calebthemage
204 reviews liked by calebthemage
Tell me… Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?
i struggle to compose my exact feelings in a review format as they remain scattered and formless even to myself, but i'm going to try my best. a Zelda title plagued with frustrating movement, trampling its own rules, and somewhat awkward pacing, yet has established itself as a poetic tapestry, a metaphor of sacrifice and responsibility along with linearity full of intent, and has made it my personal favourite entry thus far. there were moments where my misunderstandings of a puzzle or dungeon navigation lead to my repeating entire gauntlets of rooms that had me teetering into "gripping my controller in rage" territory, yet the artistic elements of the world (atmosphere, design, score, writing) always kept my attention; most problems i discovered were my own misreadings of given contexts and poor applications of practical thinking, though directional movement when clinging to a wall was designed in a lab to be excruciating and incorrect 99% of the time.
within twiprincess we see emergent gameplay and narrative themes which set expectations for future entries, as well as easily the most inventive selection of tools available to Link across its playtime, with the spinner and its application in and outside the Arbiter's Grounds (especially during its boss encounter) absolutely captivating. to praise the tools is not to draw attention away from the focus on incredible sword techniques utilised in battle, skills which must be earnt by training below one of the coolest characters to ever appear in the franchise, each and every one seeing regular use in my encounters. Link lives and breathes his swordplay in twiprincess and in his rising to Ordon's — and by extension Hyrule's — challenges, he surfaces from the other side as a seasoned veteran of myriad dark horrors, a far cry from the kind-eyed farmboy.
Zelda entries have always seen themes of maturity, coming of age, and extinguished innocence, though twiprincess' use of an evil which directly acts to steal away children's lives, the very future itself, sets the tone for the coming events. Link is very unsubtly being teed up to become town swordsman Rusl's apprentice and eventual replacement in the village hierarchy, a fresh-faced youngster who is content to pay his dues within the bounds of the forest. it's when the idyllic reality of his farm life is shattered upon the jarring kidnapping of the children that the game truly begins in full upon the assumption of Link's wolf/twilight form. i have heard a common criticism that this prologue segment is boring or carries on too long, but i argue the simplistic normalcy and mundanity (not dissimilar to how the SoL segments of Higurashi make me feel) that twiprincess chooses to immerse the player into Link's perspective compliments his characterisation, which is some of his strongest across the franchise.
touching further on the forceful alien transformation and all the gameplay quirks which come with it, i feel the body horror aspects of both Link's and Midna's malformations goes understated or brushed aside within discussion regarding the game (as far as i can see). it's Link's direct personal interaction with the darkness which threatens Hyrule, a symbolic chain affixed to his paw which resounds with each step, which fortifies his submission to Midna's assistance with a fatalistic seed planted. Midna herself must witness the downfall of her tribe firsthand, rendered into meandering savage beasts as she is powerless to halt the advance of some power-drunk servant. our hero, tainted. a princess, defiled and robbed. yet both tread onward, so that this power must not be misused again.
thank you twiprincess for my new favourite Hyrule Castle rendition, my distaste into utter infatuation with the Oocca, and the most incredible set pieces and artistic vision to me across the entire franchise. it casts aside the past that came before it and steps into the light of the future, risking everything to become something truly unique and special. the once cultivated Kakariko has become a ravaged place, the Zora have lost their monarch, the Sheikah are all but blotted from history's weave. yet there is always time to atone, to mend. a sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.
i struggle to compose my exact feelings in a review format as they remain scattered and formless even to myself, but i'm going to try my best. a Zelda title plagued with frustrating movement, trampling its own rules, and somewhat awkward pacing, yet has established itself as a poetic tapestry, a metaphor of sacrifice and responsibility along with linearity full of intent, and has made it my personal favourite entry thus far. there were moments where my misunderstandings of a puzzle or dungeon navigation lead to my repeating entire gauntlets of rooms that had me teetering into "gripping my controller in rage" territory, yet the artistic elements of the world (atmosphere, design, score, writing) always kept my attention; most problems i discovered were my own misreadings of given contexts and poor applications of practical thinking, though directional movement when clinging to a wall was designed in a lab to be excruciating and incorrect 99% of the time.
within twiprincess we see emergent gameplay and narrative themes which set expectations for future entries, as well as easily the most inventive selection of tools available to Link across its playtime, with the spinner and its application in and outside the Arbiter's Grounds (especially during its boss encounter) absolutely captivating. to praise the tools is not to draw attention away from the focus on incredible sword techniques utilised in battle, skills which must be earnt by training below one of the coolest characters to ever appear in the franchise, each and every one seeing regular use in my encounters. Link lives and breathes his swordplay in twiprincess and in his rising to Ordon's — and by extension Hyrule's — challenges, he surfaces from the other side as a seasoned veteran of myriad dark horrors, a far cry from the kind-eyed farmboy.
