payatyo

This game is great. Followed the franchise since the PSP days and am glad to see how it is right now. Too bad its not newcomer friendly, although all the quality of life changes this game had, I suggest new players to play online or with friends, and if solo, check out some guides since this game has a high learning curve. If ya'll like hard challenges, a masochist, fighting interesting mobs and opponents, this might be your jam. Story takes a back seat in this game. Don't expect some good writing here. Although there are some good moments and interesting lore to if you dig deep enough. The final update is want of my best gaming experience in recent years, bringing an old foe back and also bringing some good ol calllbacks that makes 12 year old me go brrrr Overall, 5/5

It's a bit lower tier but a good Yakuza game. Yakuza 3 Remastered is a remastered version of the Yakuza 3 game which came out on 2009 on the PS3 console. The remastered version provides not only enhanced graphics, but also a new localisation which was kind of a mess back in the days. Although it is an 11 year old game, there are some issues that bug me a bit although overall its pretty good Yakuza experience. Firstly the story. The story is a bit mess but most of the characters are very much likable. This is the first game where we get to see the protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, being a kind father figure for his orphans. The first two games only shows a bit this side (his relationship with Haruka) and mostly shows his baddassery and stoicism. But this game really puts his daddy-ness in the spotlight which is plus for me. Although most players saw the orphanage section of the story as the weakest part, for me its special and makes up for whole story overall. The Yakuza section of the story where all the crimes happened and all the conspiracies and things are the weakest. Too bad the developers really don't have much time to develop the story and pretty much rush to the end. (Theres one chapter where is dedicated to exposition only) But making up for all the mess are the well written and likable characters. For the gameplay part, although it is a 2009 game, the combat is a bit clunky. I kinda like it because it reminds me of the PS2 clunkiness. This is the first time where the Yakuza series switched from PS2 generation to the PS3 so I can see that it inherit some of the clunkiness there. Heat actions are good as always. Satisfying to see Kiryu stomping people on the curb. This is also the first time the city of Kamurocho is fully modelled and immersive. Pedestrians walking in the streets. My only gripes are enemies that are quick to catch you in a blink of an eye. Minigames such as the massage parlour, karaoke, and the hostess clubs are very fun to play. Substories in the city are good and fun. Overall, classic Yakuza style. I do wish theres a Yakuza Kiwami 3 in the making which fix most of the story but even if it doesn't exist, I don't mind. The story is overall good but rushed, and everything else is where this game shines. Score: 3/5

One Of The Best Yakuza Games I'm just gonna put a review here first now that I've finished the main story. I usually do reviews after finishing more than 60% of the game but I'll give my thoughts on this early. There are still lots of sidequests and activities to be done. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is the seventh installment in the Yakuza franchise and starts with a new saga with a new protagonist. We get to play as Ichiban Kasuga, the main protagonist, with his array of friends. Unlike other installments, this game features Turn Based RPG Combat which is a big turn for the series that is heavy on Beat Em Up Combat. First things first, the story is one of the best stories I've ever experienced. I'm really a sucker for stories that have thought-provoking elements and really likable characters. The Yakuza Series is really heavy on story and cutscenes and daym the scenes here are well directed. The main character is different and fresh from the old protagonist and really one of the best parts if not the best part of the story. The soundtrack is one of the best the series had since Yakuza 0. But again, I'm also a sucker for electronic, dubstep songs which is the genre they are using. Other than that, the Yakuza also have their own made songs in Karaoke, and they are also good to listen to too. The combat is okay. Tbh, I was still getting used to it in early chapters but then it got tedious. But after the Job System is introduced, the combat felt more fun and have lots of variety of builds I can experiment with. The combat then quickly became one of the best parts of the game for me. (Although somewhere late in the game, the mobs in the street will become annnoying to encounter, but theres an item to repel enemies so its not really an issue atleast mid game) Other activities like sidequests and substories? For now I can say it is spectacular, the usual things Yakuza excels in like whacky substories and fun minigames. We get to explore the big city of Ijincho. Typical free roaming stuff to do which I am a sucker for. But I haven't indulge that deeply especially the Dragon Kart and Bussiness Management side activites so I can't give my full thoughts. But the side activity I've been doing is grinding the dungeons. From what I can say, the Dungeons are pretty much the weakest part of the game, mainly its monotonous and repetitive. But that is the blight of grinding which is the main reason why they exist. I hope the dungeons have a variety of level designs to make thing fresh and fun to grind. Right now its just hallways and shinies on the ground which is dull to experience. Unlike the Battle Arena, which serves the same purpose to grind but without the hallways and shinies. That is very fun to do. Overall, I'm glad that this game tops Yakuza 0 as one of the best in the series. I'm looking forward to see what RGG comes up next. 5/5

