From a purely gameplay standpoint, Rockstar perfected the GTA formula with San Andreas. The last of the golden era of GTA games.
The amount of customization you can do with the main character CJ is astronomical in comparison to the previous titles. Improve his strength and muscular appearance by hitting the weights at the gym, improve stamina by running, get fat by eating at Clucking Bell one too many times...
Driving/shooting/weapon stats can also be improved throughout the game - and there are many clothing/tattoo/hair styles that can be changed to create your very own version of CJ.
The game's map felt enormous back in the mid-2000s. 3 distinct cities (mirroring real life cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas) the countryside, mountains, and desert areas in between made traversal a blast. The soundtrack/radio stations reflects the 90's era, in which the game is set, and the diverse locations perfectly.
There are so many mini-games too that can keep you occupied throughout the game - turf warfare, billiards, all the casino/gambling games, arcade machines, etc.
The voice talent on display here is AAA level - who can ever forget Officer Tenpenny being voiced by Samuel Jackson as the primary and stand-out antagonist throughout the game.
An overall amazing gameplay experience, that I cannot believe is close to turning 20 years old...
The amount of customization you can do with the main character CJ is astronomical in comparison to the previous titles. Improve his strength and muscular appearance by hitting the weights at the gym, improve stamina by running, get fat by eating at Clucking Bell one too many times...
Driving/shooting/weapon stats can also be improved throughout the game - and there are many clothing/tattoo/hair styles that can be changed to create your very own version of CJ.
The game's map felt enormous back in the mid-2000s. 3 distinct cities (mirroring real life cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas) the countryside, mountains, and desert areas in between made traversal a blast. The soundtrack/radio stations reflects the 90's era, in which the game is set, and the diverse locations perfectly.
There are so many mini-games too that can keep you occupied throughout the game - turf warfare, billiards, all the casino/gambling games, arcade machines, etc.
The voice talent on display here is AAA level - who can ever forget Officer Tenpenny being voiced by Samuel Jackson as the primary and stand-out antagonist throughout the game.
An overall amazing gameplay experience, that I cannot believe is close to turning 20 years old...
2004
I recall a time when I thought game graphics couldn't get any better than this game right here... another great GT outing, especially for car enthusiasts.
This improved upon GT3 with even more races, cars, etc. I always loved the license tests too.
This improved upon GT3 with even more races, cars, etc. I always loved the license tests too.
Gotta give props to the 2 games that started it all when it comes to this legendary franchise.
Are they the best the series has to offer? Not even close... but I don't regret my short time playing through each title.
Also, I'd like to add that I found enjoyment in what is considered the "black sheep" of the franchise: Final Fantasy II.
I actually really enjoyed playing it for what it was. It was nice to see the leaps they made in storytelling from the first to the second title - from its more action-packed opening, actual characters with names/backstories, introduction of party loss/sacrifice, and some solid world building. While the story was simplistic enough, and leaned heavily on Star Wars Episode IV for inspiration, I thought it was solid enough.
As for its gameplay, this is where I feel FFII gets most of its hate... and I understand why. Gone are the typical levels and experience points from pretty much every RPG in existence. In its place, it is replaced by a list of character stats/attributes, of which, only through repetition, does your party get stronger. For example, the more you get hit, the more max HP that character grows. Or the more offensive magic you use, the stronger it becomes.
On paper, this sounds like a great idea. However, it just doesn't work out all that well in execution. Instead, it incentivizes players to level up their party by attacking EACH OTHER in a battle against low level mobs.
Saying all this though, I really do give them credit for their interesting game mechanic ideas and risks they took to make something new. Comparing it to a different game/series, I'd say it is very similar to MGS3's camouflage system. Cool idea, but flawed in practice.
If you care about JRPG history, I'd still give FF1 and FF2 a playthrough.
Are they the best the series has to offer? Not even close... but I don't regret my short time playing through each title.
Also, I'd like to add that I found enjoyment in what is considered the "black sheep" of the franchise: Final Fantasy II.
