Game #869: Resident Evil 3(2020)

  Did anybody order STARS for breakfast?

 The original Resident Evil 3 was the first survival horror game I ever played, and it alongside Martian Gothic were enough for me to decide that... yeah, as much as I loved horror, this genre wasn't for me. If this blog can attest to anything it's that I was quite wrong and deprived myself from games I'd end up loving later in life.

 Resident Evil 2 Remake was all sorts of amazing, so I wasn't gonna miss out on this remake, no way Jose. After playing this game, well... it's a much looser reinterpretation than Remake 2, and I think I can guess why... Capcom wanted to push for their new online multiplayer game, so they used a lower budget REmake to push it onto consumers. So, getting down to brass tacks, this game recycles a ton of assets from REmake 2, makes a ton of changes to the source material and is quite short to boot, my blind playthrough took me 5 hours to complete. And there are no bonus modes here, remember mercenaries? Gone. Remember REmake 2's bonus mode? Gone. All you get is the online component.

 I'll say it now, as much as I enjoyed the game, I understand why longtime fans could potentially hate it. The thing that made Resident Evil 3 Resident Evil 3 is gone, for Nemesis is now 100% scripted and you've no say in how to deal with it. You'll either have to run because the game decided that your guns won't work, or you'll have to fight him because he is a boss.

 I really liked Jill and Nemesis' new designs, the older Nemesis is a bit more iconic but in the new one's defense, the older one had more time to seep into people's memories. Carlos... I didn't like as much, I don't like scruffy characters, but it was probably done in an effort to make him stand out from the other pretty boy, Leon.

 The game has a live-action opening, say whaaaaaaaaaat? And all the talk about the biggest pandemic in the world just got a lot more topical considering current real life events. The game has a hidden install, at least on PS4. After the game installed, and I started playing it, I met up with Carlos and... 'The game hasn't finished installing, returning to the main menu'. Wait, what? There's no progress bar, there's nothing, I only realized the hidden install finished because the disc drive stopped making noises. Hidden Installs are not cool, yo!

 REmake 2 was a blast to play, and this this game uses the same engine you can bet it's just as fun. This game is a bit more linear, and 'puzzle zones' are a bit smaller, remember, lower budget. Unlike Claire and Leon, Jill can't use grenades or knives defensively, but she gets a R1 dodge. If you learn the timing right, you'll be able to dodge zombies and thus conserve both ammo and health. I liked this new mechanic, having more options is always nice.

 While a lot of enemy zombies got recycle from the first game, there are new enemies here. Pale Heads, fast zombies that can take a lot of punishment before going down, big sewer-creeps with a zombie mouth inside their mouths, insects that love to shove tendrils down peoples' mouths, Japanese-style, to infect them with bugs as well as Hunters, lizard-like beasts that hit hard, so it's not like they recycled everything.

 Carlos is playable in two sections of the game. He gets his own inventory and his own chests, but you don't really need to use the chests as him, as he is supposed to be a bit more action-based. He even gets an Assault Rifle with lots of ammo to spare, as you are supposed to gun down everything in his path. Remember how Chris punched boulders? Well, Carlos' dodge is actually a punch that shoves enemies away. Still, I think his bits are well integrated into the Jill's campaign.

 Two boss fights were a bit hard to predict, since there wasn't any build-up or clear indication that they'd come up. You could say that that adds to the Survival Horror elements of the game, but I tend to run around with the minimum amount of weapons, ammo and healing items necessary in order to grab as many items I can find lying around, so I had to fight the first boss with just my handgund, and I had to restart the second boss fight because there was no way I was taking him out with the handgun and what little ammo I had on the grenade launcher.

 I think REmake 2 is better than REmake 3 in every single way. Better story, better characters, more and larger environments which lend themselves to more exploration, and thus better puzzles and set pieces. Heck, even better extra content. That said, Resident Evil 3 Remake is really darn good, because it uses the same fantastic engine REmake 2 did, and while you can tell that the budget wasn't as high, they still came up with a few new environments, enemies and puzzles to play way, maintaining the same level of quality as before, only smaller in scope. Still, it'd be a mistake to approach this game expecting as faithful a remake as REmake 2 was.

