OK yes Bloodborne is daddy Miyazaki’s magnum opus, masterpiece, remake when blah blah blah

But whoever decided to shove a humongous, multi-arm cosmic horror entity in a crammed ass dungeon, I HOPE YOUR PILLOW IS WARM ON BOTH SIDES TONIGHT. I did not fight an eldritch being to the death in a field of brilliant flowers just to get turn into a breakfast PANCAKE by the Amygdala’s own limbs 🗿

(On a serious note, pls play the game, it’s legit a masterpiece. 11/10 experience :D)

I can’t believe I’m saying this but this game was genuinely pretty damn good, LOL.

I know very little, if not, close to NOTHING about GotG, let alone care about anything Marvel (except Spideyman). All I knew about this game was that it was decent! And not too long. So, why not?

And yeah. This was GOOD. It was linear (for this game, it’s a good thing imo), the combat was not the best and the story is predictable. But OH BOY you could not prepare me for the absolutely incredible chemistry and dynamics between the cast. It’s been awhile since I’ve laughed so hard in a game. And I did not give a single crap about GotG before this game but somehow I managed to laugh and cry over each character within the 26 hours of playing this. The banter is amazing and no doubt the highlight of this game. Though I admit having 4 other people yelling over your character in almost every fight is kinda chaotic lmao.

The puzzles are not complex but I commend the devs for having each individual character be useful in their own ways. The game has a lot of charm and plenty of great moments (I’m talking about a certain space llama and singing part, or the middle finger that was well hidden during a certain cutscene lmao).

Definitely give this game a shot if you’re looking for something shorter to play, even if you’re not into Marvel. I walked in with low expectations and walked out with a goofy ass smile on my face. I don’t know what the movie’s rendition of the characters are like but fuck yeah, I loved this squad.

It took me 18 days to finish this gargantuan of a game. And it’s been a very long time since I’ve been this enthralled with a RPG. I’ve spent almost 90 hours playing, have not finished all side content but I’ve enjoyed every single second I’ve spent in the game. I didn’t grow up playing FF7 but I’d imagine this is what OG fans felt like when they play this game back in late 90’s. Rebirth had MANY incredible highs but certainly not without its low.

Likes:

The best thing about this game, besides gameplay, are the plot, the characters, and their development. Hands down. In the OG, I was quite indifferent to the Avalanche gang as they feel kind of distant from one another, but Rebirth did a fantastic job in having them interact with each other and make them feel like a proper found family. They all have their unique charms that make them loveable (NANAKI + TIFA I LOVE YOU MY SWEET SUMMER CHILDREN). And I really appreciate that the side quest involve all the characters. That’s the best way to get the player to care more about them, involve them in content outside of main story! So if there’s something that you should not skip, it’s the side quests.

And as Tifa gal, I ADORED what they did for her.
She’s one of the most important character to the story, especially to Cloud in disk 2, but the problem was the OG never built up her character until much later on. But Rebirth added so many scenes for Tifa that was not in the OG that will help bridge that gap when part 3 arrives. I’m talking about you, chapter 9. One of the most memorable sequence in the series so far for me. So intense and emotionally powerful!

The ending of Rebirth is setting us up for a huge tonal shift and possibly some of the most depressing moments in the part 3 as Cloud… goes through some shit, let’s just say. We’re in one hell of a ride on the tearjerker train.

Dislikes:

Funny enough, I think how ambitious this game is, is also its biggest downfall. There are way too many mini-games, especially if you count character specific scenario where they have their own puzzle-solving mechanics. However, it’s not THE biggest issue as it kept the gameplay loop interesting. I think what I had a gripe with, however, was the overwhelming amount of side content, open world specifically. It suffers from side content bloat and once you recognize that every region is a rinse and repeat of the previous, you kinda get the gist. Do this, clear this, kill enemies, etc. But tbh I’ll 1000% take this over whatever Remake had. There may be too much but at least they’re more fun to do than the boring side quests in previous game lmao.

I do think this is the part where YMMV applies as some people take joy in doing the repetitive things. I easily get burnt out by these so it certainly affected how much open world stuff I did towards end game. I respect that they’re experimenting with quality vs. quantity, though. I hope they’ll find a sweet little spot for part 3!

