YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is an experience unlike any other. It's hard to begin to put the game into words. I think a lot of critics are quick to dismiss YIIK because of it's pretentious title, ridiculously unlikable protagonist and the ongoing controversy surrounding the game over time - some of which is justified, some of which is blown out of proportion. These things are true, unfortunately. The subtitle of YIIK is ridiculously pretentious, and regardless of intent the protagonist, Alex, is deeply, deeply unlikable. But what more is there to YIIK? I think what is here conveys more than a failed pretentious JRPG-wannabe meme game. This game IS saying things, and I think considering just how much of a process this game was for the developers - who saw their own mother die during production of the game - it would be disrespectful for me to disregard their intentions and attempts at making meaning through the gameplay and the story. So, forgive me if this is a long review beforehand.

YIIK focuses on a year in the life of Alex Eggleston, the most average young adult white dude to have probably ever been conceived. We all know someone like Alex YIIK (which is what I will be calling him in this review.) Vapid, yet confrontational. Smug, yet substanceless. Every human flaw you can imagine, Alex YIIK has it in droves, and he doesn't really have much in the way of positive attributes to like him. Why do people... LIKE Alex YIIK? What are his positive traits? He's never succeeded at anything worthwhile, he's not kind or big-hearted, he's not particularly smart or attractive. As a result, Alex YIIK, our protagonist, is the walking flaw. He's an amalgamation of everything that could possibly be wrong with a human being. The creators know it, and they make it very clear after a while. He's a pretentious little brat, who thinks the world revolves around him.

You might think it's a bit weird that I've gone on to talk about this first before talking about the gameplay, or the overall plot - but it's important to understand that if Alex YIIK does not work, this game does not work. If this game cannot make Alex YIIK into a deep and substantial character with a strong role in the story then it's game over. The whole game revolves around him. A lengthy amount of what I'm saying is going to be about him.
So, how does Alex YIIK play out? How does he fit into the story? ... Good question.

The idea of the story presented by YIIK is that Alex YIIK is explicitly a bad person. All of these negative traits are not a byproduct of poor writing, they are intentional. So, the story necessitates that he grow and become a kind person who cares for his friends and appreciates the world around them. It's a simple moral. Alex YIIK starts off the story by being a bad friend, bullying Rory, and berating his mother for not doing good enough. At the end of the story, YIIK is clear - Alex YIIK is a terrible guy, and he has hurt all of his friends and family. He knows it, and he makes a vow to change. So, we have an arc. How does the story actually engage with this, and importantly, can a story like this work in the first place?

You'll quickly notice that every question you can ask of YIIK leads to another one. This is because YIIK is very poorly written. It's an undeniable feature of the game that no amount of reduced monologue options (yes, that is a real feature) can fix. YIIK is convoluted, often needlessly, requiring you to interrogate every aspect of the text with a fervor to understand basic things about it. Despite what detractors would have you believe, this has nothing to do with postmodernism. It has everything to do with incompetence. Characters recite wikipedia articles to Alex YIIK about the mechanisms of metaphysics, Alex YIIK goes on borderline nonsensical tirades to the audience about whatever the hell he feels like and the two endings presented are incredibly abstract in an uninteresting and somewhat lazy way. So, decoding Alex YIIK and the story itself is needlessly hard, because YIIK tells its story very poorly. Again, the memes are right, and funny. "Vibrating With Motion" is more than just a meme, it's an indicator as to how the game's writing fails.

However, despite this, I think Alex YIIK does KIND OF work as a protagonist. His unlikability is undeniable, but the story does have a few very compelling ideas working with him.
A) Alex YIIK's unlikability is very, very well established. The story constructs his role well, and a lot of his internal monologues provide this increasingly frustrating sense that Alex YIIK knows what he is doing is wrong, but that his arrogance won't let him stop. It is genuinely harsh and sometimes almost personal to see him be a fuck-up. They wrote the most unlikable man in the world, to great effect.
B) The idea that Alex YIIK REALLY IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE is deeply, deeply fascinating. The world does revolve around Alex YIIK, and it's something that Alex YIIK explicitly rejects. But really, all he is rejecting is the responsibility and the acknowledgement that comes with. He was fine with acting like he was the only one who mattered until responsibility came with it. So, when he faces the facts? When he realises that his presence in the universe is what will tear everything apart, and then he sees it happen? That's incredibly emotionally damaging for Alex YIIK, and does GENUINELY humble him. I like that. It's a good subversion.
C) The game essentially ends on the twist that you, the player, are the Alex YIIK of your own dimension. That sounds... ridiculous. That's because it is. It does really add to him, though. Alex YIIK goes from an unlikable bastard, to an uncomfortable mirror. Somewhere, in another universe, you could have been Alex YIIK. Exactly like him. Earlier, I mentioned that we all know someone like Alex YIIK. That someone is us. Alex YIIK has flaws so numerous, inevitably, we will see that flaw in ourselves. This is really cool. I think it explains why Alex YIIK is so viscerally hateable. It's like looking into one of those mirrors that makes you look fatter than you really are. Everybody laughs at a hall of mirrors, but if you're afraid of being fat, seeing that in the mirror can be quite impactful and scary. Alex YIIK is that for every flaw a person can have. That's scary, and quite powerful. I like that a lot.
D) The ending of the game does hold Alex YIIK accountable for being such an asshole. I have my issues with the ending but Alex YIIK doesn't get off scot-free. Just the opposite, he gets punished extensively.

