Regal4point1

A breath of fresh air. Everything about it hits the right note and balance. The level design is near perfect, the music is eccentric and fun, and it always looks beautiful in motion. It's one of the most perfect games I've ever played. Considering its really low price (only like 15 bucks at this point) it's a must play.

This is always the game I cite when people say consequence and branching storylines aren't possible to the extent people demand it. Perhaps it is because Heavy Rain set the bar so high in that area that makes it so influential and amazing. The game is also addicting and thrilling, and the organic, no game over design makes everything more intense. The aesthetics, especially the score, help to make a depressing mood that makes it a wonderful experience. The illusion of choice, it turns out, isn't an illusion in this game.

You can't deny its emotional potency and engagement, but the illusion of choice seems to fall away as you realize you've been funneled through a tunnel. The story itself is worth the purchase, but its gameplay and "choose-your-own-adventure" mask really aren't that fantastic.

The gameplay is fun, and never gets dull, but its such a shame that there isn't nearly anything to tweak with in usual RPG fashion. Each character has two moves each, both of which are not customizable and upgradable. Additionally, you only control one character throughout the game. This wouldn't be such a deterrence if you were given a lot of control of your party members like Mass Effect, but you're limited to filling up a gauge to tell them which arts to cast. In this way you'll never get lost in the gameplay like you would with a deeper structure. The story is only decent. While good for the JRPG sub-genre, I shouldn't excuse its cringe-worthy lines and lack of subtlety just because the genre is known for bad stories. It also hits cliches at every turn within the narrative, which is perhaps why this game feels as though it has a lack of verve and intrigue. Mistwalker proves it is inept at creating tension and drive, because the story always seems rather meh. The characters, while likable in their own right, are fairly one-dimensional. The protagonist is simply a virtuous do-gooder, there's a princess with special powers, a drunk, a ladies man, a quiet girl. You know, everything you've seen before. This one-characteristic approach to the characters makes them forgettable and unnecessary to the plot. The best thing I can say about it is its pacing. The game flows incredibly well, and never makes you sick of any of its features. This is especially notable because all party members are introduced within the first few hours. The battle system does get new gimmicks to pique your interest at a nice pace, and the difficulty curve is nice (although it is rather easy at the beginning). The game will only take you about 15-20 hours, but its brevity is actually one of its strengths. It does value this time, and the result is a nice flow that is rather addictive and hard to pull away from. The voice work isn't fantastic, but the dialogue isn't that great either. Expect awkward phrases, lectures, and overly long motivational speeches when playing this game. You know, the usual JRPG nonsense. The score is good for background noise, but its hardly memorable aside from the main theme. Unlike other games, when listening to the soundtrack I couldn't remember where it had come from. Despite these gripes, Nobuo did a nice job. The game's lack of customization, verve, and weak story make this hard to fully recommend. I would buy at price drop, but new (to support Mistwalker). It is worth your time though.

I have the utmost respect for this game's epic feel and tragic tone that is told through subtlety. I think its one of the greatest stories told through this medium, and I also think its one of the greatest examples of boss design and creativity. The game doesn't find the correct balance between enjoyable and frustrating though. Wander handles pretty poorly as well, and he constantly struggles to hold onto the titans. Besides that, there's really nothing wrong with this game except maybe if you do not like the formula this game follows.

This game has great set pieces that will put most action movies to shame. It's actually jaw dropping at some points. The story is copy and pasted from the second one, unfortunately, and ultimately takes itself waaaaaaayyyyyy too serious. I recall one instance of nathan dramatically struggling in the desert and showing some humanity, and then immediately after fighting off 20 baddies.

A very big disappointment. You can tell bioware (EA especially) went to large lengths to make this game mainstream. As a result, we get an actioner that has few bright moments that gave us a peek of what the game could have been with diligence in development, instead of rushed release dates. Few ambitions are achieved in Mass Effect 3, despite its core being pretty solid in its own right. Perhaps we expected too much. But I have a feeling they could have delivered.

Fable 3 is definitely one of the worst games I've ever played. Its combat is broken and horrible. Its "moral choices" are so ridiculously simplistic that they have to add a random third act to justify them. Gameplay as a king is horribly restricted. Sidequests are thrusted upon you. A deadline you have to reach comes at you with no warning. The world is bare and the peoples are walking clones. There's so many things I despise about this game I can't even keep count.

Definitely the definitive Final Fantasy. It knows the formula and near perfects it for one last hurrah. The art design, world, gameplay, party, antagonist, soundtrack, and every other element of this game is the culmination of all the work before it, creating one enchanting game.

FF13 is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, and this makes the game hard to recommend. It has its highlights, but the restriction required to get there isn't often worth it. The battle system is fast and fun, but easily exploitable. The plot is good but horribly executed. The characters are multi-dimensional but deliver rotten dialogue. The game's world is beautiful but restrictive. Every aspect of the game has at least one issue holding it back. Did I enjoy my time with it though? Oddly enough I did. You might be one of the few like me to get something out of it though.

A game with a genius battle system and soundtrack that is held back by its unevenly executed story (ie: info dumps). The game's world and art is beautiful, but the emotional attachment to the story is put singularly on one character that they put on hiatus for the entire second act. It honestly lacks drive but has enough verve for its own audience.

This game is very traditional, almost to a fault. It practically reeks of Final Fantasy 9 copying. While the immortal system is okay, the battles are so obnoxiously slow that it becomes unbearable after a while. At first, it is barely noticable, but the monotony suddenly weighs down and the slow attack and magic animations make the battles far too lengthy. Since the game has random battles, this is a serious issue and annoyance, especially when you are forced to travel around an area to solve puzzles. The level cap adds to this frustration since you have no motivation to battle enemies without the promise of a buffed party. Sure, the soundtrack, aesthetics, pacing, and most all other elements of this game are great, but this whole game is tainted by one wound that is repeatedly dug into with alcohol and dirt.

A fantastic strategy game that is hard at its core, and created for its audience thus. An underrated treat that deserves far more recognition. Although not contemporary by any means, it makes up for it with a large (yet not forgettable) cast and elongated storyline. The death feature also makes things extremely personal.

Beautifully visceral and vocal in its silence. Journey is a testament to games as a storytelling device without forcing cumbersome dialogue on the player. This game is paced perfectly and is raised to emotional heights never seen in gaming before with its sweeping soundtrack that multiplies any emotion felt by the player. The multiplayer is meaningful because of the bond of companionship between a player will create with a stranger. A great buy, and the pinnacle of thatgamecompany's talent so far.

A great homage to the whole series. The bosses were familiar while interesting, and the gameplay was refined to a tee. Unfortunately, the gameplay takes a back-seat to the story, which makes up the bulk of what should have been a much longer and better paced game. Simply making this game longer or perhaps releasing it later would have provided a much more sufficient game to movie ratio.

This game is ridiculously magnetic, and unlike many jrpgs has left me craving for more. From the sprawling locales, the beautiful skylines, and the amazing soundtrack to the wonderful gameplay and accessibility, this game is stunning. However it's not without its faults, including bad lip sync and repetitive questing. Don't let those deter your decision to buy this game, since that would be a bad mistake.