Jess Just Play: JRPG Video Game Blog

A Gaming Blog for JRPGs

[jessjustplay]

This blog is full of spoilers!

Welcome to my JRPG video game blog! I mainly focus on playing JRPGs and RPGs, but I also like puzzles, cozy games, and strategy/action-adventure games. I blog about games I'm currently playing as well as games I've finished. I also post often on Instagram and sometimes on YouTube!

• CHARACTER ANALYSIS

• LIST OF GAMES

• CATEGORIES

• ARCHIVE

[jessjustplay]

Currently playing God of War: Ragnarök - 27 Hours Update (Part 1)

June 8, 2026

I'm still having a fun time with this game! A lot has happened since my first update.

Rage increased! These screens are always funny to me.

Kratos thinks we should all read more and I agree!

I felt like I was inside the tunnels under Gringotts Bank. (Harry Potter world)

"War does not measure the strength of a man." - Kratos

There has been a reoccurring theme of Kratos trying to teach Atreus that war should not always be the goal or answer.

We actually met Tyr! He is huge. There was a point in the game where Atreus says something like, "It's funny that out of us two, I'm the Giant"... and you know what? I do find that very interesting.

"Well ain't you filler-sophical." - Brok

We took Tyr back to Sindri's house and it was really interesting to see such a huge person in there. Sindri was like begging the dude to not break his furniture lol

Then we go on a mission with only Atreus and Sindri. How fun! And funny. Atreus tries to open the chests by punching it, just like his dad, but he realizes it's much harder than it looks. 😂

"Take this you dirty pile of rocks!" - Sindri

Sindri joins us in battle by throwing things at the enemies. He's so funny. He doesn't like things to be dirty or feeling hands on himself, but later he actually admits why. It turns out he accidentally killed Brok and had to go down to Hel to get him back, and so he feels those dead grimy hands on him as he's trying to get Brok out. "Thing is... I could only get three of his four soul-parts back." I still don't know what that means. Is that why he turned blue?

Sindri throwing a huge pumpkin. Hilarious. 😂

Atreus talks to himself a lot. It's really cute and funny. He has full on conversations with Kratos, even though Kratos isn't there.

"I am far from whole." - Freya

Atreus eventually finds Freya, who is still pissed. But there's something so incredibly fascinating to me about seeing this woman, who is heartbroken, angry, feels trapped, enraged, vengeful, etc... it's that, despite all that, she still knows what the right thing to do is. She lets Atreus go, saying "Go, before I change my mind."

A weak person could never!!!

After Sindri and Atreus's little adventure, they head back to Sindri's house and they all gather round the table for a bro dinner.

Then we met... this talking squirrel? I don't actually remember what he said, but I think he's in charge of the tree that we use to travel to different realms.

"My dad likes loot." - Atreus

"He's just looking around. He does this sometimes." - Atreus

For the next part, we take Tyr with us and he keeps wondering why Kratos lags behind. Atreus explains that Kratos is very thorough lol

We saw the Lake of Souls, which is part of that really bright elf location from the first game. Except the whole area here looks different. It has more flowers and stuff.

Oh my God this was the most annoying puzzle! And I admit it - I had to look this one up because I couldn't figure it out. I felt stupid after I read how to do it. I just had to call back the axe. Smh.

We keep finding these poems around and Mimir asked Kratos if he has a favorite. I like what Kratos replies. "Why would I choose a favorite?" That's honestly how I feel about colors lol but later, he does say he has a favorite poem from his homeland. So I guess he just meant. why would he pick a favorite Kvasir poem when he already has a favorite poem. Such a Kratos answer.

"I daresay he's beginning to ENJOY the vandalism. Pretty soon he'll by laying waste to pottery..." - Mimir

I'm glad Mimir mentions the pottery breaking. I definitely try to hit every pottery I see. 😂

I think Atreus asked Tyr about his mother's soul. Tyr replies:

"Her soul is one with the Light now. United by forces older than Odin himself." - Tyr

And then we see Kratos attracted to the light. I think Kratos said he could hear someone. (Faye, obviously).

We eventually find the shrine and Tyr is like, "Nah, I'm not fighting." and so we head back. But Kratos asks Atreus if he wants to help the hurting animal he heard.

So we find him and this scene was funny. I don't know if I shared a screenshot of Dínner, which was a squid thingie from one of the dwarf peoples (I think he's the dwarf who gave us a map?), but this conversation between Kratos and Atreus made me laugh:

Atreus: Don't worry, Lúnch. We'll get you out. Kratos: What is that name? Atreus: Well the last squid-thing we say was Dínner, so...

Oh my gosh, these two! They were such good animals. They follow you around when you're on foot, so you never have to go far whenever you're ready to get back on the sled.

There were a lot of good stories here in this desert. At one point, Mimir talks about the soul and that it has four parts: form, mind, direction, and luck.

Back at home base, Tyr is cooking and is enjoying it. Brok is pissed off that he has to eat vegetables. And Kratos is upset with Atreus for thinking of himself as a champion.

Atreus: It's just a word. Kratos: A word that clouds your judgment.

Atreus gets mad and storms off. Sindri actually puts his hand on him to comfort Atreus (a big thing for Sindri) and then Atreus falls asleep holding a marble thing.

I don't actually remember when he found this... was it in the bag of ashes from the first game?

Read part 2 here!

[jessjustplay]

Currently playing God of War: Ragnarök - 27 Hours Update (Part 2)

June 8, 2026

Read part 1 here!

Atreus falls asleep and travels to the Ironwood. Which is a secret location of the Giants. He meets another Giant named Angrboda, who I think he has a crush on. Or at least wanted to impress.

Angrboda notes. She recognizes him and leads him deeper into the woods to her village, where she lives alone.

Atreus finds a painting prophecy that is similar (or identical?) to the one he saw at the end of the first game. He loses his marbles after seeing his dad dead and himself with Odin and turns into a wolf.

Angrboda was able to calm him down, and now in battles (at least when it's just Atreus) his new ability is to transform.

Atreus: Feels weird when I change. Like I'm not in control. Angrboda: Do you need to be? You can fight with all sorts of eotion in your heart – not just rage.

We spend some time with Angrboda and even explore riding on the back of her yak. Angrboda tells Atreus that his knife has a soul inside...

What a cute scene omg. Atreus randomly finds a flower, pulls it out, and hands it to Angrboda. She's like, "You killed a flower?" and doesn't take it. Poor Atreus. 😭 (But also, I feel the same way about flowers. I'd rather see them flowering than pulled out.)

So, during all this, one of the wolves in the forest gets captured and Angrboda tells us Gryla took it. So we go to Gryla's home, who happens to be Angrboda's grandmother. She is a very cruel woman. It's interesting to see how her grief manifested. It's also interesting that of the very few women we see in the game (Freya, Faye, and now Gryla), two of them are just tortured by their all-encompassing grief.

Atreus tells Angrboda that he has to leave, and she is lowkey upset that her part in all this is over. I think that's why hearing her own grandmother tell her that she'll be forgotten is so hurtful. Atreus reassures her that it doesn't have to be the end.