That's what I like about Alex YIIK. I think he's a very interesting character when viewed through these specific ideas. However, uh, while I think these ideas really work, there is a story going on around him that he does not work in.

Alex YIIK has friends who seem to forgive him for everything and treat him like some kind of saint. Why would he even have friends who care about him? He's done nothing to earn their respect and friendship. He has no redeeming qualities at all. Yet, even when he shows basically no reform and offers weak-willed half hearted apologies, everybody falls to their feet to pray for him. This is really stupid. The rest of the cast will consistently break character just to puff Alex up. It just runs in contrast to the game's themes. Alex YIIK has to care for his friends, be a nice guy and do for them what they do for him - he can't be totally unlikable all the time and have people fall at his feet. This happens for the whole story, to the point where it gets all of his friends killed. This is what really instigates his change, but this is only for the final few hours of the game. They sell it, but it's already too late. Alex YIIK does go through development before that point, becoming marginally nicer - but it's not enough of a constant change to lead to this kind of Persona 4 style friendship group that support each other all the time. Especially not when Alex YIIK can make one of the characters kill themselves. Which, disregarding the obvious tastelessness on display, is absolutely terrible - and is tolerated by the main cast. It just doesn't work out. Alex YIIK develops in a way that feels totally disconnected from the rest of the cast, and it seriously kills the theme of the game.

In summary on Alex YIIK himself before I talk briefly about the rest of the cast, Alex YIIK simultaneously works, and yet, he doesn't. He's a great character concept carrying poignant ideas throughout the story, even if he's written poorly - but he is in total disconnect with the world around him. This kills him as a character, and makes him feel more like he is being celebrated for being a bad person, rather than growing - which he needs to do for the story to function.

The rest of the cast are rather hit or miss. I was a really big fan of Rory and Claudio. Rory is a sweet but really depressed guy who's struggling with his mental health after the death of his sister. He doesn't know how to cope, and this has led him to the point of delusion - when he meets the cast, he almost seriously hurts them because of this delusion. This plunges him into depression when Alex YIIK screams at him, telling him nobody cares about his dead sister. A lot of the game is helping him cope, and becoming a better and more confident person who can help others. He's sweet, and I like him. Claudio, on the other hand, is a mature black man who runs a record shop and is super into weird anime. He's really chill and respectful, and he doesn't like to lose his mind over anything. He's got a business of his own, a comfortable adult life, and he's happy that way. I like that. He's a good contrast to Alex YIIK - when he isn’t breaking his character to lick his boots. The rest of the cast suck and are boring. Most of them are just exposition dumps. Michael especially is probably the most boring fictional character ever, despite being a clear expy of Yosuke from Persona 4. I found most of them grating, with Rory and Claudio being the only major exceptions.

I still haven't talked about the gameplay yet, and it's for good reason. It REALLY sucks. Everything is based on little QTE minigames, and all of them are very unfun and repetitive. These minigames are clearly inspired by Mario and Luigi, but they lack the diversity to keep them interesting. Instead, you are doing the same QTE on loop with little to no strategy. It's just painfully boring, and that is all there is to it. Add on the uninteresting dungeons that do little of note with their puzzles as well as mind-numbing grinding requirements throughout the game, and actually playing this game is terrible. The gameplay just isn't up to par.

The music, on the other hand, is somewhat solid. It's all hit or miss with this game, but I think this soundtrack does land some good ones. Alex's theme is actually pretty good, and it makes for a good leitmotif that reappears throughout the game in various new contexts. A lot of the battle music is really awesome, and diverse, due to the huge amount of composers who worked on the game. Some of the tracks are still really bad, though. The soundtrack lacks consistency and cohesion outside of Alex's motif, which is definitely a result of numerous composers who were working on different pages. The visuals are particularly striking and memorable, too. I really liked them, they really do encapsulate post-modern visual design, conveying many emotions and scenarios through minimalism and surrealism. It's a cool visual fulfillment of post-modernism inspired by post-modern paintings and artists.