 8.0

Game #868: Deadpool

  It's the clone saga, Deadpool style.

 A big part about Halloween is dressing up, and people dress up as Marvel characters, so this Halloween season I also played Deadpool. Y'know, this guy used to be my favorite Marvel character before he became so mainstream and overexposed, to the point I couldn't even stand the guy anymore.

 Back in the day the game released at a budget price, and it shows... it's very clunky. And yet, it shows that the people that worked in the game really liked the character. Mind you, just as Deadpool himself tells you after looking at himself in the mirror in his house... this game leaves all of Deadpool's depth and more tragic themes aside, this is a wacky and zany game, featuring a very crazy and random Deadpool without his more serious and understanding traits. If you're cool with a flanderized version of Deadpool, then you'll most definitely enjoy the story.... even if Deadpool behaves a bit rapey at times. Still, the overall plot feels like one crazy acid-trip, and it has some honestly funny moments... although the self-referential, fourth-wall breaking references to the developer itself got a bit old after a while.

 The game is an action game through-and-through, with Deadpool having access to both melee and ranged weapons. The emphasis is clearly in the latter, as projectile shooting enemies will shred Deadpool in seconds flat if you try to get in close and ignore your guns. While you start off with his classic Katanas and Pistols, you can use DP(Deadpool Points) to purchase double Sai, Hammers, Machineguns, Shotguns and/or Pulse Rifles, as well as four types of grenades. You can use the directional pad to swap between your available equipment. Close-range weapons and guns can be enhanced by purchasing upgrades, upgrades that must be unlocked by killing enemies with the weapon itself. It's a cool system, you've loads of upgrades to get, and it's not just passive upgrades like more damage or damage-over-time effects, but also new combos and even combos that involve your guns.

 You've got a weak and a strong attack, a teleport/counter button and a double jump. The shoulder triggers are used to aim and shoot your guns and grenades. There are also super moves that you charge by landing attacks in quick succession,     shots count toward them! It's a serviceable moveset, but it kinda sucks how you get no melee lock-on, and the long-range lock-on is kinda spotty, and how most enemies have an ungodly amount of super-armor on their movest. This means that fighting big enemies turn into an unsatisfying attack-attack-teleport loop... unless you use guns. The teleport-as-a-dodge mechanic isn't so fun, since it teleports you too far away from the enemy. A more straightforward dodge or roll would've been much better and would've fit Deadpool just as well. The ranged combat, ignoring how the lock-on is a bit wonky, is a bit more fun since enemies do flinch when getting shot.

 Most of the time there are no penalties to failing the platforming sections, and that's for the best, because movement and platforming feel very clunky. As to why, well, running feels almost as if Deadpool is gliding instead of taking proper steps on the ground. It doesn't get in the way of the gameplay, but it feels as is something is off.

 Deadpool is alright, y'know? It's not very good at a technical level, but boy, does it have a lot of heart behind it. With more money and time behind it, it could've been quite good.

 5.5

Game #867: Dead Space 3

 Also known as how EA closed down one of their best, most versatile studios.

 Picture this: You're the lowest of the low, meaning, you are EA, and you've got this amazing, very versatile studio that has been doing a fantastic job at producing licensed golf games, well received James Bond games, the well received Simpsons game, the highly original LAPD Future cop and also the guys that proved Survival Horror sold through their Dead Space series, heck, they even made a well-received God of War clone with Dante's Inferno! This studio knew what they were doing, they had the chops and the experience. So, for the third iteration of their beloved survival horror series, Dead Space 3, you'll cut their budget, expect them to make over 5 million sales(More than DS 1 and DS 2 combined!) and force them to shoe-in microtransactions while also make them go in less scary direction. Of course, the game tanked, but instead of accepting their responsibility they just shut down this fantastic development team.

 So, Dead Space 3... First things first, this game isn't bad by any means. It's the weakest game in the series, probably even below the spin-off, Extraction, but it's still the good. The core gameplay elements are more or less as solid as they were before, even if the game got tweaked in less than desirable ways. It's a fun game, and it's easily the beefiest entry yet, there are plenty of side missions, and there are also exclusive co-op cutscenes that might make a second playthrough enticing... if only the game had offline co-op.

