Overdue Review: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Credit: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Screenshot by me. As you walk slowly in a field, your character will hold their hand out to feel the plants. A small touch many may play this game, and never know.

Ubisoft’s golden child, Assassin’s Creed, takes another bold merge into a lane it created with the outstanding AC: Origins. 2018’s Odyssey follows the modern day Layla Hassan, now living the memories of a mercenary in ancient Greece. The game is more of an RPG than ever before, and perhaps better as well. An intriguing story, stunning visuals and magnificent gameplay. Everything about Odyssey comes together to make an astounding, top-shelf experience.

I played this game for over sixty hours, enjoying the entire journey. I thought Origins was long for an AC game at over forty hours, but Odyssey fleshes out the RPG elements of the game such as exploration, story based on choices and skill trees with lots of options. All I wanted at the end of Origins was more, which is exactly what I got here. Lots more. The impact of choices can have far-reaching outcomes, and you can make some powerful choices. There are multiple endings, and with my decisions I received the coveted, “best ending.”

The action in Odyssey is really what keeps me playing the game, above all else. The balance is so divine. I prefer fast, short range weapons such as the dagger or sword, but every weapon class is at least semi-worthy, even if as a secondary weapon for those situations that are tougher with your weapon of choice. The bow is extremely powerful when you put power into it, with results that can devastate your opponents. The unlockable Assassin abilities give you greater stealth edge than any hidden blade ever could. There are a lot of ways events can unfold just based on how you decide to play.

Credit: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Game clip by me. Taking out a few guards before surprising my real target.

One thing I always play Assassin’s Creed for is their stories. I find the universe fascinating. The way it intertwines with real history is super cool to me. It makes everything feel more human, or more real. Even when the plot gets a bit ridiculous. But as a long time fan, the outlandish fantasy stuff is where these tales shine. I hate to ruin anything about this game because I had such a fantastic time uncovering it all. There are some wild boss battles that will truly test you; where victory is glorious. My last game session, between everything that happened at the end, left me shook.

Audio and visual design is stellar. The world map is massive, with giant chunks I have yet to explore. It is richly detailed, with beautiful graphical qualities. I love looking through shallow waters at the world below, the water so clear and blue. The way waves move in deeper waters, or come into shore in waves. Lighting is wonderful, I like the different moods set by different times of day, and weather. Voice acting delivers the game very effectively. I think all the major characters were well acted, and even a lot of the minor roles too.

Side quests are handled in a genius way. Often helping out areas yields much greater rewards than the promised loot. People end up trusting you with information. The detective work of uncovering cultists is something unlike I have ever seen in an Assassin’s Creed game. They weave it into the game with grace. It would be worthwhile to play the side missions enough for the gameplay, or even the story elements, but the way they can help you is masterful game making. It rarely feels like I’m being forced to do something I don’t want to just for experience points, loot, or what-have-you. I eagerly greet most quests.

Odyssey feels like a special game. I don’t know if it is something about it, or everything about it. The new direction the series is going is so exciting, as I am currently playing through the entire series again. (Just out of order.) I played Odyssey for nine hours one Saturday. That’s not including breaks. Nine hours just playing it in one day. I loved this game that much. In fact, I was mad I got tired at the end, and had to go to sleep. Somehow my Xbox didn’t overheat, my Series X did a perfect job running this game. After an update the game runs at 60 FPS.

Credit: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Screenshot by me. How right you are, Kassandra.

Of the games in the series I have played so far, Odyssey may be objectively the best. I’ve noticed a lot of Assassin’s Creed fans have sentimental favorites, and I’m no different. I love Black Flag and Origins. But if you had to rank them all, Odyssey may come out on top. It is a very bold game, being all that it is, especially for an antiquated series like Assassin’s Creed. Ubisoft was clearly understanding that the series had to evolve to keep up with modern games. They didn’t just keep up, they outpaced most. I’ve played some sixty hour RPGs lately, all of them required heavy amounts of somewhat dull grinding. But not Odyssey.

If I decide to keep playing Odyssey, I’ll have a lot to do. There are still a lot of cultists to uncover, including their illusive leader. However, seeing as how I already own Valhalla, the next game in the series’ progression, I may also just move onto that next. I still am playing the Ezio Collection on my Switch, and I have two more slightly older Assassin’s Creed games downloaded and waiting on my Xbox, Unity and Syndicate. I don’t think I have an addiction, I can stop playing Assassin’s Creed whenever I want.

You don’t need to be an AC addict like me to love Odyssey. I would recommend this game to anyone, and everyone. Not all games I review have me this geeked to talk about them. Sometimes words come easier than others. I can think of words for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey as long as I have positive ones. Gorgeous, gigantic open world, good story and excellent gameplay. I can’t wait to see what else is in store with the series continuation. There have been storms of rumors regarding the series lately, but I will wait to hear directly from Ubisoft before I make any judgements. For now, just love Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey.