Zelda entries have always seen themes of maturity, coming of age, and extinguished innocence, though twiprincess' use of an evil which directly acts to steal away children's lives, the very future itself, sets the tone for the coming events. Link is very unsubtly being teed up to become town swordsman Rusl's apprentice and eventual replacement in the village hierarchy, a fresh-faced youngster who is content to pay his dues within the bounds of the forest. it's when the idyllic reality of his farm life is shattered upon the jarring kidnapping of the children that the game truly begins in full upon the assumption of Link's wolf/twilight form. i have heard a common criticism that this prologue segment is boring or carries on too long, but i argue the simplistic normalcy and mundanity (not dissimilar to how the SoL segments of Higurashi make me feel) that twiprincess chooses to immerse the player into Link's perspective compliments his characterisation, which is some of his strongest across the franchise.
touching further on the forceful alien transformation and all the gameplay quirks which come with it, i feel the body horror aspects of both Link's and Midna's malformations goes understated or brushed aside within discussion regarding the game (as far as i can see). it's Link's direct personal interaction with the darkness which threatens Hyrule, a symbolic chain affixed to his paw which resounds with each step, which fortifies his submission to Midna's assistance with a fatalistic seed planted. Midna herself must witness the downfall of her tribe firsthand, rendered into meandering savage beasts as she is powerless to halt the advance of some power-drunk servant. our hero, tainted. a princess, defiled and robbed. yet both tread onward, so that this power must not be misused again.
thank you twiprincess for my new favourite Hyrule Castle rendition, my distaste into utter infatuation with the Oocca, and the most incredible set pieces and artistic vision to me across the entire franchise. it casts aside the past that came before it and steps into the light of the future, risking everything to become something truly unique and special. the once cultivated Kakariko has become a ravaged place, the Zora have lost their monarch, the Sheikah are all but blotted from history's weave. yet there is always time to atone, to mend. a sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.
This review contains spoilers
This is less of a proper review, but more of a big wall of messy ideas and unfiltered thoughts. I normally wouldn't make a post for something like this, but this game felt like an exception for me.
Act 1 of Dragon Quest XI is in no uncertain terms, very close to the ideal Dragon Quest adventure for me in a lot of ways. The beginning has a unique drive to it, and it doesn't waste a lot of time sending you out of your hometown on horseback. Party members are slewed out nicely (oftentimes in pairs) and the pace at which the world expands feels very meticulous and orchestrated. After getting the boat, I sort of entered this zen state going "yeah, this game is actually kind of really fucking good!" This building momentum which Act 1 moves at is honestly really impressive to me, and the Lonalulu mermaid scenario might genuinely be my second favorite part of the entire game. By the time I reached Arboria, I wanna say I had like, 30 hours played? As I watched Yggdrasil fall and stuff I was totally like "god shit is gonna get so real and Dragon Quest is gonna do it again!"
The Definitive Edition of DQXI adds four new interlude chapters before Act 2 Actually Starts, and I think they're kind of on a spectrum of quality. I don't really like Jade's, Sylvando's and Erik's are neat, and Rab's interlude chapter is my favorite part of the entire game. It's kind of a mixed bag, but it honestly kind of had me excited for what was gonna happen during Act 2 (because like holy shit Mordegon was kind of a dick for that)
And then the game just gets like, kinda really boring for a while.
A very clear cut comparison I can make to Act 2 would be something like the World of Ruin from FFVI. The world is kinda fucked, and hey wow all of my friends are scattered around the joint and I gotta find them. The problem with DQXI's Act 2 is that, outside of joining forces with Hendrick and revisiting Heliodor, the world you're traversing and interacting with doesn't actually feel different. Sure, sometimes people are sad and the sky looks kind of cloudy, but there's genuinely nothing new or interesting about Erdrea that keeps this from feeling like a dull retread of Act 1 stripped of its novelty. It doesn't really help that the orbs are reintroduced as well, almost as if there wasn't really an effort made in trying to deny it at all. This also being one of the most strictly linear parts of the game as well isn't doing it any favors either if I'm being honest.