 EA wanted to nickel and dime its players, so the entire weapon system got overhauled for a disappointing crafting system. While in previous games you could carry up to four very different and fun weapons, each one with their own alternate fire, now you can only carry two. Each weapon must be built by combining a frame with two main pieces, which are your two modes of fire. You can create the previous games' weapons, yes, if you find the blue prints and the required parts to build them. I'll admit, you can create some interesting guns, but they lack the personality that the series' weaponry used to have. What's worse, Visceral Games were forced to justify this system by claiming that this was put in the game to combat players relying on a single weapon. Which is hilarious, because building an over-powered weapon isn't hard, and ammo is UNIVERSAL in this game. In DS 1 and 2 I had to use my entire weaponry since I'd run out of ammo for my favorites, or sometimes, I wanted to hoard my favorite's ammo. In this game I only switched guns if I felt like I wanted variety since I got bored of the one I was using.

 RIGs are just cosmetics in this game, your armor, health and Stasis upgrades are obtained by using the same parts you use to craft guns. The game isn't particularly stingy with parts, I think, but the overall system left a sour taste in my mouth. Besides parts you get from fallen enemies or crates, you can also send bots to scavenge for parts through a dumb and time-consuming radar-mini-game thing. Basically, you hold out the radar and follow a signal, once the radar screen turns green it means you'll maximize the amount of parts your bot will have gathered once it finally returns to the work bench. Here's the thing, through microtransactions you can get any part that you need right then and there or purchase more bots. It's idiotic. You don't really need to purchase these microtransactions, but it's hard not to wonder if the pace in which you upgrade your equipment is alright or if it's been made slower due to EA's want for money.

 Another way to earn parts is to go through side-missions. These optional missions are usually a bit tougher than the main game, but I liked a few of them... even if a few of them recycle entire layouts. What really sucks, however, is that a few optional missions are exclusive for co-op. If only it had had split-screen....

 While the horror elements took a step back, although it seems they are more prevalent in the co-op exclusive cutscenes, that said, enemies are tougher than before. They don't flinch as much, so until you get the parts you need to build one of the overpowered weapons, you'll have to rely on this pathetic short roll by double tapping the run button. There's this recurring, four legged boss, that tackles you every now and then. You'd think that the roll would be perfect.... but it's not, if you're lucky you'll dodge 1 out of every 4 tackles. The only way to reliably avoid its attacks... is by running around rocks or stacks of boxes which will interrupt its charge. It's as dumb as it sounds, it almost feels like you are doing and exploit, since the roll should've been the expected way to dodge out of it way.

 While Dead Space 2 went out of its way to prevent you from fighting humans... That's not the case in this one. You can crouch with the R3 button, or take cover by pressing L1, the button you use to AIM, near short barrier-like objects. The cover mechanics are mediocre, and the bits in which you fight humans add nothing to the game.

 Chapter 13 has some awful, AWFUL, ice-wall climbing sections. The wall climbing mechanic gets used a few times afterwards, but it's not as bad.

 There are a few tougher puzzles than the ones in the previous games, and... I didn't really like them too much. Some aren't even hard, you see three symbols on the screen and you have to match them on a machine, there's no time limit and no punishment if you get it wrong.

 As fun as Dead Space 3 can be, one can't help but feel disappointed. Dead Space 1 and 2 are classics, thanks to their timeless, fun gameplay, as well as their settings, environments and the whole horror atmosphere they crafted so well. This game is the gameplay without the rest of the elements that made it so great, and even so, the gameplay isn't as good, for you see, the crafting system was a huge step backward, and I really think it soured the rest of the experience, since many poor design choices were made around it. For instance, finding a new Power Node felt so rewarding in previous games, here I'm just hoarding resources until I can purchase the next armor upgrade. Universal ammo was a really bad idea. And, y'know, I don't blame Visceral games for what happened, I'm sure they did the best they could under EA's horrible orders.

