zhyates Reviews

High on Life (2022 Video Game)

Incredibly Competent

[8/10 · 28 December 2022]

People (should) immediately know what they're walking into with the dialogue and writing of this game. That being said, High on Life was a surprisingly competent single player FPS in 2022. It's even ACTUALLY funny in a few moments (I personally don't find Justin Roiland's type humor that amusing, but there is whit in a few exchanges that happen.)

The game plays like a modest DooM clone, waves of enemies, plenty of dodging, shooting, using movement abilities. High On Life has significantly fewer guns but each gun has a character personality that fits in with the mood of the gun being used. The enemies and locations aren't anything particular to write home about, but they also don't overstay their welcome unless players decide to go for 100%.

I will admit I didn't feel the desire to 100% the game because even though world traversal is swift and easy, total post-game completion is a tedious slog. Being said, if they do decide to release DLC or another game, I'd probably be willing to pick Bounty Hunting back up for another go.

Chrono Trigger (1995 Video Game)

Melting Pot of Creative Genius

[9/10 · 16 December 2022]

There are few games that could be defined as a "definitive" JRPG experience. Literally developed by a group called "The Dream Team" Chrono Trigger was a massive undertaking that succeeds in nearly every aspect of design, music, gameplay, and story.

Importantly, Chrono Trigger is very easy to pick up and learn. The player has the perfect amount of freedom: limited by story direction but not so limited as to lock them into one direction. Combat is QUICK, only bosses and a few of the tougher enemies later require more than a few turns. Player competency and curiosity is REWARDED rather than punished, unlike many other JRPGs.

The main cast of characters are very fleshed out and individuals with their own dreams and ambitions. Even the main protagonist, who has no in-game dialogue, communicates through his animations, which convey a ton of moment and provide great characterization. I struggle to praise how fantastic this game is ANIMATED.

I'd say the only real weak spot of the game comes from it's concluding arcs. Endgame characters are definitively capped on their usefulness, making some characters entirely benchable outside of their required "tie up loose ends" scenarios. One character and time period get nothing specific to do endgame either, their story and period being entirely resolved by the in-game story points.

Overall Chrono Trigger is a definitive experience, and one that you absolutely SHOULD play again.

Final Fantasy VIII (1999 Video Game)

Teen Romance meets Final Fantasy

[7/10 · 16 December 2022]

Final Fantasy VIII is even more of a departure from the traditional Final Fantasys than the previous entry. Focusing on a core of young heroes, the narrative is allowed to be constructed in a way that showcases the struggles young men and women face as they come into adulthood.

The cast of Final Fantasy VIII are unique within the series, all of the main six are all teens within only a year apart in age. The modern and academia tone established early on is really refreshing from the gloomy and depressing Midgar that opened Final Fantasy VII. The main cast and even NPCs function within school factions: Loners, cliques, the administrators, and characters behave accordingly. The main character often vocalizes his internal frustrations and commentary regarding all manner of situations, making him to be believable as a character. We get to witness events that radically change the main character, as well as the other members, into more rounded and importantly "real" characters. The other playable and secondary characters also carry weight and bear meaning into the story.

While I enjoy the first half of Final Fantasy VIII's story, the second half of the game overcomplicates the narrative. Given the elements that were already present in Final Fantasy VIII's lore up until the point, it seems like an unnecessary inclusion; or it was the intended endpoint that they had little concept of reaching. While the story does suffer immensely from narrative haphazardness, the lead character literally carries the burden and emotional weight of the story, so while the events are jumbled, the emotional strength is still poignant until the game's conclusion.

Where Final Fantasy VIII struggles is the mechanics regarding gameplay. The junction system is an expanded Esper equip from Final Fantasy VI, but taken to a degree that actually dissuades the player from utilizing spells outright. The junction system runs COUNTER to the design of the game, where enemy levels scale to that of the player party; meaning you can junction in significantly higher powers without the need of scaling level, making battles insanely trivial.

Triple Triad is perhaps the best side content in a videogame. As stated before it is very easy to break the gameplay, and Triple Triad not only provides fantastical rewards for playing, but can be done so extremely early in the game. The other side content also serves to enrich the overall lore and story of the game, with only a few exceptions that are arbitrary filler that is also easily missed.

