Easy to see why it won so many GOTY awards last year.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a complete package fantastic game. Simply put, it's a turn-based role playing game (but certainly not a JRPG). The most apt and simple comparison is Dungeons & Dragons, which isn't far off since the setting is directly from D&D. I played the game single player, since I understand all too well the pains of trying to get a squad together for a D&D campaign.
Presentation wise, the art and music are solid. Nothing in particular blew me away (besides a certain villain's song in Act 3) but it all did the job well. Lots of loving tunes and beautiful locales keep the game fresh and varied.
Story wise, it's a simple D&D-esque plot all things considered. Thinking on it, I don't think the narrative is this huge thing of note, but it's a simple scope that does the job fantastic. The characters (primarily the Origin characters/playable party members) all have storylines you can pursue as you see fit and have great conclusions and possible endings (from what I've gleamed in my single playthrough). Also, nothing groundbreaking. Simple stories told well are always worth appreciating.
The gameplay is clean as can be. Exploring and interacting with the world contains so many ways to problem solve and progress the plot it feels crazy the devs programmed in some of these possibilities. Genuinely, the attention to detail to allow some things to happen in this game cannot get enough commendation. The combat is D&D5e for the most part, and it's a satisfying implementation at that. Loved so many fights in this game and the way it rewarded smart tactics and creative solutions. For my team, I spent the whole game with my custom character Chad Thundercock (Sorcerer for the first few levels before rerolled into Paladin), Shadowheart, Gale, and Astarion (as a Gloomstalker). I can 100% see myself coming back to a future playthrough for other endings and party compositions. The exploring/overworld and the combat of this game can each be dissected for paragraphs on end so I'll just say it's satisfying and leave it at that.
Overall, a fantastic role-playing game with a high replayability factor. This is clearly a labor of love from the developers, Larian Studios deserves all the props for this. Highly HIGHLY recommend this game as a gateway to role-playing games, D&D/TTRPGs, a fun multiplayer co-op campaign, or simply anyone who likes a damn good game.

Coming into Rebirth, I worried a lot about how it'd follow up Remake. Remake left a lot on the table with sudden twists and turns at the ending. It felt on rails and lacked a lot of room to wiggle around and explore. It enhanced the characters of FF7 to a fantastic degree. Would Rebirth carry this torch onward? I'm so glad it lived up to my hopes and dreams.
Everything about this game takes Remake's foundation and builds upon it tenfold. The characters are ABSOLUTELY fantastic. Specific characters like Barret and Yuffie are easily the best incarnation they've ever been. All the moments between characters and storylines are so damn fantastic. Shoutout to the voice direction, too!
Gameplay is DAMN smooth. The only character I didn't love playing is Aerith. Each playable character has a unique way to play that they bring to the table, and there's just enough nuance in the controls and attacks that you can level up your gameplay and feel great doing so. The amount of content in this game is overwhelming, too. I finished at 88 hours with another 10-20 hours left on the table not counting running through chapters again in hard mode to snag all the collectibles. It goes to show just how much they packed into this game as a labor of love.
The plot is not as on the rails as the original. Rebirth had a tough task to follow, considering that this section of FF7OG is mostly the party aimlessly wandering the world stumbling into stuff to do. There's more purpose here than in the original. Every stop along the way is a great step for the party and the plot. As for the plot itself, I have a few questions regarding the ending and what interpretations there are. That being said, I'm still content with it all. This game cleans up some of the OG and expands where necessary.
The soundtrack is OST of the year, full stop. The amount of tracks still in my head after playing the game over this past month is well over a dozen. The composers went CRAZY to make sure we'd have lovely returning tunes brought to life alongside absolute jams that are completely original. Visuals are what you expect. Everything is beautiful on PS5. The game is smooth, looks cool, and there's tons of spectacle to be seen here.
I'm so happy I got to experience this game. As someone who loves the original, having played it so many years ago, seeing so many important story and character moments brought to life fills my heart with joy. It can be hard jumping into Rebirth for a newcomer, but it's an absolute must play for FF7 and RPG fans across the board. Such a satisfying game. I'll see you all in 4 years to see the thrilling conclusion to this trilogy.

Solid roguelite that allows for high replayability.
The D&D/Tabletop aesthetics rule. As someone who loves class systems in JRPGs, having a roguelite that can scratch that itch and remain freeform/flexible enough in the decisions you make on a given run absolutely rules. Visuals & audio are nothing impressive given it's a simple pixel game, but they do a good job for what it is. Nothing flashy, all tactical turn-based maneuvers. I'd like to have a bit more control of a given run, and some classes just feel like total wastes, so sometimes you really can live or die by the RNG (surprise surprise).
At the end of the day, it's a simple, effective gameplay loop with high replayability and an affordable pricetag. It scratches the itch of dice rolling tactical gameplay, so give it a shot if you're new to roguelites or you're someone who loves turn based combat and wants to dip into the genre.

Dear God, I finally understand why people are addicted to gambling, despite the fact that this is nothing like gambling.
Balatro is a simple roguelite game where you have a deck, utilize cards to rack up a high score, and shoot for the moon. It is easily replayable with various decks, types of builds, challenges, and more. The duration of a given run isn't too long either, so you don't feel crazy invested or have a heavy loss when it inevitably ends. It even has a great endless mode that scales hard enough while being fun and rewarding! The music and visuals are nothing to write home about, they service the gameplay well but are not so unique as to heavily draw you in (though I do like the CRT vibe that the options enable for added effect).
I think having a few more bits and bobs (such as a more sandbox-y mode or additional ways to have runs) could be added to allow for more replayability and fun with the game. I told myself I'd beat gold chip difficulty with a deck before reviewing it, so with all the time under my belt having beat the base difficulty with all decks as well, this is an absolute gem. As it stands, this game absolutely rules and is so damn good that I HIGHLY recommend people grab it on the platform of your choosing.

Boy oh boy, the price of freedom is steep!
TL;DR game isn't very good but the story is iconic.
This is a prime example of an old game coming back and not aging well. The gameplay feels shallow and sometimes even intrusive. So intrusive that in the last third of the game I was hugging walls to hopefully avoid combat encounters to keep the story chugging along. Mashfest w/ certain commands, not much depth here. The mission mode feels bland and repetitive and from a bygone era of gaming. Stopped doing all the side content the further I got into the game because I was getting sick of it and just wanted to see the end.
The story though? Awesome. A lot of weird fluff and decisions that feels KH-esque (because Nomura) to the FF7 universe. At the same time, lots of cool characters and moments here. Zack Fair is such an upbeat good dude. Watching the plot unravel as you KNOW things will eventually get bad (as is the nature of prequels) is a fun feeling. The ending hit me right in the feels despite knowing the story for over a decade. The music gets the job done with some great FF tunes, and a lot of the old vintage cutscenes ooze that mid 2000s nostalgia. Found myself smiling at the presentation because of it.
All in all, an interesting game that quickly becomes bland. FF7 fans will probably hop on this and feel the same to get the story bits, otherwise not really worth the average action gamer's attention.

Played through Yuffie's story to prep for Rebirth, and boy howdy glad I sure did!
The long and short of it this side story fucking rules, combat in the remake is still good, graphics are breathtaking, music is peak, and I'm dying to get my hands on Rebirth already. I think a bit of a disappointment is that you're so railroaded overall, you can't explore the set pieces as much as I'd like. Been so long I found myself annoyed I didn't have a jump button. Game makes you interact with it on its terms. For a game as cinematic and presentation-oriented as it is, I get it. All in all a dope side story that I wish was slightly cheaper for what it is, but an excellent refresher to get myself ready for the next major title.
Also Fort Condor is actually fun this time around so insane W

