Quick Thoughts - Super Mario RPG Remake

I was able to snag a copy of the remake of Super Mario RPG for the Nintendo Switch that was on sale. I remember briefly playing the original Super Mario RPG on the SNES but I never came close to beating the game. I thought this was a good time to finally complete Super Mario RPG and give some thoughts on the experience.

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.

"Sea Of Stars" Is An Excellent Tribute To SNES RPGs

By Sabotage - Giant Bomb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72375507

I just finished playing Sea of Stars, which is a turn-based RPG from Sabotage Studio, which has had heavy influence from the Super Nintendo RPGs that came before it. There is so much influence from those SNES RPGs that Sea of Stars feels like a tribute game, or a love letter, to that genre on that system. Part of the fun of Sea of Stars is identifying which classic games influenced this game.

Quick Thoughts: Xenoblade Chronicles 3

I finally finished playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (seriously, this game is well over 100 hours in game length if you do many of the side quests), and after playing the first two games in the trilogy, I think it is safe to say that XC3 is the best game in the series, and one of the best (if not, the best) JRPGs on the Nintendo Switch. I felt like XC3 is the sum of the best parts of XC1 and XC2 and improves upon them, which I will explain below:

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet - Lots To Unpack Here

I do not know why I did this, but I purchased Pokémon Violet on the day of its release. I have not been kind to the previous main-line Pokémon games, but maybe, just maybe, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet could be decent. I am a jaded Pokémon fan who just wants to play a universally decent Pokémon game. As of writing this post, I have finished playing Pokémon Violet, and I have some thoughts about this latest entry.

Tales of Arise - Quick Thoughts

Tales of Arise is the latest entry in the Tales series of JRPGs from Bandai Namco and the second Tales game I have ever played after Tales of Vesperia. If you have played any Tales game, then Tales of Arise is not particularly different to any of its predecessors. In fact, many of the things I have said in my thoughts of Tales of Vesperia apply to Tales of Arise. Tales of Arise felt like your standard, cookie-cutter JRPG. Nothing amazing, but nothing outright mediocre either.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus - Is This A Good Game?

When I first heard about Pokémon Legends: Arceus, I could not believe that Game Freak was going to move away from the formula that they have always used to create their mainline Pokémon games and sell millions of copies, despite their fleeting quality. I was critical of Pokémon Sword and Shield, and I thought that because Game Freak was still making huge profits off terrible Pokémon games and the overall Pokémon marketing machine, they would have no reason to innovate. Imagine my surprise when Game Freak announced this new game which is going to be a brand-new Pokémon experience, where the focus is on discovering all the Pokémon in the Hisui region, rather than win a bunch of gym badges and challenge a region's Elite Four and Champion. I still had low expectations, and the lack of marketing told me that Game Freak was not sure how the audience was going to receive this game upon its release.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon - A Yakuza RPG

Yakuza: Like A Dragon is the latest entry in the Yakuza series developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios and published by Sega. I am happy to be jumping into the newest Yakuza game, but there have been a couple of massive changes to this game, compared to previous entries.

Quick Thoughts - Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition

nintendo.com

I have been playing Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition on the Nintendo Switch, and I have an immediate confession to make. I started playing Tales of Vesperia right after playing the FFVII Remake, and the comparison between these games is like night and day. To go from one of the most beautifully presented games to a re-release of a game that came out in 2008 is a massive downgrade.

Final Fantasy VII Remake: The Game Dreams Are Made From

Final Fantasy VII Remake is the long-awaited and much-delayed release from Square Enix, which is a re-telling of the classic Final Fantasy VII released on the PS1 back in 1997. Before I get into my review of the remake, I will give some context on what made the original FF7 so special in the eyes of many gamers, including myself.

So, what made the original FF7 so special?