In context of its primary core of characters, Final Fantasy VIII is relatable to the experiences of a youth struggling to make sense of the world as it's forced upon them. The card game is fun to use as a means of breaking the gameplay apart. But it's shortcomings and really haphazard second half make it an experience I couldn't recommend more than once.

Final Fantasy IX (2000 Video Game)

Homage, for better and worse.

[6/10 · 16 December 2022]

A whimsical and fantastical conclusion to the Final Fantasy franchise history. Final Fantasy IX encapsulates what made the JRPG franchise into the stalwart franchise it is, with some of the best melodies, character moments, and solid JRPG gameplay. Paying homage to the games that started it all, it carries the strengths, and unfortunately also the weaknesses.

The key roster of characters (which are a main 3, introduced within the opening arc) are all dynamic and enjoyable characters, each telling a story of maturity and personal growth through revelations and tragedies. These 3 characters are easily the highlight of every narrative beat, and even that takes place in Final Fantasy IX. Unfortunately outside of these 3, the other remaining 5 are at best accompanying pieces that provide little outside of their own personal arcs. While each character has their own unique skill sets, they still overlap making it very easy to permanently bench a character that narratively and in gameplay is just not to player's taste.

Much like the game stories it pays homage to, the narrative bounces around inconsistently. The larger story arc is bounced around and much like Final Fantasy VI narrative, there are a lot of pure coincidences that are used to push the story, and because it is overloaded with characters it tries and fails to utilize a lot of them as the story reaches a climax.

The game's antagonist is perhaps too much of an homage. While unique in his design and manners, the game recognizes that he's part of the plot-convenience and struggles to utilize him in a direct threatening manner.

The side-content on this game is atrocious. Even the Chocobo minigame (which can break the game early and make it too easy) is extremely tedious and the rewards for following through with side quests or optional challenges are painfully underwhelming given the time and dedication to completing most of them.

While Final Fantasy IX can be an enjoyable and memorable story experience, there is little value in a replay.

Final Fantasy VI (1994 Video Game)

Chaotically Conflated

[6/10 · 15 December 2022]

Final Fantasy VI was the last outing of the franchise on the Nintendo home console in it's era. Wanting to break the mold from their previous entries, Final Fantasy VI is an ambitious and memorable entry to the franchise.

Nostalgic fans will praise the characters and narratives presented in the game. Themes of belonging, tragedy, love, and loss are all presented, and accompanied by gorgeous musical arrangements. Gameplay is functional and diverse, with several characters having unique ability sets unto their own.

What makes this game rank so low, for me, is that there isn't a narrative focus. There's a Resistance against an Empire, there's a magic Revolution, there's a Mad Jester, the Esper World; it becomes overwhelming when placed on a timeline and a lot of events in the game start to happen out of narrative convenience rather than being revealed or introduced in an intriguing manner. While each character has moments that can make them endearing, it's literally just a moment or two. Even the more consistent characters still feel entirely detached, and the most hardcore of players can technically complete the game with 3 minimum characters.

Bizarrely, the main antagonist is the most memorable character. He exists only to bounce from these chaotic narrative points, making himself relevant at every key point and powering himself up off screen to threaten the player's party. The idea of a "Mad Jester" is interesting, akin to a Joker-esque character, but instead was boringly railroaded into supreme villainy out of the narrative obligation. There's a difference between being genuinely Chaotic, and poor narrative structure.

Overall, it's an enjoyable JRPG experience to play and experience once, but I don't come away with any desire to play this game again and struggle to understand what would make someone return to Final Fantasy VI over other equally ambitious but more sound titles.

Final Fantasy XII (2006 Video Game)

A Long Time Ago, on a Continent Far Far Way

[5/10 · 15 December 2022]

Final Fantasy's return to "Ivalice" is an interesting one. While sharing the namesake from previous Final Fantasy Tactics continent, this game offers nothing in similarity. Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance are part of the "Ivalice Alliance" era of SquareEnix, and share little to do with the more traditional JRPGs prior.

