Going into cold steel 1 honestly my outlook was somewhat bleak considering the reputation it had prior to me playing it, but after completing the game i'm happy to know that the hate for it is so OVERBLOWNNN. And i assume most of the hate for it is either unmerited or from people who got into the series with this game without prior knowledge.

I think this game is pretty solid, taking it's time to explore Erebonia and building it up which is the massive appeal of the series for me. This is a given to any intro trails game so i didn't particularly feel it was 'slow' as i'm used to the formula. Albeit at first it may seem formulaic but it works well and Erebonia is so damn INTERESTING!

I Kind of had some concerns about the cast size being so massive and how they were gonna handle 9 whole characters but i believe CS1 handled it pretty well to build up the foundations for alot of these characters. I'm actually pretty invested into Rean as a character and i think he could be pretty amazing down the line.

Besides the usual shit, Trails games always have amazing soundtracks and this game is no exception. First time hearing 'Oinaru Chikara' is an experience plus the gameplay is as fun as it's always been.

THE ENDINGGGGG UOGHHHHHHHHHH. I'm hyped for the rest of the Cold steel games man

For starters, I was not expecting myself to have binge this game so soon after buying the game.

FF7 was not the first game I was originally intending to play in this series but I couldn't help still wanting to play it due to recommendations from friends and as rebirth has just came out.

What I hadn't expect though was a story, so entrenched in so many ideas that I think it reasons that it stands the test of time. From the beginning, insinuating a anti-corporation stance with Barret and Avalanche, it truly immerses you to midgar.

What this game does with it's protagonist has to be one of the most touching story I've seen in gaming. Cloud's character paved the way for a lot of my favourite characters in some shape or form, but that's not even the full brunt on what makes me appreciate him. His inspirations and insecurities are at the heart of the story. They somehow managed to trick me multiple times in terms of reveals that one its all said and done, it does so in such a profound and human way.

It feels like a triumph in storytelling and video games and I'm genuinely happy I got to experience this classic to it's fullest.

Review from a day 1 player to the present day, scrutinizing a deep and complete analysis of Genshin Impact's world.
Undertaking this review to train my English a little bit

Touching on the drawbacks, Genshin can't be a solid game, and for that will never be respected by the majority of gamers. On account of being a gacha and ongoing, Genshin unfortunately hindered and camouflaged to the world its good narrative story. This subset of the population can't believe the game proposes such splendid story, and I think it's fair due to the beginning of this journey not being a very inviting one.
TL;DR: it's hated because it's a gacha, and would've been actually a very acclaimed game as long as it was released as a standard RPG.
Nonetheless, ironically, it wouldn't be a riveting and marvelous game whether it wasn't ongoing. In fact, in this day and age, the game continues progressing, getting better and better, and more creative due to having more development time. It's a double-edged sword.

Secondly, the side characters and predominantly their side quests. Even though it's a game that presents some gorgeous characters for pulling, the side characters will make you feel you're getting down to the abyss. They are basic and pedestrian, and yet some of them have long side quests. Like, it's not that the content of the side quest is bad, I just I cannot care enough for random characters around the world that in majority I will never see them again. Also, off and on, the side characters' design are all the same, having overall a lack of creativity and effort. It's a point that they could do better.

Continuing with its flaws, Genshin Impact is a game that has hindered its true potential for some time. It's time now to salient a little about the negative point the narrative has.
I appreciate it being an ongoing game, as the narrative would never be as good as it is in case the developers had no time.
Thus, the narrative does not start strong or captivating, but minimally attractive in my opinion. I felt comfortable in the first two regions, and although the third was horrible, as long as you weather the storm, the final door you'll open shall present bloom of cherry trees. That is to say, the game took a time to stop being inconsistent, so you need to have patience when trying it.

Furthermore, the fact that extremely important events that beautifully characterized certain characters will never return to the game. Anyone who has to experience the development of certain characters would have to watch it on YouTube. There are characters who had their development completed or one who revealed their entire background through these events... This is a huge waste that the game offers itself.