I actually really enjoyed playing it for what it was. It was nice to see the leaps they made in storytelling from the first to the second title - from its more action-packed opening, actual characters with names/backstories, introduction of party loss/sacrifice, and some solid world building. While the story was simplistic enough, and leaned heavily on Star Wars Episode IV for inspiration, I thought it was solid enough.
As for its gameplay, this is where I feel FFII gets most of its hate... and I understand why. Gone are the typical levels and experience points from pretty much every RPG in existence. In its place, it is replaced by a list of character stats/attributes, of which, only through repetition, does your party get stronger. For example, the more you get hit, the more max HP that character grows. Or the more offensive magic you use, the stronger it becomes.
On paper, this sounds like a great idea. However, it just doesn't work out all that well in execution. Instead, it incentivizes players to level up their party by attacking EACH OTHER in a battle against low level mobs.
Saying all this though, I really do give them credit for their interesting game mechanic ideas and risks they took to make something new. Comparing it to a different game/series, I'd say it is very similar to MGS3's camouflage system. Cool idea, but flawed in practice.
If you care about JRPG history, I'd still give FF1 and FF2 a playthrough.
My favorite setting of the golden age GTA games - the 80's Miami aesthetic was gorgeous and beautiful back in the day. The soundtrack in this one is absolutely spectacular, and most likely my favorite in the entire series.
I loved the improvements they made from GTA III, such as the ability to own property, go into certain buildings, and the many different weapons. Things could get incredibly violent with some of the new melee weapon additions.
Looking back on the 3 classic GTA games, I just cannot rank them (truly a 1A, 1B, 1C situation) - they all were so amazing, built off each other, and each have their own claim to be at the top of the list.
I loved the improvements they made from GTA III, such as the ability to own property, go into certain buildings, and the many different weapons. Things could get incredibly violent with some of the new melee weapon additions.
Looking back on the 3 classic GTA games, I just cannot rank them (truly a 1A, 1B, 1C situation) - they all were so amazing, built off each other, and each have their own claim to be at the top of the list.
"Find something to believe in. And find it for yourself. And when you do, pass it on to the future."
What a technological leap this was from MGS1 to MGS2... The wait and anticipation I had for this game was on another level - I eagerly scooped up gaming magazines to read anything I could about Kojima's next generation masterpiece prior to its release. I couldn't wait to play it and experience the full power of the PlayStation 2!
Once I finally got my hands on it, it didn't disappoint. The opening of the game with Harry Gregson-Williams' incredible score playing in the background was spectacular. It is by far the best version of the MGS theme and served to hype up the game even more. The graphics were jaw dropping - seeing Solid Snake in his PS2 debut, the rain/wind/smoke effects, Metal Gear Ray's introduction, etc. made me think graphics were never going to be better than this.
The initial Tanker mission brought back fan favorites Solid Snake, Otacon, and Revolver Ocelot and it was incredible seeing them in all their PS2 glory. The first act lived up to the immense amount of hype I had going into it.
Unfortunately, it didn't last for me... to this day, I will never get over the "bait and switch" after the prologue mission... I'm one who still doesn't like Raiden, and it is all because of his nasally, whiny, annoying self. He is purely the anti-thesis of Snake in each and every way. Whether he is slipping on pigeon shit, getting pissed on, getting felt up by the President of the United States, doing naked cartwheels, or getting into arguments with his girlfriend Rose, I found him to be unbearable. And I still didn't enjoy him in future titles, as I felt they tried to swing the pendulum in the exact opposite direction to try to make him "cool" that it just felt ridiculously forced (just look at his appearance in MGS4 and MG Rising: Revengeance).
This game also got a bit cutscene heavy for my liking... unlike before where I felt they did a much better job in the original MGS1 striking a more perfect balance between story and gameplay. As for the game's story, I didn't like it at all back when I was a kid (especially when it goes off the rails at the end), but after multiple playthroughs and the passage of time itself, I've come to understand and appreciate it much more... especially with how Kojima seemingly predicted the future with the game's messaging and themes: the inherent dangers of the internet, an overwhelming amount of information in a digital world, misinformation and censorship, artificial intelligence, etc. It is really quite good when looking back on it.
