MadDogOfShimano

You might have thought you'd seen it all in Soulslike games, such as Souls, Bloodborne and Elden Ring, or the Nioh games. But this game disproves any notion of having "seen it all." The combat is amazing, the graphics a sight to behold! In fact, it's better than the Niohs. Most amazingly, they did it with small team and budget. Highly rec'ed!

A tremendous job differentiating itself from FF-Tactics/Triangle Strategy or FF/Tales types of JRPGs! The level of thinking is stimulating, the challenge doable yet rewarding, the waifus. Not to mention great worldbuilding. Farming even feels rewarding and the game takes many twists & turns. Highly recommended!

Finally, a futuristic game done right, and no mere Souls clone nor Nioh imitator! Worth every penny and hour playing!

It's great to finally be able to play all these games, particularly Sonic 3 & Knuckles, on a big screen that isn't a computer monitor or old console. Given how S1, S2, & even SCD are able to be gotten on more platforms, S3K is the big draw - I'm not terribly salty over the Carnival Night, Ice Cap, & Launch Base Zones' original cartridge release music missing, as MJ's estate probably wanted exorbitant sums of money Sega could spend to make better games, but they should've just straight used the 11/1993 prototype versions. Everyone knows that prototype still exists. Also, the S&K title music should be an option for S3K. Other than those, love the challenge mode, the frame rate fixes on the S2 & S3K special stages too. I'd have given a 9 if Chaotix were included but you can't have it all.

A great way to experience what made FF Tactics so celebrated and still longed for in rerelease after all the years, but w/o the yaoi that Fire Emblem seems to have made part of its selling points.

I didn't think they could outdo Dark Souls 3 & that it had all been done in the other games. And then there was Elden Ring. Amazing refresh, tons of cool new additions, rewarding for noobs and Souls veterans alike. Never coulda pictured a BOTW-style open world until now. A MUST.

First, you'll wanna play Persona 5 (or Persona 5 Royal) before you do Strikers bc Persona is a very story & character heavy experience, if you want to appreciate what you're doing. That said, this game does musou right, unlike Hyrule Warriors, if that was your worry, as it was mine. The game also has a lot of really cool quality of life improvements, a big one related to time (dates are a thing in Persona 5). The new character is pretty legit as well. As Persona 5, this game has top notch music too. Once you play P5 or P5R, play this game. Tho it coulda used more demons from other SMT titles.

This game was an absolute groundbreaker for 1992 w/ gameplay that not only was amazing then, but holds up to the point that games like Bravely Default 2 & many others still draw inspiration from it. But this game also has a stellar soundtrack, a rewarding challenge level that demands exploration, & great visuals. It's better than all the FF's that came afterward, including, yes, FF7. A must play, tho SNES version is the best. Play that one how you will.

Yakuza 3 is the underrated RGG mainline game. While it looks meh compared to Kiwami 2 and Yakuza 4, remember that Yakuza 3 was made after the PS2 version of Y2 (non-Kiwami), thus was a great technological leap forward. Much of this game was groundbreaking, and watching vids of Y2, I'm greatful for what this game offers & what it introduced into the series. The gameplay is strong, the storyline memorable, tho the combat and QOL coulda used a little more thought. Also, shame the remaster was censored and one substory which didn't appear in the '10 English release, had text basically changed (tho in fairness their backs were prob against a wall). But still, worth playing and NOT to be skipped by any Yakuza fan!

A challenging and rewarding experience with a killer storyline, amazing characters, & spectacular gameplay. The crafting and its convolutedness kinda hold this game back from a 10, but it's still elite. Do play before Arise so you don't spoil yourself. The characters' personalities, the storyline, and the English dub are tops as well. PS: Also, Velvet Crowe is what a female main protag should be - strong but sexy, powerful but feminine, interesting yet nuanced; strongwilled but not insufferable. Contrast to what Western devs give us w/ Aloy...

Easily the best new game of 2019, aside from Cadence of Hyrule, and an amazing twist to the Yakuza series - something familiar while new, in terms of combat, personalities, and story.

A pretty solid group of games with great visuals and gameplay. However, there's not much Crash Bandicoot doesn't have, and both are outdone by Mario. Great for an on-the-road game.

When I thought there was another Yakuza game couldn't stand next to 0, there comes Kiwami. This game gets props bc its essentially that which started it all, but with big combat and quality-of-life improvements over Yakuza 0. The story is gripping, both the original and additions, the writing and humor fantastic, and acting amazing. There's always something new to do even when you beat the main game. Majima Everywhere is way better than Mr. Shakedown. A must play!

probably the most creative turn based (non-tactical) JRPG I've ever played. Fantastic & imaginative story, innovative gameplay, and songs you'll be singing in the shower for months, maybe years.

some of the best gameplay in modern gaming with all the quality of life perks (like instant saving, fast travel) you could ever want. Graphics are fantastic while maintaining the anime-esque quality of the NPCs and playable characters, and the story is profound, the themes relevant. The English dub is fantastic with great acting, colorful personalities, laughs. There's always something new to find, tons of challenge and reward, and uncensored too (as Bandai advertised). Warning: you will wanna play more Tales Of games after this.

I tried the first game, and was impressed by the visual quality, but the control was clunky so I returned it. However, after hearing about the improvements for this in previews, I preordered Forbidden West. The performance hit my PS5 takes in unacceptable, as the frame rate lags badly while running around the overworld. Additionally, the story elements are rather boring & drag between NPCs and events. The music is more like muzak. There's little this offers that you can't find in Uncharted, Witcher 2/3, etc. Looks like the hype was more a social agenda than gaming-based.

Combat is excellent & serious props to RGG for perfecting Dragon Engine. The improvements made to Yagami's previous detective abilities are very strong & the new side quests fun & challenging. I dug the story line, which they managed to do in spite of canon & IRL constraints (both in series & real life the yakuza is moribund. Also, keep in mind that school bullying is seen as more urgent to society at large in Japan than in the US) Character development as well as story's unfolding was epic. The main story part of the game tho was a little too easy & shoulda been much longer (at least as long/hard as Judgment 1). Judgment 1 was a tough act to follow & IMO, it's the better overall game, tho in the grand scheme, both are top notch productions, some of the best in the world. PS: Don't play w/ English dub. English dub is terrible. As with all RGG titles, their subtitling & subtitle translations are better than Hollywood(-equivalent) international films.

I could never have pictured the Yakuza series as a JRPG, but wow, they did a fantastic job (esp. given the culture constraints the West is dealing w/ today). The story, the humor (esp. enemy names), really everything is flipping amazing about this game. That said, I could never picture it below PS5 quality; the smallest details are visible on PS5. I also didn't think Bravely Default II could be matched; this game ranks up there with it as among the best JRPGs of recent years.

An spectacular throwback to what made FF4 and FF5 great, and then a ton of cool new combat additions. Also, no wokeness shoved down your throat like so many other recent games.

If you played The Witcher 3, don't waste your time with this game. It's basically an attempt to mimic the loot system, the fighting system, and the character interactions but with an SJW/3rd wave feminist twist. The characters are boring & monotonous, as is the main one. The environs are drab and the enemies are just annoying, not even challenging. The controls are impossible to learn within an hour.

actually has unlockables and music and can be played offline, unlike Project Cars and Gran Turismo Sport. Awesome selection of cars, tho I wish they had Volkswagen. If you loved PS2/PS3 Gran Turismos, pre-2012 NFS, this is the game for you.