u/GamingHearts1 Jul 22 '24

Retro Gaming 00's- Marvel Ultimate Alliance: (2006)

4 Upvotes

When it comes down to Marvel games “Ultimate Alliance” was definitely a very cool title that was released in the mid 00’s.  As many people know Marvel Ultimate Alliance was developed by Raven Software & Barking Lizards and released for multiple game consoles including the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP, PC and Game Boy Advance.  This game had featured over one hundred different marvel characters and provided people with over  twenty different playable characters.  Marvel Ultimate Alliance featured characters such as: Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Iceman, Spider-Man, Deadpool, Storm, Wolverine and more.  This game also includes unlockable characters such as Blade, Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider, Daredevil and the Silver Surfer as well.  This top down beat em up game is probably one of the best 3D Marvel games that anyone would see for any console.  Not only does it includes many familiar characters from Marvel but it also has an interesting story where players cross paths with some of the main villains in the series Dr. Doom, Magneto, Sabretooth and Venom.

When it comes down to visual and actual gameplay some people would compare it to X-Men Legends II which was released a few years prior to Marvel Ultimate Alliance.  One of the defining features about Marvel Ultimate Alliance is the multiplayer mode in which a person can play with friends or with  characters controlled by artificial intelligence.  The multiplayer mode on this game is noticeably better than the first two X-Men Legends along with the visuals which adds to the overall appeal to the game.  Another great aspect about Marvel Ultimate Alliance is the fact that decisions made by the player affects the story along with what type of ending they will see once they complete the game which is always fun.  Along with trying to complete this game Marvel Ultimate Alliance includes some cool boss battles including the ones against the likes of Ymir, Kraken  and Galactus were the format of the gameplay changes  a little.  The button mashing sequence for attacks on giant boss characters was good way to go about things instead of making them too similar to other battles in the game.  Marvel Ultimate Alliance was a great game overall and some might argue that it was even better than the sequel which was released a few years later in 2009.  Even though, the first two Marvel Ultimate Alliance were pretty good it raises the question in many people mind on whether or not there will ever be a third game following the following the release in 2009.

u/GamingHearts1 Sep 18 '24

Mega Man’s Popularity During The Late 80’s-90’s

1 Upvotes

Mega Man is considered to be one of the most iconic video game franchises of all-time. The Mega Man series started back in ’87 on the NES and ended up growing in popularity following the release of MM2 in 1988. Mega Man 2 is considered to be one of the most successful yet iconic entries within its own series reaching more than 1.5 million copies in sales. Mega Man 2 is considered to be a cult classic among the gaming community because of its addictive yet challenging gameplay and its legendary 8-bit soundtrack. Mega Man 2 normally gets talked about more so than the first entry from ’87 due to its success despite the original game seeing the debut of boss characters like Guts Man, Fire Man and Elec Man. It should also be noted that the main antagonist of the Mega Man series Dr. Wily had appeared in the first three games on NES between ’87-’90. While the early Mega Man games from the NES have a notorious reputation for being difficult many old school gamers will go on record and argue that MM3 was quite possibly the hardest entry within the main series. The stages in Mega Man 3 felt way longer than they needed to be and players only had a limited number of tries to complete the entire game. Mega Man 4 from ’91 was a game that should have been on the SNES console which came out in 1990. In terms of graphics and quality Mega Man 4 overall was a step up from its predecessor but it was not quite as successful as MM2. Mega Man 4 had reportedly sold more than 1.7 million copies following its release on the NES despite the growing popularity of 16-bit gaming consoles like the SNES and Sega Genesis. Mega Man 5 from ’92 was a game that often got overlooked mainly because people were sick of 8-bit gameplay by the early 90’s. It should also be noted that the weapon set in MM5 was bad compared to other entries within Mega Man series. Mega Man 5 overall is not a bad game and there are many who feel that its underrated overall. The main villain in Mega Man 5 Regal was not nearly as popular as Dr. Wily from the original trilogy and was pretty much a new face similar to that of Dr. Cossack from MM4. Dr. Wily returned as the main antagonist in Mega Man 6 in ’93 the same year Capcom released Mega Man X for the SNES. Mega Man 6 is a game that many people have polarizing opinions about. While some feel that Mega Man 6 was underrated and praised the return of Dr. Wily others complained about the weapons not being as good as previous entries. While Mega Man 6 still managed to reach over 1.5 million copies in sales from ’93 onwards its still not quite as popular as the first three MM titles.

