpoint system and fitting synth wave OST takes care to almost override nearly all blemishes I had. And while the campaign is short, I clocked in at a little over five hours. There is a bleeding edge of content in store for newcomers or veterans looking for action-platforming. And Ghostrunner fits the bill. And hey! If you do buy it, You can be excited with me when the sequel launches later this year!

7.5/10

6-22-23 - Edited for clarification on one hit death. And removed some useless words. 99% of review still intact.

“I am Joshua’s Shield. I’m sworn to protect him… He takes too many risks. I only wish I could save him from himself.”

“Clive, you... Well, if you’re not going to pray to Metia for your safe return, I shall just have to do it for you.”

These lines are spoken in the very first hour, and detail three crucial details. His duty as Joshua’s Shield. How much he cares for his brother, and how Jill prays for his safe return. It’s simple, to the dot, and captures the player’s attention immediately. Statements are said with conviction, will, and resolve. Told during the halcyon days of their youth. Ahhh. But terrible storms gather nearby. For Clive, Jill, and Joshua their fates will change forevermore…

Final Fantasy(FF) is no stranger to taking risks. And each iteration boldly goes where the previous ones have not walked. And FFXVI is no different. We follow Clive Rosfield’s journey as a young lad into something more. For better or worse, he and others are embroiled in a political drama within Valisthea. A large continent with six nations all with their factions, agendas, and notorious individuals with nefarious goals. And Rosfield is the poor sod who has to survive, kill and go past his limits. Make no mistake, out of all the FF games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Sixteen consumed my waking thoughts, and remained a constant as I went through the daily motions and as the days passed into weeks. I am astonished by how much there is to do, uncover and learn. I have gone the distance to see as much as I possibly can within two playthroughs. And here I am staring at my google docs page after an exhaustive duel, spending countless hours figuring out if it deserves to reach my top 5 FFs. And it does. I don’t say that statement lightly, since I love the series since starting with thirteen and have enjoyed over twenty-two entries. So you could say I am very familiar. Now then it is time to review the latest entry to one of Square Enix’s(SE) long-running IPs.

Combat is addicting. I couldn’t get enough of it. Experimenting with new skills and outfitting my kit. Or rushing to face numerous bosses that are both fair and hit the right spots. Tweaking the difficulty at your leisure from story or action focused. The former grants free rings at the start to aid you. The latter, you don’t acquire automatically. But you can freely switch difficulties at any time, so you won’t miss out. Equip accessible rings to make combat easier for ya. Auto dodge, auto combo, auto potion, and more are available. A nice way to make fights easier or harder depending on your preference. With the help of Kingdom Hearts developers and PlatinumGames. And signing up Ryota Suzuki. A Capcom veteran and one who has worked on the Devil May Cry franchise. A triple alliance emerges between these forces and at the helm is Creative Business Unit III(CBU3) joining to make an impressive quad squad. The titular and amazing Naoki Yoshida(Nicknamed Yoshi-P) is the producer. A man who has worked tirelessly to reform the original FFXIV launch into one of the most successful MMORPGs today. So you could say these guys are in very safe hands. Unafraid of taking risks, each FF entry strives to make combat innovative, but also familiar to entertain both veterans and sprouts(newbies). Traditional turn-based gameplay has radically shifted since its foundation, shifting into real-time action. And as someone who favors the turn-based approach, I don’t mind the change to real-time. I appreciate it. There is a fluid momentum persisting as you dodge, parry, and execute Eikon's abilities. Goblins? Move over Goblin Slayer, Dude will incinerate them to kingdom come. Phoenix shifting, with relentless fury as if the wind has blessed him with deadly claws. I didn’t find clunky movements wherever I treaded, making battles go smoothly. Transitions into these skirmishes are near instant. So don’t be afraid of a lengthy wait. Quick and nimble is the key here. And I had no problem acquiring different abilities to experiment and juggle my enemies. Didn’t find an issue with the experience. The gain was fair. Both in leveling up and upgrading my skills. I was satisfied to a degree of wanting more and the developers gave me that and extra.

The soundtrack is subtle, but full of magic. Composed by Masayoshi Soken Who has worked just as tirelessly as Yoshi-P in composing FFXIV melodies. Sixteen’s composition is distinct from the compositions of Nobuo Uematsu(FF1->10), Masashi Hamauzu(FF13 trilogy), Yoko Shimomura(FF15), and other composers. More in line with Hitoshi Sakimoto's works. Of FF Tactics and Vagrant Story fame. Subtle, in a good way. I think most if not all tracks work in favor of providing a layer I don’t find as bombastic, full of vocals, or orchestral. Going more tranquil, peaceful, and in some cases filled with tension creates a tightrope to induce fear and bravery. There is meaning and weight to these songs. Triumphant lyrics are largely missing in favor of the solemn and at times contemplative ambient sounds gracing our ears. Pleasant, soothing, and incredibly transformative. Didn’t hear the same old repetitive track again and again. Always something unfamiliar to hear, and listen to when I travel new places around the block. I could say more, but for the life of me, I cannot describe it justice enough. Just know when the epic tunes hit they hit bloody hard. There is a payoff in going subtle here. And if Uematsu could hear this, I think he would clap in joy for Soken’s work.

Gratifying gameplay loop that is cyclical, interconnected and works in tandem with the other systems in place. Get too tired with combat? That's fine. Take a breather with some side quests(SQ) that are almost perfect. Hitting the near-zenith of Witcher 3 SQ quality combined with consistently powerful worldbuilding I haven’t seen since I last played through The Legend of Heroes IP. Specifically, the Sky trilogy, Crossbell duology, and Cold Steel tetralogy. There is so much depth, I am left in wonder and awe to study more about the history of Valisthea and its denizens. More often than not you will encounter chunks of lore. To varying degrees. Religion and societal customs included. Unexpected discoveries in interpersonal relationships with folks I didn’t expect. Helping people in need at the main hub to assist strangers out in the wild. And these are not pointless to do, since the rewards can range from increasing your potions limit to rewarding items, weapons, equipment, materials, and key items. Worth it, both in the physical and knowledge aspects. Easily, the strongest SQs are the ones related to the main character(MC), his party members, and by extension those who are allied with him. Granting a decent to lengthy quest chains to learn more. Bond further and even partner up! Worthwhile to do and I encourage everyone to complete as many as they possibly can. Some of these connect with quests benefiting players and heck if you’re bored you can even undertake a hunt mission. Which are like bounties to defeat unique monsters out in the wild. Fun to do and a worthwhile conflict awaits. A solid way, building up renown to earn supplementary rewards. It's gotten to the point I couldn’t wait to finish the main story quests(MSQ) so I can complete new SQs/hunts popping up on my radar.