 7.0

Game #866: Call of Cthulhu(Switch)

  Please stop doing the Switch dirty!

 It's a first person adventure game, it's all about talking with NPCs and investigating objects. The more you investigate the more dialogue options you can open up with NPCs. You also have different stats(Investigation, Strength, Deduction, Medicine, Occultism) that you can spend points in to open up different dialogue choices. Some dialogue choices may open up different routes towards your objectives.

 At the beginning of the game I decided to spend all my point in Eloquence and proceeded to fail every single Eloquence check chapter 2 threw at me. Turns out that anything below the maximum level is just a percentage, meaning, there's always chance involved, which is... interesting. It's interesting because this is a bit annoying, but in a weird way it also adds a certain spice to the game, since you can't really be sure if you're gonna succeed and get a conversation to go your way or even gain access to the routes you wanted. If this was an Action game I think I'd be pretty pissed about this, but since it's an Adventure game I kinda, sorta welcome it.

 Loading times are a bit excessive, but the game loads an entire chapter every time it loads, so it's one big loading screen instead of various loading instances throughout a chapter.

 That said, the game has a HUGE issue on Switch... Chapter 5 is broken. How the game shipped like this is baffling, but I saw other people complaining about the same thing, Chapter 5 can't be completed for some of us. In my case, I wasn't sure about what I was doing, so I triggered both the Gas Leak and Electric sub-objectives, so it got to the point that if I tried to finish either objective the game would crash. Other people managed to get through that part, but the game would crash come the next cutscene. This is absolutely inexcusable. They released a patch, so I did manage to finish the game, but the fact that this game released in with this GLARING game-breaking bug is nothing short of a disgrace.

 The game is pretty much a walking simulator through and through. What's more, its attempts at real gameplay fall short of their mark. The stealth segments are boring, the Shambler boss is boring and annoying, the two-lamps-and-fog segment is dull.... Honestly, the game is at its best when you are talking and investigating. The story is pretty good, and it feels fairly in-line with Lovecraft's works, even if it's probably a bit less subtle.

 I liked the game, I liked the story and I liked delving into its world. While the gamey parts of the game were pretty lackluster, the overall game is very engaging, particularly if you enjoy Lovecraft. That said, EVEN if they did patch it, I can't in good faith recommend a game that has a game breaking bug right in the middle of the game.

 4.5

Game #865: Dead Space 2 Limited Edition

 Isaac speaks! 

 I purchased Dead Space 2 used, so while it claimed to include Dead Space Extraction I thought I'd miss out since it'd be a DLC code. Nope, it's right here IN the disc! That's amazing, so I'll get this little enhanced port of the Wii original first.

 Dead Space Extraction

 This light-gun on-rails shooter was made for the Wii in mind, and it shows. You can play this game with Playstation Move, which would probably work fine, but the joystick gets the job done, for the most part. You'll be missing out on a few goodies since the camera will move too fast for you to catch up with the analog stick, and the game uses a surprisingly large amount of buttons, but you can have an OK experience with the joystick.

 The story is AMAZING. The game does have a few small contradictions with the first game, like the fact that the crew of the Ishimura go insane almost immediately while the original made it seem like it was a slow process, but for the most part it gels pretty well. As a matter of fact, you'll visit a lot of areas from the original game, and you'll get to see why the Ishimura was as it was during Dead Space 1, since you'll be directly responsible for a few obstacles Isaac will encounter!

 The game follows an ensemble cast of four main characters, and you'll play as four different characters(Not necessarily the ones from the main cast!) throughout all 10 chapters. The characters are pretty interesting, although I wasn't a fan of Lexine and her... peculiarities, I think it felt a bit too far fetched.

 The first chapter is incredible. You start off in the final area of Dead Space, and get to experience first-hand how everyone goes crazy. And this first chapter is but a taste of things to come. I'd say this game is way scarier than the original game, in no small part due to the fact that your playable characters will struggle against the effects of the Marker.

 You get alternate guns, and can carry up to four different guns. Only the basic weapon has infinite ammo which is why I stuck with it for most of the game. I experimented with a few others, but the basic weapon is just fine. You can also uses Stasis and Kinetic modules to aid you in combat as well as solve some very easy puzzles.