New Game Review: Two Point Campus

Credit: Two Point Campus. Screenshot by me. A look at my knight school. One of the many wonderful environments.

Fans of “tycoon” style games will love this new college campus simulator from Two Point Studios. Two Point Campus launched last Tuesday, and I’ve played it more than twenty-four hours in the week since. I am so absolutely hooked on this game. It has brilliant game design, that delivers on micro and macro-management strategy. The different curriculum you can teach at your schools offer unique challenges and immensely immersive experiences. I have a feeling the best is yet to come, but I feel prepared to offer my opinion on the game at this point. I also want to get this review out to people who may be thinking about picking it up.

I would say pull the trigger on Two Point Campus. If you like management simulators, this is a big win. Whether you are the academic type or not is irrelevant, with courses like espionage, clown college, or knight school. There is a lot of course variety, and all the different individual game worlds’ sandboxes are available reasonably early. So far, I have focused on the career mode, not the sandboxes. Sandboxes have unique options such as “Creative” mode, wherein you start with more resources than you could ever use, so you can focus on creating your fantasy campus, for example.

The time I have played has been a nearly constant learning experience. New elements are always being strategically introduced. Keeping things fresh, without overloading you with information. I felt a little intimidated early on, as I tried to micromanage every student. I quickly learned that if you want to manage certain students, you should mark them so you see them much more easily among the mess of bodies, buildings and furniture. Especially useful when say, you run a culinary school and all the students wear the same chef’s outfit.

Credit: Two Point Campus. Screenshot by me. DJ Sue Chef putting on a well-earned concert for the culinary students.

Even when I knew I couldn’t manage every little detail of what happened on campus, I enjoyed using the slowest of the three time speed options, without including paused. This way, I could be a lot more involved. Patience is powerful. Generosity is godlike. If you always put the humans on campus ahead of selfish desires, you’ll succeed. You may want to offer meager accommodations to save money, but small benefits like a nice staff lounge, well decorated areas or splurging on a killer concert in the student union can pay off bigger than any amount of minimization. In later levels managing money tightly is a necessity, but you should still always try to find a way to put people before profit.

In focusing on people, you’ll sort through job applications for the perfect person, not just a suitable candidate. You’ll know what new skills to train your staff based on the strengths and weaknesses of them, and your campus. Being attentive to student needs will prepare you to meet objective goals. Parties directly enhance student ability and happiness in impactful ways. Truly the most collegiate thing about this game is the fact parties are like a superpower. You can schedule events to occur at the same time every year, which saves you from spending a ton of time booking individual parties year round.

People who are into collegiate living will have tons to love in Two Point Campus. The collision of personalities, dorms packed with beds, ramen and coffee for fuel. There are so many thoughtful touches. Not only is the content interesting, it is also practical in design. I’m playing the game on Xbox Series X, and I was flying across the controller interacting with the game by the end of the first world. PC would probably be even easier. The ability to build structures and furnish them is a total blast. I relish walking the tightrope of planning out the future of my campus layout, while adapting to needs along the way. In the end the result can be something better than I had originally planned.

Credit: Two Point Campus. Screenshot by me. Never forget, you are running a college, which is a place of learning.

The visuals of the game serve their purpose well. It is a very simple, low frills graphical design. It certainly has charm, though. It relays information well, and ultimately that is what you want in a game such as Two Point Campus; elegant simplicity. You slowly figure out what all the icons mean that can appear above somebody’s head. Everything is easy to understand. As someone that struggles with games sometimes being too much to handle, it is refreshing to enjoy a game so much in the genre. The audio design is fantastic. Satisfying blips as you build or complete assignments, and a modest, yet quite solid soundtrack. I often play this game with a record on in the background, however. It is a perfect game for such matters.

The challenge in listening to vinyl while playing Two Point Campus is how often I sit and play the game for an hour in silence after the current side of the record has finished. The game is just so engaging and immersive. I take great pride in my universities. The feeling of getting three stars on a campus is remarkable. Like looking at your grades at the end of a hard course and seeing a high grade in actual college. There are more than enough various campus worlds to keep you playing this game for countless incredible hours, even before you explore the possibilities of sandbox mode. The world each campus exists within is always so adorable, and makes you wish you could actually visit.

Two Point Campus is available on basically any console you can imagine. I see it going for $40 most places, and while I believe it is worth that much, easily, I am very grateful that it was also launched on Xbox Game Pass. Also on this service is the game that preceded this one: Two Point Hospital. This is a game I would highly recommend to any gamer. It is so approachable, lighthearted, humorous and lovable, I think you’d have to already be sour not to enjoy it. I will be playing for dozens more hours, I am eager to see what challenges and rewards each campus offers.

Credit: Two Point Campus. Screenshots by me.

Overdue Review: Bravely Default 2

Credit: Bravely Default 2. Screenshot by me. A simple, yet elegant battle system is the focus of this game.