Yggdrasil is the epicenter of Erdrea's existence, and there is legitimately not really anything meaningful DQXI has to show for the consequences of it being razed to the ground. In FFVI, towns were shattered and some were even abandoned. The overworld music was haunting, and the terrain you walked on was scorched and shifted by the calamity. When the transitional text into the second half of that game said "on that day the world was changed forever" it's not something you were meant to treat as hyperbole. Now, I'm not saying I wanted XI's map to be entirely restructured or something like that, it's an unreasonable expectation I wouldn't really put on any game of this stature. I just wanted something, anything significant for me to latch onto.
Something I've seen Act 2 get praised for a lot is how it develops its characters, and for a pretty good amount of the cast, I actually kind of agree! Sylvando meeting with his dad after ten years of absence and realizing that no matter what, he'll always be there and care for him unconditionally is heartwarming. Serena reconciling with the death of Veronica and using it as a way to strengthen her resolve so that her sister can live on through her is beautiful. Rab denying a perfect life built from his memories so he can bear the hardship of the present and be there for his grandchild (you!) is still the best part of the entire game for me.
Outside of those 3 examples though, I kinda don't have a lot of very nice things to say about everyone else. Hendrick is like, I dunno he's fine, I like his relationship with Jasper but I also did permanently bench him as soon as I got everyone else back, so suffice to say I didn't really care about him a lot. Erik and Jade are kind of uniquely awful though.
Amnesia is maybe one of my least favorite narrative tropes, like ever, and it's something I've only ever enjoyed under the pretense of it being used for a deliberate use of dramatic irony, or as a way to mess with the person engaging with the work. DQXI does neither of these things, and I cannot for the life of me understand what the point of Erik having amnesia is. It's just so like, effortlessly solved too. You roll up to Sniflheim, watch his memories through a root of Yggdrasil (honestly kind of confused how this still works when the tree is dead) and that's it. I'm just kind of baffled by it, this whole subplot feels like the result of facing the simple problem of "hey how do we convey Erik's backstory to the party and the player" and just deciding on the most ridiculously outlandish solution possible when there's like a million better ways of handling it naturally. It's so much funnier if you meet up with Erik a bit earlier than you're "supposed" to as well, as he pretty much just stands around and hangs out like he's your awkward little brother. All of the stuff regarding him is just even worse if you played vanilla over Definitive Edition too, in which they don't even EXPLAIN why Erik gets amnesia in the first place since his interlude chapter isn't there. I don't even really think the explanation behind it is that good either, but that's neither here nor there at this point.
It's important to understand that Jade, and Octagonia by extension is a sort of homage/reinterpretation of the Alena chapter from DQIV. A scenario in which a tomboy princess kicks so much ass that she ends up having to be the person to defend her own bodyguards, and it ends with her completely dominating a tournament in what is easily the most iconic setpiece of that game. The way Jade is set up is very similar, as she's initially posed as a princess martial artist that's far more physically capable than her mentor. But by time you reach Dundrasil in Act 1, you learn she's a far more layered and sympathetic character. Her prowess doesn't come from a desire to be strong, but from the need to protect those around her so that she never has to risk losing them again. It's amazing, and she's so cool! I instantly gravitated towards her, and I was genuinely excited to see where her character went.
I'm not really going to mince words here, I think the way Act 2 handles Jade is terrible. The initial setup of her going to liberate Octagonia works as a good premise, but it just falls apart so fucking badly once you go up to the arena and meet Booga. You're given a yes/no prompt to put on a bunny suit for his pleasure, and the game doesn't really give you a choice to say no, because he'll kill a bunch of kids or some shit. It's not the most senseless or revolting thing I've ever seen or anything, but it honestly feels kind of disgusting to me out of principle. She doesn't even successfully revolt with the other prisoners either, as the Luminary and The Guys have to show up and save her. To see a character like Jade reduced to this is not only extremely disappointing, but it almost feels like a mockery when you consider what it was directly paying homage to as well. Unfortunately, Dragon Quest isn't really a stranger to some occasional eyebrow raising stuff regarding it's treatment of women at times. It's something that even my favorite games in the series (VII and VIII) don't get away with, but XI's treatment of Jade is quite frankly embarassing and all things considered it's personally upsetting to me.