Also, Angrboda gave him a bag of more marbles which are actually holding the souls of Giants. He ended up using one to re-add a soul into a huge serpent that was inside Gryla's home. But the serpent just slithered away and Atreus was confused and (I think) he handed them back to Angrboda for her to keep. (I think)

Anyway, Angrboda helps Atreus head back home. Except... well he heads back to the home in snowy Midgard...

And Kratos is there... very upset.

Atreus tells him that he can't tell Kratos what he's working on. And why can't he keep secrets since Kratos and Faye kept things from other people. Kratos tells Atreus he just wants to keep him (Atreus) safe and that he (Atreus) doesn't need to protect him (Kratos).

And then Freya appears! And she is ready to kill Kratos once and for all, but... she doesn't. She decides to use him on a mission to Vanaheim so that she can remove the locks that keep her trapped in Midgard.

Freya ends up turning into a bird when we get to the next location because she couldn't keep her human form up because of Odin's spell that keeps her trapped.

It was at this point that I realized there was an "Anger Mangagement" tab under Labors that has been tracking how many chests I've opened. The fact it's called Anger Mangement is so funny.

Brok joins Kratos and Freya btw, and he along with Kratos (and Mimir) all try to talk to Freya about forgiveness and such. Freya is upset with her brother Freyr. It's all very strange. Like, just leave her alone. She'll forgive when, and if, she's ready.

A full moon!!

And in a sad dialogue, Freya tells Kratos he has no idea what it is like to mourn a child. And Kratos tells her that he does. Kratos says his first child was a daughter named Calliope and that he destroyed the village that she and her mother lived in. I never played the first God of War games (with younger Kratos) but I think these events happened in that trilogy.

The Draugr in this location was so hard! It turns out it was because I had the Rage set to replenish HP. I changed it back to the original Rage where Kratos punches a lot and I finally beat him.

Every time Kratos gets on these swinging things, I pretend Kratos is saying "weeee"...

"I am reaching my limit for enlightened platitudes from you today. Can you please just shut up and kill things?" - Freya

Freya finally has had enough of all the lecturing and tells Kratos to shut up. He doesn't like being told what to do, and like I mentioned before, I've never played the original games but I'm assuming it's because he was tied to the orders of Roman gods/goddesses that used him as a killing machine.

"I kill to protect my son. To aid my friends. But I will be no one's monster. Never again." - Kratos

We finally reach our destination and we kill the... monster thing that was protecting the... roots thing that had... something that was... keeping Freya trapped.

Afterwards, Kratos comes up to her and is like... so are you gonna kill me? I love what Freya says.

"To be honest... I don't think I can do either. (Forgive him or kill him) There's still a part of me... that is so... angry. And it'll always be... it'll always be angry. But, no. You are not the one who needs to die. I do see that." - Freya

Oh FREYA. My heart. This is true strength. To be so angry and hurt and full of rage, but to still think clearly?

Ugh, and then they shake hands. And it was ...so touching? It is interesting to see these two. They respect each other. They care about each other, in a way. It's odd. It's different, but not in a bad way.

"I do not regret saving your life... and never will. But the choice between life and death should have been yours to make. I should not have robbed you of that choice." - Kratos

Freya gives the tiniest smile, and they head back. In the journal, the entry is updated and the last line reads: "I am relieved to think of her as a friend once more. I can imagine no more formidable ally."

She joins us in battle and has a bow that she uses like Atreus. She shoots pink runes that are really cool (Sigil arrows). And later Brok fixes her bow to also shoot the green arrows like Atreus (Sonic arrows).

Kratos: You use your anger effectively. Freya: Well, you learn to use what you have.

Freya is reunited with her brother. They forgive each other.

"Forgiveness can be powerful. My wife Faye taught me that." - Kratos

This is the first time I've seen Freya and Kratos (and Mimir) on a boat, so that was cool. Mimir is glad they are working together.

"Whatever comes next, our best chance of surviving is to work together." - Freya

There was one dialogue while on the boat that made me laugh. Freya told Kratos that if she wanted to, she could have beat him.

Freya: You know I would have beaten you. Kratos: Mm. Perhaps.

A MAN WHO DOESN'T GET OFFENDED OF A WOMEN'S CONFIDENCE! Gotta love it.

And I ended up dying here, so this is the last screenshot I have. Mimir said a funny line about what they each contribute.

Mimir: With my brains, Kratos' brawn and my lady's... Freya: Wisdom. Magic. Ability to tolerate you for long periods of time. Mimir: I was going to say "brutality."

Read part 1 here.

[jessjustplay]

Currently playing God of War: Ragnarök - 10 Hours Update (First Impressions)

May 26, 2026

I started playing God of War: Ragnarök on May 10th. It is SUCH a fun game! It basically feels like the first one (God of War 2018) but with all the cool abilities that you unlock late in the game.

Also, I think I played like 10 minutes of Ragnarök and I was already crying. That really surprised me.

I played God of War 2018 on my PS4, so playing Ragnarök on PS5 has been incredible. The graphics!!! They're amazing.

We saw Freya again and she is maaaad.

"I killed her son. There is no letting that go." - Kratos

Wolf girlies! Speki and Svanna

And this is why I started bawling my eyes out. I barely even knew Fenrir and yet his death was incredibly sad. 😭

"I don't want to fight anyone. I just want answers." - Atreus

We also met Faye for the first time. At least I don't remember seeing her in the 2018 game. She reminded me so much of the girl from Daredevil (the original Marvel TV show, I haven't watched the reboot). I looked her up just now to find her name (Deborah Ann Woll) and turns out she is actually the voice actress and they used her as a model for Faye's character!

"A problem doesn't have to reach our doorstop for it to be our responsibility. If we have the power to limit the harm it would cause, we should act." - Faye

Later, Atreus goes to bury Fenrir and we can't find him. Basically he turned into a bear and killed a mama bear and her cubs are all alone. Cue more crying. 😭😭😭

"Intent does not matter. Only consequences." - Kratos'

Thor visits us and... well, he sure isn't Chris Hemsworth (in the first Marvel movies... towards the end they did make Marvel movie Thor more like this).

The graphics in this game! Absolutely amazing details.

After Atreus tells us his plan to try to find Tyr, we meet up with Sindri and Brok again. They are so funny.

We travel to a new location, The Wetlands which was pretty in it's own unique way.

And then eventually find our way to Nidavellir which I think is the home of the dwarves.

The water!!!!! Spent some time around here on a sidequest for Mimir to free some creature he trapped.

"You must live with your deeds, but do not be troubled by them, brother." - Kratos

I always think it's funny when Kratos does this. I imagine him going "weee" like if he was at an amusement park.

"Even hateful things have their uses." - Kratos

One of the best things about having a boat again is the stories that Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir talk about. Or sometimes it's just silly dialogue, like Atreus asking Kratos when is he going to get big and strong like him (Kratos).

"My strength does not come from my body. But both are honed by disipline." - Kratos

We eventually get on a train and make our way to the next location.