The key problem with the game is that unlike the previous lead, Tidus, Vaan is NOT a fish out of water. He seems intentionally stapled into the game to provide the players with a young male lead. Tidus AND the player both were learning the world as it was introduced. Meanwhile Vaan seems to just have little or no awareness, and is simply a very very small character in a much grander plot. Perhaps even odder, is the key story narrator also isn't Vaan but a completely different secondary character, so we don't actually experience growth with Vaan during key revelations or entering into new areas.

Narratively, the game is Star Wars. It's not even really shy about it. The problem I have is that while it's more of a reference to old Star Wars in it's character fits, the game goes through extensive monologues and political deception via cutscenes that would make for a great NOVEL but not particularly interesting for a game.

Gameplaywise, this really feels as an attempted single player MMO. The player is actually more of a pilot, able to set up functions for the key party members to enact based on conditions. I loathe a lot about this system, as there's nothing rewarding or clever, and manual control will pretty much be assumed by a player at critical moments anyways. This system is technically expanded upon by Final Fantasy 7: Remake, and smoother combat there makes the experience much more enjoyable.

Most of the side content comes from re-traversing areas, following instructions from certain NPCs or markers that lead to fighting a rare monster. Rewards vary but often there's little difference between weapons and armor upgrades over the weapons design and minor stat changes.

Painfully, there's a lot about Final Fantasy XII I want to enjoy, but the game relies far to heavy on it's bloated narrative, and I think because of this title no-one is particularly eager to return to the Continent of Ivalice.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998 Video Game)

Rise to the Challenge

[8/10 · 15 December 2022]

Perhaps to be one of the most nostalgic games from the 90's; the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an epic adventure showcasing defeat, triumph, growth, and a maturity not seen by most games of or before its time.

Link and the player grow side-by-side throughout the adventure, starting only with basic movements. As Link gains equipment, the player is encouraged to learn how each new tool works and will over the course of the game learn to refine their skills and understanding to master the Land of Hyrule. Each area is teeming with secrets, opportunities for the player to showcase Link's newest tools and techniques, and coming back to a previous area to reclaim what may have been missed or put aside is genuinely rewarding.

Key characters are unique, and even some of the NPCs are memorable. The primary trio of Link, Zelda, and Gannondorf all represent their sides of the Triforce very commandingly. I enjoy that a lot of characters aren't entirely forthright with their information and the game leaves a lot for players to deduce or imply from their own understanding. Being said, some of them are too withheld, and come across as one-noted and uninteresting.

As rewarding as OoT is from a gameplay and experience standpoint, some of the rewards for side completion objectives are either not rewarding or entirely inconsequential. It ultimately comes down to player preference on how much of a grind some of the side content they feel fulfilling.

Overall The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still a definitive adventuring experience that should still be played today, though I can't recommend going after 100% despite the enticement of Hyrule's many, many secrets.

Final Fantasy X (2001 Video Game)

Franchise reaching maturity

[9/10 · 15 December 2022]

Final Fantasy is a go-to name for JRPG genre. Final Fantasy X is without a doubt a cornerstone of the "modern" JRPG genre: latest in graphics (for 2001), dynamic story telling, and deliberate flexible gameplay.

Not to say this is a flawless entry. The cleaner main character models contrast with the lower secondary models and some environments. FFX's narrative was definitely built around a beginning arc and the final arc with the middle of the game meandering to some key points to reach the end. It is still overall satisfying but the pacing is certainly muddled until the game reaches it's definitive plot beats.

All of the playable characters are freely customizable, with a primary grid that eventually opens up to other areas of the larger grid, so the speedster Tidus can be shifted to another area to learn magic or pick up status inflicting abilities. The delaying allows the characters to have defined roles, which is a problem I have with several other modern JRPGs (and games within Final Fantasy like FF2, FF6, FF8).

Music duty split between 3 composers and an abundance of tracks. Square spares no expense when it comes to setting atmosphere and tone using music, and FFX is another masterful example of how the right compositions really enhance the story.

I'd say what drags FFX out of a 10/10 is mostly due to the side and "post game" content. Once through the main story beats, the majority of remaining side content becomes tedious expeditions, and of course grinding for key items and enhancements for characters and gear. The story of the game itself can easily be done in about 18-20 hours, but the potential time sink of this game can likely break 100 hours depending on the player's patience.