One the note of paying tributes and homages to previous games, I think DQXI can feel a bit lopsided at times. It's adoration towards the past of the series very much feels genuine, but I cant help but think that adoration takes center stage in a way that oftentimes sacrifices some of the unique ground it has to stand on. That's not to say there isn't clever nods to be found within DQXI, the way the interlude chapters are structured like those of DQIV was not lost on me, and even if it was a bit on the nose I really appreciated how some of the songs were used. What makes a lot of those small tributes tick for me is that they exist by design, and the game never interrupts itself to go "Hey, do you remember so and so?" However, it's the stuff with Erdwyn that honestly began to really wear on me as the game went on. I understand that DQIII is very beloved game, and even if it's not my favorite, I absolutely respect it and admire what it was able to accomplish. DQXI is not shy about establishing the parallels between Erdwyn and Erdrick, and if I'm being honest, it just feels so tiring. It's such an endemic tendency throughout DQXI to show unambiguous reverence towards this game in particular to the point that it feels like it's living in its shadow rather than existing on its own terms at times.
Despite all of the mean things I've said about this game, I still kinda like it honestly? The Character Builder is arguably the best progression system in the series, and the way it coincided with the narrative really impressed me. Pep is a fun twist on combat, and having the turn based system go from being premeditated to conditional was a welcome change even if it took a while for me to get used to it. It's a gorgeous game with vibrant towns, and Toriyama's art will always be lovely to me no matter the context. Dragon Quest as a series has a lot of predominant fundamental strengths, and XI tends to do a very good job at adhering to them.
As of now, I haven't played Act 3, and honestly? I don't really plan to. Now, it's not because I heard people say it bad and that it undid certain plot elements, but moreso that I've already put over 60 hours into DQXI. It's not much of a secret that I'm not particularly enamored with this game, and I don't think I have it in me to follow through with something that's considered post game when there's other interests I could be pursuing. I guess that's just what happens when you play six of these in a row.
Act 1 of Dragon Quest XI is in no uncertain terms, very close to the ideal Dragon Quest adventure for me in a lot of ways. The beginning has a unique drive to it, and it doesn't waste a lot of time sending you out of your hometown on horseback. Party members are slewed out nicely (oftentimes in pairs) and the pace at which the world expands feels very meticulous and orchestrated. After getting the boat, I sort of entered this zen state going "yeah, this game is actually kind of really fucking good!" This building momentum which Act 1 moves at is honestly really impressive to me, and the Lonalulu mermaid scenario might genuinely be my second favorite part of the entire game. By the time I reached Arboria, I wanna say I had like, 30 hours played? As I watched Yggdrasil fall and stuff I was totally like "god shit is gonna get so real and Dragon Quest is gonna do it again!"
The Definitive Edition of DQXI adds four new interlude chapters before Act 2 Actually Starts, and I think they're kind of on a spectrum of quality. I don't really like Jade's, Sylvando's and Erik's are neat, and Rab's interlude chapter is my favorite part of the entire game. It's kind of a mixed bag, but it honestly kind of had me excited for what was gonna happen during Act 2 (because like holy shit Mordegon was kind of a dick for that)
And then the game just gets like, kinda really boring for a while.
A very clear cut comparison I can make to Act 2 would be something like the World of Ruin from FFVI. The world is kinda fucked, and hey wow all of my friends are scattered around the joint and I gotta find them. The problem with DQXI's Act 2 is that, outside of joining forces with Hendrick and revisiting Heliodor, the world you're traversing and interacting with doesn't actually feel different. Sure, sometimes people are sad and the sky looks kind of cloudy, but there's genuinely nothing new or interesting about Erdrea that keeps this from feeling like a dull retread of Act 1 stripped of its novelty. It doesn't really help that the orbs are reintroduced as well, almost as if there wasn't really an effort made in trying to deny it at all. This also being one of the most strictly linear parts of the game as well isn't doing it any favors either if I'm being honest.
Yggdrasil is the epicenter of Erdrea's existence, and there is legitimately not really anything meaningful DQXI has to show for the consequences of it being razed to the ground. In FFVI, towns were shattered and some were even abandoned. The overworld music was haunting, and the terrain you walked on was scorched and shifted by the calamity. When the transitional text into the second half of that game said "on that day the world was changed forever" it's not something you were meant to treat as hyperbole. Now, I'm not saying I wanted XI's map to be entirely restructured or something like that, it's an unreasonable expectation I wouldn't really put on any game of this stature. I just wanted something, anything significant for me to latch onto.
