immaturegrin
BACKER
2021
It's a good enough game, and it's obvious why it was so beloved. There is a very solid foundation here, but certain things held it back for me like the frustrating lack of information leading me to searching all over and giving up and looking it up. It also is quite tedious and repetitive, but again it is likely a product of its era.
2019
A really fantastic experience and a marvel in game design. It's so perfect, the way the mystery unravels directly through your actions. The ending is just amazing, and the only possible flaw this game could have would be that it really can only be experienced once, but that itself is a beautiful concept.
2014
Simply a fun, goofy game that doesn't take itself seriously. It's totally harmless, and often a ton of fun. Nothing too revolutionary going on, just a really fun and exciting game.
Nearly 100 hours later, I come away a changed person. I love Final Fantasy VII so much, and this game is a near-perfect retelling and remake of that game's middle act, culminating in one of the most iconic moments in gaming. I think the whole of FF7's story is one of my favorite pieces of fiction in any medium. There is so much fun to be had in this game, but also so much sadness and pain. This game does have some fairly generic open world checklist stuff, but it was engaging enough that I was compelled to do all of it. My biggest gripe with the game is probably that some of the minigames had frustrating balancing, but that's really minor overall. The ending, though I thought I was prepared, absolutely shattered me in a way that so few games ever have. So many beautiful moments honoring the original, or Crisis Core, or Remake, it's so wonderful for a huge fan of FF7. The music is all-time, the characters are all-time, the story is all-time, and the gameplay is actually a ton of fun. I don't think it would be any exaggeration to say the third game in the FF7 Remake series is any less than my most anticipated game of all time. I have zero doubt that when 2024 is done and gone, Rebirth will easily be my GOTY.
An absolutely amazing culmination of the series so far, but one that doesn't drag its feet and gives us plenty of hope for the future of the series. Kazuma Kiryu is easily one of the greatest video game characters of all time, and this game is absolutely a worthy swan song for him. On top of that, the game reaffirms that Ichiban Kasuga, while very different from Kiryu, is an immensely great character who will be able to carry the series forward. There is so much to do in the game, from reminiscing on the highlights of the series, to playing an Animal Crossing-like minigame, to collecting knockoff Pokemon, to exploring beautiful Honolulu, and experimenting with different jobs and strategies. The game even improved on Yakuza 7's surprisingly great turn-based combat, this game has probably the best turn-based combat I've ever played, just a total blast with great variety and use of physics. The main story is also great, it may not be quite as memorable as say Yakuza 0 or the original game, but it still is another great story for Ichiban, having the torch handed to him by Kiryu, and for Kiryu, it is a near-perfect sendoff that utilizes nostalgia effectively but doesn't fully indulge the player in moments where you might be screaming for something to happen. It knows when to move on from the past rather than double down, even if it hurts.
2019
Very fun puzzles and great variety in puzzles and environments, each floor a new experience. Some of the bosses can feel kind of frustrating given the limitations of the combat, but overall a really fun and smooth experience.
A really strong sequel to one of my favorite games of all-time. It does waver in quality somewhat, especially towards the beginning and the end it can be very buggy at least on the Xbox version, it took me a ton of tries of restarting my save file just to clear the tutorial. However, the concept of the story is really cool and your companions are all very interesting and unique, with some memorable villains that could've used more screentime. The combat is pretty much the same as the first, but it feels a little bit easier this time around, with more ways to approach fights. Not perfect, but I still loved it.
Really fun and emotional distilled version of what makes the franchise great, with my favorite Kiryu scene maybe ever. He erased his name, but we will never forget who he is.
2021
I am a huge fan of the way Remedy makes games, and this is no exception. It is incredibly creative, meta, and unique, with a distinct tone. It does lack mechanically though, I will say. With Max Payne 1 and 2, it felt that Remedy had refined its simple gameplay and made it very fun. Here, it just felt a bit janky and uncomfortable. The exploration was more of the same from those games, but the levels in this one were far larger. Mechanically not great, but narratively it is a classic.
2017
A really damn good video game. Pretty much a straight improvement for me in every way over Yakuza Kiwami, which I loved, except I will say that the combat felt simpler and less deep (though it was much more fun here). The story is really good, I loved Ryuji Goda as the villain and Kaoru Sayama is such a standout character. The combat can actually be a ton of fun which I didn't find with Kiwami 1. The sidequests and overall world are improved, especially with the Dragon engine. Not many faults, although I guess with the fairly shallow combat I didn't find it hard when playing on the same difficulty as Kiwami 1, but I could've rectified that I guess. The Majima Saga is a nice cherry on top for a wonderful game.
2011
Just like the first one, an unbelievably fun and challenging puzzler. The single-player campaign is great, with Ellen McLain as GLaDOS and Stephen Merchant as Wheatley providing excellent and hilarious voice work. The most fun I had in this game, however, was the co-op levels. The extra wrinkles in puzzles that having two players allows is fantastic. Such a satisfying game to play. Love it.
Really liked this game as a follow-up to Second Son, and honestly even found myself enjoying it more. It boiled down and streamlined the gameplay and level design from Second Son into a more fun product. Fetch is a far more interesting character to me than Delsin and the story felt much better here. Simple design, but I quite liked the story and the gameplay felt smoother.
2020
Dropped this game during COVID but finally ended up finishing it and it's a ton of fun. Sometimes I think I preferred the more old-school and streamlined experience from Doom 2016, but this game reaches higher heights and allows more flexibility with its additional movement mechanics.
A truly pleasant surprise for someone who has never played any Bayonetta game. It's absolutely charming, with a gorgeous watercolor artstyle and storybook design. It has creative and unique gameplay and combat, with a solidly engaging story. Really recommend this to anyone with a Switch, it's a ton of fun and it's not particularly difficult, with plenty of accessibility options for those who need them.
Absolutely fantastic. A meaningful and interesting DLC that expounds upon maybe the most interesting character in the Judgment games: Masaharu Kaito. After this game, I don't know if it's a hot take, but I would absolutely love to see Kaito get his own entire game, maybe even more than Yagami getting another, though I know why RGG would prefer Yagami as a protagonist. The story is really heartfelt and the main villain is one of the series' best.