Dynasty Warriors: Origins - A Soft Reset Of The Franchise

By https://wccftech.com/dynasty-warriors-origins-preview/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78449045

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the latest entry in the Dynasty Warriors video game franchise, and this was a game I alluded to in my Dynasty Warriors tribute post as wanting to play. I am glad Koei Tecmo did not release a Dynasty Warriors 10 because the franchise was getting stale. To me, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a representation of a soft reset of the franchise, like what the God of War franchise went through in 2018. I wanted to know if Dynasty Warriors: Origins was the reinvention that the franchise sorely needed.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Surprised Me

By Bethesda - Steam cover https://steamdb.info/app/2677660/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75847090

I finished playing the newest Indiana Jones video game: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and this game was such a surprise to me. The developers of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are MachineGames (best known for making the latest Wolfenstein titles), and I thought they were the best studio to create a new Indiana Jones title. Most people know Indiana Jones for the classic movies in the 1980s, but there have been many Indiana Jones video games as well. The last Indiana Jones game I remember playing was Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb on the Xbox around 20 years ago (maybe this game is worth revisiting). With that said, here are my thoughts on the newest Indiana Jones video game.

Stellar Blade Is Solid, But It Is No NieR: Automata

By SHIFT UP CORPORATION - https://image.api.playstation.com/vulcan/ap/rnd/202401/2211/40e7cfd126a11fe5118310ebce6d9b3a23e7cabaca717217.png, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76319717

I just finished playing Stellar Blade, which is an action-adventure game developed by Korean studio Shift Up, and I want to address a controversy about this game right off the bat.

My Top 10 Games I Played In 2024

By Atlus / Sega - https://www.gematsu.com/gallery/persona-3-reload/august-23-2023, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74654643

2024 has been a great year for gaming, and I was able to play some of the big releases of the year, as well as many more from previous years. Like I do every year, here is my ranking of the best video games I have played in 2024. These are not games specifically released in 2024, but rather these are games that I played for the first time in 2024. Let's get into it.

Quick Thoughts - The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

By Nintendo - https://www.ign.com/games/the-legend-of-zelda-echoes-of-wisdom, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77182527

I just finished playing The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and I wanted to quickly talk about everything new about the game and give my brief thoughts on my experience.

Astro Bot: THE Definitive PlayStation Platformer

By Japan Studio / Sony - PlayStation Store, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77144600

When I bought my PS5, there was a game pre-installed on the system called “Astro’s Playroom”, which was a tech demo for the PS5 controller. Outside of showing off the features of the controller, Astro’s Playroom was a pretty good game with its platforming and PlayStation secrets. At the time, I thought to myself “I would love to play a full-fledged Astro game”.

The Callisto Protocol: Mostly Atmosphere, And Not Much Else

By Striking Distance Studios / Krafton - PlayStation Store, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70948364

After finishing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. I decided to play another single-player experience, but of a survival horror variety. The Callisto Protocol is a sci-fi, survival horror game released in 2022, which bears striking similarities to a previous sci-fi, survival horror video game series, namely the Dead Space series. I was interested in playing this game and seeing if The Callisto Protocol is as good as Dead Space 1 and 2, or is it an inferior title like Dead Space 3.

I Went To The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Concert

When I wrote my review of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I mentioned in that review that the Rebirth soundtrack might be my favourite Final Fantasy soundtrack out of all the Final Fantasy games. I apparently loved it so much that when I found out that the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Orchestra World Tour was coming to Toronto for two shows at Roy Thomson Hall, I managed to snap up a ticket for the second show. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra was going to perform renditions and medleys of many of the hits from the game. I could not wait.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (the video game)

By Eidos Montreal / Square Enix - Square Enix, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67954937

I finished playing Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, which is the action-adventure game released in 2021 and based on the Marvel comic book series of the same name. Most people that are familiar with GotG are familiar with the trilogy of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies, and I have certainly enjoyed these movies. I heard many rumblings about the video game, and so I picked the game up on sale and played the single-player campaign, and here are my thoughts.

Sonic Frontiers: Sonic's Middling Adventure

By Sega - https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/sonic-frontiers, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71589758

I picked up Sonic Frontiers as part of the Steam Summer Sale not too long ago because I have heard many various things about this game since its release in 2022. I have heard wide-ranging opinions ranging from positive (ex: This is finally an excellent 3D Sonic game) to negative (ex: Sonic Frontiers is just as bad as most other 3D Sonic games). I do not believe the video game community ever concluded how good or how bad Sonic Frontiers is. I have since finished Sonic Frontiers and I will offer my own opinion about this game in the pot of already wild opinions.

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.

Remembering Conker's Bad Fur Day

By May be found at the following website: http://www.lukiegames.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8624904

There was a game on the Nintendo 64 that I remember vividly; not because I have ever played this game (until now), but because of the controversy this game would happen to generate at the time of its release. I am talking about Conker's Bad Fur Day, developed by Rare (formerly Rareware). Rare was probably one of the most highly-regarded video game studios of the 1990s and early 2000s, putting out highly influential and critically-acclaimed games such as the Donkey Kong Country series, GoldenEye 007, and Diddy Kong Racing. Diddy Kong Racing introduced two characters that would go on to have their own games: Banjo (Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie) and Conker, the cute red squirrel who will be the focus of this blog post.

Do Not Pursue Lu Bu, Do Not Collect $200 (Dynasty Warriors Tribute)

I was thinking about a video game-related question I saw while lazily browsing the internet. What is a video game or video game series that is not necessarily well-received or highly-regarded, but provided you hours upon hours of joy and entertainment while playing? My immediate answer to this question were the Dynasty Warriors games. I do not believe there is a Dynasty Warriors game that is genuinely amazing, but these were some of the most satisfying video games I have ever played in my life. I have referenced Dynasty Warriors in a few of my game reviews, but I have never talked about the video game series directly. In this post, I will give my long-awaited flowers to the Dynasty Warriors video games.

Animal Well Is A Treat

After playing Animal Well, I think it is safe to say that this game is going to be the best indie game I will play this year. I bought this game on a whim on Steam not expecting much, but Animal Well surpassed my expectations (and then some) on a short, but rewarding 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.

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. 

Dave The Diver: You Are What You Fish (And Serve)

By Mintrocket - https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1868140/capsule_616x353.jpg?t=1688092032, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74176167

For my first game of 2024, I chose to play Dave the Diver. I found it difficult to define what kind of game Dave the Diver is. I think Dave the Diver is mainly an adventure game with some RPG elements. You spend your day fishing at a place called the Blue Hole; catching fish for the nearby sushi restaurant and collecting resources for various upgrades. In the night, Dave the Diver turns into a business simulator where you must manage the sushi restaurant, with everything from setting the menu to serving customers on a nightly basis.

My Top 10 Games I Played in 2023

By Insomniac Games - https://blog.playstation.com/2023/06/08/marvels-spider-man-2-arrives-only-on-ps5-october-20-collectors-digital-deluxe-editions-detailed/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73989403

I played so many video games in 2023 that I can actually write a top-10 list on my best games I played in 2023. Just a reminder, this is NOT my top-10 list on games released in 2023, but rather my top-10 games I played in 2023. Some of these games came out before 2023 (though most of these games are from 2023). 

"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.