trymer89

Star Wars Outlaws: As a lover of all things Star Wars, I was always going to try this out and so far it's not bad. It's fun being something of a villain, playing factions against one another, and the exploration is opened up gradually metroid-style to keep you invested. Sure the characterization is minimal, but I'm only ten hours in and the story is full of appropriate twists and turns that keep me guessing. Not as much fun as the Jedi series, but worth a look.

Octopath Traveler II: I've done practically all sidequests, licenses, and have obtained the Inventor and Armsmaster secondary jobs and items, and everyone's at 60 or above - and I haven't even started Chapter III's. At this rate, I'm well on track for the final bosses.

Octopath Traveler II: There's a lot more to do compared to the first. Between collecting songs, secondary jobs/badges, and unlocking new areas, I've leveled my group to 31 no problem - and I'm not even starting Chapter 2's yet. It's a great compliment to the game that despite all this, I'm never bored and always eager to go back for more.

Octopath Traveler II: Really enjoyed the first despite my initial misgivings about the HD-2D aesthetic. It's nice that my group is already forming connections by traveling to the next member and giving me a chance to see how they work together; the side quests they do with one another will no doubt strengthen those ties.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Having explored a little of Gizeh and almost all of the Vatican, I'm truly impressed by the level of detail, be it in the cobblestone courtyards or the Sistine Chapel and even the basilicas, but also in the excellent side quests that see you hunting shrines or helping nuns. All of it feels like the films, and Troy Baker does a very credible Harrison Ford impersonation.

I'm thoroughly pleased I picked this up.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: As someone who's not typically a fan of first-person games (excluding Metroid Prime) but who is a massive fan of Indy, this hits a satisfying middle ground. It's a lot of fun looking for artifacts, enjoying the Vatican while occasionally punching out some fascists, and the game looks gorgeous.

The prologue is a shot-for-shot remake of the Raiders Temple of the Golden Idol sequence, and the detail on everything, from the spiders on Satipo's back to Indy's whip and even the foliage is incredible. If this is what the PS5 is truly capable of, I absolutely look forward to more stunning entries.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Steadily chipping away at various side/basic missions and affinity quests before proceeding with the last six or so chapters of the main story. It's been fun getting to know the crew (my favorites being Liesel and Yelv) and trying out different configurations, and the flying Skell really helps. I've now sunk triple digit hours into this game and am thoroughly enjoying it.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Finally got a Skell and it's really opened up the world. The alien races are fascinating to get to know, particularly the Qlurians and Ma-non. Another concern I am happy to report unfounded is the performance: this game is gorgeous and runs pretty much flawlessly even on a Switch 1. I've sunk 50 hours into this adventure and look forward to many more!

Xenoblade Chronicles X: It's been quite interesting meeting other alien races such as the Ma-non or the L and slowly researching the different areas of Mira. Elma is of course a great leader to follow, but I also like Gwin and Hope. It's definitely different than the rest of the series, but I like that it has its own unique flavor.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered: It's great to be raiding some classic tombs with Lara again. The Lost Valley and St. Francis' Folly are real standouts, but every level has been impressively upscaled and the modern controls work with decent fluidity. I love Survivor Lara, but this is the the Lara Croft I grew up with, and it's a real blast returning to this era.

Triangle Strategy: It's a lot of fun planning out just the way to take down enemies, with some being better suited buffing allies and some just charging through. There are also great side stories and recruitable allies and a decent quick leveler in camps. The story is simple and straightforward, but the characters (in particular Frederica) are well-rounded and entertaining.

Triangle Strategy: A fun strategy game focusing on prioritizing troop deployment and placement that even early on forces you to think two or three steps ahead. The conflict over salt and iron creates a somewhat different setup for the story that I'm interested to see expounded upon. It's shaping up to be a long one, and that suits me fine.

Rise of the Rōnin: Really enjoying the feudal Japan setting and mastering different styles of weaponry. The story is appropriately complex and the world is visually well-realized (despite others apparently doing it better). A fun time sink for sword fighting aficionados.

Rise of the Rōnin: A fun mashup of fast, stylish fighting and zone clearing a la Assassin's Creed. The variety of different combat styles and unique activities (taking specific photographs or petting cats in unusual hiding spots) keeps the experience fresh, as does the setting and conflict therein.

New Pokémon Snap: A refreshingly unique (and stunning visually) entry in the long-running series that can be quite addictive. You always want to go back for more Pokémon, or the same in different poses, and it's really cool seeing Pokémon just being Pokémon. It's also really nice that there's a good mix of all generations with none getting obvious priority.

Tales of Arise: I'm really enjoying the comic book panel style skits, pastel like art design, and dynamic twist on the typical JRPG battle style. Shionne is a standout, prickly but for a reason (even if you don't know completely why) but the whole core crew are interesting and well done. Definitely want to play another Tales entry after this.