Square Enix graces us with another wonderful turn-based JRPG on the Nintendo Switch with Bravely Default 2. Releasing in 2021, it is a follow-up to a seemingly forgotten series that started in 2014 on the Nintendo 3DS. I bought a European copy of this game on sale for $45, normally $60. I played nearly 60 hours, but I don’t know if I would flip out the wallet and pay full price just yet. BD2 was a little stale in some regards. Visually, or story-wise nothing incredibly impressive, while it does have its own adorable style. What really shined was the gameplay, out of everything.

And if you like a strong turn-based battle system, you may really enjoy grinding endless hordes of enemies per sitting as you level up in yet another dungeon. There is so much grinding in this game, and I did a lot to minimize what I actually did. I learned to work with early jobs I found for my characters, and didn’t spend much time grinding a lot else. Each of the four characters can have any combination of two of the couple dozen jobs you find throughout the game. These jobs greatly influence combat, some of them in really fun or interesting ways.

The visual style of the game is cute, serves its function well and has certain cools notes, like tracks left in snow, but overall graphics are a bit boring. It feels a bit like I remember the grinding more than the bosses. Just defeating hordes of enemies to be strong enough for the next lame boss. Not to say the battles aren’t fun, they’re quite fun, just not enemies whose character shines. My favorite part of this game’s settings is the city designs. Cities are interactive watercolor paintings you move around, and they look different than the interconnecting lands or dungeons.

Credit: Bravely Default 2. Screenshot by me. Each city boasts a different setting, and I found them all visually appealing.

Bravely Default 2 is a pretty basic RPG tale. Four “Heroes of Light” join forces to reclaim four powerful elemental crystals. Every major city you visit in the world ends up hiding one of the crystals, as you work to uncover the hidden evil in each city in order to track down the crystals’ location. The four heroes each have somewhat shallow backstories. None of them are notable, although they have their charms. I thought the Fire Crystal chapter was impactful by the darkness of the story. This is such a delightful, light spirited game most the time, but there’s a few moments that are pretty brutal emotionally.

I really enjoyed the ability to play this game anytime, anywhere. I spend a lot of time just relaxing on the couch with friends, each of us on our own Switch, or device. I can enjoy conversation as I remain lightly engaged grinding away a dungeon on the game. The turn-based style doesn’t ask too much of your attention, and I appreciate games that allow you to breathe. If you want to make it through the grind quicker, you can boost the speed of the battle by up to four times at the press of a button. This was an essential feature. I only took it down to normal speed when it was time for a boss.

I never once needed a guide for this game. Everything is well laid out. As somebody who is still new to JRPGs, I appreciate a game that is so approachable. This would be a fine game to learn about the genre. I took away a couple pointers, such as not underestimating the power of mixing up jobs in games that have a similar system. There was no crazy puzzles I had to solve. The real challenge in BD2 is knowing your party. Their strengths, and their weaknesses. Then being able to play to those, or adapt with new jobs.

Credit: Bravely Default 2. Screenshot by me. Story plays out in a perhaps overly simple fashion.

As I said, I played BD2 about sixty hours. I will not be revisiting it. I have so many other amazing JRPGs lined up, or that I’ve already started. This game did not stand out enough to warrant a second trip. I’m really glad I played it once, but I’m also happy I didn’t pay full price. I think I would be a little more salty about how basic this game was if I had paid $60. There’s no way to know for sure exactly how much of that 60 hours was spent half bored in some random dungeon. The game largely failed to really grab a hold on me, but the gameplay kept me coming back all the way through.

Among various other options, each character has two abilities in combat: Brave, or Default. If they Default, they block until their next turn, and gain an extra move on their next turn. This stacks up to three. You can then, if you have the reserve turns built up, use multiple at a time by choosing “Brave.” This is a fun tightrope to walk as you work over enemies’ weaknesses. It seemed like a lot of jobs were tacked on, but late game shows that some of these jobs are indeed rather powerful. I have characters who would almost never perform certain actions, like say attacking, yet everything they can do has merit. I’m sure there is a myriad of ways to build your team that I cannot imagine.

If you have a Nintendo Switch, and are looking for a fun, approachable JRPG, I would recommend Bravely Default 2. Just don’t set your expectations too high. Remember what you’re there for, which is the gameplay, and I’m sure you will feel the same way. Absolutely worth playing, yet not worth fussing about either. Try to find a copy on sale somewhere, if you can. The unique, yet simple twist on turn-based battle system is one I hope Square Enix works with more in the future.

Credit: Bravely Default 2. Screenshots by me.

Overdue Review: Assassin’s Creed Origins

Credit: Assassin’s Creed Origins. Screenshot by me. This game shines as one of the best in the series.

