Yo! Played every game released in Europe
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Media Videogame thread
- Thread starter Bummer
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I've played a fair amount, played FE13, FE8, and FE6 in high school and FE4 a few years ago. I'm hoping to play through Three Houses at some point this year, but there are sooooo many games I wanna play this year so we'll see if that actually ends up happening.
I don't talk on it much, but there's a (unofficial, obviously) Smogon Fire Emblem Discord Server if you or anyone else are interested. Invite is here
I am about 3 months later than I wanted to post this, but in 2021, I went on a bit of a deep dive through the Final Fantasy series. This meant not just the games, but also the multimedia franchise like novels, films, and anime. I've talked to people a bit on each one, but I think having all my thoughts gathered in one place would be useful.
This was supposed to be posted around last December...obviously it's more than a bit late. The main reason that I held this off was because I wanted to play FF10 first back in January before Legends Arceus came out, but I think I've become seriously burnt out and could not remain focused. And that's understandable when each game is meant to be played years apart from each other and be such a whole experience unto itself. So that one will have to wait for a while, though I do plan to still play it some day!
For the record, before 2021, I had only played 2 Final Fantasy games: XII Revenant Wings in 2008, and VII twice (along with the associated novels and film), in 2019 and 2020. And you may note that the film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, doesn't have an entry here. That's mainly because...I didn't end up rewatching it last year (even though I have seen it twice). My brief opinion of it is that it is fun to rewatch all of the action scenes (which is most of the movie, to be fair) and it is a slog to get through a lot of the dialogue scenes. However, I think it can work as part of the complete Compilation of FF7 (check the On the Way to a Smile section for the complete detail on that).
I'll be posting my thoughts on each entry in the order that I played/read/watched them (though as we'll see, "order" gets a little more dicey when we get to XV...). Roman numerals can blend together so I put the Arabic numerals in parentheses. Games in Black, books in red, animated stuff in purple.
Spoilers largely unmarked, unless they are really bad.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII (Played on Switch)
Final Fantasy VII: On The Way to a Smile
Final Fantasy VII: The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story (reread, highly recommended)
Final Fantasy VIII (8) Remastered (played on Switch)
Final Fantasy IX (9)
Final Fantasy XIII (13) Episode Zero: Promise
Final Fantasy XIII (13)
Final Fantasy IV (4) (3D remake)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments Before (Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (13-2)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (13-2) Fragments After
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII (13): Reminiscence -tracer of memories
Final Fantasy XV (15)
I think this one needs to get its own header before I get into any of the actual entries because...it's a weird one. I think it's best to think of FF15 less as a game with spin-offs, and more as a multimedia franchise from the top down. The game itself yes, is very incomplete in and of itself. But with the feature film and the anime miniseries, a lot of that is introduced for you. There is a nice guide on steam that breaks down how to experience the story in chronological order https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2094194252 But unfortunately even then, it's true there isn't really a great one place to start; each of the beginnings has either spoilers or a complete lack of context. So no matter what, you'll have to suffer that you won't really be able to understand what's going on for a while.
...That said, though it goes against every rule of storytelling that bans having required "homework", when you end up finally understanding the narrative and the world, you may find that you actually enjoy it. And with the bigger picture in mind, I personally found FFXV to be my favorite or second-favorite in the overall franchise.
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV (15) Royal Edition
Dawn of the Future
Final Fantasy I II III: Memory of Heroes
Final Fantasy XV (15) Pocket Edition HD (played on Switch)
This is so heckin long that I doubt anyone will read all of it, but I hope that at least some will read about whichever particular games/subseries interested them. Finally can get back to everything else I've been procrastinating on to finish this...it really did take a lot longer than I expected. (If I was really smart, I'd have written about each one right after I finished it, instead of all at once. Then I'd remember better too!) At least I got it done before April!
This was supposed to be posted around last December...obviously it's more than a bit late. The main reason that I held this off was because I wanted to play FF10 first back in January before Legends Arceus came out, but I think I've become seriously burnt out and could not remain focused. And that's understandable when each game is meant to be played years apart from each other and be such a whole experience unto itself. So that one will have to wait for a while, though I do plan to still play it some day!
For the record, before 2021, I had only played 2 Final Fantasy games: XII Revenant Wings in 2008, and VII twice (along with the associated novels and film), in 2019 and 2020. And you may note that the film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, doesn't have an entry here. That's mainly because...I didn't end up rewatching it last year (even though I have seen it twice). My brief opinion of it is that it is fun to rewatch all of the action scenes (which is most of the movie, to be fair) and it is a slog to get through a lot of the dialogue scenes. However, I think it can work as part of the complete Compilation of FF7 (check the On the Way to a Smile section for the complete detail on that).
I'll be posting my thoughts on each entry in the order that I played/read/watched them (though as we'll see, "order" gets a little more dicey when we get to XV...). Roman numerals can blend together so I put the Arabic numerals in parentheses. Games in Black, books in red, animated stuff in purple.
Spoilers largely unmarked, unless they are really bad.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
This is one of the most talked-about games of recent years, and I don't really have too much to add other than that I enjoyed it, overall. Hearing the original music arranged and seeing all of the visuals fully rendered was great and really put me back in that world.
It probably has my favorite combat system in any Final Fantasy game. It seemed like a natural evolution of the ATB system; for better or worse, an action-oriented gameplay will have more appeal today than the classic Final Fantasy battle system, and this seemed like a good compromise. I wouldn't realize it until later when I played 13 and 15, but this system takes the strongest parts of those combat systems and is able to overcome their weaknesses.
With all that said, I don't feel the desire to replay it. I think that splitting into several parts was a decent idea, but a lot of the game ends up feeling like filler for that reason. And like many, I'm not a fan of the story changes and kinda worried about what kind of bullshit Nomura is gonna concoct next. But hey, the long years between entries will be enough time to get over it, right?
It probably has my favorite combat system in any Final Fantasy game. It seemed like a natural evolution of the ATB system; for better or worse, an action-oriented gameplay will have more appeal today than the classic Final Fantasy battle system, and this seemed like a good compromise. I wouldn't realize it until later when I played 13 and 15, but this system takes the strongest parts of those combat systems and is able to overcome their weaknesses.
With all that said, I don't feel the desire to replay it. I think that splitting into several parts was a decent idea, but a lot of the game ends up feeling like filler for that reason. And like many, I'm not a fan of the story changes and kinda worried about what kind of bullshit Nomura is gonna concoct next. But hey, the long years between entries will be enough time to get over it, right?
Final Fantasy VII (Played on Switch)
Third time playing this and despite enjoying the combat system of the Remake more, I for some reason find this game endlessly replayable. A lot of that is due to the game really encouraging you to just stick to three characters for the whole game (one of which has to be Cloud, of course) so each replay lets you use characters (and materia!) that you might've neglected the last time around. But the story itself also doesn't really get old.
I'm not quite sure what it is, because I didn't grow up with this game (I first played it at age 23) and have really no childhood nostalgia for it, but after the first playthrough it really did become one of my favorite games. It's almost like I had secondhand nostalgia in a sense, as I saw how many other things I love were influenced by this. Even knowing a few of the popular twists pop-culturally, there were still quite a few unexpected twists and emotional moments for me. The first time I played it, it did actually leave me legit melancholy for a week or so. I guess there is a reason that it's endured for so long.
That's enough circlejerking for a game most people agree is classic, so I will say yes, in many ways it hasn't aged well just in terms of gameplay and graphics. The Switch version (and most re-releases of the game, actually) thankfully has a few features to assist that; you can turn off all of the random encounters, make gameplay 3x faster, and automatically recover/have Limit Break after every move.
I'm not quite sure what it is, because I didn't grow up with this game (I first played it at age 23) and have really no childhood nostalgia for it, but after the first playthrough it really did become one of my favorite games. It's almost like I had secondhand nostalgia in a sense, as I saw how many other things I love were influenced by this. Even knowing a few of the popular twists pop-culturally, there were still quite a few unexpected twists and emotional moments for me. The first time I played it, it did actually leave me legit melancholy for a week or so. I guess there is a reason that it's endured for so long.
That's enough circlejerking for a game most people agree is classic, so I will say yes, in many ways it hasn't aged well just in terms of gameplay and graphics. The Switch version (and most re-releases of the game, actually) thankfully has a few features to assist that; you can turn off all of the random encounters, make gameplay 3x faster, and automatically recover/have Limit Break after every move.
Final Fantasy VII: On The Way to a Smile
From what I can tell, the "extended universe" of FF7 has been controversial for people about 5-10 years older than me. But for me, like with the Star Wars prequels, I'm not experiencing it as something that "changed" the original but as something that was just part of the franchise whole from the onset. Advent Children in particular I think gets a lot of flack for changing things way too much without really giving much context to what happened in the intervening years, and being an extended fight scene for the entire second half.
If you are someone that feels that way, I really recommend this book (written by Nojima, co-writer of the original game, and writer of Advent Children) as it does a very good job of filling in what happened in the missing two years (and gives some attention to the fan-favorite characters that basically only have cameos in the film) and contextualizes (or less charitably, justifies) it.
So for example, things like Geostigma which seems to be introduced and then done away with in 2 hours in the film is instead given a full story. We see when it was first discovered and how people first react to it and learn to deal with it, etc. Rufus Shinra gets a whole chapter about how he survives and decides to change. Barrett's chapter is powerful as well; he starts to really reflect on his terrorist actions and realizes he was using Marlene as an excuse to convince himself that all his actions were justified. So he sets out to find out how he can give back to the world and leaves Marlene in Cloud and Tifa's care for the time being.
On the subject of Cloud and Tifa, theirs would be the one chapter I most recommend. It's really written in a surprisingly mature way that justifies their vague relationship status in Advent Children. It comes off as way less emo than in the movie, instead more realistically dealing with things like moving on, dealing with being the second love, fear of commitment, etc. And it's why in all these debates or shipping wars about who of the two Cloud really loved, it always made most sense to me that it would just be...both. Why not?
If you were someone who disliked Advent Children, this book might help to reframe it. I read the book before watching the movie originally, and it really did a lot to make Advent Children feel like the third act of a longer story, rather than just an incomplete story in itself.
If you are someone that feels that way, I really recommend this book (written by Nojima, co-writer of the original game, and writer of Advent Children) as it does a very good job of filling in what happened in the missing two years (and gives some attention to the fan-favorite characters that basically only have cameos in the film) and contextualizes (or less charitably, justifies) it.
So for example, things like Geostigma which seems to be introduced and then done away with in 2 hours in the film is instead given a full story. We see when it was first discovered and how people first react to it and learn to deal with it, etc. Rufus Shinra gets a whole chapter about how he survives and decides to change. Barrett's chapter is powerful as well; he starts to really reflect on his terrorist actions and realizes he was using Marlene as an excuse to convince himself that all his actions were justified. So he sets out to find out how he can give back to the world and leaves Marlene in Cloud and Tifa's care for the time being.
On the subject of Cloud and Tifa, theirs would be the one chapter I most recommend. It's really written in a surprisingly mature way that justifies their vague relationship status in Advent Children. It comes off as way less emo than in the movie, instead more realistically dealing with things like moving on, dealing with being the second love, fear of commitment, etc. And it's why in all these debates or shipping wars about who of the two Cloud really loved, it always made most sense to me that it would just be...both. Why not?
If you were someone who disliked Advent Children, this book might help to reframe it. I read the book before watching the movie originally, and it really did a lot to make Advent Children feel like the third act of a longer story, rather than just an incomplete story in itself.