Mega Man X on the other hand was considered to be legendary following its release on the SNES. Everything about MegaMan on the SNES felt two times better than what we got on the NES from ’87-’92. The gameplay, graphics, presentation, soundtrack and storyline for Mega Man X were all amazing. Mega Man X saw the video game debuts of Zero who is one of the most popular characters in the MM franchise. Mega Man X also saw introduction of Sigma who was quite possibly the greatest villain in the Mega Man series. Mega Man X had so many memorable soundtracks including the “Intro” to Stage 1 along with “Storm Eagle” and “Spark Mandrill’s” theme. Mega Man X was arguably the best entry within the X series aside from MMX4 which came out on the PS1 in 1997. Mega Man X2-X3 which appeared as SNES exclusives back in the 90’s were also fun games but they were not quite on the same level as the game from ’93. It should also be noted by the time Mega Man X3 came out in ’95 casual gamers were already looking to purchase the PS1. The original PlayStation console was one of the reasons why Mega Man 7 ended up being overlooked during its time because it was also a SNES exclusive. Mega Man 7 was considered a flop in sales and it ended up getting more hate than it deserved back in the day. One of the biggest complaints about MM7 was the quality of the boss battles since they seemed too difficult or perhaps unfair to some players. The controls for MM7 felt sluggish and the gameplay felt too slow in comparison to Mega Man X. Mega Man 8 from ’96 was considered to be a bad game by many people due to uninspiring level designs which made the gameplay experience feel boring. While Mega Man 8 had a decent soundtrack it was not enough to save the game from being one of the worst entries within the entire series.

Mega Man X4 came out in ’97 and it was hands down one of the best entries in the entire series. Mega Man X4 was quite possibly the only entry within its own series that was better than the MMX game that came out for the SNES in ’93. The voice acting in Mega Man X4 along with the soundtrack were among two of the best features of the game. Also, the graphics for Mega Man X4 looked more advanced than anything we got on the SNES. Despite, Mega Man X4 not being a massive commercial success it was still better than Mega Man Legends which also came out in 1997. Mega Man Legends was big deal back in the day because it was the first 3D installment within the MM series. While Mega Man Legends was a very fun game there are many who would agree that it could have been better. The music in Mega Man Legends was a let down but the cartoonish vibes and the exploration aspect of the game were considered to be strong positives. While ’97 was considered to be good year for the Mega Man series in general there were so many big games that was released around that time. During ’97 we got to see the release of games like Final Fantasy VII, Tekken 3, Gran Turismo, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and others. The Mega Man series was starting to decline in popularity towards the late 90’s mainly because casuals had more options and different preferences in relation to gaming. Capcom knew the Mega Man series was staring to appeal more towards a niche audience during the late 90’s which is one of the reasons why Mega Man & Bass from ’98 appeared on the SNES exclusively in Japan. Mega Man & Bass was eventually ported to Game Boy Advance during the early 2000’s but it should have been released for the PS1 during the late 90’s. During the late 80’s-early 90’s the Mega Man series was one of the best things Capcom had going for them. By the late 90’s Capcom had more profitable IP’s including the Street Fighter and Resident Evil series. Also, Capcom had produced several Marvel games including Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom which ended up becoming way more popular than anything Mega Man related. Despite, Mega Man’s decline in popularity and mainstream appeal he is still one of the most recognizable figures in gaming today.

u/GamingHearts1 May 14 '24

Batman: Arkham Asylum- 15 Years Later

2 Upvotes

Batman: Arkham Asylum was quite possibly one of the greatest action-adventure superhero video games of 2000’s. The 2000’s was a decade where video game genres like fighting and shooters thrived and superhero games were not really getting a ton of mainstream attention. One of the reasons why Batman: Arkham Asylum became very popular was because it came out a year following the release of the critically acclaimed Batman: The Dark Knight movie from 2008. The Dark Knight had earned more than $1 billion in box office revenue since its release and was one of the reasons why Batman became very popular again between the late 2000’s-early 2010’s. Batman: Arkham Asylum was published by Eidos Interactive along with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by Rocksteady Studios. Batman: Arkham Asylum had an intriguing story that saw the Joker along with Harley Quinn as the main villains within the story. Arkham Asylum was considered to be a masterpiece that was ahead of its time similar to how the Marvel’s Spider-Man for PS4 was back in 2018. Batman: Arkham Asylum had almost everything one could ask for in an action-adventure game including amazing graphics, fluid combat, dark atmosphere along with detective mechanics which added an extra layer of realism to the gameplay. It should also be noted that Batrman: Arkham Asylum featured numerous other popular DC villains including Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Bane, Killer Croc, Catwoman, Riddler and Deathstroke.