FFX is an absolute recommend, but I wouldn't pain any individual into mastering the entire sphere grid or doing much in Blitzball beyond a few useful prizes.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022)

Dragon Ball Restored

[9/10 · 4 November 2022]

Dragon Ball Super: Superhero is fantastically balanced in its comedy and action pieces.

Firstly, the film is captained by Piccolo, which is a fantastic departure from the Goku heavy norm. Piccolo is often the straight-man to everyone else's antics, making him very likable in the position. Piccolo's key relationship with Gohan is a reliable narrative to long time fans, and by proxy we get insight in Piccolo's relationship with Pan as a proxy parent (Goku and Gohan aren't so different). Other familiar characters come and go without dragging on the plot. I also really enjoyed the characters of Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, and their interactions.

I'd say the weakest bit of the film is with the setup. I'm not particularly against relying on a classic foe, but a lot of the antagonists moves are expanded on extremely heavily and probably could've been revealed in a different sequence without bouncing the pace. I do think that the final opponent is fairly "meh" being a half-baked repeat.

Being entirely 3D, it holds itself up fairly well. I think avoiding bouncing from 2D/Partial 3D and just maintaining 3D lets Dragon Ball pop out in a way it hasn't before.

One Piece Film: Red (2022)

Frightening and Fantastical (Spoiler Free)

[9/10 · 4 November 2022]

One Piece Film: Red is a fantastical welcome addition to the One Piece Film series.

What I felt lacking from the previous film entry (Stampede) is addressed here properly and I think this film also takes a lot of notes from One Piece Film: Z. I also found that this is probably the most "new-to-One Piece" accessible since Film Gold, requiring little for a new person to comprehend without requiring a huge history of the franchise.

The pacing of the film is energetic, driven by the emotional core of the film in Uta. It is incredibly refreshing to see an emotional driven and well written (female!) character run the plot of the film. Uta's unique powers combined with actual musical scores adds a layer to the film solely unique and allows the film to stand out among the others.

Luffy and company are put in reaction mode for most of the movie, which is really the only fault of the film I have. It's fine whenever Uta strongly drives the plot along, but other side characters show up either for convenience or exposition fairly frequently. The Strawhat crew get to showcase their flashy attacks, but there's only a few brief moments where they get to use their personality to shine (I'd say Usopp and Sanji in particular stand out in key moments, and it's unfortunate Jinbe doesn't have anything key for him to do in his first film appearance.)

I do however appreciate how strongly Luffy plays off Uta and establishes a foil to Luffy that isn't some random stranger he meets once. Luffy and Uta's character beliefs are played perfectly around their idolization of Shanks. It is phenomenal that Shanks & his company are given an actual visual highlight in film to showcase exactly why Shanks is an Emperor and Roger's legacy.

Lastly, the CGI effects are bright and intentionally cartoony for great effect. The use of color to set mood is vastly important. CGI used especially within the film's finale is overwhelming but thankfully not ugly or distracting from the action taking place (again unlike Stampede). The final conflict has masterful use of animation to deliver an amazing finish.

I feel a lot of the unfavorable reviews missed the point: The antagonist isn't so much the character, but rather complex and conflicting emotions driving this individual to commit to a cause without comprehending their actions. Reviewers who go in expecting a low-emotional stakes Shonen will be sorely confused. One Piece has always been held up significantly more by the emotional investments of is characters, rather than it's combat. I honestly prefer this film OVER Film Z in terms of how to make an antagonist that earns their sympathy while also still being threatening.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Crafted Masterful Cynicism

[10/10 · 2 January 2022]

Were you offended by The Matrix Resurrections? Good, that's the point. You haven't changed. You saw the originals and continued to take your blue pill: go to work, maintain and harbor affinity for the nostalgia created in your mind. Go see your therapist.

This film works as a perfect return to form: a capsule of everything modernized attempting to replay nostalgia; from the way it's presented, filmed, written, and characters portrayed. Your mind wants to revoke it because it's not some time locked piece of continued fiction from the early 00's. AND THAT'S THE POINT.