Something I've seen Act 2 get praised for a lot is how it develops its characters, and for a pretty good amount of the cast, I actually kind of agree! Sylvando meeting with his dad after ten years of absence and realizing that no matter what, he'll always be there and care for him unconditionally is heartwarming. Serena reconciling with the death of Veronica and using it as a way to strengthen her resolve so that her sister can live on through her is beautiful. Rab denying a perfect life built from his memories so he can bear the hardship of the present and be there for his grandchild (you!) is still the best part of the entire game for me.
Outside of those 3 examples though, I kinda don't have a lot of very nice things to say about everyone else. Hendrick is like, I dunno he's fine, I like his relationship with Jasper but I also did permanently bench him as soon as I got everyone else back, so suffice to say I didn't really care about him a lot. Erik and Jade are kind of uniquely awful though.
Amnesia is maybe one of my least favorite narrative tropes, like ever, and it's something I've only ever enjoyed under the pretense of it being used for a deliberate use of dramatic irony, or as a way to mess with the person engaging with the work. DQXI does neither of these things, and I cannot for the life of me understand what the point of Erik having amnesia is. It's just so like, effortlessly solved too. You roll up to Sniflheim, watch his memories through a root of Yggdrasil (honestly kind of confused how this still works when the tree is dead) and that's it. I'm just kind of baffled by it, this whole subplot feels like the result of facing the simple problem of "hey how do we convey Erik's backstory to the party and the player" and just deciding on the most ridiculously outlandish solution possible when there's like a million better ways of handling it naturally. It's so much funnier if you meet up with Erik a bit earlier than you're "supposed" to as well, as he pretty much just stands around and hangs out like he's your awkward little brother. All of the stuff regarding him is just even worse if you played vanilla over Definitive Edition too, in which they don't even EXPLAIN why Erik gets amnesia in the first place since his interlude chapter isn't there. I don't even really think the explanation behind it is that good either, but that's neither here nor there at this point.
It's important to understand that Jade, and Octagonia by extension is a sort of homage/reinterpretation of the Alena chapter from DQIV. A scenario in which a tomboy princess kicks so much ass that she ends up having to be the person to defend her own bodyguards, and it ends with her completely dominating a tournament in what is easily the most iconic setpiece of that game. The way Jade is set up is very similar, as she's initially posed as a princess martial artist that's far more physically capable than her mentor. But by time you reach Dundrasil in Act 1, you learn she's a far more layered and sympathetic character. Her prowess doesn't come from a desire to be strong, but from the need to protect those around her so that she never has to risk losing them again. It's amazing, and she's so cool! I instantly gravitated towards her, and I was genuinely excited to see where her character went.
I'm not really going to mince words here, I think the way Act 2 handles Jade is terrible. The initial setup of her going to liberate Octagonia works as a good premise, but it just falls apart so fucking badly once you go up to the arena and meet Booga. You're given a yes/no prompt to put on a bunny suit for his pleasure, and the game doesn't really give you a choice to say no, because he'll kill a bunch of kids or some shit. It's not the most senseless or revolting thing I've ever seen or anything, but it honestly feels kind of disgusting to me out of principle. She doesn't even successfully revolt with the other prisoners either, as the Luminary and The Guys have to show up and save her. To see a character like Jade reduced to this is not only extremely disappointing, but it almost feels like a mockery when you consider what it was directly paying homage to as well. Unfortunately, Dragon Quest isn't really a stranger to some occasional eyebrow raising stuff regarding it's treatment of women at times. It's something that even my favorite games in the series (VII and VIII) don't get away with, but XI's treatment of Jade is quite frankly embarassing and all things considered it's personally upsetting to me.
One the note of paying tributes and homages to previous games, I think DQXI can feel a bit lopsided at times. It's adoration towards the past of the series very much feels genuine, but I cant help but think that adoration takes center stage in a way that oftentimes sacrifices some of the unique ground it has to stand on. That's not to say there isn't clever nods to be found within DQXI, the way the interlude chapters are structured like those of DQIV was not lost on me, and even if it was a bit on the nose I really appreciated how some of the songs were used. What makes a lot of those small tributes tick for me is that they exist by design, and the game never interrupts itself to go "Hey, do you remember so and so?" However, it's the stuff with Erdwyn that honestly began to really wear on me as the game went on. I understand that DQIII is very beloved game, and even if it's not my favorite, I absolutely respect it and admire what it was able to accomplish. DQXI is not shy about establishing the parallels between Erdwyn and Erdrick, and if I'm being honest, it just feels so tiring. It's such an endemic tendency throughout DQXI to show unambiguous reverence towards this game in particular to the point that it feels like it's living in its shadow rather than existing on its own terms at times.
