ItsShori
6 reviews liked by ItsShori
I did not expect to love this game as much as I did, it was an incredible breath of fresh air for the series. Having the narrative centered around the definition of the law, and how the system might be outdated is also a genius idea to kick of a new trilogy.
The new characters are really fun and I'm glad how different they feel from the original trilogy cast. They are genuinely trying something new and it works really well. Apollo, Trucy & Klavier especially were really great character with a fun dynamic, and the returning characters were handled well. Idk why but I really enjoyed cryptic asshole Phoenix lol
I also really like how focussed this game is, as every chapter is either connected to the main overarching narrative, or it's building towards the flaws of the current system. My only criticism would be the parts of the third case, some twists in there felt a bit cheap, the pacing was off and at points it was just kindoff annoying to get through. That is the only thing holding it back though, since other than that this game is incredibly consistent and my favorite entry in the franchise
The new characters are really fun and I'm glad how different they feel from the original trilogy cast. They are genuinely trying something new and it works really well. Apollo, Trucy & Klavier especially were really great character with a fun dynamic, and the returning characters were handled well. Idk why but I really enjoyed cryptic asshole Phoenix lol
I also really like how focussed this game is, as every chapter is either connected to the main overarching narrative, or it's building towards the flaws of the current system. My only criticism would be the parts of the third case, some twists in there felt a bit cheap, the pacing was off and at points it was just kindoff annoying to get through. That is the only thing holding it back though, since other than that this game is incredibly consistent and my favorite entry in the franchise
Elden Ring
2022
unbelievably massive, some of the best combat the series has ever had, extraordinary sense of exploration, amazing legacy dungeons, and gorgeous visual direction all culminate to make up of of the greatest games of all time.
Shadow Of The Erdtree is about to go so fucking hard
Shadow Of The Erdtree is about to go so fucking hard
Dragon's Dogma II
2024
Feels more like a solid remake or a Dragons Dogma 1.5 than a sequel. It's more of the same which can be a good or bad thing depending on your expectations. For example, if you're expecting plenty of new enemy types, bosses or drastic changes to gameplay systems (like improved Pawn AI) compared to the first game that's really not here.
It's mostly the same game as Dragons Dogma 1 base game but bigger. The focus of the game is clearly on a general open world experience with fun to control player classes. There is very little on the side of tight combat focused dungeons like Bitterblack Isle (DD1 Dark Arisen expansion).
The combat and party management is still fun make no mistake, but it's definitely on the side of a power trip game where the player character grows powerful quickly (both statistically and mechanically) but enemies do not improve to match.
The variety of enemy encounters seems like one of the weakest points of the game. It's a sequel but 90% of the enemies you face are things you might already know from DD1. The bulk of enemies are trash mob level goblins, bandits and saurians which have 4-5 recolors based on how far you are in the game. But the way you fight them is exactly the same. It's not like they gain some threatening new attack or AI behavior, so going back to the first area to fight the same enemy class feels much the same.
I think this is a big loss since the core combat does feel good but the enemies really blur together and by the end of the game you might just be doing the same attack sequences and not care about what enemy you're fighting.
The difficulty level is low and XP gain from enemies scales very little; a mid-tier enemy like a Cyclops gives 1/3 the XP of an endgame boss. Exploring the map thoroughly will have you get overleveled for the main story quests quickly even if you don't intend to.
If you're looking for a challenging action RPG dungeon crawling experience like Bitterblack Isle or just lots of new enemies to face and new gameplay systems compared to DD1 that's not in DD2, at least on release.
It's mostly the same game as Dragons Dogma 1 base game but bigger. The focus of the game is clearly on a general open world experience with fun to control player classes. There is very little on the side of tight combat focused dungeons like Bitterblack Isle (DD1 Dark Arisen expansion).
The combat and party management is still fun make no mistake, but it's definitely on the side of a power trip game where the player character grows powerful quickly (both statistically and mechanically) but enemies do not improve to match.