A GOOD START FOR THE STORM FRANCHISE This game, or the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Franchise is one of the best alternate ways to experience the Naruto story. If ya'll feeling lazy to swipe pages of the manga, or don't want to suffer the pacing of the anime, this game is the next thing you might wanna try. Although some details from the source material are not included in the game. And take that in mind that the story starts at Part 2 / Shippuden, not Part 1 / Before Timeskip. For me, this Storm game has the best story. It felt more focused than the others. Other than story, you can also explore the world of Naruto. Its not truly open world and has fixed cameras everywhere you go but it never truly bothered. What's amazing about this game other than story is gameplay and combat. Being a 3d arena fighter, this game has amazing. I don't really know what to say other than I like seeing jutsus and ultimates go brrrrr. And also I'm not a fighting game fan which explains my naivety. But being an average Naruto enjoyer, the fighting in this game is awesome and never felt like=cheating. The one problem I have of the fighting in this game is the substitution. This game mechanic where you time your block correctly is very hard to execute for me, and ended up me having to spam Ultimate Jutsus on hard bosses. And also being in the early stages of the franchise and having being myself spoilt on future releases, the combat can especially movement can feel clunky. Other thing that I haven't praised is the cinematics. These are the star of the game and it relives one of the best moments in Naruto. The cinematics sometimes have QTEs which if execute correctly, can unlock a flashback or memory. A good reward to spice up the context and story, but never boring. I think I should talk about online but none are playing this atleast when I was playing it. Overall, coming from a Naruto fan, this is a great Naruto experience. I have some problems with the combat but overall it never hinders my enjoyment. 4/5

MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE A JEDI A very solid game. Immediately in love with the combat where you have to parry the strikes in order to win. To win any battle in this game requires reflexes and strategic thinkin. Some may not like that because mindless action is the mainstream, but the combat here is what make every encounter you face is a life threatening one. And every victory you get is worth celebrating. I love that aspect of it and wanted more of it even after the credits roll. It ain't Star Wars if theres no story about Star Wars. The story takes place after Order 66 has been commenced, or after the movie Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. For me, its kinda simple, vanilla Star Wars story which ventures deep within the trauma of war, genocide, vengeance, and all sorts of bad things happening in our reality. From the opening to credits I was hooked to see how the story ends, how these characters will survive. And again, after the credits roll, left me wanting more to venture with these characters. In the story you will venture through multiple planets in order to complete your quests, and the world presented is spectacularly beautiful and well-crafted. Venturing through caves or old ruins and fighting wild beasts roaming the planet always left me feeling awed on how well-crafted the level designs are. Although this ain't a traditional open world game, the things you do, the lore, the activities around, felt more open, sincere, charming, and have more freedom than any recent Ubisoft title these days. I do have to say that I am not a fan of Star Wars, and only a fan of the politics aspect from the prequels. This game may not have my love for Star Wars, but as a game, this game deserves it all. 5/5

A FUN TIME WITH DA BOIS I've had more than 100 hours of the game and done all the DLCs. Here are my thoughts. Gameplaywise, this game is hella fun. You can venture through the land of Eos with the main characters or DA BOIS. But 'open world' isn't really the right term because its more of 'zones connected to long corridors' with lots of invisible walls. Just a semi open world. But the world design kinda makes you forget how restricted the world is sometimes. I like the premise of 'modern day meets magic and fantasy' in its core design. There are cars, roads, little towns like we have in the real world, but there are also landmarks, tombs, and other fantasy ungabungas riddled across the land. Giving it a unique vibe when compare to other final fantasy or other games in general. Till the credits roll, I forgot that this is a final fantasy game. This franchise really excels when it comes to fantasy world, where each installment has its lore, world, and story. This fifteenth installment is truly a. excellent modern take on this franchise. For the story, there are lots of flaws I can think about such as some character didn't have enough screen time or justify their existence. Cheesy moments and flashbacks sometimes gets on me nerves. To enjoy the story, all the archives, datalogs, and DLCs need to be read and played in order to have a more enjoyable time. In the end, although I'll admit I've spoiled myself 5 years ago in the story, revisiting it again didn't give me additional excitement, except for the Ardyn DLC that I avoided until finally playing it for myself. That was fun. BUT, the lovable thing this game has are Noctis, the protagonist, and his friends. THE BROS. Despite the flaws in the story, this whole game willl revolve around them and feels like a going on a roadtrip while fighting for your country. There are many endearing and lovable moments throughout my playthrough and really sticks with me even after finishing the story. This alone makes it worth a try, especially during this quarantine times. Combat for me is amazing. It's kind of a merge between Active Time Battle like past FF games and real time combat. I never got bored of the combat and kept on doing sidequests that give me fights. Although, its more simplified and don't require strategical thinking unlike past games. Health low? Dunk a potion. Low again? Dunk again. Just hit the monster till it dies and parry or defend when suitable. Dungeons are also cool and challenging to explore, and also one of the highlights of the game. The soundtrack of this game really slaps and those who have not heard it are missing on one of the wonders of our world. Final Fantasy never miss when it comes to music and soundtrack. On to the downsides is maybe the abundance of fetch quest. Basically you'll be sent off to far away places to gather items or fight monsters for a client. That is all. No interesting story, context behind it. Nothing to be entertained other than seeing it being completed. Bummer tho. It gets repetitive real fast. There lots of opportunity to insert and interesting story behind these quests, especially knowing there lots of scrapped story ideas during development. Just recycle it and put in on some sidequests. Not all sidequests felt like a chore and some even gave amazing rewards and features so thats a bit of some enjoyment. TLDR; Very fun, roadtrip, action, adventure game unlike no other. Story although flawed, is interesting if you have the time to invest more on the DLCs. 4.5/5