Charms you immediately with a simple, yet beautiful artstyle that fits the style and atmosphere A Short Hike is going for perfectly. Through very charming dialogue, we get to know the protagonist, Claire. She's waiting for a phone call, bothered that she doesn't have any cell phone reception, because this apparent thing is very important to her. Her aunt tells her that she should take a hike, literally, and that she might even get reception on top of the mountain, setting a clear goal and believable motivation for Claire.

As you begin your trek through the island, upwards to the mountain, you meet a bunch of cute, charming and funny characters that give you mundane tasks to do to help them out. A lot of the time, you will get something out of it, but it's not always a guarantee, yet it simply feels good to help out these folks that need your help. If you don't end up with a reward, you will at least get to feel their gratitude in most cases, giving a lot of life to these little characters that you sometimes don't even know the names of.

Through the tools and help that you gather around the island, you are able to start the real hike to the top. These mundane tasks done prior have a real weight to them when you consider that a lot of these characters indirectly help you in your hike as much as you helped them. Getting running shoes, golden feathers, a bucket, a compass, etc. will all help you get towards your eventual goal. But in the end, you have to make it yourself.

Reaching the top, you're able to enjoy the view and even witness an aurora borealis. You feel at peace, having made it this far. But then you get a call, like your aunt told you, there is reception up this peak. Through the phone call, you learn that Claire was stressed about the surgery of her mom. Her mom, in all familiarity, tells her not to worry and that she's proud of Claire for making it to the top. In an emotional climax, the two exchange loved words before a rare updraft bursts out of the lake at the peak. Claire's mom encourages her to ride the updraft while she still can and Claire, albeit nervously, takes the plunge. Soaring through the sky, going down all the way whence you came is an emotional and uplifting experience. You're able to pick up some tasks that you have yet to complete, but in the end, you go back to your aunt and tell her about your experience. Before taking a nap, Claire tells her aunt she's glad she came here, and so am I.

My first experience through Heavensward was one I regret. Because of my initial response with A Realm Reborn, I was less interested in what came after as well. Heavensward didn't manage to grab me as much as I wanted to and as a result I didn't pay a lot of attention to its dialogue and because I initially played it in Japanese, even its voiced acted cutscenes didn't resonate or stay with me. There's key moments I remembered, but also major points that were incredibly important to certain characters or the overall plot that I completely missed.

So now, replaying it after a newfound adoration for A Realm Reborn, I was very excited to get into Heavensward. From the start, benefitting from post-A Realm Reborn's ending, the story kicks off with interesting premise on both a political and personal level. Through the new environment of Ishgard, we get glimpses of its current conflict through Aymeric and House Fortemps that warmly welcomes the Warrior of Light, Alphinaud and Tataru. It's immediately engaging and intrigues the player into the political landscape, while becoming endeared to these new characters with a pre-established warmth through Haurchefant.

The story really kicks off with the introduction of the dragons. Estinien and Ysayle give us two skewed perspectives on the long conflict between man and dragon. Ysayle has a great character arc, letting us empathize with the dragons while having her own journey of self-discovery, but Estinien is the real star of this storyline. A character that has, builds and lost connections with so many of our cast, most important the Warrior of Light, Aymeric and especially Alphinaud. With these connections, Estinien parallels and contrasts one of the most important dragons in this story, Nidhogg. Both lost close ones, dear to them and set out on a path of vengeance, yet Estinien is able to forge bonds with those connections mentioned before, to put him on a path of healing.

While there is a lot of focus on the plot of conflict with dragons, it also serves and interconnects with Ishgard's internal political conflict with Thordan VII. Nidhogg is a more compelling antagonist overall, especially with his ending in Revenge of the Horde, but that doesn't diminish any of Thordan's qualities as another great antagonist of base Heavensward. His determination to keep the peace no matter what, to defeat the Ascians even if it means becoming a primal, he becomes an antagonist you can understand despite flawed measures to get where he got. But without him, Lahabrea wouldn't be defeated.