The variety of enemy encounters seems like one of the weakest points of the game. It's a sequel but 90% of the enemies you face are things you might already know from DD1. The bulk of enemies are trash mob level goblins, bandits and saurians which have 4-5 recolors based on how far you are in the game. But the way you fight them is exactly the same. It's not like they gain some threatening new attack or AI behavior, so going back to the first area to fight the same enemy class feels much the same.
I think this is a big loss since the core combat does feel good but the enemies really blur together and by the end of the game you might just be doing the same attack sequences and not care about what enemy you're fighting.
The difficulty level is low and XP gain from enemies scales very little; a mid-tier enemy like a Cyclops gives 1/3 the XP of an endgame boss. Exploring the map thoroughly will have you get overleveled for the main story quests quickly even if you don't intend to.
If you're looking for a challenging action RPG dungeon crawling experience like Bitterblack Isle or just lots of new enemies to face and new gameplay systems compared to DD1 that's not in DD2, at least on release.
Persona 5 Tactica
2023
If anything else bad happens to Toshiro or Erina, I'll blow up this restaurant with myself inside.
Like a Dragon Gaiden is exactly how it was advertised as: it’s a short romp with Kiryu as a secret agent that serves to explain what he’s been up to in-between Yakuzas 6 and 7 as well as expand on the role that he ultimately plays during the events of Yakuza 7. The game isn’t anything particularly groundbreaking for the franchise, but it was explicitly never trying to be. I wouldn’t really blame you if you questioned whether or not this game needed to exist. That being said, it is currently selling for $10 cheaper than the average price of a new game (or $20 cheaper now I guess, considering the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is priced at $70), and most importantly: it’s pretty fun. Unless you’re an extremely dedicated fan of the franchise like I’ve become this past year, I don’t think that it’s necessarily an essential purchase. It is still a good time though, and if the trailers/promotional material for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth are to be believed, then this may be the final time we’ll be playing as Kiryu in the fashion of the traditional beat-’em-up Yakuza games (for real this time).
For the most part, Gaiden doesn’t really tell a particularly intricate or emotional story. The plot is really straightforward: it sets the stage for the role that Kiryu plays in Yakuza 7 and not much else honestly. In fact, the game is padded out with a number of sections that don’t really do much to advance the main plot. There are some potential hints towards the future of the series, but it’s not clear whether or not these hints are specifically for Infinite Wealth. I’d be shocked if they weren’t, though. The game does conclude with one of the most well-executed, gut punching scenes in the entire series that genuinely made me tear up. It really rewards long time and dedicated fans. Personally speaking, this ending alone made the game worth the $50 purchase for me. It actually made me bump my original rating from a 3.5/5 to a 4/5.
After ditching the multiple styles for Kiryu in Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2, Gaiden brings them back with the new Yakuza and Agent styles. The Yakuza style has Kiryu essentially play the way he does in 6 and Kiwami 2, with some minor adjustments that make him feel a lot better to control. They brought Extreme Heat Mode back and I’m so, so thankful that the camera no longer zooms in on Kiryu when it’s activated. That was a huge gripe for me in those two games and made me not want to use it altogether. The Agent style is brand new. Its primary focus is on crowd control, and it utilizes a number of fun spy gadgets to stun and distract enemies in order to give yourself some breathing room. It’s a little weird and hard to get used to at first, as to activate the gadgets, you need to hold down the corresponding button until it’s charged. If you get hit by an enemy, it cancels the charge. This means that you have to make breathing room in order to make breathing room… which doesn’t sound quite right, and doesn’t really seem what they were going for. The jet boots that you get partway through the campaign takes far less time to charge than your other spy gadgets, and they’re essential for clearing out groups of enemies so that you can safely plant your explosive cigarettes or summon your drones. There’s also a new counter move exclusively for bosses that Kiryu can do, where quickstepping during a special attack bosses can perform allows you to parry them and retaliate with an extremely satisfying drop kick. You can also upgrade it to perform an additional grapple attack following the drop kick. It’s not hard to pull it off at all, and it feels damn good when you do.
