(s) Archive
2022-01-22
Winner (tie): Hootle (Tales of Arise) Mascot characters: you either love them or hate them. If done wrong, they can break the mood of a game (hi, Bienfu from Tales of Berseria). However, the great ones melt your heart every time they are on screen, and that’s exactly what Hootle does in Tales of Arise!… Read More »
Winner: Venat (Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker) Note: Light spoilers for Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker follow. At its best, faith pushes people to be better, kinder, and aspire to something higher, even if it’s based on something we can’t see. Venat, Hydaelyn, Azem, or whatever you want to call her, despite becoming a deity in her… Read More »
Winner: Fandaniel (Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker) It takes skill to turn an antagonist who at first seems incredibly one note into a much deeper and more intriguing villain. Final Fantasy XIV has a habit of doing this, but Fandaniel is a particularly noteworthy case. He is hardly compelling in the lead-up to Endwalker, and his… Read More »
Winner: Yuffie Kisaragi (Final Fantasy VII Remake Episode INTERmission) Episode INTERmission is fascinating because it’s focused on edges of the Final Fantasy VII world that have never hit the mainstream. Sure, all the surprise extended universe appearances are wonderful, but none add depth to the world quite like the time we get to spend with… Read More »
Winner: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Final Fantasy XIV has always dazzled with the written and spoken word, so it is no surprise that Endwalker has an incredibly rich and powerful localization. However, that doesn’t make what it does any less impressive. The sheer depth of emotion the localization team wove into this climactic expansion contributes… Read More »
Winner: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Few other games have led me to tears just by asking a simple question such as “Has your journey been good? Has it been worthwhile?” But Endwalker‘s deeply human and hopeful story reaches out from the screen and touches your heart in ways other video games have tried and failed.… Read More »
Winner: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Masayoshi Soken’s music in Final Fantasy XIV is so iconic that it’s practically a character itself, and this is perhaps no truer than in Endwalker. From “Footfalls,” with its callbacks to leitmotifs from previous expansions, to the theme of Sharlayan and its beautiful vocal variant “Flow,” Endwalker introduces powerful new… Read More »
Winner: Final Fantasy VII Remake Episode INTERmission Final Fantasy VII Remake certainly piqued many fans’ interests with its new take on the 1997 classic by using Unreal Engine 4 to the fullest. Even though the game is largely defined by the 2020 release, the visual benchmark set was still enhanced in the release of INTERmission.… Read More »
2022-01-21
1. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker After 2019’s Shadowbringers rocketed Final Fantasy XIV into Game of the Year position (both in our overall awards and my personal accolades), my expectations were incredibly high for Endwalker. And I must admit, part of me expected that Square Enix would not be able to top what had become not… Read More »
As 2021 has come to a close, we look back at another great year of RPGs. While “adulting” saps my precious gaming time away, I still had the luxury of being able to play some great RPGs this year! Here are my personal top five Most Enjoyed Games. 5. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Coming fresh… Read More »
Despite what you might think, a lot of games released in 2021. The year finished in a blur, for me at least, and I had to refresh myself on what actually came out this year. Top Games of 2021 1. Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy The latest entry in the Atelier… Read More »
I initially thought that the strength of video games in 2021 might make it difficult to choose favorites. Yet, as the year went on, I felt that assessment was getting easier rather than more difficult. I missed plenty of titles in 2021 that I’m aiming to come back to in 2022, especially in terms of… Read More »
Top 5 RPGs/Visual Novels: 1. Final Fantasy XIV Granted, I haven’t been able to log in to Final Fantasy XIV since Endwalker dropped due to the congestion issues, but I had a blast this year catching up on the story expansions and switching my character’s job to Samurai. Hopefully, I’ll be able to actually play… Read More »
1. Super Robot Wars 30 2021 is the year I got back into anime, and Super Robot Wars 30 is why. I haven’t watched anime in well over a decade, but thanks to Super Robot Wars 30, I have watched (and thoroughly enjoyed) Majestic Prince, am currently watching (and absolutely loving) Gun X Sword, and… Read More »
2021 was difficult in many respects, but instead of burdening y’all with details, I’ll just say that I played way more new games than I usually do to escape the hellscape of the real world. But it still didn’t seem like enough. I did get to at least eight 2021 titles I’d like to discuss… Read More »
I’ve desperately needed gaming this year to compensate as I lacked other forms of entertaining myself. I was quite undecided about how to tackle my year-end rankings, and then an email from Nintendo magically appeared in my inbox: my 2021 year in review summary. “Aha,” I thought to myself. “These will all be games released… Read More »
There was no shortage of excellent games in 2021, and behind every great game, there’s a great cat. Thus, I present to you my coolest cats and kittens of the year. The issue with ranking them, however, is that all cats are the best, so all my selections are tied for first place. Thus, when… Read More »
At this point, it feels tired to say that this year was a tough one. But you know what? I think we can all agree that 2021 wasn’t quite the relief we hoped it would be. Nonetheless, the games were once again very good, so we’re happy to finally be able to present our Game… Read More »
Game of the Year – Deltarune: Chapter 2 With every new game Toby Fox releases, he successfully iterates on his signature style even more. Deltarune Chapter 2 is as madcap as ever, but in a medium where comedy usually feels forced or unintentional, it is rare to play something so genuinely gut-busting. Maybe this is… Read More »
2021 was a banner year for RPGs that I, Wes, didn’t play. Sure, I made my way around some of the big ones, but all the little hidden gems I’d usually revel in are waiting for 2022 as I spent so much of this year revisiting old favorites for comfort, or via one of the… Read More »
I try to spend some of my free time playing games, and of course, I try to dedicate some of this time to RPGs. The curious thing about me generally, especially this year, is that I didn’t play a single solitary game that came out this year. Most of my game time for this website… Read More »
Game That Rises Above Others Award Sorry Monster Hunter Rise, I did love the time I spent with you, but another game with the word “Rise” in its title was just superior. Tales of Arise really was a spectacular game through and through, and shows just how great a game can be if companies take… Read More »
3. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Rift Apart just knows how to have fun. It’s a rather short adventure because of its quick pace, but it’s densely packed with pure joy and charm. The roster of weapons and gadgets, most of which use the PS5’s DualSense controller to interesting effect, can be hard to grasp… Read More »
Best Collection of Songs About The Happy Turtle Final Fantasy VII Remake Episode INTERmission is probably the best DLC I have ever played. Yuffie controls like my wildest RPG dream, the tag team moves with Sonon speak of interesting developments to the battle system in future Final Fantasy VII Remake installments, and don’t even get… Read More »
2021 was an amazing year for RPGs for me. I got surprise new entries in niche series I loved, fantastic follow-ups to long-running series, and gorgeous new IPs. Best Atelier Game / Best Gust Game / Also Best Tomb Raider Game? Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy The Atelier series has been… Read More »