Which is beautiful.

Looks like a heart.

This dragon thing was tough.

[jessjustplay]

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Review

May 15, 2026

[1 = okay] [2 = fine] [3 = good] [4 = really good or solid] [5 = great or amazing]

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a remaster of the original 1997 tactical JRPG. I had never played Tactics, so this was my introduction to the game. The Ivalice Chronicles gives you access to the original "classic" game and the enhanced remaster. I chose the enhanced version.

"The enhanced version is based on the original 1997 release of FF Tactics, but features full voice acting, additions and adjustments to dialogue, and animated character portraits to provide a more immersive way to experience the story. This version also boasts higher resolution graphics with an updated user interface, along with improved controls and optimized game balance, making it an ideal choice for returning players and newcomers alike."

"The classic version is intended to be a faithful representation of the original 1997 release of FF Tactics. Using the English translation from 2007's The War of the Lions version, it adds functionality improvements such as autosave to provide a smoother experience to those who wish to enjoy the game as it was originally created. Certain in-game movies and sections of text appear as they did in the 1997 version. Trophies are not supported."

There are 3 modes. Squire (easy), Knight (normal), and Tactician (hard).

Story 2/5

The story was fine. Ooooh~ war and betrayal. Blah blah. But I did like the zodiac integration and the auracite fundamentals. And I liked how everything wrapped up in the end.

Characters 2/5

Also fine. Ramza is obviously a very righteous character. I think the one that stood out to me the most was a late-game character whose name starts with M and they wear a green hood.

Narrative 3/5

Good. The story is broken into 4 chapters and the story is straightforward. You can learn a lot more info about the world through the tavern rumors and running errands.

The whole game is written in an Old English style, which can be annoying sometimes because like, just say what you mean bro. But it succeeds in what it's trying to be: an old-timey war-driven video game experience.

Gameplay/Exploration 3/5 (mechanics, controls)

Exploration

The overworld is a map that looks like this above. The yellow symbols denote your next destination to the progress the story. The smaller points in between the castles/buildings are fields, deserts, and various terrains with random battles that you can flee from or fight. I like how succinct everything feels. You know where to go next, you can fight or flee, and go back to a town or castle to buy items or check on your errands.

Treasure

The treasure chests in this game are on the battle field and they appear after enemies disappear from the screen. You have to use a turn to move a character onto the spot where the treasure chest is.

Recruits and Errands

You can recruit squires from the taverns and then send them off to errands. At first I thought I wouldn’t be doing this, but it’s such an easy way to make a lot of money and find treasure/information so it’s honestly stupid to NOT send out recruits.

Battle System 3/5

Can I just say, the tutorials for this game are basically nonexistent. You really have to figure everything out on your own… which can easily turn into a huge waste of time.

The very first battle is way too automated and should have been a tutorial. I remember sitting there just watching the computer make all the decisions and moves and thinking, “What in the world is going on!”

The battle screen is a grid of squares. When it’s your characters turn, you can move a certain amount of spots and perform a move depending if it’s a far-attack or near-attack ability. For example, an archer will be able to hit enemies far away compared to a knight who can only hit someone on a square next to or in front of them.

The camera was really annoying in battles. Maybe it’s because I played Jeanne d’Arc first because in that game you had a lot of freedom to move the camera but FF Tactics heavily restricts you.

The Archer Job...

Speaking of archers... what the actual F is up with the archers in this game? The game limits who you can attack, even at a distance, which I thought was really weird. In Jeanne d'Arc, an archer could hit anyone without any restrictions!

EXP and JP

After your character performs, they earn EXP and JP (job points). Job points for a particular job are distributed to the other characters too. For example, if you have a monk, ninja, and dragoon in battle, the character acting as a dragoon will get JP points AND the monk and ninja will get some dragoon JP too. So from what I understand, it’s good idea to have a variety of jobs on the battle field at once so everyone’s jobs are leveling up.

Spellcasting and Characters Moving/Dying

It is very annoying when you cast a spell but either: • your character dies so your healing spell gets cast on someone else... and usually it's the enemy so now the enemies have your heals or protection spells -_- • the enemy moves so your attacking spell gets cast on no one, someone else, or often your own party member!!

Other Annoying In-Battle Things

You can’t use any items until your Chemist has enough job points to unlock using those particular items. This is why it helps to always have a Chemist in your party at the beginning to make sure everyone is getting some Chemist JP.

If an enemy counterattacks you, Auto-Potion doesn’t seem to work? I notice Cloak Evasion activating during battles, but I’m not sure how it works. (It’s helpful though.)

Character Progression 3/5 (leveling up, customization)

Bravery and Faith

Characters have a Bravery and Faith stat. This is important when you're recruiting new characters. Apparently there is some complicated weird stuff going on to figure out these numbers. But I simply like to think Bravery is someone's physical attack and Faith is their magical strength.

Unlocking Jobs

You unlock jobs by leveling up previous jobs to a certain level. It’s REALLY annoying. For example, the Ninja job (one of my favorites) requires Level 4 Archer, Level 5 Thief, and Level 3 Geomancer. Some jobs are blacked out until you’re close to unlocking them (which was kind of annoying because it would have been nice to know what they were).

EXP, JP, and Mastering Jobs

I mentioned EXP and JP above under Battle System. Characters level up with EXP and each job levels up with JP (up to level 8). Once you learn all of a job's abilities, the job is considered mastered.

Job Combinations

I guess this is one part that gamers really like about FF Tactics. Once you learn a job ability, you can equip it to your character even if they have a different job equipped. In the example above, Bardolf is a Dragoon. Under the Abilities column, the first slot is the job default ability that changes depending on the job equipped, in this case it's Dragoon so the Jump ability is active. The 4 abilities under that can be changed to whatever you want.

• Red: Action Abilities grouped by job command, used for attacking and healing • Orange: Reaction Abilities triggered automatically when attacked • Blue: Support Abilities provide helpful effects that are always active • Purple: Movement Abilities related to how the unit moves

Bardolf is a Dragoon here (above) so his action ability is Jump and is using Items like a Chemist. It’s not really combining two jobs (I think Final Fantasy V does a better job at that) but you’re still creating a mix of some sort.

Art (Music and Graphics) 3/5

Good. I thought the graphics looked great and the music was fine.

Enjoyment 2/5

I love the Final Fantasy series but I don't love Final Fantasy Tactics. HOWEVER, after finishing the game and understanding the battle system and mechanics so much better, I can definitely understand why some people love this game.

Do I recommend this game? No but maybe?

Would I replay this game? No.

Favorite character: My random recruit, Jillybean! Her name was Jillian but I changed it to Jillybean and she stayed with me the entire game. Bardolf, too!

Favorite moment: Finishing it.

Final Score 21/40

[jessjustplay]

Sea of Stars Review

May 7, 2026

[1 = okay] [2 = fine] [3 = good] [4 = really good or solid] [5 = great or amazing]

Sea of Stars is a beautiful retro and jrpg-inspired video game. It felt like I was playing Chrono Trigger, Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition and a Nancy Drew PC game. There were also little moments that visually reminded me of Final Fantasy IX and of course the concept of a "sea of stars" is reminicent of the star ocean from the Star Ocean series.