And Clive. Bless his soul. Doesn’t mind at all aiding those in need. Especially to offer a guiding hand to Bearers. People who are essentially slaves and can use magic. Commonfolk can’t use magic innately. Used by slave masters, nobility as a means of cheap labor. Bearers are human tools. Do you want your garden trimmed? Let the boy use wind magic to trim the bushes into a presentable state. No need to work yourself and use bladed shears. Need clothes to dry quickly rather than letting the sun do the work? Let the Bearer use wind magic again to blow air on your wet clothes becoming a human dryer. Oh, need consistent fire for your blacksmithing duties? Grab one of those filthy Bearers and order them to use their magic to cast fira. Heating the stones instead of using natural fire. I kid you not these instances I saw plenty throughout and equally jaw-dropping tales inside. In some cases, my emotional state stewed in conniptions. I was immensely saddened to see a mirror image of our world’s history of slavery. And the developers(devs) have managed to capture these horrific moments in ways I was reeling. I won’t go into the exact details, but my heart bled for each one. And I quickly without hesitation became the shield for these unfortunate souls who were suffering without end.

Worldbuilding is quality across the board. I usually have problems with worldbuilding in other Japanese Role-Playing Games(JRPGs). Some go too far. Gorging the player on unnecessary details. Others have too little and need more of the former. It’s been a long time since I was so engrossed in the lore and history. Sixteen manages to do it in such a way I am left hungry for more. Complementing this is a handy codex in the form of Active Time Lore(ATL for short). Where you can see relevant information during any part of the story. Yes, this includes cutscenes. Incredibly well-thought-out and as a lore nut. The feature is very satisfying to use when I need a refresher on what this legend is supposed to be. Why do we keep calling places ‘Storm’ and ‘Twins?’ What are Bearers? The plot, quests, and your companions will continually talk about these elements in rich detail. I could gush more but I think you see the picture. Wish other JRPGs and Non-RPGs learn from this.

An evolving world is persistent here. Each time a major or minor event has been resolved whether by SQ’s or MSQ. The state of NPC's is adjusted to reflect that. And the very essence of Valisthea wherever you travel to also shares the same evolution. Oh, a major event took place at [redacted]? Time to head back to and check for differences in the citizenry. This is just one example of how places may vary over time. Very reminiscent of my time with the Trails franchise. I eagerly looked forward to returning to the main hub and conversing with my comrades on the latest gossip, new information about the state of the realm, or the odd tip here and there you may not see coming. I cherished these NPCs and I would go so far as to call some, my dear friends. They all play a big role in shaping not just MC’s story, but their tales and stories are interwoven with his. Leaving me with an everlasting impression. The gentle giant Goetz, Sharp eyes Gav, the gentle but stern Tarja, the wise Harpocrates, and of course we can't forget the wise, venerable and slick leader. These individuals have their struggles, and quests from which we witness. Cooperate and in doing, so we are treated to a fantastic cast willing to shoulder our burdens. To care for our wounds. To sustain us with supplies and support us through thick and thin. Against all odds. We stand together.

There are however mixed feelings I have with this entry. Won’t say names. Since this is a non-spoiler review and certainly not a positive or a negative. But for the sake of transparency, I'm noting down here. One character in particular needed more fleshing out, some villains and to a lesser degree other persons. I felt I didn't grasp their entire being more than others. Which is funny because I adore my party. Sadly, I’ve already devoured the game as much as I possibly could in search of critical and related information I may have missed the first time around with no success. And I doubt a third go around would change my thoughts. Anyway, I think further context on the background and subsequent encounter with the MC needed more ‘meat’ so to speak for lack of better words to create a dynamic that would immerse me further. Extra side quests regarding ‘x’ nation concerning their status, additional scenes, and heavier amounts of banter, especially during battles to alleviate some silence. There is some banter, though I think the devs could’ve added a healthy amount to spare. Tease me with interconnected lore concerning their powers I wouldn’t expect. Past entries in the series had parties where I can comfortably say I know their personality, likes, dislikes, habits, quirks, relationships with others, etc. And while this one individual didn’t have to that extent. I enjoyed their presence, actions, and the precious moments they had in the story. Granted, including my suggestions would inflate the base content more in hours, but I think it's a small price to pay to receive more fleshed-out people. I’m not asking for five hours extra. Although I wouldn’t mind it. Just an hour or two. Be that as it may, it doesn't diminish the game all that much.

Wish we could control other party members and while this doesn’t make a lot of sense due to spoilers in the story. Conceptually I think it could’ve worked to give further spice to the combat capabilities. Adding a greater emphasis to my earlier point of fleshing out the characters. Since some member’s ability kit is not as varied as the MC’s which would perhaps make the players feel more lacking in the combat. However, internally I’m torn with the idea since I think this would’ve created somewhat a lesser emphasis on his story. And at its core, there is an extremely high plateau of which we the audience bear witness to his struggles, failures, and triumphs through his eyes. If we take out our(his) eyesight and perspective, then these incredible experiences we see perhaps may not have had a greater impact. Balance is key here and while I could sprout more suggestions I could see why the developer chose not to do so. It’s a troublesome matter. I've long since debated whether more or less should be added for games.

Style over substance is here. Should be noted, I don’t perceive this notion in a negative light. I can see the merits, demerits with shades in the middle. For Style It is simply amazing to behold the Eikon fights. But it becomes rinse and repeat as we continue to reuse a repetitive formula. Spamming our attacks amid downtimes of our cooldown abilities, interspersed with quick time events(QTE) to add a flourish making battles memorable. Sure there are moments when this evolves to keep the combat fresh amidst these epic David Vs. Goliath clashes. Tynan Sylvester goes deep into the subject of this in his article on "Style and Substance in Game Design" Here he posits:

“The designs all become too similar to each other because they're all simulations of the same things. The style is decided upon and a simulation is built before the substance gets tweaked. This means that the fundamentals of the games are all the same; they are just variations on one another.”

We see this clearly with the Eikon fights and perhaps in some respects with the combat system in the non-Eikon battles. Nevertheless, it is fitting in a narrative sense due to how the plot and sequences are constructed. I think I would’ve preferred a more tactical aspect here. Instead of having mandatory engagements like these. Include more natural surprises to the player. Raising their eyebrows. Make us fight using different aspects of an Eikon. Outwitting my opponents using subterfuge, and backstabbing, Let us use the environment to our advantage, add in human enemies to avoid clashes, and instill a sense of unpredictability by introducing our loveable party members into the equation. Give us choices or perhaps go bolder where it's not even a fight, but merely a duel of words. I could say more, but I’ll withhold myself. I can’t help but begrudgingly praise how well these Eikonic clashes were done in a cinematic sense, but also what they accomplish in the story. The substance is here too. Good lord, there are simply too many to my utter joy and I’ve already said earlier regarding the worldbuilding, sidequests, and how that wonderfully ties together into not just Clive’s struggles, but the cast alongside him. Man has conflict everywhere.