Final Fantasy VII: The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story (reread, highly recommended)
This is an original story that also takes place between the original game and Advent Children. But while On the Way to a Smile is very much setting up Advent Children, this book gets to avoid all of the issues that usually come with adaptations and tie-in novels. It features original characters, so they are not restricted by their character development in any of the games. It doesn't have to have tedious consequence-less action scenes that are the boss/random encounters put into writing. It can instead have an interesting story with its own themes that character arcs that stands on its own, while still tying in with the larger parts of what's going on in the universe.
Here, we have an interesting break from our main party in the games, instead focusing on 19-year-olds Evan Townshend and Kyrie Canaan (who will eventually make her way to the games, along with another original character from this story, Leslie Kyle, in Final Fantasy 7 Remake!) as well as the Turks and Shinra.
There are interesting developments here by seeing things from the perspective of those other than our heroes. For example, Rufus Shinra is the one blamed for most of FF7's happenings. People don't know about Sephiroth, or Aerith, or any of the adventures of the party. All they know is that everything was fine, then President Shinra died and his son took over, and then everything suddenly went to shit. So clearly, he's responsible for all that!
In that sense, it does tie in to Advent Children's character arcs as we see how the Turks and Shinra start to soften up a bit as they realize how their old methods didn't work, and they need to try something new. Becoming the ones that people can trust in the new world, and all that. So over the course of this story, we see how they will eventually become the Shinra that is quite softer in Advent Children.
I don't want to say much more about the plot, because it does have a lot of interesting developments and twists in turns. And it always feels like a natural novel, so the writing isn't as stilted by obligation to the source material as some of the other novels might be.
There is also a really great line from Kyrie about her grandmother telling her that a girl's worst enemy is her boyfriend's mother...but her boyfriend's mother could ALSO be her greatest ally.
Here, we have an interesting break from our main party in the games, instead focusing on 19-year-olds Evan Townshend and Kyrie Canaan (who will eventually make her way to the games, along with another original character from this story, Leslie Kyle, in Final Fantasy 7 Remake!) as well as the Turks and Shinra.
There are interesting developments here by seeing things from the perspective of those other than our heroes. For example, Rufus Shinra is the one blamed for most of FF7's happenings. People don't know about Sephiroth, or Aerith, or any of the adventures of the party. All they know is that everything was fine, then President Shinra died and his son took over, and then everything suddenly went to shit. So clearly, he's responsible for all that!
In that sense, it does tie in to Advent Children's character arcs as we see how the Turks and Shinra start to soften up a bit as they realize how their old methods didn't work, and they need to try something new. Becoming the ones that people can trust in the new world, and all that. So over the course of this story, we see how they will eventually become the Shinra that is quite softer in Advent Children.
I don't want to say much more about the plot, because it does have a lot of interesting developments and twists in turns. And it always feels like a natural novel, so the writing isn't as stilted by obligation to the source material as some of the other novels might be.
There is also a really great line from Kyrie about her grandmother telling her that a girl's worst enemy is her boyfriend's mother...but her boyfriend's mother could ALSO be her greatest ally.
Final Fantasy VIII (8) Remastered (played on Switch)
This one's always been a controversial black sheep in the franchise, I think. And it is pretty clear to see why. The combat system in this is really confusing, and the in-game tutorials don't do you any favors. The first time, I ended up abandoning it just because I found it too complicated. Later on, I came back to play through it with the in-game cheats (but even then, I got stuck in an area I saved in and had to watch the rest of the game on YouTube). So I won't be able to comment too much on that. But I have heard that people have found ways to absolutely break the system and become unstoppable. I don't really understand the system to condemn or recommend it, so the best I'll do is give a warning that it is QUITE different from every other game, and not very intuitive, though I'm sure there are enough guides online for you to understand it if you wish.
The story of this one is ... about as convoluted as the gameplay. That's the case with any story involving lots of time travel. But while the plot may be confusing, the story's atmosphere and themes did resonate with me, and so my opinion has to be overall positive. The whole theme of witches in a sci-fi setting is pretty gripping, and there are just so many creepy and ominous moments with them. The one that sticks out to me most is around the 1/3 point of the game, where you sneak into Sorceress Edea's room before she gives a speech. There's a kind of chill in the air from the usual "hope I don't get caught" but also the bizarre factor of being alone with this mysterious, otherworldly witch.
The time travel details can drive you nuts trying to figure out, but the details aren't really what's important in a story like this. I really liked the theme or moral of the story from Ellone as she realizes that, despite all her powers, she can't change the past. Instead, the best that she can do is try to understand why people made the choices they did. I thought that was very powerful.
The love story (stories, actually!) here I think is polarizing with Squall kind of being a meme saying "whatever" all the time. But it works well enough, I think mainly because it's not a love story on its own, but meant to parallel and resolve two other love stories that do work a whole lot better. And of course a lot of that is due to Love Grows/Eyes on Me, a very beautiful theme song.
...It also has my favorite version of the Chocobo Theme, "Mods de Chocobo"
The story of this one is ... about as convoluted as the gameplay. That's the case with any story involving lots of time travel. But while the plot may be confusing, the story's atmosphere and themes did resonate with me, and so my opinion has to be overall positive. The whole theme of witches in a sci-fi setting is pretty gripping, and there are just so many creepy and ominous moments with them. The one that sticks out to me most is around the 1/3 point of the game, where you sneak into Sorceress Edea's room before she gives a speech. There's a kind of chill in the air from the usual "hope I don't get caught" but also the bizarre factor of being alone with this mysterious, otherworldly witch.
The time travel details can drive you nuts trying to figure out, but the details aren't really what's important in a story like this. I really liked the theme or moral of the story from Ellone as she realizes that, despite all her powers, she can't change the past. Instead, the best that she can do is try to understand why people made the choices they did. I thought that was very powerful.
The love story (stories, actually!) here I think is polarizing with Squall kind of being a meme saying "whatever" all the time. But it works well enough, I think mainly because it's not a love story on its own, but meant to parallel and resolve two other love stories that do work a whole lot better. And of course a lot of that is due to Love Grows/Eyes on Me, a very beautiful theme song.
...It also has my favorite version of the Chocobo Theme, "Mods de Chocobo"
Final Fantasy IX (9)
This is often cited as a great place to start in the series, and I'm inclined to agree (if remakes are out of the conversation). It does not have as complicated of a battle system as 7 or 8, and its art style, while controversial for being a little more cartoonish, ended up making it age the best of this era.
The story also departs from previous entries by shedding the the more sci-fi settings of 7 and 8, and the high fantasy of the first few games, in favor of a fantasy more like a fairy tale. In the Ultimania, it's stated that the goal of this game was to focus on the "joys of everyday life" and in that sense it does it very well. I found it very heartwarming and endearing, and definitely the kind of thing that I would be extremely nostalgic for if I had grown up with it. Of course, Melodies of Life is a beautiful and wistful song, often called the "My Heart Will Go On" of Final Fantasy (this one has a happy ending though!).
That said, it does end up being an overly-complicated end of the world plot as things really do spiral out of control near the end (I guess some things the franchise just can't help!). And, this is only a problem you notice if you are playing the games in order, but for the third time in a row, it begins with the heroes against a "starter" political villain that ends up being defeated and replaced by the real, super-powered villain a third of the way through through (for 7, it's President Shinra --> Sephiroth, in 8 it's President Deling --> Edea/Ultimecia, here of course, it's Queen Brahne --> Kuja). It does get a little repetitive if you are playing the games in order, but it works well enough for thie story, and Brahne is definitely a more fleshed-out character than Shinra and Deling who were basically just there to die.
The game does a good job of giving you party balance with the characters rotating in and out of the story, but it does eventually force to choose. Not until the last few chapters though!
The story also departs from previous entries by shedding the the more sci-fi settings of 7 and 8, and the high fantasy of the first few games, in favor of a fantasy more like a fairy tale. In the Ultimania, it's stated that the goal of this game was to focus on the "joys of everyday life" and in that sense it does it very well. I found it very heartwarming and endearing, and definitely the kind of thing that I would be extremely nostalgic for if I had grown up with it. Of course, Melodies of Life is a beautiful and wistful song, often called the "My Heart Will Go On" of Final Fantasy (this one has a happy ending though!).
That said, it does end up being an overly-complicated end of the world plot as things really do spiral out of control near the end (I guess some things the franchise just can't help!). And, this is only a problem you notice if you are playing the games in order, but for the third time in a row, it begins with the heroes against a "starter" political villain that ends up being defeated and replaced by the real, super-powered villain a third of the way through through (for 7, it's President Shinra --> Sephiroth, in 8 it's President Deling --> Edea/Ultimecia, here of course, it's Queen Brahne --> Kuja). It does get a little repetitive if you are playing the games in order, but it works well enough for thie story, and Brahne is definitely a more fleshed-out character than Shinra and Deling who were basically just there to die.
The game does a good job of giving you party balance with the characters rotating in and out of the story, but it does eventually force to choose. Not until the last few chapters though!
Final Fantasy XIII (13) Episode Zero: Promise
This is a kind of "what was happening literally the day before FF 13 starts?" collection for every character, and honestly, I strongly recommend reading this before playing FF13, as the actual game begins with so little context that it's actually surprising that they intended people to just jump right into it. This book sets up who everyone is, what they're all about, and what they're up to that gets them into the extremely convoluted and complex plot of the game. It also gives a lot of important information about the world and political state.
The one worry may be spoilers, so I'll let you know ahead of time that you don't need to worry about that. There is one thing that may be potentially a spoiler, which is the backstory of Fang and Vanille. But I honestly prefer knowing ahead of time, as it makes the reveal less of a random surprise and more a kind of dramatic irony. It'll also help you understand a lot of Vanille's behavior early on in the game.
The events mentioned in this book are shown in flashbacks (though with a lot less detail) or referred to in dialogue by the characters, so it's not even as if it's just like an extended universe thing that wants to retroactively fit in with the existing story. I really feel the only reason that it wasn't included in the game itself is just because it would mean way too much time before the player can actually play. So I have to give my highest recommendation to reading this first before playing; even if it feels like homework, it really will make you appreciate the real game much more.
The one worry may be spoilers, so I'll let you know ahead of time that you don't need to worry about that. There is one thing that may be potentially a spoiler, which is the backstory of Fang and Vanille. But I honestly prefer knowing ahead of time, as it makes the reveal less of a random surprise and more a kind of dramatic irony. It'll also help you understand a lot of Vanille's behavior early on in the game.
The events mentioned in this book are shown in flashbacks (though with a lot less detail) or referred to in dialogue by the characters, so it's not even as if it's just like an extended universe thing that wants to retroactively fit in with the existing story. I really feel the only reason that it wasn't included in the game itself is just because it would mean way too much time before the player can actually play. So I have to give my highest recommendation to reading this first before playing; even if it feels like homework, it really will make you appreciate the real game much more.
Final Fantasy XIII (13)
This one, from what I understand, was extremely polarizing for the community. But truth be told, all of the reasons that people hate this game are invariably why I love it (and not so much the sequels). People joke about this game being the "hallway simulator" and such, but I have always preferred games with strong railroading and straightforward goals and objectives. In that respect, I like most Final Fantasy games in spite of their semi-open world exploration, and not because of it.
The gameplay itself for the most part I really like as we start to blur the line between ATB and straight-up real time combat. You can definitely see that this is kind of a prototype for this combat system as there are some weird features. For instance, if your party leader dies, you automatically lose, rather than just forcing you to switch to a new party leader (which you can always do outside of combat). That causes some unfortunate situations where losing just one member is akin to a total party wipe, something that happens in no other game (even later ones like Lightning Returns or FF15 where you only control one character!). Positioning is also important as moves do have range and area of effect, but...you can't actually move your characters. So you end up being in situations where you will need to use the Paradigm Shift in order to make certain characters (who are AI-controlled, by the way) move toward or away from certain areas, and then cancel their moves by changing the Paradigm Shift again. It's strategic, but clunky.
