got up to the trials and had to stop. i usually don't mind grinding but this game was a huge slog for me once i was actually given agency. i researched when i got stuck and besides some unfortunate things i missed, i was doing most everything right. fights are either impossible or non-existent after loads of mindless grinding, which itself is very inconsistent as enemies where i grind will either go down without a sweat or will wipe me quickly. skill checks basically don't matter until late game since wasting resources to make trash is so common and frustrating. i loved millie and stuck through it with the hopes that she would carry me through, but the old school jank is just too much for me. i haven't had fun since i haute and i cannot keep going

i respect the game for what it's going for and as a product of its time, but it's been almost 30 years and this game is just too inconvenient, obtuse, and unclear. i hope with all my heart that second departure R will be a more enjoyable experience. i hope to go into that game with my head up