Particulars that make the difference negatively: besides being a gacha game and too much time to release new story and region content, the fillers update are a knife in the chest, as you spend 1, 2 or even 3 months doing pointless events. I don't even lose my time, lol.

Lastly, you need at least IQ 150 to fully capt all the plotline for the first 3 chapters. Genshin's story is good since the beginning (with the exception of the Inazuma region). However, throughout the first three regions (until Sumeru), many things are left between the lines. They are in-depth, yes, but the player will need to understand it on their own, or even research it to have all the nuances on the tip of their tongue. This is a problem and that's why you find people saying that Genshin's story is shallow. It never was, the problem is that they left heaps of things ambiguous for a while.
This issue arises due to a problem that Genshin's storyline has faced for a long time: the execution of its narrative. Although everything written is of high quality and carefully crafted, the way it is presented to the player is not comprehensive and complete enough. Many of important contents from the plot are "hidden" in books that are around the whole map.

Therefore, Genshin Impact is a videogame that will not convince you to like it, rather, unfortunately, it has to come from the player, who needs to have fun playing and feel pleasure in participating in this journey.

So why is it good? Why do I like it so much?
These are questions even I ask myself. Defending a controversial game like this is like being a lawyer trying to defend a guilty person in court.

Let's start from the basic: think that Genshin Impact is more a RPG than a gacha game.
Focusing on exploring the Teyvat, meeting its characters and furthering into the secrets of that world gives me a fabulous feeling, one I rarely encounter in any other game.
In this game, the exploration is not pointless. Every place you go, there is a tale behind those beautiful mountains and flowers. The world is alive, and everywhere you set foot, there was an "once upon a time".
It's not repetitive as they say, it's not boring,
it's experience. It makes me over the moon.
If you focus on this instead of trying to pull for characters, you already increase your own happiness in 80%, get your stress down in 120% and savor the game.


First virtue, the narrative.

The game starts with a riveting theme in my opinion, and it's even more provocative to realize Genshin follows the label of a generic RPG. Though, what differentiates this game from others is that it transformed everything generic into something unique, radiant and well written, which when looking closely doesn't even seem like it uses the same things as an average RPG (island in the skies, abyss, lost technology (wow, JRPGs love this) and the same biomes that we know adventure games offer).
Featuring an extremely ambitious plot, Genshin Impact has a beautiful worldbuilding, and heaps of characterization.
It brings an enthralling dynamism between villains, in this case, there is not just 1 villain, but 2 or more, and they all have their motives and reasons for such chaos.
I don't know much what to say about this worldbuilding topic, frankly, as it's a game that portrays everything we can imagine.

However, slowly, as each region passes, Genshin Impact's story becomes prettier, denser, and better written.
It remained as a promising game for a LONG TIME, leaving many questions unanswered that some of them even looked like pretentious (bro, like, there was way too much, they weren't answering at all). However, at a certain point, the answers began to surface, and new possibilities emerged. Following the events in Fontaine, the game ceased to be a mere promise and transformed into a tangible reality, solidifying its status as having definitely a great plotline.
Genshin initially generated a lot of hype surrounding Inazuma, the third region, but ultimately proved to be a significant disappointment in terms of its story. Following this, Genshin Impact's narrative trajectory seemed uncertain, I was honestly ready to drop the game if Sumeru was bad. Thankfully, it was the region of Sumeru that emerged as the most captivating thus far, stepping up a gear. However, despite its strengths, Sumeru left many questions unanswered, leaving the game's potential still as only a promise. That finally ended in Fontaine, which I consider to be the climax of Genshin Impact, that the answers finally began to materialize.

The game's characters are generally good, with some being astonishing and others even more fabulous. One of the enchantments of this game lies in its expansive world, known only to a select few who are familiar with its 'underworld' or 'dark side'. These special characters possess deeper insights into the truth of the world of Teyvat, making them particularly intriguing to me. Yet, aside from a few minor or filler characters (including overrated ones), the overall quality is positively commendable.