And despite it being detached from Heavensward's main story, the inclusion of the Warrior of Darkness and his crew was something special. Incredibly efficient with setup starting from As Goes Light, So Goes Darkness and completely focusing on the group in Soul Surrender with some of the most emotional writing and character conclusion thus far.

All of this culminates into a beautiful story that is Heavensward with its patches continuing to build on what the base game set, soaring into higher peaks that make me love the characters I already know so much more. Alphinaud, Estinien, Alisaie and the Warrior of Darkness stand out as some of the best content and characterization.

I'm happy to say that Heavensward is finally part of my huge love for Final Fantasy XIV, as I couldn't wholeheartedly say that in my first, very flawed playthrough.

There's a lot that I could talk about when it comes to my experience with Red Dead Redemption 2. But every time I try to write this review, I just want to talk about the character that has impacted me the most, Arthur Morgan.

From the start, Arthur is a man who denies himself good, acutely aware of the crimes he has committed in the past. We never see what goes on before the start, but we don't need to. The guilt and burden Arthur carries with him is felt in the voice performance, the group dynamic and surrounding dialogue. Through tragedy, be it through the gang's own doing or not, brings the Van der Linde gang closer together and they start to feel like a family.

This family is bound together by a single man's ideology. An ideology to seek something greater, a life of freedom. Dutch raised Arthur and those around him to believe in that, but as the story progresses, as the family loses its members, that dream starts falling apart. Seen through Arthur's eyes, Dutch is spiraling down a deep and dark road, while he tries to do better by the people that have done him good. Between Arthur and Dutch, a rift slowly opens itself. Every clash between the men develops a deeper resentment for one another.

Towards the end, Arthur and some of those he holds dear, stand up against Dutch. They had lost too much, Dutch had changed too much and they had caused too much. The Van der Linde gang is broken up and so are its people. Arthur's story ends where Red Dead Redemption 2's story doesn't. In the end, he found peace and love in his heart where someone like Micah or Dutch couldn't. He gave it his all.

Through Arthur's kindness, John is saved. John is left to pick up the pieces, to live a life Arthur was destined to only dream of. He is Arthur's legacy. As he deeply affected the lives of those he touched, he is now deeply affecting mine and I'm grateful to have seen his story. You're a good man, Arthur Morgan.

"Take a gamble that love exists, and do a loving act."

A beautiful journey from start to finish. Not a moment where I felt let down, disengaged or negative about this story whatsoever. The game tells you pretty explicitly it's about the past and future of the yakuza, both literally and on a metaphorical level. While Like a Dragon had some cool theming of passing on the torch, this game truly feels like the end of Kiryu's era and the rise of Ichiban's.

Ichiban's side of this story is exhilarating, fun and introduces some new characters with wonderful emotional depth. A yakuza with a soul, seeing the good in people where others don't, helping those in need that can't seem to help themselves, Ichiban serves as a beautiful new protagonist to the Yakuza series. His parallels and bond with Kiryu are believable and feel stronger with every scene they're in together.

On the other hand, this is very clearly Kiryu's last game, or at least the last game he will have a major role in. His journey is over and after all he's been through, he makes a final hoorah with Ichiban and his friends, finally relying on others in a life where he tried to take on everything on his own. Throughout Kiryu's story in Infinite Wealth, he regains the will to live and be himself. Always being ready to die and fall for others, he finally chooses to live for himself and regains his name as Kiryu Kazuma, the Dragon of Dojima.

The way these stories intertwine and compliment each other constantly is something beautiful, reminiscent of Yakuza 0, where Kiryu and Majima's stories slowly came together in a masterfully written way, yet Infinite Wealth feels a lot more intimate and emotional. Personally, I can't count the amount of times I've teared up, cried or just gotten emotional from this story.

This game is truly special and will forever have a place in my heart as one of my favorite stories in fiction.

