Cheap Takes

19/03/2024

No spoilers.

I finished Final Fantasy VII Rebirth last night and it made me feel a lot of things. Joy, grief, anger, disillusionment... I felt these things all too keenly. For that alone I think this succeeds as a sequel.

Still processing a few things, asking my OG FF7 friends their expert takes on that ending.

Not a perfect game, but it's a great one. Falls into the trappings of modern gaming (Ubisoft busywork, unnecessary padding, pacing issues), but when it's working, it's an incredible high.

Combat was stellar, min-maxing and experimenting was fun. They fixed some of my gripes with Remake's ATB babysitting, but I would love to have some control over ally AI behavior. Hope they make that possible in Part 3.

Solid 9/10.

Now I'm gonna play the OG - I've skipped this for too long. For context, I love FF6 and FF8, and FF7 purists gave me a lot of grief in the past for putting FF6 as my series' best, which made me skip the game altogether. I think now's a good chance to change that.

12/02/2024

It’s hard for me to talk about the Yakuza franchise. While it has enjoyed a surging popularity inthe West, it’s always been a niche title, great but not good enough to make that mainstream
breakthrough. My words won’t be good enough to do it justice, but after careful thought, I reallythink this is the best JRPG I’ve played. Whatever that’s worth is up to you.

Gameplay mechanics are addicting - over the 92+ hours I spent playing, I can definitely say99% of that gameplay was pure, unadulterated fun. Like A Dragon 8 does so much to make the
grind not feel like a chore, and everything you do within the game is rewarding. The combat alsoencourages you to actively think and react mechanically. I love its perfect guard system, and Ilove that your positioning within dynamic battlefields rewards planning and ex*****on. Dynamic battlefields should be the norm! Tactics games have done it, why not JRPGs too?

This is the one of the few JRPGs I’ve played that demands you to actually focus. A lot ofturn-based games fall too much into the trap of having the luxury of time when makingdecisions, and that meant combat can be too slow and passive.

There’s so much to do, so much to see, so much to experience in Hawaii. I won’t go into anymore details about the locale(s), but this feels like two and half Yakuza games rolled into one. I haven’t completed some of the things there are to see, so a new run in the future is very likely.

That being said, it’s not without its faults, and it falters a bit towards the end. The journeythough, is fulfilling. This is the culmination of RGG Studio’s almost 20 year old franchise. It gives
so much for people like me, who've been invested in the universe for quite some time. It alsofixes a lot of the problems I have with other JRPGs, with Persona 5 / Royal being the biggestone - limiting your interactions with your party and making you choose who to get to know isseverely crippling towards character development.

On the topic of paywalled NG+ and its additional content - since we (SEA Region) enjoyregional pricing from Sega and we still got this game at $60, I’m not too salty about it. The game
also provides so much high quality content compared to other $70 titles, so in this instance, Ithink it’s okay. Heck, X game got an expansion and photo mode was included in the package as
a premium, something we’ve come to expect as free. I didn’t hear any complaints about itthough, so I say make of that what you will, and vote with your wallet.

I wish I could share screenshots of my favorite scenes, but of course, I wouldn’t want to spoilthe experience for you. Instead, here are some gifs (continued in the comments) that perfectly encapsulate how I feltthroughout the journey, from beginning to end.

9.5/10 as a Yakuza fan.

Do you need to play the older games? My advice has always been play Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, watch 3-5 on YouTube, play 6, and YLAD. So much of what they do hit so much harder if you know the backstory and how significant it is.

23/01/2024

14 years. 122640 turns of a sand hourglass. For more than a decade, it seemed like the Sands of Time have been lost, frozen in limbo forever.

I am happy to say that fate has favored us, and we've been blessed with a new Prince of Persia game - and a really good one at that.

The gameplay is amazing. Movement and traversal is tight, deliberate, responsive. Combat feels like it brought DMC to the 2D plane, and I'm not kidding when I say its individual parts flow better together than bigger 3D games of last year, even better than the flagship RPG franchise release from last year. This on the hardest difficulty (Immortal) scratched the git gud itch!

All this translate and work so well with the level, puzzle, and environment design. I can't think of a single platform puzzle that frustrated me because 99% of the time I was pleasantly surprised not just with the difficulty, but with how well all these elements mesh with my toolkit. I also love that they didn't give out too much clues, instead demanding the player to pay attention to environmental and design cues.

