TL;DR: This is one of the greatest action RPGs of all time, 10/10.

I bought Granblue Fantasy: Relink while not knowing much about the universe. I was vaguely aware of a gacha game for mobile but had never played it myself, as well as a fighting game in the same franchise. I went into this knowing two things about this game, which immediately sold me on it:

1. This game features 20 characters, all with mastery trees independent of one another, with different skills and mechanics that differentiate each character's playstyle.

2. This game features a Monster Hunter-like gameplay endgame loop of completing quests for materials, and using those materials to improve your character in various ways.

The story ended up being quite charming, and the game features a feature that I would appreciate more games having - when you skip cutscenes, when the game asks to make sure you're okay with skipping, it provides you with a summary of the scene, so you can still follow the plot if you just want to skip ahead to gameplay. It follows a pretty standard JRPG story format, culminating in some very big boss fights with some incredible music.

The visuals are outstanding and style oozes out of every corner, especially the incredible watercolor portraits for each of the 20 characters. The animations are gorgeous, with each character having a completely unique moveset. The boss designs are pretty much all hits and enjoyable to look at over and over again, which you'll be doing over the course of this game, as its endgame is centered around doing quests for materials repeatedly.

The gameplay is the real winner here - 20 different characters each with different movesets to master and skill trees that give a real sense of empowerment, a sigil system similar to the charms or gems systems found in Monster Hunter games, and tense but fun boss fights.

This game is absolutely worth a purchase if you're looking for one of the best action RPGs of modern times, a very solid Granblue game, or you've already played your fill of Monster Hunter World and Rise and you're dying for more bosses to kill and materials to farm.

Assassin's Creed II, my beloved. This is where the series starts to find its footing and starts getting some engaging storytelling going. The parkour is more polished than Assassin's Creed, but I did find myself missing the ability to vault like you can in the first game. Combat is more of the same, enemies circling you and coming at you one at a time as you counter them. The story is surprisingly enjoyable and interesting. The time jumps are disorienting but watching Ezio grow as a character is incredibly satisfying.

For some downsides, this game does require a mod to bring it up to modern standards - EaglePatchAC2. Additionally, the game definitely starts to drag in the final third. Killing the 9 lieutenants and then having to collect the codex pages if you weren't already can definitely feel like you're just doing busy work waiting for the game to end.

Overall, a 7/10 game, worth playing as it's the start of Ezio's story, which is a trilogy that is absolutely worth seeing through.

This game has a lot of problems. The repetitive collectibles that there are way too many of. The 2nd half of the game essentially just being the 1st half again. The combat just being enemies coming at you one at a time and countering. The guards being bloodhounds who can be near impossible to lose at times (arguably a positive, to some!). I had to make 3 separate modifications to this game in order for it to run properly on a modern computer.

This is a 6/10 game...but why did I have so much fun while playing it? And why would I still recommend it?

The parkour. The atmosphere. The level design. Once you actually get this game going, past its quite long tutorializing, it's a short and sweet romp through Damascus, Jerusalem, and Acre. I'd recommend this game if you're a fan of the franchise. I think it's worth revisiting just to see how the series has changed from this first entry, and because of how interesting the parkour in this game is compared to the other games. If you aren't already a fan of the franchise, maybe consider skipping ahead to the Ezio trilogy if some jank isn't for you.

It's like I just found something special. Something very special.

NieR Replicant is one of the strongest arguments out there for why video games, as a medium, are so important for storytelling. As an action game it's pretty fun, as a JRPG you'll find a lot of the side quests lacking and the game tedious at times, but the game truly shines as a story. Yoko Taro weaves an incredibly compelling narrative that constantly leaves you wanting more, waiting for the next drawing of the curtain. The characters put to screen are so easy to empathize and form a connection with as you learn about their history.

Both Automata and Replicant are unique in that they feature one of the most creative uses of New Game+. The game is not over once you've finished the first ending, and I strongly advise that you follow a spoiler-free guide to play through to ending E. I promise you it is worth it. You'll want to follow a guide for collecting all of the weapons, which is the requirement for unlocking endings C and D. I also strongly recommend editing your save to give yourself materials to complete side quests and upgrade your weapons sooner. It's not necessary but will reduce the amount of grinding you have to do, which this game does include a bit of.

Getting to ending E was one of the most emotionally taxing experiences I've had with a video game, and I'm glad I was able to play it. The way the game is constantly re-contextualizing the things you thought you knew is ground breaking, and it deserves all of the praise it gets.

Also, yes. Kainé's outfit is fanservice. I'm okay with this though because she's one of the most compelling women in a video game, and my favorite character in this game. Her arc will leave you sobbing and you will thank Yoko Taro for it. Play this game.