FF16 RPG elements are barely within and while I think the commentary article does have some truth. I believe for the narrative this was sacrificed necessarily to focus entirely on his journey. I am not defending Sixteen by saying this, merely trying to infer based on what I've seen. There is a clear vision from which the devs have led from beginning, middle, and end for the player to see. And I for one applaud the move to risk in their grand vision, by sacrificing some RPG elements. As a result, I am given less time managing and micromanaging my units stats and equipment, in favor of returning to action. Is this a conscious effort by the team to do so? Perhaps. Should Final Fantasy have the bare minimum of RPG elements like tweaking stats, combat, and more to make it as JRPG as other entries in the past have done? I don’t know. I for one am no developer nor am I an expert in determining the correct answer to such a question. I don’t think there is even a perfect one out there from which we can all unanimously agree. maybe Chrono Trigger? Without a pedantic fella hollering “Well actually…” Comparisons will be made of course. And in tradition, we see these constant debates online. In my opinion, as long as the elements are satisfying to the player, then I think that system serves its purpose. I don’t play FF solely for the role-playing experience. Although I don’t mind if it's in-depth like say Bravely Default or other Square Enix IPs For me, I play FF to become engrossed in the story, characters, music, themes, settings, gameplay etc. And to this end, CBU3 delivers in chests full of Mythril.

The dungeons(these are places from which we fight.) Could be improved level-wise. To allow more freedom to explore. Why can’t I search for a castle more thoroughly? Why am I stuck in yet another forced battle to clear out a room of enemies and goodness by the almighty grace of Greagor please not another forced skirmish? As a consequence, a formulaic method rises as we go through the corridor and room to fight familiar enemies before we can progress. I don’t think this is a bad design. I simply believe other avenues were available. Don’t make some fights mandatory. Allow us to free-roam, and inject some npc’s to raise an eyebrow. Drop some lore papers around ruins so I have something else to do beyond fighting enemy mobs who think they have a chance of opposing me. Be bolder and go the distance by granting loads of enemies to clash with, akin to Dynasty Warriors. Scores of deadly mobs push me to the limit. To play devil's advocate, I can see why the devs didn’t do so, since sixteen is already ambitious. And the pace of how the story beats are granted is logical to me. Overall I think aesthetically they’re great, and the mini-boss/regular boss fights are a thrill to test my mettle. The dev’s don’t miss on constructing these encounters. Using their mmo skills to bring in their expertise to a single player game is a 200 IQ move.

Final Fantasy Mode seems to be the intended difficulty. Unlocked after beating the story. Featuring better tweaks by removing button prompts during QTE's and relying on visual cues to press. Adding exclusive content(in the form of upgraded weapons and accessories), increasing enemy strength, and more enemies in areas you wouldn't expect in a 1st playthrough. I feel this mode ought to be available from the start. Granting a balanced challenge to players looking for a bitter bout. But I think I understand why the developers didn’t unlock it in the beginning. Some areas felt like padding by adding a miniboss in areas when the base game didn’t have one. Which is an interesting choice. Alternatives I was thinking to alleviate this were adding 10-25% more enemy variety and injecting these instead of more mandatory fights. Nevertheless, I am a bit eh on the FF mode. Although, It is a delightful affair for those who seek it.

That’s it for my mixed feelings. Despite the unholy amount I spouted, I don’t believe they bring the entire product down a great deal. Think of these ultimately as food for thought. The rest are minor nitpicks not worth mentioning. Two last notes before I head out and I am so sorry for writing more than I thought possible. But in the writing here. I savor every word. Very mature and filled with layers deep with rich dialogue. Considering it was spearheaded from creative director/lead writer by Kazutoyo Maehiro Who was mentored by Yasumi Matsuno(He directed FFT, Vagrant Story, FFXII among others). Therefore, the writing is beautifully well crafted. Not to the extent of flowery as the Shakespearan translation of FF Tactics: War of the Lions. But a cross between Vagrant Story & FFXIV dialogue in a modern take. Resulting in naturally organic voiced scenes. I frequently traveled back to cities, towns, and my main hub and listened to unique dialog every time. No need to hit a button to converse. Simply walk by and you can hear their chatter. The MSQ cutscenes between every important individual on-screen are handled with care and delicateness. Villains too. This attention to detail is given the same treatment as we go through the SQs and man it is so worth it. Clear amounts of nuance here where you will see neither side winning or losing. But full of shades of gray in the dialogue, and how some quests are resolved in unexpected, yet realistic outcomes.

Clive’s story from start to finish is such a breathtaking journey every FF fan needs to experience. Wonderful development, in my honest opinion. I was deeply moved by how raw Ben Starr voices the MC and how these give so much intensity to candid and countless natural conversations. Hell, even the voice actors aside from Ben deserve praise. A solid crew who tests, questions, and guides. Their counterparts, the villains, provide a powerful incentive to beat. Make no mistake. His story is not for the faint of heart. But, as much as there is darkness here, so too is light and it is without a doubt impeccably strong to behold. Cuteness and priceless moments are here to counter the stormy Valisthea political climate.

Final Fantasy has always been near and dear to my heart. I have witnessed innumerable stories that resonated so powerfully. Likable to loveable casts I reminiscence from time to time. Soundtracks never failing to capture the spirit of fantasy. Gameplay that can be a hit, miss or somewhere in between. And while some entries stagger and sputter without gas. Each one has a special place in my heart. From the foundation in one to three. Ascending to greater heights than before from four to six and taking a more bold and experimental graphical change from seven to nine. Transitioning into an advanced engine from ten to thirteen. And while I haven’t played FFXII yet. By the Founder, trust me, I’ll get there. FFXIV & FFXV still kept my faith. And now for FFXVI to grace our presence I am left in awe at the immense weight of it all. The sheer depth at stake here, when analyzed under a fine magnifying glass is a bloody tour de force. I applaud Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III. Rarely do I become so absorbed in such a captivating narrative of Clive’s story. Seeing his growth from his younger days as he ages is such a vital aspect to soak in. For those who still doubts the series, this is a title that is simply a must-play and CANNOT be missed. For any newcomer to JRPGs, I envy you greatly if you start with one of the finest Final Fantasy games I’ve had the pleasure of playing.

Bravo Yoshi-P, Hiroshi Takai, Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, Masayoshi Soken, Kazutoyo Maehiro, Mitsutoshi Gondai, Ryota Suzuki, Yusuke Hashimoto, Hiroshi Minagawa, Kazuya Takahashi, and so many more who helped develop this raw title. And most of all thank you to anyone who read this long review. You guys are the best.

9/10

Note: If any links are not working please let me know and I'll update them accordingly. Worried about some FFXVI OST YT videos getting removed.

In a tweet by Yuri Stern, one of the developers of the two man team rose-engine along with Barbara Wittmann of Signalis. They remark how "I wish people would be more open to letting others figure out for themselves how their ending made them feel. Instead of telling a streamer "you got the best ending!", maybe you can ask "did you think this was an interesting conclusion?" And they can decide if they liked it or not" Their comment was in response to how some players classify conclusions as absolutes for true, bad, good, etc.