So what's left to say about YIIK? Honestly? A lot. Maybe one day I will make a full-on video essay on this behemoth. It's a complex beast, and I'm glad I sat down and really gave it a chance. However, it also really, really sucks. It sucks to see a game that I personally find myself morally agreeing with in many ways just... suck so much shit. But still, I think there is something to be learnt from this. I think just like how Alex YIIK represents our worst insecurity - YIIK itself is no different. Anybody could have made a game like YIIK - ambitious, with a lot to say, that falls short for one reason or another. I feel for the developers, because I think they had a lot of ideas and everything just kind of came crashing down on them. Their heart was in this, and so was their passion. It just hasn't born out. It can happen to anybody, it really can. I don't fault them for this game. I don’t fault Alex YIIK entirely, either. Because in both cases, it really can happen to anybody. We’ve all got a bit of Alex YIIK in us - and we all have the potential in us to make something like YIIK, for better or for worse. This isn't just a "quirky Earthbound-inspired RPG,” like many people insist that it is. This is a uniquely bad game - something that could only come from passion, and love.

So, YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is bad. Really bad, actually. But it is genuine. ACKK Studios was making what they wanted to make. This is an earnest trainwreck, rather than a cynical attempt at a generic, indie RPG. Maybe that brings you comfort. Maybe that makes the game even funnier. Personally, I think that makes this whole thing hurt just a bit more.

Undertale is one of the most popular games of the last decade. Some used to herald it as one of the greatest games ever made, back when it came out. I vividly remember a girl I was really into back then cosplaying Sans - but I didn't know who that was. For my whole life, it feels like the whole world has been talking about Undertale and stuff that has been inspired by it. So, I took the plunge myself. I wanted to know why Undertale was so... important.

And on one hand, I think it's easy to see why. It's an indie darling that is subversive, humorous in tone, satirical of RPG tropes and quick to push the boundaries of the fourth wall. Those things don't really sound like too big of a deal now, I don't think. But Undertale popularised a lot of these ideas in the mainstream, and I think that caught a lot of people off-guard. Undertale is creative with its postmodern relationship with the audience, as well as in its usage of contemporary humour. While not the first game to do so - a lot of the things I've just mentioned were done by Earthbound and Metal Gear Solid 2 a decade or so before the release of Undertale - its indie darling status as well as its genuine creativity brought it to the forefront. Undertale was many people's first experience with a postmodern meta-narrative integrated into a video game. It changed the tone around video games, and presented the idea of "video games as art" in a new way to a new audience.

So, I see the appeal there. Undertale isn't lacking in things to like. Its creative manipulation of traditional battle mechanics is very interesting, and so is its willingness to reach out the screen and make things specifically about the player.

In 2021, I still find that creativity compelling, and I think a lot of the work put into Undertale pays off. However, I think a lot of things now don't really work in its favour. I think the idea of sparing enemies, or having the death of an enemy taken seriously, is very, very cool on paper. But in practice, Undertale's usage of this system results in finding every way possible to not use the core combat mechanics. Thematically, this makes sense, but gameplay wise, I think it's a waste. The battle system is good - why can't I use it without punishment? You get locked out of the true ending if you kill even one thing. So why fight, ever? I think it's a fatal flaw of the system. Even in Genocide, the opposite occurs - why spare anything, ever? I don't think it works out. I wasn't satisfied sparing enemies, and killing them would've locked into the bad endings. So I'm stuck in an unsatisfying limbo if I want to get a nice ending. I don't think that's good game design, even if it thematically proves something. The bullet hell stuff is fun, though, and it shines through in the fight against Asgore especially. The creativity of the game really works out when it comes to making unique attack patterns to dodge - especially in bosses.

Another thing I thought was quite underwhelming was the writing. A lot of the humour in this game is VERY hit or miss. Sometimes, it makes me want to roll my eyes. Too much quirky randomness humour that feels very bland and dated. Sometimes, I chuckled quite a bit. I thought Sans was consistently pretty funny. Alongside this, though, I don't think the main plot of the game is very interesting, and I think a lot of the meta elements go to waste when it comes to Chara - or Will, in my case. At first, Frisk, the main character, is introduced with your name. However, it turns out that the character bearing your name was actually the first human to fall down. This holds potential meaning, and having the final boss say that they don't want you to leave them behind, to stop playing with them, is quite emotionally powerful, I think. However, I think it falls apart when you realise the first human to fall down is like, an entire character on their own. The only thing they really have in common with you is their name, and it doesn't loop back to the player - at least in the routes I played. It felt like an underdeveloped excuse to have the characters refer to me, the real person, instead of a grand plot development - even though the former would've been much more fitting, I feel. But again, apparently Genocide does something different, so I don't want to be too mean to this character.