Story 3/5

Good. The story is about people who depend on Solstice Warriors to defeat huge monsters, called World Eaters, that want to destroy their world. Solstice Warriors are the people born during a Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse. In this game, Valere and Zale are the Solstice Warriors and we play as one of them while learning about arcane magic and the traditions of the land.

Characters 5/5

Amazing. The characters are extremely likable. Valere is a monk with poles, Zale is a mage with daggers, and Garl is... well, they call him a warrior cook and he uses pot lids as weapons. Garl heals everyone with his food and has high defense.

We meet other characters throughout, some join our in-battle team and others just travel with us. They're all so cute and have distinct personalities. I really liked everyone!

I guess I'll mention this here, Zale reminds me so much of Tidus's (Final Fantasy X) character design and Valere's hair color reminds me of Roddick's hair color from Star Ocean: First Departure R.

Narrative 5/5

Great. The game is told through the first-person perspectives of Valere and Zale, but sometimes the game pans away to a different room with someone called The Archivist who comes off like the narrator telling the tale. I really enjoyed this because it felt very unique and gave off major storybook vibes.

The game starts off with Valere, Zale, and Garl as children and then the rest of the game is them as young adults. There are some flashback sequences that help fill in the story.

Gameplay/Exploration 5/5 (mechanics, controls)

Modes

The game has Story mode, Adventure (normal) mode, and Challenge mode.

Traversal

The game heavily focuses on traversing through locations and dungeons, not just by walking and running but also:

walking on tightropes and ledges

climbing up/down

swimming

jumping across/down

using a grapple hook for wide jumps

Also, as you're walking around and if you touch something that makes another area open or change (or a sound effect plays), the camera will automatically pan over to show you what changed or unlocked.

Treasure

There is a lot of treasure in this game and you can also collect Rainbow Conch Shells for a side quest that helps you unlock some stuff for a location later in the game.

Puzzles

There are SO many puzzles throughout that you have to solve in order to progress through dungeons. I loved them. They reminded me of Nancy Drew PC game puzzles (a lot of them were identical).

Save Points

There are plenty of save points in this game. I thought they looked like the books the moogles from Final Fantasy IX pull out to save the game.

Overworld Map and Walking Speed

The only thing I guess I didn't like was that you can't run or sprint faster than the default speed,which I noticed the most while on the overworld map. Which btw, looks exactly like Chrono Trigger. Once you exit a town, you maneuver across a screen like this until you reach your next destination. If you pull up the world map while on the overworld, a yellow star will be on top of the main story's next objective.

Couch Co-Op

I didn't use this, but apparently the game has couch co-op!

Fishing

The game has fishing and it's actually a lot of fun! They play a really silly song when you have a fish on your line. Different locations have different fish (there's a board at each spot telling you which fish are there and once you find them, the fish appears to let you know that you've caught it.)

Camping

Every location has a campsite where you can save your game, cook, and rest. You can also talk to the other party members during this time.

Battle System 5/5

Great. The battle system is fun! The battles are turn-based but you don't have any way to tell who is next. However, you can toggle between your 3 characters for whoever you want to go first if they have a turn.

Combos

The characters have combo moves with each other. They require 1-3 gold squares to perform and 0 MP. The Combo gauge fills up as you participate in battle. Eventually, a second gauge that wraps around the Combo square will show up and that will be for the character's limit breaks.

Blocking/Double Hits

If you press the X button (or whatever you're using) you can successfully block the enemy's attacks which reduces the damage. When you are attacking an enemy, pressing the X button with correct timing lets you hit twice. They give you a tutorial battle to practice this. Timing the blocks can be annoying because every enemy's speed and movement is different, so you have to figure it out through trial and error. Kind of like in Clair-Obscur: Expedition 33.

Auto Revival

What I found interesting is that there are no Phoenix Downs or revive items. (Well, muuuuuuch later you can cook food that will revive your KO'd characters.) But whenever a character's HP hits 0, they stay knocked out for awhile and then they are automatically revived with partial HP. (It felt like 2-3 turns later they would get revived.)

Items = Food

There are no "items" for MP or HP either though. You cook food and those become your inventory items for healing.

MP is used often for Skills (not combos) and is minimally replenished every round after your character attacks the enemy.

Battle Assist/Help

I think these are called Amulets and they are basically ways to make the game easier/harder depending if you toggle them on/off. The Amulet of Storytelling was turned off when I first started playing, but I eventually turned it on because I prefer it when my characters get fully healed after a battle.

Switching Characters

Also, you can switch between characters very easily during battles which comes in handy since each character attacks differently.

Character Progression 4/5 (leveling up, customization)

Solid. Characters earn EXP after the battle. All characters!! That means even the ones not in your active in-battle party will also gain EXP.

The customization is built in through the character design. I don't want to mention the later characters, but each character has a different set of weapons and fighting style.

Valere - Monk - Poles Zale - Mage - Daggers Garl - Warrior Cook - Pot Lids

Art (Music and Graphics) 4/5

I loved the pixel art in this game. I was mesmerized by the beauty of it. Everything was so detailed! Just look at their faces and posture while walking a tightrope...

The music was pretty alright for most of the game, but some of the songs were not pleasant and I had to mute the sound.

Enjoyment 5/5

I was playing Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles when I needed a break so I started Sea of Stars and I couldn't stop playing it. It's such a fun adventure! If you love pixel art and JRPGs, this is a must-play game!

Do I recommend this game? YES

Would I replay this game? Maybe

Favorite character: Valere because I love her character design and the fact that she's a monk and represents the moon.

Favorite moment: Just seeing all the different locations!

Final Score 36/40

[jessjustplay]

LOGOS: the World of Final Fantasy XVI Book Review

May 3, 2026

The book itself describes it as containing "5 books on the land and peoples of the twin continents of Valisthea" and that it is "chronicled by Harpocrates II Hyperboreios."

The 5 books are divided like this: • Book 1: Our Legacy (pages 4-56) • Book 2: The Dominants (pages 57-104) • Book 3: Our Hope (pages 105-144) • Book 4: The Mothercrystals (pages 145-158) • Book 5: Our Home (159-364)dr

It is FULL of lore and so much information. I had to stop myself while reading some to remind myself, "this is a work of fiction!" because I was taking it all so seriously. 😂

But that's the beauty of it. LOGOS is written as a history book and compendium of information for the people who live inside Final Fantasy XVI. It is not a novelization of the game.

The Writing Style

It feels like each section and subsection was an individual essay and they were bundled together. Or like you gave a group of people an assignment write and the they got compiled into one book. I don't think it's terrible, it's just something I noticed.

If you are not already an accustomed reader, I do not think this book will be easy or enjoyable to read. This author likes to use old words like "wont" which throws me off every time. It does feel like reading classic literature (which I think is the goal, so it succeeds in that).

