I love this game. It's the doorway I stepped through towards a deeper appreciation and love of a genre I've loved since I was a kid.
It gets some flack for it's story, and I've read the original Japanese script handles Sylvando differently, but for me this game is the genre's equivalent of a gulp of pure, crystal clear, ice mountain spring water.
It contains amost all the staples and tropes but it never felt dated or stale.
I love the characters and I love the story, it's goofy and heartfelt and well paced.
I'm just parroting Tim Rogers' review but I'll say it anyway; the game is just such a hangout. 'You chill with your buds' as he puts it. It turned me on to the rest of series too, which would be reason enough for it to be amongst my faves however it is a beautiful, immaculate and phenomonally enjoyable game in it's own right.

I'm choosing this collection over the OG gba games (i'm not including the DS games, though they are worth a pop) for two reasons.
1. They're all in one place, and can be one icon on this list.
2. The checkpoint system it introduced made it possible for me to play them through.

I love these games, but maybe this is the only way to play them. They all rule (albeit in varying degrees) but the difficulty is high and the ability to try a boss over and over until you crack it instead of only attempting as many times as your lives permit makes it an extremely enjoyable experience
The action itself is insanely gratifying, enemies explode when shot, and are cleaved in two when slashed. Including bosses.
Struggling against a tough Maverick (or w/e they're called in this one) only to finish it off by slicing it perfectly in two lengthways is magnificent.
The progression and upgrade systems are a little backwards, especially in the early ones. Only allowing you to unlock a new move by finish a stage with a high rating earned in a previous stage is a bizarre choice, expecially since the skills own.
In spite of this though, i worked hard to earn the title "Supreme Edgeboy" and I kept it. I rattled through each game in this series and enjoyed every second .

This Supreme Edgeboy says you should play this collection.

My favourite game question mark.

Proof if needed that I'm a basic bitch at heart, and learning to press L1 in particular rhythm will forever be more thrilling to me than mastering complex strategic systems in undeniably more interesting games.

Seriously though, as an adult with weebish tendencies who grew up from a child who was obsessed with Tenchus 1,2 and 3, this game felt like it was specifically made for me.
It's the tightest, most visceral, extravagant and flamboyant action game ever made in my opinion. It's been years since I beat it (100% motherfucker) and i still pause over a gifs of those boss fights, especially those slow-mo cinematic ones, lord.
Of fromsoft games I think it has one of the better narratives , all perfectly skipable too. You're not missing a huge amount by focusing on the gameplay.
The world is beautiful, the soundtrack is luxurious.
Not a game I can blanket recommend for everyone, but for all you L1-sickos like me.... well, you've probably already played it. Isn't it the best!?

Hideaki Itsuno and the team that worked under him made a metaphorical ballista, had their pawns point out how much damage it would do, mounted it, drew the bolt and fired it squarely at the enjoyment centre of my brain.
There aren't many games I feel were made specifially for me, but this is one, for better and worse.
It's story is marshmallow-weight nonsense until it goes full exstential nightmare in the very last act, just like the first one. Totally ignorable until it isn't, and even then it doesn't matter. It's not why you're here.
The combat is rich, weird and obtuse. No lock on, no dodge (mostly) but crazy special moves and abilities. Darth Maul is a class in this game, as is Legolas.
The visuals, music and overall vibe are completely on point, its a smorgasbord of dark high fantasy, arguably more Berserk-y than Fromsoft's games.
And the Pawns... oh the Pawns. The soul of this series and the heart of the gameplay experience.
Who would think, to look at the cover art and screenshots that this is a comedy game?
Running through the overworld I heard my own pawns repeat the most pointless and idiotic phrases over and over again and it never got less funny. Their absolutely psychotic obsession with ladders, calling out every ladder within 100m. "A ladder Arisen! Perhaps we should climb it!", or "This ladder will take us to new heights" regardless of whether we had already been up the ladder, or not. My personal favourite for repeated lines though, is an utterenace all pawns but my own seemed to fixate on while out in the world. Upon nearing any sort of collectible item, crafting gubbins or otherwise they'd say "Materials eh? I shan't deny they have their uses."



What? Did you consider denying it? Has someone told you otherwise?

Other memorable moments include guard npcs in town telling off ogres invading town, swinging off buildings and eating citizens. "Oi! What do you think you're doing?"

and a lone pawn wandering around commenting in resposne to a cyclops snatching them in one hand ready to launch them across the map "Don't think I'll put up with this!"

10/10 (not really) but 10/10 all the same. Gotta play it dude.


Also, what microtransactions were people talking about? I didn't see a single one in the game itself. Were they kicking off about buying portcrystals and stuff? Why would want those? They'd rob from the experience!

Also also, it ran great on PS5. Who cares?