Recent reviews by philbert0

One of the best JRPGs I've played in years. It has such a well-realized world and characters. It avoids many of the cliches that have turned me off of JRPGs in recent years. If I had one criticism it is that the combat is a little bit slow, but it is totally worth it. The music is great as well.

I really have to give credit to XSEED for doing a fantastic job localizing this game. It's a testament to the quality of the localization and the series that as soon as I had finished the first chapter I immediately bought the second and began playing. If you've been turned off of JRPGs in recent years, give this one a shot. If you enjoy detailed worlds bursting with character I can't reccomend this game enough.

A really fantastic interactive short-story. I found it to be a very cohesive experience that combined light gameplay, FMV and an interactive desktop. The acting in both the FMV and the voiceover felt very real and the desktop elements helped flesh-out the protagonist's life. Although the gameplay is very light, the experience of playing the MMORPG felt pretty authentic in its attempt to balance the social and gameplay elements. The point of this game is its narrative and the gameplay serves that end well.

Some reviewers have stressed that if you haven't had a similar experience to the protagonist the game may not speak to you. I disagree. I found the experience quite moving. Ultimately, it's a coming-of-age story that contains universal themes, albeit one that is set around the social world of MMORPGs. Despite not having a similar experience with an MMORPG or an online relationship, I had no problem realting to the characters and theme.

Overall, a very moving and cohesive experience that I would highly reccomend for fans of narrative focused games.

An amazing combination of solid puzzle mechanics and social commentary.