Tales of Arise: Having never played an entry I am going in fairly blind, but I appreciate the art style, commentary, and of course a chunky RPG. I really have no idea what to expect but cannot imagine I won't have fun.

I recently completed Stray which was every bit as entertaining as I expected it to be. As the proud owner of a Siamese myself (his name is Prince) it was great exploring a dilapidated world as one of our feline friends. I just really hoped the little guy would live through it (spoiler he did of course). It was also pretty funny watching my cat attack the TV screen and try to see where the cat would go. A really underrated gem.

Pikmin 1+2: Thought I'd see what all the fuss is about and where better to start than at the beginning? I like strategy games quite a bit and this seems to fit that bill so here goes.

I recently completed Dragon Quest III HD-2D after 44 hours and man, that was old school RPG done to perfection: tough at times but always fair and honestly gorgeous to look at. Can't wait to continue the story with I and II!

Dragon Quest III HD-2D: Enjoying a truly old school RPG that doesn't handhold but isn't incredibly difficult either - with the caveat that you need to prepare. The backgrounds and character models are really well thought out and the story, while simple, is nonetheless engaging. It's a great time.

Dragon Quest III: Having played XI earlier this year I instantly fell in love with the series. It's old school JRPG done right, and III thus far is certainly no exception. True, it's somewhat more difficult but this is mitigated if you do a bit of grinding (which I typically do anyway) and the HD-2D visuals, while initially not my cup of tea, have grown on me and are quite stellar. It's a great entry in what is, by all accounts, a legendary series.

Finishing up Epic Mickey after a week and a half of some very dark and intriguing looks into Disney's past. The visuals are gloomy yet creative, the paint mechanics well integrated, and the story full of twists and turns. It's not the journey I expected to take with the famous mouse, but it's been great fun.

Epic Mickey Rebrushed: I saw this on the Wii and it looked very interesting but unfortunately never got the opportunity to play it. Now that I have, I'm enjoying the surrealistic shadowy reflection of Disneyland and meeting tons of obscure characters like Clarabelle Cow or Horace Horsecollar.

The paint mechanics are fun too, allowing for lots of exploration off the beaten path. Mickeyjunk Mountain is a standout in terms of design, but I'd be remiss not to mention the charms of Mean Street or Dark Beauty Castle.

This is no Kingdom Hearts; it's Disney gone dark, or as close to it as it's gone since The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and it's supremely entertaining.

Mario and Luigi Brothership: It's been great playing a Mario & Luigi game again! The cel-shaded visuals, electricity puns, innovative new Bros. attacks, and of course the story are all top notch.

It's also great that it's a proper length - easily fifty hours. This is right up there with Super Mario RPG and Bowser's Inside Story as one of Mario's greatest RPGs.

Mario and Luigi Brothership: A pretty fun entry in the series, with cool Bros. Attacks and an overall different aesthetic in terms of worldbuilding. I like the electricity references everywhere and there's still the series' signature charm. So far I'd put it at third (behind Bowser's Inside Story and Superstar Saga).

Finishing up Astro Bot after a week. It's a pretty great platformer with lots of experimentation, including some ideas reused in innovative ways. The challenge levels are tough, but going for completion has been fairly breezy.

I look forward to Team Asobi's next effort.

Astro Bot: I thoroughly enjoyed Astro's Playroom and can honestly say that this has been one of my most anticipated games of 2024. It's light platforming with a bit of an edge for those wanting a challenge and lots of PlayStation game homages (my favorite being an Uncharted game level).

Here's to many more hours with Astro and his pals.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom: It is a very interesting change of pace and satisfyingly curious wrinkle to play as Zelda for a change. Every move must be carefully calculated (unless you want to go into Hero Mode) but you have such a variety of options it's still great fun.

There's a surprising amount of content on offer for a top-down Zelda game (especially when compared to Link's Awakening) and some truly gorgeous visuals with clever (if not particularly taxing) dungeon design.

Zelda, it's about time you got your dues, and it's proving to be a blast.

Stellar Blade: The combat has impressed me with its depth and variety of different moves, combos, and upgrades, with the different exospines providing customization that actually feels applied in-game.

EVE is very endearing and you want her to avenge her comrades, but it's the side quests (particularly Enya's) where the story really shines. It's also nice to have a huge variety of outfits, earrings, and glasses to customize your look.

In other words, it's a really fun ride.

@Kidfunkadelic83 Yeah, surprisingly so. I thought it was going to be aggressively average but still a decent amount of fun because of the phenomenal looking EVE, but the combat and setting mesh together quite well.

I will say the combat can be a bit punishing for the first couple hours, but you quickly get mods to make things somewhat easier. I'm slightly intimidated by how difficult I've heard the final bosses can be but I'm confident I will be the appropriate skill level by that point.

