starfoxa
BACKER
2019
This is a weird one. The game is fairly solid, albeit pretty easy and a tad repetitive, with some decently fun hack-and-slash style action RPG gameplay going on, but the story takes some really unexpected turns. Some of the things that the main characters were supporting made me uneasy, like some strange "welfare queen" type stuff in the game's first act, and supporting an authoritarian regime in the latter third. Overall, enjoyable game, but felt like it was partially a right wing hit job.
2021
Outriders is a game which clearly has a lot of potential, but squanders it in several ways. The story is weak and takes itself overly seriously. The world tier progression system is interesting, but in practice the difficulty is all over the place. One encounter could be easy, while the next is impossibly difficult. The game does have some enjoyable looting & shooting, but it's marred with these problems along with technical issues left & right.
This is a challenging game to assign a "rating" to. It's clear that this game has depth beyond anything I could experience in a reasonable amount of time, and it's clear that there is much to enjoy here, however the game lacks modern tweaks that would make this a more enjoyable experience. The biggest problem is that the game does not respect the player's time--even with massive EXP boosts and Trust NPCs, it can take hours to accomplish even simple tasks. Small mistakes can cost time, and it's impossible to play this game without a guide. I'm glad to have experienced this game, but I don't think I could recommend it to others. This is the time it took me to clear all of the Bastok missions, which was my starting nation.
2020
It's astounding how well this game has adapted Persona to a different genre. The game is truly wonderful, despite some flaws (enemies do a lot of damage, boss fights can be a bit repetitious when spamming spells a boss is weak to, depth is lost in the translation to a new genre). Seeing these characters again was a delight.
2019
This game rapidly has become one of my favorite roguelikes. It's amazing how each run can have such build variability. It never feels like a death is cheap, even if your run has been screwed by randomness--it's easy enough to just hop into another one. This completion was the time it took for me to reach my first clear of the game on normal difficulty with no modifiers, where I stayed alive for the majority of the game (52 minutes out of a 54 minute session).
This game is basically more of the same, coming from Atelier Ryza, but with better quality of life features and some cooler ways to craft items. I found myself getting more into the crafting mechanics, and I enjoyed some of the slight changes to the battle system, such as not requiring you to manually level up your tactics. Comfy game!
This absolutely lived up to the hype. The story that has been building up since A Realm Reborn reaches incredible heights in Shadowbringers, and the gameplay continues to layer. It's amazing how even after nearly 250 hours of content, there is still more to learn. This is the time it took me to complete the Stormblood post-story qeusts, along with the main quests of Shadowbringers.
2011
Holds up remarkably well. I'd last played this on the GameCube prior to recording detailed info in my spreadsheet, when I rated it a 100%. I don't think this game is a perfect game anymore, but it's still definitely one of the best of the series. Its goofiness can be a bit much, and some enemies are serious sponges, but it's otherwise a blast.
Stormblood's story is a step down from Heavensward--less focused and feels sidetracked from the overarching plot. The gameplay still holds up, with continuously deepening mechanics and more and more exciting abilities. This is the time it took me to complete the Heavensward post-story quests, along with the main quests of Stormblood.
The story is only getting better with Heavensward, and the gameplay is fleshing out more and more. Excited to continue through with Stormblood and Shadowbringers to see how much more complex the mechanics get and how much deeper the story gets. This is the time that it took me to complete the A Realm Reborn post-story quests, along with the main quests of Heavensward.
2017
Excellent coop experience. Each boss is a unique and exciting challenge. Run and gun sections are less interesting.
An achievement of a game. It's amazing how far this has come since its launch, and it's clear how much love and craftsmenship has been poured into refining the game's relaunch. This is the time that it took me to complete the final mission of the base game.
Wonky control scheme, but some interesting levels. Nothing particularly mindblowing, but entertaining enough.
2017
While the game is excellent on PC, and the port here is well done, I just couldn't enjoy playing such a hectic shooter with a controller.
The most comfy and chill RPG I've ever played. The battle system is a little weak, but the crafting system is robust and intriguing to explore. The story being more low-stakes was a welcome departure from typical JRPGs, and the characters were all engaging.