vieseal
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Yakuza 0
2015
This franchise seemed to garner a lot of attention around the release of Yakuza 0, and the Kiwami remakes of 1 and 2. It seemed like the perfect time to finally try to get in to them.
I tried 0 and could not see what others were seeing. It didn't feel good to play. It felt like some weird mix of a beat-em-up and a fighting game; two genres I generally don't enjoy. It felt stiff. There was nothing fluid about the combat and that's an instant no from me.
I'm sure I could have gotten in to the characters, I appreciate some stupid and corny fun a lot. I also appreciate a good contrast between that and a serious story. I'm sure this has that but I cannot get past how sluggish it felt to play. After 5 hours, I gave up on the entire series because I knew it wasn't going to feel any better than this does at the beginning. That's just gotta be how the series' feels. Nope.
I kinda want to try Yakuza: Like a Dragon because it's turn based and that might alleviate my issues with it. However... it feels wrong to just jump in to a random game in the series and it's also incredibly long which is a put off.
I tried 0 and could not see what others were seeing. It didn't feel good to play. It felt like some weird mix of a beat-em-up and a fighting game; two genres I generally don't enjoy. It felt stiff. There was nothing fluid about the combat and that's an instant no from me.
I'm sure I could have gotten in to the characters, I appreciate some stupid and corny fun a lot. I also appreciate a good contrast between that and a serious story. I'm sure this has that but I cannot get past how sluggish it felt to play. After 5 hours, I gave up on the entire series because I knew it wasn't going to feel any better than this does at the beginning. That's just gotta be how the series' feels. Nope.
I kinda want to try Yakuza: Like a Dragon because it's turn based and that might alleviate my issues with it. However... it feels wrong to just jump in to a random game in the series and it's also incredibly long which is a put off.
NieR: Automata
2017
Good game
Ending makes up for the boring middle part
Combat is just kinda okay, too many fetch quests
Ending makes up for the boring middle part
Combat is just kinda okay, too many fetch quests
Yakuza 0
2015
Finished up the main story today, so I think I can safely say that I don't get it, or at least not fully. To me, this feels like two completely unrelated games grafted together, a claim that Yakuza 0 itself likely wouldn't dispute given how intentionally it contrasts its overwhelmingly dramatic narrative with the over-the-top goofiness of... everything else. Though, these two halves clearly don't carry equal mass (the vast majority of content lies in the optional stuff) or weight (you're free to go through the entire campaign without at all engaging in any of the sidequests, minigames, or either business system, but not vice versa). I found myself interested in Kiryu and Majima's story but not in anything else, and it wasn't until I forced myself to try and get the 'full' experience near the end of the game that I felt like I at least understood the appeal. The business management is addicting in the same way something like Cookie Clicker is- spend money to earn money at a higher rate, rinse, repeat- and there's a near infinite amount of stuff to occupy yourself with while you're waiting for cash to roll in. But because of the sheer amount of stuff to do, all of it is incredibly basic, and I think my problem is that I'm only willing to stomach tasks this menial when I'm at least interested in the world that they take place in. Kamurocho and Sotenbori look the part but don't feel it, instead of being populated with sidequests that feel organic and serve to flesh out the setting, they're filled with, in essence, whoopee cushions for Kiryu and Majima to sit on. Wacky, short-winded, painfully predictable punchlines that the protagonists reject their no-nonsense attitudes to indulge in, for some reason. I get that that's the joke, I just don't find it particularly funny- maybe if their overly serious natures were played off of instead of completely overwritten, it would've worked out better, but as it stands, I can only recall two out of the fifty or so that I did that even rose to the level of "entertaining." The combat, at the very least, grew on me over time, cleverly centering itself around manipulating enemies into certain conditions for both monetary bonuses and getting the most out of your heat meter, but it was still repetitive enough that I avoided every encounter I could for most of the game, a mentality that I regret not extending to the sidequests. At the end of it all, the only two aspects of the yakuza life that I can truthfully claim that I enjoyed were the cutscenes and some of the fights leading up to the cutscenes, two small portions of my thirty hours. Part of me is glad that a series this prominent finally managed to break through in the west, but I can't say that I'm particularly interested in checking out the other entries myself. I'd rather sit in the arcade and play some Outrun.
Yakuza 0
2015
all downhill for me from there
This is like Avengers: Endgame for Xenoblade
Why did other people like this? What did I miss? It must be a honeymoon phase because this DLC was astoundingly awful. Relied on nostalgia baiting from a better game (Xenoblade 1) with characters and areas, except they forgot why those things had intrigue in the first place. I don't care about being able to explore Gaur Plain and Valak Mountain again because they're just soulless husks of what they used to be. What made Xenoblade 1's setting so intriguing was it's incredibly unique concept of two worlds atop two giant mechs. Takahashi is a hack, he directed 1 good game and now he's regarded as one of the best writers in the industry. Disconnect the artist from their work, vie for originality and discourage directors from taking all of the credit for their projects. Believe it or not Miyazaki is not the only man at FromSoftware making games and it's the same for Takahashi. You people need to get a grip.
