Recent reviews by MetalWitcher

{Currently typing this with the OST of FFVII playing in the background. This soundtrack has been extremely soothing to listen to over these last few months,}

Final Fantasy IX was one of the first (actually good) video games I ever played on the PS2. I was about eight or nine years old and I remember struggling with FFIX simply because it was unlike anything I was used to at the time. I eventually finished the game and then had a similar experience with Final Fantasy X. It was after playing through both of these games all the way that I decided to play the other games in the main series. I worked my way through each game, tracking down each one, but not finishing every one simply because my attention span began to become worse and worse to deal with as I got older. (And there were simply other games I grew more interested in outside of FInal Fantasy.)

I did eventually play through each main game in the series... except for VII. I never owned a physical or even digital copy of VII for whatever reason. And somehow during the almost thirty years it has been out, I was able to remain (almost) unspoiled to this game's story, characters, and importance. This has been a pretty rough year for me personally, and around March, I was going through Baldur's Gate 3 burnout and decided to revisit some older games in my library. I was set on playing through FFIX since I had not seen it since I was a kid. But then I saw FFVII recommended to me, on sale for about $3.49. (What a steal.) This was something I never played, never saw for myself outside of maybe one or two times on YouTube, and with the price being so low, I could just try it out and see if I like it. Worst case, it's a game that wasn't able to capture my interest and I move on to the next one. And then it did capture my interest, not just for that first play session, but beyond that.

Final Fantasy VII is one of those games that I needed to play for myself at the right possible time. Even though I was not alive when this game originally released in 1997, and even though I could not be a fan of it when I was a kid on the PS2, it feels like FFVII has been with me for a long time simply because of how much I love it. I was immediately hooked, interested, and invested with the characters, combat, story, and world in a way that is so rare for me nowadays with newer games or even games in my library that I previously enjoyed. I took about two-three weeks to fully complete VII and it is the third Final Fantasy game I have finished after IX and X. (Pretty much my top three of the whole series.) Finishing this game sparked an immediate interest in moving towards the Remake, Rebirth, and even looking at Crisis Core and the Advent Children movie. To me, there's just so much to love about FFVII. (And modding it with Seventh Heaven is also pretty awesome.)

I recently did a second playthrough of this game after finishing Rebirth and this was an even better experience. There was a lot that I missed or just didn't do on the first run that felt extra rewarding this time. And here I am, just about five months later, still in awe of this experience. I am grateful for giving this game a chance, and I am so happy it exists. I could continue typing and talking about this game for hours without even explaining anything important related to the plot, gameplay, or the characters. I 100% recommend Final Fantasy VII. :)

If you want a good example of a modern Bethesda game, play Fallout 4 or Skyrim. With or without mods, those games have more to enjoy.

Starfield is fine for what it is, but it is not worth $70. It is a shallow version of a game you’ve played many times before. I won’t pretend it’s completely awful or bash it just because it’s made by Bethesda like a lot of other people. I usually love most of these games, but this is the first one I’ve played that I didn’t immediately love within the first few hours.

I’m sure that someone will comment bashing my amount of playtime and say that my review is irrelevant simply because I don’t have hundreds of hours to dedicate to a single game, especially one that does not bring me joy. But I do have that amount of playtime in previous Bethesda games. They are simply better experiences, and while those games still have their own issues, they’re not nearly as obvious to point out for me.

Wait for a sale or get it on GamePass if you’re curious.

A pretty solid game overall, but my least favorite in the Dragon Age trilogy. The story is arguably the strongest of the three however. Most of the companions are all very well written and have engaging quests to secure their loyalty throughout the game. The dialogue is also pretty good, especially the sarcasm. Sarcastic Hawke >

Gameplay is more action-based and less tactical than Origins, which is a good thing because battles are much faster to get through, at least you would think. The random spawning enemies that come at you after just clearing an entire horde of bandits, Qunari, Darkspawn, etc. got really annoying very quickly. To me, movement and combat feels a little clunkier than it did in Origins. I am also not a big fan of the romance options, and in my opinion, this is the weakest thing about this game. Everything else is pretty decent, and while the DLC's were less filled with content than Origins, I still feel like the two major expansions add a lot to the game and more enjoyable moments with your favorite, or least favorite party members. The side quest design is also very well done and most tie into the main story depending on some previous choices you might've made.

This game has aged well, but I still prefer Origins and Inquisition. (Yes, I know.) Maybe if Varric was a romance option, i would change my mind. That was a joke.

It's Fallout: New Vegas, but green instead of orange. :)

If you treat sex as a fail state, The Witcher 1 would be a horror game.

10/10