Really wanted to like this one more, and I can imagine a person who can get really into this game, but it just isn't for me. The central combat gimmick of the gambit system allows you to set up complex party AI to respond to combat encounters, but it also makes the game feel more hands off in moment to moment gameplay, more about setting up a rube goldberg machine of attack commands and watching them play out on their own. If that gameplay loop sounds fun, there's a lot to like here, but if you prefer a more hands on tactical approach, this isn't the game for it. The story didn't really carry me either, something of a FF take on Star Wars but without any particularly solid character writing. The bones for some truly great characters is there, but in this package everyone feels too underexplored to be memorable. A lot of potential, but ultimately kind of wasted.

A huge step up from Phantom Hourglass, this one manages to distinguish itself from Wind Waker comparisons by introducing new ideas that make it distinct. It still leans on the simple side, but the novelty of train exploration keep it interesting until endgame when it begins to wear a little thin. The only thing that holds it back from being a truly solid game is the excessive use of mic input, which drags the game down every time it comes up. Given there's multiple key items that requires mic input to work, it comes up. A baffling blemish on an otherwise good game.