This review contains spoilers
I have a lot to say
Firstly, it felt like this whole dlc was trying to stuff useless things in between of the interesting stuff there was, so I played 15 hours but felt I only enjoyed the first and last hour of this, and the new mechanics didn't help with that.
The game didn't want to do the same as the community system of Torna and instead just put 1000 ennemies in front of you to stop you from completing the game fast but that's just bullshit imo, I would have prefered the community system over this any day.
The characters were... hit or miss like Glimmer is just Mythra personnality wise with Pyra's hair and she was annoying as hell, Nikol was so forgettable istg. Rex and Shulk are fine but Matthew... like okay he's the happy go lucky kinda dumb mc but he also became annoying to me because of this, A is fine I guess too but yeah, the cast felt weak for me. And don't even get me started on Na'el... let's put aside the fact that she's a cat lady with white hair (again), she had only like 4 flashback scenes to justify her hatred for the world in general...
The twist at the end was good ngl, the final boss too and the ending made me cry a bit but I wish everything else was as good as the rest but yeah, that's my opinion anyway so hey, if you enjoyed it good for you ! I just didn't. Ty for reading <3
Firstly, it felt like this whole dlc was trying to stuff useless things in between of the interesting stuff there was, so I played 15 hours but felt I only enjoyed the first and last hour of this, and the new mechanics didn't help with that.
The game didn't want to do the same as the community system of Torna and instead just put 1000 ennemies in front of you to stop you from completing the game fast but that's just bullshit imo, I would have prefered the community system over this any day.
The characters were... hit or miss like Glimmer is just Mythra personnality wise with Pyra's hair and she was annoying as hell, Nikol was so forgettable istg. Rex and Shulk are fine but Matthew... like okay he's the happy go lucky kinda dumb mc but he also became annoying to me because of this, A is fine I guess too but yeah, the cast felt weak for me. And don't even get me started on Na'el... let's put aside the fact that she's a cat lady with white hair (again), she had only like 4 flashback scenes to justify her hatred for the world in general...
The twist at the end was good ngl, the final boss too and the ending made me cry a bit but I wish everything else was as good as the rest but yeah, that's my opinion anyway so hey, if you enjoyed it good for you ! I just didn't. Ty for reading <3
a substantial improvement over xenoblade 3s base game in basically every way, unfortunately, xenoblade 3's gameplay just isnt very fun to me so it cant really push itself above "pretty good"
EDIT
I changed my mind its bad
EDIT
I changed my mind its bad
This review contains spoilers
I'm so sorry Xenoblade 2 fans. I don't mean it outside of pity, but I'm so sorry.
It's fine. I expected far worse from what looked (and is) mostly fanservice DLC but I enjoyed my time with it and didn't feel like I was sleighed.
More of that Xenoblade 3 goodness (unless you don't like 3, then oops). Though with some gameplay additions I'm mixed about. More Class (Now Ouroboros) Arts, Accessories, and Gems have to be upgraded by finding and obtaining respective kits in the world. Similarly, further upgrading your Arts and Skills also require kits. I kind of wish that wasn't the case, since at some points I found myself trying to prep for what's ahead by forcing myself to explore every cranny. I get it, it's an open world game, but it's the difference between reading what you enjoy and reading for an assignment.
That's not to say ALL the exploration incentives turned me off. The new Affinity Goals are great to help keep track of what's in the world. You can now pin items you need for certain things (but not crafting in the world for some reason), a Good Collectopedia is here, and the X-Radar eases the process. Mostly. Its beeping doesn't seem to concern itself with elevation which sucks as some of that can't be done until plot progresses further. Progression overall kind of stinks.
Plot wise. It exists. I'm no Xenosaga or Xenogears chad, not yet anyways, so I might've missed a lot. It's similar to Torna where I think these beats are kind of rushed because it isn't able to do much in it's now expected 20~ hours. I did have to actually turn to the internet to hopefully explain some of the visuals. I'm not the brightest but I tried. Though don't expect anything to answer a lot. I don't know why you would, you're this many games in and should pick up on hints or just massive shrug.
Character wise, Matthew and A are great. Shulk feels like what would happen if you got the Olds following everything. And then there's everyone else I feel weird about. Glimmer and Nikol often feel like they just exist, more often to help show how Rex and Shulk have grown through the years. They're the greatest victims of being in pivotal scenes and having nothing to add. At least Nikol and Shulk have great interactions being massive NEEEEEEEEEER-
And Rex... Oh Rex... I have no clue who you are. For context, I didn't like Rex before. Not because of his outfit or screaming, but it felt like 2 was telling me he was a good, heroic and inspiring guy when I didn't get that at all. But now this feels like someone else who only occasionally speaks of memories and references the real Rex would know. I know he was like 15 and is probably like ??? in current day but I just don't see how these are the same person. This is legally distinct Auron with legally distinct Fei. Though that's more of a fault with the original character not doing much for me in the first place.