Despite all of the mean things I've said about this game, I still kinda like it honestly? The Character Builder is arguably the best progression system in the series, and the way it coincided with the narrative really impressed me. Pep is a fun twist on combat, and having the turn based system go from being premeditated to conditional was a welcome change even if it took a while for me to get used to it. It's a gorgeous game with vibrant towns, and Toriyama's art will always be lovely to me no matter the context. Dragon Quest as a series has a lot of predominant fundamental strengths, and XI tends to do a very good job at adhering to them.
As of now, I haven't played Act 3, and honestly? I don't really plan to. Now, it's not because I heard people say it bad and that it undid certain plot elements, but moreso that I've already put over 60 hours into DQXI. It's not much of a secret that I'm not particularly enamored with this game, and I don't think I have it in me to follow through with something that's considered post game when there's other interests I could be pursuing. I guess that's just what happens when you play six of these in a row.
Octopath Traveler
2018
Yasunori Nishiki deserves the sloppiest of kisses for composing this soundtrack, genuinely one of my favourites in a long time
The charm of chibi and this games HD-2D art style is something that'll never leave my body, despite the grinding nature and traversal of this game I still think it keeps itself at bay without hurting its core too much with how atmospheric it ends up being, specific ones like ‘An Ill Omen’ and thermions theme are fucking fantastic. id even go as far to describe its soundtrack as whimsical in a sense.
I feel as though the lack of intertwinement of the cast is the biggest missed potential of this game as a whole, its split into eight individual stories to branch out the combat and the travel banter is there attempt at closing the gap but it still feels missed.
The maturity and overall tone of Primrose’s story moved me the most out the bunch, its take on you having to fight Primrose’s version of her final obstacle and then the real obstacle is a very welcomed detail. Aside from that Therion and Olbersic’s stories were favourites and even characters who weren’t on screen all that much like Leon added alot to not just Tressa’s story but everything as a whole.
All in all it’s a welcomed experience, one that I pumped 150 hours into but something id say was worth my time. I’ve been told my main gripes with this story get improved upon in 2 so im genuinely excited to continue sometime later this year
“Where’s the nearest tavern!”
The charm of chibi and this games HD-2D art style is something that'll never leave my body, despite the grinding nature and traversal of this game I still think it keeps itself at bay without hurting its core too much with how atmospheric it ends up being, specific ones like ‘An Ill Omen’ and thermions theme are fucking fantastic. id even go as far to describe its soundtrack as whimsical in a sense.
I feel as though the lack of intertwinement of the cast is the biggest missed potential of this game as a whole, its split into eight individual stories to branch out the combat and the travel banter is there attempt at closing the gap but it still feels missed.
The maturity and overall tone of Primrose’s story moved me the most out the bunch, its take on you having to fight Primrose’s version of her final obstacle and then the real obstacle is a very welcomed detail. Aside from that Therion and Olbersic’s stories were favourites and even characters who weren’t on screen all that much like Leon added alot to not just Tressa’s story but everything as a whole.
All in all it’s a welcomed experience, one that I pumped 150 hours into but something id say was worth my time. I’ve been told my main gripes with this story get improved upon in 2 so im genuinely excited to continue sometime later this year
“Where’s the nearest tavern!”
Very out the blue binge but it’s simply just comforting while being minimal in everything it does
Garoad’s vision for the soundtrack carries this game so far in its limited 10 hour runtime but that’s perfect sonde Jill’s small talk with every character that steps in the bar is so fucking fun man.
Time to mix drinks and change lives.
Garoad’s vision for the soundtrack carries this game so far in its limited 10 hour runtime but that’s perfect sonde Jill’s small talk with every character that steps in the bar is so fucking fun man.
Time to mix drinks and change lives.
This review contains spoilers
meh. feels like a culmination of both the best and worst to come out of kiseki as a whole.
Liberl and Crossbell coming together after so long feels satisfying while other aspects drag it down, had my fun just happy to move on now
For an experience of 9 games in the making it dosen’t feel nearly as satisfactory as it should be to be the end of an entire saga. In regards to lore I honestly think its some of the best in the entire series, from the depictions of the divine knights to Act 3’s lore reveal regarding Arianhrod’s past preserved from the Black Records, shes one of my favourites they’ve written in the franchise in all honestly and I feel it’ll stay that way. The lore itself feels like a gift to those who played all the previous games and avoided skipping any arc beforehand.