Stellar Blade: Made it to Xion and am very much enjoying the fluid combat with its variety of unique combos and loadouts to boost different types, the decent assortment of collectibles (including some great looking cosmetic outfits) and EVE is a sleek protagonist with real charm that endears her to you; think Bayonetta but somewhat more vulnerable. The story is typical post-apocalypse, but starting to have its own unique flair.

Of course it doesn't hurt that she's great to look at, but the game surrounding her is pretty incredible so far.

Finishing up Sonic Superstars and moving on to Stellar Blade: Really enjoyed this past week with 2D Sonic surprisingly enough. Difficult to master (especially in the later zones) but every time I make an error, I know it's my fault and more often than not I manage at least a B.

Stellar Blade has of course received rave reviews and the demo was quite fun, so I look forward to it.

Sonic Superstars: Having played a couple 3Ds but never completed a 2D, this has been an interesting experience. Sonic and his friends move how you remember, just with a lot more fluid animation that definitely helps out in some of the tougher spots. There have been a couple of truly awesome boss fights and innovative zones, and the artwork is a perfect update to the classics.

My personal favorite has been Sonic: a good all-rounder with a decent moveset, but if I want to kind of cheese a level it's nice to have Amy. While I don't see it becoming one of my all time favorites, entries like this and Wonder from the Super Mario Bros series have definitely helped to change my mind about 2D platformers.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: 82 hours in and I have just about done all the different area intelligence, leaving only some remaining side quests and the main story left to do.

It's been an interesting voyage and I've particularly enjoyed the Corel and Cosmo Canyon regions, with the synergy attacks a fun wrinkle to the combat system. Tifa has been, surprisingly enough, the most compelling of our main group to watch, from seeking vengeance for her father to encountering Sephiroth in the lifestream and coming to grips with returning to Nibelheim.

It'll be difficult to leave it all behind for sure.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: This is a great way to design open worlds. Sure, it's a collect-a-thon, but each point of interest is something different: unique monsters, finding out region intel, depowering boss fights for summons, or hunting down a protorelic.

The story continues to enthrall, with varied locales such as sunny vacation beach Costa del Sol, Mount Corel and its labyrinthine mines, or the glitzy spectacle of the Gold Saucer, and excellent supporting players such as robotic cat Cait Sith and feisty but playful ninja Yuffie Kisaragi.

Of course, the focus is still on stopping Sephiroth and the game doesn't lose sight of that. Yet having so many activities to do along the way invariably makes the experience tons of fun.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: I finished Remake and thought it was great, so I decided to keep the story going and hoo boy - is this different.

Apart from the obvious change in scenery (going from the sky city of Midgar to the grasslands of the planet below), this is far more open. The game eases you in with a starter city, but within three hours: off you go, into the wild blue yonder! This is an area teeming with wildlife, foes aplenty, vistas to scout out, and materials to collect that will aid you in crafting consumables.

The story is as excellent as you'd expect, with a rather protracted and quite engaging prologue detailing Cloud and Sephiroth's past together. You even get introduced to Aerith's first love Zack Fair as he rescues Cloud in an alternate timeline. This all ties neatly into the present, with Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red XIII all coming to rely on one another in ways that affect their relationships as well as gameplay via Synergy Attacks (ported from the Intermission DLC).

There's a lot more I know I haven't yet discovered, and I think that's the major draw of Rebirth: discovery. What's in that barn over the rise? Or that swamp, or those ruins? I don't know, but it's going to be a pleasure finding out.

Final Fantasy VII Remake: Having played XVI a month or so ago and heard that this is one of the greatest RPGs of all time I was naturally curious, and it mostly holds up.

Cloud is a smartly written conflicted character, Tifa is the loyal best friend who reminds him of who he is beneath the SOLDIER, and Aerith serves as the conscience and motivation that we'd all be lucky to have. The city of Midgar is beautifully unveiled as a world not too dissimilar to our own, but with a healthy dose of futurism injected. Some of the story is truly humorous (such as Cloud dressing as a woman for a lascivious lecher of a potential groom) or appropriately epic, i.e. the team taking down a robot designed to execute them in front of the whole city.

It can be a bit linear, but I suspect the development team was aware of this as, even during those story missions that are, they include multiple branching pathways with tons of loot just itching to be found. The combat is (for me, since I played it first) reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts, and it's quite cool to see the origin of the Limit Break system, especially utilized so smoothly. On that note, there's hardly a stutter in framerate: not usually a concern for me, but it's nice to see the game play so buttery smooth.

I need to experience the full tale, but I've sunk twenty hours over the past two days, which should tell you everything you need to know about how much I'm enjoying this title.