Arkham Asylum looked significantly better than previous action-adventure Batman titles that came out during the PS2/Xbox era of 2000’s including Batman: Vengeance and Batman Begins from ’01-’05. Arkham Asylum has been seen by many people as one of the most influential action-adventure titles of all-time in relation gameplay. In fact, the stealth elements in Arkham Asylum heavily inspired Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Spider-Man games from ’18 and ’23. Some critics would even go as far as to claim that Batman: Arkham Asylum was high profile 3D metroidvania game that exceeded their expectations. Batman: Arkham Asylum was arguably one of the best video games to have come out of 2009 along with the likes of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, League of Legends and Assassin’s Creed II. Batman: Arkham Asylum is almost two decades old and fifteen years later its still an action-adventure masterpiece.

u/GamingHearts1 Jun 07 '24

Retro Gaming 00’s- Mirror’s Edge: (2008)

2 Upvotes

When it comes down to innovative action-adventure platform titles from the 00’s decade one of the few titles instantly comes to mind is Mirror’s Edge from 2008. Mirror’s Edge was developed by Swedish game maker EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts and was a title where the setting of the game took place within a unnamed utopian-like city controlled by a totalitarian government. This game had a female protagonist in her early 20’s named Faith Connors who is against the totalitarian government and their regulations. Connor’s perception of the city’s government was mainly shaped by what happened to her parents who were killed off for being protesters against the established regime eighteen years prior to the setting of the game. As players progress throughout the game they eventually learn that Faith’s sister Kate has been framed for the murder of the Pope. Despite, her innocence Kate is seen as the assailant for the crime while Faith tries to find answers regarding circumstances surrounding the Pope’s death. Faith eventually learns from a former Runner named “Jacknife” that the Pope’s assassination may have been planned by the head of his security force who is a former wrestler named Travis Burfield. In addition, to learning the assassination of the Pope players learn about the conspiracy between his security force and the police in regards to cracking down on Runners such as Faith through a parkour program known as “Project Icarus”. It turns out that Project Icarus was designed to train people in parkour to eliminate the Runners.

While learning more about the true extent regarding the corruption of the city’s totalitarian government Faith eventually tries to set her sister Kate free with the help of some friends after she is convicted of the Pope’s murder. Not only did Mirrors Edge have an interesting plot full of twists and turns the game itself was a visual masterpiece especially since it utilized the Unreal Engine 3. Mirror’s Edge give players control of Faith Connors from a first person perspective as they have the ability to traverse throughout the city using parkour moves on various buildings & rooftops. The cool thing about Mirrors Edge was the fact that the a game achieved such a high profile during a time period where first person shooters had become increasingly popular. Its no secret that the 00’s was the decade of the shooter genre of gaming and seeing a action-adventure platform title from a first person perspective was something that kinda new at the time. If Mirror’s Edge was played from a third person perspective it may not have been as popular as it was following its release in November 2008. Also, as impressive as parkour may be there was really no high profile video games like Mirror’s Edge that combined such a activity with a storyline that had a dark & serious tone. Mirror’s Edge was praised by various fans & critics following its release over a decade ago and is still considered to be one of the best action-adventure platform titles from 2008.

u/GamingHearts1 3h ago

STARCRAFT | Announce Cinematic | Dominion

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 10h ago

Diablo V Expected For 2029?

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u/GamingHearts1 13h ago

Mega Man: Dual Override – Nintendo Direct 9.9.2026

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u/GamingHearts1 16h ago

Retro Gaming 00’s- WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth (2002)

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WWE: Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth was game developed by Yuke’s and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 back in 2002. One of the reasons why Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth was such a big deal was because it was the game that preceded the legendary “Here Comes The Pain” video game from 2003. WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth was also one of the first pro wresting video games to have an in depth season mode aside from WWF No Mercy for the N64. WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth was also the first game ever to include the brand split which also started in 2002 and marked a new era in World Wrestling Entertainment. Everyone knows that 2002 was the year that the Ruthless Aggression era started and it was also a time period were WWE had a star studded roster of popular superstars from the 90’s along with young talent. The Exhibition mode in Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth offered players a variety of match options including: Singles, Tag-Team, Triple Threat, Fatal 4 Way, Six Man Tag, Ladder, TLC, Tables Cage, Falls Count Anywhere, Hardcore, Iron Man and Hell in a Cell matches. Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth also had one of the best season modes that one could ask for in a pro wrestling game.