Even in ‘Fragments’, an intermission that does sensational work for Rean’s character as a whole picks up from a holy slog that was the first act and as a whole takes a while to get its framework from the rest of the franchise. Rean's character was iffy to me at first with the idea of accepting spirit unification then forgetting it in Coldsteel 3 but the idea of him becoming a teacher was probably the best direction they could've taken him and im happy they did. Its also rather aggravating when most of new and old class 7's development or character rely solely on Rean himself instead of other avenues (a select few characters do get this its just a shame its not most of them) but decisions like giving Machias development In CS1 then proceeding to completely forget about making him a character until CS4 is bizarre to me, even the idea of giving Gaius having the dominion just feels weird an attempt to add a semblance of importance to his character but I get why they did it. Some aspects that constantly way it down are the forced inclusions of characters like George (I took out the ‘G’ from ‘Gnome’ and went with that george) Angelica and then theres Black Alberich, that brother just feels like a waste of ‘Hikori Yasumoto’s’ voice and just stayed monotone 2 whole games with no change. It's funny saying this while Coldsteel holds the best antagonist in the series so far, Osborne. He’s been teased since the culmination of the kiseki series and from start to when the curtains close he delivers. It’s a damn shame we didnt get a final 1v1 duel here instead of a simple cutscene but thats just my own preference so I dont mind that much. Even as a soundtrack it's comfortably my least favourite in the series (blame singa)
I can wake up tomorrow knowing that I dont have to touch another cold steel game, and with that im at peace
Liberl and Crossbell coming together after so long feels satisfying while other aspects drag it down, had my fun just happy to move on now
For an experience of 9 games in the making it dosen’t feel nearly as satisfactory as it should be to be the end of an entire saga. In regards to lore I honestly think its some of the best in the entire series, from the depictions of the divine knights to Act 3’s lore reveal regarding Arianhrod’s past preserved from the Black Records, shes one of my favourites they’ve written in the franchise in all honestly and I feel it’ll stay that way. The lore itself feels like a gift to those who played all the previous games and avoided skipping any arc beforehand.
Even in ‘Fragments’, an intermission that does sensational work for Rean’s character as a whole picks up from a holy slog that was the first act and as a whole takes a while to get its framework from the rest of the franchise. Rean's character was iffy to me at first with the idea of accepting spirit unification then forgetting it in Coldsteel 3 but the idea of him becoming a teacher was probably the best direction they could've taken him and im happy they did. Its also rather aggravating when most of new and old class 7's development or character rely solely on Rean himself instead of other avenues (a select few characters do get this its just a shame its not most of them) but decisions like giving Machias development In CS1 then proceeding to completely forget about making him a character until CS4 is bizarre to me, even the idea of giving Gaius having the dominion just feels weird an attempt to add a semblance of importance to his character but I get why they did it. Some aspects that constantly way it down are the forced inclusions of characters like George (I took out the ‘G’ from ‘Gnome’ and went with that george) Angelica and then theres Black Alberich, that brother just feels like a waste of ‘Hikori Yasumoto’s’ voice and just stayed monotone 2 whole games with no change. It's funny saying this while Coldsteel holds the best antagonist in the series so far, Osborne. He’s been teased since the culmination of the kiseki series and from start to when the curtains close he delivers. It’s a damn shame we didnt get a final 1v1 duel here instead of a simple cutscene but thats just my own preference so I dont mind that much. Even as a soundtrack it's comfortably my least favourite in the series (blame singa)
I can wake up tomorrow knowing that I dont have to touch another cold steel game, and with that im at peace
Nayuta no Kiseki was a game that i've been looking forward since i've caught up to trails (Kuro 1 back then) and something was always strange of why this game took more than a decade to get localized and after NISA announcing Nayuta is coming to west, nothing could've prepared on how much i've loved.
It's so crazy knowing Falcom releasing games every single year, but something is very different in this one game especifically. For a example that really took their own time to create an story than doesnt really rely in the other games, and that's the biggest strength of this game, it gives a sense of identity while pleasing the veterans like me. Also it's not a game that was forced to be the next game for whatever means, like Tokyo Xanadu was released to give more dev time for YS 8 or Kuro no Kiseki 2 for YS X in the same reason.