Stern’s answer caught my attention and I admit throughout my time playing games with multiple outcomes in the finale. I realize I am guilty of this too. And yet, this establishes a thought-provoking notion to provide clarification, evidence, and reasoning, beyond simple claims. Player interpretation differs for each individual. Classified as neither good, bad, or in between. It simply is. Consensus can say comparable beginnings, middle, and end. And yet, we conjure causes to describe something that can be difficult or perhaps easy to comprehend. In my attempt to understand everything throughout my playthrough, I’ve come to see it as a Lovecraftian Sci-Fi blended with Survival Horror. Reputable individuals have noted inspiration, references, and homages to King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers. The Festival by H.P. Lovecraft. Evangelion by Hideaki Anno, Stanley Kubrick, Resident Evil & Silent Hill franchise Et al. To me, include Nier and Prey(2017). With a dash of Studio Shaft’s techniques. And while I haven’t read/watched/played some of those homages they harken too. A considerable amount of careful effort to not create a reference-filled fiesta akin to Ready Player One. Plenty of satisfying content and unique properties, enough to stand on its own.

You control Elster, a [Redacted] in search of someone important to her. This is her journey after her ship crashes onto an unknown planet. She doesn’t start with much, but a sufficient tutorial resides to grant a fighting chance. Make no mistake, this isn’t a game you run away from consistently. You. Can. Fight. Back. From a top-down 2.5D perspective. Lengthwise, the game took me over nine hours to complete and I didn’t have any major/minor bugs or crashes. Ran smoothly notwithstanding looking akin to a Playstation One game. An aesthetic remarkably familiar to our past of CRTs, floppy discs, and VCRs with unfamiliar technology. A retro-tech meets dystopian surrealism. An unforgiving world, which I became horrified to learn about and lost myself in admiring the art. The color red is used prominently, like in similar games: Scarlet Nexus and Astral Chain for blue, yet it doesn’t detract from the overall presentation. A pleasant strength tied to supplementary elements the game displays to the player. The retro style succeeds in its favor since you’ll be walking, running, and fighting through broken old corridors sometimes in derelict space stations and facilities. The soundtrack has some nice tunes, but you’re usually dealing with silence or at the very least oppressive atmosphere that can be ethereal. Some tracks lend to an ambiance with static to varying degrees of echoes of various sounds you wouldn’t expect like crashing waves, slow piano tracks, and even a tiny smidge of synth. Oddly enough, an inconsistent/consistent rhythm and tempo permeates; some may find grating to hear and will switch into the opposite range and become somehow ‘relaxing’ to listen. The dual nature of melancholic and comforting generates an intriguing dichotomy. Ultimately, the whole soundtrack is decent, though I wish for more variety to bring ‘life’ to the moment-to-moment scenes. Granted, I think this was a deliberate decision by the composers 1000 Eyes & Cicada Sirens to construct a suffocating pressure to incite ‘space hell.’ And I can’t help, but begrudgingly praise the decision to do so. It works!?

The combat felt very tight, responsive and didn’t suffocate me constantly. For several moments I would have despaired, but a handy walkthrough and some tips kept my spirits up! One could even take advantage of Steam’s new note-taking feature to remember critical material! Accessible during in-game and when you exit. So you don’t always have to keep the program on. Combat when shooting could’ve been tweaked a little to make it more accurate. Considering how the enemies' artificial intelligence acts and how we can’t be experts in hitting shots 100% of the time. I can forgive this slight. Certainly not a dealbreaker, but make sure to watch out for your ammo, aim well, and trust in your gut the bullets will fly through. Healing is painless and not complicated. Intermittent yet equitable drops of supplies to recuperate, so you're not left struggling if you carefully check your stock and surroundings. Heck, you can even combine components to make weapons use different ammo, healing, and key items to save slots since you only have six in your inventory to hold. Aiming isn’t even the main bread and butter. Melee weaponry serves as an acceptable tool to fight baddies. You can attain a stun rod to down enemies then kick them to unconsciousness, and push them freely when you need to gain some distance. Hell, you can even burn them when they fall. Cause boy oh boy these nightmarish creatures(I’ll spare you the imagery) can stand up once more! Thankfully, they don’t return to life or should I say unlife heh within a short time. Probably a decent length passes before you realize your foe is ready for round 2.

Outside of combat. I found worldbuilding to be richly rewarding and added substance to the environmental storytelling. I was craving to know more about the inhabitants, the government, the leaders, technology, etc. So much depth and breadth in going the full nine yards where I know about the whole history of nations, the background of citizens and military soldiers of a strict hierarchy during a tumultuous time. Missions and roles for each [R$%#%$#@] unit and even enemies are spared no expense in displaying how they came to be. Chekhov's Gun tickles nearly every reach imaginable and in effect shines so hard, even in the darkest moments. I constantly read countless lore notes in the form of classified documents, redacted information, diaries, and even propaganda posters! No shortage of information almost to the point of overload, however, Barbara and Yuri have emerged with a balanced tightrope to not overgorge the player while not slipping morsels of info. Proportionally, to induce a sense of curiosity to know more, nagging at the far reaches of your brain to check every room for more data to consume. One cool feature in the form of an archive in the menu, you can access anytime. No need to backtrack to the origin of papers. Thereby, making recollections of pertinent details at the press of a button, straightforward.

The puzzles are solid. Used to great effect to tie into the lore whenever possible. Some examples are lockpicking, numerical password combinations and structural obstacles that could hinder your progression. So retracing your steps for an important piece is advisable to progress. There are extras, but I'll refrain from listing them. Best as a surprise. I found the inclusion of them to be welcoming. Didn’t overstay, while having plentiful time for me to seek answers/clues. Some solutions are more obscure than the rest. Though, for the most part, all of them I felt were fitting, and the hints satisfactory to figure out the solution. Careful precision to not go rage-inducing while not making it too easy for newcomers and veterans. Remember it's okay to fail some puzzles and return with a clearer mind.

Likable NPCs. They're personable, relatable, and offer intriguing perspectives during my playthrough. They complement Elster, by acting as foils. With their objectives at large and didn’t detract at all from their sheer presence. I was content, I am not alone all the time knowing comrades are nearby, who are bravely keeping on despite the horrific nightmares, and even more where I’ll refrain from stating, but suffice it say I was sad to see. A dangerous atmosphere prevails and the mood can become bleak in the blink of an eye. Not to the extent that I became leery. While it may seem dangerous due to the unnatural air and presence. These NPCs 'helped' me on my journey and for that, I am grateful for their company but also their dialog. Conversations revealed vital pieces to tying what happened on the planet and what threads they could link to the plot.