"...So long, old friend."

Weird game. So many of its decisions are insanely baffling and just a straight up downgrade of key aspects from the previous entries. A lot of the worst aspects of the series are at their peak, there's so much linearity to its game design, i could only name 2 memorable bosses that live up to the standards of the series and some of these new characters are just straight up not it.

Besides all that? I love this game. It's a shame i didn't get to play it myself and had to go out of my way to learn about its systems and whatnot, because its approach to actual stealth and new systems blow my mind and is something that at the very least i have a lot of respect for. Big issue with the cutscenes themselves is how dragged out and substanceless they can come to feel, but those times when it delivers some its best plot twists and sensational character work make it all feel extremely worth it. Metal gear as a series is one where you can feel, in each one of its games, its urges to destroy itself and be the last one forever for real this time around, but none do it like this one. There's a huge feeling of finality and exhaustion lingering as you go, you've been here, you remember the good times you've had with these people and the ways you've been changed by it. But also everything has changed for everyone since the last time, for the worse! Nothing and no one feels eternal or at their best, their struggles should've ended a long time ago and yet they're still here, fighting and suffering the same way as last time but with barely anything to look forward to. Their time has passed, and in the end it all loops around to the same thing! It was worse this time and if the fight goes on what's there to look forward to, why should Snake be around anymore anyway? For a lot! this game's focus on legacy is something else and it's hard to explain, but i think the novelization puts it well by just giving us Otacon's perspective on Snake's last days:

"I won't tell you in this book how long he lived after Big Boss set off on his voyage from that cemetery, or what kind of life he had. All I'll say is his last days were peaceful. He passed gently, simply falling asleep with a smile on his face. When I thought back to the days and nights he'd spend in constant battle, I found great solace in this."

I too find great solace in this, so i'd rather believe in it, at the very least.

While Kaito Files is a lot shorter than the main game and doesn't have any of the amazing side content, I can't help but love this DLC just a bit more than the actual game. Having Kaito as our protagonist and exploring his character in only a few chapters was a unique choice to make from RGG studio, but I'm so glad they did it.
The short story allows for the small cast to get plenty of focus they need, especially two of my new favorite characters, Jun and Mikiko. Both add a unique flavor to the series that feel like a perfect fit for Kaito. He sees himself in Jun, a kid who wants to do the best he can to protect those he loves and he has a great relationship with Mikiko, who has an amazing character arc of her own.
The antagonist cast is nothing to write home about, but they all fulfill their roles and the two most prominent ones have some really cool moments here and there and they serve to make Kaito, Jun and Mikiko even better than they would've been without.
Similar to Gaiden's protagonist, I couldn't be happier with how Kaito was handled in this game. Solidified as one of my favorite video game characters.

Ever since starting the Yakuza franchise with Yakuza 0, Kiryu has been my favorite character and, over time, he ultimately became my favorite fictional protagonist in anything I've ever experienced. When I played Yakuza: Like A Dragon, the last thing I expected was to see him in it and playing Gaiden right after finishing Like A Dragon was the best decision I could've made.

A lot of questions went through my head upon Kiryu's arrival in the previous game and I wondered if the time between his big comeback and after his fake death in 6 would be something they'd explore here and I couldn't be happier with the fact that that is exactly what I got.

From the very start, this game captured me with its stunning presentation, incredible graphics and amazing soundtrack and it had me on the edge of my seat, hanging on to every word, to find out what Kiryu has been up to in his absence. I think every Yakuza game is one that explores Kiryu's character well, making us understand his motivation and ambitions in life, what he most wants to protect and how he feels about everything he's doing or had to do. This game - alongside 0, 5, 6 and Kiwami 2 - has, without a doubt, some of the BEST content for Kiryu and the journey he's been on. The confrontation at Omi Headquarters, his final fight against Shishido and him watching the surveillance footage Hanawa showed him, is one of my favorite and one of the best stretches in the entire franchise. It shows us exactly who Kiryu is and the whole game, up until that point, showcases who he's always been, a retrospection of his entire legacy up until now. It all culminates here. The coliseum for example was such a thrilling and emotional experience to me for that reason.