As usual, there’s a plethora of side content to do in Gaiden. While I focused primarily on clearing the main campaign, the few substories I engaged with were pretty solid, especially the ones where some surprise guests appeared. The Castle, which is a key location that you constantly travel back and forth from, holds this game’s Coliseum, and it’s the most fun iteration of it in any Yakuza game. I actually really want to go back to it and play through it some more now that I’ve finished Gaiden. The Team Battles in particular are a lot of fun, and I’m not going to lie, it makes me happy that I pre-ordered it so that I can fight alongside Majima, Saejima and Daigo. Playing as those characters however, is a different story. Majima and Saejima in particular feel pretty boneless in comparison to how they were in previous Yakuza games. I’m over the moon to be able to play as Saejima again, he’s one of my favorite characters in the series. However, he feels very hollow to play as, and it's quite disappointing. If you missed out getting these characters by not preordering, you’re really not missing much.
Like a Dragon Gaiden is definitely a game for the fans. In some ways, it does feel like a game whose sole existence is to squeeze money out of people that are hyped for Infinite Wealth. However, it offers a lot to enjoy, and still provides a decent experience all-around. I can’t stress enough how great that ending is. I’m really looking forward to going back to it and playing through some more of the side content. I think that if you’re a huge fan of the series, then you won’t be disappointed with this, but if you’re more of a passive enjoyer, you’re not going to get a whole lot out of it. I do still recommend at least looking up the cutscenes on YouTube though. I will say that I will likely look back on this game a lot less fondly if the trailers for Infinite Wealth turn out to be a red herring. If this game and Infinite Wealth really do end up being the final times we’ll be playing as Kiryu like the Infinite Wealth trailers strongly suggest, then I think that Gaiden is an excellent way to prepare fans for what I hope is a tremendous and fitting send off to one of the greatest protagonists in video games. Otherwise, this game will likely wind up just being a small footnote in the franchise’s legacy.
For the most part, Gaiden doesn’t really tell a particularly intricate or emotional story. The plot is really straightforward: it sets the stage for the role that Kiryu plays in Yakuza 7 and not much else honestly. In fact, the game is padded out with a number of sections that don’t really do much to advance the main plot. There are some potential hints towards the future of the series, but it’s not clear whether or not these hints are specifically for Infinite Wealth. I’d be shocked if they weren’t, though. The game does conclude with one of the most well-executed, gut punching scenes in the entire series that genuinely made me tear up. It really rewards long time and dedicated fans. Personally speaking, this ending alone made the game worth the $50 purchase for me. It actually made me bump my original rating from a 3.5/5 to a 4/5.
After ditching the multiple styles for Kiryu in Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2, Gaiden brings them back with the new Yakuza and Agent styles. The Yakuza style has Kiryu essentially play the way he does in 6 and Kiwami 2, with some minor adjustments that make him feel a lot better to control. They brought Extreme Heat Mode back and I’m so, so thankful that the camera no longer zooms in on Kiryu when it’s activated. That was a huge gripe for me in those two games and made me not want to use it altogether. The Agent style is brand new. Its primary focus is on crowd control, and it utilizes a number of fun spy gadgets to stun and distract enemies in order to give yourself some breathing room. It’s a little weird and hard to get used to at first, as to activate the gadgets, you need to hold down the corresponding button until it’s charged. If you get hit by an enemy, it cancels the charge. This means that you have to make breathing room in order to make breathing room… which doesn’t sound quite right, and doesn’t really seem what they were going for. The jet boots that you get partway through the campaign takes far less time to charge than your other spy gadgets, and they’re essential for clearing out groups of enemies so that you can safely plant your explosive cigarettes or summon your drones. There’s also a new counter move exclusively for bosses that Kiryu can do, where quickstepping during a special attack bosses can perform allows you to parry them and retaliate with an extremely satisfying drop kick. You can also upgrade it to perform an additional grapple attack following the drop kick. It’s not hard to pull it off at all, and it feels damn good when you do.