The horror elements are not, at least to me, horrific to the point I was disgusted or vomitable. Didn’t see major jump scares to remove my soul from my body, and I am incredibly grateful this didn't occur. Constant jump scares can cheapen the experience if not done well in my opinion. Again balance is integral and the devs have managed to produce a nice gameplay loop of exploration, scavenging, combat, reading lore, drip-feeding you cutscenes, and solving puzzles to be as painless as possible while still creating enough difficulty for a challenge.

Speaking of the story. I’m a bit mixed on. And this isn’t to say it is a bad thing at all. Think of my mixed feelings as neither positive nor negative, but food for thought I'll outline. In aspects, the game tries to impart to the player. I felt the execution was fragmented. It’s not clear what is shown to be definitive or literal to assert a conclusion on which I can base my facts and evidence. This may sound confusing. And I apologize if I’m not making sense. To clarify, you have to build the ‘narrative’ so to speak. This is fine in theory and there is a thread to follow. But sometimes the writing can be somewhat obscure along with puzzling. This pains me greatly since I couldn’t get enough of the worldbuilding. In the end, I was left with a ‘hmmm’ on the execution. Certainly, games like the Souls series are similar in environmental storytelling. Not so much on the beats of the plot to bridge together, but the world itself you piece towards to understand in your eyes what the story could be.

I wish the inventory limit of six expanded as you progressed further. Like up to eight. I didn’t find it too troublesome to turn back to my storage chest to unload my stuff. Yet, this exhibits a constant chore since I want to collect everything in nooks and crannies only for me to check the nearest save room to remove them. This isn’t a big deal. I could just run past enemies, right? True. Elster does have the capability. The issue is when I am running, some enemies will come alive to attack. After I already defeated them. Making traversal to new areas a slightly tedious to do, since I must retreat and precious supplies may be utilized. This is exacerbated when I have to redo this method again when I need more space for key objects to progress. A solution I was ruminating; having separate slots for crucial items. Like, say a flashlight or gun. As accessories.

Lore papers could’ve been more definitive as vague as I could put it. In doing so, the given knowledge would become stronger to grasp. Some notes are clear-cut to comprehend, but these ties could've been linked to creating a tighter cohesion in interpreting the plot. We are given an ample amount of lore to draw our conclusions. This is fine in theory and I’ve seen examples amongst my peers that resonated more with them. So the execution worked. For me, however, I’m stuck in the middle of a hallway facing a door of “greatness” and behind me, a door says “Not greatness.” I wonder if the devs could’ve made some threads easier to digest and distinguish. An alternative drip to gently feed the player. Admittedly, this is my personal preference and should not be taken as a common critique of the game. Individuals aside from me have rated the game highly which is fair. And I have seen the inverse side too. So where do I land? Sweats nervously In between those spectrum's sadly enough. There is a solid vision the two-man development studio established and they walk a tightrope in balancing narrative ties through the gameplay and cutscenes with a red Chekov’s gun to use every tie imaginable to draw players and I can say it prevails with some stumbles. I’m not sure if this is a method of drawing everyone to understand completely what the developers try to impart by the time the end credits roll. Nonetheless, I am unsure if this is a title that could vibe with you until a session of play. And in that respect, makes this incredibly challenging to quantify against the entirety of what the game offers.

Speaking of the ending. And again, no spoiler territory. I think easier alternatives were possible to attempt other outcomes. I got one of them and after checking out the rest, I couldn’t help but conclude the requirements are obscure for players to know. I had to research guides and see how technical the wire can run. Won’t delve into the exact details, but suffice it to say, I surmise avenues are within reach making the process less burdensome if the devs were to patch it. Though I doubt they would. Whether or not, newcomers know multiple resolutions. Before I forget, please go on Youtube for the rest, if you were unsatisfied with the one you got. Just a gentle reminder. One of them is so convoluted the community cooperated to discover the hidden requirements. Sszz127 from the Signalis subreddit was the first to discover clues leading to it as far as I know.

I'm sad to report how strenuous it is to depict my proper feelings in describing how much the title appeals to me against the concerns I stated earlier. A variable slow-burn, that may catch those who don’t mind it. Others may find it not as resonating. Besides the regular praise, I see fellow reviewers and fellow peers of mine who call it “a masterpiece, a return to modern survival horror, one to watch out for and more.” Wonderful seeing high acclaim regarding the game in their manner and I find gratifying content is an enjoyable affair. Equally as those who offer a differing perspective from the norm with evidence. I am at a crossroads where I’m not sure. To discern if it’s a must-play for fans of the genre due to my lacking experience in the department. I’ve only played Metro 2033, The Evil Within series, Bloodborne, Omori, etc. So I’m not an expert. If this can appeal to a newcomer. One could even take advantage of Steam’s two-hour refund policy to see if it appeals to you. And if it doesn’t, no shame in refunding. For me, I was hooked after the first hour.

I believe Signalis may provide newcomers with a unique mileage that might vary experience and value. For horror fans and for those who are not used to it like me. I love the worldbuilding and how retro-tech merges wonderfully with the dystopian sci-fi era. The lifeless music at various points forge an almost oppressive atmosphere that is both melancholy and comforting. The combat is balanced to the extent that I wasn't quite a female Rambo, but someone like Ellen Ripley(Aliens) and Leeloo(Fifth Element). Elster perseveres despite adversity. Has no crazy powers nor impressive intellect to bedazzle us at every turn. She simply is a [redacted]. And I like that. Gameplay elements like puzzling solving were fun and tied nicely with the environmental storytelling. Terror aspects turned out to be not too scary or overdone in a manner I found tiresome to see. A genuine effort by rose-engine to keep them challenging and fair in such a way I still endeavored to keep going. Regardless of my struggles, and food for thought, a cool hidden gem exists. Moreover, I echo what Stern posits about not classifying endings as absolutes and asking yourself how the game made you feel and why? Whether at the end of your journey, you conceive some semblance to share beyond the scope of classifying it in categories. Then by all means, please do so. Your voice is appreciated. There is beauty to find out if Your experience left you something meaningful or not.

7.7/10

Additional Material I couldn’t fit in this review, but may prove useful for those who played the game already:
Source for twitter link by Yuri Stern
Signalis Index - Theory, Lore, Commentary, Symbolism, Reference, Music, Decipher, Data-mining, Unsolved questions and more
Steam Guide on endings with Authors Plot Interpretation - Major spoilers
A Literalist view of Signalis - Major spoilers
A Non-Literalist View of Signalis - Major Spoilers
A Youtuber’s take on Signalis - Warning major spoilers
Camera Perspective mod
Final stats of my playthrough
My thoughts on the ending/s of Signalis
^Major spoilers throughout. Only click if you finished the game.

Note: If any links are down please let me know and I’ll try and correct that.
7-30-23 - Note - Added a Non-Literalist View of Signalis and added further clarification on the Signalis Index link.
11-29-23 - Edited first opening paragraph with correct pronouns. 99% of text still intact and largely unchanged.

