Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Basically Mario Party

I just finished playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which is the second game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, and FF7 Rebirth is undoubtedly a great video game with outstanding music, amazing character performances, and much-improved combat. However, FF7 Rebirth does have some flaws as well, and I will talk about all of that down below. 

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Content-Heavy (SPOILERS)

By https://www.xbox-now.com/en/game/20146/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-standard-edition, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75041798

I am not going to write a full-on review about the newest entry in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise. I have already written posts about the Yakuza franchise, including why the Yakuza games are so brilliant, as well as talking about Yakuza: Like a Dragon (the previous main-line entry in the franchise). If you have played Infinite Wealth (or any other Yakuza game), then you already know what to expect: excellent storytelling, bonkers side-quests, and fleshed-out side activities. I will spend most of this post talking about the new stuff in Infinite Wealth, and then also talk about the potential direction of the franchise. I am going to talk about spoilers in this post so this is my warning to you.

NieR: Automata - Why Is This Game So Special?

Before I start to answer the question in the title, I want to talk about my relationship and experience with playing NieR: Automata. The first time I played this game was maybe around 2018 or 2019 on the PS4. The release of NieR: Automata was in 2017, developed by PlatinumGames (makers of the Bayonetta series, among other titles), and published by Square Enix. 

Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer Thoughts

If you have been living under a rock for the last little while, we finally got to see the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI. I did not think I was going to see a GTA VI in my lifetime, considering how long ago the initial release of GTA V was. I am so genuinely excited and hyped over this announcement and the trailer that 2025 cannot come soon enough. I just want to offer my brief thoughts on the trailer and offer my general thoughts on the Grand Theft Auto franchise to this point.

Final Fantasy XVI - If "Game Of Thrones" Was A Video Game

I do not think I have reviewed a main-line Final Fantasy game on this blog. I have reviewed the Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well as Crisis Core, but I finally get to talk about a brand-new Final Fantasy adventure and find out if FFXVI is as good as the legendary name that dons it.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Gameplay Perfection

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is, without a doubt, one of the best video games I have ever played. It might just be THE best video game I have ever played. Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the previous main-line Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, released in 2017. Even though Tears of the Kingdom plays extremely similarly to its predecessor, TotK makes BotW feel like a Switch tech demo in terms of its scale, immersion, and exploration. I will try to keep this blog post as spoiler-free as possible.

Quick Thoughts - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

Maybe this is my fault for having high expectations, but I thought the new Crisis Core remake was on the disappointing side. I do not think the new Crisis Core remake was a bad game, but I do not think there was much that made it a good game either. When the Final Fantasy VII Remake was released, I was floored with the overall presentation and its beautifully rendered cut-scenes and music. The new Crisis Core remake feels significantly inferior to the Final Fantasy VII Remake. Maybe I am not supposed to compare the two games, but since Crisis Core is a direct prequel to the events of FFVII, it only seems logical to do so.

God of War: Ragnarok (Review)

God of War: Ragnarok is a sensational follow-up to the 2018 release of God of War. I want to say this right off the bat. God of War: Ragnarok was the satisfying experience I wished the 2018 God of War could have been. I mentioned in my review of the 2018 release of God of War that the developers made it too obvious that a sequel(s) was going to be made, and the game experience suffered because of it. The overall story of God of War: Ragnarok, with a definite beginning, middle, and end made the gaming experience worth it.

Stray - You Play As A Cat

Copyright: Annapurna Interactive

I played Stray not too long ago (which is an indie adventure/puzzle/platformer) and I have some thoughts about the game. Stray was the second recent video game I remember getting some publicity in gaming circles where you play as an animal since Untitled Goose Game. The whole gimmick of this game is that you play as a cat, which leads to some interesting gameplay mechanics and content that was briefly refreshing to see, even if these mechanics got boring quickly.

Horizon: Forbidden West Review

I finally have a PlayStation 5, and the first game I purchased with the console is Horizon: Forbidden West developed by Guerilla Games. Horizon: Forbidden West is an action RPG, and is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Horizon: Zero Dawn released in 2017. I have played the first Horizon game a while back but never wrote a review for it, so I hope to make this up by writing a review for the second one. Horizon: Forbidden West is basically like the first game, but with a few new bells and whistles.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Genre-Defining

I have been thinking about my reviews of Breath of the Wild and Skyward Sword and I decided to go through the gauntlet of playing the classic mainline 3D Legend of Zelda games. Where better to start than the iconic Ocarina of Time. I have talked about the legacy and importance of games such as Super Mario 64 and Final Fantasy VII, but Ocarina of Time is also one of the most important video games in video game history. Ocarina of Time is the book of Genesis of the open-world, action-adventure game, and the plethora of action-adventure games released since Ocarina of Time can trace its roots to this game.

