- Well-developed and likable characters
- Engaging and fun combat system
- Stunning graphics and art style
- Story is confusing and poorly written
- Enemies are too resilient
- Dialogue is repetitive and poorly written
Emotions
Verdict
Mostly negative
Summary
Positive 28% ¡ Negative 72%. Score: 72 / 100
Verdict
Predatory Monetization
Summary
The game has significant issues with its monetization practices, particularly concerning DLC. Players find the DLC overpriced and bundled in a way that forces them to buy unwanted items. The game design seems to intentionally create difficulty spikes that encourage purchasing DLC for advantages, which is seen as unethical. Intrusive advertisements for DLC within the game disrupt the gaming experience, and essential content is often locked behind paywalls. These practices are widely criticized as anti-consumer and predatory. Score: 85 / 100
Top points
- Overpriced and Bundled DLC - High
- Game Design Encouraging DLC Purchases - High
- Intrusive DLC Advertisements - Medium
- Day-1 DLC and Content Locked Behind Paywalls - High
Verdict
Needs Improvement
Summary
The game has several significant issues that impact the user experience. The most frequent complaints involve excessive dialogues and cutscenes, which users find redundant and tedious. Additionally, the game's difficulty balance on the Normal setting is seen as too challenging, making it less enjoyable. The navigation system is also criticized for being poor, requiring external guides to complete certain objectives. These issues collectively contribute to a frustrating and less enjoyable gaming experience. Score: 10 / 100
Top points
- Excessive Dialogues and Cutscenes - High
- Difficulty and Game Balance - Medium
- Navigation and Guidance - High
Verdict
Tinkering Required
Summary
The game has a mixed reception on the Steam Deck. While many users report a positive experience with smooth performance and enjoyable gameplay, there are notable issues with stability, controller support, and UI text size. These issues can significantly impact the user experience, leading to a range of experiences from seamless to problematic. Score: 50 / 100
Top points
- Performance and Stability - High
- Controller and Input Issues - Medium
- User Interface and Text Size - Medium
- Positive Feedback on Steam Deck Experience - Positive
Positives:
- The characters are charismatic, well-written, and have depth beyond the game's plot. They are engaging and grow as the story progresses, making them memorable and likable.
- The combat system is fluid, enjoyable, and offers a variety of ways to fight. It is intuitive, beginner-friendly, and becomes more satisfying as players progress and master the mechanics.
- The game features beautiful and visually stunning graphics, with detailed environments and character designs. The artistic style is highly praised, creating an immersive experience that stands out in the series.
- The story is engaging, well-written, and features surprising plot developments. It is memorable and enjoyable, with a strong narrative that keeps players invested.
- The soundtrack is very good, with memorable songs that complement the game's atmosphere. The music enhances the overall experience and is highly praised by players.
Negatives:
- The story is criticized for being confusing, hard to follow, and poorly written. It starts well but becomes dull and suffers from common storytelling issues.
- Enemies are often described as too tanky and having too much HP, making battles tedious and repetitive.
- Dialogues are criticized for being repetitive, dry, and boring. The writing is often described as atrocious and poorly executed.
- Characters are often described as dull, bland, and lacking depth. Players feel no connection to the characters due to their lack of personality and chemistry.
- Side missions and quests are criticized for being boring, uninteresting, and monotonous, lacking depth and variety.
Gameplay:
- The game is heavily story-driven, featuring in-engine cinematics and a complex storyline. The storytelling method includes comic book-style and hand-drawn anime-style cutscenes.
- The combat system is a blend of real-time and turn-based mechanics, with combo mechanics and various abilities. It includes ground and aerial techniques, as well as special moves that enhance the gameplay experience.
- The game includes various types of cutscenes such as comic book-style, hand-drawn anime-style, and 3D cutscenes. It also features skits and character interactions that add depth to the narrative.
- The game features a robust progression system that includes character development and story progression. Players appreciate the quest-based progression that drives the narrative forward.
- The game includes side quests that mostly involve fetching items or defeating monsters. There is also additional content and DLC available for extended gameplay.
Performance:
- The game is described as lightweight with no bugs or freezes, and it runs smoothly on various systems, including Intel onboard graphics.
- The game generally runs well but experiences significant FPS drops in specific areas, affecting even high-end PCs.
- There are noticeable pop-in textures and Level of Detail (LOD) issues, which can detract from the visual experience.
- There are problems with draw distance and graphical clipping, affecting the visual consistency of the game.
- Players report issues with the screen darkening unexpectedly and problems during loading sequences.
Recommendations:
- Multiple reviewers explicitly state that they do not recommend buying the game, even at a discount.
- The game is recommended for fans of anime, grinding, action RPGs, real-time combat, character development, and the Tales series.
- The game is recommended for those who enjoy RPGs and are looking for a recent title with substantial content.
- Reviewers recommend other games such as Tales of Arise, the Atelier series, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest over this game.
- The game is recommended for those who enjoy good adventures with great characters and gameplay.
Miscellaneous:
- The game needs to capture the player's interest within the first hour, otherwise, it is unlikely to engage them later.
- Players express skepticism about significant plot twists or character development occurring later in the game if they haven't experienced it early on.
- Players feel that their time has become more valuable than money, implying that the game needs to respect their time investment.
- The game is considered appropriate and playable for elementary school children around the ages of 9 to 10.
- The idea that players need to persist until they reach the enjoyable part of the game is seen as a fallacy and a coping mechanism.
Similar games
Blend with other games
97%Tales of Berseriaâ˘
97%DRAGON QUESTŽ XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age⢠- Definitive Edition
97%OCTOPATH TRAVELER II
97%Thirsty Suitors
97%CODE VEIN II
97%ASTLIBRA Revision
97%NEO: The World Ends with You
97%OCTOPATH TRAVELERâ˘
96%Noctuary
96%Sword and Fairy 7
96%Summoner
96%The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily