Stranger of Paradise was a real sleeper hit for me. My experience with Final Fantasy has been pretty limited and Im sure im not alone when I wasnt particularly hopeful with this game from all the trailers. But I planned to get the new releases of 2022 and me and the boyfriend learned it had co-op so.. one thing led to another. And now here we are.

This game is awesome

The combat is super fun, and while the gameplay can start to get competitive, if you rotate jobs and weapons it basically never loses its charm. Co-op was also a hell of a time.

Buuuutt

Its far from perfect. The level design quite frankly is pretty shit, the locations while looking cool are very confusing to navigate, and especially the inside areas where a lot of the walls look the same. This led to us getting lost a bit too often, but usually the levels were still fun enough to explore that this wasnt a big bother. The story is well... its not very good! Towards the end it actually is pretty interesting and theres some good things, but most of the characters are given so little time to develop and for the story is just told so disjointedly that it made it hard for me to follow and after most cutscenes I had to ask my boyfriend to explain what just happened to me lol. (I may be stupid) The writing is pretty bad but I think this actually helps the game be a lot more enjoyable, I for the life of me cant tell if its intentional or not but the game takes itself pretty seriously and had us laughing quite a bit, its honestly a great ride. Also, the graphics just look really scuffed on PS4, at times the quality is worse than streaming PS Now games, but thats usually only during cutscenes

Now the only thing I actively dislike about the game is some of the way Co-Op is set up. For one, in Co-Op you get to play as the other party members which is really neat, but for some reason your armor doesnt change if you're the one in co-op. Not a big deal, but other party members in solo change appearance so It was just a bit silly. Fortunately this meant i got to play as Neon with no pants for most of the playthrough. But what really irked me was the solo sections. Theres a few parts where you're forced to play solo. These were the low points for me. I dont believe the game is balanced very well for solo play, theres far too enemies on screen attacking you at once and with how much damage they do it just led to a lot of frustration especially being used to co-op. Worst for me was the final boss fight, which of course was forced solo. Now complaining about difficulty is a fickle thing, and the game gives you enough options that you can overcome anything with persistence. But this boss, it took me 4 hours. Four hours, my bf had already long seen the credits and finished the game by the time I was able to get past that. Having a mostly co-op game have a final boss like that really soured things for me, and Im disappointed my final moments with the story were bad ones.

That being said, overall this game was surprisingly enjoyable and a real treat. I had a lot of fun playing this co-op and ill treasure our time with it. Just, maybe dont play it solo.
Also it'd be a waste to not mention the pretty awesome music. Closing out with Sinatra fit really damn well

Trophy Completion - 61%
Time Played - 33 hours 43 minutes
Nancymeter - 83/100
Game Completion #46 of 2022
April Completion #15

Metroid Prime was the most ambitious and experimental game of the sixth generation. Unproven development team, radically different direction, and all without a fifth generation Metroid game to build off of. All of this culminates in a game defined by thoughtful observation, a sense of wonder amidst danger, while continuing the legacy from Super Metroid and Ocarina of Time.

The sequence when you first arrive on Tallon IV is focused on an almost childlike wonder. Lots of holes to crawl into, unique reactions to interactions the player can do, raindrops on the visor, etc etc. Replaying the game going through the game, it hit me all of a sudden the main theme of this game is about growing up. The Chozo act as surrogate parents, and as parents do, await the growing up of their child. The messages of the Chozo are all prophecies of Samus returning (of course she was never on Tallon IV, but it is a return to the Chozo), with a distinctly messianic flair. The thing that really emphasizes this is the sequence where a Chozo statue takes Samus in the morphball, cradles it, and tosses her out. About as obvious of a metaphor as it can get.

The flow of the game is not unlike previous Metroid games but it doesn't mean there wasn't a lot of hard work to get it there. The scanning and general slower pace of the game greatly benefits the move to 3D, supplemented by the sheer detail of every environment. The levels are pretty much entirely bespoke assets, something you don't see much from games then or since. The air of mystery and exploration, along with a deeper sense of dread permeate the game. All of it culminates in the game's natural thoughtful exploration peppered with action. The one thing I will say against this is the progression, at the very least my perception of it, felt very haphazard. It really seemed like every new item you get to progress the way to go is some random spot on the other side of the game world... every single time. Felt very inconsistent and random.

One other thing is the score which is absolutely incredible and memorable, maybe the best of the trilogy and series. The bosses are inspired, being very inventive conceptually. There's so many moments that stand out, the lights going out in the Phendrana base, the entrance to the Phazon Mines, the Omega Pirate, the Chozo Temple, and more. While the incessant Chozo ghosts bring down the latter half of the game, nonetheless the game ends strongly. It's a real masterpiece of a game.