ckl1995
BACKER
I love this series so much. Another absolute triumph from RGG that easily cemented itself in my top 3.
As much as I will always love Kiryu, Ichiban has grown on me immensely between LAD7 and Infinite Wealth. His relentless optimism, goofiness and loyalty is the perfect foil for Kiryu's cool, tough and solemn demeanor. They complement each other perfectly, and Infinite Wealth did an amazing job at giving them both a time to shine.
The gameplay is a ton of fun and is very much an improvement from the already great turn-based combat of 7. Mixing and matching skills from different classes, utilizing combo attacks, finding the perfect team synergy for each battle - I never got bored of the combat. I was felt fairly over-leveled by the end of the story, but the final boss still put up a decent fight that felt fair.
The amount of content in this game is absolutely absurd. I like to focus on the story during my first play-through of a game, although I did manage to do a good chunk of side stories and optional activities but still feel like I barely scratched the surface. I have a lot of clean-up to do, but with so much variety in the activities I know I'll never get bored trying to finish everything and get the platinum, which I absolutely want to do with how good this game is.
The story was also excellent, although I think I liked 7's just a bit more. I'm always impressed by how well RGG can connect all of these seemingly random plot points together into a cohesive whole, as well as how big they can make the stakes feel in each game. Just when I think they couldn't possibly come up with something as grandiose as their previous game, they always manage to outdo themselves in the next entry. I appreciated the globe-trotting adventure of Infinite Wealth, and being able to flip between the two locations and parties (with no spoilers) kept things fresh and allowed the game to keep moving at a good pace. Couple that with their ability to tackle complex themes like the homelessness epidemic, wealth inequality and the harmful effects of Internet virality and you have a really amazing narrative overall.
Before I had played LAD7 I first played through the previous games in the series to catch myself up. Going into 7 I felt really connected to this story and these characters and this world, and I was nervous that with the longer wait between 7 and Infinite Wealth that I would lose that sense of connection and have a hard time feeling immersed in the world. I'm happy to say that isn't the case - playing Infinite Wealth felt like coming home in a sense, and it didn't feel like I had missed a beat when I loaded it up for the first time. This is a really special series to me, and I'm already counting down the days until we hear about the next adventure for this goofy, lovable found family.
As much as I will always love Kiryu, Ichiban has grown on me immensely between LAD7 and Infinite Wealth. His relentless optimism, goofiness and loyalty is the perfect foil for Kiryu's cool, tough and solemn demeanor. They complement each other perfectly, and Infinite Wealth did an amazing job at giving them both a time to shine.
The gameplay is a ton of fun and is very much an improvement from the already great turn-based combat of 7. Mixing and matching skills from different classes, utilizing combo attacks, finding the perfect team synergy for each battle - I never got bored of the combat. I was felt fairly over-leveled by the end of the story, but the final boss still put up a decent fight that felt fair.
The amount of content in this game is absolutely absurd. I like to focus on the story during my first play-through of a game, although I did manage to do a good chunk of side stories and optional activities but still feel like I barely scratched the surface. I have a lot of clean-up to do, but with so much variety in the activities I know I'll never get bored trying to finish everything and get the platinum, which I absolutely want to do with how good this game is.
The story was also excellent, although I think I liked 7's just a bit more. I'm always impressed by how well RGG can connect all of these seemingly random plot points together into a cohesive whole, as well as how big they can make the stakes feel in each game. Just when I think they couldn't possibly come up with something as grandiose as their previous game, they always manage to outdo themselves in the next entry. I appreciated the globe-trotting adventure of Infinite Wealth, and being able to flip between the two locations and parties (with no spoilers) kept things fresh and allowed the game to keep moving at a good pace. Couple that with their ability to tackle complex themes like the homelessness epidemic, wealth inequality and the harmful effects of Internet virality and you have a really amazing narrative overall.
Before I had played LAD7 I first played through the previous games in the series to catch myself up. Going into 7 I felt really connected to this story and these characters and this world, and I was nervous that with the longer wait between 7 and Infinite Wealth that I would lose that sense of connection and have a hard time feeling immersed in the world. I'm happy to say that isn't the case - playing Infinite Wealth felt like coming home in a sense, and it didn't feel like I had missed a beat when I loaded it up for the first time. This is a really special series to me, and I'm already counting down the days until we hear about the next adventure for this goofy, lovable found family.
2023
My rating for this game sits somewhere between a 9 and a 10 - it's an excellent game in most aspects, but it was also frustrating in a few fundamental ways as well.
Starting with my biggest gripe in the game, and a common complaint I've seen from other reviews - the pacing. I finished this game in about 45 hours, and it absolutely could've been 6-8 hours shorter if not more. It was pretty tiring to go from these huge set piece sequences that move the plot forward to the downtime segments where you're forced to fill the time with things that felt inconsequential. I know there needs to be some sort of break in the action, but these segments felt far too frequent at times and just really broke up the momentum for me a lot.
I'm also fairly disappointed in the performance of this game, especially as it was supposedly released in the best state possible by CBU3. This isn't to say the game was unplayable, but it was jarring going from the smooth 60fps of combat to 30-40 when entering a mildly crowded town. The motion blur was also killer, but I happened to finish the game today just as the patch came out so I at least was able to finish out the game without the motion blur as an issue. I don't have any expertise in game design, and so I'm not sure how difficult it actually is to ship a fully completed game that maintains 60fps, but it would've been nice to have that. I believe there are plans to patch the performance issues in the future, so that'll give me a reason to replay the game down the road.