As a conclusion to the series, (because I don't particularly see this getting a sequel, not for being reviewed as "bad" but because it's actually a reasonable conclusion) it successfully rights the wrongs of the original trilogy.

One Piece: Stampede (2019)

An incredibly frustrating Grand Tour

[5/10 · 19 December 2021]

The 20 year experience of One Piece, celebrating characters from throughout the series, new and old, and paying constant tributes throughout. I can appreciate the ATTEMPT, but to me, the attempt is absolutely ruined by the antagonist and scattered pacing of the film.

I cannot say if the film is bloated due to having to showcase an abundance of characters, or if the film is simply devoid of content because the villains are one-note fiends. For 100 minutes, the film desperately squeezes the fandom for "remember them" moments between the boring escalation actions of the main villain.

Outside of a few "hype" moments intended to please the long running fans, this offers nothing new to the existing fans, and is an absolute avoid for people new or looking to get into One Piece.

Also this film is an example of how NOT to utilize CGI in a 2D style production.

One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)

Interesting, but not good

[7/10 · 19 December 2021]

I really struggle to categorize and review this film. It's a very specific, and intense film from start to finish, clearly a well crafted and directed work.

The issue I have is that, to me, it doesn't come across as "One Piece" story (itself a shonen style story). It's a terrifying and gripping narrative, where the Straw Hat crew are the players, detectives, and ultimately victims to the antagonist's machinations, which makes for an interesting experience. However the stakes and the imagery used to reveal what's occurring are perhaps to intense. The 3rd party characters also own large chunks of narrative, which in turn also reduce the Straw Hats down to nothing more than being "at risk" to drive Luffy into the protagonist role.

Wan pisu firumu: sutorongu warudo (2009)

Strong Debut

[8/10 · 19 December 2021]

For the first of the "modern" One Piece films, "Strong" is a good adjective. The emphasis on the stakes is perhaps too burdening for the film, as a lot of exposition is used to constantly weigh down the less serious tone the rest of the film conveys. The antagonist troupe tends to be more jovial and less sinister, which is to the detriment of the antagonist given his agenda and what he does to tie the Straw Hat crew to the film's events.

A lot of this film seems to be set more around getting specific art piece setups rather than making a cohesive film, but it's very fun when it wants to be, and perhaps too serious when it swings back the other way. Still a definite watch.

One Piece Film: Gold (2016)

Gold Standard for One Piece Films

[10/10 · 19 December 2021]

This is my top recommendation for newcomers looking to understand what One Piece "IS":

> Straw Hat crew are the main characters of the film, not a 3rd party newcomer > Straw Hat crew have personal stakes within the crew and with secondary characters.

> The main antagonist is sympathetic yet still despicable. All antagonists possess genuine threat and menace.

> Side characters don't distract from the main cast or the antagonists > Unique atmosphere and entertaining story gimmicks > Cohesive and simple plot with enough tension to never feel stressful or boring.

> Doesn't rely excessively on the main-series lore, unlike the other modern films.

One Piece: The Movie (2000)

Fine, for the "First"

[6/10 · 19 December 2021]

As the first "One Piece Film" it clocks in at 51 minutes. It is a glorified 3 part episode, and has the early series entertaining charm. The small cast (before the series expanded greatly) really helps the pacing of this, letting the narrative work around the Straw Hat crew. While there's no real stakes and the villain is a one-note joke, the film is fine. Not great, not bad, but just fine.

One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (2001)

High Paced, Frantic, But Enjoyable

[8/10 · 18 December 2021]

At under an hour, this film rapidly establishes the stakes in the films antagonists and objectives. It's one of the few times in the series (film or otherwise) that the main crew come across as vulnerable to what are overall not so threatening opponents.

That being said, once the crew get past their vulnerabilities, the movie is virtually concluded. It's debatable if the two movie newcomers are necessary to the film's plot, but they do provide some emotional weight and story motivations. They may simply exist to help buffer the incredibly frantic pacing.

