SekiganX
2024
Persona 3 Reload, from a P3FES player:
A great way for new and old players to experience the game, if the general themes of the persona series vibe with you, this is the game that'll get you staring at the ceiling feeling empty once it's over. I.e. It's good
The same phenomenal story, brought out vividly in full HD graphics for a modern era.
A persona 3 remake is something I really wanted for a while, but certain decisions did have me skeptical going in- the new EN voice cast, rearranged soundtrack, and some big changes to the gameplay loop.
Most of my doubts were satisfied. This is going to be the version of P3 I recommend to most people. The original definitely has its own flavour to it, which will always have my heart. But this did a great job at recapturing that feeling, and fully bringing out the warmth that people sometimes forget is a massive part of Persona 3's themes of death. The original game taught me once that death is all the more reason to celebrate life, and this arrived at the perfect time to remind me that. A must play.
Pros:
- Full voiced social links make a world of difference in relatability of some characters
- Extra social events also help flesh them out where they may have been lacking
- Inspiration from some of the arcs in the movies, regarding the last character to join the cast
- Modern graphics- beautiful HD models
- Combat is very accessible to new players
- Tartarus gimmicks are quite fun, breaking items is surprisingly all you need to do. But Monad doors are cool too.
Neutral
- New soundtrack- as a fan of the original I initially played modded with the original soundtrack. But it's just a different take, which new players will see no issues with. Towards the end I did give the new soundtrack a chance, and some of the arrangements are beautiful in their own right, and new players are sure to remember some of these arrangements for decades to come.
- In English, some of the new voice actors- up to you if it's an issue. Again, not a problem for new players
Cons:
- Quite easy by persona standards imo, even on max difficulty. A lot of the deliberate handicaps in the original game gave that its own flavour- namely the tiredness mechanic which forces you to pace your tartarus exploration (and therefore doesn't give you too much free time without knowing what to do with it). SP refills are extremely easily to come by, so there's no real cap to how long you can spend in the dungeons.
- Not very challenging on highest difficulty. I'm hardly a pro, but there are so many game breaking systems
- If you're coming from Persona 5, the lack of options for things to do becomes apparent once you start optimising your time spent in tartarus to not take up too many days
- The Answer DLC being sold separately is criminal.
A great way for new and old players to experience the game, if the general themes of the persona series vibe with you, this is the game that'll get you staring at the ceiling feeling empty once it's over. I.e. It's good
The same phenomenal story, brought out vividly in full HD graphics for a modern era.
A persona 3 remake is something I really wanted for a while, but certain decisions did have me skeptical going in- the new EN voice cast, rearranged soundtrack, and some big changes to the gameplay loop.
Most of my doubts were satisfied. This is going to be the version of P3 I recommend to most people. The original definitely has its own flavour to it, which will always have my heart. But this did a great job at recapturing that feeling, and fully bringing out the warmth that people sometimes forget is a massive part of Persona 3's themes of death. The original game taught me once that death is all the more reason to celebrate life, and this arrived at the perfect time to remind me that. A must play.
Pros:
- Full voiced social links make a world of difference in relatability of some characters
- Extra social events also help flesh them out where they may have been lacking
- Inspiration from some of the arcs in the movies, regarding the last character to join the cast
- Modern graphics- beautiful HD models
- Combat is very accessible to new players
- Tartarus gimmicks are quite fun, breaking items is surprisingly all you need to do. But Monad doors are cool too.
Neutral
- New soundtrack- as a fan of the original I initially played modded with the original soundtrack. But it's just a different take, which new players will see no issues with. Towards the end I did give the new soundtrack a chance, and some of the arrangements are beautiful in their own right, and new players are sure to remember some of these arrangements for decades to come.
- In English, some of the new voice actors- up to you if it's an issue. Again, not a problem for new players
Cons:
- Quite easy by persona standards imo, even on max difficulty. A lot of the deliberate handicaps in the original game gave that its own flavour- namely the tiredness mechanic which forces you to pace your tartarus exploration (and therefore doesn't give you too much free time without knowing what to do with it). SP refills are extremely easily to come by, so there's no real cap to how long you can spend in the dungeons.