Physical Description:

The book feels like a university textbook: it's big and heavy. The cover is matte with a leathery feel and has indents that creature texture. The edges are made to look worn, as if it really were an old book. The pages are printed on paper that looks like old yellowish parchment. The font for the text is easy to read, but some of the cursive used in the "handwritten notes" can be hard to read. There is a lot of artwork in this book which is nice. Pictures (screenshots) of the game are included, but they have this sort of watercolor filter effect over them that I didn't always like.

Book 1: Our Legacy

Book 1 starts off with the words "In the beginning" and it explains the start of the world. I found this part to be the most challenging to read because there is so much information that is written for someone already familiar with the world (as in: the video game characters).

The closest example I can think of is like reading a book about law as someone who doesn't study law. Would it make sense? Sure, but would a law student understand it better? Yes.

A lot of what is told in book 1 is retold in the later books, so by the end of the entire thing I did understand the historical events pretty well. I'm sure if I reread this part now, everything would be much easier to understand.

Book 2: The Dominants

Book 2 is a section of character profiles for the Dominants and their Eikon. This book shares myths about each Eikon, their history, and even the name origins.

Book 3: Our Hope

Book 3 focuses on the Hideaway: the location itself, the people, their goals, the animals, and anything else related.

Book 4: The Mothercrystals

Book 4 is all about the Mothercrystals including their location and history. It also talks about aether, what crystals are used for, mining, the black market, and the Akashic.

Book 5: Our Home

Book 5 is the longest, which isn't surprising because the world of Final Fantasy XVI is huge. Every little town and location is included with history of each place. Character profiles, animals, and fauna from each location are also included.

Overall Rating: 5/5

If you liked Final Fantasy XVI and you want to understand the world and story better, you should read this.

If you loved Final Fantasy XVI and you want way more info than you ever thought possible, you should read this.

Just remember this it is not a novelization of Final Fantasy XVI, but more of a history book and compendium of information.

[jessjustplay]

I finished Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles - 51 Hours Update (Endgame Stats)

April 29, 2026

I finished Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time yesterday. I played The Ivalice Chronicles version on PS5. Both the original and an enhanced/remastered version are included in the game. I played the enhanced version on Normal/Knight mode.

Game: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles First Time/Replaying: First Time Game Time: 51 hours Console: PS5 Started:  March 7-20, took a break to play Sea of Stars, picked it back up on April 7, 2026 Finished: April 28, 2026

I genuinely can't even pretend to tell you what happened since my last update. More bad guys turning into monsters. More people getting killed. More errands. More recruits.

While trying to level up and get job experience, I ended up doing quite a bit of the errands and found a lot of treasure. Here is some of the cool stuff I found.

Baron (Final Fantasy IV) mentioned. In FFIV, it's called the Crystal Palace. Final Fantasy III is the one with a Crystal Tower.

Minwu from Final Fantasy II mentioned.

Not treasure, but I have a screenshot of a random enemy named Zell disappearing. Obviously I thought about Zell from Final Fantasy VIII.

Final Fantasy VI phantom train.

Aerith??

Got into a random battle with a bunch of monks!

This Sephiroth looking dude was SO annoying. I really hated the game at this point.

How I beat him.

But after those annoying battles, I was able to recruit Meliadoul who I think is really cool.

For the plot.

"What is love? Mayhap it is when you care more about someone else than you do yourself." - Meliadoul

SO FUNNY. This is Gilgamesh's prized weapon from Final Fantasy V lol good times

Rapha is someone I recruited and really wanted to use, but she starts off at level 1 or no level at all with all her jobs. It was just way too annoying trying to use her in battles and it would have taken me too long to teach her all the important Items, Auto-Potion, Dual Wield, and more.

But for some reason, Meliadoul was already leveled up nicely with a few of the jobs. Including Dancer. She was the first one who had Dancer unlocked and I had just recruited her. I put her as Archer (or Monk?) and then Thief so she could unlock Ninja. I really wanted her to have Dual Wield. Actually, I made her learn JP Boost first, then I started all that. I taught her some Chemist skills too, including Auto-Potion.

I tried the Mystic job on Jillybean and I really liked it!

Such cool treasure!! Tarot cards!

And a black cat. Very witchy finds.

This was cute. Anna and Edward from Final Fantasy IV.

Setzer from Final Fantasy VI.

I forgot who I was fighting here. But omg. I love the Geomancer job so much. Ramza (who was a Gallant Knight with Geomancy skills) was able to inflict Stone on the dragons/drakes which helped so much.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the end of the game consists of 3 back-to-back fights without any chance to save. At least you can retry at the start of each battle, but when I died during the 3rd phase I needed a break and I had to restart from the first battle.

I like that the Saint Ajora person turns out to be Ultima. Big fan of this.

3 of my characters, Jillybean, Bardolf, and Meliadoul all ended up disappearing in the 3rd phase of the final fight (pictured above). It was INSANE. At one point, Alma died, but she doesn't disappear, and then it was just Agrias and Ramza attacking the boss. But then he inflicted Agrias with Sleep or Immobilize (I can't remember) but I lost control of her and it was just Ramza on his own. !!!

I was so nervous. But boosting him with his "Shout" skill made a huge difference. His speed increased a lot so I was able to have a good amount of turns. And I was attacking him at this point around the 400s. Eventually I saw the "KO" prediction and I couldn't believe it. I actually beat the game.

Here are my endgame stats:

My jobs in the final boss fights were: Gallant Knight with Geomancy, Meliadoul with Items, (Bardolf) Dragoon with Items, Agrias with Items, and (Jillybean) Geomancer with White Magic. Auto-Potion and Critical Restore HP were my orange icons. And I gave Attack Boosts and Defense Boosts to everyone else.

I ended up not using Dual Wield because at this point of the game, the enemies were dodging the 1st or 2nd hit so it made more sense to boost the characters defense. If they didn't have Defense Boost, I gave them Attack boost. Geomancer is incredible. One positive thing about this game is now I really appreciate and understand the Geomancer job.

I'll post a game review later. But yeah, I'm really glad that's over.

[jessjustplay]

Currently playing Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles - 30 Hours Update

April 16, 2026

I started playing Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles on March 7th on Knight/Normal mode. I haven't made any posts about it because, unlike Sea of Stars, I was just so annoyed.

I'll let my IG stories tell the story:

As an astrology nerd, I started off very excited.

But there is just SO MUCH going on in the menus - it's incredibly overwhelming and there really isn't a tutorial to tell you how to unlock skills. And I mean even the most basic skills like TO USE A POTION, you have to learn it and make sure you have the skill ability "Item" activated.

I don't necessarily hate this, but if you don't revive your characters before their 3 hearts disappear, then you lose them forever. I had to restart this battle because I didn't want to lose one of my recruits that I named Jillybean.

The end-of-chapter 2 boss fight was where I really started getting angry. To be fair, I was completely blind to something that would have made the battle much easier (I'll explain below) so that is totally on me.

These were my stats during that end-of-chapter 2 battle against Gaffgarion.

