A game that tries to accomplish a LOT, and for the time of its release, it has a lot of things that definitely do impress. It references a lot of pop culture from Street Fighter, to Alien, implementing these influences into its gameplay. Definitely not your typical RPG, but is intentionally trying to have a lot of fun with itself. This is shown through the expert detail of visual and sound design, both which are stunning. However, I never really got as addicted or drawn to Live a Live as I expected to. Perhaps as it doesn't follow traditional addictive JRPG elements as its successors did. That being said, I completely respect and agree with the fandom that surrounds it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't the game for me.

As with everyone else, I wanted to like this game so badly with its incredible setup of being a "Final Fantasy for Fans and Newcomers". And what isn't too like from the get-go? A cover of a nostalgia hit by Florence and the Machine, incredible CGI, and awe-inspiring open world visuals with a car and crew allowing you to traverse its open world. On paper, FFXV sounds like a game set up for success, though in conclusion, it just feels as though it misses on so many marks.

This isn't to say I didn't enjoy my time with FFXV, I did, at time, and at other times, I kinda just wanted to get through it. Unfortunately, one of the most exciting things I find about a gaming experience, side quests, feel extremely nerfed here. Not only are side quests dull and uninteresting, but they also continuously become repetitive, telling you to complete the same task over and over again for no reason. They also caused me to be at a level way higher than the main quest level, so it felt a bit pointless following them most of the time. The main questline however, is okay. It's got a LOT going on, and a lot of lore which resides in reading logs and log journals to understand fully what is happening in the world. Noctus, as a main character leaves more to be desired, however, its his counterparts who really do shine. Each having their own bright characters, Noct just feels a lil, plain, vanilla, lacking the development needed fora protagonist to really stand out like they have in previous FF entrees.

Gameplay wise... it really leaves more to the imagination. While expanding on what I remember was FFXIII's autoplay feature, it never really going into depth with strategic elements, which I'm again dying to experience again. A lot of the time the challenge was just me seeing how many Hi-Potions I had left until I ran out so I had to start using my Phoenix Down's. Magic is gone now to be replaced by a sort of item use system, and it's just a bore.

That being said, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the monolithic existences of this world. To walk around and see giant creatures and landscapes fill up around you, it's so breathtaking and incredible to look at. Which is what primarily FFXV wants you to focus on, the simple things. Driving, fishing, taking photos, wandering around aimlessly. It encourages this, but really overall, never incentivizes it.

In conclusion, I feel sort of, meh about this game. As a result, it has left me turned off ever really wanting to purchase any future FF games. Square has removed itself from its roots and instead wants to play around with new mechanics, which is fine. However, as a cause it can just leave a lot of their games feeling stale and needing more emphasis on what is supposed to make games fun, which is gameplay.

I have such fond memories of this game, and returning to it twenty years later the gameplay still feels OH so good. That hack and slash formula is so effective here, and not in a, boring kinda way, there is a lot to spice things up and keep you engaged. It's fully 3D environments here in contrast to the pre-rendered background images, and it works really well. It loses some of the charm, but at the same time feels more authentic and as though you are able to walk around these locales. Story for me is a bit meh, but it is nice to come back to those iconic characters like Guildenstern who were left behind on the first game. It definitely gives early PS2 cheesy dialogue, something that plagued the industry at the time and does not hold up well. And overall, the game is great until the ending which felt like a huge cop-out. You don't really get to utilise those abilities and special weapons you had been saving up for, and the battle is just a bit bland with appearances. Even the ending cutscene is just disappointing. It feels like a budget issue, because it builds up to something so BIG, and then just falls flat. Though for a game released in 2004, it is pretty sick and I'm happy to have returned to it.

I definitely have a soft spot for this kind of gameplay, a big fan of the first and third game in the series, Samurai's Destiny somehow slipped my fingers. Visiting it almost twenty years after its release date, I was still able to become absorbed in the characters and settings, following a new plot line that strangely takes a completely different path following an unknown protagonist. It's pretty much more of the same as with Warlords, except with a new gifting system which is fun to play around with. It doesn't really feel like an epic sequel, except for its last boss fight which really stepped itself up on. However, a quick game with addictive gameplay and immersive setting.