There's been some hot discussion by Ethan Gach's article from Kotaku surrounding Arcadian Atlas in regards to how it flounders. Based on his, four hours of playtime. And I can't help but disagree. Since I feel if we focus too much on flaws, especially one that has been released recently, it may warp the perception of the title as a whole to newcomers. In an effort to give a more well-rounded view. I’m going to highlight the good stuff along with mixed feelings. Not refuting the Kotaku article, but in my own manner to cook up a slice of my pie for others to dig through. One look at Arcadian Atlas(AA) and you can see the clear resemblance to the inspiration it wears on its sleeves. Final Fantasy Tactics(FFT). As someone who loves FFT, hearing about an indie RPG attempting to reach similar heights as that one caught my eye. And I’ve been watching their development closely over the years. However, I should preface this, I won’t make any comparisons to the FFT, since I feel not everyone has played the title. So I’ll try and judge the game for what it is rather than what it aspires to.

First, I believe developers find difficulty, to create a title where you have a clear inspiration while not retreading familiar ground. For better or worse, other titles walk the road most traveled too closely while some merely use it as a base and go off in their direction. AA I think takes the middle ground while striving to develop their own identity in a low fantasy medieval story in homage to the classics of old, such as Yasumi Matsuno’s works.

You control two protagonists Vashti and Desmond. Two lovers caught up in a civil war that threatens to shake the very foundation of the continent. I found the story to be mature, holding nothing back during the war and hitting nuances I don’t see that often regarding choices, emotions, duty, and more. Lore-wise. The added compendium is appreciative of giving background on the world, important characters, and events. Where the writing delves into a nice balance between seriousness with humor at times to lessen the gravity of affairs here. It is well placed. These strengths splinter down to the cast which I’m surprised to see how small they’re, but allow our cast both main and villains to shine. The protagonists are not overpowered at all or hateable from the get-go. There is careful precision to keep them within the realm of believability without sending me into a volcano of overriding my suspension of disbelief.

A good amount of class variety here being 12 different classes and all of them have multiple skill trees to specialize in. I was able to have a raccoon archer, ronin, sorcerer, inquisitor, and shaman available. Each had their strengths and weaknesses, but for the most part, they all felt strong enough to tide me over against my enemies. The gameplay starts with some mandatory battles early on before granting you the ability to move around the world map and accept contracts. Think of these like sidequests for money and gear rewards. There is even an exclusive side quest chain here I found to be amusing so I recommend players finish these off if they require money or seek the unique side quest chain. Decent tunes to go along as you combat your way through various maps. The sax in particular I didn’t get tired of hearing. Considering how short the game is to compete. Well to be fair, not too short. My times were within 11 to 13 hours. Which I feel is just right for the length. Didn’t want to go through 40+ hour campaigns where the pace moves at a snail’s pace. Here the pace was quick and didn’t take long to reach the heart of the matter for plot beats. Before I move on, I should say my times should not be taken as definitive. It could be an outlier, considering the developers have been noted to say "roughly takes them 25-30 hours to beat." Didn’t experience any bugs or crashes either. This helps tremendously since battles can be completed within ten minutes +/- on average. At least on normal difficulty.

I did have some mixed feelings here. Not a positive or a negative, but for the sake of transparency I'll note them down. I wish the compendium would be updated periodically to show new changes to a character's background. This would grant more importance to the compendium while adding context when needed. Not much room to experiment with classes due to how experience is calculated. Bit non-traditional, which I enjoy. But here every time you finish a battle you gain a level that coincidentally grants you skill points to allocate. I like the removal of grinding, although this doesn’t allow much room to go beyond the base and advanced classes and experiment since there are no repeatable filler battles to test them out. Sure I could use contracts, but those are limited within each chapter. Could’ve used more objectives besides defeating all units. There are more than a handful of uncommon ones here: Travel to this tile, escort, etc. Though these are few and far between the regular. Some spice would’ve been nice to goals here to not make objectives too repetitive back to eliminating every foe. Also, I think some more flashbacks to the villain would’ve been welcome as a more show/don’t tell approach to flesh them out more and perhaps to a lesser extent our protagonists. Lastly, I believe contracts could be made more interesting beyond killing everyone. Grant us rare units instead of filler ones, give us more side quest chains, expand on the world with lore/characters, etc. I could say more, but those are minor nitpicks not worth mentioning and the developers of Twin Otter are already working hard to fix them in hot fixes and patches.

Overall, Arcadian Atlas displays a serviceable amount of gameplay and classes. Delving into interesting scenes during the civil war without holding your hand throughout. All while delivering a bug-free (at least for me) and crash-free experience that doesn’t seek long hours to complete. I can’t help but appreciate the close attempt to conceive their take from looking up to FFT. And for that, I respect it and look forward to the future when this title is cleaned up of some imperfections. I admire the attempt to construct their own identity while balancing enough nostalgia. Solid content here, for the story to carry me to the very end. Sure it has some flaws, but they don't deter my overall experience as a whole. Been in the works for seven-years with a Kickstarter budget and a four man dev team. And the result is not hot garbage! Instead, think of it like a cool new menu item to eat through for those curious. A good Indie Jrpg I recommend for those testing the waters for indies and Jrpg’s alike. And I implore anyone who reads this review to carefully research beforehand to see if its the right one for them. Rely on different sources, see what different authors had to say, any commonality, any differences etc. In an effort to see the bigger picture. My point isn’t to send everyone to buy AA and support indies Although I would love it if you did. But to think carefully about what one person says with little to no experience versus what someone who has seen everything or as much as they can has to say. Especially when the rating among critics has garnered a wide range of scores. Making it difficult to see whether a title is good or not.

7/10

I’m at a sheer loss to hype anyone about Armored Core: Verdict Day. And this is coming from someone who loves mecha, even the most dull ones I usually find some aspects worth looking into. Except for Nine-breaker, but that's a topic for another day. Here I am struggling so hard to get into a cockpit let alone function in one. In the end, I'm leaning quite heavily on “Skip this, please. For the sake of your sanity.” There is plenty wrong here, but I'll do my best to give a fair overview for those interested.

Set 100 years after the events of ACV. I won’t spoil what happens in the previous game, but suffice it to say. You control a new protagonist. The “Lone Mercenary.” Accompanying them is an operator Maggy and a transport pilot by the name of Fatman. Yes, I kid you not, one of your handlers' names is Fatman… Okay….Unexpected Kojima character aside You have slightly fewer main missions(Sorties) here than the predecessor with sixty to go through, but only ten have relevance to the story. The 50 are mainly AC vs. AC duels and the occasional eliminate every enemy unit. The Sorties barely drop important plot scenes here, quickly dulling my interest. Sure they can drip-feed you lore pages after duels, but these only talk about the enemy and less about enriching who, what, where, when, and why questions about the ACs we use and less so about the characters, relationships, and plot threads we encounter. Mostly delegated in cutscenes, but these are too small in number when a majority of battles are simply skirmishes without context. So lack of context and exposition here hurts. To give you the bare minimum: “The Three Forces” reign supreme. The Venide, Sirius, and Evergreen Family(EGF). I don’t need to discuss their background because there is hardly vital information to explore. But the gist is that the Forces are in a constant 3-way war with each other for the power to use the Towers. Tall megastructures dot various places around the globe with hidden ancient advanced technology. There is a fourth power; “The Foundation,” a group that claims neutrality yet supplies all factions with weapons and UNACs(Unmanned Armored Cores). And you, my unlucky friend, have to navigate the different assignments from each of these factions.