The best thing about this game though was the gameplay and technical improvements that were made from the PS1 era - the ability to use First Person makes aiming your weapon much easier, holding up enemies and shaking them down for their dog tags, hiding in lockers, the vastly improved enemy AI, cover mechanics, unique boss fights, etc.
This truly felt like a next-gen title back in 2001 with many unique ideas and game mechanics, and while it isn't at the level of MGS1 or MGS3 in my opinion, this was a required evolution of the Metal Gear series, and is a must-play game for any Metal Gear or Hideo Kojima fan.
What a technological leap this was from MGS1 to MGS2... The wait and anticipation I had for this game was on another level - I eagerly scooped up gaming magazines to read anything I could about Kojima's next generation masterpiece prior to its release. I couldn't wait to play it and experience the full power of the PlayStation 2!
Once I finally got my hands on it, it didn't disappoint. The opening of the game with Harry Gregson-Williams' incredible score playing in the background was spectacular. It is by far the best version of the MGS theme and served to hype up the game even more. The graphics were jaw dropping - seeing Solid Snake in his PS2 debut, the rain/wind/smoke effects, Metal Gear Ray's introduction, etc. made me think graphics were never going to be better than this.
The initial Tanker mission brought back fan favorites Solid Snake, Otacon, and Revolver Ocelot and it was incredible seeing them in all their PS2 glory. The first act lived up to the immense amount of hype I had going into it.
Unfortunately, it didn't last for me... to this day, I will never get over the "bait and switch" after the prologue mission... I'm one who still doesn't like Raiden, and it is all because of his nasally, whiny, annoying self. He is purely the anti-thesis of Snake in each and every way. Whether he is slipping on pigeon shit, getting pissed on, getting felt up by the President of the United States, doing naked cartwheels, or getting into arguments with his girlfriend Rose, I found him to be unbearable. And I still didn't enjoy him in future titles, as I felt they tried to swing the pendulum in the exact opposite direction to try to make him "cool" that it just felt ridiculously forced (just look at his appearance in MGS4 and MG Rising: Revengeance).
This game also got a bit cutscene heavy for my liking... unlike before where I felt they did a much better job in the original MGS1 striking a more perfect balance between story and gameplay. As for the game's story, I didn't like it at all back when I was a kid (especially when it goes off the rails at the end), but after multiple playthroughs and the passage of time itself, I've come to understand and appreciate it much more... especially with how Kojima seemingly predicted the future with the game's messaging and themes: the inherent dangers of the internet, an overwhelming amount of information in a digital world, misinformation and censorship, artificial intelligence, etc. It is really quite good when looking back on it.
The best thing about this game though was the gameplay and technical improvements that were made from the PS1 era - the ability to use First Person makes aiming your weapon much easier, holding up enemies and shaking them down for their dog tags, hiding in lockers, the vastly improved enemy AI, cover mechanics, unique boss fights, etc.
This truly felt like a next-gen title back in 2001 with many unique ideas and game mechanics, and while it isn't at the level of MGS1 or MGS3 in my opinion, this was a required evolution of the Metal Gear series, and is a must-play game for any Metal Gear or Hideo Kojima fan.
2000
So I'm just going based off of my memory here from playing this 20+ years ago... my pre-teen self despised this game with every fiber of his being. All I remember is the gameplay being atrocious, and the game being unbelievably ugly. I especially HATED the stamina/power meter going down as you ran which tied into your attack strength output... I never did get very far in this game though as I opted to play almost any other game I owned instead of this.
Color me shocked as I look and see this was one of From Software's early games... that is a crazy revelation to me. Since now when I think back on it... I see very early pre-Souls like design here. How far From Software has come since these days is honestly incredible...
Color me shocked as I look and see this was one of From Software's early games... that is a crazy revelation to me. Since now when I think back on it... I see very early pre-Souls like design here. How far From Software has come since these days is honestly incredible...
The Nintendo DS version is far, far superior... TWEWY was designed to be played on 2 screens and with a stylus.
