The year…is 2012. The London olympics have been hosted, Whitney Houston died, and West Ham beat Blackpool to return to the premier league. But I feel like we are missing something important, a small piece to this very large puzzle. A year ago to this year, Skylanders spyros adventure released. An experimental game to not only attempt to bring back spyro, but to also birth a new gaming trend: toys to life. And so, on 2012, that is when, I finally got my first toys to life game: Skylanders giants. To any onlooker of this series, they would simply assume giants is quite possibly the weakest and most cashgrab entry. But today, I’m here to disprove that, and hopefully give people a taste of what one of my favourite games as a kid was. So without further ado: let us begin.

The story is pretty simple, basically these Skylanders have been brought to earth and forced to just be these figures, which we the ‘portal masters’ have to save by spending actual currency to put them on a FLASHING LIGHTS portal and then they get brought back into the game. Simple right? Well we also have to stop this evil dude called kaos, who is just as evil as me when I leave the toilet seat up. He basically is trying to reawaken the arkeyan robots whom the giants stopped years ago. And that’s it in terms of plot.

Gameplay wise it’s VERY simple. You scan a Skylanders onto the FLASHING LIGHTS portal and then that Skylander is put into the game. You then go through really simple and basic levels. You beat the enemies, do a tiny bit of exploration, and you move on. At certain points you’ll find certain areas that can only be unlocked through having a skylander of a certain type (fire, water, etc) so you know what that means! Spending time! There are also little puzzles and also…the legend that is: skystones. Remember tetra master from final fantasy 9? It’s basically that but better in every way. It is the quintessential card game.

The music is also something I have to stop by and talk about. Lorne Balfe put his heart and soul into this soundtrack. Levels like the junkyard isles and wilikin village give me an instant hit of nostalgia that is unparalleled. The other tracks as well are also quite memorable and honestly he did a really great job of giving the game that cinematic feel to it.

To be perfectly honest, I do kinda miss this franchise. Not to sound like I’m 8 but man collecting the figures was a lot of fun. Fortunately I still have mine and I do look at them from time to time just because I can’t get rid of them. Even if I could I’d only get a penny from them and that’s the unfortunate downside of toys to life as a whole. But that’s a story for another day. Giants would also be the game to bring other competitors in, those being Disney and Warner bros. and oh man, this is gonna get real big and go down very quickly. But until then, I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on a classic childhood game of mine. Gone but certainly not forgotten.

…also for those who might ask, my favourite was jet-vac.

Ok story, simple gameplay, brilliant music, skystones is peak, also the drill-x rap lives in my head rent free

I played FES all the way through in 2016. Back then I liked it a lot but didn't connect with its messages all that much. Eight years later I can safely say I needed this game in my life more than ever and I now consider it a masterpiece.

The themes of mortality and accepting that we'll all meet an inevitable end and what matters is how you choose to spend your time being alive really speaks to me as it's something I've had trouble with for the past few years. The way this game portrays it is genuinely beautiful. I adore this game's story and characters so much. Both are easily the best out of the Persona games I've played. I loved them.

Gameplay-wise, I think this version really improves on the original's formula (which I really enjoyed back then) and is the definitive version of P3. They somehow took what made Persona 5 so visually satisfying and stylish and translated it into Persona 3 without making it too flashy for the game's tone and themes. Battles are so fluid and exploring Tartarus has never been more engaging. I really got into fusing Personas this time around and had an insanely stacked team by the end of the game. I didn't really grasp fusion when I first played P3 so Reload felt like I was playing new game+ on the first playthrough. I never got bored with the gameplay.

A lot of the game's social links also made me really emotional. In general I think this game has my favorites out of the ones I've played while also having some of the worst, which I think was intentional considering the themes of choosing how to spend your time. Favorites were easily Aigis, Mutatsu, Akinari, and Mitsuru's. Made sure I finished those above all else. I also enjoy how this game doesn't really give you anything for social links unlike P5 so you really can just hang out with who you want for the most part.

I think I can safely say this is one of my favorite games ever. I did not appreciate it nearly as much as I should have back in 2016, but I think Reload did genuinely improve a lot to make the experience even better, so that could have a bit to do with my newfound appreciation. Whether you've played any previous version of the game or not, I highly recommend Reload. It's a truly unforgettable experience that deserves all the time you're willing to give it.

Fate/Samurai Remnant is probably the best Fate game for anyone who wants to enter the universe written by Kinoko Nasu and designed by Takeuchi and, as if that weren't enough, it's a great treat for older fans.

