Umu
2014
It might be simple, but it's simply perfect.
I don't think I'd have enjoyed it nearly as much if it wasn't for the ability to play (most) missions with friends which made for one of my favorite gaming experiences this year.
Meanwhile the story appears confusing and nonsensical at first, only to weave an incredibly compelling tale that ties it very neatly to the first Final Fantasy.
It truly is Final Fantasy Origin.
Meanwhile the story appears confusing and nonsensical at first, only to weave an incredibly compelling tale that ties it very neatly to the first Final Fantasy.
It truly is Final Fantasy Origin.
Game is great and port is just really nice qol stuff + a pretty neat HD fps shine but why do joycons feel somehow worse than a wii mote?
Maybe it's just the gameplay feeling, or because the technology was not made for joycons, or even i'm just remembering wrong, but I could swear I didn't have to adjust my Wii Mote cursor nearly as much in every situation, from flying to swordplay. At least it's incredibly easy to do.
Anyways great game, nice port, questionable motion gaming at times.
Maybe it's just the gameplay feeling, or because the technology was not made for joycons, or even i'm just remembering wrong, but I could swear I didn't have to adjust my Wii Mote cursor nearly as much in every situation, from flying to swordplay. At least it's incredibly easy to do.
Anyways great game, nice port, questionable motion gaming at times.
This review contains spoilers
I finally went and finished CS4, something i should have done 6 months ago to be quite honest.
It had already been too long since CS3 back when i first started it, and CS3 itself i played a fair amount of time after CS2. I've always had to take long breaks between each game and thus my overall opinion of the franchise is often quite fragmented.
When it came to playing CS4, I quite honestly was having trouble at first. Act 1 felt like a weaker CS2, very filler-y and meandering, but I pushed through and played until roughly the start of Act 2.
I then took another break for 6 months or so, and randomly decided to go back to it last week, determined to get it over with and be finally done with this, like it was a chore of some kind.
At first glance, nothing had really changed, hell, it was even becoming worse. I picked up right where the game's story takes a nosedive in relevance and the bonding events multiply the most, which prompted me to get extremely tired of the game's shit extremely quick.
It didn't help that other aspects of the game felt terribly uncooked and half-finished. The soundtrack is amazing at best, an uncohesive mess at worst, the overpopulation of the cast makes most characters feel more like glorified NPCs than standalone people with thoughts and feelings, the gameplay goes from stupidly unfair to ridiculously easy with a few simply adjustements and you lose interest quickly, and so on, and so forth.
In the meat of Act 2, I very seriously considered this to be the franchise's worst game, and while i didn't hate it, i just wasn't having that good a time.
So what happened? With the end of act 2 and the beginning of act 3 came a lot of setup for the game's true stakes, and my interest immediately perked up. We were getting scene after scene of interesting plot and lore that was finally worth all the trouble of the first two acts.
The bonding events leaped in quality (mostly because dodging all the heart ones at first let me do the non-romantic variants instead), and while the pacing was still a bit off with way too many events, their writing made them engaging nonetheless.
It's really as simple as that, I was beginning to actually enjoy myself. Act 3 was really good, and the Finale was absolutely excellent, as well as everything I could have asked for from a Kiseki game.
The penultimate fight and the reveals that accompanied it were particularly breathtaking. So much of Kiseki goes from setting up information that a later entry uses to set up its own foreshadowing.
That's what I love the most in this franchise, and if they keep going the way they are, i'm sure i'll love the next entries as well.
So...do I like this game? Yeah. I like CS4 a lot. Unfortunately I also dislike some of its aspects, and I can't exactly say I appreciate having to play 90 hours of meandering filler for 60 hours of decent plot.
And that's why i'm so conflicted with this game. There is so much good that proves to me the devs knew what they were doing, and then there's some bafflingly infuriating design choices, as well as extremely half-baked filler additions that impede my enjoyment of it.
I will give CS4 credit where it's due however. For all its flaws and idiocies, it made me realize what I loved about this franchise, and why I loved it so much in the first place. It helped me realize what made and broke Kiseki after almost two years of my opinions being wishy-washy because of a garbage fandom's influence.
I cannot say yet if my opinion on CS4 will be fully intact by the time I replay the whole franchise in an attempt to cement my opinions, but for now this will be good enough.
CS4 is a...maybe a 7, maybe a 10, and maybe even a 2. I don't particularly care. All I know is I like it.
It had already been too long since CS3 back when i first started it, and CS3 itself i played a fair amount of time after CS2. I've always had to take long breaks between each game and thus my overall opinion of the franchise is often quite fragmented.
When it came to playing CS4, I quite honestly was having trouble at first. Act 1 felt like a weaker CS2, very filler-y and meandering, but I pushed through and played until roughly the start of Act 2.