Oh yeah, this was a fun moment. NOT. My characters got petrified and I couldn't even remove the status ailment because my Chemist hadn't learned the "Gold Needle" ability. *screams into the void*

But I didn't want to give up, so I kept leveling up. I also replaced one of my recruits with Agrias and started using her more. And I got the best job ever: ninja! (I really like the ninja.)

That stuuuupid little latch in the top photo would have made everything a lot easier during my first 100 attempts. I have no idea how I never saw it. At this point, I'm totally over-leveled and the boss fight (this one against Gaffgarion and the one immediately after) were easy. And I was GLAD after all the headaches I went through.

Bravery = physical strength Faith = magical power

That would have been really helpful to know, game!

I love the ninjas because they hold two weapons and they're super fast. Their movement range is also really good.

I didn't want to complain as much about the end-of-chapter 3 boss fight like I did with Gaffgarion, but oh my gosh, the Wiegraf boss fight was EXTREMELY ANNOYING.

He is very fast but thank God for "Rend Speed" and two dual-wielding knights because that is how I was able to beat Wiegraf.

And now I am currently in chapter 4. "In the name of love." Cute, I guess!

Gameplay aside, the story is... fine? I really don't care about it. But I like how the zodiac signs are incorporated. Apparently the crystal balls called Auracite are balls of energy that can be used for good or evil. And I think we're trying to find them all before the bad guys do. Rapha was able to revive her brother with one. Interesting.

[jessjustplay]

I finished Sea of Stars! 34 Hours Update

April 15, 2026

Game: Sea of Stars First Time/Replaying: First Time Game Time: 34 hours Console: PS4 Started:  March 20, 2026 Finished: April 7, 2026

I finished playing Sea of Stars for the first time earlier this month. To be exact, I played Sea of Stars: Dawn of Equinox since the original release and the updated version I played seem to be very different.

The last update was my 5 hours/First Impressions post, so I haven't posted many updates for this game but I wasjust having too much fun that when I had free time I kept choosing playing the game > blogging about the game.

The story stays in it's lane, it doesn't randomly change into a different plot towards the end which is nice. It was a solid story from start to finish. Most of the battle changes happen early on, so the rest of the battles were basically the same, except for of course the new party members that join you.

I really liked everyone that we met and the game is still just as beautiful at the end as it was in the beginning.

The puzzles in this game remind me SO MUCH of the Nancy Drew PC games. I loved every single one of them. The entire game really does feel like Chrono Trigger and Nancy Drew! 😂

We also met a group of pirates with a suspiciously familiar leader. They turned out to be a really funny group and of course the captain is the ninja we saw at the beginning of the game.

Seraï joins our team and she is able of creating a vortex of some kind where can instantly transport to various locations. We later learn she is actually not from this world at all, but from a technologically advanced world that doesn't have Solstice Warriors. Her ninja mask is a great cover-up because she is actually turning into a cyborg. Her world's story is so sad and eerie.

Garl gets hit with an attack that Seraï is able to pause so we can look for a cure. Poor Garl! He is such a sweet person who goes through a lot.

I liked the plot twist of Erlina and Brugaves being on the bad guy's side. Unfortunately they really shouldn't have given Erlina such a bad-ass look because she definitely screams "baddie" right away. So while I enjoyed the change, it wasn't THAT shocking. (But I'm not bothered by the lack of shock.)

I really liked how the water splashes look.

Hortence is so cool! She randomly reminds me a lot of Sandy from the Spongebob Squarepants cartoon and also Jessie from Toy Story.

Seraï's ultimate move is calling the pirates and a bunch of bombs drop in battle. It is so funny. And strong!

We're diving in deep waters now.

And we finally found out why we were collecting the rainbow conch shells. A little miss entrepreneur.

We finally met The Archivist from the beginning of the game. He eventually joins our team as Resh'an.

We get a flashback of Erlina and Brugaves as children. Neither one of them wanted to be Solstice Warriors, and Brugaves was a little chicken. He didn't like how he would get scolded for being too slow, so he wanted to run away. Erlina promised him that she would get them both out. And eventually, she does. So turns evil for a loved one. I mean, I can't really hate her for that lol but Brugaves is kinda annoying lol

Eventually we get to a clockhouse area and we meet Caël (pronounced Kyle, I think?) and he basically gives me Final Fantasy Cid vibes.

Fights happen and Garl gets gravely injured. He is basically dying, but he asks for a bottle of Borrowed Time. Our task is to carry out his plan, and when we do... he will die. So sad.

We eventually make it to the Sea of Stars which is like, an in-between space between worlds. We go to Seraï's world first and we eventually beat the Fleshmancer there.

The Cerulean Expanse is SO Bikanel Desert from Final Fantasy X.

Later we come across some creatures that are bodiless. B'st is one that wants to fight with us. Resh'an uses or makes some type of glass that is able to contain B'st and give him a physical shapeshifting body.

We learn more about Resh'an and Aephorul (The Fleshmancer) and apparently they were friends and cared about each other, but Aephorul always had some evil in him. Or I guess, just like Erlina he is willing to do anything for someone he cares about.

Caël and the other kids in the clocktower combine their brains and the AI core that we found in Seraï's world to become a robot that looks similar to Robo from Chrono Trigger.

Valere and Zale end up unlocking flying powers as a light orbs which is really cool and convenient.

After doing some side stuff, we go back to Seraï's world and meet the Fleshmancer, but instead of fighting him, we fight his lieutenant.

Who is of course, Erlina. We don't see Brugaves again. I wonder if we will in another game or DLC?

And then we fight final boss was a big monster and we fight as orbs. It was very strange, but also fun. I don't know if you can actually die or not, but after this... the game just ends.

With a question mark. The ending kind of felt abrupt to me??? I don't know how else to explain it. I guess the Fleshmancer and Resh'an didn't fight because (if I remember correctly) they were like, "Oh this kind of stuff is beneath us" or something like that. That was the vibe I got anyway. That's why the final boss was just Erlina and this world eater.

For awhile the menu has had this graphic of DLC. I think I'd like to check it out. New Game + is also added to the menu!

Here are my endgame stats:

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this game. I'll write a game review later.

[jessjustplay]

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years Review

April 13, 2026

[1 = okay] [2 = fine] [3 = good] [4 = really good or solid] [5 = great or amazing]

Story 3/5

Good. In Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, we see what happens after the happily ever after ending of Final Fantasy IV. The story is almost a mirror to the first game, "the same, but different" vibes. Essentially, there is a mysterious moon in the sky and everyone is trying to figure out what it means.

Characters 5/5

Amazing. There are so many characters in this game! New characters are introduced and everyone from the original Final Fantasy IV is back, just older and wiser. I guess Ceodore is the main character and he is a cutie pie. Meaning, he's sweet and genuine with cool hair! (Even though I think it's just his sprite design.)

Narrative 5/5

Great. The game tries something new with the concept of "tales" which feel like mini-games. You start off with Ceodore's tale which lasts around 3 hours and then you start the next tale from the main menu. I think some or all of them are completely optional, but I don't know why you would skip them.

