Recent reviews by dyskoe

i really wish i liked this more than i did. i found myself getting bored of the combat and constant interruption of hoards of enemies that i just wanted it to end already, and it kept dragging on. i admittedly am not the biggest sci fi fan, but i was hoping this was the game that would allow me to enjoy the genre. unfortunately, it did not. i like the stasis and telekinesis abilities and how reactive the combat feels, but the enemy variety really felt repetitive toward the end. the story also didn’t grip me :(

very campy and an interesting story with combat and level design that bogs down the experience — i loved the music too!! the most unique horror experience i’ve had, can’t wait for alan wake 2

one of rgg's weaker stories sadly. all of the antagonists are pretty forgettable and even most of the cast feels very one note... majima himself felt very under developed and it was frustrating to see major plot points (like his amnesia) be seemingly forgot about for most of the runtime. the combat was phenomenal, though, and swashbuckling with my crew was very enjoyable. those post final boss cutscenes nearly made up for the failings of the entire plot i can't even lie bravo rgg

holy ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ masterpiece

needed more naked raiden

as my first ever final fantasy game, ffxvi was an absolute treat to experience. the opening few hours immediately drew me into the dark, political, and magical realm of valisthea, with the story leading into such a nuanced and engaging tale of defying your own "fate" and discovering how the bonds between humans persist even when the people we love are long gone. ffxvi’s world building is truly on an other level, where i found myself chatting up every npc i could or reading every single stray note i could find, just to gain any extra knowledge this world could bestow upon me. though some side quests felt very fetch-questy and strung out near the end (as well as some ill-timed main story quests that killed the momentum of the plot several times, which is one of my only gripes about this game), each side quest had its purpose in humanizing one of the members in the main cast.

speaking of the main cast, i found myself almost instantly attached to every single character, especially clive. i was, as i’m sure many were, expecting another generic protagonist with a tough guy personality, not willing to explore the emotional complexity behind them. clive, in almost every sense, surpassed my expectations. ffxvi portrays clive’s vulnerability so well and honestly that i genuinely forgot he was a video game character at times. though brooding, clive never shied away from wearing his heart on his sleeve, showcasing his compassion and selflessness almost every step of the way throughout the story. he weeps openly (and very, very realistically, like ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ben starr can we give you an award already) and is definitely the heart of the story, serving as such a fantastic (and one of my favorite) protagonist. each character surrounding clive is a tremendous treat to watch engage with each other, and see their stories unfold (even if i think a few were lacking – we should’ve seen a little more of cid and barnabas). every voice actor brought their A game to this project, and you can feel the passion behind it.

of course, as a final fantasy game, it’s a given that the soundtrack is absolutely superb. there wasn’t a single track that felt out of place or overstayed its welcome, never failing to lift up every scene or boss battle. the soundtrack never felt like a background song, it felt like it was integral to the experience, amplifying the intensity and emotion tenfold.

i mean what can i even say about the bosses that hasn’t been said already… just an absolute spectacle that genuinely had my jaw dropping in awe more times than i can count. each boss brought something fresh and interesting to the table, allowing players to test out new skills and perfect older ones. coming up with new strategies on timing ultimates to deal out the most stagger damage has been a blast, especially after gaining a new skill set every few story beats. the combat felt fluid and energizing throughout the entire game, though i wish they expanded more on the non-magic combat, as the same combos and aerial combos got stale pretty quickly compared to the fun magic combat. it feels rewarding to dodge (and it’s extremely forgiving), it feels good to hack and slash, and it just feels fun to play all around.

overall, final fantasy xvi was an amazing experience that i’m not sure i can ever replicate. i’m hoping the rest of the final fantasy games can live up to the extremely high standards that this game put in place.

also the pc port ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ sucks ass please play it on console… why was there no wide screen option

it's no wonder the original is so highly regarded as a staple in the horror game genre: this is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ phenomenal. the eerie ambiance was so well done that even in parts where i knew there would be no enemies around, i was still tense. the story of course was so compelling and masterfully crafted and still being able to be fairly open ended depending on which ending you received (i got in water btw). this was just such an amazing experience that i'm wanting to immediately replay and go for the 100%. please go give a chance if you're already a fan or a new player, bloober deserves the hype. (the stuttering on pc was mildly infuriating but i won't drop the score down for it -- still a masterpiece regardless)

never been more miserable playing a game in my life! solid 10/10

“it's simple. because compared to everyone else... those who are struggling to just get through their daily lives... the dreams of the yakuza don't mean a damn thing.”