- Not very challenging on highest difficulty. I'm hardly a pro, but there are so many game breaking systems
- If you're coming from Persona 5, the lack of options for things to do becomes apparent once you start optimising your time spent in tartarus to not take up too many days
- The Answer DLC being sold separately is criminal.
The Good.
- Mr Hands: he's arguably the most enjoyable addition to this DLC, his fixer storyline is definitely a lot of fun and leads to one of the best side missions for me personally, where you get to play "Aguilar"
-The endings to the DLC are very impactful and can feel almost as weighty as the endings to the main story. In part, this is because one of the DLC endings also acts as a separate conclusion to the entire game, replacing "meet hanako in embers", and if you liked the bittersweet nature of the Temperance ending, you'll love this.
- Dogtown is a cool area to wreak havoc in, in part due to the atmosphere of the area- great work nailing this, CDPR. From the moment you see the barriers in and out of dogtown, you can feel the atmosphere of this section of the city where martial law rules. Honestly it serves to just make pacifica cooler because "barren section of the city" is okay, but "barren section of the city with a walled off district inside it" is cooler. Ah wait maybe I just like dogtown because it reminds me ever so slightly of the atmosphere of Arkham City.
The issues are with what leads up to the endings of the DLC. The writing.
The issues: investment into the story
-A DLC that was sold as a spy thriller in the cyberpunk world. And sure, it is exactly that, but personally I feel like it didn't have very strong writing in that regard. It feels out of place for the character's story- which everybody mentions- and ultimately just feels like a series of fun missions with V moonlighting as a spy.
- I played it in one sitting, but playing it between other missions must make this feel even more jarring
- I felt like I had no reason to be invested in the characters in this, other than Songbird. I really wanted Idris Elba's character to be more interesting- the actor does well at playing him, but I wasn't so invested.
- Mr Hands: he's arguably the most enjoyable addition to this DLC, his fixer storyline is definitely a lot of fun and leads to one of the best side missions for me personally, where you get to play "Aguilar"
-The endings to the DLC are very impactful and can feel almost as weighty as the endings to the main story. In part, this is because one of the DLC endings also acts as a separate conclusion to the entire game, replacing "meet hanako in embers", and if you liked the bittersweet nature of the Temperance ending, you'll love this.
- Dogtown is a cool area to wreak havoc in, in part due to the atmosphere of the area- great work nailing this, CDPR. From the moment you see the barriers in and out of dogtown, you can feel the atmosphere of this section of the city where martial law rules. Honestly it serves to just make pacifica cooler because "barren section of the city" is okay, but "barren section of the city with a walled off district inside it" is cooler. Ah wait maybe I just like dogtown because it reminds me ever so slightly of the atmosphere of Arkham City.
The issues are with what leads up to the endings of the DLC. The writing.
The issues: investment into the story
-A DLC that was sold as a spy thriller in the cyberpunk world. And sure, it is exactly that, but personally I feel like it didn't have very strong writing in that regard. It feels out of place for the character's story- which everybody mentions- and ultimately just feels like a series of fun missions with V moonlighting as a spy.
- I played it in one sitting, but playing it between other missions must make this feel even more jarring
- I felt like I had no reason to be invested in the characters in this, other than Songbird. I really wanted Idris Elba's character to be more interesting- the actor does well at playing him, but I wasn't so invested.
This review contains spoilers
Part review, part ramblings/thoughts. Spoilers to follow.
Trails of Cold Steel 2. What a game. Once again, it's managed to subvert my expectations from what should be standard JRPG fare.
Gameplay: MECHA. ROBOT SWORD FIGHTS. THIS IS EVERYTHING I NEEDED.
Anyways, I've gotten that out of my system, the mech battles always put a grin on my face. They're not as in depth as regular combat, however I'd agree with what I read somebody else mention: they are one hell of a spectacle.
Otherwise, the game has improved upon the formula of the first game, with many new gimmicks for extra variety and tactical usage. Overdrive is a godsend. Lost arts are also suitably busted rewards for how much EP they use.
Also, Laura and Fie are insanely busted if you build them right.
