Somehow I forgot I played some other shit back in early 2024 whaaa
Before I get into the reviews there's a life update! I'm far far away in a stranger's land, trying to make the most of my miserable life. One thing's for sure: I feel significantly better than the last 3 years I've been working combined. How fucked up is that? All in all I have a semi-'fuck around and find out' mindset right now which may serve me well. Maybe. On to the reviews!
Caligula Overdose
(January 2024)
I was going to dedicate a whole post to this game since I actually really enjoyed it and have quite a lot of comments about it, but I forgot to copy all my screenshares from the PS4 to the hard drive, so a simple review is all I can do (for now). Perhaps an actual post one day? Gameplay-wise it works a little like a Persona game, and I don't mean that in a bad way.
Portal and Portal 2 (and mods)
(January 2024)
I activated my Steam account to register my copy of Mini Metro and what do I see on the sales page? The wonderful puzzle games Portal and Portal 2, bundled together costing only RM4! And since I have a gaming laptop equipped with a GPU capable of going 300+fps (in ffxiv), I decided to make my teenage dreams come true. Back then I tried to get the games for PS3 but I must have used up all my luck on Mirror's Edge...
The premise is simple really. You use portals to solve puzzles. There's basic plot with lore sprinkles, a memorable villain and atmospheric soundtrack, enough to keep people engaged and entertained. It's one of those series where everyone should experience at least once. Might not be your cup of tea but you should see how this became the sensation that it is. I suck at platformers in first person because of depth perception and I'm also too dumb for puzzle games but I loved every second of it.
I'm not even sure Valve can make the games better than it is. Maybe they'll find a way to impress, who knows! It doesn't seem like they have any plans to make anything so far, but we can always play free fan mods that could have been full official DLC with how well they're made:
And if you thought these games have no replay value - as a forgetful person, I can't remember the solution for most of the puzzles.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
(February 2024)
Had a lot of free time in the day so I binged the anime + Rebellion like I said I would. Hot damn this is gay. And the movie just dialed it up to 11, like all sapphic anime movies tend to do. Like Fruit Basket, anything that can be said has been said by people a million times over, so this is my inadequate summary: gay to godhood pipeline is real.
Alien Stage
(April 2024-)
This is all the bird app's fault. My fyp decided to show me some toxic doomed yaoi that was recently released (some peeps I follow are also in the fandom) and I was sane enough to only binge the whole thing after my class. It was the right decision because it made me a little unwell. I am truly a masochist...
Final Fantasy Tactics
(May 2024)
Did you know that of all the 'classic' Final Fantasies to not be playable in this day and age, it's this. There's a PSN version available on the PS3 but Sony shut that fucking thing down so now there's no way to actually get it anymore and SQEX isn't releasing it on modern consoles or PC so I gotta settle with a playthrough video. This game is as old as I am so spoilers are everywhere but I only knew the basic premise and not the details.
Like all stories set in Ivalice, the story is told in the narrative of nations. It opens with a narration by one Arazlam Durai, about the hero of Ivalice - he who ended the War of the Lions and rose beyond his station to become king... is what the church wants the people to believe. The Durai Papers describe a different tale; one of a heretic wiped from all existing records, the true hero of the story...
Being a part of the Final Fantasy franchise comes with some staples - god-killing, overarching plots, some form of romance, power of friendship... but it doesn't play out like any other FF story - the romance is tragic, the friendship is bittersweet, but at least it has the power of familial love I guess. It is a story about a knight shackled by his station; a princess with no agency; and a man who lost everything for his principles.
Coupled with awesome music!
Aaaaand that's all I have. The PS4 is hanging out back home and I'm not going to get Apollo Justice Trilogy or any of the Final Fantasty's on Steam. I'm still too much of a sucker for consoles to switch to PC (even tho I used to be a sucker for physical games, look where I am now lmao).
