My GOTY of 2023 so far. Truly what an amazing ride this game has taken me on through the Talos 1 station, and I would gladly wipe my memory of this game if I could. The story, being pieced together by audio recordings and encounters with surviving crewmates, is pretty by-the-numbers, but still satisfying to see through to the end. I do feel like the ending took some agency away from the player, with the end result being pre-determined in terms of plotline and what ends up happening. Gameplay was crazy good, the weapons were all fun to use and the Typhon Neuromods added a slew of methods to fix any given problem. Exploration was key mainly for the ability to "pack rat" everything and break it all down into raw materials to make things you actually need, but I did feel like the lobby was invaded too many times for it's own good. The OST is mainly ambient and nothing to write home about, with the exception of ONE song that you will know when you hear it. As for the graphics, I suppose that they were average for their generation, nothing looked particularly great nor did anything stick out like a sore thumb. Lastly, the game does still possess quite a few bugs and glitches, with one major instance locking me out of completing a side quest just because a specific item wasn't dropped. I had so much fun and wonder with the gameplay and some of the characters I heard about, but in the name of objectivity, I must deduct two stars for a variety of reasons I've already outlined. TL;DR, If you want to play something by Arkane that isn't their latest disaster or their best game, Dishonored, I would suggest this game to you for sure.

This is one of those games where you must have the proper mindset to enjoy, as pretty much everything about it is arguably an acquired taste. In my case, I did alright through most areas, but I was NOT prepared for some difficulty spikes that came at me without any warning. The story takes a much more indirect method of telling the player what they must know, with relatively minimal dialogue compared to most JRPGs. The additional detail for the plotline is there, you just have to look for it and interact with NPCs in the very few towns there are. Gameplay was unexpectedly fun if you like dungeon crawlers, with sprawling and sometimes labyrinthian environments to systematically explore, complete with puzzles! Combat was manageable and nuanced with taking advantage of elemental weaknesses, and given that this is SMT, there's the necessary demon fusion. Art and OST are rough with this particular remaster. The OST is good but sounds like it is being played from a speaker on the other side of the room, muffled by a blanket. The demons look great with the art style, but you could totally tell this is an old game by looking at the character models. Lastly, THERE ARE ENOURMOUS DIFFICULTY SPIKES IN CERTAIN SPOTS, USE A GUIDE IF THEY PROVE TO BE TOO MUCH!!! I cannot stress this enough, going through a few bosses began to feel like Dark Souls, or RNG was not on my side 90% of the time. Still like this game though.

The game that started my JRPG Journey at the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a little difficult to rate this objectively, but I will do the best I can. This was a very accessible JRPG to a person who had never played one seriously prior. The story and characters were admittedly a little basic, but very well executed, with a third act that improved what would otherwise be a disappointing end to the game. Combat was entertaining, however, it boiled down to spamming the same tactics over and over again to destroy your foes, with little variation until the third act bosses force you to adapt. The average sidequest was terrible, hardly useful or worth your time, as they always amounted to little more than fetch quests through previously cleared areas. Where this game truly succeeds is in Akira Toriyama's art style and the OST, though battle themes began to get repetitive. I love this game for bringing me into the fold, but it isn't perfect.

As my first time playing a Fallout game, this was a fun experience that sucked me into playing hours at a time, though the experience wasn't flawless. The story did a good job of getting me to care about the main character and his/her quest to find their missing son after witnessing his kidnapping. The gameplay had satisfying gunplay, and I abused the heck out of the VATS system. Open world and perks reminded me of a slightly more modern Skyrim, but the crumbling buildings and ruined highways don't really give the same environmental atmosphere that Skyrim did. After a while, it frankly started to feel very samey as you cleared out more areas of enemies. Some quests were better written than others, and I did have a few bugs jump into my game, though nothing major. I enjoyed this game a lot, and probably would replay it in the future with mods to make things more interesting.

I would like to rate this game higher, but unfortunately, I can’t give it any higher what what I have. Having played it for myself, it’s definitely a bit overrated, but it was a fun JRPG experience nonetheless. I thought Magus was the best character out of the whole cast, though Lucca was good too. The combat system is the most fun I’ve had with an RPG in an admittedly long time, fast paced and rewarding by the end. Music was great and catchy, and sprite art was appealing. I played this on Steam and wish I had played the original localization, but that wasn’t available to me. It was a great game to have under my belt, but nothing legendary I would remember decades later, except for the music.

Amazing horror game with a real sense of stakes, with two great protagonists and refined gameplay. I have so much praise for the core concept behind the Resident Evil series as a newcomer, and this game blew my freaking mind away with how polished the experience feels. The environments and zombies look very real, and the way enemies respond to gunshots is pretty dynamic! The addition of Mr. X (or the Tyrant) into the fray JUST when you get comfortable flips the table on its head, and you can’t afford to waste time getting acquainted with your new surroundings anymore. The story being split in half for both Leon and Claire make playing through the game back-to-back worth it, for getting special insight into how the events of the game truly unfold. Legendary game experience, in my humble opinion.

An enchanting tale of revenge and/or seeking justice for the citizens of Dunwall, a city which has been usurped by an unfaithful spymaster. As a silent protagonist, your actions, specifically how you carry out your missions, will affect every level in the entire game, with noticeable changes that make them meaningful. This is mainly a stealth game, with some action elements and the ability to effectively fight and defend yourself if necessary. Non-lethal gameplay in the main story feels a little limited, but is improved upon in the game’s two DLC campaigns. The protagonist in the DLC is very engaging and is an interesting foil to the character in the main campaign. A very strong recommendation overall.

Decent stealth game with lovable realism and a sarcastic protagonist. Environments and graphics are impressive for the time period, and the gadgets are always fun to use. Enemy detection seems very extreme, however, with them either detecting you very easily and filling you with bullet holes, or you being able to sneak so close you could almost kiss them. Very difficult for newcomers to the stealth genre to jump into, with the protagonist’s guns being mostly useless in a scripted fight. All-in-all, if you enjoy the process of trial and error, I’d say this is worth your time.