To review Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is difficult, because as a game, there is always something that could be improved. But, what we got was still one of the best multiplayer experiences possible on the Nintendo Switch, and just a huge advancement on the original game. Sunbreak adds a whole new tone to the adventure, and easily nearly another hundred hours of gameplay within (that is still being updated today). I can't deny that this game, is so addictive that, you will find it hard to stop. So many addictive gameplay elements, new monsters who have incredible new designs, locales that are just super fun, and a questline that feels more gothic and engaging to its tone. Sunbreak was the best expansion I could have imagined Rise to get, and I cannot wait to see where the franchise goes next.

A big Metroid Fan here, revisiting this game for a fourth time was a hesitant joy for me. I did ponder about why I ‘needed’ to play this game yet another time, but I talking myself into eventually (and into a new OLED Switch).

Metroid Prime looks fantastic on the switch, it never faltered with frame rates and glitches were non existent. The atmosphere is immersive with its environmental design and sound production. However, this can show its age when there is constant back travel and questionable level design, some incredible with its camera panning and cutting, and others leaving the player in the dark with its obtuse choices.

Gameplay wise Prime feels, dated. This isn’t a game that focuses on its gameplay of shooting, rather than it’s platforming and world traversing. Shooting enemies can at first feel at joy, but by the end of your adventure become monotonous, with little variety in shooter mechanics than will leave you wanting more. The biggest decision you will have when using your gun is to match the colour with the same colour of the enemy.

With these negatives, it’s important to mention how impactful Prime was in my childhood, opening me up to a more abstract shooter game focusing on platforming and immersion, rather than something along the lines of Halo or shudder Call of Duty. Yes, the backtracking definitely becomes horrendous at times (I’m looking at you artifact pieces), but I just remember how happy this game made me as a teenager. A great remaster for a title that impacted so many into accessing an alternative shooter.

Halo 2 is a major upgrade from Halo, with better gameplay, level design, and music. It definitely FEELS more epic, especially with these cinematic entrees that Anniversary includes, the game plays out like a movie. The addition of using two guns, both in each hand, and a wide range of inclusions in the guns you can equip just fills my childhood me with joy. That being said, as cinematic and epic as it feels, Halo 2 certainly feels more like a game that is tightly linked with Halo 3. The story ends so abruptly, without a tight conclusion that it feels sort of lacklustre. I thought I was missing something at one point.

I played this on Heroic mode single player, and had no real dramas getting through the campaign, compared to Halo CE: Anniversary. The inclusion of new weapons really supported the ease of getting through tight spots. However, I have noticed that co-op and legendary mode are apparently flawed, making it at times feel impossible to get through. I also found it funny around the backlash from fans that Halo 2 did not provide what it promised, more action on Planet Earth (something that all the promotional material were raving about). I didn't mind it not being on Earth, and I really loved some of the new locales such as High Charity (Covenant Capital), so there was no fuss from me. I really loved Halo 2, and swam through it so fast that I honestly just can't wait for more.

An iconic game in terms of development of FPS franchises and cooperative gameplay, but in today's standards Halo: Combat Evolved definitely feels dated. The Anniversary graphics even feel dated at times, until you are shocked at how liminal the XBOX era graphics were when you shoot back and forth between the styles, a great tool that I'm glad the developers included. But the game definitely feels broken and old, a lot of the gameplay feels unfair and impossible to pass at times (I played Heroic), leaving me frustrated. The only way I got around these moments were pure dumb luck, waiting an extra ten seconds to cause a glitch to ensure that the Elite wouldn't ride into a Banshee that would guarantee to kill me. There is definitely a nostalgia hit, all the different enemy types is so rewarding to see, however, the later sequels are much more enjoyable in my opinon.