The tales are all connected; when you see an event happen in one tale, you will see it in another tale from a different perspective. It's really cool! At the end, you load up the save data from all your tales and all of your character stats and items combine for the final chapter.

This game really lets you get to know everyone so much better! When I first played Final Fantasy IV, I was like "yeah, okay this is fine" but after playing this, I feel like I understand the world and the characters better.

Gameplay/Exploration 4/5 (mechanics, controls)

Solid. The game is very linear and you always know where to go next. I played this on my PS Vita so you can can hold the circle button to run inside dungeons and towns (but not on the world map) which was helpful.

There was a particular tale where both your characters are mages and I am SO GLAD that the dungeon for this tale had a lot of MP pots for the characters. I don't think I would have survived or enjoyed the game if they hadn't included this.

There is an adequate number of save points inside the dungeons. You can rest at inns and the stores have good equipment every time. Gil is plentiful so you can easily upgrade to the best weapon. There are also chocobo forests to ride a chocobo (avoids battles).

Battle System 4/5

Really good. You can have up to 5 characters in the turn-based battles but they are chosen for you except during the final chapter. There is an Auto feature where they all attack automatically or repeat the last action you chose (I can't remember).

Each character has an ATB gauge that loads up depending on their speed. Once they're ready, you choose their command. Attacks happen right away, but if you choose a spell then you have to wait for the gauge to fill up again before they cast it (so the stronger the spell, the longer you wait).

Moon Phases

What makes this game very different than the original Final Fantasy IV is the moon phase feature. The moon changes as time passes (or right after you rest at an inn/tent/cottage) and it affects your characters:

New Moon: raises Skill abilities, lowers White Magic Waxing Moon: raises White Magic, lowers Black Magic Full Moon: raises Black Magic, lowers Attack Waning Moon: raises Attack, lowers Skill abilities

So depending on your characters, it's handy to have plenty of tents and cottages if you want a specific moon phase while you're going through a dungeon or for a particular boss fight.

Bands (Combos)

Another feature in this game is that the characters can learn combo moves (like in Chrono Trigger). They learn their combos as the story progresses.

Character Progression 3/5 (leveling up, customization)

Good. Characters level up with EXP from battles. Pretty standard. No complaints. They each have their own set of abilities that they learn as they level up (you don't get to choose). The only customization is the weapon and armor you choose for them.

Art (Music and Graphics) 3/5

Good. The concept art of this game is interesting. It visibly looks like a computer painting with digital brushes. I especially loved the pixel graphics of the game. Everything is so detailed! The music is also really good. The boss themes stressed me out which I thought was great since it captures the mood very well.

Enjoyment 5/5

Overall, I had a fun time with Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. Whenever I had to level up a lot, I would put on a The Warning live concert and just run around the dungeons. So fun!

I really liked that I always knew where to go next because I hate feeling confused! And I LOVED how much I learned about the characters - both old and new. I feel like I understand everyone so much better now.

Do I recommend this game? Yes

Would I replay this game? No

Favorite character: I'm going to say Ursula because I loved her cute outfit and her determined attitude. I'm also just glad I met another Final Fantasy character with a "U" name!

Favorite moment: I really enjoyed seeing Edward in this game; he grew into a noble king. And also just seeing Rosa and Cecil together again along with Ceodore is too cute. He is definitely the best parts of them.

Final Score 32/40

[jessjustplay]

Currently playing Sea of Stars - 5 Hours Update (First Impressions)

March 25, 2026

I started playing Sea of Stars over the weekend. I've played around 5 hours and I really like it so far.

I chose Valere as my character. Zale is more of a mage, and Valere is a monk. Zale is the sun, Valere is the moon. HOW CUTE.

The game starts off like a fairytale story and we meet the 3 characters as children with big hopes and dreams.

The moon is, understandably, playing a big role in the game. Valere and Zale are Solstice Warriors and they need to defeat the big bad guy.

When you exit a town and move onto the next, the world map looks like this. It is just like Chrono Trigger!

After the 3 kids go into a cave and Garl gets hurt, Zale and Valere get sent off to Zenith Academy to start their Solstice Warrior training. Garl has to stay behind, which is SOOO sad.

The school, and the island at the beginning, are so beautiful. The attention to detail is amazing. I love all the pixel art.

Garl finds a way to send them a letter. HELLLOOOO, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time name mentioned!

So this game has blocking... and I'm pretty terrible at it. I also got used to the blocking in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 where a successful block actually blocks all damage. In this game, I'm pretty sure it's just blocking a percentage of the damage.

They have their little graduation and they give their statements. Zale is a blade dancer. Valere is a battle monk.

When exploring, your characters can really run around anywhere. Here is Zale and Valere walking on a tight rope. But they also walk carefully across ledges, climb up walls, and fall down to the floors below.

My characters leveled up and the Level Up screen is identical to the one in Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition (one of my all-time favorite games). I love it! You have to choose on extra category for a stat boost.

The villagers got together and wished us well. Luana and Solen were mentioned. Either they are the first Solstice Warriors or maybe the Moon Goddess and Sun God.

The game shifts to this dark room with red-cloaked people around a table. I think they're plotting against the Solstice Warriors.

Eventually we run into Garl again and he joins our team as a warrior cook. Actually, he's super useful because he introduces the Cook feature at the camps. Which btw, are very helpful. You can rest at camp and heal up your team.

I accidentally opened this screen and it looks like you can have people join you while you play!? Local co-op? But I don't see it mentioned on the game's back cover.

Anyway, we meet up with the Elder Mist who gives us some boosting powers. And he also shows us how to rewind and fast-forward the time of day, switching between day and night.

The Elder Mist also gave them each a prophecy.

To Zale: In order to reach your full potential, you will first need to stare at the night inside of you.

To Valere: When the time comes, you will be the one to create paths on water.

To Garl: You must be mindful of your limitations during this journey. The Mists are unclear in your case, but it appears your heart might be warm enough to soothe a long tormented soul.

Random ninja girl. She just appears and then leaves. I'm sure we'll see her again.

And we also meet this pink-haired girl named Teaks who calls herself a researcher. She got very excited when she found out we were the Solstice Warriors.

I also found this in the menu. It was turned off, but I turned it on because I actually like it when my characters start battles at full health.

The battles are fun. They are turn-based. There are combo moves (again, very much like Chrono Trigger) where two of your characters attack the enemy together. The Combo square fills up as you attack. You can block enemy attacks and also if you successfully hit X while your character is attacking, your character will do a double-attack for twice the damage. Garl has a healing skill (which is giving himself or a team member a snack) and Zale has a healing spell. Valere does not have any healing skills, but one of her Combo move (that requires 3 yellow squares) is a healing spell for the entire party. Very useful!

The game has a lot of puzzles, including this one where you have to move pieces around. So fun!

At the end of this dungeon, we met this mole dude and I thought he was really funny. I thought he was going to join our party, but he didn't.

Anyway, that's what I've played so far. We are going to look for a port now to find a boat to get to the next location.