Assassin’s Creed developers Ubisoft bring welcome alterations to a series turning stale. The tenth main AC game, Origins takes a classic, proven formula and gives it some new wings to truly fly. Initially releasing in 2017, I played it shortly after. I only played a little bit, however, as I struggled with the combat at the time. Now that Origins is available on Xbox Game Pass, I decided to give it another shot based on the popularity of the new style. I am so glad I gave it another go. For some reason things just clicked, and I had an unforgettable experience.

The first noticeable difference between this and older installments is the combat. The combat is more involved, and once you get the hang of things much more enjoyable. The simple Rock, Paper, Scissors recipe is exchanged for more dynamic combat with some of the same frills. The bow is extremely powerful, and the many melee weapon types let you build how you wish to play. There is a moderate amount of hot-swapping in menus, but relatively minimal. It doesn’t impact the pace of gameplay. The stealth aspects are still my favorite part of Assassin’s Creed, as ever. The feeling of sneaking up on your prey, or even clearing an outpost without anybody ever having a clue.

There’s an overwhelming amount to love about Origins. I relish ancient Egyptian mythology. Some time ago, I read the Book of the Dead, and found it beautiful. Speaking of beauty, the desert landscapes in this game are divine. Whether trekking across the dunes, exploring an oasis or a city, the eye has much to gaze upon. The graphics are incredible. The environments are master crafted. Not least to love are the story and gameplay, which are typical Assassin’s Creed taken in enticing new directions.

Credit: Assassin’s Creed Origins. Game clip by me. Sorry for low quality video, I’m having trouble downloading the 4K ones. This is very early gameplay.

I have spent about forty hours with Origins. It was almost an addiction. At some point I would like to go back and play more, whether I continue my current game, or start the optional “New Game Plus.” After completing the main story, there is still so much side activity I haven’t done that interests me. There is optional DLC, but I think most likely I will move onto the next two newest AC games. Both of which I have purchased during my time with Origins. Such is my adoration for this game. AC: Odyssey and Valhalla I found on sale wherever I could, and managed to get both for about $45 altogether. Not bad at all, if you ask me. Origins alone is worth that amount.

The storytelling in Origins is some of Ubisoft’s best. The setting feels authentic. Characters are engaging, and full of emotion. The use, and intersection, of real history and AC lore creates suspense, drama and excitement. I often moved with a sense of purpose. As Abstergo employee Layla Hassan lives the memories of Bayek, an ancient Egyptian protector with a murdered child, Layla uncovers the truth behind the beginning of the Assassin order. As a long time fan, it is a thoughtful, and worthy genesis.

Side quests are rewarding. They are fun, feel like you’re helping the world, often have entertaining enough stories, and gaining the experience points is helpful in the RPG-like style of Origins. Ubisoft has dabbled with skill trees and such in the past with AC, but it is refined here. Most of the skills are effective in some degree. More powerful skills cost more Ability Points, earned with XP, and are further up the three main skill trees. By the end of the game I felt so much more powerful than when I started, and there are some segments that cleverly handicap you. Upgrading your gear is a simple, but treasured crafting system.

Credit: Assassin’s Creed Origins. Screenshot by me. In the modern day, Layal Hassan lives out ancient memories in a machine called the “Animus.”

Origins features a taste of the naval combat that made AC: Black Flag so popular. These few missions were highly entertaining. It is very similar to the old style, and that is what I want. I could never get enough of the ship-to-ship battles in that game, so I’m happy to see them back in some scope. If you really want more of these sequences, Ubisoft is making an entire game based on this naval combat system called Skull & Bones, although no release date yet. While these sections seem a little stapled on, I doubt I will hear many complaints.

Playing on my Xbox Series X was wonderful. Fantastic performance, visuals and controls. The Quick Resume feature worked better than a lot of games that claim to utilize the feature, but struggle. Only two or three bugs or glitches showed themselves the entire time. The experience was fluid. You can commit for a side mission here and there, or strap in for a five hour session. I would suggest this game on whatever platform you are able.

I have installed Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and Valhalla rests patiently on my shelf. If I like them half as much as I liked Origins, I am in for a treat. Just yesterday I posted an Assassin’s Creed 2 review from the Ezio Collection on Nintendo Switch. So I am actually playing AC simultaneously on two consoles right now. As I move onto Odyssey on the Xbox, I’ll be starting Brotherhood on the Switch. More AC content to come, perhaps even every game at some point or another. I have already done AC:3, also I own others and would love to play through them someday.

This is a perhaps grandiose claim, but I think Assassin’s Creed Origins may be my new favorite AC. Before, it has always been AC4: Black Flag. Origins, simply put, is the perfect game. Weaknesses fall short of being worth mentioning. It may be this reviewer’s preferences for Egyptian mythos and landscapes, coupled with epic Assassin lore, but I couldn’t put this game down. The joy Origins brought me impacted my life beyond the time spent in front of the TV. I will surely look back on this as one of the legendary classics.

Credit: Assassin’s Creed Origins. Screenshots by me.

