I've never been so torn over a game before. I love this goddamn game so much, no matter how polarizing it is. I love many of the characters, Clive was a really good protagonist, the music was phenomenal, and I had a blast with the gameplay and Eikon battles. They were some of the most memorable fights I've experienced in action/RPGs.
But... the plot and the pacing. Whoo, boy. It was strong in the first half but once you reach a specific part of the story, the cracks really start to show. Certain characters were underdeveloped, the story had really odd MMO-like pacing to it (no surprise there lol) that constantly kills the momentum, and an uninteresting major antagonist. It was so jarring jumping between weird story beats and then immediately hit by an emotional scene that just leaves you sobbing. The game peaked very close to the end when it just suddenly crashes into the ground at 120MPH. Don't even get me started on the ending.
Despite all of this, I adore this game to bits. I don't think I have the heart to really hate it. (Yes, my ass will come back for a 2nd playthrough). I can only hope that 16 will lead future games to a better path :')
But... the plot and the pacing. Whoo, boy. It was strong in the first half but once you reach a specific part of the story, the cracks really start to show. Certain characters were underdeveloped, the story had really odd MMO-like pacing to it (no surprise there lol) that constantly kills the momentum, and an uninteresting major antagonist. It was so jarring jumping between weird story beats and then immediately hit by an emotional scene that just leaves you sobbing. The game peaked very close to the end when it just suddenly crashes into the ground at 120MPH. Don't even get me started on the ending.
Despite all of this, I adore this game to bits. I don't think I have the heart to really hate it. (Yes, my ass will come back for a 2nd playthrough). I can only hope that 16 will lead future games to a better path :')