SPOILERS WARNING (DISCUSSION OF ENDING)

WARNING

FINAL WARNING

NO REALLY

THIS IS A FAT WARNING

⚠️

The last 5% of the game definitely threw me off. I have always been iffy with adding multiverse to preexisting storyline as it gives room for retcon and excuse for bad writing. I really do believe how you feel about the ending of Rebirth correlates to how open you are to changes in the OG storyline. I’ve always liked the grounded nature of OG so the ending left me wanting more, but I definitely see why it’s exciting for others who liked it! No matter how I feel about the multiverse stuff, the game definitely finished with more questions than ever, and I’m nervous that they only have one game left to wrap everything up. Which may perhaps not end well. But I do hope they prove me wrong.

One thing I was quite disappointed about is the lack of… mourning for Aerith? Or more like lack of TIME to mourn her death. As soon as she got stabbed, we’re pushed into this LONG series of boss fight against Sephiroth. That took nearly an hour! I don’t mind the game adding or changing stuff from the OG, but the one thing I wished that went untouched was Aerith’s death. I much preferred how simple it was in the OG where Cloud and the squad mourned Aerith, say their final goodbyes and lay her to rest. It’s one of the most rawest moments in the game but not anymore in the Rebirth. Once I finished the fight, the feeling of sadness was just gone. Whoosh. And it really bummed me out, man. Not everything has to be a spectacle. :(

4/2/24 edit: after sitting with it for a bit, watching some theory videos—I get it now. I’m much more down with the ending of Rebirth. They’re cooking some REAL good fucking food that I can’t wait to dine on in part 3.

But nonetheless, I very much look forward to the next game ❤️

Look, I don’t know what it is about T8 but it’s like crack. And this is my first fighting game ever so I’d never thought I’d say that. I’ve always wanted to get into fighting games but I struggled immensely with committing to them because the learning curve is pretty bad if you’ve never played one your entire life lol. ESPECIALLY a 3D one. I tried Street Fighter 6, couldn’t get into it at all despite how “beginner friendly” it is but it just... clicked with T8.

I love watching Tekken streams and just said fuck it, no better time to jump in than now after seeing some 8 clips. This game looked so insanely fun. And I was right. I’m getting my ass handed to me by legacy players but I’m having fun! Learning and wondering why my pee pee brain can’t react fast enough to Jin’s low mixups.

After trying so hard to get into Tekken with 6 and 7, I’m just glad 8 was a bit more welcoming. You have so many wacky characters to pick from too and more to come. You want to play as a bear? We got two. You want to play as a samurai that has SoulCaliber movesets? はい. Or perhaps a sexy, masked wrestler that’s throwing your ass to death and you can’t figure out how to get out of it? Yes (unfortunately).

I personally thought the story was interesting (yes, it was kinda “edgy” lol) but unfortunately, the execution and design choices definitely killed the whatever momentum of “good” it had. The true mood killer for me was 1000% the TERRIBLE chase sequences. The first one was fine but they progressively got worst in terms of level design. I’ve almost quit from how many attempts I had.

But I definitely appreciated the haunting qualities of the environment and the creature design is pretty unique, imo! The game, in general, a lot of potential but, meh. Kinda went down hill at the end imo.

🎶PULL THE LEVER OR WHATEVER RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW🎶
🎶BETTER MAKE IT QUICK, HEY HEY, LOOK DOWN🎶
🎶GET ME OUT OF THIS AND NOW PUSH THE BUTTON🎶
🎶C’MON C’MON I’M BIG ALL THE SUDDEN🎶
🎶WHAT’S GOING ON, WHAT’S GOING ON I’M REALLY SCARED🎶
🎶SOS, SOS, PLEASE HANDLE ME WITH CARE🎶

The jams in PaRappa 2 are MILES better than the first one. 11/10 recommend

Songs ranking: Big >>> Romantic Love > Sista Moosesha > Noodles Can’t Be Beat > Come a Long Way > Hair Scare > Toasty Buns > Food Court

ok wall of text but only bc I need everybody to know why Nier Automata is so good to me

I wish I can just write how much I love this game. BUT I CAN’T. I sit here, type words, but can’t seem to put into words how much this damn game means to me. BUT IM GONNA TRY. Nier Automata is one of the few games that has truly touched me out of 100+ games that I’ve played. Perhaps it was because I played it during one of the toughest times of my life but it is undeniable how it has grasped onto my soul and found a permanent home within me.

But it’s important to acknowledge that, while I speak of this game highly, it is not without flaws. It requires multiple playthroughs for the “ideal” experience. And the pacing can be odd at times. Gameplay may be mundane if you prefer combat with variety (it’s mostly hack ‘n’ slash and bullet hell lol). Or depending on who you ask, it might even be pretentious.