SPOILER FREE

plot: it's hard to compare this game's plot with other games in the series because it was created to be a short, contained story between two mainline games. however, the plot of gaiden was fairly straightforward and was relatively tame. it definitely did its purpose in introducing where kiryu has been and those who want to disrupt his life, and wraps it up in a nice bow at the end, also adding some needed family elements and emotional beats. it's filled with fanservice which i'm not complaining about in the slightest, and was short but sweet. a fun time!8/10

characters: oh just simply amazing -- every character introduced was absolutely perfect for what their role is relative to the story, and they're somewhat complex for such a short runtime. you like the characters you like, and hate the ones you hate (with some outliers of course). shishido was a standout for me personally, and i'd love to see akame come back from rgg jail please yokoyama 10/10

side content: not much, but that was expected. i didn't jive with the interactive cabaret club, or the short street missions but the minigames that reappear from other games are improved upon in the new engine. the coliseum was a blast to playthrough, definitely improved from past games with a fun twist. being able to dress up kiryu not only just around town but also the outfits being featured in cutscenes was some of my favorite parts of the game. 9/10

voice acting (jp): it's pretty custom for an rgg game to have amazing voice acting, but this game really didn't hold back. kuroda kills it as always, and deserves some sort of trophy for best delivery on some of these lines, especially near the end of the game. not a single voice actor let me down!!! 10/10

ost: genuinely one of my favorite osts out of the entire series. its more slow and emotional songs are standout to me, and fading away is fecking the catchiest song of all time. i loved all of the bosses' themes, especially the leadup to the final boss. not a single track that disappointed me. 10/10

gameplay: absolutely stunning visuals and shadows!! everything was very fluid and very sleek looking, which is welcomed considering the spy-esque theme of this game. needing to use both akame points and yen to buy skill upgrades was definitely a choice, but whatever makes the boys upstairs happy i guess. i really had no complaints about the way the game ran at all. 9.5/10

combat: it feels so good to fight in this game i swear!!! it's second best in terms of combat feel (first being lost judgment) and the two styles is such a fun balance of play style. agent style is so refreshing with it's goofy gadgets and methodical punches, while yakuza style is rough and powerful. juggling is beyond easy in this one, and each punch is base boosted with the loudest thud so you really feel the impact. not to mention, heat mode is super overpowered and was almost outright comical at times, and i love it. 10/10

enjoyment: this was truly such a fun time with lots of peak moments. i still think about some scenes in my daily life, just because it was that impactful for me. i cried harder at this ending than i did at 8's ending, if that tells you anything. 10/10

overall: this is basically a yakuza fan's wet dream!!! if you're already a fan, definitely play this and go have fun, but if you're new to the series DO NOT!!! play this one until you played the rest of the series. its best moments are based on important events in the past games, and would genuinely make no sense without context. such a great game, shame everyone seems to be changing their opinion about it after infinite wealth's release.

9.5/10

“once you’re at rock bottom, the only way forward is up. but the bottom doesn’t have to be all dark and gloomy. if you can stand and look up, you’ll see the light of hope there.”