Retro Review: Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ezio Collection Part 1/3)

Credit: Assassin’s Creed 2. Screenshot by me. Sneaking up the fortifications into a heavily guarded compound.

The three Assassin’s Creed games featuring protagonist Ezio Auditore, AC:2, Brotherhood and Revelations, were released in a remastered bundle in 2016. This collection was ported to Nintendo Switch last February; I picked it up shortly after. Three classic games for $40, and I got it on sale even lower than that. With my fantastic experience playing other AC games, how can I turn down an offer such as this one? The first game in the Ezio Collection, Assassin’s Creed 2, shows a series getting legs beneath it and showing magnificent potential. Developers Ubisoft have given this series the royal treatment throughout its legacy.

Assassin’s Creed 2 follows two stories. One, Desmond Miles. Desmond was kidnapped and forced to live the memories of an ancestor, using a high-tech device in search of magic artifacts. After escaping, he uses another “animus” to go deeper into the memories of his ancestors and beat the evil forces to the punch. The memories he goes into next are those of Ezio Auditore, a Renaissance era Italian in a struggle between orders of Assassins and Templars. Both stories are interesting. The whole lore of these games is so fascinating, the parts influenced by real history and the made up bits.

AC2 is a game with a lot of grand ideas. Some pay out better than others. The story feels like that of a much longer game, in which we get to explore the people a little more intimately. I played over thirty hours, and there is a lot of side activities left to do. The parkour is more like fun platforming than fluid movement. You should always be thinking steps ahead when traversing. One wrong leap can be really unfortunate. This is fine, my bigger concern is the combat. Getting into fights is to be avoided, but far from torturous. Indeed, this is an earlier version of what ended up working great in later games. It is weirdly difficult to retrieve a weapon if you for some reason lose it.

Credit: Assassin’s Creed 2. Screenshot by me. One of the many interesting settings in AC2.

The Nintendo Switch was a wonderful way to play, whether docked or on-the-go. Although, I would recommend this game on whatever platform you prefer. I have yet to play Brotherhood and Revelations, so I can’t speak for the whole collection yet. The Ezio Collection also comes with two short films, Lineage and Embers, which bookend the three games. The remaster is a light one. It looks and runs nice, but the graphics do feel a bit dated as I play AC: Origins on my Xbox Series X. For a game from 2009, I feel like you could do a lot worse. The production value is there. Running around Venice at night during carnival season does prove to be quite a charming setting.

Pulling off a cool stealth section in this game is immensely satisfying. Whether weaving between dancing partners until you reach your target, leaping on a preacher in the middle of a sermon from high above, or however you end up taking out your target. The final kill is worth the buildup. From staging missions, to the meta of the assassination in question. There is always a scene of Ezio sharing the last moments of his target, and this has been a signature of the series. The last mission had me using every last one of my resources, besides the massive stack of cash I had acquired doing side content.

The sound design is on point. Music is sparse, but it is suiting. The environments feel alive. While I did say movement is not super fluid, there is a degree of skill that makes parkour much more enjoyable, and practical. You learn just the way to approach certain obstacles, you know when to exercise caution and slow down a little as you work a certain line, correct button use becomes more natural, these are the kinds of things you learn. You figure out how to engage certain enemies, or utilize certain weapons. Sometimes I felt like I had to cheese my way through, but the game is good at stopping that behavior.

Credit: Assassin’s Creed 2. Screenshot by me. Desmond is no longer alone in the sequel to the hit first game.

After beating AC2, I am excited for Brotherhood. I will start it almost immediately, I honestly doubt I will revisit AC2 anytime soon. Like I said, I am also playing AC: Origins on my Xbox, for one thing. Also, I would rather just move onto the next game than do the only other interesting thing left in AC2, which is collect the Animus Glitches. Fun little puzzles that are hidden in the world that if you find them all, you get some unique lore. The codex is also worth a read, if you skip it often when articles are introduced. Tons of information about landmarks, featuring some real sites and information.

Assassin’s Creed 2 set an amazing stage for the future of the series. With the success of the first game, Ubisoft knew they had something legendary on their hands. It’s clear they didn’t want to let down fans’ anticipations or expectations. The game was a blast, once I got the hang of combat and parkour. If you struggle early, I encourage you to persist. Thirty-some hours well spent. Lore, gameplay and setting are the big three things that I enjoy about it. Hanging out with Leonardo da Vinci and helping each other is neat.

Soon, I will finish Origins on my Xbox, moving onto Odyssey. I’m stoked for my Origins review, as I am finding it extraordinary. It is something to see how this series has evolved by playing games from the earliest, and most modern eras at the same time. They’ve just gotten better for the most part, in my opinion. I am thinking strongly about reviewing the entire series here, as I have started with the Assassin’s Creed 3 Remastered review in my Archives. For the price, the Ezio Collection seems to be an unavoidable deal. Brotherhood, then Revelations, coming soon.

Credit: Assassin’s Creed 2. Screenshots by me.