I then took another break for 6 months or so, and randomly decided to go back to it last week, determined to get it over with and be finally done with this, like it was a chore of some kind.
At first glance, nothing had really changed, hell, it was even becoming worse. I picked up right where the game's story takes a nosedive in relevance and the bonding events multiply the most, which prompted me to get extremely tired of the game's shit extremely quick.
It didn't help that other aspects of the game felt terribly uncooked and half-finished. The soundtrack is amazing at best, an uncohesive mess at worst, the overpopulation of the cast makes most characters feel more like glorified NPCs than standalone people with thoughts and feelings, the gameplay goes from stupidly unfair to ridiculously easy with a few simply adjustements and you lose interest quickly, and so on, and so forth.
In the meat of Act 2, I very seriously considered this to be the franchise's worst game, and while i didn't hate it, i just wasn't having that good a time.
So what happened? With the end of act 2 and the beginning of act 3 came a lot of setup for the game's true stakes, and my interest immediately perked up. We were getting scene after scene of interesting plot and lore that was finally worth all the trouble of the first two acts.
The bonding events leaped in quality (mostly because dodging all the heart ones at first let me do the non-romantic variants instead), and while the pacing was still a bit off with way too many events, their writing made them engaging nonetheless.
It's really as simple as that, I was beginning to actually enjoy myself. Act 3 was really good, and the Finale was absolutely excellent, as well as everything I could have asked for from a Kiseki game.
The penultimate fight and the reveals that accompanied it were particularly breathtaking. So much of Kiseki goes from setting up information that a later entry uses to set up its own foreshadowing.
That's what I love the most in this franchise, and if they keep going the way they are, i'm sure i'll love the next entries as well.
So...do I like this game? Yeah. I like CS4 a lot. Unfortunately I also dislike some of its aspects, and I can't exactly say I appreciate having to play 90 hours of meandering filler for 60 hours of decent plot.
And that's why i'm so conflicted with this game. There is so much good that proves to me the devs knew what they were doing, and then there's some bafflingly infuriating design choices, as well as extremely half-baked filler additions that impede my enjoyment of it.
I will give CS4 credit where it's due however. For all its flaws and idiocies, it made me realize what I loved about this franchise, and why I loved it so much in the first place. It helped me realize what made and broke Kiseki after almost two years of my opinions being wishy-washy because of a garbage fandom's influence.
I cannot say yet if my opinion on CS4 will be fully intact by the time I replay the whole franchise in an attempt to cement my opinions, but for now this will be good enough.
CS4 is a...maybe a 7, maybe a 10, and maybe even a 2. I don't particularly care. All I know is I like it.
The Great Ace Attorney might well be an amalgamation of everything the franchise established itself to do best.
It's got engaging cases, interesting connections, compelling characters and incredibly human motivations.
On the surface, the presentation is simply immaculate, making for the most creative and visually appealing game in the series bar none. The music, heavily relying on orchestral instrumentation, is absolutely splendid and incredibly fitting for the game and everything from the character animations to the designs themselves oozes fun and creativity, it's an absolute festival of stylishness and joy to watch unfold.
The characters are some of the series' best written yet, and the ensemble cast is absolutely my favorite, without hesitation. The way each character bounces off one another, their close links, dynamics, shared history or lack thereof, it's all played in extremely interesting and heartwarming ways, and I love most of them all so SO much.
This game also does what only the best AA games bother doing, in instilling a deeper, connected narrative behind every single case. It's less a duology, and more 10 cases that slowly, but surely, ramp up and set up the larger and foggier mystery behind the events of the game. It's quite a long ride, and maybe a bit slow at times, but by the time you reach the answers and conclusion, it's hard to not feel as if you've truly rode a spectacular rollercoaster. Everything is tied up cleanly in the best of ways, and it feels INCREDIBLY satisfying to reach that ending on your own accord.
To conclude, The Great Ace Attorney is, without question, my favorite AA title.
It's got the style, the groove, the polish, the heart, and everything that makes me love Ace Attorney and so SO much more too.
...wonder if finishing Investigations 2 will change my mind...
It's got engaging cases, interesting connections, compelling characters and incredibly human motivations.
On the surface, the presentation is simply immaculate, making for the most creative and visually appealing game in the series bar none. The music, heavily relying on orchestral instrumentation, is absolutely splendid and incredibly fitting for the game and everything from the character animations to the designs themselves oozes fun and creativity, it's an absolute festival of stylishness and joy to watch unfold.
The characters are some of the series' best written yet, and the ensemble cast is absolutely my favorite, without hesitation. The way each character bounces off one another, their close links, dynamics, shared history or lack thereof, it's all played in extremely interesting and heartwarming ways, and I love most of them all so SO much.