Exploration and discovery feel so organic too - I got to 99% completion without a guide, and this is due in part to the game's commitment to QOL. Can't access something? Take an in-game screenshot and save it to your map as a diary of sorts. Need to remember which is which and where it is? Leave a marker that's unique to you. This combined with the game doing well with the gentle nudges in the right direction meant I spent so little time wondering where the hell I'm supposed to go. I think a core part of Metroidvania games is knowing when to hold back, and when to nudge the player in the right direction. This strikes a good balance.

The only thing I can't praise is the storytelling. While the world-building was done thoughtfully and incorporated Persian mythology, the character development for its cast is somewhat lackluster. Forgivable, for an entry point, it does set up good opportunities for a sequel... Or two.

It feels weird, though. We've long been accustomed to mid Ubisoft games that it feels like I'm living in a different timeline when I say this is a legitimate contender for GOTY. Of course, that may change as the year unfolds, but as an action adventure title, I can't think of anything that prevents it from being categorized as great in that category.

Ori and The Will of the Wisps is still the best Metroidvania title for me. This one takes a close second. It fixes a lot of the genre problems, and brings forward stylish combat and well-thought out challenges that stay fresh for all 20-30 hours of your playtime.

It's damn good, it is.

9/10

Spoiler alert on a boss, as well as two traversal challenges that I really enjoyed!

PS: Gareth Coker composed the OST for this. He also did Ori. Man knows how to make great music!

20/01/2024

Without spoiling anything but the combat's potential, it's unbelievable that I am having so much fun playing Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. What's even harder to believe is I'm of the opinion that if it continues on the trajectory it's on (I'm about 35% of the way through), it might even be a GOTY contender.

PS: the combat Team are definitely big DMC fans. It just feels so seamless, punchy, tight, and inspired.

12/12/2023

Growing up a Potterhead, I was excited to play Hogwarts Legacy. Postponed it to make sure I get the best experience possible.

Uninstalled after 25 hours. Just not worth it anymore.

▶️ Save file glitched, lost two days of progress

▶️ Combat doesn't have a flow that feels good. It's just spamming and looking at your HUD to see what's available and not on cooldown. The game doesn't reward me for thinking strategically about what spell I have to use

▶️ Too many Ubisoft hol-up-a-minutes that don't give you anything while you're doing it

▶️ Restrictive exploration and traversal

▶️ Multiple layers of padding - Alohomora requires you to pick a lock. Really.

▶️ The UI is straight out of a looter shooter with animations slowed down.

▶️ If you take away the brand, it's basically a generic fantasy game.

I do love their effort at world-building. But I hate that you have to press Revelio every 20 seconds or else you'll miss something.

I remember the magic I felt inside as I read HP7 when it released. I finished it all in one day, I didn't go out with my family so I could enjoy it alone. I read the books cover to cover a minimum of 10 times each, in my lifetime. Despite not having touched the extended universe movies, or brushed up on my knowledge for the last decade, I still got most of the things right with the in-game quiz because it's all ingrained in my memory. That's how deep a connection it is.

Wish I could've finished Sebastian's questline. Frankly better than the main quest itself.

Hogwarts Legacy almost made me feel that magical feeling again.

Almost.

Sorry about the r/offmychest post. It hurts to be a big fan sometimes.

25/11/2023

Here's a fun exercise on a rainy Saturday... what are your top 25 games of all time?

Here's my personal list. I think this changes year after year, but the core five will always remain.

The titles that shaped who I am now, and what I look for whenever I play. Whenever I try and decide if a game is 10/10, I look back on these titles and gauge whether it made me feel the same way these titles did.

Damn, I suddenly felt old 😅

13/11/2023

My picks for The Game Awards 2023! More about why in the captions! Personally, I feel like 10 GOTY nominees would've been the best for the 10th anniversary of TGA!
Titles I feel belong to that list are:
Street Fighter 6
Hi Fi Rush
Lies of P
Armored Core VI

11/11/2023

LIE or DIE.

Finally finished one of 2023's best. Amazing atmosphere, world-building, writing, music. This took a lot out of me because I'm afraid of mannequins and it's insane how much this game plays into that.

The combat and its accompanying mechanics are really fleshed out, and while on the surface it looks similar to Bloodborne, it pushes the envelope on build diversity and actual viability. I think this is the first Soulsborne game that actually doesn't restrict you in terms of loadout and I'm all for it.

That being said, the pursuit of achieving something of similar quality to FromSoft meant they derived mostly everything, including the faults. Cramped arenas, constant battles with the camera, mundane windup animations, and excessively overtuned endgame mobs and bosses took a bit out of the fun.

