Recent reviews by J3

It's like overwatch but good

Here is my initial impressions of Dawntrail after playing through the MSQ narrative and engaging with the expert dungeons and extreme trials.


When compared to the previous two expansions that have been heavy hitters narratively Dawntrail leaves something to be desired in the writing department. The absence of Natsuko Ishikawa is noticable in the way scenes are represented where it often feels like your character is just there to observe, gameplay wise the MSQ feels very much similar to what we have seen since shadowbringers. Character writing for the main protagonist feels a little lackluster and they feel naive to a fault. That said, the overarching narrative opens up some interesting threads for square to follow up on in the post-release patch content as well as future expansion and I am exited to see where it is headed.


The Dawntrail zones look stunning and the graphics engine update does them justice all the same, I really have nothing bad to say about the new zones.


The first two extreme trials and expert dungeons of the expansion are tonesetters, SE have said ahead of the expansion that they have heard the critiques of encounters feeling dumbed down as of late and it shows that they have listened. It really seems like this expansion will be a return to form for combat design and I am here for it.

Lovely story for anybody really. But this is definitely a must-play for anybody with even a sliver of interest in the Runeterra universe, it's jampacked with freljord lore to the brim! I would however like to point out that this title is pretty expensive when viewed from a dollars per hour spent playing, you're paying an IP license premium unfortunately.

Addicting!

The developers have done a wonderful job at making the wizarding world come alive. This game is very immersive and the combat mechanics are very satisfying!

The RuneScape inspiriation shines through and that's a good thing!

Completed the main story quests up until endwalker and it was quite possibly the most moving story I have ever encountered in an MMO. This game truly embodies the Final Fantasy franchise in the form of an MMO! I also appreciate that this game allows me to stop playing for a while and pick it right back up where I left it off.

Update: I have recently completed the endwalker story and I just wanted to add that it gives the main story arc an amazing conclusion. It pays off on all the major plotlines and I highly recommend experiencing it for yourself!

Furthermore since writing my original review I have delved into raid progression and I can give nothing but praise, the game definitely steers you into a comfort zone for challenging PvE content unlike many other MMO's where you have to face this head on without prior knowledge. This makes for a healthy amount of the player base that is tuned into raiding and willing to help. The progression also feels very satisfying and leaves nothing to be desired.

Whilst hardly 10 minutes on Steam I have well over 15.000 hours played on this game. RuneScape offers a wide variety of content and has a very hands off approach to gameplay. The storytelling is excellent and it truly lets you carve out your own path.

RuneScape offers both laid back AFK-style content to be that "second screen" game. As well as high intensity bossfight encounters that test the players limits.


EDIT: As of right now I cannot recommend picking this game up. Jagex have introduced an always-on battlepass system with exceedingly predatory milestones and outrageous buy-in cost. In a game that is already subscription based and heavily monetized. Stop it.

This game invites exploration and feels like it'll keep me busy for many more hours to come!

Honestly one of the the best FPS RPGs I have ever played