SPOILER FREE

plot: this was the first time since 5 that i was completely and wholly engaged with the entire story as a whole. i'm a big fan of found family tropes, so this basically fit the bill exactly, but even if i wasn't there is still so much to gain from this story. it's so insanely heartfelt and almost gutwrenching in some aspects. this game tackles a lot of different issues and pretty much knocks most of them out of the park. its highs are the highest of the franchise, and its lows are still incredibly entertaining. such an incredible tale watching ichiban ride from rock bottom, and it will 100% guaranteed melt your frozen heart i promise. this game's story is an absolute triumph. 10/10

characters: maybe i'm a tad biased because ichiban is my all time favorite character ever, but this game has such a stacked ensemble of characters compared to other yakuza games. i'm aware it's a turn based rpg so of course it needed more characters to fill a party, but they didn't have to make each character so likeable. their relationships, motives, and flaws are all understandable and help create a multifaceted cast of characters that will win you over in a heartbeat, especially ichiban. the antagonists are also superb in this game aswell. the main villain's contribution to the game was primarily what gripped me so hard, his dynamic with ichi really being my favorite part of the game. every single character is an absolute treat to watch interact with the world (except kume) and i hope rgg continues to create such fun characters in the future. 10/10

side content: some of the most fun i've had playing minigames in a yakuza game!!! ichiban is such a goofy dude that pretty much anything rgg will include would be normal in ichi's fantasy land, and it's such a treat to watch it happen. managing your own multimillion business with the help of a chicken, collecting cans on the street to get by, along with a plethora of hilarious and heartwarming substories. also, the addition of the vocational school was genuinely my favorite piece of side content, i wish there were more quizzes to take. my one gripe, though, is the premium adventure final dungeon, which is overall infuriatingly difficult and would almost be entertaining if they allowed for an easier way to level up before completing it. 9.5/10

voice acting (jp): simply incredible. like seriously, i was consistently blown away with the humorous performances as much as the emotional ones. the entire final sequence before credits rolled was a masterclass in voice acting (even in english dub) and it was such a wonderful surprise. please give nakaya more roles thanks 10/10

ost: hoo boy.... this ost is a mix of dubstep and rock, and it somehow works perfectly. i could count at least 5 times i was bopping my head mid fight or stopping myself from crying during sadder moments, the music just taking center stage. yokohama crackhouse will forever be engrained into my eardrums i swear i can hear it in my sleep, and i love it. 10/10

gameplay: finally a dragon engine game that isn't incredibly buggy!!!! the environment of ijincho is always buzzing with liveliness, and the way ichiban and the gang can interact with it is just amazing. there are constantly bugs or items sprawled around waiting to be taken, inviting the player to look around at their surroundings while walking. you can have occasional party talks around town where you engage in conversations at certain places, which furthers your bond with your teammates. this is just such a welcomed mechanic that i thought would've been cool in other yakuza games, when kiryu is accompanied with a friend. also, lad added part-time hero missions, which are your basic fetch quests or beat-em-up quests, which in turn can raise your stats. all these things to help the player interact with ijincho and its citizens is just so fun that i rarely got bored walking around town. and if i didn't want to walk, i'd use a taxi!!!! which was upgraded from past games thank god for quality of life updates... the one thing that i felt could be fixed, though, was job progression. the way this game structures skill trees is through the jobs you change to, and with how rigid it is, it's barely worth changing through several jobs. thankfully, infinite wealth improved upon this, but it should've been fixed sooner. 9/10

combat: because i already played infinite wealth, i can't in good conscious give y7 combat above a 6. for rgg's first attempt at turn based combat, this is definitely not horrible, but it lacks a lot of things that infinite wealth made so much better later on. before iw, though, i thought the combat was entertaining enough to grind for 7 hours straight, so who knows. it's a fun system and it's enjoyable until you realize joon-gi's head trauma is the most op skill in the game and it becomes all you use. 6/10

enjoyment: this is my (close) second favorite rgg game. it just has so much charm, and gave me some of my best memories while playing a game. i wholeheartedly am obsessed with this game, and i don't think much else can top it. 10/10

overall: literally just go play it. this is the second best place to start the franchise with, and it's a treat. even if you aren't a fan of turn based combat, just try it out. at least one character or feature will win you over.

9.3/10