This game also does what only the best AA games bother doing, in instilling a deeper, connected narrative behind every single case. It's less a duology, and more 10 cases that slowly, but surely, ramp up and set up the larger and foggier mystery behind the events of the game. It's quite a long ride, and maybe a bit slow at times, but by the time you reach the answers and conclusion, it's hard to not feel as if you've truly rode a spectacular rollercoaster. Everything is tied up cleanly in the best of ways, and it feels INCREDIBLY satisfying to reach that ending on your own accord.
To conclude, The Great Ace Attorney is, without question, my favorite AA title.
It's got the style, the groove, the polish, the heart, and everything that makes me love Ace Attorney and so SO much more too.
...wonder if finishing Investigations 2 will change my mind...
The Missing is...a hard game to talk about. I think it really needs to be experienced to be understood. It's also a hard game to recommend, given both the content warnings required (extreme violence and body horror) and some of the subject matters tackled (self-harm, dysphoria, suicide). However, it touched me in a way very few games have managed to, and i couldn't be more thankful to have played it.
The gameplay is basically if Limbo or Inside decided to make death a mechanic. You struggle forward using the harm the environment brings to yourself, by using your limbs to solve different puzzles. In and of itself, it's just a dark twist on a pretty-overdone genre, but this gimmick in turn perfectly resonates with the core themes of the game and the story itself.
I'm sorry i'm keeping it vague, i genuinely want to say the least bit possible aside from what could genuinely hurt some people, so please heed the warnings of the first paragraph, and if it seems like it won't bother you TOO much, go ahead and play it.
The Missing is an absolutely breathtaking experience and one of the best uses of ludo-narrative in a game i've seen in a long time. You suffer along with the main character, and the visuals, sound design and ambience all contribute to it so goddamn well. And that Finale is legit one of the best i've come across in gaming period.
So uh, play it, but only if you feel you can take it, because it IS a very hard game. Not in terms of difficulty mind you, just in terms of...uh...taking it all in.
Edit (18/10/2022): I have different pronouns now, thank you Swery.
The gameplay is basically if Limbo or Inside decided to make death a mechanic. You struggle forward using the harm the environment brings to yourself, by using your limbs to solve different puzzles. In and of itself, it's just a dark twist on a pretty-overdone genre, but this gimmick in turn perfectly resonates with the core themes of the game and the story itself.
I'm sorry i'm keeping it vague, i genuinely want to say the least bit possible aside from what could genuinely hurt some people, so please heed the warnings of the first paragraph, and if it seems like it won't bother you TOO much, go ahead and play it.
The Missing is an absolutely breathtaking experience and one of the best uses of ludo-narrative in a game i've seen in a long time. You suffer along with the main character, and the visuals, sound design and ambience all contribute to it so goddamn well. And that Finale is legit one of the best i've come across in gaming period.
So uh, play it, but only if you feel you can take it, because it IS a very hard game. Not in terms of difficulty mind you, just in terms of...uh...taking it all in.
Edit (18/10/2022): I have different pronouns now, thank you Swery.
Replicant is what happens when you uncrust a fundamentally crusty and janky game for an actually pleasant experience (a rarity in Yoko Taro's repertoire I'll add)
Does it succeed? I...am inclined to say yes!
The combat isn't the best, especially next to Automata's, but it's crisp and it feels visceral enough to be addictive. The story itself is hard to sum up, but I played already knowing everything until ending D, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.
What the game has as its strongest point without doubt however, is the cast and their dynamics and interactions. Alone, they're some of my favorite characters around. Kaine, Emil and Weiss especially. Together, they are my single favorite cast of characters in any media period.
The way they're written, how they bounce off each other, their comical scenes, their dramatic ones, they are amazing characters who resonate amazingly well with each other, and just for that alone giving the game 5 stars is easy af.
As an aside, the newly added Shipwreck and Ending E only serve to complement the cast even further and they perfectly fall in line with Nier's spirit, and I'm so glad they exist in this game.
With everything said, I do have some small gripes. The redo of part 2 would have been better done only once instead of twice (as an addition to the first time). The 3rd playthrough's additions could definitely have just been part of the 2nd's, and spreading them didn't feel particularly relevant to me.
It took me months to finish cause I kinda just lost motivation along the way, notably at the end where Endings C and D require you to do the final area twice in a row, despite you having done it twice before already.
Interesting to see how Automata would come to resolve all my issues here btw, it's an experience in and of itself to see what Taro took away from developing Replicant.
Anyways, all in all, and despite my gripes, I still consider Replicant a 10/10. Not because it's perfect, but because it's just that good.
Does it succeed? I...am inclined to say yes!
The combat isn't the best, especially next to Automata's, but it's crisp and it feels visceral enough to be addictive. The story itself is hard to sum up, but I played already knowing everything until ending D, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.
