It would be a shame to get hung up on the lack of plot, when I honestly consider the games de-emphasized story to be one of its core strengths since it allows all of the focus to be on direct player engagement. SMTV is a JRPG determimed to give the player agency to poke around its exploration and combat at their own pace, and is content to just drop you into the middle of the world and soak in the vibes...and what vibes they are.

Extremely self-assured visual style, one of the best soundtracks in recent memory, a gradually unfolding combat system with a consistently satisfying difficulty curve, and some of the best sightline-based treasure hunting and exploration in a JRPG this side of Xenoblade; I had a wonderful time slowly chewing on this in the months since its release, and was continuously challenged and delighted throughout the whole experience.