Now, on to the good parts, starting with the story and characters. I'm a sucker for a game with a grittier, darker tone and I think FF16 nailed it. This game didn't pull any punches, and I was genuinely surprised by how dark and violent it became at times. Although I thought the first half of the story was a bit stronger than the second, the entire narrative package here is excellent. The voice performances were unbelievably good, and Ben Starr should win some sort of award for his performance as Clive. He brought so much raw emotion to his character and it left me feeling awed by him when the credits rolled. I was also a big fan of the return to a medieval setting, and appreciated the fairly obvious Game of Thrones inspiration.
The combat was also very well done. I'm not the best at action games, and I will admit that I utilized some of the rings the game gives you to make combat easier, but I still found it to be a blast. It's obviously fairly limited when you started the game, but as you gain more abilities and your confidence in the combat system grows it'll open up exponentially; I've seen some absurd YouTube clips of people doing combos I could never dream of. It did get a bit exhausting towards the end fighting so many tougher enemies that felt like damage sponges, but all in all the combat held up throughout my play time and kept me engaged right till the last battle.
The Eikon battles blew my mind. I knew going into the game that CBU3 strived to make each fight unique, and that each would play like a different genre, but I wasn't prepared for just how epic these fights were. FF16 really nailed the scale of these clashes, and they were easily the highlight of the game for me next to the narrative.
I'm not one that usually specifically singles out music in the games that I play, but I have to make an exception here - this soundtrack was fucking awesome. The fact that you could also switch the music that plays at the hideout was a small thing that I really appreciated - it was fun to switch the music up to try and fit the vibe of the story at the time. There are some beautiful vocal performances here as well, especially near the end.
I was really, really excited for FF16 and have been following it since it was announced, and I'm happy to say that game lived up to my expectations and often surpassed them. Apart from some serious pacing issues and some performance struggles, this is a remarkably well made game. The dark, mature story was written and told extremely well, the voice performances were some of the best I've seen, and the combat was fun and fairly deep. FF16 ranks high in my rankings of FF games and is a contender for my Game of the Year so far (Resident Evil 4 Remake was also so damn good), but I'll have to let myself sit with this experience for a little bit before I can officially declare it as the best game of the year so far. All in all though, I loved my experience with FF16, and I already can't wait to do a NG+ play-through in the not too distant future.
Starting with my biggest gripe in the game, and a common complaint I've seen from other reviews - the pacing. I finished this game in about 45 hours, and it absolutely could've been 6-8 hours shorter if not more. It was pretty tiring to go from these huge set piece sequences that move the plot forward to the downtime segments where you're forced to fill the time with things that felt inconsequential. I know there needs to be some sort of break in the action, but these segments felt far too frequent at times and just really broke up the momentum for me a lot.
I'm also fairly disappointed in the performance of this game, especially as it was supposedly released in the best state possible by CBU3. This isn't to say the game was unplayable, but it was jarring going from the smooth 60fps of combat to 30-40 when entering a mildly crowded town. The motion blur was also killer, but I happened to finish the game today just as the patch came out so I at least was able to finish out the game without the motion blur as an issue. I don't have any expertise in game design, and so I'm not sure how difficult it actually is to ship a fully completed game that maintains 60fps, but it would've been nice to have that. I believe there are plans to patch the performance issues in the future, so that'll give me a reason to replay the game down the road.
Now, on to the good parts, starting with the story and characters. I'm a sucker for a game with a grittier, darker tone and I think FF16 nailed it. This game didn't pull any punches, and I was genuinely surprised by how dark and violent it became at times. Although I thought the first half of the story was a bit stronger than the second, the entire narrative package here is excellent. The voice performances were unbelievably good, and Ben Starr should win some sort of award for his performance as Clive. He brought so much raw emotion to his character and it left me feeling awed by him when the credits rolled. I was also a big fan of the return to a medieval setting, and appreciated the fairly obvious Game of Thrones inspiration.
The combat was also very well done. I'm not the best at action games, and I will admit that I utilized some of the rings the game gives you to make combat easier, but I still found it to be a blast. It's obviously fairly limited when you started the game, but as you gain more abilities and your confidence in the combat system grows it'll open up exponentially; I've seen some absurd YouTube clips of people doing combos I could never dream of. It did get a bit exhausting towards the end fighting so many tougher enemies that felt like damage sponges, but all in all the combat held up throughout my play time and kept me engaged right till the last battle.
The Eikon battles blew my mind. I knew going into the game that CBU3 strived to make each fight unique, and that each would play like a different genre, but I wasn't prepared for just how epic these fights were. FF16 really nailed the scale of these clashes, and they were easily the highlight of the game for me next to the narrative.
I'm not one that usually specifically singles out music in the games that I play, but I have to make an exception here - this soundtrack was fucking awesome. The fact that you could also switch the music that plays at the hideout was a small thing that I really appreciated - it was fun to switch the music up to try and fit the vibe of the story at the time. There are some beautiful vocal performances here as well, especially near the end.