Now, I'd like to talk about the heart of Genshin Impact as a game, and there are two of them: the world/side quests and the soundtrack.

I mentioned earlier that side characters pose a problem, but this stems more from the lack of attention to detail and the perceived 'laziness' on the part of developers in creating them more thoroughly. However, this does not extend to the world quests, which significantly expand upon the vast narrative landscape. These quests are so integral that the gaming experience feels incomplete without them. Playing Genshin Impact solely for the main quests would result in a far from complete experience, as these world quests not only complement the main storyline but also add depth and richness to it.

The soundtrack of Genshin Impact breathes life and atmosphere into the game, serving as the perfect complement to its greatest propose: an immersive adventure. It truly is the icing on the cake of this exceptional gaming experience.
Genshin Impact is undeniably a professionally crafted game, with its creators assembling top talent from various fields and professions to deliver their best work. This concerted effort has borne fruit, evident in the game's quality and success.
The game's soundtrack stands out as my personal favorite in fiction. Drawing heavy inspiration from classical music, its vast variety is truly remarkable, offering a memorable and diverse selection of compositions crafted by brilliant composers. There are not only compositions that help with immersion, yet exorbitantly well written ones, more so than currently even the most famous composers on the market, featuring extraordinary complex tempos and chords, and creativity. For example, there is a song whose rhythm is made using a pocket watch. Or another where, literally, the composer of the song created his arrangement and even sings it. Unfortunately, owing to being ongoing, it never won an award at The Game Awards or was even mentioned for OST, although it should've been if that award was really serious.

For all this, it's not a game for everyone and I'm swimming against the tide. Genshin is long, heavy and easy to burnout. However, it's the only game that I never stopped playing, and I wish it was a little more loved by society for all the strengths it presents. Unfortunately, its bad side overshadows its good side, and I think it's relatively deserved.
For everything it presented, it's already a great game. Although its ending is not yet known in our time, it is expected to happen in 2 years. In case it concludes horribly (like Inazuma), it'd easily be the biggest disappointment of my life, but otherwise, it'll become an unforgettable journey for me, one that I shall remember for the rest of my life.

I genuinely have no words. This game has become my favourite video game of all time, with the exception of a single visual novel. It set a new standard that I think I'll have to readjust quite a few of my ratings now. It's honestly difficult to even begin describing how I feel about this game, but I'll try.

Reverie is both a love letter and epilogue to the first three arcs of Trails, as well as the prologue to what comes next.

From the homely Liberl, to Crossbell's history of oppression and melting pot of a culture, to Erebonia's oppressive yet fascinating existence. From Estelle and Joshua's journey, to Lloyd's unyielding determination, to Rean's saga. All of that was already settled in Cold Steel IV, but unlike the bombastic, massive battles where everyone (well, almost — sorry, Kevin) from every possible side joined to end the conflict once and for all, Reverie decides to focus on a smaller amount of characters and make them go through incredible character development. That's not to say the stakes are low, though — this is still a JRPG. And so, the game, before the finale is split into three routes (actually just POV chapters but whatever), between which you can usually switch at will.

Lloyd's route, despite being the weakest of the three, is something that his character definitely benefits from. We have seen the SSS fight tooth and nail for Crossbell so many times that they, and other people, have forced expectations onto them. The land of Crossbell has been under constant threat of dictatorship and occupation by multiple parties. They just don't want to leave them alone. In spite of that, though, our guy Lloyd, who would face down the sun falling from the sky onto him and would still get back up, is still Lloyd, and it's hard not to love him for it.

Rean's route is a fitting after-story for the completion of his arc in CS4. While that arc may have ended, having doubts after everything is said and done is natural. It feels very organic and fitting as a character study.

C is a newcomer protagonist, and compared to the other two in this game, is more morally questionable. As someone with a dark past, he bonds with other misfits with complicated backgrounds. It's honestly really difficult to talk about this any further without spoilers, so I won't. But I'll just say that he's incredible.

Making a shorter Trails game split into three routes does wonders for this story's pacing, while at the same time having a wealth of side content. This is probably the best paced Trails game since Azure, and possible ever.