All that said, I do really enjoy the battle system of this game and I find the Paradigm System to surprisingly have a lot of depth. It can be somewhat difficult, but thankfully, there are a lot of guides out there for the optimal setups for certain bosses. It does unfortunately feel like you are boxed in to using certain prescribed strategies to win though (unless you are a god).
The story is also famous for being very confusing, but if you read the book like I recommend, there is quite a bit more added context. Unfortunately, that only extends to the earlier part of the game, and it continues to get more confusing as it goes along. Very unclear villain motivation or plan that ties into a larger theology of the world that doesn't get shown until the sequels (and by that point, the plotline is so strangely dropped...).
But for me, like with Final Fantasy 8, my thinking is that characters and relatable themes will still make me feel overall positive over a confusing plotline. And in that case, this game does work for me. The characters are full of personality (yes, even Lightning; she doesn't become boring and static until the sequels!) and energy, and their dynamics really work well.
I don't know why more series don't do this, but we rarely ever have the dynamic of young adults and slightly older young adults. It always seems like young adults/teens juxtaposed with the elderly. But in this case, we have the teenagers, the 21-year-olds, and then the 40-year-old Sazh, adding some interesting parental perspective to the group. There's a great scene early on where Snow, talking about the teenagers, says he didn't want to get kids involved. But Sazh mentions that to him, Snow is a kid.
I think that the story plays off the female and male lead dynamic in an interesting way too. Of course, it's a cliche to have a male and female lead that dislike each other at first but then fall in love. But I think that has led to a kind of overcorrecting, where a male and female lead who do have a ton of chemistry end up not falling in love just because the story wants to do something different. Here, I think the story does it differently in a way that seems refreshing, by making the main female-male dynamic (Lightning and Snow) one of in-laws. Snow wants to marry Lightning's sister, but Lightning doesn't approve. Pretty normal and understandable, and allows for the same arc of growing from dislike to like while keeping their dynamic just different enough from what is typical (and I think pays off well in Lightning Returns, but we'll get to that when we get to that).
The gameplay itself for the most part I really like as we start to blur the line between ATB and straight-up real time combat. You can definitely see that this is kind of a prototype for this combat system as there are some weird features. For instance, if your party leader dies, you automatically lose, rather than just forcing you to switch to a new party leader (which you can always do outside of combat). That causes some unfortunate situations where losing just one member is akin to a total party wipe, something that happens in no other game (even later ones like Lightning Returns or FF15 where you only control one character!). Positioning is also important as moves do have range and area of effect, but...you can't actually move your characters. So you end up being in situations where you will need to use the Paradigm Shift in order to make certain characters (who are AI-controlled, by the way) move toward or away from certain areas, and then cancel their moves by changing the Paradigm Shift again. It's strategic, but clunky.
All that said, I do really enjoy the battle system of this game and I find the Paradigm System to surprisingly have a lot of depth. It can be somewhat difficult, but thankfully, there are a lot of guides out there for the optimal setups for certain bosses. It does unfortunately feel like you are boxed in to using certain prescribed strategies to win though (unless you are a god).
The story is also famous for being very confusing, but if you read the book like I recommend, there is quite a bit more added context. Unfortunately, that only extends to the earlier part of the game, and it continues to get more confusing as it goes along. Very unclear villain motivation or plan that ties into a larger theology of the world that doesn't get shown until the sequels (and by that point, the plotline is so strangely dropped...).
But for me, like with Final Fantasy 8, my thinking is that characters and relatable themes will still make me feel overall positive over a confusing plotline. And in that case, this game does work for me. The characters are full of personality (yes, even Lightning; she doesn't become boring and static until the sequels!) and energy, and their dynamics really work well.
I don't know why more series don't do this, but we rarely ever have the dynamic of young adults and slightly older young adults. It always seems like young adults/teens juxtaposed with the elderly. But in this case, we have the teenagers, the 21-year-olds, and then the 40-year-old Sazh, adding some interesting parental perspective to the group. There's a great scene early on where Snow, talking about the teenagers, says he didn't want to get kids involved. But Sazh mentions that to him, Snow is a kid.
I think that the story plays off the female and male lead dynamic in an interesting way too. Of course, it's a cliche to have a male and female lead that dislike each other at first but then fall in love. But I think that has led to a kind of overcorrecting, where a male and female lead who do have a ton of chemistry end up not falling in love just because the story wants to do something different. Here, I think the story does it differently in a way that seems refreshing, by making the main female-male dynamic (Lightning and Snow) one of in-laws. Snow wants to marry Lightning's sister, but Lightning doesn't approve. Pretty normal and understandable, and allows for the same arc of growing from dislike to like while keeping their dynamic just different enough from what is typical (and I think pays off well in Lightning Returns, but we'll get to that when we get to that).
Final Fantasy IV (4) (3D remake)
This is one of the earlier games, so I really don't have much to say about it! It's a good game, and avoids the whole partylock issue (too many characters, not enough room to use them all!) that other games have by letting you use up to 5 characters at a time with a rotating party based on the plot.
I played the 3D version on Steam, which did tone down the difficulty (I understand the original was very hard) and brings in some nice animations and voice acting. What actually drew me to it was the "Theme of Love" which I first heard on the Distant Worlds album and had to learn on piano myself immediately after. I didn't wanna be a fake fan, so I decided to play the real game!
Not much to say about this one, since it's an early game so it's not too complicated. Just a fun time all around. I do plan to play The After Years eventually, though I hear it's a bit of a grind. But hey, the longer I take to play it, the more it'll feel like all that time actually passed, right??
I played the 3D version on Steam, which did tone down the difficulty (I understand the original was very hard) and brings in some nice animations and voice acting. What actually drew me to it was the "Theme of Love" which I first heard on the Distant Worlds album and had to learn on piano myself immediately after. I didn't wanna be a fake fan, so I decided to play the real game!
Not much to say about this one, since it's an early game so it's not too complicated. Just a fun time all around. I do plan to play The After Years eventually, though I hear it's a bit of a grind. But hey, the longer I take to play it, the more it'll feel like all that time actually passed, right??
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments Before (Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i)
This is really two books, one very very short booklet (episode i) that was included with pre-orders of XIII-2. I got it on eBay, but it was a bit of a waste (aside from just the collector's value) as it is included as the first chapter in Fragments Before.
Just like with Episode Zero: Promise did for 13, this book provides a ton of important info for XIII-2 that the game just takes for granted. Like that ordinary people can use magic (not explained, but at least mentioned), when Lightning disappeared and how everyone reacted to that (the main point of XIII-2) and where Noel (main character of XIII-2) came from. It also explains why the fal'Cie have lost interest in humanity. In the real game, these things have just already happened with no explanation. (Some people on the wiki conveniently sorted out all of the information that is only explained in this book https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wik...e#Additional_information_provided_by_the_book)
The game is a good introduction to Serah as a character, as she'll be the POV character for the next game. There is a nice scene where she starts a school to educate the children, and they wonder why they're learning things that aren't completely practical...of course, things people ask in reality all the time. Serah recalls asking Lightning the same thing and getting the answer that studying even things that don't have inherent practical use are good for developing intellectual discipline. Serah later says that the inability to think critically is what led to the humans' complacency under the fal'Cie. It's an a succinct phrasing of an argument I've heard before, and as a teacher myself, I've used this rhetoric as well.
Just like with Episode Zero: Promise did for 13, this book provides a ton of important info for XIII-2 that the game just takes for granted. Like that ordinary people can use magic (not explained, but at least mentioned), when Lightning disappeared and how everyone reacted to that (the main point of XIII-2) and where Noel (main character of XIII-2) came from. It also explains why the fal'Cie have lost interest in humanity. In the real game, these things have just already happened with no explanation. (Some people on the wiki conveniently sorted out all of the information that is only explained in this book https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wik...e#Additional_information_provided_by_the_book)
The game is a good introduction to Serah as a character, as she'll be the POV character for the next game. There is a nice scene where she starts a school to educate the children, and they wonder why they're learning things that aren't completely practical...of course, things people ask in reality all the time. Serah recalls asking Lightning the same thing and getting the answer that studying even things that don't have inherent practical use are good for developing intellectual discipline. Serah later says that the inability to think critically is what led to the humans' complacency under the fal'Cie. It's an a succinct phrasing of an argument I've heard before, and as a teacher myself, I've used this rhetoric as well.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (13-2)
This'll be a weird one. In some ways, it's an attempt to fix some of the issues people had with the first game. So in that sense, your opinion of it may be the opposite of the first. Some saw it as an improvement; I see it as a sidegrade in most respects. I disliked the lack of third team member in favor of a monster you have to catch (wtf, Pokemon?), though I did like that you were able to change your team leader at any time (big issue I had with XIII).
There is a lot more open-world exploration here, but I personally just found it confusing and tedious. It ends up being not much less prescribed or railroaded than 13, but just makes it a little tougher to find your way there.
As far as the story goes, Serah and Noel actually are interesting characters, and it is nice to actually see Serah do something and have some character development after she spent the whole first game just being an objective/MacGuffin. The story itself definitely is a departure from the first, and you can tell that there wasn't originally supposed to be a 2nd and 3rd game. It's kind of funny that the first game left the actual worldbuilding/rules so vague, but while this game expands the backstory of the fal'Cie and builds up more of the theology of the universe, it abandons a lot of the themes and plotlines established in the first (like Lightning's character development...yes, I will keep harping on this point!0. So in the end, we have a new plot with new characters and new stakes. In other words, the trilogy does work as a whole, but if you also wanted to stop after the first game, you would still have a complete story.
There is a lot more open-world exploration here, but I personally just found it confusing and tedious. It ends up being not much less prescribed or railroaded than 13, but just makes it a little tougher to find your way there.
As far as the story goes, Serah and Noel actually are interesting characters, and it is nice to actually see Serah do something and have some character development after she spent the whole first game just being an objective/MacGuffin. The story itself definitely is a departure from the first, and you can tell that there wasn't originally supposed to be a 2nd and 3rd game. It's kind of funny that the first game left the actual worldbuilding/rules so vague, but while this game expands the backstory of the fal'Cie and builds up more of the theology of the universe, it abandons a lot of the themes and plotlines established in the first (like Lightning's character development...yes, I will keep harping on this point!0. So in the end, we have a new plot with new characters and new stakes. In other words, the trilogy does work as a whole, but if you also wanted to stop after the first game, you would still have a complete story.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (13-2) Fragments After
Unlike the last two books which I felt were pretty much required reading, this one you could easily skip and not miss much. The early chapter is Lightning arriving in Valhalla...something we're already well-past by this point. There is some interesting stuff toward the end about Noel and Caius's relationship.
There is one thing that is kind of new and exclusive to this, and that's the character of Alyssa (introduced in 13-2). There's an interesting idea of her not wanting to allow the timeline that would lead to her not existing. So, kind of the opposite of 8, and a kind of interesting existential paradox.
Aside from that, this is not really a connecting chapter to the final game, but more of a pre- and interquel for 13-2. So I would not really call it required reading.
There is one thing that is kind of new and exclusive to this, and that's the character of Alyssa (introduced in 13-2). There's an interesting idea of her not wanting to allow the timeline that would lead to her not existing. So, kind of the opposite of 8, and a kind of interesting existential paradox.
