Rise of the Ronin was my first Team Ninja game, so going in, I didn’t know what to expect. As someone who isn’t the biggest Souls-like fan, it could’ve easily not been for me. It was the opposite. The story, being a sucker for 19th-century historical nonfiction (with some player choice thrown in there), is quite good. However, I felt as if there were too many allies, a little over 30, with most of them being pretty bland, with a few exceptions. I can’t do this review without mentioning the frame drop and how dated the PS5 already is. Frequent dips into the 30s for an action-heavy game can be off-putting, but it was helped by a patch after launch that stabilized it mostly.

Where the game really shines is the combat. Boss gauntlets, stealth, parrying, a variety of weapons and builds to play around with—the whole nine yards. Once you get the parrying down pat, it’s one of the more satisfying games I can remember playing. The stealth doesn’t feel forced, the gunplay is excellent, and the main antagonist is fun and difficult but has a good balance.

Overall, this was a good game. The beautiful setting of Japan during the Edo period, decent characters all around, and masterful combat. If that’s what you’re looking for in a game, I say go for it.

Crisis Core Reunion was an essential game to play for me, especially with a Rebirth being released recently. Zack is a lovable oaf, Genesis is an interesting villain, and some other familiar faces are overall the best parts of the game. Some chapters drag on a little too long, Genesis trying to reveal his plans through poems is somewhat annoying, but I still enjoyed my play through.

For a PSP game, the combat still holds up, yeah it’s button mashy like Kingdom Hearts but it’s part of the fun, and the Materia system is still the best.

If you’re a fan of Final Fantasy 7, or are thinking about playing Remake, play this game.

Where to begin? First and foremost, I want to preface this by saying I enjoyed this game so much that I’m going to review a piece of media for the first time.

75 hours into Persona 3 Reload, I wasn’t sure what I was going to rate it. Tartarus was fantastic; it felt refreshing every time a new section opened up, and the combat was so fluid and fun to play, even as a turn-based game. I split the Social Links into two categories: the side characters and the main characters (including the linked episodes). I have to be honest; most of them ended up being a miss for me. With 20 total, only about 5 were really memorable for me. The rest weren’t bad by any means but somewhat forgettable.

What really makes this game special for me is the story. It’s full of twists and turns, as well as emotional beats that really hit home for me. The villains were a treat; the mystery surrounding them at first was enough to make them interesting until their motivation was revealed. Last but not least, the ending was truly beautiful. If you haven’t played this game, do yourself a favor and buy it. I promise you won’t regret it, and by the end, you’ll feel like A Most Remarkable Guest.

P.S. - Every music track in this game is straight flames.