Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Going into Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I was equal parts excited and nervous. Its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake, set a high bar after it managed to blow me away and become one of my favorite entries in the franchise. After spending just shy of 80 hours with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I feel confident in saying that once again my expectations have been surpassed in ways I never would’ve imagined. There are some bumps along the way, but they don’t keep Rebirthfrom being one of the best Final Fantasy games I’ve played.
Eternights
Eternights wears its influences on its sleeves and doesn’t try to hide them. Clearly taking plenty of cues from Atlus’ Persona franchise, Eternights strives to distill the strong story and character focus of its inspiration into a smaller package, with an emphasis on romance and action-based combat being its key differentiators. While it does manage to do some things well, it also misses the mark in more ways than one.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
If you told me at the start of the year that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was going to be a game that I absolutely fell in love with, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I felt that its predecessor Breath of the Wild was an enjoyable experience, but took issue with its blank canvas design which felt a bit too open and directionless for me. But that’s been flipped on its head with Tears of the Kingdom. By building on the concepts of adventure, creativity, and exploration that laid the foundation for the previous game, and amplifying them with a stronger sense of focus and direction, everything that I didn’t click with before has been vastly improved, making this not just one of the best games I’ve played this year, but one of the best games I’ve ever played period.
Final Fantasy XVI
Ever since Final Fantasy XVI was announced I’ve been eager to experience a new story in the iconic franchise and see how it continues to evolve. With a more “mature” story, a much stronger focus on real-time action, the promise of over-the-top setpieces, and an acclaimed development team behind it, I had pretty high expectations. And while Final Fantasy XVI managed to meet and even exceed some of those expectations, eventually the luster wore off and one truth revealed itself: that Final Fantasy XVI is simultaneously a fun and boring game to play.
The Last of Us Part II
Seven years ago, Naughty Dog released The Last of Us to critical acclaim. The story of Joel and Ellie and their cross country journey resonated with gamers from a gameplay standpoint and an emotional standpoint. It was a game that pushed the industry forward in more ways than one, so expectations for The Last of Us Part II were astronomical. Somehow, the team was able to create a sequel that is a step up from its predecessor in every way imaginable and blow me away yet again.
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