Princess Peach Showtime!: Like so many, I've been itching for a Peach playable adventure and this is both a vibrant and cleverly inventive one. It's great to see Princess Toadstool in the spotlight and hopefully she'll get another chance soon.

Spider-Man Miles Morales: I was of course a big fan of the first and this is both similar and different. Miles controls with the fluidity and agility you'd expect, but his different powerset offers more crowd control. He's also clearly more brash and less thoughtful than Pete, but his heart is obviously in the right place.

There's a lot of love given to Harlem especially (and its associated winter festivities) but all of New York is just as fun as the first to explore while web-slinging by at top speeds. It'll be all too brief by many accounts, but it's a thrill while it lasts.

Luigi's Mansion 2: Ah, the old familiar places. Playing this calls to mind memories of my time with it on the 3DS, but truth be told it may as well be a new game entirely.

Sure, the mission structure is there, E. Gadd still calls you up way too often, and the ghosts are still as goofy as ever, but the graphical overhaul and fluidity of controls make all the difference in the world. This is Dark Moon not as you remember it, but as you would like it to have been, and it's spooktacular fun.

Plus Polterpup is as adorable as ever.

Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door: Man, does it feel good to play a true RPG again! The combat is superb, with a well-crafted blend of badge usage, partner abilities, and timed button presses, and the story really serves to heighten your interest in this weird world. My personal favorite so far is Twilight Town for its almost Nightmare Before Christmas vibes, but every new area you visit oozes atmosphere and charm. Also, Vivian may best Geno for my favorite companion.

While I doubt it will topple certain of the Mario & Luigi entries, this is easily one of my favorite Mario RPGs.

Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door: I'm beginning to see why this is consistently ranked the best Mario RPG. Excellent and enduring combat, interesting locales and characters, and a genuinely intriguing story (with a great visual aesthetic to boot) are all mere prelude to the brilliance that is sure to come.

Final Fantasy XVI: I think the thing I enjoy most about this game (apart from the exceptionally fluid combat) is the worldbuilding. Various database entries, sidequests connecting previously met characters and towns/cities, the descriptiveness of the plight of Bearers and the Plague affecting Valisthea - it's all done justice and complemented by a suitably earnest (albeit at times conflicted) main character in Clive.

Final Fantasy XVI: Really enjoying my first foray into the series and the sort of fractured fairytale aspect of the story. The visuals are quite excellent and the gameplay varied enough (now I've made it to the new hideout) to keep me busy for hours at a time. It's shaping up to be one of my favorite PlayStation games.

Final Fantasy XVI: Never played one but I've always known of them and been a big RPG fan and so far it's pretty great. Clive is an interesting character with a compelling motivation and it's fun seeing Cid (someone I recognize from Kingdom Hearts) albeit as a reincarnation.

The combat is fluid and dynamic, almost balletic, and the world is starting to open up. It has a very Game of Thrones feel to the politics of different nations that is compelling and engrossing to watch unfold.

The side quests are a bit rote but everything else is on point.

Actually yes. I quite enjoyed Frontiers and particularly appreciated the challenging towers of Rhea Island. It's a great compromise between open world and classic Sonic that I believe would benefit from further forays in this genre.

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown: It's a neat platformer that is challenging in a way similar to the Metroid series. I like the idea of screen captures to remember items you can later obtain and the pastel artwork is phenomenal.

Elsewhere I will be trying the Stellar Blade demo out to see if I want to purchase it. From the screenshots and chatter I probably will, but here goes.

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown: It's a fun side-scroller metroidvania with quick and flashy combat and an interesting lead. I like the pastel cel-shaded artwork, too, as it gives a nice sharp contrast to the visuals.

Should be a challenging but interesting combat platformer.

Finishing Hogwarts Legacy: Got one more beast, crypt, and a couple more field guide pages (plus the final stages of the main storyline) and I will turn the page on an excellently realized and gorgeous looking Harry Potter experience.

Assuming I finish that in two or three days, it's on to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: haven't played an entry since Sands of Time but going back to its 2D roots has me interested.

Hogwarts Legacy: It's been great fun exploring the castle and Hogsmeade, catching and breeding thestrals, unicorns, and hippogriffs, flying around on a broomstick, taking on goblins and assorted dark wizards, and getting immersed once again in the Wizarding World.

The story is just okay, but the environment and exploration are top-notch, making for a wondrous experience.

Hogwarts Legacy: Never did I imagine being able to roam through a fully realized Hogwarts, learning spells like Diffindo or Alohomora, riding broomsticks, or getting messed with by Peeves, but here I am.

Finding the Room of Requirement, battling trolls and goblins, sneaking into locked rooms and exploring Hogsmeade... it's all excellent, and all heightened by incredibly crisp visuals. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you owe it to yourself to check out this game.

I don't say this lightly: this is a can't miss opportunity.