Joe C (Jj)

Oversimplified persona system and super easy combat make it boring.

Unexpectedly brilliant. I’m not a fan of final fantasy 15 or it’s adventure over structure style so seeing a final fantasy title that takes gameplay in the complete opposite direction and makes it highly enjoyable was a treat. The story isn’t the same as the original which may bother some. An open mind set though goes a long way because this title both builds on the original and in my opinion does it better. The next game in the series is currently my most anticipated upcoming title and has been since release of the first installment.

So I grew up playing both a few Harvest moon as well as a Rune Factory or two. I’m not a fan of the overly expressive anime style of games, it’s just cringe to me. Rune Factory has way too much of this which turned me off, meanwhile Harvest Moon did not but the total farming experience just gets old fast. My expectations starting this game blind were that it would be more like Rune Factory and it was, but it also wasn’t. This title has much heavier emphasis on dungeon crawling and battling. It’s not unrealistic to attempt it without ever upgrading your farm. Oddly enough this seems to work for this title. So if you’re looking for more of a farming type of experience you may be disappointed. Otherwise the dungeons and combat as well as the flow of the story and day to day time management were extremely fulfilling. It uses a job system which drives character progression and mini, or in some cases super bosses that provide a solid challenge. The only two things keeping it from a 5 star rating for me are that the dialogue and character relationships felt very hollow and unfulfilling. Quite honestly I wouldn’t recommend wasting time even pursuing growing your relationships unless you really want to for some reason. The system used is horribly underdeveloped compared to the rest of the game.

I wasn’t expecting much after the horribly unimpressive direction the series took during XC2. That might have contributed to how utterly blown away I am with this title. To save your time I won’t get into how amazing the environment and characters are, you’ve undoubtedly heard about this if you’re here. What this game does best? It’s villains. How often in a modern day Jrpg do you encounter a villain that’s actually evil? Not an example of a person with relatable motives or a tragic story that led them to doing morally debatable things. Monsters that enjoy killing because it’s fun. Sociopaths with no intention of justifying themselves to the audience. That’s a compelling antagonist. There are cliches this title eventually follows for sure. But you will never be bored during confrontations with 9/10 of the games sentient enemies. I can’t believe I have a new found respect for a franchise that exclusively catered to tween boys and utilized a gotcha system on its last installation. But I have and I can’t wait for the DLC

This game has a stimulating and challenging battle system with complex mechanics that tactics games are famous for. it’s also the armpit of jrpg tropes with unbearably boring and cringe characters in a melodramatic and lifeless storyline. Then there’s the activities you do outside of battle such as engaging with your allies, exploring and mini games. All of which is introduced well, but it slowly becomes painfully clear you’re doing these flat out unpleasant button mashing games for rewards that you’ll never use. I can summarize this games flaws by saying everything that 3 houses did well, this game does the opposite. Don’t waste your money.

In my top 3 favorites since the ps5 came out.

Gameplay is 9/10 but the story.. too much cringe for a bayonetta title for me.

Re7 and Village are probably my two favorite RE games since the pre RE4 era where the franchise dumped the survival horror game in favor for empty action. This DLC manages to tie up the loose ends and brings a very finished feeling to the storylines of 7 and Village. It also distinguishes itself through gameplay enough by favoring a more puzzle solving experience than FPS. I would say it’s rare for a games DLC these days to feel like they belong separate from the main game. Usually it’s just a continuation of the same exact content with a continued story line that could and should be in the main game. Getting DlC worth the wait like this is unexpectedly refreshing. My only gripe is that playing as a character with supernatural abilities dampens the horror element of the content. It feels very RE4-6 where the character you’re playing doesn’t feel threatened by most of the enemies you encounter. I’d recommend making sure you understand the characters and plots of 7 and Village before jumping in. Great end to two 10/10 titles for me though.