This game is a diamond in a rough. Very rough, like...coal, but the prettiest coal you've ever seen!
I've playe this game for the second time now, and the first time around I really loved it, but playing it again showed me all the little cracks it has.
To every great idea this game has, there is a... less than optimal execution.
Battle system in which you manage up to 25 units at once in unions of 5, making movement, strategic decisions and group formations important is a super cool idea, but it's plagued by the fact that you can't control individual units. Instead you can only give general directions to the unions, which gives the gameplay a feel of randomness. On top of that is the lame overworld/ dungeon design which either consists of wide, empty plains or narrow, maze-like dungeons... both of them way to long and boring.
While the world, setting and design of cities and the like are super interesting, it feels kinda paper thin, as there is really nothing to explore or interact with.
The plot is honestly the best thing about it, even if the protagonist is of the rather annoying kind. The political intrigue and the whole thing of these Remnants as mysterious yet powerful aretfacts is super cool, sadly though it sometimes feels like it's only the key moments of the story and some more information of the world, environments and everyday consequences is missing... I guess that's what the numerous side-quests are there for. And while the side-stories they contain are often times generally intriguing they're pulled down by the fact. that the actual activities in these missions is nothing but running trough dungeons again...
The first time I finished this game it took me about 80-90 h. The main story itself seems to be the smallest part of this. The cutscenes alone account for only about 3 1/2 h. I just don't think most people are ready to go into the intriguing stuff of this game, when it's just too much tedium. If you can look past this, because you have enough time at your hands or if you're really into this sort of thing, This game might actually surprise you. I wish they would re-use and re-work these ideas in a new game.
I've playe this game for the second time now, and the first time around I really loved it, but playing it again showed me all the little cracks it has.
To every great idea this game has, there is a... less than optimal execution.
Battle system in which you manage up to 25 units at once in unions of 5, making movement, strategic decisions and group formations important is a super cool idea, but it's plagued by the fact that you can't control individual units. Instead you can only give general directions to the unions, which gives the gameplay a feel of randomness. On top of that is the lame overworld/ dungeon design which either consists of wide, empty plains or narrow, maze-like dungeons... both of them way to long and boring.
While the world, setting and design of cities and the like are super interesting, it feels kinda paper thin, as there is really nothing to explore or interact with.
The plot is honestly the best thing about it, even if the protagonist is of the rather annoying kind. The political intrigue and the whole thing of these Remnants as mysterious yet powerful aretfacts is super cool, sadly though it sometimes feels like it's only the key moments of the story and some more information of the world, environments and everyday consequences is missing... I guess that's what the numerous side-quests are there for. And while the side-stories they contain are often times generally intriguing they're pulled down by the fact. that the actual activities in these missions is nothing but running trough dungeons again...
The first time I finished this game it took me about 80-90 h. The main story itself seems to be the smallest part of this. The cutscenes alone account for only about 3 1/2 h. I just don't think most people are ready to go into the intriguing stuff of this game, when it's just too much tedium. If you can look past this, because you have enough time at your hands or if you're really into this sort of thing, This game might actually surprise you. I wish they would re-use and re-work these ideas in a new game.