I was begging for a shorter game after SMT II. If delivers on that in the most backhanded way possible. Whose sick idea was it to entice the player with four routes only to put them through dungeons so bad they won't want to replay the game? There is a war crime level time waster in this game. Combine that with asset and soundtrack reuse from the first two games and now I'm being tempted to skip this entry altogether. What's even worse is there are some amazing new tracks and enemy sprites in the fourth route locked behind new game plus. Reiko's ending is enjoyable but when the most enticing content is in playthrough two of a game that's already more of the same, I can't be bothered.

I have nothing nice to say. Every aspect of this game drives me up a wall. The music is repetitive and obnoxious. Casting spells is frustrating. Multiple status effects that stop you in your tracks. Character progression is simple and uninspired given this is an FF game. Everything is slow. Traveling the world map, story events, connecting GBAs. GBAs dying is the cherry on top. Carrying the chalice is but a drop in the bucket compared to everything else I've mentioned. There is a clear gameplay loop they have designed but I hate playing the game so the fact I have to keep grinding dungeons for stat ups and materials to make progress is infuriating. There's little left to enjoy when the foundation was so poor in the first place.

Despite not enjoying Ogre Battle, this was a blast. Gorgeous presentation does a lot of the heavy lifting. All the fun for me lies in the menuing. Unit optimization, army management, seeing the results of my preparation. It can really drive up game time if you're into micromanaging. Unfortunately, the game is easy and offers little variety in the map design. It isn't worth investing that much time preparing. The second half of the game was a formality I was ready to be done with. It's a shame because all the systems are constantly begging to be tinkrered with. Maybe a challenge run in the future.

Overall I found it to be a downgrade from the first game. Story and atmosphere are where it shines but SMT1 does them better. Combat is still mostly brain dead, negotiation is dumbed down, and progression is either tedious backtracking or just too obtuse. Perhaps my biggest complaint is the game is too long. An issue in their other SNES offerings. They wring out so much game time with so little unique assets. It feels like it doesn't know when to end. I'd have preferred a shorter, tighter experience.

Even ignoring the swathe of additional media, the game alone is pulling in so many directions. There is a lot going on yet all I wanted to do was get it over with because I can't be asked to care. Whether speaking on the story or the gameplay, it is so unfocused. It makes me wonder why any of activities I ignored exist because they probably took time away from making a more cohesive experience. I have that sad feeling I get with some games because a what-if version exists in my head. A sign that it, for what it's worth, did grab me.

I wanted to love it a lot more. It's visually stunning with a score and world to match. Yet the story provides very few emotional payoffs. As much as I love the cast, little is done to back up Vaan's claim of friendship at the end of the game. The party doesn't interact enough and performances aren't very emotive. A shame because there is so much content to do character work in. Preparation is fun but I find the battles less so. As neat as it is to automate, boss battles and dungeon crawling are dull due to how little input is required after set up. I'd like to see them give Gambits another go.