Recent reviews by 🅰🅽🅶🅴🅻

So back in 2011, I was in Highschool and I had just gotten my second DS(first one broke years prior) and one of the first games I picked up was PW:AA. Played it and the rest of the DS entries(this includes you, AI2) albeit on a scummy flashcart. I initially thought I'd get bored and never look back. I was wrong and I'm really glad I gave it a shot. There's a lot to say about these games from the whacky, almost cartoony situations our protagonists get themselves into to the serious overarching tone and story the game has to balance that out. The characters have a lot of offer the story be it for comedic relief, to guide you, or to keep you engaged with them and have you asking questions. They never get overbearing and I feel there's one to like for almost everyone. The investigations I'd say were like a ride on a ferris wheel before the chaos that are the trials. My first time going into court for whatever case I was on always got my heart beat rising and the adrenaline pumping. I felt I really was Phoenix in those trials and I was in that court room. Every time I presented the correct piece of evidence, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. And every time I found a hole in the testimony or made a new revelation, the game kept me going deeper and deeper. It does that job especially well.

As for the specific games, my general thoughts on each from the first trilogy are as follows:
PW:AA -- Great way to start the series. Favourite case I'd definitely say was "Rise from the Ashes" since it introduced the loveable Ema(well at least until AJ. Curse you snackoos!) and had more surprises to unravel around every corner paired with great character development; imo moreso than the previous case.

PW:JFA: -- At first I didn't like this game because of Franziska but by the time I finished the game, my opinion on her changed for the better. She had a great deal of development which made me think of her as Phoenix in the first game. Just the way it really did feel like she was learning how to better herself as both a prosecutor and a person. The cases I wasn't a big fan of only ones that stuck out to me was 'Farewell, My Turnabout' and the last moments of 'Reunion, and Turnabout'. Happy this game introduced Pearl, one of the most adorable characters in the franchise whose innocent ignorance has kind of become something of a meme.

PW:TT -- Definitely my favourite of the 3. It fleshes out character backgrounds. We learn a lot about Phoenix, Maya, their relationship with one another, and the elusive newcomer with one of the best character themes, Godot. Feels like this game was meant to be a closing to the series at one point just because of how so much is revealed and the final "OBJECTION!" at the end(which still gives me goosebumps). I loved all the cases except for maybe 'Recipe for Turnabout' since I found some of the investigation to get tedious and it was a disconnect from the rest of the game(although probably for the better to give us a breather).

Overall, this was a series which really got me to appreciate good storytelling and have more open expectations since I came into the franchise not expecting much but left a hardcore fan. Beautiful tracks, vibrant personalities, a story that keeps you asking questions, and very engaging gameplay with an immense sense of satisfaction.

P.S. I really want them to remaster Ghost Trick(same creator, same level of quality) and please finally localize DGS and AI2 ;w;

Let me just start off by saying I'm no stranger to the Touhou series much less the fighters so I knew knew right off the bat that this was getting a positive review from me.

- The soundtrack is what you'd expect from notable circles like Pizuya's Cell, IOSYS, CROW'SCLAW, and COOL&CREATE just to name a few. Really nice arrangements here. One track in general that especially stuck out to me was "Tonight Stars an Easygoing Egoist (Live ver.) ~ Egoistic Flowers".

- It has proper DS4 controller support. This is a luxury that wasn't in the early fighters. For instance in 13.5, you can't use the D-pad at all which is sadly my preferred way of moving.

- Roster is pretty diverse. Really like abusing Miko and Sumireko. Not too good with Nitori sadly. Though I would have liked to see Okuu make a comeback. She was my main girl in 12.3.

- The inclusion of 14.5's Last Words is awesome. Even if you don't need them to win, if you have the bars full, you just use them. Nothing else to it. Great screenshot material.

- I wasn't too sold on the airborne battle system when 13.5 rolled out but it's since grown on me. This also applies to the tag system which gives room to make spicy combos.

One BIG gripe I have however is no arcade mode. Arcade mode was one of the main things I would sink in hours upon hours into in 12.3. And if that were in this game, I could easily see myself going past 80 hours. Some campaigns were also on the shorter side like Yukari and Reimu's which sucks because Yukari has such a fun moveset.

15.5/9
10.5 and 12.3 next please ;3;

Just when I was getting off my soda addiction...