After completing all the missions offline, I have to say the story is a downgrade from its predecessor. Villains unremarkable of note and meh characters. The inclusion of lore is a nice touch that constantly updates in a sort of digital newspaper; “The Voice of War” or VOW for short. Yet, these ultimately don’t do much to engage players enough to immerse them further into the world. Serving as little more than a footnote, an after-action report after a main story encounter and as a result disinterests me to care for worldbuilding at large. One could easily see this as a checklist the devs did to fulfill a ‘lore’ requirement. Granted, the series isn't known for lore to feed, since we have to piece together the sparse environmental storytelling told through fragments of cutscenes, character dialogue, and morsels of information that may connect with villains. Yet this in itself isn't a strong point to dive into from my time playing AC2 to ACVD. There have been attempts by more dedicated fans on Youtube to somehow connect the pieces of lore, an endeavor I respect and admire. So perhaps there is something to tie knots...

One feature I loved in the earlier title is the workshop sites. These sites allow one to resupply and change their outfits with different parts. Here the devs removed it in favor of larger, wider areas to fight enemies and much smaller levels. However, this presents a more bland design. Now corridors and areas became too samey and copy-pasted throughout. Once you see one AC vs. AC engagement you’ve pretty much seen them all. Dropping you from one wasteland with cliffs to an industrial, and another with broken factories and inoperable war machines. The lack of creativity compared to the tight-knit levels in the preceding one is a cause for concern. This coupled with a meager amount of interesting enemy variety and cool special boss encounters to wow you, are nearly nonexistent here. This is exacerbated by a poor list of worthwhile main objectives beyond defeating all enemies. Sure there are a handful of very uncommon ones, but more often than not the objective is simply "eliminate everyone." Where are the timed limits? Defend against 'x' waves of enemies? Defeat colossus-type machines!?

Can’t even go online since the servers are offline on PS3. I wanted to try some cool Sorties I hear you can undertake with others, especially battling an old special enemy type from AC V. Now that’s not possible. The servers were gutted, which comprises I would say a 3rd chunk of content left to peruse. Wish I could play that… Somehow… sighs

Anyway, there must be something here worth experiencing?! Right!?

Thankfully, there is. For such a bleak world, the soundtrack composed by longtime AC composer Kota Hoshino with Yuka Kitamura is surprisingly uplifting, not full of edge and hardcore rock. Instead, I am treated to a slew of tracks keeping the beat, full of techno, violins at times with bass during heavy moments, and chaotic musical mayhem. Not seeking to increase my anxiety, instead the music pumps me up to be efficient, keeps my spirits up, and despite overwhelming odds stacked against me, I persevere through heavy damage. Vocals are carefully sung in a beautiful tone sometimes in the background rather than the foreground. Where prominent instruments like the drums reign supreme in precision tempo to not destroy the beat too much. Not with an intensity to the extent they’re drumming without end, but utilized carefully to keep tracks soulful, pleasant, and full of good rhythms. Although, some tracks raise the tension and suspense to full throttle. Giving rise to my anxiety, but even so, it is still not enough to delve into despair. Some of these tracks for some reason feel triumphant with hints of melancholy. In effect, the composition of the whole soundtrack is eclectic, with controlled chaos, and a dash of oozing coolness here and there.

There is a neat addition here I haven’t seen in all the AC entries I’ve played thus far and I dearly wish the feature will become a mainstay for future installments. In that upon dying. You don’t automatically head to the results screen. Instead, you are ejected from your mech with two big tanks equipped to your body to hover. From here you can spectate the skirmish as an active participant. Did you bring along a UNAC with you? Let’s see if they can defeat your enemies... If they can. You. Win. The. Mission. Oh my god. This single-handedly saved my playthrough and made repeating assignments upon failing them not a chore, but something I'm interested in witnessing since my buddy could finish the enemy AC or remaining mobs right? Yup! I lost countless times my ally finished the job when I couldn’t. They are a constant companion when you hire them during your main campaign progress. So fighting alone isn't so lonely when you have a buddy along!

Aside from that you can even upgrade these guys and make your own customized A.I. And even go above and beyond by allowing users to tweak their chipset to prioritize what to do during combat. I’m astounded at the sheer depth to have full control to tweak our A.I. companion into becoming a super killing machine. I didn’t delve into the option too much since I only found out during my repeated attempts at the final battle. But even without tinkering. The default UNACs you can use do more than enough damage to help you to victory. I’ll never forget SIGNS UNAC D/01. The dude carried me through countless fights, even when I used my previous build from importing. Salutes o7

As with certain entries in the AC series. You can import your saves from the past game to grant you additional parts, use your loadout, emblems, etc. I was able to use the build I had before the final boss painlessly. So it's a good idea to import if you do have a save. Fast process and you don’t need to have a struggle in the beginning.

That’s pretty much the only thing I could say positively to defend Verdict Day. I could sprout suggestions on what not to do, but I think FromSoftware learned from their mistakes here and is actively working hard to improve with the next entry coming soon. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. All in all, I’m incredibly soul-crushed to say, ACVD is a deteriorating mecha full of rust. And I shudder to enter the cockpit of one. The sum of its parts is not enough to redeem the underwhelming gameplay, poor level design, no noteworthy boss types, barebones story, weak worldbuilding, questionable feature replacement, missing online connectivity, and meh cast and villains. Customizing your AC remains satisfying, but everything else bogs my enjoyment. With very few positives for me to confidently recommend to newcomers or veterans. It’s a shame the last Armored Core the devs made before diving into a hiatus goes out not with a bang, but with a whimper. There is potential here, and I wish the servers were still online for me to play the multiplayer component. To anyone who enjoys this title, I triple salute your dedication. When I had only a little. I would only recommend this to super dedicated fans who want to try the last AC before ACVI by FromSoftware, but honestly, you're better off playing the past games in my honest opinion. AC2, AC3, Nexus, and AC4, are all better starting points.


4/10

Additional Material:
ACVD Tutorial Document for new players
Information, Explanations, and Q&A for Armored Core: Verdict Day (And 5th Gen)

"This is definitely one of the games ever made. Beautiful drab brown environments. Amazing dudes with knifes as enemy and boss designs. Like reading air freshener ingredients in the toilet." - That was young and naïve me who still had a spark in his eyes and just finished the game for the first time in feburary 2023.