I highly recommend if you're a fan of the Souls genre. Without a doubt one of the best to ever try and do it. All this coming from a studio shipping out their debut title makes it all the more amazing.

Worth the price for what it offers, definitely!
8/10

23/10/2023

Finally done. And I wish it didn't have to end. Or I could experience everything again as if it was the first time.

Insomniac Games did it again - they managed to bottle lightning, thunder, and the Venom symbiote. This feels like the roses to accompany the love letter that is Across the Spider-Verse. So much care and thought put into the universe, respecting the established lore while breaking all the rules at the same time. If you've grown up reading the comics, the movies, the TV series... There's so much in store for you. So many Easter eggs (numbers, clues, and images) strewn across the world that I've already forgotten how much I found. And that final line - bone-chilling.

Minor grievances and nitpicks aside, this is the definitive superhero adventure game there is right now.

Calling it now... Havoc is coming. Soon. IYKYK.

10/10, worth the money, worth waiting in line for.

01/07/2023

I'll preface this by saying it right now - I have a love-hate relationship with Square Enix. They've squandered a lot of my favorite franchises, doggedly pursued NFTs as if it's the end of the world, and milked the Final Fantasy title for all its worth.

When I finished FFXV, I was disappointed and bitter. I stopped looking forward to Final Fantasy as a whole. I'm of the belief that if you're a fan of something or someone, you should demand more from it. Not scraps, not half-assed attempts at satiation, but something great, something to remind you of the magic you felt as a kid.

I went into this game with a cautious shield of emotion - I didn't want to believe in the hype until I've played it. I watched previews, tried the demo with half a mind to not pay as much attention as I should because this isn't the whole thing.

And after playing Final Fantasy XVI in its entirety, I'm happy to say that it's a great time to be a fan.

The storytelling is mature, relatable, even timely. The best comparison I could give is it reminded me a lot of Final Fantasy VI, my favorite from the franchise. I fell in love with the characters, the premise, the message. Hell, my favorite story and the one that had me closest to tears was a side character (Dion). I won't go into detail because spoilers, obviously, but this is the most Final Fantasy story in a single player mainline entry in a long while, even if it does go off the deep end in the latter half.

Gameplay and combat is surprisingly great, and while I do think there are points to be made here and there about misses they could've addressed, as a whole, I was really satisfied. I spent hours theorizing and putting into practice combos that would net me the numbers I wanted. Finding the stylish combo that's distinctly reminiscent to the character action king - DMC.

The presentation, when it takes the forefront, is reminiscent of Final Fantasy X. Cinematic, beautifully choreographed, and oozing with artful direction. However, there are parts of the game where I can really feel they've stretched their budget. MMO-style dialog is the bulk of what you'll be seeing, and I find myself wishing that Square Enix risked it all and gave CBU3 a blank paycheck.

Sound design and music are also great and while I do miss Uematsu's ambient music, I really can't find anything bad to say about Masayoshi Soken. The man did his homework, and his repertoire shines in the game's biggest moments. I just wish it did, or at least resonated with me, in its quiet moments - moving around regions, exploring, just taking in the scenery.

Overall, it's hard to not give this game a 10/10. After all, it achieves what it set out to be in terms of its core identity - be a Final Fantasy game with a memorable story, lovable characters, and fun gameplay. But I find myself asking why some things are missing here and there, why this doesn't work as well as it should, or why some dated quest design is still in a 2023 single player game. And performance being key to an action game, it's hard not to judge it for how it arrived - messy and inconsistent in that regard. The highs are really high, but the lows are also very low.

I went into this expecting an action game, what with Yoshi P going out of his way to poach Ryota Suzuki from Capcom (DMC fame), and I wasn't disappointed. What I wasn't expecting was how insignificant some of the game's mechanics are (stats, for one). I also feel like it needed more time with playtesting - so many combat elements needed fine-tuning. If you're looking for something with RPG elements, this ain't it, chief.

For me, as a whole game released in 2023, and with the way it was marketed, it's a solid 8/10. If I were to benchmark this title against it's predecessors, then a solid 9/10. It's a great Final Fantasy game, and I highly recommend it if you're a fan of the franchise, or character action games.

My wish for FF7R-2:
Make combat this fun, keep the RPG elements, remove ATB babysitting, and we'll be friends again!

