Finished in 2024

For some reason this game took me YEARS to finish even though I love the Ace Attorney series. I enjoyed the new game mechanics of the jury votes and the deductions. It took a little while for me to warm up to the characters - they’re fun, but I kinda wish they’d created their own characters instead of basing it on herlock sholmes- i mean sherlock holmes. The cliffhanger of the final episode makes me want to play the next game, though I hopefully it won’t take another 3 years to finish….

Finished in 2024

Very short (1-2 hours) puzzle game. The art style is gorgeous and the storyline touching. I wish the puzzles were a little more challenging but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Finished in 2024

Gaiden a.k.a. the only Yakuza game i was able to 100%. Had heard a lot of good things about this installment and was pretty excited to play it!! Definitely surpassed my expectations - i’m really hoping RGG makes shorter games like this. The fighting and leveling system worked really well and wasn’t too grindy like other yakuza games. Game had a bunch of new memorable and enjoyable characters which left me wanting more!!! The way Kiryu was written felt human and heartfelt. The ending was a real tear jerker. Onto Infinite Wealth now!

Finished in 2024 on Steamdeck

I didn’t think a medieval murder mystery would leave me emotionally scarred, but here we are. Pentiment is a beautiful piece of storytelling and artistry. Trying to uncover the mystery of Tassing piece by piece, spanning multiple generations - the story really had me gripped and left me wanting more each act. It really felt like the choices I made and the things I said mattered.

Finished in 2024

Played this in co-op all the way through. It was fun to play, but nothing special. Levels were a bit of a hit or miss situation. Ran into some trouble with the depth perception quite a few times throughout the game.

Finished in 2024

A turning point in the series in both gameplay and cast, but i’m pleasantly surprised by how easy it was for me to get on board with the changes. Ichiban Kasuga is an amazingly fun, kindhearted and spirited loser protagonist who instantly won me over. I’ve got 73 hours into this game and i’ve grown really really attached to Ichiban and his band of misfits.

I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy the turn based combat as much, but I did enjoy the strategy aspect and the cooky skills and jobs. It keeps things fresh and the game is not as “grind-y” as other Yakuza installments (looking at you Ishin….)

Great game for veteran and new players!!

Finished on Steamdeck

I mean, it’s a fun little 4 hour game. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought it would, but nothing groundbreaking. I do love the introduction to Mr. Scratch as a villain here, but the other characters and dialogues just weren’t as well written.

Finished on Steamdeck, including Foundation and AWE DLC

I was a bit weary at first as the type of gameplay isn’t my usual jam. I did get the hang of things once I managed to upgrade some skills, but some parts of the game were tediously difficult.

That being said: the story is very intriguing and right up my alley! I think Jesse is a great protag - and getting to know the other characters around the bureau was fun. Especially finding all of Dr Darling’s little videos scattered around - definitely a highlight for me.

As for the DLC: I thought i’d enjoy the AWE dlc more it being about Alan Wake and all, but I found the combat endlessly frustrating. Dr. Hartman truly was the bane of my existence. The Foundation DLC was much more enjoyable - both gameplay and storywise.

Overall i’m pleasantly surprised by this game. Will definitely play the sequel!!

Finished in 2024

Absolutely phenomenal game! This game has it all for me: horror/thriller theme, interesting characters, fun gameplay and a conceptually strong story. It vaguely reminds me of my favourite show Hannibal, like somehow the vibes been incapsulated in a game.

I have to be honest: i got the first Alan Wake game in a steam sale once YEARS ago, played it for a bit, shelved it and forgot about it. Ended up seeing the Herald of Darkness gameplay on my fyp and that immediately drew me in. It’s so incredibly camp - decided I’d go back and give this franchise (and other Remedy games) another go. Played Alan Wake 1 and followed up with this one immediately after.

I’m absolutely sold on this universe. I get it now. I’m gonna continue om with Control…

Finished in 2024

Yakuza 6 aka Kiryu forgot to teach sex ed at the orphanage.

All jokes aside: I know this installment had mixed reactions from fans, but I honestly liked this way better than yakuza 5. I’m a bit over the Haruka as damsel in distress trope though, but I think the overall narrative and story of 6 was powerful. The final chapter really hit hard for me.

Having played the story consecutively 0 through 6: i’m glad we’re back on the dragon engine. I honestly don’t know why people hate this combat/leveling system so much, i’ve been thoroughly enjoying it.

Great send-off for Kiryu for now (even though we’re getting 8 soon).

Finished in 2024

Fun way to show off the new Playstation options. Collecting all the artifacts feels very satisfying.

Finished in 2024, on steamdeck

Absolutely incredible puzzle game! Deciphering the glyphs is so extremely satisfying and the message of this game is very thoughtful. The art style and sound design really help set the tone of this game. Don’t want to spoil any more of it for anyone so….just go play it and you won’t be disappointed!!

Finished in 2024

It’s been exactly 2 years since I finished my first Yakuza franchise game (Lost Judgement) and i’m no where near done! So of course i had to start my 2024 by finishing another installment.

I’m going to be honest: I find this game difficult to rate. There are some really high highs and some very low lows in this game. Getting to play as five(!!) main protagonists in this was great. Shinada was a great addition with an interesting story, as well as playing all the rythm games as Haruka. Having all their stories connect is both the strong and the weak point of this game. I love figuring out the plot, but the story just drags on forever - i feel like they wanted to much and just….kept adding unnecessary stuff. Some plotpoints felt forced and certain gameplay parts took forever (looking at you Saejima).

Yet, overall, i think it’s a very memorable installment. Way more than Yakuza 4 (which I actually enjoyed, in contrary to many others i believe). Plus getting to play as my personal favourite Akiyama wins the game some point. Settling on a 3,5 stars rating for now.

Finished in 2023

Fun game - especially in co-op. Bit on the short side. Though i imagine this is one of those games you can whip up when you have friends over and need an hour or two to fill.

Finished in 2023 on steamdeck

This game has been sitting in my steam library for years on end. Got it in a sale once, played the first hour or so and left it backlogged for ages.

With Alan Wake 2 catching my attention, i’ve decided to give this game another go - mind you this is not the remastered version. I really vibe story thematics and the general idea of this game. Finding the missing pages and uncovering more of the story alongside Alan was great! However gameplay wise i think the game has become a bit dated, sometimes even excruciatingly difficult for no good reason at all. Don’t think i’d play this again, but it was fun nonetheless!