The game is still playable on the Switch, but if you have the option, I highly recommend you snag up the DS version instead.
The game is still playable on the Switch, but if you have the option, I highly recommend you snag up the DS version instead.
2001
"Listen to my story. This may be our last chance."
This is a Top 5 Final Fantasy game, and in my opinion, the last great Final Fantasy numbered title (not counting remakes, remasters, or spin-offs).
Looking at the release date of 2001, it is incredibly sad to me that Squaresoft was able to release so many legendary titles within such a short period of time... now as of February 2023, we literally only have 3 new single-player Final Fantasy titles within 20+ years... and none of them hold a candle to the older games.
But enough about that - let's talk about what makes FFX so special! This was the FF that made the leap onto the PS2, and what a leap it was - this is an early PS2 title, and graphically, I still find that it holds up relatively well today, 20 years later. This was also the first FF game to introduce voice acting, and perhaps this is a "hot take", but I thought then, and I still do now, that it was a very solid and well-done dub. Laughing scene be damned! Speaking to that scene for a moment, I just feel people saw the meme and didn't understand the context surrounding the scene... is it cringe/awkward? Sure, but it was supposed to be. It also spawned some hilarious and abominable creations - like someone remaking the entire FFX soundtrack into a Tidus laugh track... I mean, that's just amazing!
The world and setting of Spira is hauntingly beautiful and depressing. Just like the famous Yuna "sending" scene demonstrates, this world is full of death, and is utterly devoid of hope. The people willingly distract themselves with the sport of blitzball, but only the few summoners and their pilgrimage they undertake to defeat Sin, offer a small glimpse of hope for a better tomorrow...
Auron sums it up perfectly with his line: "Spira is full of death. And Sin returns only to bring more death. It is a spiral of death, spiraling endlessly." (I cut it down in its entirety due to spoilers)
I absolutely adored the game's storyline, tone, world/setting, design, music, symbolism, imagery, religious themes, etc. The cast of characters are all great too, and Tidus is honestly the perfect "everyman" and stand-in for the player - as he learns about the world of Spira and how it operates, we do as well.
From a gameplay standpoint, I highly enjoyed the Sphere Grid leveling system. It is somewhat restrictive at first, but eventually opens itself up to a great deal of character customization on how you want to build your party. Also, the ability to switch characters out on the fly, with each party member being strong/weak against certain types of fiends, lends itself to a great battle system. I also love what they did with the summons in this iteration - the "aeons", as they are known in FFX, are vital to the story's plot, and can be summoned by Yuna in battle... and this time it isn't just an attack animation. Now they have their own HP/MP and abilities, and can participate actively in battle.
The only real complaints I have with the game are relatively minor - first, the lack of a world map/airship and the freedom to fully explore really bothered me back in the day. Now, I can say, that while I prefer the older titles and their freedom to explore a world map, FFX does the best job it can with such a limited space to explore. Unlike FFXIII (stares menacingly in its direction)... even if the design philosophy was the same - and they both could be negatively described as "hallway simulators", only XIII feels like one to me. FFX's world feels much more alive and real, that there is just no comparison. It's blasphemous to even compare the 2 titles.
The only other real gripe I have with FFX are the mini-games... honestly, they are my least favorite part of the game. I can't stand them... and in all honesty, the more that I think about them... they may very well be my most hated mini-games of any JRPG. Blitzball, butterfly chasing bullshit, chocobo racing/balloon pickup/ball & bird dodging all while trying to get a time of 0.0, dodging 200 bolts of lightning, some cactuar nonsense in the desert that I can't specifically remember, etc. All of it was pretty horrendous, but it is optional, for the most part (unless you want to power up the team's ultimate weapons).
Mini-games and nitpicks aside though, this is a real gem of a JRPG. I still give it a 5/5 rating, as I feel the positives far outweigh any minor imperfections there may be. I loved this game back when I was in middle school, and I still look fondly back on my time spent in Spira today. It is one of my favorite, emotionally devastating, journeys I've ever undertaken. A special and magical game.
