An extremely pastoral and methodical take on the adventure-mystery game where the mystery is the melodrama of AnoHana with a bunch of 30 year olds. The sheer amount of areas to scroll through (thanks Matsue tourism board) and a lot of UI oddities can produce some frustration, but the meat of this game is an earnest mulling over the slowness and the arbitrary nature of meeting people, growing up, and growing apart. The routing of the game is mellow while the logic steps of being super confrontational with people you only know via 15 year old written descriptions is right parts absurd and exciting. Max mode is goofy but so is the rest of it. I think the game really didn't need multiple endings and could have been a much cleaner thing if the normal ending was the only ending with some expansion, but you gotta get the VN trash ppl in I guess. Don't bother playing the bad routes, they're not as absurd as some other places on the internet would make you believe.

Gameplay is definitely a downgrade from the last few games however that’s pretty much my only gripe with the game.
Characters are amazing, Side content is fun, the game feels very homey, Story is pretty good up ch3 and then ch4 onwards is straight fire, one of the best finales in the series, a great antagonist which is rare for this series, one of my favorite Trails scenes in the finale, and the craziest thing is this is an arc-starter game that held no punches and just went all out from the start and I love that. Addresses literally ever problem with the last arc’s starter game

RUFUS ALBAREA...

I KNEEL.

tl;dr
I write this review with tears in my eyes, I finished it not even 5 minutes ago. This game concludes the entire first half of the entire franchise's story. Hajimari no Kiseki: the beginning of the end.

I replayed the entire franchise to play this game, yes, I played all the games again.

I've some issues with the game that I doubt you'll agree with everything I'm going to say, but it's my opinion in the end. First I'll start with the positives: Rufus Albarea, I kneel; C route was by far the best route in the entire game, and not only that, but also C team is the best team in the entire franchise, the most dynamic. Beware of that, best team for what a TEAM really is. In Sora no Kiseki, Estelle and Joshua shine, they're for me the best couple in the series and the best duo I've ever met, but a team for what Kiseki is would be a group of 4 people, Sora no Kiseki's cast is the best in the franchise for me, but as a team, bro, Nadia and Swin are amazing, and Lapis matches perfectly with C, it was an extraterrestrial dynamic, genius, I genuinely enjoyed it a lot. I like the SSS, but I prefer C team. I liked this team so much that I would play on it for the entire game, but unfortunately... the fact that I've to play with Lloyd's team and Rean. Rean's route was the worst of all, honestly I thought it was pretty mid, Lloyd's was good, but C route was a true masterpiece, man, I would score 10 for this game if it was only C route. And Rufus, bro, this is not a spoiler review, but the man is a legend for me now.

The beginning of the game was AMAZING, middle game was kinda bad, but the finale was AWESOME. Besides the fact group C carried the game, man, Rean's development in the final was fantastic. The whole game kind of informs you that one cycle has really ended and now another one is starting. Nadia and Swin have absurd potential. I really liked them both, btw.

Honestly, halfway through the game I was wondering why the fanbase likes this game so much, I found it a little overhyped, but after playing everything I understand a little. I still think it's a game below many others in the series, but I still think it was very well done. Almost ideal for almost everything the franchise has presented so far.

Btw, title screen OST is one of the best in the franchise as well, but the OST in overall isn't the best one.

For last, C Team................... you guys............ chad.

Also, postgame really pissed me off, it would be insanely better if it was before the ending.

Very well, friends... now all we have left is 2 and a half years... but we'll overcome what awaits us... SEE YOU IN CALVARD!!!!! MEGAMI NO KAGO WO!

what's up yupz I know you're reading this bro send me a message in my discord Ouji#0729 tmj irmao