So far I really like the characters, the art, and the battles. The music is hit or miss. Sometimes it's really nice, other times I have to turn the music down because it's kinda annoying. Like inside the mole village, I didn't like the music at that location.

[jessjustplay]

Edea and Ultimecia: Final Fantasy's Witchy Antagonists

March 8, 2026

A look at Edea and Ultimecia from Final Fantasy VIII. See the rest on my Instagram post:

View this post on Instagram

[jessjustplay]

I finished Final Fantasy IV: The After Years! 48 Hours Update

March 2, 2026

I'm honestly surprised that Final Fantasy IV: The After Years took me 48 hours to finish. For comparison, I finished Final Fantasy IV in 25 hours, Final Fantasy V in 38 hours, and Final Fantasy VI in 30 hours. V and VI were the Pixel Remasters and I was able to enable "No Battles" whenever I was lost, so I know that helped. I couldn't disable battles in The After Years but I couldn't do that with IV either, so it still stands that I finished IV in 25 hours and The After Years in 48 hours... WHAT!? I don't know why this is shocking to me lol

Oh, and that doesn't even include the hours I spent on the Interlude!

Game: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years First Time/Replaying: First Time Game Time: 48 hours Console: PS Vita Started:  January 25, 2026 Finished: February 28, 2026

I had played about 2 hours into Ceodore's Tale when I had to restart the entire thing, which is why the data shows the time as 2 hours 56 minutes because I basically rushed through it since I already knew what to expect. In the 10th tale, I'll explain later, but at 9 hours I decided to go back to a 7 hour save. So even though the time for that is 14 hours, I really spent 16 hours on it (CRAZY LONG compared to the other tales).

Anyway, I'll quickly say The After Years was great. I really enjoyed the structure of it. At first the separate tales were a bit weird, but it's a clever way to get to know many different characters. You know how Final Fantasy IX has the Active Time Events? It was like each tale was a very long Active Time Event. All of the stories are going on at the same time.

I really got to know the cast of Final Fantasy IV so much better, and that is probably my favorite part. As well as meeting Ceodore and Ursula who were just so fantastic.

When you reach the 10th tale, you load up your data from the previous 9 tales. And then you can choose your party at the end.

Here are my endgame stats:

I'll try to recap what happened:

In the Lunarian tale, we were controlling Golbez and Fusoya who were both incredible. Golbez is a strong warrior and black mage, while Fusoya was a powerful white mage.

We eventually faced off with Cecil. The twin moons motif is very much evident in the whole Cecil vs Kain thing, but also with the inner battles that Kain, Cecil, and Golbez all had to fight.

When we found Yang and Ursula, we had to hit them with a frying pan and ladle that Sheila (Yang's wife, Ursula's mom) gave us. 😂

If I'm doomed to die, I at least want to die in my homeland.

I don't even remember who I was fighting in that top picture, but Golbez came through and saved me. Also, The Magus Sisters showed up here. I feel like I don't see them much so it's cool when I do.

I still don't like Palom, but I do like Leonora!

So... I didn't know you could save Golbez. I didn't have Cecil in my party, so when I added him in, I had taken Ceodore out. Turns out if you leave Ceodora, Cecil, and Rosa in the party, then Golbez doesn't die. I played 2 hours past this without Golbez when I finally was like... What the fuck, does he really die?! I missed him. He was a great character. That's when I learned he doesn't die, so I had to load up an old save file and re-do some stuff. But it was so worth it. Golbez is awesome.

We ran into Gilgamesh and he called for Bartz!? Oh my god.

I don't remember who this was, but you see what I mean... Golbez is amazing.

This was after the Bahamut fight. So, when it came to Asura and Leviathan, I did not have Rydia in my team... so I killed them instead of saving them. When it came to fighting Bahamut, I thought maybe we could save him if I had Rydia on my team. YOU CAN'T. Eventually there is a scene where Rydia talks to him, but nothing happens. I ended up killing him. This fight took my 6 tries! It was very hard. If I had known that without Asura and Leviathan it was pointless to include Rydia (at least I think it's pointless) then I would have just left Edge on the team. Rydia kept dying way too fast and was useless besides when she gave my team Ethers. Oh well, whatever. I beat the boss with full HP which is crazy.

Kain and Cecil had their little bro moment. I like that they both agree Ceodore gets his stubbornness from Rosa. Kain calls Cecil "earnest."

I think I mixed these pictures up, but whatever. At one point we were in a flashback scene where we were the original FF4 characters fighting Golbez. And then after Cecil recovers his senses, Edge says a funny line telling him that Cecil is the star of the show.

Anyway, after going through dungeon after dungeon (which weren't that bad because you were able to save and heal up every few floors), we finally reach the final boss. Bahamut was WAAAAAYYYY harder than this final boss. I ain't mad about it!

It was a multi-phase final boss and at one point, the scene went to the characters you weren't using on your team where they are basically cheering you on. It was very Final Fantasy IX.

The main villain, The Creator, explains why they did what they did. They essentially are the last survivor from their planet so they were trying to find a new home and so they sent crystals to the Blue Planet (Earth) and the moon, I think to like collect data and stuff. And that's why there were crystals on Earth that were different than the moon's crystals. Something like that. It was very Final Fantasy XVI.

Afterwards, the ending basically wrapped up everyone's individual stories. I really liked it. I love how everything, for lack of better words, had a happy ending and you knew how things wrapped up.

Overall, I loved this game. I'm so glad I played it. I know the FF4 characters so much better now! Definitely recommend playing this.

[jessjustplay]

Magic Systems - Black Mages and White Mages in the Final Fantasy Series (Part 3)

March 1, 2026

A look at how the magic systems differ between Final Fantasy games. If a game is not listed, it's because I haven't played it. I have played Stranger of Paradise but just forgot to include it. Stranger of Paradise has a job system most similar to Final Fantasy V.

Click here to read Part 1 - Classic Design and Inspired Looks

Click here to read Part 2 - Spellcasting and Other Mages

Click here to read Part 3 - Magic Systems in the Final Fantasy series

[jessjustplay]

Spellcasting and Other Mages - Black Mages and White Mages in the Final Fantasy Series (Part 2)

March 1, 2026

Spellcasting - Black Magic vs. White Magic

Other Mages - these are some common mages in Final Fantasy that are a mix or stronger version of a Black/White Mage, or uniquely their own.

Non-Mages with Magic - Some characters can cast magic without being a mage.

Click here to read Part 1 - Classic Design and Inspired Looks

Click here to read Part 2 - Spellcasting and Other Mages

Click here to read Part 3 - Magic Systems in the Final Fantasy series

[jessjustplay]

Classic Design and Inspired Looks - Black Mages and White Mages in the Final Fantasy Series (Part 1)

March 1, 2026

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White Mage Inspired Outfits

Black Mage Inspired Outfits

A look at the classic designs of the Black Mage and White Mage in the Final Fantasy series and some of the inspired looks later in the games.

Click here to read Part 1 - Classic Design and Inspired Looks

Click here to read Part 2 - Spellcasting and Other Mages

Click here to read Part 3 - Magic Systems in the Final Fantasy series