This is a Top 5 Final Fantasy game, and in my opinion, the last great Final Fantasy numbered title (not counting remakes, remasters, or spin-offs).
Looking at the release date of 2001, it is incredibly sad to me that Squaresoft was able to release so many legendary titles within such a short period of time... now as of February 2023, we literally only have 3 new single-player Final Fantasy titles within 20+ years... and none of them hold a candle to the older games.
But enough about that - let's talk about what makes FFX so special! This was the FF that made the leap onto the PS2, and what a leap it was - this is an early PS2 title, and graphically, I still find that it holds up relatively well today, 20 years later. This was also the first FF game to introduce voice acting, and perhaps this is a "hot take", but I thought then, and I still do now, that it was a very solid and well-done dub. Laughing scene be damned! Speaking to that scene for a moment, I just feel people saw the meme and didn't understand the context surrounding the scene... is it cringe/awkward? Sure, but it was supposed to be. It also spawned some hilarious and abominable creations - like someone remaking the entire FFX soundtrack into a Tidus laugh track... I mean, that's just amazing!
The world and setting of Spira is hauntingly beautiful and depressing. Just like the famous Yuna "sending" scene demonstrates, this world is full of death, and is utterly devoid of hope. The people willingly distract themselves with the sport of blitzball, but only the few summoners and their pilgrimage they undertake to defeat Sin, offer a small glimpse of hope for a better tomorrow...
Auron sums it up perfectly with his line: "Spira is full of death. And Sin returns only to bring more death. It is a spiral of death, spiraling endlessly." (I cut it down in its entirety due to spoilers)
I absolutely adored the game's storyline, tone, world/setting, design, music, symbolism, imagery, religious themes, etc. The cast of characters are all great too, and Tidus is honestly the perfect "everyman" and stand-in for the player - as he learns about the world of Spira and how it operates, we do as well.
From a gameplay standpoint, I highly enjoyed the Sphere Grid leveling system. It is somewhat restrictive at first, but eventually opens itself up to a great deal of character customization on how you want to build your party. Also, the ability to switch characters out on the fly, with each party member being strong/weak against certain types of fiends, lends itself to a great battle system. I also love what they did with the summons in this iteration - the "aeons", as they are known in FFX, are vital to the story's plot, and can be summoned by Yuna in battle... and this time it isn't just an attack animation. Now they have their own HP/MP and abilities, and can participate actively in battle.
The only real complaints I have with the game are relatively minor - first, the lack of a world map/airship and the freedom to fully explore really bothered me back in the day. Now, I can say, that while I prefer the older titles and their freedom to explore a world map, FFX does the best job it can with such a limited space to explore. Unlike FFXIII (stares menacingly in its direction)... even if the design philosophy was the same - and they both could be negatively described as "hallway simulators", only XIII feels like one to me. FFX's world feels much more alive and real, that there is just no comparison. It's blasphemous to even compare the 2 titles.
The only other real gripe I have with FFX are the mini-games... honestly, they are my least favorite part of the game. I can't stand them... and in all honesty, the more that I think about them... they may very well be my most hated mini-games of any JRPG. Blitzball, butterfly chasing bullshit, chocobo racing/balloon pickup/ball & bird dodging all while trying to get a time of 0.0, dodging 200 bolts of lightning, some cactuar nonsense in the desert that I can't specifically remember, etc. All of it was pretty horrendous, but it is optional, for the most part (unless you want to power up the team's ultimate weapons).
Mini-games and nitpicks aside though, this is a real gem of a JRPG. I still give it a 5/5 rating, as I feel the positives far outweigh any minor imperfections there may be. I loved this game back when I was in middle school, and I still look fondly back on my time spent in Spira today. It is one of my favorite, emotionally devastating, journeys I've ever undertaken. A special and magical game.
1994
Great Final Fantasy game, with a great battle/gameplay system, and some of the best music on the SNES. I really enjoyed the first half of the game, but I didn't enjoy the second half of it as much. I also didn't enjoy Kefka as a villain as much as many other players do - he just seemed like a more silly, and worse version of the far superior Joker archetype. Also, I didn't find many of the characters, outside of maybe 3, gripping, and overall felt that they lacked development and proper focus.