 There are a few annoying minigames in which you must "hack" stuff by tracing lines with the analog stick. I'm sure they weren't too bad in the Wii original, but having to use my old PS3 analog stick proved less than ideal. The few instances in which you must fend off enemies WHILE hacking are just cruel if you aren't using PS Move/WiiMote.

 Overall? I can tell that this game was fantastic on the Wii, and it's probably just as great on the PS3 if you have the Move controllers. I didn't, but even then I couldn't help but admire the game's high production values and top-notch quality.

7.0

Dead Space 2

 As stated on the opening headliner, Isaac speaks now, which is a welcome change that makes for a better protagonist. Screw silent protagonists.

 The game is exactly like Dead Space 1 but more polished. Moving around feels better, the framerate feels more stable(Even if it has a few drops every now and then), the graphics are better... It's like a highly polished version of the already highly polished original game.

 Zero-G areas were re-designed, now you get free movement when you float, just tap L3 to take off the ground, and L3 again when there's a floor beneath you to land. You can even shoot while floating!

 While the Ishimura was fun to explore, this new game has more environments and more variety, since you are not contained to a single ship, but rather, you start off in a civilian space-station, so you'll get to explore an apartment complex, a store and even a Unification Church. It's not better nor is it worse, it's just different, which is a good thing since it makes both games have their own identity while sharing the same gameplay.

 Enemies are deadlier and require different strategies. In DS 1 you could pretty much shoot your way through the game, but in this one enemies seem to have more varied patterns and ways of approaching you, so it's not as simple as it used to be. For instance, the brutes were fairly simple to take out in the original, but now Stasis is pretty much required to defeat them, heck, Stasis is now a vital part of your armament. The game feels tougher as a whole, which isn't a bad thing considering how easy the original was.

 The original game was a Resident Evil kind of Survival Horror, y'know, one in which the focus is more on the action rather than the actual survival. While ammo and healing supplies felt a tiny bit more sparse and the combat was tougher... It can't be denied that there's a lot of combat in this, and the game pretty much expects you to clear every area of enemies. Heck, there are a ton of very action-packed set pieces, such as having to dive into a falling train and a few others, this game is quite bombastic in that regard. And Isaac? He gets a few witty and not-so-witty remarks, as well as a few one-liners worthy of any action hero.

 The story is sorta there, I think the set-up is more interesting than the plot itself, but it's not as endearing as the first game's trope extravaganza, nor is it as interesting as the one in Extraction. At least the game has some great environments.

 I think Dead Space and Dead Space 2 are equally good, but in different areas. There's a certain charm and magic that the first game had that this one just can't repeat, however, from a technical stand point this game is much better, the controls, the combat and even the explorations feel much tighter and polished. So, yeah, I don't think it's necessarily 'better', but it's just as good and yet another must-play Survival Horror classic. 

9.0

Game #864: Dead Space

 Cut'em 'n' chop'em

 The plot has Isaac enter the USG Ishimura, a ship that requested aid, only to find it infested by zombie like creatures. Oh, and his girlfriend was part of the crew. The game follows every trope and cliche from Horror/Sci-fi movies and games, sharing more than a few plot points with RLK: Run Like Hell. Still, I liked it, Cliche pastiches are not necessarily bad if they are well executed. This plot is simple and doesn't try to be more than what it is, thus ending up being quite solid.

 It's amazing. Just a few minutes of gameplay were enough to realize how great the game was, from the ambiance to the gameplay. I'd put it alongside Bioshock, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 as one of those mainstream must-play games of its generation.

 It's pretty much an evolution of the Resident Evil 4 formula, like Evil Within and Resident Evil 6. It has an over-the-shoulder camera that puts you right into the action, but you can aim and shoot while moving. While it is survival horror, you are pretty much expected to kill and murder everything and anything that comes your way, at least on the Medium difficulty Setting. When it comes to Survival Horror I'm usually a big hoarder, but I had healing and ammo to spare... so much so that I actually started selling my healing supplies for money.