The way RGG handled this entire game, making it into such a spectacle and this big recollection and, in the end, giving us such an incredibly heartwarming and also heart wrenching moment for Kiryu - it was all masterful. This now truly feels like a new chapter in his life and I, for one, have no clue what 8 has in store for me, but I know it'll be brilliant. Especially after what I've experienced in Gaiden.

This game is absolute perfection to me. From the plot integration and connection it has to previous and upcoming games, to the character writing and gameplay - I have zero complaints. The combat is the best it's ever been. The Akame Network was an evolution and perfected system whose predecessors (Tanimura's police scanner in 4, Troublr in 6 and the Part Time Hero stuff from Like A Dragon) I've always enjoyed. The side content and sub stories reached a new high, with some feeling absolutely necessary to experience, and only enhanced the story and overall game for me. My first session playing this lasted almost 10 hours, which for me, as someone who isn't hugely into gaming in the first place, was previously unheard of (and I could've kept playing as well).

The newly introduced characters and side cast were also brilliant. Shishido, Tsuruno, Hanawa, Akame and Nishitani all stole my heart. I never thought I'd hear the name Nishitani ever again and to make it into what they did, was genius. Can't have a Yakuza game without some secret Koreans in it, but it works wonderfully. Him taking on that name and Nishitani's dynamics with Kiryu, Shishido, Tsuruno and Watase were more than I could've asked for.

Shishido had one of the best character arcs in this game, with one of the most well written betrayals in the series so far. Hanawa was probably my favorite newly introduced character though. All of his moments with Kiryu made me adore him and the end threw me for a loop. I NEED TO KNOW WHERE HE KNOWS KIRYU FROM. WHO EXACTLY IS/WAS HE. I'm sure I'll figure it out on my own or Infinite Wealth will tell me. There was so much depth and complexity in every new character presented and already existing characters that made an appearance had me hold back screams. Just simply seeing Ichiban made me lose it. Seeing that whole dissolution from Like A Dragon from Kiryu's perspective was something I was hoping for since starting the game and finding out when it takes place in the timeline. A great first meeting between the Dragon of Dojima and Hero of Yokohama. I know their dynamic will continue to impress and engage me. They made my brain melt every time they've come across each other. I love them both so much. To see all the other legendary Yakuza alongside Kiryu was amazing as well. Between Majima not wanting Kiryu to leave so quickly again and Daigo finally seeing his father figure again for the first time after his alleged death, the tears just wouldn't stop flowing. Not a single moment felt wasted, every little thing elevated everyone currently on screen I still can't believe it's all real.

Gaiden even managed to do something I never deemed possible which is give more substance to Yumi and make me dislike her less. I'm still not a fan of Yumi. I'll probably always think she was handled poorly in Kiwami 1 and her lack of personality made it hard for me to imagine that what Kiryu said - that the perfect wedding destination for her would be Hawaii - is something she actually believed (I couldn't tell you if that fit with her characterization or not, we barely got anything) BUT I have to say this is the first time in the franchise where from Kiryu's side of things, his feelings towards her actually felt believable. I never liked the execution their "romance" got in Kiwami 1 and I never cared when she was mentioned in following games, but it works here, which I'm very happy about. His story starts with picking up the ring and ends with him putting it down, a very fitting end.

So yeah, Kiryu is still without a doubt the best protagonist I've come across and this game was a class act in efficiency with great visuals and fun gameplay.

Will Kashiwagi and Kiryu ever meet again? Will Kiryu ever get to reunite with his family back in Okinawa or his family within the now dissolved Tojo clan? Is he having a nice time on Hawaii? I'm sure I'll find out once Infinite Wealth releases and I get to play it. Until then, "Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" will remain my new favorite game I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Did I mention that before by the way? This is now my favorite game of all time. Truly a life changing experience that will stick with me for many years to come.

