Spectre_ship
2010
Well worth playing, even if its writing is a little too San Andreas for the story it wants to tell. The gunplay and horse-riding are both pretty good. The open world is phenomenal even if it is generally very brown. I don't really like the depiction of Native Americans, but, uh, they kind of tried? Overall kind of a strange game in some respects, but the presentation is really excellent, and probably its strongest suit. One of the gems of 7th gen despite its flaws.
I think the story is kind of overrated--it drags its feet for a long time, frankly, and doesn't really make full use of the game's open world--but as a walking-around-and-finding-things-to-do game I think it's unparalleled. A better fishing, hunting, and gambling game than most dedicated fishing, hunting, or gambling games.
2017
There's a lot of odd things in this game, but I still think it's pretty good even if it falls a bit flat on some of its promises. I think the biggest impression it's left on me is that I would kill to have more games where it's mostly walking around, talking to people, looking at things, etc., and when guns are finally drawn at the end of the mission, it feels weighty and serious because you haven't even had the opportunity to do so before now.
Kinda ran out of steam after the update that added Christmas, but since they've promised a big update later this year I'm reserving judgement. I had fun with it while it was new.
Kind of a weird, sprawling mess at times, but I respect what it was going for and its sheer sense of scale.
A perfect video game.
I feel like I'm going crazy when I see people put this on the low end of the series; I think it's one of the best entries. In particular, I think the story is really compelling and very well presented. The usual complaint is that it has grinding, but it is not exactly impossible to beat the game without it, so I've always thought that criticism was kind of aimless.
Easily the most thought-provoking Fire Emblem game on all fronts--its many interlocking mechanics, its thematically complex plot, its infuriating yet enjoyable fishing minigame. The less-than-stellar graphics and it occasionally getting a little too micromanagey are minor black marks on an otherwise immaculate game.
My favorite metroidvania in the series. A lot like SotN, but tighter and more satisfying, with a (mostly) better-realized mechanic for unlocking the true ending.
One of the more mid entries in the series, but still a pretty good game. The graphics and sound are weird but not terrible or anything.
One of the hardest games I've ever beaten. A very well-crafted old-school platformer.
Bizarrely good considering its predecessor. Not the best game in the series but hardly the worst either, particularly considering its limitations.
1994
I'm gonna get around to beating this some day, I swear.
2015
The single best video game ever made, I think. A remarkable pairing of extraordinarily good gameplay with a compelling aesthetic and a fascinating (albeit very ambiguous) story.
2016
A pretty good immersive sim, building on the first game's mechanics quite respectably, especially in regards to resolving my biggest pet peeve with the original game, where there was no reliable nonlethal way to take down an enemy after being spotted. Has some very enjoyably high-concept levels; the one where you're jumping between past and future versions of the map was especially brilliant.
Didn't really stick with me the way the first game did, though. In particular, I think the story's noticeably weaker; it didn't have any story beat equivalent to the first game's famous twist, and the antagonist gives off some very serious 'budget Disney villain' vibes. Still pretty enjoyable, though, and I would recommend it even though I didn't think it was quite as good as the original.
Didn't really stick with me the way the first game did, though. In particular, I think the story's noticeably weaker; it didn't have any story beat equivalent to the first game's famous twist, and the antagonist gives off some very serious 'budget Disney villain' vibes. Still pretty enjoyable, though, and I would recommend it even though I didn't think it was quite as good as the original.