I was really, really excited for FF16 and have been following it since it was announced, and I'm happy to say that game lived up to my expectations and often surpassed them. Apart from some serious pacing issues and some performance struggles, this is a remarkably well made game. The dark, mature story was written and told extremely well, the voice performances were some of the best I've seen, and the combat was fun and fairly deep. FF16 ranks high in my rankings of FF games and is a contender for my Game of the Year so far (Resident Evil 4 Remake was also so damn good), but I'll have to let myself sit with this experience for a little bit before I can officially declare it as the best game of the year so far. All in all though, I loved my experience with FF16, and I already can't wait to do a NG+ play-through in the not too distant future.
I sobbed like a baby at the end of this game.
I can't believe RGG managed to make a short game that bridges Kiryu's story between LAD 6 and 7 this damn good. Kiryu is one of my all-time favorite characters in gaming and fiction as a whole, and getting to play as him again after so long was so nice. The combat was as good as it's ever been and the final boss fight was a satisfyingly tough fight that I really enjoyed. The new characters were all great and the story, while short, did a great job at explaining what happened between 6 and 7 before Infinite Wealth comes out next year.
I love this series so fucking much, and this is up there with 0, 6 and 7 as one of my all-time favorites. Kiryu is such an amazing character, and I truly can't believe how much of an emotional gut-punch the ending was; I don't often cry at games but I feel like I've invested so much time and emotional energy into this man's journey that it almost felt cathartic to cry. This was a such a special gaming experience and I'm so glad I got to play it.
I can't believe RGG managed to make a short game that bridges Kiryu's story between LAD 6 and 7 this damn good. Kiryu is one of my all-time favorite characters in gaming and fiction as a whole, and getting to play as him again after so long was so nice. The combat was as good as it's ever been and the final boss fight was a satisfyingly tough fight that I really enjoyed. The new characters were all great and the story, while short, did a great job at explaining what happened between 6 and 7 before Infinite Wealth comes out next year.
I love this series so fucking much, and this is up there with 0, 6 and 7 as one of my all-time favorites. Kiryu is such an amazing character, and I truly can't believe how much of an emotional gut-punch the ending was; I don't often cry at games but I feel like I've invested so much time and emotional energy into this man's journey that it almost felt cathartic to cry. This was a such a special gaming experience and I'm so glad I got to play it.
2023
An absolute masterpiece from Remedy. This game is leaps and bounds better than the first game and is my favorite game in their catalogue by a mile.
Alan Wake II is such a wonderfully strange and passionate project - I'm so glad we have games this weird being made in 2023 without developers needing to compromise on their vision. Remedy has perfected their craft here - the story is absurd and entertaining, the graphics, art direction and presentation are absolutely insane (the mix of in-engine and live-video cutscenes was genius) and the gameplay is fun and doesn't overstay its welcome (probably the weakest part of the package but not bad at all; it felt much better than the first game).
I have to give a special shout-out to the sound design in this game - it's truly top notch. I highly recommend playing with headphones; the music and sound effects create an incredibly tense atmosphere that immersed me the entire time. I was genuinely creeped out from the sound design alone and it made the experience that much better.
As I've slowly been making my way through Remedy's catalogue the last few years I've realized that they're one of the most talented developers working today. You can tell that they put their all into their projects and that they're true labors of love. Alan Wake II was one of the best gaming experiences I've had this year and I'm beyond excited to dig deeper into their Remedy Connected Universe in the years to come.
Alan Wake II is such a wonderfully strange and passionate project - I'm so glad we have games this weird being made in 2023 without developers needing to compromise on their vision. Remedy has perfected their craft here - the story is absurd and entertaining, the graphics, art direction and presentation are absolutely insane (the mix of in-engine and live-video cutscenes was genius) and the gameplay is fun and doesn't overstay its welcome (probably the weakest part of the package but not bad at all; it felt much better than the first game).
I have to give a special shout-out to the sound design in this game - it's truly top notch. I highly recommend playing with headphones; the music and sound effects create an incredibly tense atmosphere that immersed me the entire time. I was genuinely creeped out from the sound design alone and it made the experience that much better.
As I've slowly been making my way through Remedy's catalogue the last few years I've realized that they're one of the most talented developers working today. You can tell that they put their all into their projects and that they're true labors of love. Alan Wake II was one of the best gaming experiences I've had this year and I'm beyond excited to dig deeper into their Remedy Connected Universe in the years to come.
A fitting end to a complex + beautiful series.
I have to say, I really struggled with the gameplay for these 3 games. I felt like I couldn't get the hang of the combat systems and ended up getting frustrated with some of the tougher bosses throughout the games. But the story this trilogy manages to weave together more than makes up for those difficulties. After Xenogears I knew I wanted to dive deeper into the Xeno universe, and Xenosaga delivered a narratively complex story that was very satisfying. While I think Xenogears had the stronger ending, I think the build-up and payoff for many of the moments in Xenosaga were excellent. I also thought Xenosaga 3 in particular was by the far the strongest entry; the combat was simplified but very rewarding, the music was dope as shit and the exploration felt a bit better.
Although I had my ups and downs with this series in the gameplay department, I absolutely loved the story it told over the course of these three games. I'll definitely need to revisit the trilogy sometime in the future to re-experience it once again.