Disclaimer: This review is aimed solely at FFX; not FFX-2! This might have spoilers. Praise be to Yevon.
I never really familiarised myself with this game until several years after it was released. I knew it existed and had been meaning to play it but never found the time. When I did give it a go, I was hooked. It was the first game developed by the then newly merged Square Enix, introduced a new take on the ATB system, and it was fully voice acted!

I'll start with the voice acting. It was crude but not necessarily bad by any means. People tend to think of the 'Tidus laugh' scene when talking about the voice acting but they either haven't played the game or failed to get the awkwardness was indeed intentional. I was especially fond of the VOs for Auron, Seymour, Tidus, Rikku, and Wakka. Sometimes it was a little on the stiff side but that only made it sound more natural in my opinion. From my understanding, when voicing the game, the cast didn't interact much with each other which may have contributed to it but overall, not too shabby.

Another big point for me was the music. It felt right at home with the game's island setting. It's very easy listening. The light strumming of the guitars for "Spira Unplugged" to the melancholic piano of "To Zanarkand" just to name a few. It's not all 'breezy' though. Some of my favourite tracks include "Enemy Attack" and "Otherworld" which I think many of us can agree are absolute bangers.

The scenery is relaxing and sets it apart from all the woods, castles, cities, and caves you'll see in other FF games. Their attention to detail and world-building gives the lore a solid foundation. You can tell inspiration was taken from real-world settings like the South Pacific islands. It's different enough that the culture and landscape feel it's own. I also thought that the different races and the Al Bhed language were a great way of giving Spira a more fantastical setting. I remember wanting to learn Al Bhed after my first playthrough and taking the time to study it for a while.

The side-quests and optional areas/bosses are all there. Some of the hardest extra bosses making their first(non-PAL) western appearances like Penance or the Dark Aeons. Sidequests include nigh-Herculean tasks of catching butterflies or racing on chocobos. There's a Monster Arena that lets you fight monsters in a sequence, gradually getting tougher and more challenging. Some monsters can only be fought in the Monster Arena and are key to doing a 100% run of the game not just for their bestiary entry.

And then there's Blitzball! It's an entirely new game inside within FFX. I've sunk well over 100 hours in the past just playing Blitzball. Think of it as a combination of Rugby and Football all underwater. You'll only be required to play Blitzball once in the story but it's a fun pastime and imo a must if you want the full experience(including Wakka's strongest weapon). You start with the Besaid Aurochs, the underdog team the story gives you but as you journey, you can recruit players you meet or get them from opposing teams when their contracts end. You level them up by playing games and it can be worth the grind as some only reach their potential at higher levels. They can also learn abilities as you go which can make or break a match. A game of Blitz is 10 minutes not counting overtime or halftime and it's easy to learn. Highly recommend.

As for the characters, I thought were interesting, there was Auron who at a glance seems cold and distant but gives great advice and witty one-liners. He genuinely cares for the team's wellbeing and tends to take things into a broader perspective. I'd honestly have to say he is my favourite FF character period. This game offers some nice but easy to miss backstory on him so keep an eye out!
Yuna who at first didn't give me much of an impression but as you come to know her struggles and her resolve, she grows on you. People I've talked to usually call her boring and prefer her FFX-2 appearance more but to me, stuff like her seriousness or formalities are just part of the reason why I like her so much.

Let me start this off by saying this is purely my opinion so yeah without further ado, here's my take. My history with the game started around the PS3 release on my brother's console. Back then, I only lightly brushed upon it, never playing past the first boss.

I was however able to finish this game from start to finish through the summer a few years before this review. The first impression I had was that the graphics were gorgeous and the music was amazing. I still feel that way about them. As for the characters, I wasn't too fond of Lightning's attitude towards others but as she opened up throughout the game, I started warming up to her. I would have liked to see more development with Cid as I felt he was integral enough to the story to warrant it.

It wasn't long into the game that I noticed the elephant in the room; linear mapping. Now in FFX, a game I'd consider a favourite had a 'hallway' style progression as well EXCEPT, with one key difference; YOU COULD GO BACK! It may not seem like a fair comparison but when the series had set a standard, it's hard not to draw critique like that.

Another gripe was levelling in this game through the skill tree or "Crystarium". It's simple enough. You rack up "Crystogen Points" through battle and spend them on the Crystarium to gain stats or abilities. It's similar, yet so very different to FFX's "Sphere Grid" and another instance where trying out new spins on older systems fell short. In FFX, you aren't limited to a straight line littered with dead ends. The game gives you the freedom to make a character who'd normally be a fragile mage into a tanky bruiser and just experiment. You can make every playthrough feel unique without the need for a job system.