Overdue Review: Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition

Credit: Dragon Quest 11. Screenshot by me. Intro cinematic showing the party and Yggdrasil, the World Tree.

The Japanese role playing game is a fairly new concept to me. It isn’t a genre I have ever given much attention to until playing Octopath Traveler, now one of my favorite games. Dragon Quest 11 was an excellent next step. With a vibrant world, fun characters, cool enemy design and more to bring to the table, I can see why this game generally rates highly. The Definitive Edition brings heaps more onto an already strong deck. Released by Square Enix initially in 2017, the Definitive Edition, which I strongly recommend, rolled out 2019-2020.

Dragon Quest 11 follows the adventures of the protagonist hero, the heralded “Luminary” of legend. Meant to extinguish a supreme, malicious force of darkness, the Luminary’s path isn’t laid out like you might think. In the beginning the whole world seems against them. As you slowly build your strength and renown, more people come to the light. Including your merry band of fighters. At times the quest seems insurmountable, but with a lot of grinding and a little good luck, they might save the day.

The mechanics of DQ11 are classic turn-based RPG. Nothing too spicy here, but they do wonderful things with the recipe they use. There is the option to move about the combat space, but this does nothing other than keep you more engaged should you feel the need. I personally went with a classic line-up for most of the game. I want to focus on the best play, above all else. You’ll grind for experience and loot, something I actually enjoyed in this game. The music, while good, can be a little repetitive, so I found many of my sessions played with an album in the background.

Credit: Dragon Quest 11. Screenshot by me. Glimpse of battle mode. Wherever your encounter happens in the game world is where the battle takes place, which is neat.

I played over 60 hours just on the main story. In the Definitive Edition, there is additional in-game content such as story missions, classic Dragon Quest levels, and even the ability to play the entire game in classic 2D style. There is also extra endgame content, including new chapters that I will get to soon. In my time the story certainly had its moments, some bits that really surprised or connected with me, but overall not super impressive. Somewhat generic light versus dark, good versus evil. There is a refreshing fantastical, whimsical element to the tale that made it a nice escape.

The story does a solid job keeping the game going, which is ultimately what I wanted. The turn based battle system is so smooth, with tons of room to experiment and customize. Each character has a unique background and skill tree. I found myself eager to learn about them, and build them into the best soldier for my party. Healing proved to be a very powerful force on any team. There is no weird gimmick to the combat, and as a newcomer to the genre I appreciate that, as I think would many players. This is a very approachable RPG.

I do not remember ever needing a guide for this game. The one time I looked was to make sure I was a high enough level for the end boss, which according to sources I was more than enough. I still had a phenomenal time with the ending. Intense fight, got a little bit of good luck along the way, but that doesn’t diminish the fact I fought expertly. The satisfaction of taking down a tough boss in this game can really move you when you’ve been leveling forever to beat them. I greatly appreciate a game that doesn’t take a lot of outside knowledge to enjoy. I don’t terribly mind using guides occasionally, but the best is not needing one.

The visual style feels familiar, ultra cute and is quite appealing. In part to the distinct artistic styling of Dragon Ball’s Akira Toriyama. A mash-up of cultural influences make up the fantasy world Erdrea. From Arab style architecture, to Japanese archways, or clearly distinct European atmosphere. At the core of the story is a Norse myth, Yggdrasil, the world tree. The reverence for this tree helps unite a world with a lot of different people in it. The soundtrack is very well done, if lacking a bit of variety. I’m not saying the soundtrack is bad, just sparse.

Credit: Dragon Quest 11. Screenshot by me. Using the in game photo mode is cool, if lacking features.

I haven’t felt a lot of resonance within Dragon Quest 11, more anything just enjoying the fun times, and letting it remind me to see the world as a place of light. Sylvando reminds me it is worth fighting for smiles. Merely existing is not enough, and he will follow the Luminary to the end of all things to restore them to the world. Every character has parts that I like, for example the thief, Erik, is also incredibly noble. The old man, Rab, is so persistent. Quitting is not something he will ever consider. Not when he lost his kingdom, his kin or anything.

In the grand scheme of things, there are a few things that really impress me about Dragon Quest 11 S. First, how much more content there is in the Definitive Edition. Worth every penny. Second, how much I liked this game despite, even in thanks to, its simplicity. They pull off a lot with a rather simple formula. Third, it got me into a classic series I had no idea existed, until I saw this game on Twitch at launch. It intrigued me then, and I’m so glad I played it now.

Hope is an overarching theme in DQ11, and I have hope for the next installment, which is currently in development. No release date yet, as production is still early. I believe I will be playing the endgame content of DQ11S, and perhaps try some of the game in 2D. Both sound interesting. I have a few other JRPGs on deck to dive into, and I am looking forward to those as well. I recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of the genre, or just looking to start out. I’m a newcomer and had a fantastic experience playing Dragon Quest 11 S.