I have to say, I really struggled with the gameplay for these 3 games. I felt like I couldn't get the hang of the combat systems and ended up getting frustrated with some of the tougher bosses throughout the games. But the story this trilogy manages to weave together more than makes up for those difficulties. After Xenogears I knew I wanted to dive deeper into the Xeno universe, and Xenosaga delivered a narratively complex story that was very satisfying. While I think Xenogears had the stronger ending, I think the build-up and payoff for many of the moments in Xenosaga were excellent. I also thought Xenosaga 3 in particular was by the far the strongest entry; the combat was simplified but very rewarding, the music was dope as shit and the exploration felt a bit better.
Although I had my ups and downs with this series in the gameplay department, I absolutely loved the story it told over the course of these three games. I'll definitely need to revisit the trilogy sometime in the future to re-experience it once again.
A short but impactful sequel that improves on its predecessor in almost every way. Amazing use of camera movement and cinematics as well as the signature comic-book style of the cutscenes to tell a heartfelt but ultimately tragic story. I'm once again blown away by the fact that Remedy was able to make the two Max Payne games as narratively unique and technically impressive as they did in the early 2000s. Really loved this.
Absolute perfection. Monolith Soft have perfected the Xenoblade franchise with Future Redeemed. Everything has been building to this moment, and it's one hell of a send-off for my favorite trilogy in gaming.
The combat was expertly refined from XB3; Mitsuda's music is, as always, flawless; and the story was so fucking good, I can't even begin to put it into words. Future Redeemed manages to connect all 3 games together in the perfect package with so many amazing call-backs and references to the previous games.
The high quality bar that Takahashi and the rest of the folks at Monolith Soft have kept up over the years is astounding. They keep outdoing themselves with every release, and Future Redeemed is the pinnacle of them at their craft. I can't wait to see what their next Xeno project will be (although I wouldn't mind a Xenoblade Chronicles X Switch port since I never got to play it).
The combat was expertly refined from XB3; Mitsuda's music is, as always, flawless; and the story was so fucking good, I can't even begin to put it into words. Future Redeemed manages to connect all 3 games together in the perfect package with so many amazing call-backs and references to the previous games.
The high quality bar that Takahashi and the rest of the folks at Monolith Soft have kept up over the years is astounding. They keep outdoing themselves with every release, and Future Redeemed is the pinnacle of them at their craft. I can't wait to see what their next Xeno project will be (although I wouldn't mind a Xenoblade Chronicles X Switch port since I never got to play it).
I don't even know where to begin with this.
This was one of the most batshit crazy gaming experiences I've ever had. Every time I thought the story couldn't possibly get any more unhinged, Hideo Kojima surprised me by making this shit even more insane. And I absolutely loved every minute of it.
MGS2 really improved the gameplay for me in a lot of ways. The controls felt smoother compared to MGS1, and I appreciated the myriad of ways you could approach each encounter that didn't rely on strictly stealth or combat. Despite the fact that MGS2 has a limited setting(s), I really enjoyed the environmental design of the levels, and found the AI this time to be much more of a challenge.
And holy shit, this story. I love how it gradually unspools itself into this complex interwoven clusterfuck that doesn't let up until the credits roll. I've read a lot about how this game predicted a lot of the shit we deal with now in 2023, and I do have to say that it is eerily prescient. Kojima is a genius, plain and simple, and the fact that he created this story in 2001 (and more likely before that since 2001 is when it was released) is mind blowing.
MGS2 has catapulted itself into my all-time favorite games, and I can't believe I'm just now getting around to this series as a whole. This was such a masterpiece, and I'm so hyped to continue with MGS3.
This was one of the most batshit crazy gaming experiences I've ever had. Every time I thought the story couldn't possibly get any more unhinged, Hideo Kojima surprised me by making this shit even more insane. And I absolutely loved every minute of it.
MGS2 really improved the gameplay for me in a lot of ways. The controls felt smoother compared to MGS1, and I appreciated the myriad of ways you could approach each encounter that didn't rely on strictly stealth or combat. Despite the fact that MGS2 has a limited setting(s), I really enjoyed the environmental design of the levels, and found the AI this time to be much more of a challenge.
And holy shit, this story. I love how it gradually unspools itself into this complex interwoven clusterfuck that doesn't let up until the credits roll. I've read a lot about how this game predicted a lot of the shit we deal with now in 2023, and I do have to say that it is eerily prescient. Kojima is a genius, plain and simple, and the fact that he created this story in 2001 (and more likely before that since 2001 is when it was released) is mind blowing.
MGS2 has catapulted itself into my all-time favorite games, and I can't believe I'm just now getting around to this series as a whole. This was such a masterpiece, and I'm so hyped to continue with MGS3.
I'm gonna be thinking about this game for a good long while.
I've heard nothing but praise for this game since it was released, and I'm ashamed that it took me this long to sit down and play it. I knew that I wanted to play Replicant first so that I could try and fully immerse myself in this world that Yoko Taro has created, and it 110% paid off. This game is remarkable, and I'm floored by how deeply + effectively it explores the themes of nihilism, absurdism and mortality. I also want to give a huge shoutout to Kyle McCarley, the English voice actor for 9S. What an incredible voice performance--I could feel every hint of emotion that 9S experiences throughout game and it was all the more powerful for it. I feel like I can't do NieR: Automata justice with a single review, but I am so happy that I was able to experience this fucking game.