2006
This game just didn't click with me... and most of that can attributed to the game's battle system. I did not enjoy how it played similarly to an offline MMORPG. Then with the addition of the Gambits, it felt like the game was playing itself.
I love Final Fantasy Tactics and the setting of Ivalice, so the game's world and setting knock it out of the park. This might be the only thing I really loved from FFXII. This is easily one of the best looking PS2 game graphically - the towns, cities, and many open areas/dungeons are both diverse and impressive in scale and scope.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the game's characters. It felt like it went the FFVI approach without a true lead protagonist, but was done even worse here. There were only a couple of characters I even liked, and even then, none of them were on the same level as FF game's before... Vaan and Penelo are especially poor, that I questioned why they were even there to begin with...
Music was mostly a miss for me, outside of the Empire theme which is an all timer. Didn't like the espers/summons not being FF mainstays (although I understand the Tactics/Ivalice Zodiac connection), wasn't a huge fan of the license board, or the game's Quickenings either...
Now saying all this, I last played this game close to 16 years ago... I'd be willing to give the remastered version on the PS4 another chance, as I've heard it made many improvements to the gameplay/battle/job system, which is where many of my issues with it come from... we'll see, maybe I'll understand and like the storyline better the next go around, because as it stands now, I didn't like this particular Final Fantasy.
I love Final Fantasy Tactics and the setting of Ivalice, so the game's world and setting knock it out of the park. This might be the only thing I really loved from FFXII. This is easily one of the best looking PS2 game graphically - the towns, cities, and many open areas/dungeons are both diverse and impressive in scale and scope.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the game's characters. It felt like it went the FFVI approach without a true lead protagonist, but was done even worse here. There were only a couple of characters I even liked, and even then, none of them were on the same level as FF game's before... Vaan and Penelo are especially poor, that I questioned why they were even there to begin with...
Music was mostly a miss for me, outside of the Empire theme which is an all timer. Didn't like the espers/summons not being FF mainstays (although I understand the Tactics/Ivalice Zodiac connection), wasn't a huge fan of the license board, or the game's Quickenings either...
Now saying all this, I last played this game close to 16 years ago... I'd be willing to give the remastered version on the PS4 another chance, as I've heard it made many improvements to the gameplay/battle/job system, which is where many of my issues with it come from... we'll see, maybe I'll understand and like the storyline better the next go around, because as it stands now, I didn't like this particular Final Fantasy.
This is a fun couch co-op RPG that you could play on a console. Had tons of fun when playing with family/friends, but similar to other co-op RPGs, like Borderlands, it isn't nearly as good of a time if playing solo. I only could play this with others, otherwise I'd lose interest quickly.
I consider this to be one of the toughest games I've ever beaten. A strategy RPG for masochists and diehard SMT fans. There were plenty of moments throughout the game where I thought I just couldn't complete it and it took countless tries.
Otherwise, if it wasn't for the insane difficulty spikes and grinding throughout the game, which docks it half a star for me, this is a damn near perfect SRPG game.
Excellent story, multiple routes and endings, flexibility in how you build your MC and team of devils (like all SMT/Persona games), mixture of SRPG and turn based battle system, great music, etc. You can feel the influence from Persona 3/4 in this game too with the character interactions and ability to choose who you hang out with.
This is a game I want to play again though. Perhaps the Overclocked version on the 3DS.
Otherwise, if it wasn't for the insane difficulty spikes and grinding throughout the game, which docks it half a star for me, this is a damn near perfect SRPG game.
Excellent story, multiple routes and endings, flexibility in how you build your MC and team of devils (like all SMT/Persona games), mixture of SRPG and turn based battle system, great music, etc. You can feel the influence from Persona 3/4 in this game too with the character interactions and ability to choose who you hang out with.
This is a game I want to play again though. Perhaps the Overclocked version on the 3DS.
