Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) Review

"Embrace your dreams."

I think it should go without saying that Final Fantasy VII was a huge hit when it was released back in 1997. It was a critical and commercial success, selling over 9 million copies worldwide. While Square would make more mainline entries in the franchise, they would also make Final Fantasy VII into a sub-series. It had a prequel mobile game (Before Crisis), a sequel movie (Advent Children), and a sequel game (Dirge of Cerberus), to name a few. That's not to say that this decision is not justified. The cast of characters are not just iconic, but the world around them and the lore are just fascinating enough to expand upon.

With the Final Fantasy VII Remake around the corner, I think it's fitting that I cover the PSP prequel game, Crisis Core, released ten years after the original. I actually have a bit of a history with Crisis Core. I have a friend who loves this game so much, and because of that, he introduced me to the Final Fantasy series in general. Now that I finally played it, I can say that it's easily one of my favorite PSP games, but not without some shortcomings.

I Now Have a Patreon!

Recent events have taken into account that I need to continue to stay productive. Because of this, I have decided to open up a Patreon page.

What is Patreon, by the way? It's a membership platform where fans can support their favorite content creators by making monthly donations. Before you say anything, take note that this is entirely optional. My blog posts will always be free to read. This is for those who want to contribute to my creative process.

There will also be some rewards to follow (subject to change) to those who do choose to donate monthly.

If you like my written reviews and wish to support it, consider donating on Patreon. If you want to support me, but don't have the cash to do so, sharing my posts is more than enough of a contribution.

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The Legend of Dragoon (PS1) Review

The Sony PlayStation was home to some of the most beloved RPG's, and a lot of that is owed to the success of Final Fantasy VII. Technologically speaking, the PS1 was a lot more convenient for developers. That's why there weren't a lot of RPG's on the Nintendo 64: cartridges severely limited the developers' visions. A PS1 disc just held more data, but I'm getting off track here. Most of these RPG's, however, were third-party titles, being handled by companies like Square and Konami, but not Sony themselves. So where does The Legend of Dragoon fit in to this story?

It all began in 1996, when Sony formed their new studio in Japan (now called SCE Japan Studio). They began work on a few titles like Ape Escape and Ico, which have since become cult classics after release. Sony also decided to try their hand at the RPG genre given how huge the market became. Development occurred over the course of three years, with a team that grew to about 100 people or more.

The Legend of Dragoon would be released in 1999 in Japan, 2000 in North America, and 2001 in Europe. It got decent reviews and sold well enough to get a "Greatest Hits" rerelease. As the years went by, though, it's kind of faded into obscurity. This is the part where I review this game.

Top 10 Games of the 2010's

A lot has happened in the past ten years. To me, I went from owning a few games to having a huge collection. I discovered a lot of games and franchises that I never thought I would get into for the longest time. Nearly every title that I reviewed on this blog site came as a result of these discoveries.

Of course, I didn't just play games that I missed out on in the mid-90's and the 2000's; I tried to keep up with some of the latest releases in the 2010's. Aside from the usual big-budget mainstream titles, the decade also saw a rise in indie games, proving that a smaller team without the backing of a publisher can still make a big impact. Aspiring game designers either break away from the norm and provide something new or return to old styles of gameplay with added twists. There is something for everybody, that's the big takeaway here.

Now that we've reached a new decade, it is now time to list some of my favorite games to have come out within the past ten years. There are just so many games to choose from, but only ten will come out as champions. These left the biggest impact on me and I will definitely be going back to these titles whenever I'm not overwhelmed by my backlog. Also, one game per franchise to avoid redundancies.

Top 10 Animated Shows of the 2010's

The 2010's are what some might consider to be yet another renaissance for animated programming since the 1990's. In terms of western animation, it feels a lot more creator-driven, with several people being given the chance to make their own shows. The rise of streaming services like Netflix also play a factor, allowing even more original content in the meantime. Needless to say, a lot of voices were heard.

With the decade now over, it is time to highlight some of my favorite animated shows to come out in those ten years. These are the ones that left the biggest impact on me and I will continue to look back on. Take note, though, that I haven't seen every show that aired throughout this decade. I've missed out on shows like Adventure Time, Regular Show, The Loud House, and Rick and Morty, so apologies in advance.

Top 5 Films of 2019

2019 has come to a close, ending the 2010's decade once and for all. It's time for that annual tradition. There were indeed some great movies that came out this year. In fact, I considered making this a Top 10 list once more since there was a nice variety this time around, but I backed out. Like last year, it's going to be a Top 5 list that separates the good movies from the great ones. These are the five that left the best impressions on me.