Extremely fun gameplay and great soundtrack, but miserable story and new cast of characters that is so overdone in the industry and inconsistent with the tone of the rest of the series.
A masterpiece with unlimited possibility and the most realistic characters out of any game I've ever played. Can be a bit overwhelming at times, but offers a ton of replayability and unique gameplay.
A great game with a truly unique world. While at times it can show it's age and can have some pacing issues with the gummi ship- it is nonetheless a fun game that will want you wanting more.
A vast improvement over the novel that is hidden behind dull gameplay of the original NieR, this game engages you in a believable world right from the start. Addicting combat, great characters, and less reliance on outside media than the original- NieR: Automata delivers on the lacking gameplay of its predecessor while still keeping the great storyline the series is known for. While having to play through multiple "times" wouldn't be how I'd approach game direction, each section does go by fast enough to make the game not overstay its welcome.
A sparse game that would work better as a novel; a great premise that you won't understand until watching a couple of videos or buying into a decade-long media franchise of plays, audio books, and a completely different series. This remake (more a remaster) of the original NieR doesn't do much to improve upon the convoluted story and disconnected empty level design. The world is bleak and moody (a compliment on its art direction), but does little to make it believable. Every "destination" is a couple of text boxes placed inside of a box (or hallway in the forest and junkyard's case). The game wants to be many things: a hack and slash action adventure, an option-tree text novel, and an esoteric think piece- but relies too much on being a discerning "you wouldn't get it" piece of media endurance than an enjoyable game. NieR is at its best when it shows its story complimented by it's combat system- but you won't be experiencing that until sitting through 13 hours of asking yourself questions the game won't tell you.
A peak for the series, Echoes takes the sorely outdated original and improves upon the Fire Emblem formula in every way conceivable. From the amazing art direction to fully voiced cutscenes, Shadows of Valentia paints a political fantasy drama that offers a ton a replayability. While romance and self-inserts were brought on in awakening, Echoes steers away from the fanservice to offer a more mature and focused story that maintains the fast-paced gameplay of the modern FE era.
A beautiful world and timeless story jam-packed with believable characters, catchy music, and an addicting gameplay. Combat is uniquely both live-action and turn based, a great differentiator in an industry that is becoming over-reliant on often similar hack and slash action.
Rebirth offers a great story, great visuals, and improved addicting combat system that is often stifled with filler content and odd pacing. The open world, mandatory mini-games, and Chadley system created a jarring experience compared to the tight story beats and continued progression offered in the previous title, FF7 Remake. These issues dissipate towards the end of the game, but at that point the player is already burnt out from repetitiveness of the first 80% of the game.
An unforgettable experience that juxtaposes campy dialogue with heart racing horror. A shift in the IP that helped to differentiate it against the often compared Silent Hill series, RE4 brings addicting gameplay, memorable characters, and an atmosphere that is uniquely its own.
A masterclass in game design, Okami pushes the capabilities of the medium from a visual, aural, and gameplay perspective to create art packed in a game that is instantly recogniable, emotionally gripping, and industry defining. Molding tropes of historical japanese culture into uniquely campy and memorable characters and settings, Okami is built off of the question of what it would be like to be a force of nature that people only see the after effects of. A must play.
The most emotionally gripping narrative in the entire IP is found not within the main series, but a humble spinoff chockfull of content and driven by a masterpiece soundtrack. PMD:Sky renders its original incarnations of Time and Darkness obsolete with an expanded story, and content that builds out its world even after the main campaign has ended. The gameplay, while familiar to those of the series, sparks difficulty not seen in a game rated E for everyone- only for true Explorers.
An indirect follow up to one of the weakest games in the series, this title had a lot of lost time (and story) to make up for. What was delivered was a shallow identity crisis for a series that’s been struggling. Thrown into This world with the illusion of choice, with no narrative weight or context your character is the “chosen one” destined to save the city for some nebulous issue that it refuses to tell you about until later in the game. The combat, while a fresh take, continues this illusion of choice and control- instead boiling down to the same formula the series has been trying to steer away from. Great character design is painfully juxtaposed against repetitive and mundane graphics that don’t lend themselves to the fantastical world the game is trying to sell you on. All the factors had me stopping the game four hours in to play a different jrpg that had better narrative weight and gameplay.