I've heard nothing but praise for this game since it was released, and I'm ashamed that it took me this long to sit down and play it. I knew that I wanted to play Replicant first so that I could try and fully immerse myself in this world that Yoko Taro has created, and it 110% paid off. This game is remarkable, and I'm floored by how deeply + effectively it explores the themes of nihilism, absurdism and mortality. I also want to give a huge shoutout to Kyle McCarley, the English voice actor for 9S. What an incredible voice performance--I could feel every hint of emotion that 9S experiences throughout game and it was all the more powerful for it. I feel like I can't do NieR: Automata justice with a single review, but I am so happy that I was able to experience this fucking game.
FF7 Rebirth is a behemoth of a sequel that improves on Remake's formula in almost every way. I had really high hopes for this game since Remake is one of my all-time favorites, and Rebirth managed to meet and surpass almost all of those expectations. It isn't without its faults, but its strengths are remarkable compared to its weaknesses.
This game's strongest asset is its gameplay - there's just SO much to do in this game. Although I did get a bit fatigued at the open world map marker design after a bit, I found that there was always something to do to switch things up. Between the mini-games, combat simulator missions and exploration I always felt like I had something to do and always had something to switch to whenever I was getting bored. The combat is just as good as Remake, and the addition of the synergy abilities are a great touch that makes combat feel even more fluid and cinematic.
The performances are, once again, amazing. Getting the gang back together from Remake was a joy, and the addition of new characters to the party made the experience that much better. I really love the voice cast for these games - I feel like they capture the essence of the characters perfectly and there wasn't a bad performance among them.
I think something that I have more mixed opinions on is the story, although my feelings lean more positive. I just found the plot to be needlessly complicated at times - I'm sure watching some Final Fantasy Union story videos will help clear things up, but I feel like it unnecessarily bogged down what was already an amazing story. I think the story is very strong overall with some incredibly poignant and emotional moments, but it also felt like it went off the rails after a certain point. I also wasn't super thrilled with how it ended - I know the remake trilogy is taking some liberties with the story to try and create a new experience, but I just wished the ending resonated with me a bit more. I'm hoping on a repeat play-through I'll be able to fully enjoy the narrative a bit more.
It seems like Rebirth was well worth the wait. It doubles down on all the things that made Remake great while adding its own flourishes here and there with the inclusion of an absolutely massive open world that more often than not was a blast to explore. Although I wish the narrative had done a bit more for me, the incredibly fun gameplay, stellar performances/graphics and beautiful soundtrack make Rebirth an amazing gaming experience overall. I know it'll be a while before we get the last game, but I'm already counting down the days.
This game's strongest asset is its gameplay - there's just SO much to do in this game. Although I did get a bit fatigued at the open world map marker design after a bit, I found that there was always something to do to switch things up. Between the mini-games, combat simulator missions and exploration I always felt like I had something to do and always had something to switch to whenever I was getting bored. The combat is just as good as Remake, and the addition of the synergy abilities are a great touch that makes combat feel even more fluid and cinematic.
The performances are, once again, amazing. Getting the gang back together from Remake was a joy, and the addition of new characters to the party made the experience that much better. I really love the voice cast for these games - I feel like they capture the essence of the characters perfectly and there wasn't a bad performance among them.
I think something that I have more mixed opinions on is the story, although my feelings lean more positive. I just found the plot to be needlessly complicated at times - I'm sure watching some Final Fantasy Union story videos will help clear things up, but I feel like it unnecessarily bogged down what was already an amazing story. I think the story is very strong overall with some incredibly poignant and emotional moments, but it also felt like it went off the rails after a certain point. I also wasn't super thrilled with how it ended - I know the remake trilogy is taking some liberties with the story to try and create a new experience, but I just wished the ending resonated with me a bit more. I'm hoping on a repeat play-through I'll be able to fully enjoy the narrative a bit more.
It seems like Rebirth was well worth the wait. It doubles down on all the things that made Remake great while adding its own flourishes here and there with the inclusion of an absolutely massive open world that more often than not was a blast to explore. Although I wish the narrative had done a bit more for me, the incredibly fun gameplay, stellar performances/graphics and beautiful soundtrack make Rebirth an amazing gaming experience overall. I know it'll be a while before we get the last game, but I'm already counting down the days.
I feel like I can divide my life into "before I played The Last of Us Part II" and "after I played The Last of Us Part II".
This was, and always will be, a seminal gaming experience for me. Prior to playing the first game, I hadn't had a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling in video games. When I played The Last of Us, I realized that video games could tell stories that were as good as if not better than the best stories in movies, TV or literature. And then I played Part II, and my expectations for a well-told story that could follow-up the first game were absolutely shattered in the best possible way.
I know there's a lot of divisiveness around this game and the decisions it makes in regards to its story, but in my opinion this is one of the greatest stories ever told in fiction, period. I've never seen the cyclical and futile nature of revenge so brutally and honestly portrayed, and while it was hard to stomach at times, I appreciated the fact that this game doesn't pull a single punch throughout its runtime. Everything about this game--it's writing, it's voice + motion capture performances, the music--are expertly done. I absolutely love the first game, and always will, but Part II did something to me that I'll never be able to quite figure out. It's so much greater than the sum of its parts, and I truly believe it's an absolutely vital gaming experience that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.