Falcom is at its peak with the technical (or at least until Daybreak/Kuro, wow that game is phenomenal), visual and sound aspects here. This is a very stylised game, with probably my favourite Trails soundtrack, which is saying a lot. Every route gets their own battle themes in a fitting style, such as having the spiritual sequel to Zero's Get Over the Barrier! and Azure's Seize the Truth! in Lloyd's route and Crossbell, as well as C's route's tracks, which blew me away. Not to mention the wonderful OP track. The gameplay is pretty much the same as CS4, but no complaints at that front either, especially since I enjoyed the fights in this one more. Trails was already my favourite JRPG turn-based combat of all time, and this just further cemented it.

While playing this series I was wondering what about it works so well for me. Before starting Trails, I was wondering if a 500+ hour series can even be worth it. Seemed like a series that would not be amazing enough to justify such a lengthy commitment over shorter, yet acclaimed JRPGs.

Trails, when it wants to be, is a masterclass on what you can achieve with characters and world building in a JRPG. Well, of course the several hundred hour long series would have good world building, but it is impressive nonetheless, especially if you're a completionist. I'm not one myself, but it would be a perfect fit if I was. The amount of dialogue NPCs have after any given story event is crazy. And then there's the in-story lore and world. The regions in every game feel completely different, and if you go back to a previous region in a future game, it feels like coming home. Different musical styles, viewpoints, vibes, etc. It's not like Falcom made a carbon copy of Tolkien's world or something — to me, Zemuria is one of a kind. This variety extends to the characters, too. The protagonists of the games so far (Estelle, Kevin, Lloyd, Rean, C) couldn't be more different. Despite being a series with plenty of tropes, it has enough diversity to feel fresh every time. That includes thematically. It's impossible for me not to look forward to what they'll show me next, especially with this behemoth of a buildup. Trails is just special to me. This review I'm writing is longer than my usual ones, but it feels like I can always say more.

It's also impressive but kind of funny how this game doubles as damage control for people's issues with CS4. If you liked CS4, there's little doubt you'll like this a lot. And if you hated CS4, you will probably enjoys this a lot more. This game is as much Cold Steel 5 as it is Crossbell 3, and as someone who's greatly enjoyed both sagas, I couldn't be happier. I will probably do some side content in this game for some time, or maybe I'll take a break. Or maybe I'll just boot up Kuro 1 (Daybreak 1) ASAP. Who knows.

This game marks the end of one thing, but the beginning of another. Liberlian Bracers, Kevin, the SSS, Class VII, it's been a pleasure to witness your journeys. This is goodbye for now, but I'm sure I'll see you again... Someday, somewhere.

Now that I’ve had a day to sit on my thoughts of the game I will make an actual non-shitpost review.

This game is a mess. I wasn’t kidding when I said this is the MGS4 of the series. An extremely ambitious, earnest, heartfelt celebration of the series that has extremely high highs but also constantly falls on its face with extremely stupid writing.

The pacing is some of the worst we’ve seen from RGG. For a game that can easily be 100+ hours long it is both too long but also too short in areas. It constantly pulls you away from the main story to do very involved mini game/sub system tutorials but then has no time in the final hours to wrap up most of the story. At least 4 of the main characters this game is about don’t show up in the final cutscene. You just have to be told about what they are doing from a mouth piece so we can wrap shit up. Kiryu is just kinda left in this weird limbo as they don’t explain what the fuck got them to this point with an achievement titles “man who reclaimed his name”. It genuinely feels like there is either an entire chapter or at least a huge segment of one missing from the end. One of the main villains just stops showing up for 10+ hours only to be seen again in a cut away and is completely unrecognizable for at least another few hours. They then try to do the coin locker scene again with them and it feels completely unearned because they haven’t done anything. The two main villains you do fight are extremely forgettable and underwhelming. One is given what you’d imagine to be a super important connection to Ichiban but it never comes up. The two share a single cutscene at the start of the game and that’s it. Why was it even a plot point to begin with then???? So many plot threads just go no where or are left extremely unsatisfying as they hand wave them away so it can’t be viewed as “a plot hole”. I seriously think how they structure their stories needs to change because I don’t think the Yakuza writing formula they’ve had for 2 decades translates to a 100 hour JRPG. Imo the best way to enjoy the main story of these games is when you can just progress the plot freely and not be bogged down by side content or busy work. I usually save that stuff for premium adventure so the story isn’t so “start and stop”. But you can’t do that in these games because of the rpg leveling and just how the story constantly blocks you to do other shit I am currently not interested in. No RGG I don’t give a fuck about your Pokémon clone and it’s 30 minute+ forced tutorial I just want to get on with chapter 4 please.

