Recent reviews by NRC

guts from berserk except he's japanese and has massive jugs for some reason

The guy from Better Call Saul is in this

banger soundtrack

I beat this game about a year ago, and I never want to play it again. I tried my hardest to like it, I desperately wanted to, but it just isn't enjoyable. The only positive aspects I can remember are dual wielding greatswords, No Mans Wharf and some parts of the DLC. Aside from that, the rest of this game just doesn't sit well with me. The graphics are sometimes decent and sometimes awful, The bosses are forgettable (aside from Alonne), the music is forgettable, the areas don't feel naturally connected, and the animations... holy ♥♥♥♥. The weapon animations in this game are weightless, your character barely flinches when taking damage, ADP is a joke and I'm glad III removed it, and the walking/running animations look unfinished (the worst being the falconer NPC. Jesus christ). I could go on with my seemingly never-ending list of problems with this game, but for the sake of my sanity I'll stop there.
Despite all my negatives, there is still potential. If this game could get a remake that - at the bare minumum - reworks the animations to make everything more weight-y like the Demon's Souls remake, I could see myself playing it again. Until then this game is the worst in the souls franchise, and one of the worst games I've played in years. To this day I am still confused about how this game has very positive reviews, and how the original version is one point below Bloodborne on metacritic. I don't understand this mindset and I don't want to. However, if you like Dark Souls II despite its many glaring issues, I can safely say I envy you.

You ain't goin nowhere.

DRAW TWO
DRAW TWO
DRAW TWO
DRAW TWO
DRAW TWO
DRAW TWO
DRAW

what has my life become

Came in expecting cheesy, cringeworthy dialogue, instead I ended up with a 5 page essay on why I should go to Japan, and a few lines that made me bust a gut laughing (due to how absurd they were). Also, the characters were really generic. I can't imagine ever spending 10 bucks on this waste of words.

Yakuza 0 is one of my favorite games of all time. The characters, world, music, and story all complimented each other excellently, and when it ended, I was left satisfied and wanting more. So, when I saw that a remake of the first game was heading to steam, I was ecstatic. When the game came out, however, I started to feel like I let my expectations go a little too high.

This isn't to say that Kiwami is a bad game. The characters are great, and the world is once again filled with plenty of things to do. Kiryu is still an amazing protagonist, and I enjoyed watching him solve every problem by punching it square in the face. But, there are still a few glaring issues I have with this game.

My biggest gripe is, surprisingly, the combat. I played both Yakuza 0 and Kiwami on hard, and while 0 had a good balance of challenge and fun, Kiwami always felt like a cluster ♥♥♥♥ of enemies blocking and then stunlocking Kiryu CONSTANTLY. I feel like I had to open the menu every 10 seconds to heal myself. This was a glaring issue for both group and one-on-one fights, and it really killed most of my enjoyment for combat encounters. Yes, even Majima had this problem. To fix this problem, I would recommend for new players to grind out the coliseum as soon as you unlock it, because the tiger drop was my saving grace for the last hour of the game.

Secondly, let's talk about the story. I didn't have much of an issue with its simplicity, because it is a remake of a game from 2005, and the writers probably weren't planning out the far more interesting and complex story of Yakuza 0 eleven years before it came out. But I just didn't find myself completely as invested in it as I could've been. There are ways to make a simple story interesting, and while the fate of a few of my favorite characters were shocking, those were the only memorable moments out of the ~15 hour long story that left me feeling unsatisfied at the end (luckily, Yakuza Kiwami 2 exists, and it helped me appreciate this game's ending more).

I don't have much to say about the music. Aside from For Who's Sake and Majima's Theme, there aren't many standout tracks, and that saddens me, because even Kiwami 2 has some fantastic music, and what hasn't already been said about Yakuza 0's fantastic soundtrack?

Yeah, I know it sounds like I hate this game, but I promise you that I don't. I still enjoyed myself for the most part. The sidequests were fun, pocket circuit was just as enjoyable as 0, Majima encounters were gold, and the voice acting was solid. I love how alive Kamurocho feels, every corner is just oozing with personality, and watching Kamurocho evolve in terms of looks and atmosphere contributes to the story, as well.

Overall, while it may have a lot of flaws, I still think that Kiwami is a worthwhile experience for those who have completed Yakuza 0 and are itching for more. If you haven't played any of these games, then do yourself a favor and buy Yakuza 0 first, then this. I'm glad that Sega is putting these games out on PC, and I can't wait to see what they give us next.

lots of screaming and dancing

anime?