This was, and always will be, a seminal gaming experience for me. Prior to playing the first game, I hadn't had a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling in video games. When I played The Last of Us, I realized that video games could tell stories that were as good as if not better than the best stories in movies, TV or literature. And then I played Part II, and my expectations for a well-told story that could follow-up the first game were absolutely shattered in the best possible way.
I know there's a lot of divisiveness around this game and the decisions it makes in regards to its story, but in my opinion this is one of the greatest stories ever told in fiction, period. I've never seen the cyclical and futile nature of revenge so brutally and honestly portrayed, and while it was hard to stomach at times, I appreciated the fact that this game doesn't pull a single punch throughout its runtime. Everything about this game--it's writing, it's voice + motion capture performances, the music--are expertly done. I absolutely love the first game, and always will, but Part II did something to me that I'll never be able to quite figure out. It's so much greater than the sum of its parts, and I truly believe it's an absolutely vital gaming experience that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.
One of the greatest games I've ever played, hands down.
Everything about this game was remarkable to me. This final outing for Solid Snake is expertly written, voice acted and directed, and although the game put a lot of emphasis on its cutscenes, the quality of those cutscenes made it all worth it to me. The emotional weight of MGS4, particularly its ending, was something that hit me hard. The jump in graphical quality between MGS3 and this is absurd; I couldn't believe a game from 2008 running on a PS3 could look this good (the tears on faces when characters were crying shook me to my core, how could they look like that??). The gameplay was refined to a T - I loved that you could take a more action-oriented approach, and the wider variety of weapons to use this time around was something I personally enjoyed a lot. I did have some technical issues on the used PS3 I played this on, but that's a minor gripe compared to everything that this game did exceptionally well.
This review feels scattered; I'm writing it right after finishing and I have so many thoughts swirling around my brain. I found this game to be so so good in so many ways. I know people have their issues with it, but it was such a unique and powerful gaming experience for me. I've grown very attached to these characters and this series over the last few months, and I know I have a few more games to play before I'm finished, but this was the pinnacle of the Solid Snake story for me. It's hard to believe this game exists, but I'm damn glad it does.
Everything about this game was remarkable to me. This final outing for Solid Snake is expertly written, voice acted and directed, and although the game put a lot of emphasis on its cutscenes, the quality of those cutscenes made it all worth it to me. The emotional weight of MGS4, particularly its ending, was something that hit me hard. The jump in graphical quality between MGS3 and this is absurd; I couldn't believe a game from 2008 running on a PS3 could look this good (the tears on faces when characters were crying shook me to my core, how could they look like that??). The gameplay was refined to a T - I loved that you could take a more action-oriented approach, and the wider variety of weapons to use this time around was something I personally enjoyed a lot. I did have some technical issues on the used PS3 I played this on, but that's a minor gripe compared to everything that this game did exceptionally well.
This review feels scattered; I'm writing it right after finishing and I have so many thoughts swirling around my brain. I found this game to be so so good in so many ways. I know people have their issues with it, but it was such a unique and powerful gaming experience for me. I've grown very attached to these characters and this series over the last few months, and I know I have a few more games to play before I'm finished, but this was the pinnacle of the Solid Snake story for me. It's hard to believe this game exists, but I'm damn glad it does.
2022
As I started getting into JRPGs in the last few years and began looking around the internet for suggestions, there was one game that consistently kept coming up as one of the all-time greats. I knew that I had to play it one of these days, just to see if it matched up to the almost legendary status that surrounds it.
Since this was my first time playing FF6, I tried to keep my expectations in check as much as I could. Up until this point, I had played a handful of the other FF games, and I was excited to experience this game for the first time. All in all, I feel like FF6 managed to impress me in a number of ways, but there were some aspects that left me wanting more.
I think this game's strongest asset is its writing. The decision to forgo one main character and to instead focus on a larger party was one that, in my opinion, worked really well. I feel like games with large character rosters can often feel overstuffed, and they almost always end up focusing too much on a few characters while leaving others out on the margins. FF6 did a wonderful job of giving most of the cast time to shine and by the end I felt a lot more connected to the party than I thought I would.
The music was another high point for me - the main theme and overworld music have been stuck in my head for days now, which is a testament to just how good the music is. The opera scene in particular was excellent, and I loved the inclusion of recorded English lines for that section of the game.
Where I felt the game was lacking was in its pacing, particularly in the final 1/3 of the game. It seemed like, at a certain point, we were hurdling towards the end/the final boss battle, and it felt like there was more room to flesh out the plot and characters a bit more. While I thought Kefka was a great antagonist, the rapid pace of the final act didn't allow him to really shine as much as I would've liked, although he still ranks as one of the better video game villains in my book.
FF6 is a great game, no doubt about it. I had a similar experience with FF7 where I think I let the reputation and mythos of the game cloud my experience, and I went in with sky high expectations that were impossible to meet. I tried not to do that here with FF6, but I think some of those expectations still managed to slip through the cracks. I really enjoyed my time with it, and I think I'll do another play-through somewhere down the road when I've had some more time to digest it.