Most of the cast has nothing to do in this game which would be fine if they didn’t force them to have boring ass drink links you need to do to make them objectively better in gameplay.

The gameplay needs massive changes going forward because Jesus Christ was I sick of the multiple grinds it imposes. The long battles they do in this game are terrible. In previous entries you’d have a long gauntlet where you’d have to fight to a location and they do this here but they constantly make you take the most out of the way route and block off better ones with excuses like “there are dudes over there!” Only to send you down an alley with 7 fights. If 9 does the same formula 8 repeated from 7 I might just drop the series. I do not want to go back to scrounging for money and being locked out of jobs till chapter 5 again. I do not want to have to do massive material grinds for good gear. I do not want to have 80% of the moves you get to be fucking useless because they aren’t an AOE and don’t deal elemental damage.

Highlights of this game is everything they do with Kiryu outside of the final chapter. Life links are overall goated outside of some implications of how no one reacting to Kiryu being alive despite you are only able to see them after Kiryu is broadcasted on national news to be alive.

There is honestly too much to talk about with this game So I’m just gonna end it by saying this: I’ll look back on the good in this game as some of the best but I never want to replay this game ever again. Also this game only makes Gaiden look even dumber and further cements it at as a $50 scam. Yokoyama fucking lied Hanawa is not important and he fucking knew that.

Mark my words that this game while currently being hailed as the best game in the series, that its perfect and other things like that will be looked back on a lot more negatively once the honeymoon phase is over, once hypebeasts move onto the next thing, once people won't freakout if you have anything negative to say about it. It won't be a hot take or "being contrarian" to think that the game is mid, super front loaded and falls apart in the end. It's fine if you do think its perfect and its your favorite game or whatever but the amount of people who lose their shit when you have anything negative to say about this game or gaiden is seriously annoying.

This game also made me get into a car accident so fuck it lol

3 years ago, i found myself finding Yakuza 0 on steam and i thought it was a cool game to hop on especially how people praised the game to hell but it was only a year after that i geniuely found myself deep in love with this series to death, going recently now after being caught up (and that was after Gaiden) i geniuely don't know what Yakuza 8 had to offer in terms of having the honor and giving the best conclusion for the most Iconic Character ever and feel fitting for him and for the people around him.

Especially after the sudden leave of Nagoshi to the RGG, they had too much in their back to deliver that and on top of that giving a insane amount of dev time more than a usual Yakuza game and for the final one, giving probably for me the most ambitious Yakuza story. I don't even need to say that they delivered in the best way i could've imagined, the amount of care and love for the long time fans of the series who has been supporting it has never felt so reassured in more ways than another.

Of course as am i writting this, i have just beat this game an hour ago so my thought's are all over the place but my most of reviews are just as soon i beat the game and gather my thoughts and i don't think this one will be different, this is the second series that i wholeheartly so glad to be apart of this journey through the end and enjoy and talk with friends as much i did especially going through hard times i always found myself hopping on and having the thought ''Keep Moving, keep trying and figure it out. As corny that sounds and simplistic, it's the most simple way to get through the hard times in life, it's just how it is.

As Gaiden did and especially Yakuza 8, it's just gives a lot of hope to what is to come for this series or any RGG game. My trust for RGG is all the way through to support them especially for how much hardships to get through this year.

Thank you RGG.