@oliverp I'm not really a fan of deck building games either, but this one worked very well for me. I think maybe the way the deck building was structured was key here (instead of one big deck, each hero has their own relatively small deck and then you choose which heroes go on the mission with you based on their power set).
Still, fair warning, this is not a game for everyone, but I think maybe the IP will be more limiting for some than the actual mechanics (provided one goes in understanding it is turn-based, tactical battles and not real-time action)
@FuriousMachine@oliverp I was really surprised by Midnight Suns too. Deck building games aren’t something I’d say I gravitate to but I liked how the mechanic worked too with how you choose a character’s deck, the progress to unlock cards, and how you could level up and personalise cards too.
It was a fun roster of characters and the game really encourages you to mix up who you use. The storylines and relationships you build up in the hub world are quite neat too.
My big disappointment was that the end of the game fell kind of flat as it felt like they’d kind of given up and put a bit of a token ending in there.
I did instantly go back for my half run to get the platinum but stopped as I soon as I got it.
@Thrillho Absolutely agree, the ending sort of fizzled out a bit and it may have felt amplified by the fact that I decided to do the DLC after the main game. Interestingly, the DLC has a suitable "after party" tacked on to its ending, but then the characters are ready to go straight back to work, as the main threat still remained, story wise... and since the game simply reverts back to pre-mission after the final story mission is complete, I never did feel like any true ending was achieved.
Still, my only very small gripe with an otherwise excellent game! I fear I will have to wait a long while for a game that pairs so well with the Marvel IP as this one did.
I finished Assassin's Creed Shadows and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Both great games, but I'm glad to have them done so I can concentrate on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Clair Obscura: Expedition 33.
Just finished South of Midnight on Series X. Fantastic game brimming with so much creativity. The combat wasn't that engaging, but the story and platforming were absolutely sublime. This is the type of game I want to see more of. I can't imagine this game being made if it weren't for Game Pass as you rarely see studios experiment these days. Hopefully this continues on Xbox as I'd love to see more games like this.
I also finished Forza Horizon 2 on Series X last week. Another great entry in the series as always, but it did feel like the weakest one as it does get quite repetitive with too much of the same content. I still enjoyed it though, but I can't imagine spending all the time it requires to finish all championships (which would probably take at least 100 hours)
After about 35 hours, I’ve completed Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
It was better than I expected. Despite being a fan of the FF7, I’d never had much interest in Zack or in the backstory of the beloved characters from the main game. I suspected that a PSP mobile game wouldn’t really hold my attention, figuring that the limited hardware it came from would make the experience shallow. I’m happy to report that the game is really a nice addition to the FF7 universe, and excels in both gameplay and in filling in the narrative holes of the FF7 universe.
Despite the remake/remaster treatment being really exceptional, there’s definitely some antiquated elements that are still present with Reunion. The visuals are where the remake really amazes. The gameplay is smooth and the cutscenes are fabulously rendered. It does feel very on par with the FF7 Remake in this department. Among the aspects that stand out though is the dialogue, which has a very PSP/PS1 JRPG feel to it sometimes. There’s not as much depth and detail in many of the character interactions.
Regardless , this is Zack’s story and he certainly is the star of the show. We do get to know him (and his love interest) quite well and I really connected with him. I wasn’t expecting to adore his character like I do, and I think I might actually like him better than Cloud at this point. 😄
The gameplay does feel like it was developed around the mobile experience, but it can also be enjoyed for long sessions at a time. It has a lot of depth and at the end I barely scratched the surface of the materia combinations and skills that were available to me. The short mission structure and frequent saves were made with the PSP in mind, but it worked great as a Portal game for me. Many of my play sessions were for 30-45 minutes in the handheld and I never felt like I wasted my time because I could always make a little progress even in short bursts.
Even though I spent 35-40 hours getting to the ending, I could have easily done it in 25-30, or even less to be honest. Also, I could easily spend additional 40 hours, or more, mopping up all the optional content, side missions, and experimenting with different builds and materia fusions. I think the game said I had done about 30% of the optional missions and my sword proficiency was only at about 2% at the end. I didn’t struggle with the end bosses much; I think I died twice to one of the final stretch bosses, but easily adjusted my tactics after a couple tries and beat it with ease eventually.
This turned into a mini-review, so I apologize, but I did want to give a shout-out to the game, as it seems oft overlooked between Remake and Rebirth. Glad that I played it.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution Thanks for the review! I own this and the FF7 remake and as someone who hasn't played a single minute of any Final Fantasy game, which would you recommend I start with? I understand this is a prequel of sorts, but it's not always ideal to start with prequels (in that they, by definition, come out after the "original", so to speak). I'd love to hear your thoughts on this 🙂
@FuriousMachine It’s a great question and I do think it best to play Remake first, then Crisis Core Reunion. If you jump into the prequel first it wouldn’t necessarily ruin or spoil anything per se, but the impact of various characters showing up might be lost. As you get to know the characters in the prequel, it does add texture to the main game, but if you didn’t know the type of character that ‘so-and-so’ turns out to be, then the curiousity of seeing them in their early years would be lost.
Probably the ideal way would be to play the OG PS1 FF7 first, then you could play Crisis Core, then Remake and Rebirth. But that’s a large commitment and if you’re not a big fan of retro JRPGs then I’d say first get to know the setting and Cloud and Co. with Remake, then play Crisis Core, and then Rebirth (although I haven’t got to it yet, I did see plenty of people who claim CC fits in well between Remake and Rebirth).
This morning I officially beat Clair Obscur and got the platinum trophy. For me personally, this has gone down as one of my favorite games of all time. It’s peak RPG, and bolsters one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard in a game.
@Th3solution nice dude, glad that you had such a good time with it… and put your positive thoughts into words for us who are still yet to play it. Not gonna lie, it’s definitely been bumped up the schedule a little having read through your post 👍
@Jimmer-jammer yeah I’ll definitely be playing it at some point, there’s just been far too much positivity surrounding the game in an era of almost universal hate that I’d be doing the hobby that I love dirty if I didn’t. As always with me, I’m in no massive rush to play Clair Obscure but I will pick a copy up soonish, as I honestly feel if ever any devs should be rewarded financially in this current gaming era, it’s these guys.
Also, while I’ve definitely had my issues with turn-based… I actually feel that I may have turned the corner a little on it having really enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII late last year.
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