#27

Change YoY: =   My Rating: 9.2 / 10

Likely one of the more obscure titles on my list, Grandia was a game I discovered somewhat randomly while browsing through the PS1 section of the PS Store well over a decade ago now. I was a bit starved for new JRPGs at the time, the genre being in a bit of a slump on home consoles during the PS3/360/Wii generation, and Grandia looked like it might be interesting, so I decided to give it a go. At that time I had no idea what the game was going to be like, as I had really only seen the name mentioned a few times  prior to coming across it on the storefront. A few hours later I was hooked, and once I finished the game it had become one of my favourite PS1 titles ever, as well as one of the best JRPGs I had ever played.

One of the key reasons why I love the game so much is because it manages to capture a very specific tone in a way that few games ever have, and that's the feeling of adventure. Fitting, considering that adventure is the main character's primary motivation to leave his home town at the start of the game. Other reasons follow, but that's where the game starts, and it creates this sense of awe and discovery with every new location the player visits because that's how the main character sees them. In general, Grandia does a great job at characterization. Every one of the characters you play as has their own specific goals and dreams, and the game makes sure to make each one stand out in one way or another. Another aspect that deserves to be mentioned is the battle system, which is really well-designed and should be adapted for use by other games beyond this series as well. In addition, the game has a great soundtrack, some really nice pixel animation on the characters, and an engaging story.

The few weaknesses the game has (the dated 3D graphics, rather clumsy and stilted voice acting) are generally just a sign of the time period the game was released in, and an inevitability in most games from the PS1 era. 

32) Ahh it's just Tales of Arise then. It is a bit weird how closely they resemble each other in that regard

Correct. To be honest, I really need to play more Tales games. Apparently the composer for many of the Tales games is the very same who did Star Ocean and Dark Souls series. 2 series that I have delved in deep, but not so much Tales.

#25 The first title started the hype, the second (my #25) is how most people got into the series and solidified a new sub genre. It has the best vertical map design an action RPG ever had. 

Mega Man 3?

Dark souls?

Yep, a map that's forever part of my mind

Guessed by @Veknoid_Outcast

This took a bit of a nose-dive down the list, but there's not really any particular reason for it, just a bit of shuffling around I guess. I love Metroid Fusion, it's such a unique entry in its series and has the best narrative among them too - it was the game that established the Metroid series is always gonna change with each title, and that even with all of them having very different identities, they can still tell an interesting long-running story.

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Guessed by @UnderwaterFunktown

One of the most emotionally impactful games I've ever played, it had me glued to my screen and in tears less than 10 minutes in! Sadly I've replayed this a couple too many times, it really loses its shine when you already know what it has to offer, and I'm not entirely sure why. But it's such a beautiful and memorable experience, it'll stick with me always.

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We are a late newcomer to magic school, and right on our way there we are attacked by dragon, while our mentor talks with another person about some secrets. This is the turbulent start to a game about ancient magic, old secrets, strong enemies and devious schemes. Also it is about school. Learning about spells, magic beasts and flying a broom is all part of the new life you enter in the game.

The game features all main points of interest of the book series, as they appear in the past that the game is set. So you can go to Hogsmeade to select your wand and buy magical pranks or enter the forbidden forest. It is pretty clear from scenes like this that the developers at Avalanche love the setting and did their best to emulate all this in video game form.

This was a very ambitious game for Avalanche software, some may say too ambitious for a developer that worked before on Cars or Disney Infinity. They may point to the open world surrounding Hogwarts, which is overall standard fare. Nothing outstanding, but also nothing bad. You get your typical open world tasks, puzzles, fights, collections and broom flying challenges.

The game really shines in Hogwarts itself though, and it is undeniable how much love the devs put into designing it.

The living pictures alone - hundreds of animations that most players will rush past. But they all fit, they act in accordance to their surroundings and sometimes react to stuff. This is amazing detail. I also love the astronomy tower, which has moving stars on the roof of one room.

The castle is a labyrinth - as designed by Rowena Ravenclaw. Luckily map, fast travel, the ability to fly with the broom once outside and a spell showing you the path to your mission marker are helping navigating it. The different areas match their classrooms or other usage.

And the castle is full of secrets to find, so you will be rewarded for exploring it. So if you always wanted to explore Hogwarts to your hearts content, then this is definitely the game for you.

If you get bored with it you always can go on the main quest or find more stuff in open world tasks. The main quest is partly school classes, which help you get acquainted with the gameplay features. The other part is the old secrets which are also seeked out by your antagonists. Which leads to quite some action packed scenes or magical puzzles, and part for part unveiling of past events.

There was some critic levied by some towards the fighting in the game, which I can't follow. At most it is too far on the easy side. But by mixing spells and bringing in upgrades to change your fighting style it offers a lot of variation. Which can lead to a lot of fun in testing out new spell and effect combinations.

Overall this is definitely a good game. And even though a product of modern AAA industry it is free of microtransactions and loot boxes. Sadly something that has to be pointed out in these days. A big undertaking for Avalanche, which they did very well on. I hope they can build on the experiences made here to get the weaker parts of the game better for a potential sequel. But either way, the game as it is, is an enjoyable experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NthGfn_ddRQ