Story: Where the first game follows a very rigid structure, the second game... Actually also follows the exact same gameplay loop structure, however it's very cleverly disguised by having each chapter take place in a different location, in a tour across eastern Erebonia.
The premise of this game makes for a far more enjoyable experience, where we get to see our characters acting independently from one another for a good portion of the game, and actually giving Rean more of a reluctant hero character.
My one gripe is that despite all the characters harping on about "being a third faction" in the civil war, they always end up benefitting the imperial army, with the game pretty much demonstrating them as, without a doubt, the good guys.
That's pretty annoying until the finale though. Once again, Trails of Cold Steel has managed to subvert my expectations. Where the first game surprised me by dropping the dawn of civil war onto us, the second game "ends" with Rean essentially being manipulated into being a dog for the Imperial Army (well, more specifically, a dog for Gilliath Osborne, in the image of the ironbloods). That was beautiful, not only because it gave Rean a reality check- you can't essentially support a faction throughout the entire game without suddenly having expectations and responsibilities come with it. But it also mirrors Crow perfectly. Crow, like Rean, only cooperated with the Noble Faction so that he could achieve his goal, and like Crow, Rean was burnt by his decision to cooperate with them.
Also Captain Claire and Sharon are great and I wish they stayed around for longer. It's pretty interesting to see Claire and Rean almost like some weird melodramatic couple at the end lmao.
Anyways, a very minor feature which honestly felt like an afterthought in the first game has a bit more relevance here- the romance element. There's a few more scenes with your partner in this game, and it does do enough to sell that.
The epilogue was. Weird, I have to admit. The final final final dungeon just felt like it was for funsies. Admittedly it was a genuinely fun randomly generated dungeon thanks to the ability to summon certain characters that shouldn't be playable lol. The final boss is a cake walk.
Trails of Cold Steel 2. What a game. Once again, it's managed to subvert my expectations from what should be standard JRPG fare.
Gameplay: MECHA. ROBOT SWORD FIGHTS. THIS IS EVERYTHING I NEEDED.
Anyways, I've gotten that out of my system, the mech battles always put a grin on my face. They're not as in depth as regular combat, however I'd agree with what I read somebody else mention: they are one hell of a spectacle.
Otherwise, the game has improved upon the formula of the first game, with many new gimmicks for extra variety and tactical usage. Overdrive is a godsend. Lost arts are also suitably busted rewards for how much EP they use.
Also, Laura and Fie are insanely busted if you build them right.
Story: Where the first game follows a very rigid structure, the second game... Actually also follows the exact same gameplay loop structure, however it's very cleverly disguised by having each chapter take place in a different location, in a tour across eastern Erebonia.
The premise of this game makes for a far more enjoyable experience, where we get to see our characters acting independently from one another for a good portion of the game, and actually giving Rean more of a reluctant hero character.
My one gripe is that despite all the characters harping on about "being a third faction" in the civil war, they always end up benefitting the imperial army, with the game pretty much demonstrating them as, without a doubt, the good guys.
That's pretty annoying until the finale though. Once again, Trails of Cold Steel has managed to subvert my expectations. Where the first game surprised me by dropping the dawn of civil war onto us, the second game "ends" with Rean essentially being manipulated into being a dog for the Imperial Army (well, more specifically, a dog for Gilliath Osborne, in the image of the ironbloods). That was beautiful, not only because it gave Rean a reality check- you can't essentially support a faction throughout the entire game without suddenly having expectations and responsibilities come with it. But it also mirrors Crow perfectly. Crow, like Rean, only cooperated with the Noble Faction so that he could achieve his goal, and like Crow, Rean was burnt by his decision to cooperate with them.
Also Captain Claire and Sharon are great and I wish they stayed around for longer. It's pretty interesting to see Claire and Rean almost like some weird melodramatic couple at the end lmao.
Anyways, a very minor feature which honestly felt like an afterthought in the first game has a bit more relevance here- the romance element. There's a few more scenes with your partner in this game, and it does do enough to sell that.
The epilogue was. Weird, I have to admit. The final final final dungeon just felt like it was for funsies. Admittedly it was a genuinely fun randomly generated dungeon thanks to the ability to summon certain characters that shouldn't be playable lol. The final boss is a cake walk.
