Let us measure

Fantastic villain in Hamura too; properly threatening. This game flew under loads of radars on release, but it's a very high-ranking Yakuza. Love it, and loved the politics surrounding the main story.

Unless you refuse the cheap black coffee...

Ah man, that (mid-Act 2 Yarikawa spoilers):

Yeah, quite a few shocking (green streamer spoilers): I completed this yesterday and look back on the whole play through very fondly, despite some frustrations. At just over 30 hours play time, it's short, very sweet and left me wanting just the right amount of more. May well go back and try to get all the collectables.

Nice one. I haven't quite reached level 100 yet and want to complete Tsushima first, but am desperate to dive back in. Tsushima tries its very best, bless, but the combat in Nioh 2 really is best in class.

It starts off fairly charming, and gets stronger and stronger throughout IMO. The second, third and fourth chapters especially are a treat.

It's a pity that people seem hung up on the fact that this game isn't a carbon-copy of TTYD on GC, not least because Origami King does a great many things much better. I'm about to wrap up the fourth chapter now, and each chapter has brought a fresh change of pace, inventive set pieces, some really cool bosses, and downright beautiful, vivid environments. Like any JRPG under the sun, regular battles get a bit samey towards the end, but are fairly stream-lined and satisfying throughout. All in all it plays a lot like an N64-era Zelda game, with all the joy of exploring dungeons and collecting trinkets that that entails. And goddamn if a sodding fuse-less bob'omb isn't one of the best ever written characters in a Nintendo game...

I had no idea this was out this week! I've still got one area to go to completion, but knees deep into Tsushima at the moment. Just samurai all up in your face everywhere these last few months...

I've been setting aside a bit of time for mahjong every so often with this, and have gotten to beating normal, hard and amazing cpu! I think the game finally clicked for me somewhere while battling hard, although I'm still miles away from being any good. Impossible's going to be a pain in the arse step up, seeing as opponents now tend to declare riichi in the second or third round...

Yes, precisely. The measure of a man is in the size of the waste-paper basket he wears over his head.

Could you possibly give me some more specific directions, spoilered if necessary? I've got the black ronin outfit one but it's not quite the same. I really want that damn hat!

Yes, it's brilliant! I'd go as far as to say it's the best Paper Mario has ever been. The scenarios, characterisation, music and bloody awesome localisation all pip TTYD to the post for me. Just constantly chuckling at the quips and little animations. The battles have become really addictive now after enough practice. I've also felt the earlier Zelda vibes - I think its the overworld and vellumental temples that feel like Zelda dungeons.

I was thinking about this too, but I reckon the idea is that the Mongols aren't really interested in the refugee camps as there is nothing there for them. They're after the fighters of Tsushima, like Jin, who pose a threat but as far as they're concerned the island is done and conquered now so they can turn their attention to the mainland. Ruthless slaughter of absolutely everyone isn't their end goal.

The Japanese dub gets a lot better, especially when you meet Ishikawa and Masako, who have a great range to their VA. I agree Jin's actor plays it a bit too gruff - I imagine they were going for some detached, arrogant, Ogami Itto-like ronin roughness, but it kinda falls flat when you just want to feel something for the player character.

Yeah, it's a bit of a pain in the arse until the end of the first temple, then it pipes down a bit.