TheRealJ-Ro

Bio: TWITTER @BlockBuster_Guy

YOUTUBE BridgewatersFinest

I rank in tiers of 5 (so every ranking will end in either 5 or 0), decided (mostly) by the following criteria.

100-90 is OUTSTANDING: I do feel like there is such a thing as a "perfect film", but I don't dole out 100s easily. The difference between a 100 and a 95 film is a certain intangible quality I suppose, something that I know will make me always come back to it no matter what. Any film that makes a 90 and up from me is one I would either recommend to anyone in a heartbeat, or one which I feel goes far above and beyond my expectations from it.

89-80 is QUALITY: A quality film for me is one which is often a strong recommendation, a film that does its job to a higher level than the next tier, often notable for overall performances and/or production.

79-70 is SERVICEABLE: A serviceable film for me is one which does its job and is good entertainment either within its own genre or as a stand-alone film. It may or may not be recommended viewing from me, but more often than not it will be.

69-35 is AVERAGE: Since the term "average" is so wide, here is how I define it. An average film falls anywhere between something that is not a total flop and has redeeming qualities (performance, content, production, etc.), and one which has the ability to entertain most people (while potentially not being a personal recommendation).

34-0 is UNDERWHELMED: An underwhelming film is one which is forgettable. It either has no redeeming qualities, or its positive qualities do not outweigh the negative ones. At their worst, movies in this category offend me as a movie-watcher.

Recent Ratings

Check out TheRealJ-Ro's...

Most Popular Mini Reviews Favorites Least Favorites Full Ratings List

95 _64%

Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) - Rated 01 May 2020

There are many standout features of this Herculean accomplishment of a video game. The depth of characterization given to both old and new friends, the delicate balance between accessible and customizable combat, the essential doubling of time spent and things to accomplish in Midgar without feeling like things have been unnecessarily padded, and the investing manner in which the story creates the new while respecting the old. This is everything I've wanted it to be for fifteen years. Bravo.

80 _27%

The Legend of Dragoon (1999) - Rated 04 May 2018

This gets the generous bump into Royalty tier from me despite its generic nature, because damn, nostalgia. I have so many good memories playing this game. I was so enamored of this battle system, turn-based with a twist, loved the cinematics, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I really dug the storyline even though I realize how by-the-numbers it is. I would take a sequel to this in a heartbeat, but fear that it would immediately flop against a modern gaming audience. Still. Good times, man.

60 _5%

Terraria (2011) - Rated 04 May 2018

Oh dear God, the hours I lost in this game. And I don't really say that in a negative sense, they were hours well-spent, but I didn't even scratch the surface of what you can do and explore in this game, and I'll be honest, that kind of turned me off. There's a lot to love here and IMO it's a superior version of Minecraft, but maybe this style of game just isn't for me. Still, it's addicting as all Hell to build and mine and build and mine and build and mine and build and mine and build...

70 _14%

Final Fantasy XIII (2009) - Rated 04 May 2018

Liked it, but full disclosure, I gave up at a certain point, and apparently where I gave the game up is where the game opens up and gets better. I'm an old-school gamer, so the battle system isn't exactly my cup of tea, but it's easy enough to get used to. I actually enjoyed this... more than most, but less than I'd hoped. I really pinned my hopes and dreams on this reinvigorating the franchise, and I guess it did, but it's a "good-not-great" from me. Which is apparently more than most can say.

80 _27%

Borderlands 2 (2012) - Rated 04 May 2018

As the game's cover alludes to, this is more of the same, and if you're like me and really dug Borderlands 1, you're going to dig the sequel. That said, "new characters" is false advertising (they're just the same archetypes, minus the DLC), Badass ranks have inescapable gameplay problems, and while the story is definitely bigger and (probably) better, I can't say that I'm 100% sold on it. I'm still pretty hyped for BL3 and I definitely enjoy every chance I get to play this. Just like 1 better.

90 _41%

Borderlands (2009) - Rated 04 May 2018

This game hit me like a ton of bricks when it first came out. I'm bad at shooters and games with shooter elements; this is the game that met this RPG kid halfway by having accessible shooting mechanics along with good-enough RPG elements to keep me interested. Fun story, characters that were fine enough, couch co-op that's actually fun to play, fulfillment of my loot goblin tendencies, and an art style that I rather enjoy even if it isn't for everyone. Inarguably repetitive, but a good time.

95 _64%

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) - Rated 04 May 2018

I'm one of those gamers who ENTERED the Elder Scrolls series at Skyrim. So much of the lore and the backstory are so foreign and unknown to me. Maybe that hinders the experience, but I like to think that it helped, in a specific way - I can address Skyrim as JUST Skyrim. I'm not locked into comparing it to its predecessors. As a game, Skyrim is a masterpiece. It's so deep, it's so engaging, it's so much fun. It's routine for me to just lose a day in Skyrim. Among the best RPG's I've ever played.

95 _64%

Suikoden II (1999) - Rated 04 May 2018

One of my dreams in gaming is that Konami stops being dumb, and gives us a Suikoden collection in conjunction with a new main Suikoden game that doesn't suck. Suikoden II is one of the deepest, richest, and most engaging games I have ever played. It rocks its J-RPG elements in a classic story while seamlessly integrating an always-fun strategy component. It's a complete experience from moment one, and while more games in the franchise came after, none quite capture the magic or quality of S2.

100 _91%

Final Fantasy VI (1994) - Rated 04 May 2018

It's as good as, or better than, FFVII -- my favorite of all-time -- in almost every way, while just not resonating with me at quite the same level. But it has inarguably the best villain in the franchise, some of the franchise's most intriguing and deep characters, and, you lose. You lose super hard. And then you have to keep playing. Which I think is one of its elements that I love the most. It teaches you the "Rocky" lesson: winning is about how hard you can get hit and keep going. A-plus.

95 _64%

NHL 18 (2017) - Rated 04 May 2018

So here's the thing about NHL 18: it's the best sports game ever made, don't @ me. Let me put it another way: remove THREES, remove Be-A-Pro, remove Hockey Ultimate Team - remove everything about the game except Franchise Mode - and it's still the best sports game ever made. The team builder in me immediately fell in love with the amount of choice you have in Franchise Mode - from the hyper-realistic, to the fantasy, to the 31-team expansion, to the 32-team expansion. It's everything I wanted.