You control Miyamoto Iori, adopted son and apprentice of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, already deceased at the beginning of the game. Iori's life turns upside down when he begins to participate in a ritual called the Waxing Moon Ritual, where masters (mages) spread across Edo fight each other to obtain the Vessel. The game starts from there and it's an incredible journey. In addition to controlling Iori, you also control Saber, an extremely powerful servant, another highlight of the game.

For those who already know the Fate system (whether through Fate/Grand Order, stay night, Zero or even Extra), you won't see many twists and turns in the story. The game introduces characters already known and loved by the community (if you've consumed Fate before, you'll recognize some immediately) and very welcome newcomers.

The main point and my favorite is the development of the relationship between Iori and Saber. It is very satisfying to see the change in treatment so CLEAR and so clear. Saber starts the game disdaining Iori, still respecting him in a way, but as the story progresses, Saber's lines and even the tone of voice change. They create a relationship of true friendship and companionship worthy of a master and servant who truly admire and respect each other.

Iori is an excellent protagonist and an addition to the roster of protagonists for the Fate series, even if he still follows a bit of the 'selfless protagonist and hero' formula that we've seen before. Still, dialogues and subplots develop the character and transform him into a complex boy who really wasn't born in the right era.

Saber is another excellent protagonist. They start out being extremely sassy, ironic and even overconfident. As the game progresses, all interactions with the character make you understand him, his past and his motivations. Other characters are also essential to the development of the plot and, whether you like it or not, you end up connecting with them.

This game is a musou with RPG elements. Unlike many musou that you can actually just bang your head on the controller and do things, Fate/Samurai Remnant brings an innate difficulty that is a diegetic element: Iori is a human. Miyamoto Musashi's apprentice? Without a doubt, but he is still a human in a bloody war against myths and mythological heroes. You, as Iori, don't do much damage to them; damage that increases, yes, but it doesn't compare to the formidable attacks that Saber lands on an enemy servant. This detail is EXCELLENT for immersion and is a hit that may be a miss for many, but for me, it completes the combat. It is important to emphasize that Iori and Saber's connection is very well represented with Link Strikes, a combination of attacks between the two that are extremely useful.

Visually, the game is very beautiful. The design and style of Rei Wataru (who has already worked and created designs for other characters in Fate/Grand Order) make the game even more charming. All the characters are very expressive and very well drawn. It's refreshing to see characters you already know in other ways, but still maintain their own charm.

The soundtrack for this game is very, very good. There are areas with bangers (Akasaka is an example). The quality becomes even more epic in important battles and boss fights that fit at all times.

The game is practically 90% dubbed. Only lines from random NPCs (and not all of them) are not voiced, while everything else is: dialogues, cutscenes... everything! And the voice acting is excellent, which makes the game even more tolerable (there is a lot of dialogue and it can get tiring after a while). Still on the topic of being tiring, the game CAN be tiring. Sometimes I found myself fed up with having to kill mobs here and there and the path to some main battles was long enough to make me finish the section another day.

That said, if you're reading any reviews before starting the game, I have some tips for you:

a) DO THE DIGGRESSIONS. Pause the main quest, take a break and do the subquests. They are important for understanding the characters and advancing the Memento Ring of Knowledge. You will not regret.
b) regardless of the type of game you are going to do, dedicate some points to Earth Stance and Water Stance in the skill tree. Riposte (counter when dodging at the right time), is especially useful throughout the ENTIRE game.
c) don't worry about upgrading your mountings right away. These resources can be accumulated and the Workshop itself (which you should also pay extra attention to) has its own upgrades for this.
d) dedicate your skill gems and the like to Iori and Saber. Skills are extremely important to survive in the late game.

Anyway, it's an excellent game: good for those who want to enter the universe and good for those who already know it inside and out.

10/10 soundtrack, 10/10 visuals, 10/10 vibe

Gameplay is not for everyone, but it certainly was for me. While the mechanics are that of a slightly more advanced musou, the game constantly stays engaging throughout due to amazing spectacle boss fights, well-timed character switching and by not being overly indulgent in long scenes, mini-games, or recycled content. That restraint in the face of modern gaming is what makes this game so spectacular.

The only thing dragging the gameplay down for me was the excessive amount of grinding needed for OPTIONAL content like the workshop and achievements. The side quests themselves were fun and the game doesn't encourage you to go out of your way to grind.

The story is very good, though not immediately gratifying. For pacing reasons (and as an homage to the original VN), it chooses to withhold lots of information and holds information away until you play a different route. Though just like the original VN, once you get the full picture you can't help but love the game and what it was going for. The story is full of spectacle, emotion and authenticity in how it represents Edo. The game isn't complacent to just tell a traditional story either.

GOTY 2023 for me.