First game "beaten" this year and it's pokemon, surprise surprise. I'll always come crawling back...
Emerald Rogue is a simple but effective roguelike spin on the pokemon formula. Romhackers always enhance the base games and this is no different. Lots of options here to custom tailor your experience to make it as fun as possible. The gameplay loop can feel a bit repetitive (it's a roguelike) but still had a ton of fun binging it over the weekend. To call this game "beaten" I finished both a single battle and double battle run of the main mode.
The customizing before your runs allows for so much replay ability and helps let people tailor the game to what they want, so it's greatly appreciated. The normal/hard difficulty game modes feel cheap sometimes with RNG (the first gym challenge having 3 legendaries at level 15???), but since you can alter it that's not a dealbreaker by any means.
If you want to play pokemon w/ a roguelike touch, this is absolutely the game to play. So much to do and lots of fun to be had here. Quality romhack that is still being updated at the time of this post. Try it out!

Boy, what a game this is. Don't let the score fool you!
Pizza tower is a gem. A Wario Land-esque title that brings all the joy of that game and then some. So many positives to be found here. The characters, the level designs, the soundtrack, the overall aesthetic that comes together? Great stuff!
That being said, some levels and level gimmicks certainly felt like misses which diminished some of the gameplay. The boss fights took some getting used to. The controls and overall design of the game aren't quite my speed, so it was a struggle at the beginning.
Overall, this is a game I like but don't love. It's clear to me the appeal this game has and why its achieved the acclaim it has. At the same time, I'm unable to hit that same level of enjoyment and enthusiasm that others have for it. This is by no point a knock on the game, just a situation where it's not my slice of pizza (HA!!!!!), which is perfectly okay. The score here is my own enjoyment of the game, at the end of the day.
Still though: buy this game! I'm glad to have enjoyed the wackiness it brought to the table. It's not too exhausting long as to overstay its welcome and there's plenty of replayability if you'd like to truly master what has been served here. Take a bite out of this one and try it for yourself.

To nobody's surprise this game is still a banger.
Super Mario RPG hits a sweet spot for me, though that much just be the nostalgia goggles talking. This is a short and easy RPG that doesn't overstay it's welcome in any regard. You'll find its pacing fast and fluid, making it accessible to play without tiring you out and also being an easy entry point to RPGs for those new to the genre or young kids who might not be able to grasp your final fantasies and dragon quests of the world just yet.
World design good, music is GODLIKE (Yoko Shimamura continues to be one of the best to ever do it), writing is fun, gameplay is fluid. Not much else you could ask for in a game like this. I listened to the OG music most of the game, did a few secrets, and mourned the fact that Geno and Mallow are not in more stuff. I didn't touch the post-game, I'll save it for another time. HIGHLY recommend this game if you want a short and sweet RPG with a lovable world that you can knock out over a week. #GenoForSmash

After over 650 hours, I'm officially up to date on the English releases of the Trails series! My oh my, what a long, strange trip it's been.
Trails into Reverie is the wrap-up chapter for the Crossbell + Erebonia arcs akin to Sky the Third, and the format shows it. It balances three different storylines + protagonists and the side content of dungeon crawling, minigames, and more. The story is as you expect from Trails this time around, and it was engaging as ever with interesting stakes despite being more of an epilogue chapter. I'd say that some other games might've had stronger endings, but this game certainly had so much to offer across the board that it does what it set out to do quite well.
Music is awesome as always, I'm a fan of the characters and still mentally flip flopping about the trope-y-ness this series frequently envelops while ultimately leaning into it. There are so many fantastic characters and storylines across these games, and with the tiny bits of content at the end with certain spoiler characters and elements we'll see in the next arc, I'm excited to see where it continues. The combat is as usual in the series, with a bit more flavor added and the fact that the Reverie Corridor lets you use and build whoever you want making this game easily the best in the series if you want to go knee deep into combat and building your characters for perfection. Seriously, my main core team was a beautiful killing machine team by the end of the game. You love to see it.
There's only so much I can say at this point about trails. It's my favorite JRPG series at this point. There is so much to love here in this game and this series that I'll hold onto it dearly. It's a great longform series that allows you to get invested in the world, story, and characters with a level of quality that should keep you satisfied.
I didn't 100% the game and left a lot of side content on the table, but mainly due to me feeling a bit of burnout as I approached the finish line. Despite that, this is a great game and sends off these characters well (for now, I'm sure they'll be back someday) while we look forward to what will happen in Calvard. Love this series, great game all around, and I'll eagerly await Daybreak's release in Summer 2024.

