casriel

I don't normally give 10/10 reviews but I literally cannot think of a single substantial flaw of this game. Everything about it is perfect and well designed; the characters are lovable and funny while simultaneously having depth and emotional aspects to them. The art is charming and unique; the music is one of the best soundtracks in gaming; the gameplay is creative and engaging; and above all, the story is impactful and emotional. Undertale takes video games as an art form and uses the medium in a way that has never been done before. The game plays YOU in the most unexpected and surprising ways, and will make your jaw drop more than once.

Almost everyone I know that has played this game (including me), has quit after the first chapter, and then have come back after a couple years, finished it, and absolutely loved it. That's not to say Chapter 1 isn't good; it just kind of drags on. If you don't have a lot of time on your hands, this game isn't for you. But if you do, you're in for an unforgettable experience. The world is gigantic, with so much love put into the environment. The story, while long, has some of the best character writing that I've seen in any media. Anyone studying writing should play this game. --Or anyone that wants to be a cowboy in the lawless Wild West.

This game was a godsend during Covid, but looking back it was not very well designed. By far the worst part about it is that everything--from animations to quests--took incredibly long to complete. For example, you can't even craft more than one item at a time. This doesn't seem like much, but once you've been playing the game for tens of hours (which its supposedly designed for) these kinds of things really drag on and make the game a slog to play. It appears cute and fun on the outside, but I'm not even joking when I say, the thought of playing this game again fills me with dread and stress. It's addicting if you have a lot of time on your hands, though.

In terms of pure enjoyment, this is the most fun I've ever had in a video game. The gameplay rewards creativity--the entire world is interactable, giving the player hundreds of ways to kill an enemy, whether it be with a bomb, shooting down a lamppost, hiding behind a barrel, sneak attacking them, or charging head-on. There is also highly customizable character builds and RP choices, which is accentuated with the built-in mod manager and the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of ways the the plot can change based on your choices. In terms of the story, it is a very classic D&D campaign, but the companion characters are the real standout, with emotional quests and incredible performances by the actors. There are very many small problems, such as glitches, small plot holes, and inconsistencies with character writing, but games that are this ambitious these can be overlooked. It's not perfect, but it's damn well close.

Expedition 33 is perfect in almost every single aspect; the gameplay has groundbreaking, creative mechanics that you can tailor to your playstyle. The art and environments are the prettiest I've ever seen in a video game, and they still manage to have wildly different atmospheres in every level. The music supports this with a perfect tone match. And the STORY. The story is emotional and impactful, and will hit close to home for the majority of people. The characters are also very well written to support the story. Overall, there are very few problems with this game. But problems are bound to happen when you make an RPG as groundbreaking as this one. For example, the plot's pacing gets pretty messy in the 3rd act; I wish there was a minimap; and the UI can be very confusing. But I don't think this will be a huge turn-off for people, especially since the highs of this game are so incredibly high. Besides these few minor problems, this game is one of a kind, and will probably be one of the best games of the decade.

(Gameplay - 9/10): This game's gameplay is truly unique, and is doing something no other game has done before. The combat is hugely customizable, allowing you to create literally anything. The closest thing that I can relate to this system is Minecraft's redstone. If you like creative gameplay, than this is a must play. (Story - 3/10): This is not a story game. But most people that play Zelda games already know this - this game's story is, however, worse than the other Zelda games. If you want to play a Zelda game with a good story, play Majora's Mask. (Overall): If you have not played Breath of the Wild yet, don't play this game. It will be very overwhelming. This might not seem like a big deal, but the appeal of Breath of the Wild was its simplicity yet huge scale--this game does not have the same satisfying simplicity. This game also takes risks in its new mechanics, which will likely impact the entire industry, but overall, it is still unpolished.