Recent reviews by YFA

TL;DR - Great game. Maybe a bit of a lull in the middle in terms of storytelling, but the beginning and final act of the game were fantastic from a story perspective. Great world building with a really unique setting. Main dungeons were fun with good designs. Combat was fun if not a bit tedious at times, early game MP management could be a challenge (even frustrating at times) for players new to how Atlus games work. Characters are fantastic and all feel unique. Soundtrack is great but leans cinematic, so outside of a few tracks probably not as memorable as some Atlus games. This game is an 8.5, maybe even 9/10 from me.

Long review -

Characters were the stars of the game. The bond system with your Followers was very streamlined and I found that to be much appreciated compared to the Persona series. I was able to successfully complete all bonds and see all of the side stores through to completion with multiple days to spare on the calendar. Your companions in the game really do have some incredible stories to tell with some complex emotions behind time - topics vary from things like physical pain, loss of family, poverty, racism, religion, sense of duty, personal identity, and "moving on". None of the characters sit and beg for you to feel sorry for them, though, and they all give you reasons to appreciate them as the game progresses.

Main story of the game I would say is overall good to very good, but not great. There is a noticeable "lull" in the middle of the main story and I actually think the MC in this game is pretty weak early in the game in terms of character development. I also think some of the dialogue and constant bashing of "the mission" into your head as the player repeats far too often during the main story. The middle of the game as your collecting your party members can feel a bit formulaic at times with how they're introduced into the party. I do think the final act of the game starting from the opera house in Altabury through the end is awesome though and brings things together, and far outweighs the middle of the game. I wouldn't even call the middle of the game "bad" from a story perspective, just closer to average and feels repetitive at times.

Gameplay is fun (to me), but could see how it would be repetitive for others - it's standard Atlus JRPG fare there. The Archetype system is a lot of fun and brought me back to old job based JRPG systems that you would have seen in games like FF5 or the FF Tactics games. I personally didn't grind all of them out but I played with the majority of them and found what clicked for me. Some boss fights were tough, but fair. There is a "retry" button that if you feel like the fight is going poorly, you can completely restart the battle without having to wait until your party wipes. The ability to switch party members mid fight is something I could see being underutilized by some players - highly recommend utilizing it, especially as you progress as a way to manage your party's MP levels in dungeons.

Calendar system will be hit and miss for some, and it can feel "stressful" if you're not used to how Persona games play out with them. I played the game on Normal difficulty and it felt like it was the right mix of "needing to think" in combat and in actions out of dungeons without having to grind really at all. In hindsight, I probably would have grinded some levels toward the end of the game, but it all worked out.

The biggest thing some newer players may struggle with (especially early on) is MP. It is very easy to run out of MP if you're just mindlessly pushing through dungeons while spamming your abilities for weaknesses. Sometimes you have to make smart decisions around taking damage (and just healing after the fight) vs. using MP items, as they are in short supply.

The OST for this game is great. I loved it, and the main battle theme will always stick with me. It does lean in the direction of being cinematic though, and I do think it'll be less memorable overall than some other classic JRPG soundtracks (think Chrono Trigger, FF6-10, Persona series, etc.), but there are quite a few standouts to me. Below are some of the standouts to me (unordered):

- Main battle theme
- Credits theme
- Generic boss theme (really good job of conveying the "dread" of the situation)
- Theme from final battle with Louis "King of Destruction"
- Skybound Avatar dungeon theme

Overall a great game that I felt like I got my money's worth out of. Would recommend to anyone looking for a long, story-driven JRPG with a fun class/job system and a lovable cast of characters that undergo a globetrotting quest to change their world.

I finished my first playthrough of the game in roughly 13 hours. I'm just about to get started with NG+, and I have to say, this is an incredible game. Beautiful art, wonderful soundtrack, absolutely fantastic combat mechanics; the list goes on. My only complaint is that, while the writing is very, very good, it sometimes seems a bit too forced for my liking. The game has left me feeling absolutely satisfied. Would have been willing to pay more than $15 for this game, easily.