Cyberpunk 2077: This Could Have Been an Excellent Game

I have good news! I finally have a gaming PC so I can play even more video games. I picked up Cyberpunk 2077 during a Steam sale in the holiday season so that I can experience one of the most discussed games in recent memory. I remember how much hype this game had prior to its release in late-2020. The developers, CD Projekt Red achieved great success with the release of The Witcher III, and it would be interesting to see how the developers would follow this up. The revelation that Keanu Reeves would have a significant voice-acting role furthered the already-massive hype for Cyberpunk 2077. This was going to be one of the best games of 2020, right?

Ghost of Tsushima: Bloodshed Within The Beauty

Ghost of Tsushima is a Sony-exclusive video game developed by Sucker Punch (known for developing the Sly Cooper and Infamous video game series). This was a game nominated for numerous "Game of the Year" awards by many publications, and after playing the game, I can see why it deserved those nominations.

My Top 5 Games I Played In 2020

This is going to be a filler post on this blog. I am going to talk about the five best games I have played in 2020, ranked from five to one. Some of these games came out prior to 2020, but these were games I completed in 2020. My only rule is that I have not played any of these games before. Super Mario Galaxy would have been on this list, but I have played the game years before for the Nintendo Wii, so I am not including it. Let us get on with it then...

The Last of Us Part II Review (SPOILERS)

I just finished playing The Last of Us Part II and I have a lot to say, though it is not what you think I am going to address. I know there has been controversy surrounding this title in terms of its direction of the story and the well-being of the people behind making this title, but I believe there is another issue with The Last of Us Part II that I do not see many people address. The rest of this post will contain spoilers about the game, so read the rest of this post at your own discretion.

My Favorite Grand Theft Auto Promotional Websites

I have already expressed years ago on the blog that the Grand Theft Auto series is my favorite video game series ever. I remember going onto sites such as GTAForums where I went to learn about everything there is about the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Years after playing Vice City and San Andreas, I found out that Rockstar Games created promotional websites that displayed some of the services from the GTAIII-era of games. I remembered going through all of these promotional sites for hours and just laughing at what I saw, while also imagining if these things could actually exist in real life. Imagine if Ammu-Nation existed, and you can buy all your illegal weapons with the click of a mouse.

Shenmue III: Was The 18-Year Hiatus Worth It?

After purchasing 'Shenmue I and II' on a nostalgic impulse buy, as well as learning that Shenmue III was in development as a result of a Kickstarter crowdfunding initiative, I could not wait to get my hands on the next chapter of this simplistic, but legendary story. I thought that I was only one of a handful of admirers of the Shenmue series, but the money raised for the Kickstarter completely blew me away. Despite the branding of Shenmue I and II as being 'commercial flops', there was no question that there was something special about the series when it came to the story and characters.

Judgment: The 'Yakuza' Spinoff With A Dash Of 'L.A. Noire'

Judgment is the newest game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (and also developed and published by Sega) that is a direct spin-off of the Yakuza series. Now, I am a huge fan of the Yakuza series and I wanted to see how similar Judgment would be to the Yakuza series. As it would turn out, Judgment plays almost exactly like the Yakuza games. Many of the points that I make in my Yakuza blog post apply with Judgment as well, but I want to talk about the differences that set Judgment apart from the Yakuza games.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The "Sweet Spot" of Action-Adventure Video Games

It has been over a year in the making, but I finally purchased a Nintendo Switch. As for my first Switch game purchase, it was a difficult choice, but I purchased Breath of the Wild over Super Mario Odyssey. I wanted my first Switch game-playing experience to be an enriching, rewarding one. What better than to start with the latest installment of one of the classic action-adventure video game series.

Why Are The Yakuza Video Games So Brilliant?

The Yakuza video games are the best video games that North American gamers have most likely never played.

When the first Yakuza video games were released for the PlayStation 2 in the mid-2000s, the games struggled to gain a solid audience over in North America, but still had a smaller cult following. With the release of Yakuza 0 in 2017, the remakes of Yakuza 1 and 2 after that, and the positive reception that came with those games, it seems like the Yakuza games now have the exposure to the wide North American audience that the games deserved.