LOL. Anyways, https://twitch.uservoice.com/forums/929953-igdb/suggestions/44070717-allow-users-to-pick-their-preferred-cover-art

Edit: oh nice, the good cover art is back.

Edit: Fuck goddammit

This game goes so unexpectedly hard. I've played some Kirby games before and I always really enjoyed them but there was never a specific Kirby game that I would point to and say "oh, this one is really outstanding". Well... this one is really outstanding. It utilizes Kirby's copy ability in more increasingly creative and clever ways than any game in the series, combining it with all sorts of inventive level gimmicks in an experience that truly captures what's so great about the little guy's games. And it's overall bursting with joy, personality and irresistible imagination. My favorite Kirby game and one of the best 2D platformers I think I've ever played in general. Can't wait to play Forgotten Land eventually.

Edit: Oh boy, that last sentence did not age too well, lol.

You know what? Deserves the "Actually the best Castlevania game and even better than Symphony of the Night" status it receives from a lot of people, and Symphony of the Night is one of my favorite games ever so that should tell you how much I adored this game.

The pacing, difficulty and sense of progression are perfect, but it really is the gameplay customization that makes this game so special. There’s a lot of variety and depth to the soul ability system, it’s all about how YOU want to play since, unlike the sub-weapon system from the previous games where you could only carry one sub-weapon, this time the abilities are always in your arsenal once you get them. Sure, some souls are more powerful than others, I did make Legion my go-to attack ability when I got it, but they all have different advantages and serve different purposes and the game will certainly test your knowledge of the powers you have so you see what’s appropriate to use in specific moments. Despite having a vastly different ability system to the previous games, it still has all the strategy a Castlevania game should have and deciding how and when to use MP is insanely fun.

Also, best characters and narrative I’ve seen in the series so far. Soma Cruz is such a chad, I always love when there is a very serious situation and the main character is just, like, a regular person (or so we thought) and they have no idea what the fuck is happening but will sort out anyways because they just reeeeaaally want to get out of this mess. He’s like that, and in addition he has some style. And the rest of the cast is so endearing as well, I love Yoko especially. The twist the story takes is a big novelty for the series, and I really adored how it played into the gameplay in the good ending by giving a confrontation that will pretty sure put a big grin on the faces of any Castlevania fan.

Both this and Symphony of the Night have advantages and disadvantages that outdo each other, but when looking at them as a whole, if you ask me, Aria of Sorrow is the slightly better package. What a godlike game, it's my new personal favorite 2D Metroidvania ever made and that's a huge accomplishment.

Edit: I played Symphony of the Night again and that game is better.

I didn't actually play the whole game again (even though I'd love to) but I just wanted to say that Midgar is one of the most fascinating experiences in video game history. FFVII is a masterpiece but not without its problems, but honestly I think these problems only start coming after you leave Midgar (I mean sure you do have random encounters in Midgar but because the story and pacing are so straightforward it honestly never feels obnoxious, at least to me). The first 6 hours or so are some of the most flawless, immersive and emotional storytelling and worldbuilding you will ever see in a JRPG (actually in a video game in general). However I will only be talking about the very beginning of the game for now.

Final Fantasy VII may just have the best beginning to any video game ever made. In only the first 45 minutes the game showcases a tremendous amount of worldbuilding. So many rules about how Midgar works and how Midgar is constructed and how people live in Midgar are quickly made understandable either through quick dialogue exchanges between the characters or just through gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds that are expertly crafted to immerse the player into this world and make it feel believable, as well as to convey emotions and display the scale of what's happening, accompanied by absolutely fabulous music.

The characters of Cloud and Barret are established from the get-go, their quick dialogue exchanges make their personalities, motivations and how they view the world immediatly clear. Barret might be quite hot-headed but he cares about protecting the Planet from Shinra's despicable actions. Cloud, on the other hand, is a very mysterious main character that seems to be insensitive about the whole situation. He doesn't care about Avalanche, Shinra, the Planet, he's just doing what he's doing for money. FFVII admittedly has a lot of really corny dialogue later on but here they cleverly pick two characters that are practically the polar opposite of each other to quickly introduce us to what kind of adventure this is going to be, what kind of characters we're going to follow, and what kind of concepts the story will explore. Also the first little talk with Aerith gives her such a mysterious first impression. We see her in the opening cutscene so we immediately assume that she is important to the story, which makes her even more intriguing when we find her after exploding the reactor. She's completely different from all the other people in Midgar, she's not panicking about the reactor explosion, and she is selling flowers which, according to Cloud in an optional dialogue exchange between them, are very rare to see in Midgar which not only makes her first appearance more interesting but also adds to the somewhat melancholic atmosphere of Midgar. The game does an excellent job captivating and preparing the player to an unforgettable journey to find out more about these characters, more about Shinra, more about Midgar, more about the outside, more about every single detail of this incredible world... and it did all that within 45 minutes without feeling rushed and bloated in the slightest. It's one of the most miraculously well-paced games out there.

The rest of Midgar is perfect too but I don't want to talk too much about it because I want people to experience this. If you're reading this and you haven't played Final Fantasy VII, please do. Even if you don't like RPGs I can guarantee there will be at least one aspect of this game that will speak to you on a personal level. There is a reason to why this was the one game that popularized JRPGs, and why it's still so beloved and celebrated. Because this is one of those games that, despite admittedly having flaws, the best elements of it solidify the medium of video games as art. I live for games like Final Fantasy VII.

Why does this slap so much? It's like super easy but it's just so fun!

The levels are huge and nice to explore and just have a lot of fun. They're very creative and immersive, the game really makes you feel like you're a toy on an epic adventure, as stupid as this sounds, and it's kind of amazing actually. The soundtrack is inexplicably fantastic? Like, one of the best in the PS1 library, holy shit. Just like the levels themselves, the music captures the feeling of an epic Buzz Lightyear adventure but it's aware of the fact that this is a fun world revolving around toys.

It's a lot of fun, it captures the essence of the movie and it might actually be the best Disney game ever made (I mean if you don't count Kingdom Hearts lol).