My top five FF games (story being the key point of comparison):
FFVI
FFXVI*
FFX
FFVIII
FFV

07/05/2023

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor 100% Review

Let's get this out of the way. The game is really not well-polished. Bugs, crashes, frame drops / stutters / mistiming, FSR artifacts, missing QOL features are just some of the problems I had with the game.

And yet, I had a great time.

Maybe it's because I'm a Star Wars fan, or maybe it's just the charm of the lightsaber and the Force.

Where Jedi Survivor strongly fails, it resoundingly makes up for it with a great gameplay loop. It doubles down on its Metroidvania elements, and improves everything from the first game. The combat is tighter, with more nuance afforded by expanded lightsaber combat options. While I do wish there were more combos and variance to what I can do with my lightsaber, the overall result is still very good.

The dialog is well-written, and I often found myself just listening to random banter between droids and other enemies. The sense of humor is on point for the universe, without going too far down the MCU-gotta-quip-every-minute route.

The customization has also been expanded on, and we finally have something else to change besides the poncho and the Mantis.

Getting the 100% for this was tedious, but I went for it because I really enjoyed trying out new things while doing so. The world-building also meant I saw new things, heard new conversations, and surprised at how much depth there is to the game's universe.

I love the lightsaber customization. Shared some pictures of my designs. Of course, possible spoilers, so avoid if you wish to go in as blind as possible. Also adding in a video of my favorite boss fight in the game, on Jedi Grandmaster difficulty. Punishing but very rewarding!

Sadly, I find it hard to recommend at its current price point. Unless they miraculously fix the issues here (and I doubt it will be 100% fixed, I played the first game a year after it released and it was still rough).

Get it at a discount down the line, or rent.

Or if you're a big Star Wars nerd like me, be ready to swallow the bitter pill that is multiplatform AAA gaming in 2023.

6.5/10 - not Cyberpunk levels of bad, but it's close. If it was polished, solid 9/10.

PS: Dismemberment is now a thing, finally!

29/04/2023

Jedi Survivor minor spoilers ahead.

They really brought back the worst boss in Fallen Order, and made it even more cancerous. The bane of Jedi Grandmaster runs. The thing that would make someone go for EASY just because it was so BS.

This guy literally has no wind-ups, broken hitboxes, and absurdly tiny punish windows. One of the worst boss designs in Souls-likes. Not to mention the 2023 AAA release modifiers like massive FPS drops, screen tearing, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

The reward was great though. Don't wanna spoil it, but it made me chuckle.

Possibly a bit more tolerable outside of Jedi Grandmaster difficulty, but my pride wouldn't let me lose 🤣

28/04/2023

Horizon Forbidden West's Burning Shores DLC was worth it. 20+ hours of more Horizon. I love how they expanded the combat, and the new machines were 🔥

Possibly one of the best boss fights in terms of spectacle in modern gaming. Just not a fan of how it was executed gameplay-wise.

Overall, if you're a fan of the series, you won't be disappointed. It sets up how the future installment might pan out, and I'm all for it.

My only mistake was playing this right before Jedi Survivor 🤣

11/04/2023

No other photos because I want you to see the rest for yourself.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is one of the best ever. Everything from the original has been polished, revamped, upgraded. It's so faithful, yet so distinct from the OG that it stands on its own, all the while reminding us why RE4 is one of the greatest of all time.

Everytime I'm not playing, all I can think about is playing it again. Already finished five playthroughs and I'm still thinking about what else to try.

Very much excited for the PSVR2 experience! Hope it comes soon.

And you know that Tetris inventory management is still 🔥

23/03/2023

I strongly recommend for RGG fans - Like A Dragon: Ishin

I've been so excited for this ever since it was announced. I'm so happy that the Yakuza franchise is getting the love it deserves in the mainstream, and because of games like Ghost of Tsushima, Sega found it worthwhile to remake this for the modern era.

It doesn't disappoint. The storytelling is gripping, timely, and very symbolic. I think it handles one of the most iconic figures in Japanese history really well - that of Sakamoto Ryoma, the man who spearheaded the destruction of the caste system and the birth of the Meiji Restoration.

However, the combat isn't as tight as more recent entries like Lost Judgment, but still fun and hectic. The side stories are funny, surprisingly well-adapted to the period this was set in.

There's so much content for completionists here, too. I've barely reached the halfway of completion, and I expect another 50-70 hours of playtime on top of my 50 hour run.