This writing issue does extend to the gameplay, too. I thought the puzzles had potential to be fun - but every character in the game makes it their mission to tell you the solution to each and every puzzle in the game in some sort of ironic fashion. It was funny for a bit, but eventually it just got grating. Let me play your game, please! On top of it all, I think the message of the game ends up being kind of shallow in the end. Being friends with everyone solves everything. Always be determined to be as kind to people as you can be. Killing people is always bad and you shouldn't do it. I don't know, I guess that's fine. I didn't think it was all that interesting by the end, though - especially when the backstory of characters like Alphys and Asgore open up some pretty morally complex questions about accountability for horrible actions taken by them.

Despite everything I've said, I had fun. I chuckled a bit. The boss fights were fun. I stream a lot of the games I play to my friends, and it was entertaining to play it with them. The music was awesome, a lot of the visual setpieces were very memorable, and if nothing else, Sans is still funny. It was a pleasant experience, even if it definitely showed me how much I suck at bullet hells.

So, where does that leave us? Do I understand why Undertale is so revered? I think I do. It's a generally pleasant and upbeat experience that has a darker underbelly to be explored. It was a pioneer of modern metanarratives and satire in gaming. A cast of likable characters and iconic music only bolstered this.

But at least, speaking as an adult in 2021, back to myself starting in high school in 2015, I think time has changed. I think Undertale is something that I don't think I'll ever be able to connect to in the same way that its superfans did and still do.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you had to be there - and I wasn't.

God, what can even be said about Ghost Trick? It's just so fantastic. Every single chapter has a new question and a new answer to keep you on your feet, jogging your mind in phenomenally designed puzzles and an endless web of perfectly connected plot-points. Gameplay and story are in perfect synergy, with everything presented in the gameplay working in line to advance the story and vice-versa. It's a perfect marriage of storytelling in the medium, and one of the best examples of a story that can only happen in video games. It's visually stunning and aesthetically memorable. The music is instantly memorable. The story is a masterclass in mystery and suspense writing. The characters are phenomenal. The puzzle gameplay is absolutely legendary - and all of it works together. Ghost Trick is what happens when you run a tight ship. No one part of Ghost Trick would work if another part of it wasn't right there supporting it. It all supports each other and constantly acts in symbiosis to create a mesmerising masterwork. I could say so much more - but I'd do the game a disservice. If you've been putting this off, this is my plea to you. Ghost Trick is one of the greatest games ever made, and I say that with immese pride and joy. Don't rob yourself of the chance to fall in love with video games all over again.

This game is offensive to me. It betrayed me. Genuinely. I used to defend this. I thought it was good. I went into it thinking it was about a 7/10.

After ploughing through HOURS of gimmicky levels, shitty dial-up combos that all fuckin' blend together and a NONSENSICAL STORY that is ONLY SAVED by being OCCASSIONALLY FUNNY - I get to the final boss.

The end is in sight.
I beat it.
I am happy.
The credits freeze.
The epilogue begins.
It doesn't load.
I fall through the world.
There's no kill zone.
I restart the mission, teary eyed. Like an abused wife, I want to believe there's still good left. There's still a chance he still loves me.
I go to start the mission.

The game crashes.

2/10.

I see a lot of mixed responses to this game, but I genuinely think it's really good. It's got a lot of jank - it is the first of it's kind - but it makes up for it in it's charm. Dante is absolutely amazing in this game. From his amazing dialogue - "Woah, slow down babe!" - to his fun as hell combat, he's the star of the show. Strong boss fights that test your ability in constructive ways, a well balanced difficulty curve and a bunch of ways to experiment with your gameplay style all make this game a solid first entry. It provides a bedrock for what the series is so well known for, and as a result, remains a fun game in it's own right.

first game of the year

kiwami is like kind of a fucking weird game, yakuza 1 is such a relic of a game that seeing it with a shiny paint on it like this, with the occasional interjections of new-era translation and content (like majima everywhere) ends up leading to a very strange frankenstein that, somehow, does not lose the appeal of the original game and only reinforces it by injecting new weird shit in there

i ended up only going back to this out of obligation, after doing all the side content in 0 - but i ended up doing the same for this game, and thoroughly enjoyed my time. strange experience.

A dramatic improvement in some ways, and a notable disappointment in others. I am in love but I am repulsed. I am uplifted but I am confused. I am happy with this, but I am also not.