As usual, there’s a plethora of side content to do in Gaiden. While I focused primarily on clearing the main campaign, the few substories I engaged with were pretty solid, especially the ones where some surprise guests appeared. The Castle, which is a key location that you constantly travel back and forth from, holds this game’s Coliseum, and it’s the most fun iteration of it in any Yakuza game. I actually really want to go back to it and play through it some more now that I’ve finished Gaiden. The Team Battles in particular are a lot of fun, and I’m not going to lie, it makes me happy that I pre-ordered it so that I can fight alongside Majima, Saejima and Daigo. Playing as those characters however, is a different story. Majima and Saejima in particular feel pretty boneless in comparison to how they were in previous Yakuza games. I’m over the moon to be able to play as Saejima again, he’s one of my favorite characters in the series. However, he feels very hollow to play as, and it's quite disappointing. If you missed out getting these characters by not preordering, you’re really not missing much.
Like a Dragon Gaiden is definitely a game for the fans. In some ways, it does feel like a game whose sole existence is to squeeze money out of people that are hyped for Infinite Wealth. However, it offers a lot to enjoy, and still provides a decent experience all-around. I can’t stress enough how great that ending is. I’m really looking forward to going back to it and playing through some more of the side content. I think that if you’re a huge fan of the series, then you won’t be disappointed with this, but if you’re more of a passive enjoyer, you’re not going to get a whole lot out of it. I do still recommend at least looking up the cutscenes on YouTube though. I will say that I will likely look back on this game a lot less fondly if the trailers for Infinite Wealth turn out to be a red herring. If this game and Infinite Wealth really do end up being the final times we’ll be playing as Kiryu like the Infinite Wealth trailers strongly suggest, then I think that Gaiden is an excellent way to prepare fans for what I hope is a tremendous and fitting send off to one of the greatest protagonists in video games. Otherwise, this game will likely wind up just being a small footnote in the franchise’s legacy.
This review contains spoilers
Most of the QOL improvements are pretty great but I vastly preferred the power/gadget system of the first game and, for as much as I griped, of Miles' game over this one. The ability regeneration was never fast enough for the frenetic battles, so many encounters devolved into punch/dodge/parry flurries that made me feel less Spidey and more Kratos.
The story wasn't very surprising. The past few games have been a bit unpredictable with how they twist the mythos around but much of this game going beat-for-beat with every incarnation of "Peter gets venomized" was, frankly, boring. The only thing I didn't expect was for them to go in the Anti-Venom direction with nods to Knull and even Separation Anxiety, but that was more of a surprise that they went further with the symbiote lore than I expected. It still wasnt really NEW.
Kraven was completely OP and so were his troops, and the excuses for them being so powerful were about as flimsy as why Hammerhead's goons in the DLC had Avengers-level strength. This is a story that on paper works really well, to bridge and blend everything from Kraven's Last Hunt to the Venom saga, but in reality it's very unfocused. Miles' story was an afterthought in many ways, which may have been intentional to his storyline of feeling brushed to the side, but it only "works" within the context of this story. THIS story, as told, could have been told differently and that avoided. If you make a sequel to a movie where one of the main characters is gone for most of the film on vacation with their family, it may "work" given the logic of the film, but it's still less of a film for it, you know?
The Lois Lane-ification of MJ continues and I don't care. I mean it, I don't care for it but I don't care to go hard against it. I wish they had any other type of characterization to write for her as an alternative to "hot model who is endlessly supportive of her loser partner" but I won't complain about this. Any problems I had with her levels come down mostly to the gameplay and not the content.
There was such a lack of focus in this that felt chaotic compared to the first game. The first game got narratively hectic but it blended it together with Spidey just trying to hold it all together. This time, it felt like they could have done that with Miles or tweaked the formula, but instead it felt like a series of DLC packaged as one game. And that's not to say anything about several storylines that are clearly being held off as DLC.
Speaking of post-game, I genuinely don't know where the game will go from here. Miles has been set up to take care of NYC as THE Spider-man, but also he's going to college and agonized about it the entire game. Maybe they'll somehow reconcile that in DLC. Or it'll never be mentioned again. Anyway moments after Peter declared he's taking a break I had him go solve some crimes so clearly they don't care that much.
