These are first impressions from a game meant to last for a while, after finishing all the story content available at the moment and feeling how progression flows, my perception will surely change a lot as new updates arrive, but this is how I feel at this moment.

First and foremost, this is a gacha RPG, if you don't like the main idea of pulling characters and getting a lot of bars to put a lot of resources in to progress, this won't change your mind.

Having said that, this is an incredibly polished experience, with a nice and intriguing story so far. The battle system might not be superficially deep, with characters having just two skills and an ultimate, but I think theory crafting with team compositions is a lot of fun. At the same time considering you have to pull to get new options to build teams, it can be somewhat boring after you figured your team out and won't have any new possibilities for a while.

The greatest detail for me when it comes to Star Rail is just how little time it requires to complete the "daily grind". You can have your long sessions going through the missions or checking out Simulated Universe, but when you are just burning your stamina it is done really quickly and with very few limitations.

So far I'm very invested in the story, and curious about the future, the time commitment is somewhat low so I don't feel like it is wasting my time, and I'm having a lot of fun building my characters.

The best description I can give to Trials of Mana is: it's alright. It plays alright, it looks alright, nothing really stands out, for better or for worse.

I think most importantly, this is still an SNES game, just with a new 3D shell. I think playing it with this in mind you can enjoy it more, but even still, I think the systems here are not as great as other older RPGs.

There is also some confusing things like when you save a mana spirit and the game says you unlock their power, but in reality you'll only have mana powers way later when you can change classes for the first time.

Progression for classes, items and skills also don't feel exciting. I can't say for sure because I haven't played the original, but it feels like sticking too much to the source material might have prevented this remake from reaching its full potential.

I feel like this game started a new era for Kirby games, but I never had the chance to play it on the Wii, and while I think it doesn't reach the same highs as the 3DS games, it is still a really polished and fun adventure.

Merry Magoland is actually the biggest surprise for me, completing the little challenges for each mini-game is surprisingly addictive. The epilogue with Magolor is also a lot of fun, it almost feels like a character action game with the scores and combo meter, the final boss is incredibly hype too.

I wish the main mode had something more, it is hard to not look at the advancements in the series and especially Forgotten Land and not feel like there is something missing to spice the stages a bit, like the small secret missions. It feels like collecting Gears and the use of the mega powers are a bit simplistic, but it is still a really solid Kirby game.

This is not only a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC but also for the first game and sequel. The story adds perspectives and details that involve all three games and their casts, and feels like a great finisher for the trilogy.

From a gameplay perspective it does feel like a mini XC3, there are less options to build your characters as each has their own specific style, but there are new elements to progression that keep it very interesting.

The best part is going back to the main game, and see how all of it was right there.

Despite what may look like as simple screenshots, Drop is a deeply engaging and fast action hacking game that really makes you feel the tension of getting in and out of the system.

The mechanics are introduced in a very good pace that let's you get used to the systems and start mastering your movement through the networks and at the same time increasing the intensity and adding tools to make your job more efficient. And despite adding a lot to keep track of, the sound design is so good that just by hearing things you'll start to notice dangers that need your attention, or if process has already ended. The UI is also incredibly intuitive, when everything clicks, it really does make you feel like you are a master at your job.

The real genius comes from each mission time limit, you'll always have 5 minutes to complete a drop, and this not only increases the tension but also makes you consider how much further you can push to get more credits, it also adds a certain addictiveness of "just one more drop".

There is also a story, but as it is told through text messages from a bunch of different NPCs and organizations, you do have to be paying some attention to remember what each organization does and who is working for what, it did get a bit confusing at some points for me, but the overall plot is simple enough.

In the end the beauty here is the simplicity, everything seems incredibly thought out so you can glance and know what situation you are in and have the reflexes to solve it. Drop is fast, thrilling and super satisfying to play.

Team Asano has been carrying the torch of turn based RPGs at Square Enix for some time, and with Octopath Traveler II they continue their excellence with a unique combat system that evolves what the original done and spins it in even more curious directions.

Each character has, beyond their classes, unique traits and skills that not only you can exploit in battle but are actually woven in their storylines and sometimes to great effect in their boss battles. There are some truly magical moments where gameplay and storytelling merge to deliver some unforgettable setpieces.

I still struggle with juggling all characters and classes, I wish there was an easier way to keep the party caught up on levels. The equipment already helps with stats, but you still need job points for skills and in general the "secondary" members you chose always seem to be lagging behind in some way.

