I've never actually played the original FF7 (or the remake for that matter), but Crisis Core caught my eye a while ago when it was first announced. Hearing that you really didn't need to play FF7 to appreciate it made it easier to just pick up and give a go. A real gem through and through. Short, but a very sweet adventure.

CC firing off on all sides with great gameplay, banger story, and a slick presentation. No major complaints to speak of. Even the voice acting (which can be awkward and stilted as hell sometimes, a surprise given it's apparently completely rerecorded for the remake) grew on me over time. A few bits of unfair difficulty in some late game optional missions aside, that's it. Great time.

Zack Fair is the actual GOAT.

I haven't been much of a Sonic fan (if one at all) in quite a long time. Not really any issues with the series so much as I fell away from having interest after Generations; and seeing the response to games after that, I didn't miss much it seems (Mania being the one exception).

Saw Frontiers announced just like everyone else did but didn't really have much interest until recently when I heard the general positive reception from fans. Had nothing to lose by giving it a go, and I'm really glad I did.

Frontiers is a bit of a mess. But it's a mess that has some really high highs to balance out its shortcomings, and it's one I had a lot of fun with. Starting off with the negatives, there's really no better explanation for most of the issues than one of the folks who worked on the game openly acknowledging that the latter half was rushed. And it's obvious that this was the case. There is a noticeable dip in stage/overworld quality mid-way through the game that does hinder some of the more positive aspects Frontiers has going for it.

It's a very nice looking game, though the visual problems that are present are immediately noticeable. That said, after a while I just stopped noticing and/or caring. I was too busy having fun zipping around the environment to pay any mind to jagged textures and pop-in. Just didn't matter.

The bigger problems are with the inconsistent quality of the Cyber Space stages (Frontiers' equivalent of past games' typical stages), which range anywhere from just good to outright "how the hell did this make it past testing". Not to mention how the devs felt the need to constantly change how Sonic's physics work in the stages compared to the overworld, even changing it between individual side stages. Finishing these is necessary at least in part to progress from one major zone to the next, so the fact that they have such questionable quality can be hard to look past sometimes. Overworld zones themselves are generally more consistent, though the whole "this game was rushed" is still felt in the latter areas.

And that's generally where the game's problems stop, at least in my opinion. Beyond those gripes, Frontiers really is a diamond in the rough, with moments that had me sitting back a bit smiling like an idiot over how enjoyable they were.

Noticed pre-release (and afterwards) that a lot of folks were pulling the "Breath of the Sonic" type comparison just because it has open areas to explore. That's really not accurate to how the areas are laid out at all. If any comparison were to be made, a better one is with Super Mario Odyssey and its sizable, non-interconnected zones. For a Sonic game, the open-zone format works. I can't say it's a replacement for the traditional zones from previous games, but I like it. Progression is actually pretty linear despite the more open approach, which is a better fit for a platformer. To go back to the Odyssey comparison, you don't need to get all the collectibles in one area, just enough to get the necessary story items and go on to the next major boss fight. Never feels too restrictive or excessive with what it asks you to gather, only an amount that properly incentivizes exploration and playing through a good number of the side stages.

With the physics/movement system used in the game, open zones are really solid way to take advantage of the high-speed platforming that Sonic has always featured as well. In the overworld (which is full of platforming sections just scattered about), Sonic feels snappy and fast in all the best ways. Boost is more of an enhanced run than a "hold this to win" button, but I like it being that way. Lets you slow down when you want to be more precise, which I always found to be more/unnecessarily difficult in older games. No complaints here. Movement works like it should, and especially in the more flat plains-type areas, just running anywhere you want is always fun. Combat is fairly simplistic, but it gets the job done and is, like the platforming, flashy and satisfying. Major boss fights take much better advantage of it than the mini bosses and random enemies do, honestly.

And that kinda leads into what I consider one of Frontiers' strongest aspects: the boss fights. From a presentation standpoint, they're the most over-the-top spectacle battles and I wouldn't have it any other way. Almost a reward on their own for progressing through each zone. Like the majority of the game, they have their own bits of jank, but they're incredibly enjoyable all the same. Doesn't hurt that they feature the peaks of the game's soundtrack for every single one of them either.

Musically, Frontiers has a lot of variety. Unlike a lot of games that go for the open area style, its ambient tracks don't feel so barren that they give the impression of being absent. They're just present enough to sit comfortably in the background until the more noteworthy tracks become the center of attention. Cyber Space stages opt for a more techno pop/jazz vibe with the occasional dash of vocals, and I have no issues here either. They're really solid overall and some of them are even fairly major standouts. I mentioned boss music above, and that's without question where the soundtrack hits its stride. Intense death metal screams and face-melting guitar solos are center stage in every boss theme, and they couldn't be more perfect complements to the fights themselves. 10/10 will have on repeat. Not like Sonic's ever had bad music, so no real surprise here.

I've rambled on long enough at this point, but the story is nicely done. Nothing amazing, but it takes itself seriously and has some nice lighthearted moments. Lot of folks don't care about story in a platformer but I've never agreed with that. Frontiers tells a good story and handles characterization well, by typical platformer standards. I tried both EN and JP voice acting options but ended up finishing the game with the EN voices. Don't know if vocal direction was changed or something but for once the characters don't sound like they're being cartoonishly energetic/edgy. Just normal delivery. Nicely done once again.

And that's more or less my overly long thoughts on Frontiers. Something about it gave me a lot of impressions to put down, so here they are. It's a good game, might even say a great game, just with notable kinks that could use some ironing out. Gives me hope for the series going forward if Sega will just avoid feeling the need to reinvent the wheel and rely on nostalgia to push for success. Free future content updates are a plus, especially since a new story is involved so that's hype and a good enough reason to get me to come back to the game when they do drop.

I knew pretty well going into this one what I was in for. And DMC1 delivered on a game that's about as much of a mixed bag as it gets.

For every good and fun moment, there was also a moment or three that felt tedious and frustrating. Most notably, the fixed camera consistently worked against the kind of mobility the player is given to mess around with, often being entirely disorienting. Backtracking wasn't particularly enjoyable, nor were the numerous tight corners and sections you have to trek through and fight in. Boss quality was also all over the place. Not only were a small pool of boss fights repeated again and again, but the quality of the fights never got to a point I'd call great, or even good for the most part.

That said, my overall opinion on the game is still positive, because the basics of what DMC1 established are very solid. Dante's movement and combat feel consistent and fairly snappy, despite the player having to fight with the camera. Mixing gunplay with swordplay is never not satisfying, and Devil Trigger makes you feel as powerful as you'd expect and want from a character with abilities like Dante's.

Likewise, the music and tone capture decently well the kind of over-the-top edge and camp I can vibe with. There are a decent amount of items that can reduce the frustration of certain boss designs (thought it doesn't excuse them, it just helps ease annoyance). And the generally short length of the missions prevents any tedium from getting too overwhelming.

DMC1 is a classic example of a first entry in a series. Flawed potential, through and through, especially when its age is taken into consideration. And it's that potential that makes me want to explore more of DMC as a series.