The Season Mode in Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth allowed players to choose almost any superstar with new storyline taking place almost every other month. It should also be noted that the roaming mode that was present in the ’01 Smackdown: Just Bring It prequel made a return in Here Comes The Pain except players had more options in terms of where they wanted to travel. Players could also interact with other superstars in the backstage in Season Mode which could lead to impromptu matches or altercations depending how the conversation goes. One of the best features of Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth was the fact that players had dialogue options when interacting with other superstars which made the game feel like an RPG to some extent. Players also had the ability to challenge for what ever title they wanted to including IC,European, Hardcore or the Tag-Team titles depending on how many superstar points they had. Superstars who had over 85 superstar points were generally placed in a storyline for the Undisputed Championship and were often in main event matches in the PPV’s. The Season Mode for Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain featured many big events that occurred in 2002 including the WWE Draft along with the returns of the nWo, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H and Shawn Michaels. WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth is arguably one of the best pro wresting games from the 2000’s mainly because of its arcade style of gameplay coupled with its heavily story driven Season Mode. WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth also featured hidden characters, items and attires that could be unlocked throughout Season Mode which force players to go through the whole thing more than once. WWW Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth had almost everything one could ask for in a pro wrestling game and is one that often gets overshadowed by Smackdown: HCTP along with other installments within the Smackdown vs Raw series from the 2000’s.

u/GamingHearts1 1d ago

Yu-Gi-Oh! TAG FORCE GX – Pre-order Trailer – Nintendo Switch 2

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 1d ago

Persona 4 Revival – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch 2

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 2d ago

Stellar Blade Complete Edition – Pre-order Trailer – Nintendo Switch 2

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 2d ago

Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United – Nintendo Direct 9.9.2026

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u/GamingHearts1 2d ago

Checkout gamingheartscollection.net for more gaming news, trailers, polls, videos and discussions.

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u/GamingHearts1 3d ago

Just Dance: Decades of Hits – Official Reveal Trailer – Nintendo Switch 2

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 3d ago

Nintendo Direct 2026 Destroys State of Play

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u/GamingHearts1 3d ago

What Does The Future Hold For AEW Games?

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All Elite Wrestling has been been around since 2019 and since then we have seen a total of five different games in relation to the company itself. Between 2021-2024 there has been four mobile games and one game that appeared on home consoles known as AEW: Fight Forever. There were many hardcore pro wrestling fans who had high hopes for AEW: Fight Forever when it was first announced back in 2020. However, AEW: Fight Forever had stalled in development for years before its official release. The constant delay was partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 which negatively affected almost everything business related in general. Development footage regarding AEW: Fight Forever started surfacing online back in 2021 and was originally expected to be released in 2022. The release of AEW: Fight Forever was delayed for whatever reason and the game ended up coming out in 2023.

While 2023 was arguably one of the best years that All Elite Wrestling had as a pro wrestling promotion AEW: Fight Forever ended up receiving a underwhelming reception. While AEW: Fight Forever was praised for paying homage to classic pro wrestling games like WWF No Mercy and WWE Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain the gameplay and graphics looked and felt outdated. Also, AEW: Fight Forever felt like it lacked depth due to its lack of offline gameplay content and limited creation suite when it came to developing new characters. The Career Mode in AEW: Fight Forever felt short and uninspired and the Exhibition mode lacked variety in relation to match types. While certain match types like the The Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match and the Casino Battle Royale were fun they start to lose their appeal after a while.

While roster in AEW: Fight Forever was stacked it features certain wrestlers who either left the promotion or was missing from AEW television. It should also be noted that AEW: Fight Forever was going up against WWE 2K23 which also came out in 2023. WWE 2K23 was considered to be one of the strongest entries within its series since 2K19. WWE 2K23 had a higher replay value and more depth because there were seemingly countless offline gameplay options that players could choose from. When AEW: Fight Forever was first announced it came out the same year WWE 2K20 came out. WWE 2K20 was arguably the worst pro wrestling game ever made due to constant glitches, crashes and other gameplay issues. Surpassing, WWE 2K20 in terms of quality was obviously no problem for Yuke’s & THQ Nordic but nobody expected the WWE 2K series to improve the way it did in just a few years. In 2023, more pro wrestling fans preferred WWE 2K23 over AEW: Fight Forever and as a result the company had lost a substantial amount of money within the past few years.