2003
Such a great game. I loved the game's atmosphere, its music, characters, gameplay, and mini-games. The game is just the right length too and didn't overstay its welcome.
Seeing Ubisoft as the developer, when looking at the game case, came as a bit of a shock to me. An actually great Ubisoft game!? Shocking when looking back at their current state, and their "rinse and repeat" open world titles that I find no enjoyment in.
I would love a sequel to this game and I understand they announced it years ago... but it has been how many years now with no news, trailers, screenshots, etc? At this point, it is essentially vaporware. And even if it did come out, what's to say it'll retain its soul and not be fundamentally different from most of the other Ubisoft schlock that comes out today?
Personally, I won't believe a sequel to this game will ever come out... I'd have to see it being in sold in stores to believe it, and even then... I suppose we'll see.
Seeing Ubisoft as the developer, when looking at the game case, came as a bit of a shock to me. An actually great Ubisoft game!? Shocking when looking back at their current state, and their "rinse and repeat" open world titles that I find no enjoyment in.
I would love a sequel to this game and I understand they announced it years ago... but it has been how many years now with no news, trailers, screenshots, etc? At this point, it is essentially vaporware. And even if it did come out, what's to say it'll retain its soul and not be fundamentally different from most of the other Ubisoft schlock that comes out today?
Personally, I won't believe a sequel to this game will ever come out... I'd have to see it being in sold in stores to believe it, and even then... I suppose we'll see.
2000
This was one of the first games I had on the PS2 that I really enjoyed... and what a game it was!
It's a rare dungeon crawler that I actually really liked. That genre is usually one I find myself disliking, or even despising, due to a lack of variation in its gameplay and there not being a story or purpose.
However, Dark Cloud is much different in that regard... this game has all of these wonderful ideas the game displays throughout. I loved the multiple gameplay elements that helped break up the monotony of dungeon crawling they had in this game - the multiple characters, weapon upgrades, city building with the Georama pieces, fishing, etc.
This was also the first 3D game I played with a day/night cycle, which invested me even more in its world.
With this game coming out in 2000, it has shown its age, but I will always have fond memories of playing it. It also contributes to one of the greatest sequels I've ever played. Its sequel, Dark Cloud 2, takes the ideas of this game as its foundation, and "runs with it." It builds upon it in such a spectacular way, and in my opinion, becomes Level 5's magnum opus (forget Ni No Kuni - that doesn't even come close)...but I'll save that for my Dark Cloud 2 review.
It's a rare dungeon crawler that I actually really liked. That genre is usually one I find myself disliking, or even despising, due to a lack of variation in its gameplay and there not being a story or purpose.
However, Dark Cloud is much different in that regard... this game has all of these wonderful ideas the game displays throughout. I loved the multiple gameplay elements that helped break up the monotony of dungeon crawling they had in this game - the multiple characters, weapon upgrades, city building with the Georama pieces, fishing, etc.
This was also the first 3D game I played with a day/night cycle, which invested me even more in its world.
With this game coming out in 2000, it has shown its age, but I will always have fond memories of playing it. It also contributes to one of the greatest sequels I've ever played. Its sequel, Dark Cloud 2, takes the ideas of this game as its foundation, and "runs with it." It builds upon it in such a spectacular way, and in my opinion, becomes Level 5's magnum opus (forget Ni No Kuni - that doesn't even come close)...but I'll save that for my Dark Cloud 2 review.
2007
"I am what the gods have made me!"
My favorite GoW of the original trilogy. This game had all the best action set pieces, epic moments, and legendary boss battles. The size and scale from the previous game was improved upon even more - it is hard to believe the PlayStation 2 was able to run this game.
This was truly the PS2's swan song. This game is a blast to play, and is one of the greatest action-adventure / hack-and-slash games of all time.
My favorite GoW of the original trilogy. This game had all the best action set pieces, epic moments, and legendary boss battles. The size and scale from the previous game was improved upon even more - it is hard to believe the PlayStation 2 was able to run this game.
This was truly the PS2's swan song. This game is a blast to play, and is one of the greatest action-adventure / hack-and-slash games of all time.