The combat system pales in comparison...to just about every Final Fantasy to come before it. FFI and FFII on NES had "Ineffective" attacks which were felt annoying when they happened but that forced you to think through your moves keeping you engaged in every battle. Battles in this game felt way too simple considering the presentation and probably would have felt better with the ATB turn-based formula instead. A typical battle was spamming AttackAttackAttackAttackAttack outside from maybe a couple of fights with Barthandelus. It felt like I was playing a decorated clicker which made me both sad and disappointed.

With all that said, I still wouldn't say I regret buying it and am even willing to pick it up again because I am a diehard FF fan. Despite all that I disliked about the game, I respect that they wanted to experiment and try to do a retake on previous mechanics. However, would I recommend it to someone that's looking for their first FF game or just another JRPG? No.

First time I played this game was when it was released on my brother's PS2. I didn't even know it was a FF game at the time despite already having played stuff like FFV, FFI, and FFVI(guess I never bothered reading the case) but did remember it was one of the most captivating experiences I've had up to that point playing games even after many years.

Finally found out the name around 2013 after getting nostalgic and was able to play it again; this time it was the International version w/ English patch. Loved it like my younger self had loved it on the PS2 all those years ago but was a little sad because I figured it wouldn't get a remaster anytime soon....

IN COMES THE ZODIAC AGE BABY!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bless Square Enix for allowing me to relive the experience in HD on my PC. I honestly never would have imagined it would be real. I was sad that it didn't get a remaster on PS3 but holy smokes this is so much better. It's gotten revisions from the International version that makes it worth playing even for those that have played both. The combat system takes a little getting used to but it's a boatload of fun especially with the gambits which are amazing for anyone that loves to think out strategies(which you will be doing A LOT). There's a plethora of side quests, extra bosses, dungeons, items you can steal, loot, poach, etc.

The trial mode is a huge plus as well. You can load into it anytime you want and any items you steal, loot, get through chests, etc. come back with you to your main saves. It can make the game a little too easy imo so I tend to save the Trial Mode until I've beaten the main game. The Trial mode can also be a life saver for completing the bestiary. A lot of rare game appears throughout the 100 stages.

Music's superb. Along with FFX and FFXIII, definitely one of my favourite tracklists in the series. I feel it doesn't really deliver so much when it comes to boss music but it more than makes up for that with the scenic music you'll hear traveling the world over. Favourite tracks would probably have to be both Estersand and Westersand tracks. It's just a good time plugging into the OST for this game honestly.

I can't recommend this game enough. I really really can't. I have gone through this game so many times prior to TZA and it's never gotten old. - Captain Basch Fon Ronsenburg of Dalmasca

Games at .66$ are usually alot worse than this.I am surprised and honestly, this is worth every cent.

Got told to get a job.
I now make over 500 Quinquinquagintillion everytime I squeeze a lemon.
I'd say I made it in life.

I'm a gamer more used to 2D shoot em ups like Touhou or Ikaruga so getting used to this 3D type shooter took a while but all in all, worth it.Though note that gameplay is more of a timekiller and the game doesn;t really go on for that long.I am currently 1 hour in(offline mode) and nearly done with normal mode.Story is a bit confusing but from what I saw it's basically: Human race on its last legs.Evil mecha force destroying the humans.2 sisters become the OS to 2 mechas.You pilot one in a battle that will determine the fate of mankind with the power of love and a beast sword you swing aroung like crazy for easy wins.
...also...
Esto is best girl.

There's just so much right with 100% Orange Juice in my opinion. Has great character variety which don't really feel to close to one another, great OST(some tracks which I recognize from MGQ), the gameplay never gets stale since you never really know what might happen in your next turn.
It's a game full of surprise, satisfaction, salt in some cases, but ultimately fun. It's been 5 years since the game released and it's still a blast to play with a group of friends.

Only things I would like in the future is some more server stability as crashes and lagging is a thing though it's gotten a lot better in recent times. Furthermore, the cap of 4 players being removed though I imagine this would require new maps but definitely something I feel they should experiment with in the future. And on a last note, additional profile slots would be swell.

In any case, bottom line is this game is great and you should buy it. Even if you don't really want to play online, there's a lot of mileage just from the story and the DLC expands on that even more. Highly recommend!