The game was a bit glitchier/buggier than I had hoped but I've come to expect this dip with all of the PS5 first party sequels having the same issue. Horizon 2, Ragnarok, and others all just feel noticeably impacted by covid development, though I'm glad for any studio that didn't put their employees through misery just to churn this stuff out.
I liked it well enough, I'll obviously be back for more, but too much repetition, a lack of narrative focus, and less satisfying combat/enemies will have me dropping the game as soon as I've platinumed it instead of playing it well beyond for a continued Spider-experience.
PS: I'm practically a communist but oh my god were the Vision Academy missions written by a paid DEI consultant? No teenager, no matter how woke, talks or acts like this outside of commercials for private education. This is like what the democratic party wishes "radical left wing youths" would be like instead of teens rightfully calling out institutional injustice and fighting for climate change. It's the most "don't boo, vote!" writing I've ever seen in a game.
PPS: Miles' sponsored Adidas suit had no narrative reason to be included in the game and I changed back out of it the milisecond I could.
The story wasn't very surprising. The past few games have been a bit unpredictable with how they twist the mythos around but much of this game going beat-for-beat with every incarnation of "Peter gets venomized" was, frankly, boring. The only thing I didn't expect was for them to go in the Anti-Venom direction with nods to Knull and even Separation Anxiety, but that was more of a surprise that they went further with the symbiote lore than I expected. It still wasnt really NEW.
Kraven was completely OP and so were his troops, and the excuses for them being so powerful were about as flimsy as why Hammerhead's goons in the DLC had Avengers-level strength. This is a story that on paper works really well, to bridge and blend everything from Kraven's Last Hunt to the Venom saga, but in reality it's very unfocused. Miles' story was an afterthought in many ways, which may have been intentional to his storyline of feeling brushed to the side, but it only "works" within the context of this story. THIS story, as told, could have been told differently and that avoided. If you make a sequel to a movie where one of the main characters is gone for most of the film on vacation with their family, it may "work" given the logic of the film, but it's still less of a film for it, you know?
The Lois Lane-ification of MJ continues and I don't care. I mean it, I don't care for it but I don't care to go hard against it. I wish they had any other type of characterization to write for her as an alternative to "hot model who is endlessly supportive of her loser partner" but I won't complain about this. Any problems I had with her levels come down mostly to the gameplay and not the content.
There was such a lack of focus in this that felt chaotic compared to the first game. The first game got narratively hectic but it blended it together with Spidey just trying to hold it all together. This time, it felt like they could have done that with Miles or tweaked the formula, but instead it felt like a series of DLC packaged as one game. And that's not to say anything about several storylines that are clearly being held off as DLC.
Speaking of post-game, I genuinely don't know where the game will go from here. Miles has been set up to take care of NYC as THE Spider-man, but also he's going to college and agonized about it the entire game. Maybe they'll somehow reconcile that in DLC. Or it'll never be mentioned again. Anyway moments after Peter declared he's taking a break I had him go solve some crimes so clearly they don't care that much.
The game was a bit glitchier/buggier than I had hoped but I've come to expect this dip with all of the PS5 first party sequels having the same issue. Horizon 2, Ragnarok, and others all just feel noticeably impacted by covid development, though I'm glad for any studio that didn't put their employees through misery just to churn this stuff out.
I liked it well enough, I'll obviously be back for more, but too much repetition, a lack of narrative focus, and less satisfying combat/enemies will have me dropping the game as soon as I've platinumed it instead of playing it well beyond for a continued Spider-experience.
PS: I'm practically a communist but oh my god were the Vision Academy missions written by a paid DEI consultant? No teenager, no matter how woke, talks or acts like this outside of commercials for private education. This is like what the democratic party wishes "radical left wing youths" would be like instead of teens rightfully calling out institutional injustice and fighting for climate change. It's the most "don't boo, vote!" writing I've ever seen in a game.
PPS: Miles' sponsored Adidas suit had no narrative reason to be included in the game and I changed back out of it the milisecond I could.