Aside from that, this is not really a connecting chapter to the final game, but more of a pre- and interquel for 13-2. So I would not really call it required reading.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
This series starts to get a bit Dragon Ball Z-like with each entry introducing new gods that are above the gods that were introduced in the last one. I think the "mountain" that was established in the first game did need its peak reached, so for that reason I am kinda glad for the macro story of this one, even though I think the storytelling here is perhaps the weakest of the three. Lightning becomes a full static character here, with her only motivation being Serah becoming once again the macguffin and weird crutch (interestingly, it works for Snow in this game). There are some nice fun scenes, like a sidequest with Fang and her gang of bandits out in the desert (on a sidenote, I have always found Fang and Lightning's dynamic interesting, as they are both tough but one is more lighthearted and the other deadly serious), but overall, the game just seems lifeless. Of course, that's the point, as everyone in the world has stagnated both physically and spiritually.
The atmosphere of the world in this game is great, but the fact that it can be completed out of order does really rob the story of any sense of moving action or continuity. Lots of "this, then that" rather than "this, therefore that".
There are two scenes that I found very emotionally impactful here. One is after the boss fight against Snow as he is turning into a Cie'th, Lightning breaks down, saying she wants to save him but doesn't know how. It's a genuinely moving scene that really pays off their relationship development until this point.
The second is a scene where it's revealed that the impish Lumina, who is presented as an evil version of Serah that harasses Lightning throughout the game, has an emotional breakdown and is revealed to really be
Lumina and Fang are definitely the only characters in this game that bring some fun and lightness to the story, so it's appreciated.
As for the gameplay itself, it's a definite departure from the last two games. A completely new battle system that focuses on just using Lightning, with 3 costumes that change her moves. In that sense, it's definitely starting to approach being more of an action game, and it's a completely different skillset requirement from the first two games, so that's something to keep in mind. Unlike the other games, you also can't change the difficulty midgame, meaning you have to commit before knowing how hard it's going to be. I'd recommend doing it on easy on your first try if you just want to finish out the trilogy to find out what happens.
The atmosphere of the world in this game is great, but the fact that it can be completed out of order does really rob the story of any sense of moving action or continuity. Lots of "this, then that" rather than "this, therefore that".
There are two scenes that I found very emotionally impactful here. One is after the boss fight against Snow as he is turning into a Cie'th, Lightning breaks down, saying she wants to save him but doesn't know how. It's a genuinely moving scene that really pays off their relationship development until this point.
The second is a scene where it's revealed that the impish Lumina, who is presented as an evil version of Serah that harasses Lightning throughout the game, has an emotional breakdown and is revealed to really be
a manifestation of Lightning's insecurity and emotions, which explains why Lightning herself is so emotionless. Which explains, but doesn't make any less questionable, Lightning's static character here. But at least Lumina becomes more interesting.
As for the gameplay itself, it's a definite departure from the last two games. A completely new battle system that focuses on just using Lightning, with 3 costumes that change her moves. In that sense, it's definitely starting to approach being more of an action game, and it's a completely different skillset requirement from the first two games, so that's something to keep in mind. Unlike the other games, you also can't change the difficulty midgame, meaning you have to commit before knowing how hard it's going to be. I'd recommend doing it on easy on your first try if you just want to finish out the trilogy to find out what happens.
Final Fantasy XIII (13): Reminiscence -tracer of memories
This one is definitely skippable. It does present a nice denouement to the overall story (which for me, was close to a 200-hour journey, so it was nice) as we can see what everyone's life is like on the new world that we saw them arrive at in the ending of Lightning Returns. Unfortunately, the story, which follows an original journalist character, adds very little new, as it consists of interviews of the characters that basically recount the events of the games you just played and saw yourself.
There are some interesting ideas in it, one of which was the idea that even though humanity has moved to a new planet, there are already new wars breaking out. It brings up the interesting idea of whether or not humanity was better off under the fal'Cie, as at least things were peaceful. It doesn't really dive into that topic too deeply though, except for a vaguely hopeful statement that humans can still make peace on their own.
In the final chapter at least, we do get to see what Lightning is up to in the new world, just for a bit.
There are some interesting ideas in it, one of which was the idea that even though humanity has moved to a new planet, there are already new wars breaking out. It brings up the interesting idea of whether or not humanity was better off under the fal'Cie, as at least things were peaceful. It doesn't really dive into that topic too deeply though, except for a vaguely hopeful statement that humans can still make peace on their own.
In the final chapter at least, we do get to see what Lightning is up to in the new world, just for a bit.
Final Fantasy XV (15)
I think this one needs to get its own header before I get into any of the actual entries because...it's a weird one. I think it's best to think of FF15 less as a game with spin-offs, and more as a multimedia franchise from the top down. The game itself yes, is very incomplete in and of itself. But with the feature film and the anime miniseries, a lot of that is introduced for you. There is a nice guide on steam that breaks down how to experience the story in chronological order https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2094194252 But unfortunately even then, it's true there isn't really a great one place to start; each of the beginnings has either spoilers or a complete lack of context. So no matter what, you'll have to suffer that you won't really be able to understand what's going on for a while.
...That said, though it goes against every rule of storytelling that bans having required "homework", when you end up finally understanding the narrative and the world, you may find that you actually enjoy it. And with the bigger picture in mind, I personally found FFXV to be my favorite or second-favorite in the overall franchise.
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
This is a weird one to start with, because it's going to throw you into a world you don't really know yet, and set up stuff that will (mostly) only be relevant to this movie, and not to the game at all (but on the other hand, there are other parts that are directly referenced in the game, which becomes frustrating). Our lead characters of this film are NOT the lead characters of the game, nor are they even supporting characters in the game.
So the movie takes place during chapter 1 of the game; it doesn't really work as an introduction to the game, but if watched later, the events really lose all meaning. So it's a real predicament, you see? That being said, I think it still works best being seen before playing the game, and then appreciated after playing it. Yes, I am saying you should watch a movie without understanding or enjoying until a few days after you've watched it. And I cannot blame anyone who feels that that is way too tough of a pill to swallow.
If you are deadset on making this work, I think the best time to watch it is when you are about halfway through chapter 1 of the game, as convoluted of a pattern as that is.
This is a tough one for me. There is intrigue, and the action is cool, but it's hard to watch knowing none of it will really matter, aside from the many scenes in the throne room and the "negotiations".
So the movie takes place during chapter 1 of the game; it doesn't really work as an introduction to the game, but if watched later, the events really lose all meaning. So it's a real predicament, you see? That being said, I think it still works best being seen before playing the game, and then appreciated after playing it. Yes, I am saying you should watch a movie without understanding or enjoying until a few days after you've watched it. And I cannot blame anyone who feels that that is way too tough of a pill to swallow.
If you are deadset on making this work, I think the best time to watch it is when you are about halfway through chapter 1 of the game, as convoluted of a pattern as that is.
This is a tough one for me. There is intrigue, and the action is cool, but it's hard to watch knowing none of it will really matter, aside from the many scenes in the throne room and the "negotiations".
Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV
This one, thankfully, does tie in very well with the actual game. We get some key backstory in these shorts that establish the backstory and relationships of the characters, and lets us appreciate them more. In that sense, it's more like subtext that enhances their interactions, as most of the events are not directly referenced in the game (the exceptions being Prompto's past with being overweight and meeting Noctis, and Iris's and Noctis's little adventure as kids).
Overall, it's just an endearing (and short) miniseries that helps enrich the relationships between our main heroes. I recommend watching at the beginning of the game, or after chapter 1.
Overall, it's just an endearing (and short) miniseries that helps enrich the relationships between our main heroes. I recommend watching at the beginning of the game, or after chapter 1.
Final Fantasy XV (15) Royal Edition
This game, I hear, got some flack when it first came out for being basically incomplete. But with the benefit of living in the future, I was able to play the definitive, "Royal" edition, and I am a big fan.
I think what first put me off this game, just from seeing it around, was the fact that all of the party characters were men. Seemed like such an odd choice for a series that has always had very popular and well-liked (and sometimes even well-written!) female characters, from almost the very beginning. But I started to get the appeal of this "bro energy" right away just at the opening scene, where they are pushing the car while "Stand by Me" plays. In a story that is explicitly about male friendship (something that I think is oddly less explored), the choice makes sense, not as a way to be exclusionary, but just a choice of focus. And the game does not have too much of a shortage of interesting female characters as well, even if they are not permanently part of the party. (more on that in the next entry)
They say graphics don't make up for bad gameplay or story, but I do think this is the first time I've just sat and watched and been blown away by just the amazing visuals of a game (and keep in mind, I played FF7 Remake before playing this). Maybe I'm just too used to Nintendo games and every game on "real" consoles looks this beautiful, but just wow. The whole sequence in Altissia with the Leviathan just blew me away, it was really inspiring.
You may have heard that the gameplay is a bit too easy and button-mashy...and unfortunately, it's true. That isn't to say that there isn't some depth to it; there are a lot of people who have done challenges on YouTube where they beat a boss at level 1 without taking any hits, etc. But the thing is that you don't need to access that depth if you don't want to. You can just overlevel yourself, stock up on 99 healing items, and then just buttonmash your way through most battles. Sad, but true. That said, the gameplay doesn't get all that boring as there are some very cool visuals, and the Warp Strike mechanic actually is a very cool movement option. One of my favorite sequences is attacking an Empire base early on, where you are jumping from tower to bridge to overpass to back to the ground as you take on a whole group of enemies. The gameplay is fun as an action game, but yes, it is very easy and exploitable if you want to play it that way.
I think FF7 Remake took the best parts of 13's gameplay and 15's gameplay to create a pretty ideal system. Unfortunately, for this game, we're not there quite just yet.
The plot is also lacking in a few ways, if you take the game just on its own (as I mentioned, reading/watching the other entries in the sub-franchise, or playing the DLCs, fills in a lot of the holes). The main villain's motivation is never fully explored, and he dies with so many questions still unanswered, for now. Certain characters don't get nearly enough screentime before also being killed. Again, all of these things are answered in other entries, but a lone playthrough of the game can leave you feeling quite empty.
That said, like 8, the game survives because the characters are so strong, even if the plot is very meandering (there really are only like 2 actual plot developments; the whole game is like one big second act). But playing this after the 13 trilogy, I can definitely conclude that all character and no plot is WAY better than all plot and no character.
I think what first put me off this game, just from seeing it around, was the fact that all of the party characters were men. Seemed like such an odd choice for a series that has always had very popular and well-liked (and sometimes even well-written!) female characters, from almost the very beginning. But I started to get the appeal of this "bro energy" right away just at the opening scene, where they are pushing the car while "Stand by Me" plays. In a story that is explicitly about male friendship (something that I think is oddly less explored), the choice makes sense, not as a way to be exclusionary, but just a choice of focus. And the game does not have too much of a shortage of interesting female characters as well, even if they are not permanently part of the party. (more on that in the next entry)
They say graphics don't make up for bad gameplay or story, but I do think this is the first time I've just sat and watched and been blown away by just the amazing visuals of a game (and keep in mind, I played FF7 Remake before playing this). Maybe I'm just too used to Nintendo games and every game on "real" consoles looks this beautiful, but just wow. The whole sequence in Altissia with the Leviathan just blew me away, it was really inspiring.
You may have heard that the gameplay is a bit too easy and button-mashy...and unfortunately, it's true. That isn't to say that there isn't some depth to it; there are a lot of people who have done challenges on YouTube where they beat a boss at level 1 without taking any hits, etc. But the thing is that you don't need to access that depth if you don't want to. You can just overlevel yourself, stock up on 99 healing items, and then just buttonmash your way through most battles. Sad, but true. That said, the gameplay doesn't get all that boring as there are some very cool visuals, and the Warp Strike mechanic actually is a very cool movement option. One of my favorite sequences is attacking an Empire base early on, where you are jumping from tower to bridge to overpass to back to the ground as you take on a whole group of enemies. The gameplay is fun as an action game, but yes, it is very easy and exploitable if you want to play it that way.