 Money is one of the best thing about the game, alongside Power Nodes. Power Nodes are rare items that can be used to enhance your armor and/or your weapons. The game rewards you constantly for exploring and defeating enemies, either with ammo, healing supplies, money and said Power Nodes, and then you can invest the latter two into getting even stronger. In order to open up most valuable items in the store you need to find Schematics, which will then allow you buy the really good stuff. That said, I spent all my money on Armor Upgrades(Different upgrades than the ones you get with Nodes) and extra Power Nodes. I also purchased a few weapons, the only way to get other weapons besides your basic gun, but I preferred carrying a few but enhanced weapons over getting everything.

 Combat is built around severing limbs, that's the ticket if you want to make short work of your enemies. Also, it seems they are more wont to dropping goodies if you kill them quickly through severance of limbs. Stomping on dead bodies with R2 is sinfully fun.

 You get a few bonus powers, which consume a separate energy gauge, Stasis and Kinetic Pull/Push. Both are used, mostly, to solve some very simple puzzles, buuut they can be used in combat too. I didn't use them too much, didn't need them and the gunplay was good enough.

 The game has two gimmicky areas: Zero-G and Vacuums. Sometimes, they come together. When you exit the ship, or if there's a hole in the room, that creates a vacuum. In a vacuum you must move quickly lest your oxygen runs out. These areas are fairly simple, and if they expect you to explore there are usually unlimited free oxygen refills around. There were a few tense moments where enemies would try to get in my way as I dashed as my oxygen ran out, but nothing to write home about. Zero Gravity areas lets Isaac walk on ceilings and walls, you aim with your gun and press triangle to zip towards the wall you are aiming at. They are a bit clunky, but are decent reprieves from the basic gameplay.

 I love how most chapters end and begin on a tram. On each chapter you are sent to a different section of the ship, with various sub-objectives to complete. Once you are done you return to the tram in order to go into another section. It's very repetitive, but I found it charming.

 The worst part about the game are two turret sections, the first one is surprisingly tough, the other one is just annoying.

 Once I picked up the game I couldn't stop playing it, it's REALLY good and a lot of fun. Beneath its gory and gruesome exterior lies a very elegant game with very polished gameplay and ideas that work well together. I do feel like this is a true classic and a must play of the PS3/X360 generation.

9.0

Game #863: Bravely Default

 Final Fantasy's forgotten brother.

 For all intents and purposes, Bravely Default is pretty much Final Fantasy. The names of the spells and items, the job system, the four crystals... everything is here sans the FF title.

 It's really fun. The Bravely Default system offers some interesting opportunities, by using Default you 'lose' a turn, although it's more like picking 'Defend' since your defenses raise, but you get a Bravely Point(BP), up to a threshold of 4. You can then use BPs to get extra turns, up to three extra turns since each turn costs 1 BP. You don't need to stockpile BPs, you can simply use your future turns, which means you'll be left with negative BP and must rest up to three turns. This makes grinding fast, and boss battles quite fun. Oh, and battle animations can be sped up, pretty nifty!

 The game looks beautiful. At first it's a bit quaint, with what seems to be hand drawn backgrounds, but they are actually made up of both 2-D art as well as a few 3-D assets. This is one of the very few games that actually look better with the 3-D on, everything pops and looks quite pretty. That said, it has a very grey and brown color palette, not unlike Final Fantasy IX or Vagrant's Story, and I'm not much of a fan... but turning on 3-D seems to liven things up a notch, making 3-D even a better sell.

 Back when the game first released, during the PS3 and X360 generation, microtransactions were pretty much in every game, so of course you can pay to win. By pressing Start during battle you can act at any time, yes, even during a boss' turn. The catch is that you need SP, one per action, and you get SP by leaving the game in sleep mode, 8 hours a pop, or.... by paying with real money, which is ridiculous.

 The job system is your standard Final Fantasy fare, every character can pick any job, each job has a separate level, and you can equip a sub-ability from another job. Say that you want a White Mage that can defend himself? Put Black Magic as the character's alternate ability. Each job must be leveled up separately. Going back to Final Fantasy, all the classics are here, and if they aren't you can probably find an analogue. Every characters' outfits change with each job, which is pretty cute.

