I don't like to ascribe intent and motivations to whole studios, as I'm sure there were people involved who were quite passionate about the game and wanted to truly make it something grand.

That being said, none of that came through to me while playing the game.

Instead, it simply felt like it was going through the motions, like it was something made because a contract obligated so, and thus parts were glued back together and a fresh enough coat of paint was applied to get that paycheck.

Also, I will never be able to get the bonfires that are just a few yards apart out of my mind.

I greatly respect the pivot that Atelier Firis makes from Atelier Sophie to a game that's far more open and exploratory. It has a far better cast and so much more to see and do than Sophie.

Unfortunately, the second part of the game is where it loses me, as it makes you amble towards endings as you unravel the complicated event system in the game, all while squaring up against the rather harsh difficulty of the combat and generally unfulfilling alchemy system that seems more geared toward sheer grinding than smart material use.

It's neat, it's fascinating, it's definitely a look at what would come later in Ryza, but it's also messy, sometimes quite tedious, and a bit too often unfun.

Shin Megami Tensei V is my first time really playing a game in the mainline SMT series, and it was an interesting starting point for me.

I’m not too surprised, considering the series’ reputation, that the combat is as strong as it is. It’s easily the best part of the game, and I have a hard time pointing out any major flaws. There’s maybe a little bit of imbalance here and there, but it’s nothing major or enjoyment wrecking.

I was a little worried about the open world exploration, but I honestly think it was handled very well. It’s really fun to roam around Da’at and puzzle out how to get to amalgams and various other pickups. It was disappointing, though, to get to the dungeons, which are painfully monotonous and drab, and just not interesting to go through at all. I’d honestly have preferred another section of Da’at to roam around than them.

The biggest thing that has me wanting to check out other entries in the series, though, is the story. I really enjoyed the bigger ideas that V’s story was hitting on, but I found it pretty underbaked, leaving just enough unsaid that I felt unfulfilled. And that’s to say nothing of the characters which barely exist, and are uncompelling in a way that feels immensely dated.

Don’t get me wrong, I do like the game. I think it’s fun despite its shortcomings, and the soundtrack absolutely bops. Still, it’s not quite there for me, and I’m hoping Nocturne or IV are a bit closer to my tastes.

It’s probably fair to say that Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is filler for both series, adding to the asset pool that will make it to the next mainline games, but it’s honestly a fun game all the same. It’s nice to see the girls interacting with each other, and while the translation is far stiffer than those for either series usually are, there’s a lot of charm and fun goofs in the script all the same. It toes the line to overstaying its welcome, largely because of the side quests, but it’s overall really enjoyable and has me excited for what’s to come next.

I think it’s a shame that Crusader of Centy isn’t held in higher regard than it is. My friends and I were taken in right away by the impressive graphics and soundtrack, and became enthralled as the story progressed, with each event proving more bizarre than the last. It has its stumbling blocks, largely thanks to some uneven difficulty and obtuse puzzle design, but it’s a charming, ambitious game all the same.

It is a shame about that distressingly ethnostate-friendly ending, though. Really came out of left field.