I think FF7 Remake took the best parts of 13's gameplay and 15's gameplay to create a pretty ideal system. Unfortunately, for this game, we're not there quite just yet.
The plot is also lacking in a few ways, if you take the game just on its own (as I mentioned, reading/watching the other entries in the sub-franchise, or playing the DLCs, fills in a lot of the holes). The main villain's motivation is never fully explored, and he dies with so many questions still unanswered, for now. Certain characters don't get nearly enough screentime before also being killed. Again, all of these things are answered in other entries, but a lone playthrough of the game can leave you feeling quite empty.
That said, like 8, the game survives because the characters are so strong, even if the plot is very meandering (there really are only like 2 actual plot developments; the whole game is like one big second act). But playing this after the 13 trilogy, I can definitely conclude that all character and no plot is WAY better than all plot and no character.
Dawn of the Future
Three cancelled DLCs (and one not-cancelled DLC!) ended up being novelized and released in this volume, so at least we get to experience the stories, if not the gameplay. The book itself is actually quite beautiful with a nice hardcover and some new art. The first two stories in this collection are canon; the first is Ardyn's backstory (his DLC), and the second describes what Aranea was up to during the part of the game where she's missing, and ends with her rescuing and adopting the Emperor's granddaughter. These first two stories are definitely limited a bit by being novelizations, so we have the classic description of random enemy encounters and boss fights. Aranea's is a bit more of a chore to get through than Ardyn's, since Ardyn's does contain a lot of characterization and LOTS of revelations about the worldbuilding (some would recommend starting with this, if it didn't contain so many spoilers). But Aranea herself thankfully has enough charm and character to keep her chapter from becoming too boring.
I think where the book gets REALLY interesting though is the last two chapters, which reveal a (much better) alternate ending to FF15's story. I disliked that Lunafreya was killed before really doing much in the story in 15, and here, that's rectified. During the 10 years of darkness, she ends up being revived by Bahamut in order to fulfill a mysterious mission. Along the way, she encounters Solaris, Aranea's adopted daughter, and the bulk of this story follows the two of them (get it, Luna and Sol? ha). We finally get to see more about who she is as a character, in this story of female friendship to contrast with the more bro-focused main game. There's a nice scene where Sol realizes Luna is always conflating what she wants with what her obligations are, and grills her to find out what she really wants for herself.
The final chapter ties all 4 characters together to create an alternate ending where Ardyn's character arc is fulfilled in a better way than the real game (which is to say, it wasn't at all, probably because his motivation and character arc weren't thought-out yet) and we get our more traditional happy ending with Noctis and Lunafreya's wedding.
Highly recommend this one!
I think where the book gets REALLY interesting though is the last two chapters, which reveal a (much better) alternate ending to FF15's story. I disliked that Lunafreya was killed before really doing much in the story in 15, and here, that's rectified. During the 10 years of darkness, she ends up being revived by Bahamut in order to fulfill a mysterious mission. Along the way, she encounters Solaris, Aranea's adopted daughter, and the bulk of this story follows the two of them (get it, Luna and Sol? ha). We finally get to see more about who she is as a character, in this story of female friendship to contrast with the more bro-focused main game. There's a nice scene where Sol realizes Luna is always conflating what she wants with what her obligations are, and grills her to find out what she really wants for herself.
The final chapter ties all 4 characters together to create an alternate ending where Ardyn's character arc is fulfilled in a better way than the real game (which is to say, it wasn't at all, probably because his motivation and character arc weren't thought-out yet) and we get our more traditional happy ending with Noctis and Lunafreya's wedding.
Highly recommend this one!
Final Fantasy I II III: Memory of Heroes
A novelization of the first three games in the series, written as an anniversary celebration or so. This one is SUPER LIMITED by being a novelization, especially as it's a novelization of games that, understandably, had very little in the way of story. You really won't get much out of this, as the characters don't really go through significant arcs, and most of the text is just describing consequence-less action scenes. I do feel like watching a Let's Play of those games would be better if you just want to experience the story without playing them. Though it is interesting to see the stories get gradually more and more complex as they go along; the third one even has some interesting plot twists!
Final Fantasy XV (15) Pocket Edition HD (played on Switch)
This one is an easy one I think. Skip! I'm not much of a mobile gamer, so it's hard for me to compare to anything else, but I don't really see any reason to play this over the real game (which you can get for relatively cheap now), unless you don't have PS4 or PC. Even then, I think a Let's Play would be a better way to experience the story.
It's a strict downgrade; the gameplay is even MORE button-mashy than the real game, and weirdly difficult. The non-adjustable camera angle also does not lend itself well to the style of gameplay. The characters have interesting and cute character designs, but the novelty wears thin very quickly, and then starts to detract from the more serious moments. I wasn't really able to get through this one, and had to stop.
It's a strict downgrade; the gameplay is even MORE button-mashy than the real game, and weirdly difficult. The non-adjustable camera angle also does not lend itself well to the style of gameplay. The characters have interesting and cute character designs, but the novelty wears thin very quickly, and then starts to detract from the more serious moments. I wasn't really able to get through this one, and had to stop.
This is so heckin long that I doubt anyone will read all of it, but I hope that at least some will read about whichever particular games/subseries interested them. Finally can get back to everything else I've been procrastinating on to finish this...it really did take a lot longer than I expected. (If I was really smart, I'd have written about each one right after I finished it, instead of all at once. Then I'd remember better too!) At least I got it done before April!
Elden Ring:
Hoo boy. After playing 100 hours I think I've finally formed a good first impression. This definitely lives up to the promise of being open world Dark Souls; the world is absolutely gargantuan and filled with stuff. There's a lot of asset/enemy/boss reuse which I think is an acceptable sacrifice to make but even taking that into account the amount of sheer content on display is staggering. The horse is actually a lot of fun to control and double jump with and the ability to summon it anywhere outdoors is great. A good balance is struck between giving you direction and letting you find your own path. Despite having a map now, the game still manages to maintain a good sense of discovery, there's a ton of incredible spectacle and quite a few neat surprises to stumble across (or look up online because they were a bit too well hidden).
But some elements of the Dark Souls formula don't mesh as well with the open world formula; the crafting system is probably the worst of these. I've used exactly three crafting recipes in my time playing the game, but a massive chunk of the drops you find from exploration and enemies are just recipes or more crafting materials. In many cases there's no way to know until you actually pick stuff up, leading to inevitable disappointment. The game is simply so big that the actual significant rewards end up being stretched very thin. Upgrade materials on the other hand tend to be in frustratingly short supply, so it's hard to play around with everything the game gives you.
Surprisingly, the bigger problem is with game balance. The enemy movesets regularly lean into bullshit territory (delayed attacks, crazy tracking, input reading, seemingly infinite combos, attacks that start far away and zoom over to hit you almost instantly) which is a trend that started in Dark Souls 3 or maybe even 2. This isn't too bad in and of itself, but when enemies and bosses can deal more than half your health in one hit or even instakill you or combo you to death it ends up feeling a bit too unfair.
In the early game the open world helps to give you an alternate path to go down if you're stuck (and I think Margit is built to encourage that). But lategame when the final bosses are pretty much all that's left, things feel pretty bad even with fully upgraded equipment and very high levels. I get the feeling that From Software has built their reputation on being a developer of difficult games and now they feel like they have to take that even further. They did recently nerf one major boss in a patch (maybe even too much); with any luck I'll have to eat my words in another month or two.
As-is, it's a game with both incredible highs and incredible lows, ultimately very much a standout and worth playing.
Fae Tactics:
I think this game was trying too hard to reinvent the Final Fantasy Tactics wheel. Specifically, it designed the gameplay so there's no menus in combat and different characters have actions they can take on allies and enemies, but ultimately it feels a bit oversimplified and removes too much of the feeling of progression. Also kinda unbalanced at points.
Everhood:
I feel like it was okay but didn't live up to a lot of the praise. It's clearly trying to be the next Undertale but the way the battle system works is extremely samey compared to Undertale which is constantly throwing new ideas at you, and most boss fights are only differentiated by the music and what distracting visual effects pop up. The soundtrack is good but not exceptional. And the story was clearly trying to do Undertale's thing (or a different spin on Undertale's thing) but didn't really have the writing to make it work. And the different spin it was trying to do was kind of flawed from the premise. Decent but not too special.
Spiritfarer:
Good. The base building/crafting/etc gameplay is competent (if a little too slow, probably to show off the admittedly very nice animations) but nothing special. The platforming and general movement are a tiny bit off too but it doesn't matter much since precision isn't required most of the time.
The story is where it shines, it's a rather unique concept that managed to get some emotion out of me. Some characters are better than others and the dialogue tends to be a little wordier than it should be (some sort of autoplay option would've been helpful) but ultimately the things that it does right are more than enough to outweigh the negatives.
Shin Megami Tensei 5:
Very much an RPG you play for the combat, party building, and exploration over story/characters, far more reminiscent of Etrian Odyssey than Persona. It's got a good level of difficulty where it starts to feel unbalanced in your favor but as soon as you start to get too complacent it has some new bullshit to throw at you (usually). The story is a little underdeveloped but generally fine.
Ender Lilies:
Very solid metroidvania all around. On paper it does everything right; the combat is simple but fun and challenging, the exploration is solid, the fact that most of your abilities come from defeated enemies/bosses is a nice mechanic, the bosses are difficult but not impossible (enough that you're motivated to explore/backtrack for powerups), it's a decent-looking game, the story isn't terribly original but it has a vague identity of its own, etc.
But I can't help but feel like it fell short somewhere. Something about the world made it hard to get invested in the story. Maybe the way that it's seemingly totally ruined from the start and the only conversation comes from bosses or occasional narration/conveniently placed notes, whereas most other games usually have an occasional NPC to add some life to the world and break up the exploration. Voice acting would've helped a lot too, it's not like there was much dialogue in the first place.
At any rate, it's a good game, just not a great one.
Death's Door:
I dunno specifically what kind of game to call this, isometric hack and slash-y metroidvania-y adventure? Visuals and soundtrack are solid and the concept are fresh enough, but the gameplay is let down by several issues. Lack of map makes it very difficult to go back and find newly accessible areas with powerups (or sometimes even tell where you're supposed to be going) and the combat is clunky enough to get annoying; your dodge roll has an annoying habit of getting stuck on enemies or terrain and your attacks are annoyingly imprecise too, a lock-on would've helped.
Inscryption:
I always get suspicious when I see something recommended with "you can't talk about this without spoilers, just play it and find out ;)" or such even if I understand the logic, but this one definitely didn't live up to the hype for me. I enjoyed a lot of the moment-to-moment stuff but the major plot points were not the best. The gameplay is solid but never manages to feel like it's making full use of the systems it creates. The middle part of the game is also kind of sucked.
Overall it was fine I guess. I want to say it wasn't anything special but the story and overall structure were certainly unique even if I can't say they were particularly good. I can't give it a solid recommendation but the weirdness and quality unbalance make it interesting and it's certainly creative.
Skul the Hero Slayer:
Core gameplay is solid, the idea of a roguelike where your moveset is defined by different heads you can find is a good one. Unfortunately, it feels unfinished. Poor translation, significant number of game mechanics explained poorly or not at all, missing basic features like the ability to close the game without losing your current run...there's a good game somewhere in here but it's probably not worth the trouble to find.