What the game has as its strongest point without doubt however, is the cast and their dynamics and interactions. Alone, they're some of my favorite characters around. Kaine, Emil and Weiss especially. Together, they are my single favorite cast of characters in any media period.
The way they're written, how they bounce off each other, their comical scenes, their dramatic ones, they are amazing characters who resonate amazingly well with each other, and just for that alone giving the game 5 stars is easy af.
As an aside, the newly added Shipwreck and Ending E only serve to complement the cast even further and they perfectly fall in line with Nier's spirit, and I'm so glad they exist in this game.
With everything said, I do have some small gripes. The redo of part 2 would have been better done only once instead of twice (as an addition to the first time). The 3rd playthrough's additions could definitely have just been part of the 2nd's, and spreading them didn't feel particularly relevant to me.
It took me months to finish cause I kinda just lost motivation along the way, notably at the end where Endings C and D require you to do the final area twice in a row, despite you having done it twice before already.
Interesting to see how Automata would come to resolve all my issues here btw, it's an experience in and of itself to see what Taro took away from developing Replicant.
Anyways, all in all, and despite my gripes, I still consider Replicant a 10/10. Not because it's perfect, but because it's just that good.
I was always gonna come around to playing this eventually, from the resounding praise I heard to just the sheer vibes I got from it (having the same director as Ace Attorney also helped).
And what can I say? I was not disappointed in the least, just the opposite in fact! Ghost Trick is a short but phenomenal experience, meshing a fun, smart and addictive gameplay with gorgeous presentation, a quirky and lovable cast of characters and a really sweet and satisfying plot that ties itself in the best possible way.
I literally have nothing bad to say about it and I teared up a bit at times, and even when I was aware of some twists, I still got blindsided by others lmao.
In short, play Ghost Trick.
(Also...ugh...Radd won I guess)
And what can I say? I was not disappointed in the least, just the opposite in fact! Ghost Trick is a short but phenomenal experience, meshing a fun, smart and addictive gameplay with gorgeous presentation, a quirky and lovable cast of characters and a really sweet and satisfying plot that ties itself in the best possible way.
I literally have nothing bad to say about it and I teared up a bit at times, and even when I was aware of some twists, I still got blindsided by others lmao.
In short, play Ghost Trick.
(Also...ugh...Radd won I guess)
2005
Xanadu Next has a lot going for it. A very unique and mysterious atmosphere, an unmatched feeling of exploration and adventure and a really rich and interesting lore that becomes intertwined with a sweet and melancholic storyline. It's a game I would recommend on these merits alone, but some of the crust and jank proper to its genre, some questionable dungeon designs and a lot of astoundingly annoying elements of rust keep it from being something for everyone.
If you can battle through the mud and dirt to enjoy the absolutely beautiful music and wonderful atmosphere of this game, then be my guest. If you're not so sure, i'd pass.
If you can battle through the mud and dirt to enjoy the absolutely beautiful music and wonderful atmosphere of this game, then be my guest. If you're not so sure, i'd pass.
2019
Pretty much the ultimate Ys experience at this point, combining everything that made the previous games shine and incorporating them into a compelling and well-written storyline, along with really fun combat and amazing navigation tools.
I'm both scared and excited to see whether or not the next game will manage to follow in its footsteps.
I'm both scared and excited to see whether or not the next game will manage to follow in its footsteps.
2012
Honestly what more can I even say. Mahoyo is just a 'perfect' visual novel, in the sense that it is one of the more finely crafted and attuned pieces of its genre. The visuals, the music, the plot, the characters, everything works in perfect tandem to offer a truly compelling and beautiful experience, and I honestly can't praise it enough.
I also have to mention the wonderful cast, especially the main trio, and the different dynamics that are developped throughout the story between them. Alice, Shizuki and Aoko are amazing characters on their own, but its the strength of their relationship that truly carries an otherwise quite simple plot.
All in all, this was a genuinely great read, and if there ever comes a sequel, I will have great expectations from it.
I also have to mention the wonderful cast, especially the main trio, and the different dynamics that are developped throughout the story between them. Alice, Shizuki and Aoko are amazing characters on their own, but its the strength of their relationship that truly carries an otherwise quite simple plot.
All in all, this was a genuinely great read, and if there ever comes a sequel, I will have great expectations from it.
This review was written before the game released
We'll never peak higher than this as a civilisation
Edit: Okay I wrote this after the first trailer reveal but holy shit I was so fucking right
Edit: Okay I wrote this after the first trailer reveal but holy shit I was so fucking right
V won
2013
Wasn't quite what I expected, but still really really good! Excited to read more after that enormous cliffhanger.
If I ever find who wrote this game's story, they're gonna have to file a restraining order.