One Piece: Dead End Adventure (2003)

Among the best

[9/10 · 18 December 2021]

The best of the pre-Strong World One Piece films. Luffy and company are engaged in suspenseful race against a dangerous opponent. Another rogue with an agenda is also thrown into the mix, and while this character takes the narrative focus away from the Straw Hats, it provides an emotional core and provides stakes for the characters.

Two things really hold this film back: -As it should be pointed out, is the antagonist is far too similar to the similarly defeated Crocodile from the main story, and thus the conclusion to the film could be far too much of an homage and feels come across as more of a repeat.

-The Straw Hats themselves, while engaged and active, have little to do by the film's conclusion. Though they are the helpful force to the film newcomer they personally really don't have any stakes themselves at risk.

One Piece: The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle (2006)

Jumbled mess

[5/10 · 18 December 2021]

Absolutely lacking in suspense and atmosphere, this movie is perhaps the most generic One Piece side story. Not all comedic bits land, the villains are extremely one note, and even the main cast come across as unenthused by the "adventure". Easily skippable.

One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword (2004)

Fails to live up to a high potential

[5/10 · 18 December 2021]

The second time a One Piece film focuses on a specific crewmember; this outing delves into Zoro's history. While this film has a unique aesthetic and atmosphere, it falls flat by running several stories that don't really tie back into the main narrative. Even while giving Zoro a highlight, he doesn't particularly feel relevant to the story as it's written. Has a few cool and amusing bits, but otherwise falls into a skippable category with movies #3 and #7.

One Piece: Chopper's Kingdom in the Strange Animal Island (2002)

Maybe the most avoidable One Piece film

[4/10 · 18 December 2021]

Chopper's debut film. This film is basically just a showcase piece for his character that's not executed well at all. Some brief amusing moments but a mostly tedious and generic experience.

One Piece Film Z (2012)

Weighted Review for OP Film Z

[7/10 · 19 March 2020]

One Piece Film Z is a flawed chaotic mess of a film. While that is not unlike its TV counterpart, Film Z is broken up into 3 acts. Fans of this film fondly remember the 3rd act and finale, but the film offer little else in terms of interest before it's 3rd act.

Admiral Z (The titular antagonist) is an interesting take on a broken War-Hero type gone too far. The conclusion to the film is very satisfying and genuine to the character Oda and the director were trying to tell the story of.

The issue I have with this comes on two points:

The pacing is a trainwreck. This isn't uncommon for One Piece but it does make rewatching this more of a chore. A ton of exposition is dropped by a major figure from the series mid-movie, and while it does help round out the antagonist, it doesn't come across as natural information and isnt useful for the heroes at all.

Aside from the pacing, the subordinates of the antagonist are woefully uninteresting characters. They don't do anything unique or strong enough to feel like they actually threaten any of the protagonists. Also the setup for the clash of heroes vs villains is incredibly uninteresting; seeing which characters are afflicted for basically a gag rather than for a conflict resolution.

Overall this is the least-interesting of the "modern" films (starting with Strong World). It does nothing new to the dynamic of the heroes, its rogues are fairly bland, and the only thing keeping this film above water is the film's conclusion.

Ultimately: This is NOT a One Piece film about the Strawhat Pirates. They are simply there as an audience anchor. There are no new dynamics entertained and the villains are so feeble that the tension is non-existent. Zephyr makes for a great tragic character but serves little purpose as a "villain."

South Park: Band in China (2019) Season 23, Episode 2

One decent laugh

[5/10 · 3 October 2019]

Show continues its two-story split format with Randy and this time Stan's band instead of Kyle/Cartman.

Everything Randy does this episode I couldn't find interesting. His actions are extremely petty (the first scene with him and his family) or successful entirely off-screen. I also don't understand why this show forgoes foreign subtitles for dialogue (last week was Spanish, this week is Mandarin Chinese).

I think the half of the show focusing on the Band was more interesting, because it at least had some sort of basis in censorship and cultural selling-out which Hollywood has been a part of for the better part of the last 5 years or more. Even that wasn't particularly funny, and I think that's a lot due to how much of the time the Randy story takes up.

South Park: Mexican Joker (2019) Season 23, Episode 1

Stale

[5/10 · 27 September 2019]

Starting off weak. The splitting of the show between multiple storylines in the same episodes is exhausting to keep up with.