Hoo boy. After playing 100 hours I think I've finally formed a good first impression. This definitely lives up to the promise of being open world Dark Souls; the world is absolutely gargantuan and filled with stuff. There's a lot of asset/enemy/boss reuse which I think is an acceptable sacrifice to make but even taking that into account the amount of sheer content on display is staggering. The horse is actually a lot of fun to control and double jump with and the ability to summon it anywhere outdoors is great. A good balance is struck between giving you direction and letting you find your own path. Despite having a map now, the game still manages to maintain a good sense of discovery, there's a ton of incredible spectacle and quite a few neat surprises to stumble across (or look up online because they were a bit too well hidden).
But some elements of the Dark Souls formula don't mesh as well with the open world formula; the crafting system is probably the worst of these. I've used exactly three crafting recipes in my time playing the game, but a massive chunk of the drops you find from exploration and enemies are just recipes or more crafting materials. In many cases there's no way to know until you actually pick stuff up, leading to inevitable disappointment. The game is simply so big that the actual significant rewards end up being stretched very thin. Upgrade materials on the other hand tend to be in frustratingly short supply, so it's hard to play around with everything the game gives you.
Surprisingly, the bigger problem is with game balance. The enemy movesets regularly lean into bullshit territory (delayed attacks, crazy tracking, input reading, seemingly infinite combos, attacks that start far away and zoom over to hit you almost instantly) which is a trend that started in Dark Souls 3 or maybe even 2. This isn't too bad in and of itself, but when enemies and bosses can deal more than half your health in one hit or even instakill you or combo you to death it ends up feeling a bit too unfair.
In the early game the open world helps to give you an alternate path to go down if you're stuck (and I think Margit is built to encourage that). But lategame when the final bosses are pretty much all that's left, things feel pretty bad even with fully upgraded equipment and very high levels. I get the feeling that From Software has built their reputation on being a developer of difficult games and now they feel like they have to take that even further. They did recently nerf one major boss in a patch (maybe even too much); with any luck I'll have to eat my words in another month or two.
As-is, it's a game with both incredible highs and incredible lows, ultimately very much a standout and worth playing.
Fae Tactics:
I think this game was trying too hard to reinvent the Final Fantasy Tactics wheel. Specifically, it designed the gameplay so there's no menus in combat and different characters have actions they can take on allies and enemies, but ultimately it feels a bit oversimplified and removes too much of the feeling of progression. Also kinda unbalanced at points.
Everhood:
I feel like it was okay but didn't live up to a lot of the praise. It's clearly trying to be the next Undertale but the way the battle system works is extremely samey compared to Undertale which is constantly throwing new ideas at you, and most boss fights are only differentiated by the music and what distracting visual effects pop up. The soundtrack is good but not exceptional. And the story was clearly trying to do Undertale's thing (or a different spin on Undertale's thing) but didn't really have the writing to make it work. And the different spin it was trying to do was kind of flawed from the premise. Decent but not too special.
Spiritfarer:
Good. The base building/crafting/etc gameplay is competent (if a little too slow, probably to show off the admittedly very nice animations) but nothing special. The platforming and general movement are a tiny bit off too but it doesn't matter much since precision isn't required most of the time.
The story is where it shines, it's a rather unique concept that managed to get some emotion out of me. Some characters are better than others and the dialogue tends to be a little wordier than it should be (some sort of autoplay option would've been helpful) but ultimately the things that it does right are more than enough to outweigh the negatives.
Shin Megami Tensei 5:
Very much an RPG you play for the combat, party building, and exploration over story/characters, far more reminiscent of Etrian Odyssey than Persona. It's got a good level of difficulty where it starts to feel unbalanced in your favor but as soon as you start to get too complacent it has some new bullshit to throw at you (usually). The story is a little underdeveloped but generally fine.
Ender Lilies:
Very solid metroidvania all around. On paper it does everything right; the combat is simple but fun and challenging, the exploration is solid, the fact that most of your abilities come from defeated enemies/bosses is a nice mechanic, the bosses are difficult but not impossible (enough that you're motivated to explore/backtrack for powerups), it's a decent-looking game, the story isn't terribly original but it has a vague identity of its own, etc.
But I can't help but feel like it fell short somewhere. Something about the world made it hard to get invested in the story. Maybe the way that it's seemingly totally ruined from the start and the only conversation comes from bosses or occasional narration/conveniently placed notes, whereas most other games usually have an occasional NPC to add some life to the world and break up the exploration. Voice acting would've helped a lot too, it's not like there was much dialogue in the first place.
At any rate, it's a good game, just not a great one.
Death's Door:
I dunno specifically what kind of game to call this, isometric hack and slash-y metroidvania-y adventure? Visuals and soundtrack are solid and the concept are fresh enough, but the gameplay is let down by several issues. Lack of map makes it very difficult to go back and find newly accessible areas with powerups (or sometimes even tell where you're supposed to be going) and the combat is clunky enough to get annoying; your dodge roll has an annoying habit of getting stuck on enemies or terrain and your attacks are annoyingly imprecise too, a lock-on would've helped.
Inscryption:
I always get suspicious when I see something recommended with "you can't talk about this without spoilers, just play it and find out ;)" or such even if I understand the logic, but this one definitely didn't live up to the hype for me. I enjoyed a lot of the moment-to-moment stuff but the major plot points were not the best. The gameplay is solid but never manages to feel like it's making full use of the systems it creates. The middle part of the game is also kind of sucked.
Overall it was fine I guess. I want to say it wasn't anything special but the story and overall structure were certainly unique even if I can't say they were particularly good. I can't give it a solid recommendation but the weirdness and quality unbalance make it interesting and it's certainly creative.
Skul the Hero Slayer:
Core gameplay is solid, the idea of a roguelike where your moveset is defined by different heads you can find is a good one. Unfortunately, it feels unfinished. Poor translation, significant number of game mechanics explained poorly or not at all, missing basic features like the ability to close the game without losing your current run...there's a good game somewhere in here but it's probably not worth the trouble to find.
thoughts on oneshot?
It was prety sweet. Not my fav thing but pretty good
So recently completed all 4 FE Three Houses paths on Maddening, and I needed a new RPG fix. So I picked up Triangle Strategy. Only a few hours in, but enjoying it so far - I like that they've gone for a more grounded, low fantasy feeling. The central conflict is simply a war over resources, and magic seems to be (no spoilers please) just another combat option. The music is great and I love the HD-2D art style. That said, the reviewers weren't kidding when they said it had a slow start. Feels like it's 60/40 cutscene to gameplay ratio at the moment.
My hot take: I don't like photo realistic games. They always date really quickly - DMC4 looks ugly nowadays (I remember its graphics being praised initially), while Wind Waker still looks great, and personally I prefer having a bit of disconnect from the game world.
My hot take: I don't like photo realistic games. They always date really quickly - DMC4 looks ugly nowadays (I remember its graphics being praised initially), while Wind Waker still looks great, and personally I prefer having a bit of disconnect from the game world.
On my second playthrough currently. The game definitely leaned a bit heavy into the story-side rather than focusing on the excellent combat, but it's largely because it's kind of designed to be played multiple times, so on second+ playthroughs you're just skipping or fast forwarding through most of the dialogue until you hit new stuff from the branched paths. Thankfully on second+ the game scales the level to your party, so you're never over leveled even in the first fights of the story.
I really really enjoyed the game and am ecstatic we got another tactics rpg
aren't you out of bounds though?
i can see how it looks that way, but this game doesn't have "out of bounds". everything from wall to wall is "in bounds". out of bounds is only a major factor in tennis. (trust me, i've hit out of bounds enough in tennis to know lol)
Hey there, everyone. For a while I wasn't active on Smogon, and I've already gone over that story elsewhere. I'm going to try and make this as quick as possible... one of the things I've been struggling with in that time was with a decision to re-examine which game systems I play. Historically, I've been almost entirely a Nintendo fan, but even someone like myself can't ignore some of the new information that's come out recently (especially here in the United States) regarding several of of their behind-the-scenes practices. I'm a strong believer in the idea that our memories of video games and other forms of mainstream media can shape our tastes in the industry a little too much, a more complicated way of saying nostalgia can be incredibly deceiving most of the time.
By this point, I've started considering more extreme choices of action like selling my Switch outright (even in spite of the litany of play hours I have) and trading my PS4 in for an Xbox, among other things. If I were to show you guys a list of the consoles/handhelds and games I've owned, it would become pretty evident at first that Nintendo's historically been in 1st place for me for ages, not-very-closely followed by the PlayStation lineup, and my only real exposure to the Xbox lineup being from my brother's consoles he's picked up over the years.
With all of this in mind, I really don't want to only support one or maybe two major gaming companies. I understand that doing so can lead to unhealthy habits at times, and my fear is that I've already fallen victim to that with Nintendo systems. I also understand that all of these companies (not just The Big Three, either) have some good qualities left as well as the bad ones that I don't want to support. For this reason I don't want to abandon Nintendo entirely, especially if "changes of heart" do start to happen within their company branches within the next however many years. It's all becoming too confusing for me to understand, and I'd love to get some extra opinions on the situation- and if possible, some definitive answers.
By this point, I've started considering more extreme choices of action like selling my Switch outright (even in spite of the litany of play hours I have) and trading my PS4 in for an Xbox, among other things. If I were to show you guys a list of the consoles/handhelds and games I've owned, it would become pretty evident at first that Nintendo's historically been in 1st place for me for ages, not-very-closely followed by the PlayStation lineup, and my only real exposure to the Xbox lineup being from my brother's consoles he's picked up over the years.
With all of this in mind, I really don't want to only support one or maybe two major gaming companies. I understand that doing so can lead to unhealthy habits at times, and my fear is that I've already fallen victim to that with Nintendo systems. I also understand that all of these companies (not just The Big Three, either) have some good qualities left as well as the bad ones that I don't want to support. For this reason I don't want to abandon Nintendo entirely, especially if "changes of heart" do start to happen within their company branches within the next however many years. It's all becoming too confusing for me to understand, and I'd love to get some extra opinions on the situation- and if possible, some definitive answers.
Have you looked much into the indie scene? A lot of the major ones run cross-platform. It might give you a different experience from the primary developers for a system without needing to change hardware (which is likely to be a pretty expensive step). It's not going to be inherently free of bad developers and bad fanbases, but it's a lower-commitment place to look.
I’ve definitely considered it, especially after getting a massive case of burn-out over the past few years. I view video games as a “symbiotic relationship” sort of thing, where the producers and consumers aren’t necessarily friends or anything but just naturally do stuff to help one another. My question is moreso about what to do when new consoles come out in, say, 5-6 years from now. Or better yet, if morals should take precedent over current events- in other words, ending my “relationship” with Nintendo.
Until you mentioned this, I never really stopped to consider Sazh's place in the narrative and now that you've said it I really understand what I've been missing from other JRPGs. I don't mind in particular the normal age set, but adding the perspective of someone like Sazh really did make everything just so much better.
If you want my opinion - each of the major gaming platforms offer so many different and worthwhile gaming experiences, that I don't think it makes much sense to pigeonhole yourself into being "a fan" of just one of the specific companies/systems. You're likely to find shitty practises (to varying degrees) throughout the entire industry depending on where you look tbh. I do think Nintendo is a weird and backwards company in a lot of ways, but in terms of their anti employer practises (if that's what you're referring to here), I don't think it appears to be something that's rife throughout the entire company? The reports I read seemed to be coming from complaints by contractors in their NoA branch specifically, so perhaps with the spotlight being shone on this area it's something that they can direct their attention towards improving.
There will likely always be something for you to enjoy on any new system that releases (especially from the big 3) if you look for it. That being said, you should mostly be thinking about factors like affordability, time constraints and accessibility when considering which/how many of the systems are worthwhile for you. I don't think there's anything wrong with sticking to playing primarily on one system if that's all you can afford or all you have time for. The Nintendo Switch is also the most accessible and time-friendly path into gaming for a lot of people right now considering it's a handheld - which is something Microsoft and Sony don't even offer at the moment; while other things on offer like Xbox game pass is probably the most affordable way of having the opportunity to experience a lot of great games.