I think it's greatest strength is the way references are done. Had the main game done this, I would've been disappointed. But since this is a paid expansion that you can just ignore and if you pitch in you better be emotionally manip- catered to. A lot of nods to series classics: Unique Monsters, NPCs, music. A lot of music reference. Literally just saying them. Damn Origin really does have EVERYTHING, doesn't it? Oh man and Yesterdale, greatest jumpscare in my life but I respected it. Though what's really shocking is the lack of equal treatment to Xenoblade 2. I don't think it's a good game, no, but you'd think with Rex right there you'd be right in the open about it. But all you get is Tantal (which isn't a very distinctive) and talking about Uraya. Compared to Colony 9 (the real one), Raguel Lake, Prison Island... y'all got NOTHING. And to be fair, kind of hard to do anything considering there wasn't a lot to work with in XC2's ending (to the point where base game has a Torna area instead). But man, lol. Lmao, even.
Music is okaaay. Not the best additions, but I guess the lifting was from all the returning tracks. Fogbeast my beloved. New Battle!!! is great (following Time to Fight! and Battle!!, I see you Monolith) but a mighty ear worm. I think the new "generic" area theme is alright when it isn't starting every few minutes and Black Mountains' OST... exists. It and Prison Island's OST are sinister but I expected to go full mile with the arrangements.
Overall it's like. Fine. I expected far worse hamfisted fanservice but this did a good amount of "if you know you know". More often the callbacks felt like characters reminiscing of years gone by rather than the game looking at me and going "LOOK ITS THE THING".
It's fine. I expected far worse from what looked (and is) mostly fanservice DLC but I enjoyed my time with it and didn't feel like I was sleighed.
More of that Xenoblade 3 goodness (unless you don't like 3, then oops). Though with some gameplay additions I'm mixed about. More Class (Now Ouroboros) Arts, Accessories, and Gems have to be upgraded by finding and obtaining respective kits in the world. Similarly, further upgrading your Arts and Skills also require kits. I kind of wish that wasn't the case, since at some points I found myself trying to prep for what's ahead by forcing myself to explore every cranny. I get it, it's an open world game, but it's the difference between reading what you enjoy and reading for an assignment.
That's not to say ALL the exploration incentives turned me off. The new Affinity Goals are great to help keep track of what's in the world. You can now pin items you need for certain things (but not crafting in the world for some reason), a Good Collectopedia is here, and the X-Radar eases the process. Mostly. Its beeping doesn't seem to concern itself with elevation which sucks as some of that can't be done until plot progresses further. Progression overall kind of stinks.
Plot wise. It exists. I'm no Xenosaga or Xenogears chad, not yet anyways, so I might've missed a lot. It's similar to Torna where I think these beats are kind of rushed because it isn't able to do much in it's now expected 20~ hours. I did have to actually turn to the internet to hopefully explain some of the visuals. I'm not the brightest but I tried. Though don't expect anything to answer a lot. I don't know why you would, you're this many games in and should pick up on hints or just massive shrug.
Character wise, Matthew and A are great. Shulk feels like what would happen if you got the Olds following everything. And then there's everyone else I feel weird about. Glimmer and Nikol often feel like they just exist, more often to help show how Rex and Shulk have grown through the years. They're the greatest victims of being in pivotal scenes and having nothing to add. At least Nikol and Shulk have great interactions being massive NEEEEEEEEEER-
And Rex... Oh Rex... I have no clue who you are. For context, I didn't like Rex before. Not because of his outfit or screaming, but it felt like 2 was telling me he was a good, heroic and inspiring guy when I didn't get that at all. But now this feels like someone else who only occasionally speaks of memories and references the real Rex would know. I know he was like 15 and is probably like ??? in current day but I just don't see how these are the same person. This is legally distinct Auron with legally distinct Fei. Though that's more of a fault with the original character not doing much for me in the first place.
I think it's greatest strength is the way references are done. Had the main game done this, I would've been disappointed. But since this is a paid expansion that you can just ignore and if you pitch in you better be emotionally manip- catered to. A lot of nods to series classics: Unique Monsters, NPCs, music. A lot of music reference. Literally just saying them. Damn Origin really does have EVERYTHING, doesn't it? Oh man and Yesterdale, greatest jumpscare in my life but I respected it. Though what's really shocking is the lack of equal treatment to Xenoblade 2. I don't think it's a good game, no, but you'd think with Rex right there you'd be right in the open about it. But all you get is Tantal (which isn't a very distinctive) and talking about Uraya. Compared to Colony 9 (the real one), Raguel Lake, Prison Island... y'all got NOTHING. And to be fair, kind of hard to do anything considering there wasn't a lot to work with in XC2's ending (to the point where base game has a Torna area instead). But man, lol. Lmao, even.
Music is okaaay. Not the best additions, but I guess the lifting was from all the returning tracks. Fogbeast my beloved. New Battle!!! is great (following Time to Fight! and Battle!!, I see you Monolith) but a mighty ear worm. I think the new "generic" area theme is alright when it isn't starting every few minutes and Black Mountains' OST... exists. It and Prison Island's OST are sinister but I expected to go full mile with the arrangements.
Overall it's like. Fine. I expected far worse hamfisted fanservice but this did a good amount of "if you know you know". More often the callbacks felt like characters reminiscing of years gone by rather than the game looking at me and going "LOOK ITS THE THING".
Rex and Shulk carried this entire DLC on their backs. Not surprised tbh