Lost Judgment improves on almost everything that I didn't feel strongly about or didn't like about Judgment. There's still a few blemishes here and there, but nothing that brings down the rating like it did for what came prior.
The game utilizes its pre-established characters extremely well, taking advantage of the fact that we are familiar with these characters already and the new characters introduced to us all feel natural and integrative to the narrative.
And its narrative is one of the strongest RGG has ever put out there. Not only is it treated with the seriousness and delicacy it deserves, the themes that hold the narrative are supported by the School Stories which can be considered its own game based on the sheer amount of content.
Kuwana is an antagonist that the series needed. Someone that shifts between ally and antagonist until the very end, allowing us to know him more personally, more than almost any other antagonist in the Yakuza series. While we condone and oppose his ideals, we understand him and are given a chance to root for him despite the wrong he has caused. It's refreshing to have an antagonist like this in the series and Kuwana is a very welcome addition to the cast as one of the most layered and sympathetic characters out there.

Don't you love a sequel that improves in actually everything the original was going for

In terms of gameplay it’s easily a contender for the best one so far, years and years of refinement are crazy noticeable so being unbalanced is nothing compared to how fun and broken every fighting style is. Same goes for every other mechanic here though! Chases, climbing, stealth and investigations don’t feel wonky anymore, gotta love seeing how many of these ideas are finally realized properly after so much ngl. Lastly even the game progression is great too! Barely felt slow and the side content never felt like a chore

Writing was peak! And I can’t really conceive thinking otherwise. Extremely weak to character focused plots like these, especially in a setting that constantly gives them something to do and highlights how much they’ve grown and can bring to the table. None of this was perfect of course, and rrg still has a lot of work to do with how they handle these serious topics, this is their best handling of them yet but the bar is so low that I don’t feel like praising them for at their worst getting my eyes rolling.

Overall it's really up there as one of their best tho, if i went on about every aspect of its storytelling that would be a whole other movie so trust me when i say it's peak yagami-sensei itsumo arigato gosaimasu and all that

After rating Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal a perfect score, Persona 3 FES had some big shoes to fill. And it didn't.
...At first. With an all too familiar slow start, Persona 3 sets up everything you need to know to have a basic understanding of its systems in place. Only now, retroactively, do I understand the significance of the slow start of this game. I was confused why I would only get lore every full moon, feeling like it would be more engaging and purposeful to get more early on. And while it was a struggle to find the time to play at first, I truly appreciate it for what it is now.
The slow dripfeeding of the narrative, characterization and establishing bonds is meaningful in the specific themes of Persona 3. SEES exists out of necessity, to get rid of the Dark Hour and its shadows. Our main crew didn't join SEES because they were friends with each other, their purpose was to fulfill their goal. Having the main characters of Persona 3 only be vaguely acquainted with one another through school, barely being able to call each other friends and even being suspicious of one another makes the bonding and gradual build-up in their overall dynamic that much more meaningful. Take Yukari and Mitsuru, a girl that doesn't know her purpose in the grand scheme of things and the leader of SEES. There was an inherent distance between the two, but over the course of Persona 3, their bond becomes something special and a unique dynamic exists between the two which can be said about a lot of its members.
In a sense, this works on a meta level too. The more time you spend with these characters, the more you wanna see them, talk to them and form a unique bond with them. It feels authentic.
Among the things that this game does badly and does well, the development and meaning of the group dynamic of SEES and its ties into the message of Persona 3 stands out on top as its strongest component. Finding purpose and comfort in uncertainty through the bonds you create and the people you love is incredibly meaningful. As someone who struggles with finding a purpose in life, I feel like this game tells me that that's okay. And that I should be okay with that too.

Forever grateful for the friends that watched me, pushed me, encouraged me and supported me throughout this playthrough.