But as I am today writing this in may 2023, rugged and depressed, having tasted the entirety of the content this full-course meal made of shit has to offer, I'm telling you this. Why in the sake of the fuck couldn't they make a simple game you can sit down and simply enjoy with your buddies?

Here's how it went. We started the game and ventured out into the city. Cool, we thought, orange gamma, looks post-apocalypse-y, you can throw yourself out of the window from third store, good fun. Then we went into the next area. Same orange gamma, same buildings, same amount of cars at the end. "Wait, is this game procedurally generated?" I said. "Nah, dude, developers are just incompetent monkeys and didn't give a fuck about level design" replied my buddy. We laughed it off and continued on. But the thought that something is off did not leave me until we finished the game. I mean, why loading screens constantly told me how to enter sniper zoom if there is only one sniper rifle in the entire game? Why is there two and a half armor sets that all look like something from a fashion magazine for hobos? I started my investigation. I looked far and wide, and the revelation hit me like a brick.

Lets talk a bit about what random generation means. It means that you could have a perfect campaign filled with all those hand-crafted experiences and cool weapons and armor. Or it means you could hit dogshit RNG and all you get is a cum-drenched rag as armor and a couple of half cooked wet noodles as a weapon. And all the bosses you get are just B E E G versions of the same enemies you fought for five hours already. Try to guess on which end of the spectre did we end up. You know what? It took us more than thirty bloody hours dancing around a bonfire to get the stars to align so that we could get elf-parasite-queen set on swamps. Thirty hours for one fucking ring for 4% more damage with unarmed attacks. I hate myself.

**

Next I'll divide the text in two parts. First, my take on all the content the game has. Second, our quotes from our first playthrough as three joyous prancing little boys.

Let's talk weapons.
Opinion of tired me about what the game has to offer: the only weapons not making me want to vomit design-wise are beam rifle, default sniper rifle, winchester and revolver. Three out of these four are located in first area. All weapons are just brown blobs of polygons not creating any theme. There are no sexy ridges or anything your eye could catch. It's unbelievable how consistent these designers in producing shit. Are they warframe refugees or something? I refuse to believe someone finds these beginner artstation designs eye-pleasing. I won't even touch melee weapons because you won't use them anyway. And I'm saying it as a melee build who slashed his way forward without any resistance or impact or any joy for at least thirty hours. Sorry, forgot to mention the crossbow shooting literal rails which cause bleeding. That was hilarious.

Joyous boys quotes:
"Goddamn dude why is every single weapon we get is garbage? It either looks like shit, or fires like shit. The only cool thing apart from starter winchester is an SMG-Flammenwerfer. We're already near the final boss, why didn't we get something cool and not rusted over?"
"Dunno, I'm running with railgun and starting SMG which shreds everything, the weapon variety overall is pretty ok, I just don't feel like it's worth changing. The melee is absolutely useless though."
"The sniper rifle is pretty cool, especially with a 4x crit ring. Some smgs are acceptable, melee is shit. No idea why it's even in there. I mean, yeah, you could build a melee boy, but what's the point with such boring attack animations? The skills you can insert are okayish, diverse enough at least."

Let's talk bosses.
Opinion of tired me about what the game has to offer: shit, garbage and disappointment. If you played the game already, I'll let you try to remember how many bosses here were presented without a horde of trash mobs constantly spawning in arena before I'll give you an answer. Five. And four of these are from dlc and two of these are already 2v1 fights by default. Almost all bosses are literally common enemy but big. I have no idea what's the point of making those especially if your fucking excuse of a game is procedurally generated. Why did you not remove those placeholders as bosses and focus on creating a nice linear journey with unique bosses instead like in dark souls which you, developer bastards love so much? Ah, but of course, the reason of this is because "we are different from dark souls". Eat my ass. Also thank God Almighty for slapping you on the head and giving you an idea of Leto's armor, which breaks every insufferable boss encounter and is located in the first area. Truly an intervention of forces from above.

Joyous boys quotes:
"Wow, cool, another L A R G E common enemy. We completed the game and the best boss is that one dude who was running around and farting and then his pathfinding broke down and he just stood there until we killed him."
"It's cool that some bosses have gimmicks like those beetles where you can summon the second one early but with less hp. The overall boss design is dogshit."
"The bosses are pretty meh as a souls-like, honestly. I don't remember anything hard or interesting. Although I liked those two flying moth girls, they were fine. Also have you nothing else to do other than asking me that?"

Let's talk locations.
Opinion of tired me about what the game has to offer: have you seen any screenshots? Can you imagine walking through the SAME corridors for eighty plus hours? What is the reason in creating one single corridor and then copying it with another name? Were you lazy? Incompetent? You can tell me, I wont blame you. I just want to know why every single location looks as a creative wasteland. There's your standard city, standard forest, standard snow forest, standard brown swamp. I felt like those decorations siphoned away my ability of art appreciation. And there are fucking quake levels in a desert, que mierda?

Joyous boys quotes:
"Ok, so there is a skill that lets you throw yourself out of the window faster and the only location with windows was earth. What the fuck, game? Ok, even if those locations are randomly generated, you could at least make more than three bloody corridors. Goddamn I hate it. I won't even speak about fucking swamp and desert biomes. The only one left for a shit bingo is sewers. Wait, there are caves in swamp area. Yay, we got a bingo! And in the end we'll get another extremely disappointing boss or another ring for AIDS status application while vomiting +0.5%."
"Pretty much, yeah, the city is cool though. I also liked the forest. Well, that hanged city area."
"There's just too little things to populate areas with. I have no focal point in my memory. It's just blandness all around."

**

Story is nonexistent but the game has those random lore dumps in loading screens which most likely were written by Timothy Dexter. The one particular world-building phrase broke me. It was "Folks don't believe it, but they once used this stuff to make tanks that fly." Now tell me, dear game. Why did people forget how helicopters are called but remembered tanks? Why are there "assault rifle" or "chiсago typewriter" weapons? Why only helicopters were wiped from mankind's memory? Oi, developer cucks, do you have a childhood trauma regarding helicopters? Did they do something bad to you? Show me on this doll where did they touch you.

Ah, yes, I forgot that there is a survival mode. Well, making a rogue-like mode without any way to put the game down and continue another day is definitely a game-development thing. Especially considering one run could last for five motherfucking hours. Or you could just get a vermintide biome in a first wave and call it a day because every goddamn boss there is bloody broken. Great job, game. I also want to tell grandma selling estus burgers to suck my dick for refusing to speak with me and leaving me with four burgers and a hundred heal bottles for the rest of the game.

Fuck this game and fuck you, dear defensive reader, for loving it.

If you read through all that wall of text I want you to know that you are amazing and deserve to be loved. Unlike this monstrous abortion survivor of a game.

Can't wait for a second one! 👍