If you're asking me if it's worth the price tag, it's a big yes. There's so much to do, so much to enjoy. I found myself spending 8 hours on the Harvest Moon minigame, committed to being the best farmer I could be 😅

Lastly, something that I really loved about this game - this quote about change (see first image). I hate fanboyism, I hate when we can't see past criticism and find that it is the key to growth. Whether it be the games we love, the people we look up to, or the things we've known. Everything has to be scrutinized, so it can improve.

And that sums up my love-hate relationship with Square Enix. 😝

On to Resident Evil 4 Remake!

02/03/2023

My thoughts about the recently released PSVR2. Forgive this fella for being a Canva tryhard - had a little extra time on my hands and I felt creative (I know it looks like s**t, tho, so I'll still type my summary here).

PROS:
-> Great display
-> Horizon Call of the Mountain is amazing, seeing the ferocious machines up close, and on a more immersive sense of scale is something else, man. I was teary-eyed when I first went on that boat ride, saw that Tallneck, and realized this is how far technology has come
-> Setup is a breeze. It even demonstrates what you need to do on screen.
-> Controller and headset haptics really put me front and center in terms of immersion.
-> Gran Turismo 7 is amazing in VR. It's a different game, and I bet it would feel even better with a racing wheel.
-> Great QOL features for safety, and to accommodate a wide variety of setups.
-> Got my sedentary ass to stand up, move around, and work out

CONS:
-> Switchback VR got delayed, would've loved to experience VR horror with eye tracking mechanics!
-> May not be comfortable with people who have uncommon head sizes / shapes. It's comfortable for me, but it does tend to move around a bit when I'm active because of my head shape.
-> I feel like the dock should've been included in the package, at least for early adopters.
-> Would've been nice if it can be used in a dark room, similar to PSVR1 (IR tracking needs a bit of light to function).

I think as a package, this is a great deal. If you're primarily a PlayStation gamer, chances are you already have Gran Turismo 7, so you already have one of the best VR games right now. Resident Evil 8 is surprisingly scarier in VR, even though I've played through it more than 5 times when it launched.

We don't have Beat Saber yet, but Pistol Whip is a better value. Cheaper, has more content, free DLC still being developed for the game. As a big John Wick fan, it's definitely the ultimate power fantasy, being able to mow down hordes of enemies with just your trusty sidearm.

Lastly, if you're new to VR like me, take the time to grow your VR legs. Don't power through the motion sickness, instead, take time to rest, let your brain recover, and get back at it once you're at your 100%.

Really excited for what the future holds! *fingers crossed

01/03/2023

Me after playing Horizon: Call of the Mountain and Pistol Whip nonstop for 5 hours. My shoulders are dead! 🤣

On another note, really loving PSVR2. Plan to write up my thoughts about it once I finish Horizon and get the platinum for Pistol Whip. For now, all I can say is it's a great piece of tech. Never knew I needed this until now.

19/01/2023

So I finally got around to playing Judgment and finished it earlier today. Man, I loved it! I've avoided it for quite some time because I'm very fond of the Yakuza franchise, and I was so afraid of it not living up to what I've grown to love.

I was so wrong. Glad it was added to the PS Plus catalog last month. And now I'm on to part 2 - Lost Judgment!

Massive thanks to Jotunheimr Digital Gaming PH for making AAA gaming on PS5 affordable! Rented this for one month for only 500 pesos, plus I can switch to a different game anytime I like.

Steam sale what? 😝

29/12/2022

Portal With RTX is a revelation. My PC can barely handle running it, but DLSS 3.0 really made a huge difference in performance. Raytraced lighting is the true next generation of graphics in gaming. It brings immersion to a whole new level - Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition was one great example.

If you have an RTX PC, grab Portal for only 33 pesos on Steam. You can then get the free upgrade for Portal with RTX. A definitive upgrade of one of the best games of all time (and really, one of the most eerie, too).

24/12/2022

Happy holidays! Please don't put The Callisto Protocol in any gift giving wishlists. It's not worth it. Or better yet, rent nyo nalang through Jotunheimr Digital Gaming PH para tipid! 🤣

13/12/2022

Forspoken demo thoughts:

• Combat has potential, but too much menu switching is jarring. It's fun when you're chaining combos left and right, but the constant menu switching takes away from the hectic feel of combat.

• Dialog is... Meh? It just doesn't hit home for me. Feels lifeless, and the lack of changes in intonation / inflection with respect to your on-screen actions just hammer that point further. Your character is in combat but it doesn't change how she sounds feels so out of place in modern AAA titles. I guess it depends on what you like (some have referred to this as loveable cringe - like some JRPGs).

• I definitely like the traversal, feels fun, but I hope they mix it up at some point.