I guess my advice would be to drop the "Nintendo fan" tag, and just play whichever system make the most sense for you. Even if that happens to only be the Nintendo Switch right now, you don't have to set yourself on anything else Nintendo does going forward. I agree that Nintendo definitely relies a lot more heavily on the nostalgia factor than anyone else in the industry right now, but I also don't necessarily see that as "deceiving", or a bad thing?
To be honest, I find Nintendo's systems to be pretty weird from a hardware standpoint. The games are fun, even if they rely on the first three libraries (read: the retro stuff except GameCube and Wii) for nostalgia. The systems do not have terrible specs, but it honestly feels more fun to work with a system I can build myself and repair without the big company screeching at me, such as a generic x86 PC or even ARM devices like the Raspberry Pi.
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im back bitches
i've wanted to talk about this game more comprehensively and thoughtfully but I haven't gotten around to it. a review should do just fine.
Nintendo Switch Sports
Blurb: A varied, easy-to-learn, motion-controls sports game that gives unrestricted online play and doesn't sacrifice depth or polish.
Rating: 8.5/10
Rating Scale: Middling (5/10) Endearing (6/10) (Original Wii Sports in the Year 2022: 6.5) Clearly Missing Something (7/10) Solidly Positive (8/10) (Wii Sports Resort in the Year 2022: 8) (Nintendo Switch Sports: 8.5) Transcendent (9/10) All-Time Great (9.5/10)
Overview: (bullets are in order of importance)
+ All Six Sports Are High-Quality and Varied
+ Unrestricted Online Play, with Great-Quality Online by Nintendo Standards
+ Soccer is Exceptional Quality
+ Responsive and Intuitive Controls
+ Impressive Depth
+ Clear and Thoughtful Improvement from Past Nintendo Sports Games
+ Great Skill Curve and Rank/Rating System
+ Good Customization
- Requires Joycons
- Sports Have Some Overlap
- Could Use More Content
- Short Term-Luck-Based Customization Option Accessibility
Specific Sports:
I've played some more than others, so my commentary will vary, but I'm at least Pro League in all. My skill ranks are A+* in Soccer, B in Volleyball, D in Tennis, D- in Badminton, and E (Pro League minimum) in Bowling and Chambara.
I would rate Soccer 5/5 and the rest in the neighborhood of 4 or 4.5/5.
* (I'm A-29: A is the max, and A-27 is the starter A rank. I think "A+" is a fair estimate, but some other players would have more plusses.)
Soccer: The star of the show. It strikes fantastic balance between individual expressiveness/skill and teamwork/coordination. 4v4 teams, walls instead of "out of bounds" area, a large ball, and a relatively short field all contribute to this balance. Individual one-on-one ball contests are very important without feeling excessively punishing (so long as your teammates and opponents have appropriate skill level). Constant fun action with no pauses besides when goals are scored. The controls are fantastically simple while still giving you tons of engagement options to add depth avoid getting counter-kicked (or to counter-kick!). You have at least 6 different kick angles, plus you can put spin on the ball, dribble, do diving headers, change up the timing of your ball-approach, change up the timing of your kick, and kick off the walls. Soccer invites you to gradually improve your fundamentals of ball positioning, player positioning (including managing your well-balanced sprint meter), and winning ball contests. The time length per match, Extra Time, and Golden Ball mechanic makes leads feel important but not insurmountable to challenge. The minimap is a great add for knowing what ball spots are best in tight situations: it will take some time to get accustomed to using while playing, though. The diving header motion is a bit finicky. The camera is occasionally screwy when the ball is right above you or near the goal corners. Occasionally you'll have notably underskilled teammates and will just have to deal with it. For local play, if you don't have a zillion people around, one-on-one is thankfully an option, as is four-on-four with computers to fill in the missing slots. There's also a leg strap shooting game I have zero experience with, or Free Practice if you want to get a hang of things.
Volleyball: Volleyball requires less constant mental exertion than most other sports, but don't think it's mindless. It's just slower-paced and, more deeply, the least momentum-reliant of the six sports. Each side's "turn" consists of a bump, a set, and a spike. The reduced pace and momentum are because the game comes down to individual spike interactions, which happen every several seconds and sometimes reset the game to a relatively neutral position. Each interaction is fluid and gives both sides multiple positioning, timing, and reaction opportunities. These interactions, which produce one among a number of static game states, makes a compelling gameplay loop that's both simple and has depth. It's hard to go into much more detail without just explaining how to play and win the game. Scoring a point is very satisfying, in no small part thanks to the meaty noises on blocks and hits while seeing your opponents futilely dive for the ball. It's a small pinch less mechanically polished than other games. The motion control for spiking in different directions is giving me trouble, but maybe I'm just not good at it? Serves are disappointingly simple and not credible point-scoring opportunities at all. It'd be great if you could, instead of spiking, tip the ball forward in a controlled way to get around certain blocks, but maybe that'd be too hard to implement. The required proximity to dive for a flying bump can feel inconsistent, feeling more lenient when the ball is in-bounds but less lenient when it's out of bounds. Occasionally you'll have notably underskilled teammates and will just have to deal with it.
Badminton and Tennis: Badminton and Tennis have the same, good gameplay loop: slowly wear your opponent down through inconvenient and varied shot positions. The momentum doesn't feel excessively punishing, but I haven't gotten high enough rank in either sport to be absolutely sure. This loop creates some overlap, but the sports don't feel like carbon copies. Tennis is generally more aggressive. The higher ball speeds, lower ball angle, and second frontcourt player reward quick and decisive actions. Badminton's floatier shots make rounds more drawn out and makes it easier to escape disadvantageous positions. Both sports punish mindless mashing, and not just because it affords your opponent positioning opportunities. If you swing at a shuttlecock/ball before you (semi-automatically) walk close enough, you'll do a bad shot that is easily spiked back for points (more important for Badminton). The delay in between swings also feels more impactful than in Wii Sports or WSR Tennis/Table Tennis (it's more important for Tennis). It also matters what direction your racket is facing. You need more points to win a Tennis match than Badminton, which makes sense. Tennis has, uh, silly online matchmaking. Badminton is always 1v1, but Tennis has space for four players. You'd think it would have four-player matchmaking, right? I've never seen it. I've only had two-player and three-player matchmaking. Yeah. Dunno what's going on there. Future patch opportunity? Awful luck on my part?
Bowling and Chambara: You've mostly seen these sports before, which is why I group them, even though they aren't similar in play. They're still good. (Chambara is extremely similar to Wii Sports Resort Swordplay Duel.) I'm not skilled enough with bowling to notice or point out minor technical differences. Bowling's online matchmaking system is super fun. It sets up a sixteen player tournament, checks the scores every three frames, and eliminates the bottom half of scores. It makes online Bowling feel much more alive, competitive, and interactive than it could have otherwise been. You have good placings to look forward besides being the best of all 16, which sure feels hard to me, haha. Great polish/quality-of-life choice. Chambara is a slight upgrade from Resort in my "decently skilled" opinion. Blocking a hit is more rewarding, and you can time your block right for even more reward. The charge and twin swords add some subtle customization gameplay flair. You have thrust and subtle movement options that I'm not sure Resort had. Playing this online felt like exactly what Nintendo Switch Swordfighting should be: watching your opponent's blocks to find openings, landing hits, and then keeping up the pressure.
How Does It Compare to Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort?
There is honestly not that much I want to say here. Switch Sports is a much better, more polished, and more cohesive interpretation of Wii Sports. It is more of a sequel to Wii Sports than a sequel to Wii Sports Resort. Like Wii Sports, it has relatively few sports, and it has even less content in total: no training mode! Oddly enough, Bowling Spin Control is preserved as some decent-but-unpolished relic. However, unlike Wii Sports, each and every sport is fleshed out and given good depth while still remaining fun and accessible. Obviously, Switch Sports has less sports than Resort, but I still think Switch Sport's "body of sports" is a better package overall than Resort's package. They're just that good, and Resort had plenty of whiffs. (Any Cycling enthusiasts? Power Cruising?)
My one real disappointing thought when playing Switch Sports is "No Island Flyover". Let me elaborate. Island Flyover is my favorite part of Wii Sports Resort: you can leisurely fly around the island while collecting information points (and balloons if you wanted). I wish Switch Sports had something like it: not because Flyover is unique and transcendent, because Switch Sports Soccer is already both of those things, but because it's a deviation from the normal sports gameplay loop. It provides a new, calmer, do-your-own-pace way to experience Wii Sports Resort, even adding to its environment and (dare I say it?) world-building. It almost has a mystical energy to it. Unlike Resort, however, Switch Sports is all quick competitive sports games all the time.
Let's talk about Switch Sport's unique advantage over the other two: great customization. Yes, user-created Miis always added some customization potential for Wii Sports and Resort. However, customization is something I love, and Switch Sports takes it to the next level. Firstly, their models just look better than Miis. Sorry! I was raised on the Wii, but when you see the Miis alongside the models, I can tell which I'd rather use. The physical customization options are solid, with more being added for free all the time. Unlike past Miis, you have clothing customization too, which gives you so much more room to create a vividly unique character. (You can use the clothing on your Miis if you prefer.) Even in soccer, which overrides the color of your clothing to either pink or blue, you can feel the different characters when playing and even get some sense of the humans behind them.
Physical customization is bolstered by something I never expected to see or truly appreciate: a genius stroke of polish called Titles. During matchmaking, you see the name of all players, a face shot of their character, and their Title, a short phrase above their name. The list of titles is solidly long, with more being added for free all the time. The real kicker is that you can use two titles at once, and each title can be any one among the long list of titles. This opens up tons of room for expression: you can even use your name as a third "Title" to widen the options further. It's so fun to look at opponent's names, titles, and faces during matchmaking and pre-game to get a feel for them and see their cool ideas!
Titles and ideas I've seen go all over the map honestly. (nicknames used as a third title are in parentheses). You have:
The straightforwardly expressive. "Soccer Boy", "Cat Grandma", "Fan of (Tigers)"
The self-referential. "Forever Online", "Birthday Boy",
The memes. "Cat Girl", "Thanks (Obama)", "Hello Mom"
The edgy humor "Child (Labor)", "Ancestor Extreme (Colonizer)", "Former Father"
And the nonsensical. "Fresh Produce", "Dog Myself", and my first choice "Alias Alias".
So, ya, game is good :)
Blurb: A varied, easy-to-learn, motion-controls sports game that gives unrestricted online play and doesn't sacrifice depth or polish.
Rating: 8.5/10
Rating Scale: Middling (5/10) Endearing (6/10) (Original Wii Sports in the Year 2022: 6.5) Clearly Missing Something (7/10) Solidly Positive (8/10) (Wii Sports Resort in the Year 2022: 8) (Nintendo Switch Sports: 8.5) Transcendent (9/10) All-Time Great (9.5/10)
Overview: (bullets are in order of importance)
+ All Six Sports Are High-Quality and Varied
+ Unrestricted Online Play, with Great-Quality Online by Nintendo Standards
+ Soccer is Exceptional Quality
+ Responsive and Intuitive Controls
+ Impressive Depth
+ Clear and Thoughtful Improvement from Past Nintendo Sports Games
+ Great Skill Curve and Rank/Rating System
+ Good Customization
- Requires Joycons
- Sports Have Some Overlap
- Could Use More Content
- Short Term-Luck-Based Customization Option Accessibility
Specific Sports:
I've played some more than others, so my commentary will vary, but I'm at least Pro League in all. My skill ranks are A+* in Soccer, B in Volleyball, D in Tennis, D- in Badminton, and E (Pro League minimum) in Bowling and Chambara.
