i wanna talk about games that are cool and you will listen
extremely cool nonlinear action rpg for the playstation by square. you can place artifacts on the
overworld to apply elemental strength to adjacent tiles which is neat, though the most it amounts to
is a quest that requires it. gameplay is very inspired by beat em ups with the presentation, and its
one of the simpler mana games in difficulty.
what really carries it is the world i feel. there isn't a big overarching plot but the characters
are really memorable and make the world feel alive. from larc's entire quest, to the irwin and matilda
scenario, to even minor characters like diddle and capella, mark and his family, or teapo, the latter
of which isn't central to a main quest.
these characters really stuck with me because of how earnestly they're written. mark is doting to
the point of being overbearing to his daughter, diddle is becoming disillusioned with life, teapo is
kind of comical relief as a very airheaded teapot lady. more than the gameplay that's what drew me in
and i feel that if i replayed this i'd be brainrotting for ages.
first true 3d sonic platformer. it's very much held with duct tape and prayer but it's weirdly cozy
in a homely way. it doesn't really play the best especially nowadays, but i really like how all the
stages feel kinda surreal. speed highway is a series of roads floating in the sky, and that's cool as
fuck.
not everyone is equal in the gameplay department, big can be beaten in 3 seconds if you know what
youre doing but. i dont mind that too much. simple as tails' gameplay is, it is a nice timewaster,
i prefer knuckles' gameplay here, gamma actually feels very good, and big and amy, while they're
kinda wet farty, i do appreciate the small stories they're trying to tell, even if they're not very
deep.
again, held up with duct tape and prayer but. it's also an early instance of a non-linear console
rpg (japan wise, there have been a few on pc, like tir-nan-og and such), alongside metal max, but the
barely held together aspect gives it a very ramshackle, rustic vibe to it that i just feel at home
with.
the lore is pretty cool too, i like how a lot of it is vague and not explained. the way romancing
saga 3 handled the matriarch and archfiend ruled too, seeing them in the gacha was hype as hell, even
if it was g*cha. this game feels weirdly mysterious and vacant, and i really like that sort of feeling,
the nonlinear nature is very much why i grew to adore old mmos.
the battles are a mess though and the balance is incredibly off, so if you wanna truly enjoy this
one, i'd suggest playing the ps2 remake, which is now available on pc, switch, ps4, ps5 etc.