• Art direction is... Bland. In pursuit of photorealism, it doesn't have a sense of identity. Or at least that's what I saw from the demo. Looks like FFXV in almost every way.

• Performance dips. Not a good look.

• Outside of the boss, the regular fights were not memorable.

Wait for a sale, or rent. Not worth day 1 to me. I highly doubt they can iron out these issues by launch. Forspoken has the blueprint to be great but it feels so... Unfinished.

10/12/2022

No bad choice for GOTY, really. All of the GOTY nominees deserved to be there. That being said, I'm really excited for 2023!

• Vampire Survivors on mobile!
• Returnal on PC! More people need to play this awesome title
• New PSVR2 titles - Behemoth and Ghostbusters!
• Sequels I'd love to get my hands on - Hades 2, Jedi Survivor, Death Stranding 2..
• Crime Boss Rockay City is an interesting title... Hope to see more of this soon!
• Armored Core, FFXVI, Diablo IV... a preview of the GOTY nominees next year? I'm all for it!
• Nightingale: Realmwalker looks like something I could lose hundreds of hours in.
• Street Fighter 6 looks like it's being made by a team that is loose and having fun with the creative process. I'm loving it!
• Viewfinder is weird, reminds me of Portal... And Layers of Fear, because of that ending 👀

Overall, a solid show. Lots to be excited about. 2023 looking stacked. Really happy that my friends can play Returnal, such an underrated hit. Scratched that git gud itch like no other (even Elden Ring missed out on this for me, personally).

Elden Ring wins Game of the Year at 2022!

18/11/2022

My picks for The Game Awards! More about why in each photo.

PS: I know I can save images for sharing, but I wanted the descriptions for each award to be highlighted, too :)

15/11/2022

“Every bird, gone unheard
Starving where the ground has froze
The winter sun rise, red on white
Like blood upon the snow”

Ragnarok is coming… and come it did, in a fashion so rare, so raw, and evoking.

I struggle to find the words to describe how I felt after witnessing the conclusion to the God of War Norse saga. It feels… sad, knowing that this thing I’ve waited for is finally over. Sad, that it had to end. Thinking about it now, I realize it’s an enriching, lovely kind of sad, one that leaves a happy smile as you think about the memories and feelings it reminded you of.

So many games and movies have tried to take on Norse mythology, but I think God of War has handled the source material in such a skillful manner that stands above all else. Our preconceived notions about Norse legends are thrown out the window, and in its stead we get a story so mature, so well-written, so grounded in the human condition.

These legends are given the treatment they deserve, with their own stories, motivations, and depth. The game doesn’t believe in black and white - instead, it shows that there are no absolutes, and we are the sum of our choices, even if it wasn’t ours to make. I even found myself rooting for a certain villain (I use the term loosely here), because at the end of the day, this person was just trying to work out their personal demons, too. Casting was perfectly done - Ryan Hurst is THE MAN.

The supporting characters are great, and everyone had ample time to develop. It’s one of those rare instances where I can actually remember the names of the characters, their backstory, and what they contribute to the experience. It’s very powerful, because you get more invested in the world and the people. The consequences and outcomes of our actions are felt significantly more, because you know these people. You root for them, hold hope that you live together to see another day, hope for another meal to share.

The sidequests do a great job of pushing this even further, and I agree with one statement I saw prior to the game’s release - this has the best sidequests in a game. What’s even better is they designed the side quests in a way that feels organic to your exploration - you don’t have to go out of your way just to clear them. Lots of endgame stuff, too, that I’ve yet to touch (I’m at about 70% completion after 50 hours on GMGOW difficulty).

The art/sound design, cinematography, production level, and the technical polish that came with this is astounding. I felt so immersed, constantly in a state of frisson, because the world just pulls you in. Bear McCreary really outdid himself and made a flawless soundtrack. The subtle undertones, grand choruses, and harmonies that consistently complement the scenes really add up to the emotional tension.

Lastly, Ragnarok succeeds as a follow-up to 2018 because it makes the first entry better in so many ways. The journey we took from 2018 holds even more weight; every line of dialogue that much more memorable, because as accomplices, we’ve seen how much they’ve grown and changed.

God of War Ragnarok is such a complete experience, and is a must-buy in my book. So few have dared to question its very own formula, even fewer are those that succeed. And yet this has done both. This is the culmination of everything great about modern gaming, and I'm grateful I got to witness it.

10/10. GOTY. Worth the asking price. Go buy it. System seller, yes.