v_genesis
2018
Fun idea, but the gameplay loop gets a bit tedious by the 3rd and 4th dungeons. Finished the base game, but likely not going back for the DLC as it just seems like more of the same after a quick glance at it.
2022
Has some fun moments and cultural nods, but ultimately fell apart for me in the last couple of hours in terms of the story.
2021
Beautiful in its soundtrack and artwork, decent in its gameplay, but ultimately falls short in the storytelling/pacing department. Overall, still a very pleasant surprise from a game I had never heard of and would recommend to others. If nothing else, the soundtrack is worth a listen even if you're not interested in the game.
Fun although repetitive gameplay that is ripped out of Doom Eternal, a forgettable story, and horrible stutter on the first playthrough for PC ultimately hold this one back. Great candidate for GamePass due to its length though.
2020
The game is without a doubt carried by its great combat system, but even that was barely enough to get me through to the ending. Mission system is nice for pick up and play sessions, but ultimately can make things feel a bit disjointed and tedious. Also, that loot system... probably the single worst aspect of the game for me in having to constantly dive back into selling/dismantling/offering.
Some interesting ideas, but ultimately an unnecessary addition from a lore perspective. I'd be more interested in seeing what actually happens after the events of the game. At its best it's a fun and silly take on Final Fantasy with Jack taking the Doom Slayer approach to story (kill things first, ask questions later). Cutscenes are often short or without much substance to reflect that approach (or perhaps due to the Nioh engine?), so it leads to questions of "why bother?" Overall, the story is a slog just to get to the one big and fairly predictable reveal.
Gameplay-wise, if you enjoy Nioh's combat, mission, and loot system you'll feel right at home but I don't think it works for Final Fantasy. Near constant gear pickups mean that you should almost never invest in a single weapon unless it's of the highest rarity. Side missions feel almost entirely pointless unless you're leveling up jobs and there are sections of the game where you can literally run through without fighting anything at all.
For those interested in the co-op features and don't know how Nioh works, this is more of a drop in/drop out system rather than a shared playthrough. There are quite a few forced single player sections that force you to break party, which can be frustrating if you go in expecting a true cooperative experience. Lastly, co-op almost entirely breaks difficulty scaling, leading to difficulty spikes when single-player is forced, depending on gear level.
TL;DR - Falls well short of its lofty aspirations. Don't bother unless on an extremely deep sale. Definitely not going back for the DLCs.
Gameplay-wise, if you enjoy Nioh's combat, mission, and loot system you'll feel right at home but I don't think it works for Final Fantasy. Near constant gear pickups mean that you should almost never invest in a single weapon unless it's of the highest rarity. Side missions feel almost entirely pointless unless you're leveling up jobs and there are sections of the game where you can literally run through without fighting anything at all.
For those interested in the co-op features and don't know how Nioh works, this is more of a drop in/drop out system rather than a shared playthrough. There are quite a few forced single player sections that force you to break party, which can be frustrating if you go in expecting a true cooperative experience. Lastly, co-op almost entirely breaks difficulty scaling, leading to difficulty spikes when single-player is forced, depending on gear level.
TL;DR - Falls well short of its lofty aspirations. Don't bother unless on an extremely deep sale. Definitely not going back for the DLCs.