I would rate Soccer 5/5 and the rest in the neighborhood of 4 or 4.5/5.
* (I'm A-29: A is the max, and A-27 is the starter A rank. I think "A+" is a fair estimate, but some other players would have more plusses.)
Soccer: The star of the show. It strikes fantastic balance between individual expressiveness/skill and teamwork/coordination. 4v4 teams, walls instead of "out of bounds" area, a large ball, and a relatively short field all contribute to this balance. Individual one-on-one ball contests are very important without feeling excessively punishing (so long as your teammates and opponents have appropriate skill level). Constant fun action with no pauses besides when goals are scored. The controls are fantastically simple while still giving you tons of engagement options to add depth avoid getting counter-kicked (or to counter-kick!). You have at least 6 different kick angles, plus you can put spin on the ball, dribble, do diving headers, change up the timing of your ball-approach, change up the timing of your kick, and kick off the walls. Soccer invites you to gradually improve your fundamentals of ball positioning, player positioning (including managing your well-balanced sprint meter), and winning ball contests. The time length per match, Extra Time, and Golden Ball mechanic makes leads feel important but not insurmountable to challenge. The minimap is a great add for knowing what ball spots are best in tight situations: it will take some time to get accustomed to using while playing, though. The diving header motion is a bit finicky. The camera is occasionally screwy when the ball is right above you or near the goal corners. Occasionally you'll have notably underskilled teammates and will just have to deal with it. For local play, if you don't have a zillion people around, one-on-one is thankfully an option, as is four-on-four with computers to fill in the missing slots. There's also a leg strap shooting game I have zero experience with, or Free Practice if you want to get a hang of things.
Volleyball: Volleyball requires less constant mental exertion than most other sports, but don't think it's mindless. It's just slower-paced and, more deeply, the least momentum-reliant of the six sports. Each side's "turn" consists of a bump, a set, and a spike. The reduced pace and momentum are because the game comes down to individual spike interactions, which happen every several seconds and sometimes reset the game to a relatively neutral position. Each interaction is fluid and gives both sides multiple positioning, timing, and reaction opportunities. These interactions, which produce one among a number of static game states, makes a compelling gameplay loop that's both simple and has depth. It's hard to go into much more detail without just explaining how to play and win the game. Scoring a point is very satisfying, in no small part thanks to the meaty noises on blocks and hits while seeing your opponents futilely dive for the ball. It's a small pinch less mechanically polished than other games. The motion control for spiking in different directions is giving me trouble, but maybe I'm just not good at it? Serves are disappointingly simple and not credible point-scoring opportunities at all. It'd be great if you could, instead of spiking, tip the ball forward in a controlled way to get around certain blocks, but maybe that'd be too hard to implement. The required proximity to dive for a flying bump can feel inconsistent, feeling more lenient when the ball is in-bounds but less lenient when it's out of bounds. Occasionally you'll have notably underskilled teammates and will just have to deal with it.
Badminton and Tennis: Badminton and Tennis have the same, good gameplay loop: slowly wear your opponent down through inconvenient and varied shot positions. The momentum doesn't feel excessively punishing, but I haven't gotten high enough rank in either sport to be absolutely sure. This loop creates some overlap, but the sports don't feel like carbon copies. Tennis is generally more aggressive. The higher ball speeds, lower ball angle, and second frontcourt player reward quick and decisive actions. Badminton's floatier shots make rounds more drawn out and makes it easier to escape disadvantageous positions. Both sports punish mindless mashing, and not just because it affords your opponent positioning opportunities. If you swing at a shuttlecock/ball before you (semi-automatically) walk close enough, you'll do a bad shot that is easily spiked back for points (more important for Badminton). The delay in between swings also feels more impactful than in Wii Sports or WSR Tennis/Table Tennis (it's more important for Tennis). It also matters what direction your racket is facing. You need more points to win a Tennis match than Badminton, which makes sense. Tennis has, uh, silly online matchmaking. Badminton is always 1v1, but Tennis has space for four players. You'd think it would have four-player matchmaking, right? I've never seen it. I've only had two-player and three-player matchmaking. Yeah. Dunno what's going on there. Future patch opportunity? Awful luck on my part?
Bowling and Chambara: You've mostly seen these sports before, which is why I group them, even though they aren't similar in play. They're still good. (Chambara is extremely similar to Wii Sports Resort Swordplay Duel.) I'm not skilled enough with bowling to notice or point out minor technical differences. Bowling's online matchmaking system is super fun. It sets up a sixteen player tournament, checks the scores every three frames, and eliminates the bottom half of scores. It makes online Bowling feel much more alive, competitive, and interactive than it could have otherwise been. You have good placings to look forward besides being the best of all 16, which sure feels hard to me, haha. Great polish/quality-of-life choice. Chambara is a slight upgrade from Resort in my "decently skilled" opinion. Blocking a hit is more rewarding, and you can time your block right for even more reward. The charge and twin swords add some subtle customization gameplay flair. You have thrust and subtle movement options that I'm not sure Resort had. Playing this online felt like exactly what Nintendo Switch Swordfighting should be: watching your opponent's blocks to find openings, landing hits, and then keeping up the pressure.
How Does It Compare to Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort?
There is honestly not that much I want to say here. Switch Sports is a much better, more polished, and more cohesive interpretation of Wii Sports. It is more of a sequel to Wii Sports than a sequel to Wii Sports Resort. Like Wii Sports, it has relatively few sports, and it has even less content in total: no training mode! Oddly enough, Bowling Spin Control is preserved as some decent-but-unpolished relic. However, unlike Wii Sports, each and every sport is fleshed out and given good depth while still remaining fun and accessible. Obviously, Switch Sports has less sports than Resort, but I still think Switch Sport's "body of sports" is a better package overall than Resort's package. They're just that good, and Resort had plenty of whiffs. (Any Cycling enthusiasts? Power Cruising?)
My one real disappointing thought when playing Switch Sports is "No Island Flyover". Let me elaborate. Island Flyover is my favorite part of Wii Sports Resort: you can leisurely fly around the island while collecting information points (and balloons if you wanted). I wish Switch Sports had something like it: not because Flyover is unique and transcendent, because Switch Sports Soccer is already both of those things, but because it's a deviation from the normal sports gameplay loop. It provides a new, calmer, do-your-own-pace way to experience Wii Sports Resort, even adding to its environment and (dare I say it?) world-building. It almost has a mystical energy to it. Unlike Resort, however, Switch Sports is all quick competitive sports games all the time.
Let's talk about Switch Sport's unique advantage over the other two: great customization. Yes, user-created Miis always added some customization potential for Wii Sports and Resort. However, customization is something I love, and Switch Sports takes it to the next level. Firstly, their models just look better than Miis. Sorry! I was raised on the Wii, but when you see the Miis alongside the models, I can tell which I'd rather use. The physical customization options are solid, with more being added for free all the time. Unlike past Miis, you have clothing customization too, which gives you so much more room to create a vividly unique character. (You can use the clothing on your Miis if you prefer.) Even in soccer, which overrides the color of your clothing to either pink or blue, you can feel the different characters when playing and even get some sense of the humans behind them.
Physical customization is bolstered by something I never expected to see or truly appreciate: a genius stroke of polish called Titles. During matchmaking, you see the name of all players, a face shot of their character, and their Title, a short phrase above their name. The list of titles is solidly long, with more being added for free all the time. The real kicker is that you can use two titles at once, and each title can be any one among the long list of titles. This opens up tons of room for expression: you can even use your name as a third "Title" to widen the options further. It's so fun to look at opponent's names, titles, and faces during matchmaking and pre-game to get a feel for them and see their cool ideas!
Titles and ideas I've seen go all over the map honestly. (nicknames used as a third title are in parentheses). You have:
The straightforwardly expressive. "Soccer Boy", "Cat Grandma", "Fan of (Tigers)"
The self-referential. "Forever Online", "Birthday Boy",
The memes. "Cat Girl", "Thanks (Obama)", "Hello Mom"
The edgy humor "Child (Labor)", "Ancestor Extreme (Colonizer)", "Former Father"
And the nonsensical. "Fresh Produce", "Dog Myself", and my first choice "Alias Alias".
So, ya, game is good :)
as someone who wasn't super impressed by rouge legacy 1 (as a late adopter of course), rogue legacy 2 is fucking amazing. I'm not sure what to say about it beyond it's kind of fucked up how fun it is and how much there is to do.
-all of the QOL and gameplay improvements adopted by newer roguelites (level of choice in individual runs, variety of playstyles as well as ways the game encourages you to embrace them all) and more (e.g. a more robust NG+, toggleable difficulty modifiers, various currencies, mini-challenges to pursue outside of longer runs)
-huge amount of stuff to collect and upgrade, as well as massive amounts of passive upgrades you gain by simply playing like mastery or soul bonus
-more involved plot (not really sure how much i enjoy the plot but its a nice side bonus to playing), and a great sense of humor thats somehow very in your face but not too obnoxious.
-changes to the core gameplay that reinvigorate spellcasting and add a further layer of randomness that doesn't sacrifice how useful any given combination of traits and skills can be. Even though it seems like a very simple run and gun game on paper they nailed making everything feel incredibly satisfying.
the graphical style is incredible as well, 95% seamless combination of 3d and 2d (some minor visual effects look a bit messy but overall it's a really beautiful game). Music is also pretty bangin.
Some minor complaints: some of the special weapons seem overly situational, and various specific gold-related npcs and upgrades aren't explained super well (not that it really matters but given how well so many of the other mechanics of the game are drawn out for you, it does stick out a bit).
Around 34 hours in and can't wait to see what the rest of the game has to offer (just got started on the final biome, what a doozy). It's on sale for 20% off rn on Steam, highly recommend this one!
-all of the QOL and gameplay improvements adopted by newer roguelites (level of choice in individual runs, variety of playstyles as well as ways the game encourages you to embrace them all) and more (e.g. a more robust NG+, toggleable difficulty modifiers, various currencies, mini-challenges to pursue outside of longer runs)
-huge amount of stuff to collect and upgrade, as well as massive amounts of passive upgrades you gain by simply playing like mastery or soul bonus
-more involved plot (not really sure how much i enjoy the plot but its a nice side bonus to playing), and a great sense of humor thats somehow very in your face but not too obnoxious.
-changes to the core gameplay that reinvigorate spellcasting and add a further layer of randomness that doesn't sacrifice how useful any given combination of traits and skills can be. Even though it seems like a very simple run and gun game on paper they nailed making everything feel incredibly satisfying.
the graphical style is incredible as well, 95% seamless combination of 3d and 2d (some minor visual effects look a bit messy but overall it's a really beautiful game). Music is also pretty bangin.
Some minor complaints: some of the special weapons seem overly situational, and various specific gold-related npcs and upgrades aren't explained super well (not that it really matters but given how well so many of the other mechanics of the game are drawn out for you, it does stick out a bit).
Around 34 hours in and can't wait to see what the rest of the game has to offer (just got started on the final biome, what a doozy). It's on sale for 20% off rn on Steam, highly recommend this one!
Cool review friend Finland, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Yeah I do haha, never really got into Co-Op but have like 700 hours on the single player, wouldn’t mind having a go sometime if you’re still interested.
Yo epic, add me on disc uhBella#7324 if you ever want to go :)
I just downloaded mini motorways yesterday on switch and I'm already kinda addicted
It scratches that puzzle itch real good, and the gameplay loop is satisfying.
I have my gripes with it (lack of zoom, vague properties of upgrades, rng elements), but it's overall very intuitive and keeps drawing me back for more
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