Credit: Dragon Quest 11. Screenshots by me.

Co-Occurring and Cooperative: Addiction, Anxiety and Borderlands

Credit: Borderlands The Pre-Sequel. Screenshot by me. The environments and art style of the FPS/RPG hybrid are just a couple of the ways these games stand out.

The Borderlands games played a pivotal role in my recovery with a co-occurring disorder. As you can hopefully imagine, a co-occurring disorder can be as difficult as it is complex. The National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that someone with anxiety is twice as likely to develop addiction of some form. I was given books on addiction, and booklets on co-occurrence specifically when I went to treatment for my schizophrenia. I still own the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous bibles. They give me guidance when I’m thinking about friends who may be losing their way.

There are three things a video game can do for you when you’ve had a co-occurring disorder like mine. Empowerment, comfort and socialization. I have a rich history with the Borderlands series, I even did a review of the first game in the Archives; just to talk more about a game for which I have an undying love. Borderlands came to me at a very powerful time, and though I wasn’t yet dealing with addiction, I was struggling with my emotions and developing bad patterns.

Then it seemed everyday everyone around me were doing copious amounts of alcohol, reefer and even cocaine, the latter I completely stayed away from when I saw how it was treating my friends. But there was one constant pillar in my best friend and I’s relationship no matter how bad it got: Borderlands co-op. When we met, we had both already played extensively with another person, so we were equally experienced hitters coming into the ring.

I fought hard for a title that remains disputed. He had a competitive spirit that was a unique kind of fun. Myself playing as Mordecai, sniping one of his kills with my rifle or Bloodwing, then seconds later apologizing when I need him to burn his Roland shield to protect me. Doing something like that energized him to want to step up, charge ahead while the shield is deployed and execute all the enemies, while all I can do is hide.

Credit: Borderlands 2. Screenshot by me. Borderlands is tremendous, and has had a significant impact on me.

Moments like this are great fun and Borderlands delivers them in droves if you play with friends. You can play with up to four people, the game upgrades the enemies depending how many players there are, and it gets absolutely wild. The graphics are so cool and functional. The cartoonish style turns some people away from this game, but I plead with those people to give it a chance. It is an incredible FPS/RPG hybrid series. I own them all on both my consoles, and play them all on them as well.

The gameplay is fantastic. Tight shooting mechanics, interesting loot system with millions of unique creations, often funny dialogue, endearing atmosphere, there is so much to love about Borderlands. Even solo it is worth playing through with some of the multiple characters each game has, as each character has different skill trees and equipment options. I never tire of the formula.

Playing Borderlands kept us from using our substances of choice quite a bit. It also fostered trust and brotherhood, when we weren’t talking about the game we were talking about life. We were able to focus on an alternative stream of rewards. One that is better when the player isn’t heavily inebriated. Eventually our demons still caught up with us and we reformed, but in the decade plus since, Borderlands never went away.

My anxiety is persistent. It is a negative symptom of schizophrenia that is tricky to medicate. Borderlands has brought multiple releases, in turn bringing much release, with content I am still exploring in the twelve years since the original. Critical acclaim has come to all. Very well deserved in my opinion. The old ones withstand the test of time to this day. I bought the Nintendo Switch Borderlands Legendary Collection, and they even hold up excellently on the unsuspecting platform.

Credit: Borderlands The Pre-Sequel. Screenshot by me. Sometimes our problems can seem overwhelming, but working together you can find peace.

I know Borderlands 1 so well I can look at a quest log anytime and know the most efficient order to do the quests. I build a high level, well thought-out character who dominates the battlefield. Feelings of power bring satiation, like seeing the “Level Up!” arrive on screen right as you skillfully cap the last enemy. It also brings empowerment, in spending that level up skill point in the way that best suits your playing style; making you believe you are strong and have the ability to make good choices. And of course, the moments you shared striving for a grand victory with someone.

These are simple examples of the power video games can give us to overcome weaker versions of ourselves. Even a plot as dumb and intentionally hilarious as Borderlands can make you have introspective or philosophical thoughts. What did we expect to find in the Vault? What are the true contents supposed to represent? What does it say about capitalism to buy guns and healthcare out of the same vending machine? Does Claptrap have a soul?

Satiation gets you through your co-occurring disorder for now, empowerment gives you strength for later. The relationships we build playing can survive better than most, and aid us throughout life. There is resonance beyond the simple time we wasted looking at a toy. It is so much more than simple fun. The right game at the right time can be profound, I’m sure there are endless gamers who can attest to this sentiment. A dark time when that bright screen was powerful. I have been a gamer since I was old enough to hold the controller of our Nintendo Entertainment System, and I have always had an emotional bond with video games.

I am looking forward to the Borderlands spinoff “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands,” releasing March 25th, and the upcoming movie from director Eli Roth, expected this year. Both hold a lot of promise. This is a time of great anxiety. It is nice to sometimes both distract yourself with fun, feel badass, and have a deep bonding experience with people that is lighthearted and driven by fun. Comment what game helped you cope with something you were going through!