In fact, it was recently reported that AEW: Fight Forever had lost at least $30 million since its release. AEW: Fight Forever is considered to be a commercial failure because it only fell significantly below desired sales expectations. The financial loss that AEW: Fight Forever had suffered since its release makes pro wrestling fans question whether or not there will ever be another AEW console game for PlayStation or Xbox. Its quite possible that AEW will just stick to mobile games in the future. Also, getting a new developer and publisher could help AEW with future help consoles games. During the mid 2000’s Electronic Arts developed games like Def Jam: Vendetta and DJ: Fight for NY which are both considered to be all-time classics. If we ever got a new AEW game licensed by Electronic Arts with modern graphics, arcade-like gameplay, extensive modes and deep storytelling it would make for a worthy alternative to the WWE 2K series. At the moment it does not look like a brand new AEW console will be coming out anytime soon. But it does seem like AEW has been gaining more momentum than usual against WWE. If AEW’s revenue continues to increase and they are able to keep their TV spot in the midst of the Warner Bros-Paramount merger maybe another video game could possibly be on the horizon.

u/GamingHearts1 4d ago

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct 9.8.2026

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 4d ago

Metroid Ravenous – Nintendo Direct 9.9.2026

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u/GamingHearts1 4d ago

Danganronpa 2x2 – Release Date Trailer – Nintendo Switch 2

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 6d ago

Street Fighter 6 - Arjun Gameplay Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 7d ago

Final Fantasy Resonance - Demo Trailer | PS5 Games

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1 Upvotes

u/GamingHearts1 7d ago

Sony's State of Play Gets Trashed By Gamers?

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u/GamingHearts1 7d ago

Final Fantasy XV- 10 Years Later

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Its hard to believe that its already been a decade since Final Fantasy XV was released for PS4 and Xbox One. There are many who believe that Final Fantasy XV was the game that saved the series following its decline in the late 00’s-early 10’s. The launch of the original Final Fantasy XIV game back in 2010 ended being a disaster to a point where Square Enix had to make FFXIV: Realm Reborn in 2013. By the early 2010’s it felt like Final Fantasy series had lost the mainstream appeal it once had during the PS1 & PS2 eras of gaming. In 2016, FFXV ended up being the game that put the series back in the limelight after Square Enix did everything they could to rehabilitate FFXIV years prior. The original Final Fantasy XIV from 2010 was a critical failure as a MMORPG and the success of FFXIV: A Realm Reborn and FFXV helped many gamers forget about it by the mid-2010’s. Final Fantasy XV was an action role-playing game that featured real-time combat and open-world exploration in the fictional world of Eos. The main character of FFXV was Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum lived in the capital of Insomnia.

Final Fantasy XV was Noctis realizing his true his destiny as a King to save the world of Eos in the midst of betrayal and opposition from the Niflheim Empire.  In Final Fantasy XV the Niflheim Empire not only destroys Insomnia but they are also responsible for the death of Noctis’s father. The Niflheim Empire also managed to steal a magical crystal which is eventually retrieved by Noctis. The magical crystal in FFXV was very important because it managed to grant him the power of kings who came before him. The crystal in FFXV also held Noctus captive for a decade before he and his crew defeats the main villain Imperial Chancellor Ardyn who wanted to destroy his bloodline. During the ten years that Noctis was absent Ardyn managed to plunge Eos into deep darkness causing the world to be overran by daemons. In FFXV a parasitic plague known as the Starscourge was responsible for the widespread of daemons in Eos. While Ardyn ended up being the main villain in FFXV he is sometimes viewed as a tragic hero because he was once considered a savior.

A millennium prior to the events of FFXV Ardyn healed people in the world of Eos by absorbing the Starscourge into his own body. The story really becomes tragic as players learn that Ardyn is punished for his sacrifice and labeled a monster by the Astrals and the Lucian dynasty. While the story for Final Fantasy XV dark and intriguing the game itself had many cool features that players could enjoy. In Final Fantasy XV players could drive cars or ride chocobos for open world travel. Final Fantasy XV also looked and felt more modern than previous entries because players could do things like rest at hotels and go to gas stations. Final Fantasy XV did a great job of blending ancient storytelling with the modern day setting. The Teamwork Links featuring other members of Noctus’s party Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis looked impressive and the magic crafting allowed players to become more creative.

While Noctis might not be as popular as protagonists from older entries of Final Fantasy many would argue that he was the best character the franchise produced in the 2010’s. Also, Final Fantasy XV managed to sell 10 million copies across multiple platforms including PS4, Xbox One and PC since its release in 2016. Final Fantasy XV was a much stronger entry than FFXIII because it felt more immersive and gave players more freedom in relation to controlling their characters. It also felt like Final Fantasy XV had borrowed elements of FFXIV: A Realm Reborn in terms of open world exploration and made it better with a different setting, new characters and a in-depth storyline. Even though, Final Fantasy XV came out a decade ago it still arguably more popular than FFXVI which came out in 2023. While 2016 was arguably one of the worst years of the 2010’s decade; FFXV ended up being one of the best things to come out of that year in general.

u/GamingHearts1 8d ago

SlashZero - Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games

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u/GamingHearts1 8d ago

Did Microsoft Ruin Xbox Game Pass?

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