Since this was my first time playing FF6, I tried to keep my expectations in check as much as I could. Up until this point, I had played a handful of the other FF games, and I was excited to experience this game for the first time. All in all, I feel like FF6 managed to impress me in a number of ways, but there were some aspects that left me wanting more.
I think this game's strongest asset is its writing. The decision to forgo one main character and to instead focus on a larger party was one that, in my opinion, worked really well. I feel like games with large character rosters can often feel overstuffed, and they almost always end up focusing too much on a few characters while leaving others out on the margins. FF6 did a wonderful job of giving most of the cast time to shine and by the end I felt a lot more connected to the party than I thought I would.
The music was another high point for me - the main theme and overworld music have been stuck in my head for days now, which is a testament to just how good the music is. The opera scene in particular was excellent, and I loved the inclusion of recorded English lines for that section of the game.
Where I felt the game was lacking was in its pacing, particularly in the final 1/3 of the game. It seemed like, at a certain point, we were hurdling towards the end/the final boss battle, and it felt like there was more room to flesh out the plot and characters a bit more. While I thought Kefka was a great antagonist, the rapid pace of the final act didn't allow him to really shine as much as I would've liked, although he still ranks as one of the better video game villains in my book.
FF6 is a great game, no doubt about it. I had a similar experience with FF7 where I think I let the reputation and mythos of the game cloud my experience, and I went in with sky high expectations that were impossible to meet. I tried not to do that here with FF6, but I think some of those expectations still managed to slip through the cracks. I really enjoyed my time with it, and I think I'll do another play-through somewhere down the road when I've had some more time to digest it.
What an incredible game.
It's wild to me how Kojima manages to keep raising the bar with each successive Metal Gear Solid game. While I enjoyed the overall craziness of MGS2's story a bit more, I think MGS3 is an overall better game with more polished gameplay, an amazing soundtrack and an emotionally resonant ending.
MGS3 places a lot more emphasis on survival and stealth this time around. With the addition of things like camo and replaceable suppressors, you're encouraged to use stealth whenever you can (although I still got into a lot of gunfights because I truly cannot be stealthy for some reason). The boss battles continue to be absurd spectacles with some of the the most fun mechanics of any game I've ever played. I love how each MGS game has its own colorful cast of unhinged antagonists that you get to take on.
The ending of MGS3 was a particular high point for me. Although the story here is relatively tame compared to MGS2, I think the writing is a bit stronger in MGS3, and the ending fight/cutscenes were really powerful. I genuinely felt conflicted with my feelings about how the game ended, and I always think that's a sign of a well written game to me.
These first 3 MGS games have been such a blast to play through. I value narrative above all else in video games, and I love the ambitious off-the-wall storytelling that Kojima and the team have put on display here. Can't wait to keep making my way through this series.
It's wild to me how Kojima manages to keep raising the bar with each successive Metal Gear Solid game. While I enjoyed the overall craziness of MGS2's story a bit more, I think MGS3 is an overall better game with more polished gameplay, an amazing soundtrack and an emotionally resonant ending.
MGS3 places a lot more emphasis on survival and stealth this time around. With the addition of things like camo and replaceable suppressors, you're encouraged to use stealth whenever you can (although I still got into a lot of gunfights because I truly cannot be stealthy for some reason). The boss battles continue to be absurd spectacles with some of the the most fun mechanics of any game I've ever played. I love how each MGS game has its own colorful cast of unhinged antagonists that you get to take on.
The ending of MGS3 was a particular high point for me. Although the story here is relatively tame compared to MGS2, I think the writing is a bit stronger in MGS3, and the ending fight/cutscenes were really powerful. I genuinely felt conflicted with my feelings about how the game ended, and I always think that's a sign of a well written game to me.
These first 3 MGS games have been such a blast to play through. I value narrative above all else in video games, and I love the ambitious off-the-wall storytelling that Kojima and the team have put on display here. Can't wait to keep making my way through this series.
When I saw the first trailer for Death Stranding, I wasn't impressed. It looked like a walking/cargo delivery simulator and that seemed like the furthest thing from my own interests in gaming at the time. I quickly brushed it off and put it out of my mind.
Fast forward to the game releasing - I decided to watch some gameplay since it seemed to be a polarizing game and was once again unimpressed. My suspicions had seemed to be confirmed - this looked exactly like a walking/cargo delivery simulator. I couldn't fathom how anyone could possibly enjoy this game; where was the fun in just walking around? I couldn't wrap my head around it.
Fast forward again to this past year - I started playing the Metal Gear Solid series after hearing nothing but glowing things about it. I slowly made my way through each game, admiring the vision and passion that Kojima and his team put into each project. I became fascinated with Kojima specifically, and wanted to understand how he could create something that felt so fresh and inspired.
After beating MGSV recently, I felt a hollowness - it felt like nothing could fill the void that finishing the MGS series had left. I knew Kojima had left Konami to create his own studio and put out that weird game Death Stranding I had seen a couple years ago - could it be as good as what I considered to be his magnum opus?
After roughly 52 hours with Death Stranding, I can confidently say that this game stands next to Metal Gear Solid as a once-in-a-lifetime gaming experience. I don't think one is better than the other; on the contrary, I think both complement each other perfectly. Kojima's ability to tell deeply complex, philosophical stories with nuanced characters and an absurdity that borders on the inane is unmatched. I found myself far more invested in this story than I ever expected to be, and as I write this review I feel the same sort of hollowness that I felt when I completed MGSV. I knew I had experienced something truly special, and I know that very few games, if any, will be able to capture this specific feeling ever again.