So much here is so compelling, but so much is equally as ridiculous and stupid and borderline indicative of incompetence in writing a compelling sequel.

One could even say my opinion is cut straight down the middle...?

No number rating. I can't even begin to put my feelings on this game into words just yet.

i first played xenoblade chronicles 1 when i was about 14. it was the first game i think i ever truly loved. i remember the feeling of beating it, and missing it so much - i didn't want that cast to leave. i didn't want to leave such an amazing experience behind.

now i'm 20, and i've just beaten xenoblade chronicles 3. i did cry at the ending again, but i'm not sad at all. i'm happy. 7 years later, i think i've gotten a little bit of closure. this game is fantastic - but i'm not sad to see it end.

who would want to live in the endless now?

Incredibly happy with this one. An expertly written detective story about brain-jumpin' and shit. I've never felt as much anxiety as I have playing this game, and that is entirely because of how well it is designed and how well it intersects the gameplay and the narrative. The story is unpredictable, with me thinking I had it so many times, but never quite having it down - the story changes and twists so dramatically that I was always questioning what I knew, and when it all came together, I was sat there seeing it all make perfect sense. But I was still shocked! Every character is great, and the game really loves to get into this grounded noir aesthetic, especially early on, that makes the game just a blast to play. My biggest problem with the game is unfortunately when it just teeters on the edge of being too anime for it's own good - idols, excessive jokes about porno mags and really fucking strong 12 year old girls are everywhere! It's a minor complaint, but I like the more grounded noir stuff more. My favorite route was Ota's, had me crying in the fucking club! Add a fantastic soundtrack on top, and you've got an instant classic. Give this one a go whenever it's on sale.

I really like this game. One of the best 2D fighters I've played in recent memory. A great roster on launch, a fun set of mechanics, amazing visuals and music as well as endless amounts of personality. I love playing these characters and learning combos, learning what works best for them, and then (hopefully) winning games. It's like a goldilocks mix of fighting games - slower than the fastest, faster than the slowest: it makes a perfect middle ground that really appeals to me. Love it! Hopefully more issues are rounded out through patches like the weird menus.

Final Fantasy 10 is absolutely fantastic in nearly every way a game could be. An insane soundtrack done by Nobuo Uematsu with help from various others that balance out his work and help create some of his best sounds to date. Every single piece perfectly conveys what it needs to while still being an earworm. There are numerous running musical motifs that punctuate major moments throughout the game perfectly - with the most notable one being the Hymn of the Fayth. The story is beautiful and expertly crafted. There are so many mysteries that are an absolute joy to figure out on your own. The main cast of the characters are the most likable main party I've seen in a very long time - with the standouts being Auron and Tidus. The atmosphere the game builds is unparalleled. The feeling of Sin is always in the air, even in the happy moments, and that atmosphere develops alongside the general plot. The story of the game truly was inspirational, and reflected on a lot of themes that personally touched home with me - I would go on, but I really would reccomend going in blind for this one.
This, of course, wouldn't mean anything if the game didn't have the gameplay to back it up. The turn-based combat of Final Fantasy X is deep, satisfying, challenging and intricate to a near excessive degree. The sphere grid means that everything is customisable as long as you have the creativity to make it work. I only used the beginner sphere grid, and was shocked by just how much I was able to do with my party. Their roles and stats are fully customisable. Their growth was fully controlled by me - it's an unparalelled level of freedom, and building up my characters was immensely satisfying. The game is challenging, too - but never so much so that it feels unfair. I went nearly the whole game without grinding. Not because the game wasn't hard, on the contrary, I got stuck numerous times. It was because the game always made it possible to beat a boss using intelligent play. If you're willing to stick it out and stay patient, the game will reward you. It's a fantastic combat system that promotes intelligent play instead of brute-force grinding or quick-draw decisions like ATB in previous Final Fantasy games. All of this comes together to make what is now one of my favorite games ever. There is still so much I could say, and there is still so much content I've yet to see. But this game really is legendary, almost revolutionary. I look forward to seeing everything it has to offer - but until then, you should play it too.

This is your story now. - Auron

Probably the best 2D platformer ever made. Celeste is an absolute darling of a game that never falters on any aspect, really. Aesthetically deep and gorgeous, tight level design with simple controls and wonderful atmosphere, music that soothes the soul and an overarching story with a beautiful and heartwarming message. I feel like I learnt a lot about myself while playing the game - but I also had a lot of fun playing these kickass levels. It's great in every way a game can be. It's hard for me to really put it into words just how fun yet thematically effective this game really is. Don't skip out on this one - it's easily one of the greatest indie titles I've ever had the pleasure of playing.