Credit: Borderlands, Borderlands 2, & Borderlands the Pre-Sequel. Screenshots by me.

Retro Review: Final Fantasy 8 (2019 Remaster)

Credit: Final Fantasy 8. Screenshot by me. Picture from an in-game cinematic.

I first played Final Fantasy 8 when it released in 1999. I was only ten years old, and the complex JRPG was too much for my tiny brain to comprehend. Although, I did think it quite cool at the time. So, when I wanted a new turn-based RPG to play, I found the 2019 remaster on sale for $10. And after more than twenty years of gaming between then and now, I can tell you this game is every bit as inaccessible as it was when I was a child. The miraculous story telling does not save this convoluted mess from being just too off the mark to recommend.

The remaster, made in collaboration with Dotemu and Access Games, spruces up the visuals, making the graphics more sleek and prepped for HD. When FF8 came out, originally released by Squaresoft, it was top of the line graphics. The art style is interesting enough to entertain the eye most the time. I did not think the game was ugly, even being more than two decades old. There are a few other changes to the remaster. Quality of life upgrades like a 3x speed option, the ability to turn off random encounters and a mode that buffs you in combat.

Even with these buffs I had no interest in completing the final boss. What should be the pinnacle of the game in story and gameplay is actually a towering monument to this game’s failures. The game uses a combat system that adapts to your level, but these adaptations are extremely inconsistent and unhelpful. And what good is this system, if I still have to grind until there is absolutely nothing left to be gained?

Credit: Final Fantasy 8. Game clip by me. Calling in a guardian to win the fight.

I used guides often, as finding out what to do next in FF8 can be hazy. Often resorting to walking up to every object in the room from every angle and mashing the ‘interact’ button until something happens. My guide showed me the correct way to complete the final boss, only to find that I don’t have the two very specific spells required to make this fight even remotely possible. There are super questionable mechanics throughout this game. The end boss just has features that boggle the mind as to why anybody would think this was fun.

Guides could only do so much without laying out every little detail of what to do, especially in a game designed to be highly open ended. The difficulty is raised so poorly. For almost the entire game, you can coast by on spamming your guardian spirits, something that wasn’t fun from the jump. And through being relegated to cheese tactics we are supposed to somehow gain not only an understanding, but an appreciation for how important it is to stack your characters as much as humanly possible. The game doesn’t make grinding appealing. It all seems like it is for nothing, until that one fight arrives where you can use that one random spell for max effect.

FF8 follows the exploits of a band of mercenaries, raised from youth for combat. Our heroes get hired out to support a rebellion against evil forces that seem faceless at first, but the situation becomes much more complicated and intricate as the tale proceeds. Squaresoft really flexed the story telling elements of their game building here. It is nearly worth playing just for the story. Nearly. There were a handful of fun fights in this whole game. Two of them didn’t come until the very end.

I’m not sure how this game ends. Which is a true tragedy, because I was really loving the story. The final part of this game just sucks all the joy out of the experience to a point where I feel like the closure of the plot could only be further insult. The first half of the game had some incredible plot dealing with issues like fascism. A beautiful love story unfolds as the game progresses. I suppose I will resort to watching a video of the ending of a game I played well over thirty hours, and I cannot think of anything sadder.

Credit; Final Fantasy 8. Screenshot by me. My favorite battle in the game.

I love turn-based RPGs, and I deeply wanted to love FF8. I had such high hopes that I would come back to this game after twenty years and finally appreciate its glory. This just isn’t how it went down. All the way up to the end boss I was in denial. The more I leaned on the remaster enhancements like 3x speed and combat buffs to get me through boring phases, the more I knew I wasn’t really enjoying myself. These upgrades are the only way I could potentially go back and beat the final boss, but even then it would be such a slog it doesn’t seem remotely worthwhile.

I also bought Final Fantasy 9 on sale, which I dabbled with as a kid as well. I’m again hoping for great things, I won’t trash the follow-up just because the predecessor was ugly and weak. That may be a while down the road however, my next turn-based RPG will be something away from the Final Fantasy series just to keep things fresh. I recently bought both South Park: Stick of Truth and Dragon Quest 11 on sale so I will likely give one of those a shot for a time.

It pains me to say I cannot suggest Final Fantasy 8. While if you like masterfully crafted stories you may find some enjoyment, there are so many flaws in this game and they feel relentless. The difficulty curve, the atrocious quick-time events, the sloppy combat system, there is so much chaining FF8 down and keeping it from being special. I think if they ever give it the full remake treatment like they are Final Fantasy 7, it could definitely breath some new life into the corpse. I just think it unlikely. If you’re looking for a top tier turn-based RPG, go into my Archives and check out the Octopath Traveler review.

Credit: Final Fantasy 8. Screenshots by me.