So coming from after Kuro 2, i'm so glad Nayuta felt like a complete fresh of an air, chibi sprites, old falcom soundteam soul, immaculate art direction and a simple but touching story while maintaining a bit of the Trails series is everything i wished for. It's safe to say that it meet my expectations by a long shot, playing an trails game late a night and having me dialed makes this game an another special to me. Especially considering the struggle of being an Trails fan.
The last thing i wanted to mentioned is how i geniuely missed the old comfy and insane tracks that Falcom is very known for, especially Saki Momiyama (Zero/Azure composer) was insane in this game, it geniuely stole the spotlight for me and makes me miss the cohesion and the passion of every sound team composer and making an special game for as long they can remember.
It's so crazy knowing Falcom releasing games every single year, but something is very different in this one game especifically. For a example that really took their own time to create an story than doesnt really rely in the other games, and that's the biggest strength of this game, it gives a sense of identity while pleasing the veterans like me. Also it's not a game that was forced to be the next game for whatever means, like Tokyo Xanadu was released to give more dev time for YS 8 or Kuro no Kiseki 2 for YS X in the same reason.
So coming from after Kuro 2, i'm so glad Nayuta felt like a complete fresh of an air, chibi sprites, old falcom soundteam soul, immaculate art direction and a simple but touching story while maintaining a bit of the Trails series is everything i wished for. It's safe to say that it meet my expectations by a long shot, playing an trails game late a night and having me dialed makes this game an another special to me. Especially considering the struggle of being an Trails fan.
The last thing i wanted to mentioned is how i geniuely missed the old comfy and insane tracks that Falcom is very known for, especially Saki Momiyama (Zero/Azure composer) was insane in this game, it geniuely stole the spotlight for me and makes me miss the cohesion and the passion of every sound team composer and making an special game for as long they can remember.
Games that tell stories only capable of being relayed through the medium of gaming will always hold a special place in my heart. Since my first encounters with video games as a whole, I've never quite found any method of storytelling to even compare to it. Sure, the occasional film or manga or what have you might catch my attention, but those I hold at the peak of any other medium don't really come close to the experiences I've had with gaming.
Return of the Obra Dinn has once again solidified this idea for me, and it does so in such a way where I feel that everything within the experience is deserving of commendation. The actors, writing, art, music, and everything all together unite for an extremely fleshed out and cohesive experience that held my attention the whole way through. I believe this holds true for much of the game's playerbase due to the incredible completion rates seen on each of the achievements. Return of the Obra Dinn manages to create a very unique gameplay loop I haven't quite seen elsewhere, it's an incredibly fresh and engaging experience that I feel anyone with a brain could hold appreciation for. It might not be a grand story in comparison to other titles of today, but it sure as hell is a good one, a GREAT one.
A game that will constantly have you thinking, theorizing, trying new things, finding new angles, and most importantly, keeping you engaged following through its bizarre and beautiful storytelling. This is a game that I believe couldn't and shouldn't be passed up, if you're interested, play it. You won't regret it.
Return of the Obra Dinn has once again solidified this idea for me, and it does so in such a way where I feel that everything within the experience is deserving of commendation. The actors, writing, art, music, and everything all together unite for an extremely fleshed out and cohesive experience that held my attention the whole way through. I believe this holds true for much of the game's playerbase due to the incredible completion rates seen on each of the achievements. Return of the Obra Dinn manages to create a very unique gameplay loop I haven't quite seen elsewhere, it's an incredibly fresh and engaging experience that I feel anyone with a brain could hold appreciation for. It might not be a grand story in comparison to other titles of today, but it sure as hell is a good one, a GREAT one.
A game that will constantly have you thinking, theorizing, trying new things, finding new angles, and most importantly, keeping you engaged following through its bizarre and beautiful storytelling. This is a game that I believe couldn't and shouldn't be passed up, if you're interested, play it. You won't regret it.
Life is Strange
2015
Huh, maybe all those times I said, “I really wish I was a girl like Max and Chloe,” during my first playthrough of this game when I was 12 weren’t random or meaningless after all.
Critters for Sale
2021
I FEEL NOIDED SO NOIDED LIKE NOIDED BEYOND THE NOID OF NOIDED (this games procreates harder than finding out your parents are getting divorced)
Final Fantasy IX
2000
Replayed this for the sake of nostalgia and its themes of accepting your own death resonate with me even more now because this account is dying on May 27th, 2024
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