1988
This game just feels surreal to me. No context, just RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE, turn into werewolf and beat shit up. I can see why this was probably pretty popular back in the day, even if the controls are jank.
(Obviously it's an arcade game though so wasn't really expecting much more context to the game, just thought it was kinda funny)
(Obviously it's an arcade game though so wasn't really expecting much more context to the game, just thought it was kinda funny)
2018
I sold my soul to obtain every single berry in this game
2014
Aiden Pearce as a gritty hackerman is still cooler than the hipster millenials and aggressive british accents in the next games.
2020
Good ost, fun char designs. Short af. Best sections are the bullet hell ones tbh. Lucifer & Beelzebub goat
Peak pokemon graphic design
1991
Ironic that for a game about speed, this game is just solid as a regular platformer. Sonic’s speed does show through in certain sections, and I’m sure everybody likes green hill zone the most because it has the most opportunities for this.
I played/play this on an original PAL region Sega Megadrive, and as you may or may not be aware, Sonic does play slower in PAL regions due to the game speed being based off the refresh rate of the the display signal. Which really helps you appreciate the levels. The game isn’t obtuse with all kinds of hidden areas or gimmicks like Mario, its just straightforward.
Sonic 2 loses this appeal for me because it feels like you only bother with speed and the levels feel less fun. CD was developed by the same team which did this tho, and despite how stilted it is with the past and future gameplay, holds true as a successor to this game.
I played/play this on an original PAL region Sega Megadrive, and as you may or may not be aware, Sonic does play slower in PAL regions due to the game speed being based off the refresh rate of the the display signal. Which really helps you appreciate the levels. The game isn’t obtuse with all kinds of hidden areas or gimmicks like Mario, its just straightforward.
Sonic 2 loses this appeal for me because it feels like you only bother with speed and the levels feel less fun. CD was developed by the same team which did this tho, and despite how stilted it is with the past and future gameplay, holds true as a successor to this game.
Connor the android sent by cyberlife is the only reason i played this game tbh
2012
Meeting random people and walking together was kinda heart warming
The best part about playing this game is being able to join thr insane shitposting that Batman Arkham fans have devolved into
2020
Story is pretty interesting but the time investment for this game as a gacha is really terrible lol. A shame because I actually started on day one but it became a chore to play compared to other gachas. And once i dropped it, the backlog of events grew even larger so i really didnt wanna keep going.
(Scores are for my own purposes and aren’t trying to be objective, and are subject to change as I add more to my list)
So, Trails of Cold Steel. My first game in this series, and I had mixed feelings going into it, not being sure what to expect. I ended this game completely sold on playing ALL the games in this franchise.
I came to this accustomed to Atlus’ SMT/Persona style of turn based JRPG. The first thing that took getting used to was the fact that you could move around the field and that positioning, formation and ranges were important parts of battle. At first I found it daunting, but once I got into the groove of things, it was really satisfying using my pary members to fulfill different roles, with tanks drawing enemy aggro, healers in the back etc.
The combat system is also extremely versatile. You can “link” characters together to enable followup attacks and other useful abilities. As the game goes on, this ability strengthens and becomes even more versatile.
The spells in this game are known as Arts, and are determined by the quartz system. Its great since it essentially allows you t completely respec your characters arts on the fly at any time, by rearranging and redistributing quartz amongst party members and in conjunction with your typical selection of different accessories, weapons and and armour.
Characters also have innate abilities known as Crafts, which can be used based on a separate gauge which automatically charge up. At 100-200 craft points, you can use an ultimate attack, which can be used to interrupt enemy attacks. Useful when the enemy is about to take a critical hit turn, but you steal the turn for yourself! They’re also extremely fun.
Different turns sometimes have different buffs or debuffs that apply to whoever takes that turn, which adds another layer of tactic to the game, which I love.
Another thing I liked about the gameplay loop is that, for narrative reasons, half of the areas force you to create a party from half of your classmates, which means you are forced to learn each characters niches. From a narrative standpoint, it also allows the characters to develop their own arcs without following the trope of the entire group going through the exact same experiences.