 The job system is very robust. Besides the secondary job ability, you also get a passive-ability system, initially you only have 1 slot, but the more crystals you save, the more slots you gain. This made it so I would find myself gaining new abilities and thinking "Hey! This could synergize really well with this other ability from this other job!", so it makes you want to use various jobs to min-max your perfect class.

 Levels up don't matter, not really. Leveling up only increases your HP and your mana, your stats depend on your job level and your equipment. This kinda sucks because if you want to try out a new job it means starting out with a really weak version of your character.

 There are Tales-styled 'party chat' optional events every now and then, and they are pretty neat, it's fun seeing the characters interact between each other. Edea is adorable, Tiz and Agnes are cute and Ringabel... is a generic anime 'pervert' cliché who I didn't really like. I think it's possible to pull off the pervert stereotype right, but in this case they failed.

 There's a 'rebuild Norende' mini-game of sorts you can access at any time, you send villagers to rebuild and strengthen shops, which can then allow you purchase bonus goodies. Problem is... you need to go online every day to get new villagers, otherwise the time requirements get ridiculous, there are at least 3 99-hour events, and the only way to get it done faster is by using more than one villager. For my playthrough the servers were still online so I managed to get a tiny workforce, but a few years down the line this mini-game will be pretty much useless unless you take long, long breaks from the game.

 The game did get a bit boring midway through chapter 4. The encounter rate is pretty high, although admittedly you can lower it on the options menu, as well as the difficulty setting. But even then, it got tough because the escape rate isn't very high, and enemies swarm you. By the lava dungeon it was impossible to keep my mana, I had to use mana to heal and to deal optimal damage, even though my Tiz and Edea Swordmaster combo was dealing a ton of physical damage. Random encounters just got too taxing. And while you don't need to grind since what really matters is your party composition, that's a bit of a lie, because you have to grind each job level to get your abilities and make them useful, and if you want to try out a class it might mean investing XP and time into a class you don't like or won't give your character the abilities that'd match the way you want to build him. Keeping your equipment and your spells updated, as well as mana potions if you need them is very expensive, so you have to grind for cash. What you get is a very slow paced game, that also turns into a rather large time investment. Maybe I should've switched the difficulty setting down to easy....

 It says a lot that guides recommend turning off encounters in order to conserve MP and HP. I shouldn't have to tamper with something as basic as the random encounters for the game to become fair.

 A bit of a spoiler, but needs to be said... after you hit chapter 5 you get to do everything again. A sort of world reboot happens, and now you can do everything in any order, with things having changed slightly, alongside the fact that your party remembers what happened. It's padding, and the worst kind. And after you defeat everyone again?.... you have to do it all over again, once again, with a few minor changes. And then... you guessed it, all over again. TO be fair, on every repeated cycle you only need to defeat 5 specific bosses, the others being optional, but fighting bosses again helps makes sense of what's going on. The fifth and sixth cycles get a bit more interesting because these bosses come at you in groups, but by then it was too little, too late, I was already uninvested.

 You have to awaken the same four crystals like five times, right? Well, every time you need to engage in the dullest minigame of mashing X. But you can't just mash X while you look at something else, because characters will chime in, and you have to press A to advance the dialogue. Jesus christ.

 The penultimate boss is incredibly cheap. It can deal humongous amounts of damage with little effort, so if you didn't level up the right jobs... boy, are you in for a surprise. And not a fun surprise. As of this point in time, I haven't defeated this boss yet, but I'm not gonna give up yet. I've seen 95% of the game already, so I felt comfortable writing this.

 I really wanted to like Bravely Default, I really did. I love turn based RPGs, so this was right up my alley, but I can't say I did. I don't like forced grinding in my games, and while you can tamper with the difficulty it doesn't change the fact that some of the end-game bosses are downright cheap, even on the easiest difficulty setting. And having to replay so much of the game? Dude, that just ain't right. Square can do better, and should've done better. And this game was so promising that I'm gonna dive into the sequel shortly.

 5.5