Playing this game felt strangely calming a lot of the time; I often get pretty tired of traversing open worlds in a lot of the games I play and will opt to use fast travel to speed up the experience. Walking around the world of Death Stranding felt serene - it allowed me to sit with my thoughts while walking between point A and point B, and rarely did it ever feel like a chore to get where I was going (with a handful of exceptions but they never ruined the experience outright).
The vocal and facial capture performances in this game are absolutely top notch. I can't think of a game, apart from maybe The Last of Us Part II, that looks this good and has characters that felt this real. Every tear that ran down a face, every subtle facial expression - they all felt so genuine. The casting in this game was also bonkers - I knew Guillermo del Toro had a role but had no idea Troy Baker, Margaret Qualley AND Conan O'Brien would show up as well. The fact that Death Stranding has such a star studded cast speaks volumes about how influential Kojima is as a creator and just how much of a cool opportunity it must be to work with him.
The weakest part of this game is probably the combat - it felt tacked on a lot of the time and often took me out of the experience while playing. I'm guessing that it was included to cater to a larger audience since a game just about delivering cargo probably wouldn't sound like a fun video game to a lot of people (myself included when I first heard about it). Thankfully the combat sections make up a small portion of the overall game and don't detract too much from an otherwise stellar experience.
I think this is the longest review I've ever written on this site but it also feels like I could write pages more about this game. It's insane to me to think that this game exists at all; if I were in a board room hearing Death Stranding pitched to me for the first time I'd have thought that Kojima had lost his mind. But I'm also immensely grateful that he was given the opportunity to tell his off the wall and absolutely unhinged story that resonated so deeply with me. I distinctly remember seeing the trailer for the sequel at the Game Awards last year and thinking that it was wild to me that they were making a sequel to that weird walking simulator game - now, I cannot wait to dive back into this world once again.
Fast forward to the game releasing - I decided to watch some gameplay since it seemed to be a polarizing game and was once again unimpressed. My suspicions had seemed to be confirmed - this looked exactly like a walking/cargo delivery simulator. I couldn't fathom how anyone could possibly enjoy this game; where was the fun in just walking around? I couldn't wrap my head around it.
Fast forward again to this past year - I started playing the Metal Gear Solid series after hearing nothing but glowing things about it. I slowly made my way through each game, admiring the vision and passion that Kojima and his team put into each project. I became fascinated with Kojima specifically, and wanted to understand how he could create something that felt so fresh and inspired.
After beating MGSV recently, I felt a hollowness - it felt like nothing could fill the void that finishing the MGS series had left. I knew Kojima had left Konami to create his own studio and put out that weird game Death Stranding I had seen a couple years ago - could it be as good as what I considered to be his magnum opus?
After roughly 52 hours with Death Stranding, I can confidently say that this game stands next to Metal Gear Solid as a once-in-a-lifetime gaming experience. I don't think one is better than the other; on the contrary, I think both complement each other perfectly. Kojima's ability to tell deeply complex, philosophical stories with nuanced characters and an absurdity that borders on the inane is unmatched. I found myself far more invested in this story than I ever expected to be, and as I write this review I feel the same sort of hollowness that I felt when I completed MGSV. I knew I had experienced something truly special, and I know that very few games, if any, will be able to capture this specific feeling ever again.
Playing this game felt strangely calming a lot of the time; I often get pretty tired of traversing open worlds in a lot of the games I play and will opt to use fast travel to speed up the experience. Walking around the world of Death Stranding felt serene - it allowed me to sit with my thoughts while walking between point A and point B, and rarely did it ever feel like a chore to get where I was going (with a handful of exceptions but they never ruined the experience outright).
The vocal and facial capture performances in this game are absolutely top notch. I can't think of a game, apart from maybe The Last of Us Part II, that looks this good and has characters that felt this real. Every tear that ran down a face, every subtle facial expression - they all felt so genuine. The casting in this game was also bonkers - I knew Guillermo del Toro had a role but had no idea Troy Baker, Margaret Qualley AND Conan O'Brien would show up as well. The fact that Death Stranding has such a star studded cast speaks volumes about how influential Kojima is as a creator and just how much of a cool opportunity it must be to work with him.
The weakest part of this game is probably the combat - it felt tacked on a lot of the time and often took me out of the experience while playing. I'm guessing that it was included to cater to a larger audience since a game just about delivering cargo probably wouldn't sound like a fun video game to a lot of people (myself included when I first heard about it). Thankfully the combat sections make up a small portion of the overall game and don't detract too much from an otherwise stellar experience.
I think this is the longest review I've ever written on this site but it also feels like I could write pages more about this game. It's insane to me to think that this game exists at all; if I were in a board room hearing Death Stranding pitched to me for the first time I'd have thought that Kojima had lost his mind. But I'm also immensely grateful that he was given the opportunity to tell his off the wall and absolutely unhinged story that resonated so deeply with me. I distinctly remember seeing the trailer for the sequel at the Game Awards last year and thinking that it was wild to me that they were making a sequel to that weird walking simulator game - now, I cannot wait to dive back into this world once again.