The narrative is also amazing, however this game is ultimately just buildup to the second game. But my god is it worth it. All the worldbuilding in this game feeds in massively to the next games’ arc. All the different factions you meet, and the references to the events of other games which happen concurrently make the world and story very rich and lived in. Narratively, this franchise is ambitious with its scale.
For this game specifically though, it does follow a fairly rigid structure of going on a field study in a various region, solving one of your classmates personal issues, then exploring the dungeon at school and doing some quests and events on your free days
This game is very tropey however. Plenty of typical anime highschool hijinks as the backdrop for this political narrative. I think it gives the game a certain charm however, pretty reminiscent of some 00s anime. Thankfully the overarching story is pretty good, with amazing setup for future games, many games become super tropey without any substance.
Without the final few hours/cliffhanger ending, my score probably be a bit lower since the entire game is set up for something much larger. Still well worth my while, because that ending is one hell of a rush though.
So, Trails of Cold Steel. My first game in this series, and I had mixed feelings going into it, not being sure what to expect. I ended this game completely sold on playing ALL the games in this franchise.
I came to this accustomed to Atlus’ SMT/Persona style of turn based JRPG. The first thing that took getting used to was the fact that you could move around the field and that positioning, formation and ranges were important parts of battle. At first I found it daunting, but once I got into the groove of things, it was really satisfying using my pary members to fulfill different roles, with tanks drawing enemy aggro, healers in the back etc.
The combat system is also extremely versatile. You can “link” characters together to enable followup attacks and other useful abilities. As the game goes on, this ability strengthens and becomes even more versatile.
The spells in this game are known as Arts, and are determined by the quartz system. Its great since it essentially allows you t completely respec your characters arts on the fly at any time, by rearranging and redistributing quartz amongst party members and in conjunction with your typical selection of different accessories, weapons and and armour.
Characters also have innate abilities known as Crafts, which can be used based on a separate gauge which automatically charge up. At 100-200 craft points, you can use an ultimate attack, which can be used to interrupt enemy attacks. Useful when the enemy is about to take a critical hit turn, but you steal the turn for yourself! They’re also extremely fun.
Different turns sometimes have different buffs or debuffs that apply to whoever takes that turn, which adds another layer of tactic to the game, which I love.
Another thing I liked about the gameplay loop is that, for narrative reasons, half of the areas force you to create a party from half of your classmates, which means you are forced to learn each characters niches. From a narrative standpoint, it also allows the characters to develop their own arcs without following the trope of the entire group going through the exact same experiences.
The narrative is also amazing, however this game is ultimately just buildup to the second game. But my god is it worth it. All the worldbuilding in this game feeds in massively to the next games’ arc. All the different factions you meet, and the references to the events of other games which happen concurrently make the world and story very rich and lived in. Narratively, this franchise is ambitious with its scale.
For this game specifically though, it does follow a fairly rigid structure of going on a field study in a various region, solving one of your classmates personal issues, then exploring the dungeon at school and doing some quests and events on your free days
This game is very tropey however. Plenty of typical anime highschool hijinks as the backdrop for this political narrative. I think it gives the game a certain charm however, pretty reminiscent of some 00s anime. Thankfully the overarching story is pretty good, with amazing setup for future games, many games become super tropey without any substance.
Without the final few hours/cliffhanger ending, my score probably be a bit lower since the entire game is set up for something much larger. Still well worth my while, because that ending is one hell of a rush though.
2020
Amazing game, gorgeous visuals- very intense on highest settings but worth the framedrops lol. The world has a lot of content and quest chains which really flesh out this cyberpunk dystopia, and the setting is amazing. Obviously this is pre 2.0 though so could be set to change, but I didn't mind the lack of other events in the game. Lots of options to build your character, though little inconveniencing to play without modding a bit to respec.
And that ending made me tear up. Hopefully CDPR work on their future releases so that the sequel is even better and more fleshed out. And less buggy, though there were only one or two I noticed in my playthrough.
And that ending made me tear up. Hopefully CDPR work on their future releases so that the sequel is even better and more fleshed out. And less buggy, though there were only one or two I noticed in my playthrough.