This games explores many philosophical concepts, but it’s not the main aspect of the game. Instead, it is finely weaved. Sure, I could’ve read a book on Jean-Paul or Nietzsche but why should I do that when I have complex, 3D, big butt waifus who can do it for me? I kid but still, the point still stands on how the game doesn’t beat you over the head with boring text of philosophy. But instead, you see it in the story, the environments, the characters and how it motivates what they do in the story. It’s muuuuch more digestible, lol.

But even if you don’t care about philosophy, the story, by itself, is solid. I won’t spoil it too much but the more you play, the more things starts to unravel. And all of your questions starts getting answered. Then shit just hits the fan and suddenly you’re elbows deep and fully invested in 2B and 9S’s story. Yoko Taro loves developing his characters, make you care for them then tear them to shreds, and boom, you’re depressed as fuck. Worth it, though. This game is amazing at making you feel things, the pains of the characters, the joy of seeing the two protagonists bond, and more.

Plus. The MUSIC. If you don’t like the game, then 100% do it for the music. Keiichi Okabe and his team composed some of the best game soundtracks for Nier Autonata (and ofc other games as well). The music aged so well and also found a permanent place in my playlist lmao. Even my friend who barely touched the game has multiple songs in their playlist.

It’s strange because this game is so good and I want to replay it all the time. Every year. Every month. Every day. But I can’t put myself to do it because it will never replicate the feeling of experiencing the story and the twists the first time. But I will always look back at Nier Automata fondly. :’)

ty Yoko Taro, for making this game, even if you never make a game for main consoles ever again lol.

p.s. also square enix, repress the nier automata / nier replicant vinyls PLEASE. I WILL BUY THE SHIT OUT OF IT. THESE AFTERMARKET PRICES ARE BONKERS

Unfortunately, I was in the group that experienced this game more than a decade later, after the release of Alan Wake 2. And sadly, I did not enjoy the game as much as I had liked, even coming in with lowered expectations.

While the main story had its merits and a somewhat unique system of utilizing light to aid combat, but alas the outdated level designs and combat did not hold my attention span for long. It’s a product of its time and certainly did not age well. But, if I were to play this when it just released, I’m sure I would have found more enjoyment than I did playing it today. Despite all that, I absolutely see why it’s a cult classic. Hopefully, AW2 will provide a better experience! :)

EDIT: the two DLCs are surprisingly good. Definitely bumped up the enjoyment factor a bit at the end.

My friend and I sat on this game for a LONG time. We talked about playing it and we weren’t sure if it was going to be fun (since we both preferred more action-based coop).

BOY WERE WE WRONG. WE HAD A BLAST.

If you really don’t mind puzzle games and laughing over crappy directions that your friends gave you, you two will have a lot of fun. The game encourages you to not play while looking at each other’s screen and rather, communicate verbally instead. I think it’s the best advice to enjoy this game. We had so many hearty laughs over what we had to do to solve them or how we messed up trying to get to the solution.

However, there is one mission that kinda tore our hair apart bc it was so long and there were so much multi-tasking mini games. The puzzles can get very difficult, too, but that’s the nature of the game. I’m also surprised at how buggy it can be? We had to do a hard reset two times. It wasn’t too bad but one of those time happened during the frustrating mission so yeah, not pleasant. 😭

Buuuut I recommend! It’s extremely fun with a buddy :)

9/10 best cat experience

I came in fully expecting just a casual, exploring experience. But there’s a story with a surprising amount of depth that I personally enjoyed. Got teary-eyed a bit myself :’)

It’s a great game to play as a palette cleanser after a big title. Short but it has a lot of charms to keep you engaged.

I've never been so torn over a game before. I love this goddamn game so much, no matter how polarizing it is. I love many of the characters, Clive was a really good protagonist, the music was phenomenal, and I had a blast with the gameplay and Eikon battles. They were some of the most memorable fights I've experienced in action/RPGs.

But... the plot and the pacing. Whoo, boy. It was strong in the first half but once you reach a specific part of the story, the cracks really start to show. Certain characters were underdeveloped, the story had really odd MMO-like pacing to it (no surprise there lol) that constantly kills the momentum, and an uninteresting major antagonist. It was so jarring jumping between weird story beats and then immediately hit by an emotional scene that just leaves you sobbing. The game peaked very close to the end when it just suddenly crashes into the ground at 120MPH. Don't even get me started on the ending.

Despite all of this, I adore this game to bits. I don't think I have the heart to really hate it. (Yes, my ass will come back for a 2nd playthrough). I can only hope that 16 will lead future games to a better path :')