Octopath Traveler II is a sequel that improves the original in every way, and while superficially it might seem similar, it manages to be unique and bring surprising ideas to change your strategies and deliver a great story.

I love how not only Theatrhythm uses the excellent soundtrack from the Final Fantasy series, it also incorporates a bunch of the RPG stuff, making it a full celebration of the series with excellent rhythm gameplay.

I was apprehensive about the jump from touch to button controls, but even if it takes a few songs of practice it didn't end up being a problem for me, I love it just as much as Curtain Call.

Series Quest has some interesting challenges that make building a party and interacting with the RPG elements a lot of fun, and Endless World provides some extra challenge for the truly dedicated.

There are a few minor gripes, as the game builds mostly on All-Star Carnival it feels like there is a certain lack of new characters (please give me Jack from Stranger of Paradise and the Crystal Exarch from XIV), and as a huge FFXIV fan the Shadowbringers tracklist could certainly be better. But these are mostly "I want more" complaints, and I hope there is some they could remedy with DLC and updates.

I was playing some Mega Man inspired indie games so I decided to check out an actual Mega Man game, a friend recommended X4 so I picked up the collection and obviously disregarded my friend's advice and started with Mega Man X.

The game did feel a bit old for me, I think I would have enjoyed the help of a save state system, I reached Sigma but couldn't beat it, so I decided to actually try X4 and I realized why my friend recommended that.

I really enjoyed playing through X4, some more modern design choices, the air dash and other touches were definitely something I appreciated. After that I returned to X and somehow beat Sigma. Started X2 but it did feel a bit frustrating so I'm leaving X2 and X3 to maybe play in the future.

As for the Collection features I think the filters are not particularly good, and I really wish they had save states (or that Rookie Hunter didn't lock you out of certain achievements). The collection of artwork is extensive, and there are some curious photos of merchandise too which are cool. The emulation is accurate so you'll get slowdowns when those happened on original hardware, I'm not sure if they could have changed that, but it is there.

Overall I'm not super impressed with the added features of the collection and as someone without prior experience with the games, the lack of nostalgia certainly paints it in a different light. I enjoyed X4, but in the end I didn't get out of this loving the franchise.

Terra Nil offers a very distinct feeling than other strategy/builders games. It combines the chill aspect of restoring desolate landscapes with resource management and strategic decisions leading up to the clean up phase at the end. It is very satisfying to see your drone fly off and leave the perfectly peaceful landscape you restored.

I did feel somewhat conflicted when choosing the difficult options though, I feel like the strategy adds a lot, but I also think playing it on easy might add freedom to be more creatively expressive with how you want the land to look at the end.

There is also an in-game book that serves as both manual and encyclopedia and the artwork in there is amazing, do spare a moment to check it all out, there are some gorgeous diagrams of buildings and more details.

Just the premise had me hooked, and they pulled off the concept very well. Even if I do echo the sentiment that it feels a bit short, it is still a very rewarding experience and a chill moment worth delving into.

Picked this up just because I like Remnant: From the Ashes a lot, I wasn't expecting much but I left really impressed with how the foundations for the lore of the world from Remnant are all here.

I also enjoy how a lot of gameplay concepts that were improved for Remnant are already here. The unique weapons, traits, some secrets and puzzles, I can see how this game evolved into the next step.

The gameplay feels a bit clunky, felt like sometimes I was mostly bruteforcing my way through combat, and you can also see the moments thought out for VR and it can feel weird at times in a flat perspective.

I enjoyed the level design and exploration a lot, and playing it as a fan of Remnant, the insight into this piece of the past is a fun experience too.

After completely giving up on Bayonetta 3, I can't believe how much I like this game. I was skeptical about how deep the game was, being a full release from Platinum so soon after the last game, but it proved to be an excellent title that I'd say is a better entry in the series than the "mainline" offer.

The combat and dynamics between Cereza and Cheshire are just so satisfying to pull off, it might not have the mechanical complexity of pressing a bunch of buttons to combo, but it has the rewarding experience of pulling off the synergy between the two.

Exploration is serviceable but if I have complaints they are mostly related to this. The map sometimes is useless and the game doesn't have many rewards asides from points for your skill tree, but sightseeing is also its own reward because the game is a treat to look at.

Bayonetta Origins is Platinum at its best. The visuals are amazing and the Switch can handle the game beautifully. The gameplay is solid, you can feel each hit in the action, and there are the classic big set pieces. Put everything together and the end result is a marvelous whimsical journey.