Binged this over some weekend with friends, and it's an overall solid Mario game!
I, like many others, have felt 2D Mario stale over the years with the incredibly same-y New Super Mario series. This has thankfully been a nice stray from that formula while still remaining true to 2D Mario gameplay and presentation. There isn't too much to say in terms of what the package is. It's a 2D Mario, and it's good.
The music is fun, although I won't linger on any specific hits. The wonder mechanic makes it incredibly fun to experience levels and see the creativity by the dev team. The creativity! Can't be stated enough how fresh it feels with simple but fun ideas brought to the table. Even the traditional Mario worlds have been strayed from a bit as the worlds in Wonder have a bit more life injected into them. The badge system was admittedly kind of a miss, with 2-3 badges clearing all the others by a wide margin. That and it would've been nice to have a few more unique wonder effects or harder levels to add more to the overall gameplay. Can't complain too much though, this is 2D Mario. You know what you get when you buy it.
As a whole, it's a simple and effective 2D platformer oozing with creativity the 2D Mario series hasn't had in years. Odd it's this late in the life cycle of the Switch but a welcome addition nonetheless. Great game, excited to see how it gets a follow up years from now.

Booted this up on my Steam Deck on a whim, came out happy I finally got around to playing it!
The game is incredibly simple yet fun. There's not too much I can say about it. Retro nostalgic visuals, ear candy music, and an addictive gameplay loop. I focused mostly on progression and beating the "final boss" of the game, but there is a LOT left on the table here. It could be easy to drop another hundred hours in the game, but I got more stuff to play.
That being said, I'd love to come back sometime and unlock more stuff to really see the depth of the game. An easy recommend for people who like this style of gameplay, and just as easy to recommend to people who just want a simple yet fun game with high replayability.

First FromSoft game I've beaten, who would've thought that it would be an Armored Core title?
As someone who has strong nostalgia for S.L.A.I., I'm surprised I haven't dipped into the mech genre any further. AC6 is a solid gameplay loop with tight controls, cool AC customization, and mostly solid difficulty levels. Two bosses in particular were a major pain (The spider bot and the depth 2 mech) but otherwise the game was fair with its difficult and punishing nature for certain mechanics. The gameplay is why you play Armored Core and it DEFINITELY doesn't disappoint. I got the Liberator ending on my playthrough and I know the other endings exist but I got a quota to fill so maybe I'll come back some day down the road.
The visuals are fantastic, the sound design is great despite the fact that I remember no music tracks, and the story is sort of whatever. The game just kind of... ended? After the final fight I didn't realize it was OVER over. I know people are not playing this for the story, but it felt like I missed something in how the narrative progresses. Characters are mostly forgettable with a few standouts. As someone who often focuses on story and characters in media as a whole, I'm a bit let down.
Overall though, the game is rad as hell. Difficult but rewarding and gives the player some creativity with how to proceed with their robot battles. The lack of memorable story, characters, and music subtracts points from a game with an ironclad gameplay loop that will likely have me coming back to get that true ending.

The spiritual successor to Jet Set Radio. Not much else you can say about it beyond that.
Fantastic soundtrack from a plethora of artists, artstyle reminiscent of the early 2000s, aesthetics on point for the genre. The gameplay is easy to get into and rewarding to play, although I find it got repetitive after a while. You do the same thing over and over in each area until you beat the game. It's still fun though.
The story isn't too complex, but it's fun and has a good message to it. I like the direction they went with some of the plot beats. It's nothing special, but fun for what it was since that's what you signed up for.
All in all, a good game that doesn't overstay it's welcome but has a bit of a shallow gameplay loop. Doesn't stop it from being a solid and recommendable game. If you aren't sold on playing it, at least give the OST a listen. I'll likely move on and forget some things about the game, but the music isn't one of them. Simply just can't GET ENUF.