Marcomix

If you're looking for something with unique hybrid RPG combat and somehow have a way of playing it (I've heard the PC port is pretty terrible), I'd say give it a shot. It might surprise you!

They all struggle in their own way, and it was really satisfying to see them find their own answers one by one. I'm not sure I've seen such a well-rounded FF cast in that way before! Nobody gets left out.

So there we have it. I totally understand the game's reputation, but I think it's actually pretty great with some time put into it. I was particularly impressed with how intricate the main characters' motivations were, twisted by grief and anger at their situation, having to work it out on the road.

The stubborn camera also makes itself annoying, constantly wanting to reset itself behind you as you're exploring. I genuinely believe that the maligned hallways of FFXIII are where the game's at its best--more time getting into battles and story and less time jogging around sluggishly.

Add to this the tedious side quest system where only one can be active at a time, and they're also the only way to unlock fast travel points... It's wild to me that this section of the game should have been FFXIII at its best, but when I had the opportunity to return for side quests I skipped it.

Lightning riding a chocobo through a wide open field. Massive monsters can be seen roaming the plains and flying in the sky in the distance.

And like, while this game is known for its hallways, there is a big open zone section of the game full of side content!! It's just getting around is really tedious at your max speed of a light jog, and to my knowledge only this one area has (optional, needs to be unlocked) chocobo riding!

Of course it isn't without flaw. The biggest misstep is that the paradigm deck resets to default every time you switch up your party members. It got annoying to constantly reorder everything so I eventually settled on a team for the last act and never switched them out.

But to get to this point, of understanding the paradigm system and not getting overwhelmed by setting it all yourself... I understand to an extent why the game is so slow to start. At first it only gives you a preset party so that you always have a combination that's well-balanced for the story.

YouTube video by Marcomix FFXIII lets you do this to bosses sometimes

It's super flashy, too. Most staggered enemies can be launched into the air, after which everyone will juggle them, piling on the stagger multiplier and stacking up the damage. It's so satisfying dismantling threatening encounters this way. Even some bosses can be juggled!
youtu.be/X915usCu07w

Showing off the Paradigm Deck in battle. The same six choices are listed, and the player is deciding to change off of Tireless Charge (COM COM MED) to another paradigm.

This is where the combat really shines. It abstracts RPG combat even further than usual, being about predicting the flow of battle and checkmating your enemies with efficient team composition. You'll keep finding new niches you want a paradigm for, but with only 6 slots you have to decide carefully.

The types of encounter vary a lot, so figuring out your priorities with the paradigm deck is a skill you have to hone throughout the adventure. You absolutely will die to generic enemies without the right planning! But dying puts you right were you were before the fight, encouraging experimentation.

Out of battle, you set up this deck of up to six party configurations, and in battle, you swap between them on the fly. This area had tough enemies that could easily kill me, so I'd go in as Bully to weaken them and empower myself, swap to Tri-disaster to stagger, then punish with Aggression.

Screenshot of the Paradigm deck. The three characters have various roles assigned to them, with each role given a unique name to describe it. The names help to remember the purpose of the paradigm in the thick of battle, such as Bully being comprised of Commando, Saboteur and Synergist. You can imagine hammering away at the enemy as you weaken them while empowering yourself.

There are six roles in the game. Commando pressures with physical attacks, Ravager staggers enemies with magic, Synergist buffs, Saboteur debuffs, Sentinel draws aggro and Medic heals/cures status effects. Not everyone is great in every role, and they can't do it all at once: enter the Paradigms.

The combat is where I've heard the most complaints: that it plays itself. It's true that by default the game has an auto-battle setting on, and if you want you can play the whole game using this setting, but it only accounts for micromanagement. Where FFXIII's combat shines is the macromanagement.

A page from the Cocoon Society section of the Datalog: Chocobos These large, yellow birds are always crowd favorites. Wild chocobos are almost unheard of on Cocoon, but thats to the antics of a certain TV program's feathery main character, owning chocobo chicks has become the latest fad among children. Although the tiny chicks are easy to handle when young, their rapid growth as they approach adulthood has forced an increasing number of families to donate their oversized avian pets to zoos and farms.

Often the Datalog spells out the subtext of the story scenes if you're feeling really lost about what just happened, and the glossary elaborates on world details never explained otherwise. There's this incredible page about how a chocobo TV show led to their mass adoption by underprepared families.

But the game's presentation accounts for this. For one, the cutscenes and acting are great, but there's often several threads going on at once. They knew it was overwhelming, because the game features a Datalog: a story synopsis step-by-step, term glossary, and enemy bestiary all in one.

It's this mishmash of confidence that makes the game so off-putting from the start. Running down narrow walkways suspended unfathomably high up in the air, as characters bring up words like fal'Cie, l'Cie, cieth so casually. Cutscene after battle after cutscene after perspective shift; it's a lot!

Final Fantasy XIII [2010] is one of the most deservedly misunderstood RPGs I've ever played. From the story, which throws you into high-stakes in medias res with characters throwing similar-seeming terms around all over, to the gameplay, which takes roughly 20 hours of combat mechanics onboarding.

I played through this earlier this year. it has entire pitfall mazes and you can drop rocks a tile ahead to slowly figure out the path lol

well that's just cheeks

lately around this time of year I get a covid and flu shot at the same time. pretty brutal day after but I'll take the hit

Have dialogue choice systems ever just not felt right for you in a game? Doc lays down some good groundwork on why they are so often at odds with satisfying conversations and truly memorable moments in video game storytelling.

you're the only person I follow who posts about it so from my perspective it just sounds like a hateful disaster game lol

If you're into some unique combat challenges (think breakout meets bullet hell) then I can recommend 10SF. It's pretty intense!

while it could never compare I've definitely had some "too sick to sleep" nights in the past. gotta take those snoozes when they happen

The fun premise, snappy pacing, dynamic camerawork, bangin' soundtrack, funny voice and character acting, visual gags around every corner...it's all here already. And expanding Bunlith's signature PSX cutscene style to an entire show? There's just gotta be more!!

ever seen the Dory one? straight up embarrassing

Heather staring at a basket filled with bread in a bakery. Very plainly, she states: "It's bread."

You could play SH3 standalone, but I think it benefits a lot from having played SH1 first. Since both games are short, memorable and focus on different aspects of Silent Hill's horror, I think they go well together anyway. I'm glad I went through the trilogy; well worth it!

Now enjoy bread.

It's a great game. I wish there were more open areas to wander, but SH3 is laser-focused on a tightly-paced linear adventure. There's really only one city streets moment to wander around in and it's a slice of SH2's map, so it feels like a formality at this point.

Heather looks directly at the player, contempt and disgust on her face. "Who would even think of doing something so disgusting?" It's a very rare fourth-wall break moment.

Heather is a great protagonist compared to the last two. She's defensive, sarcastic, and her motivations shift over the course of the story. She's allowed to joke, get angry, scared, repulsed. You won't be getting her to stick her hand in a slimed-up toilet, that's for sure.