This is a gem of a game. I'm new to the genre of JRPG, I've never played a Final Fantasy game so the closest I've come to something like this is Mario RPG. Like most of the games I play lately, this one comes highly recommended by some of the names on C3 that I trust the most and the recommendations are well deserved.
Turn based, timing based battles, a rich story, and a large, explorable overworld are the big plusses this game has for me. The story has twists and turns, but hits enough of the "right" beats that it's not just unpredictable for unpredictability's sake. The humor is a usually a little too meta for me, but the drama is really well done. Down to the side quests and the various NPCs you meat and help.
The meta-ness is the con for me. The game pulls story points from many existing IPs, but for the most part those points are almost tropes of the hero's journey. There are a few things that stand out as something that was obviously from a particular game or movie, but that's forgivable. For me the meta humor is almost too much. Naming characters things like Captain Klee'shaë (Cliche) and giving a character named B'st (Beast) a move called Altered B'st is such an obvious wink to the player that it feels like the game didn't trust itself to carry it's own story.
A little research after the fact shows that there are a ton of French puns that you would only get if you speak a bit of French, those are actually pretty good and make sense seeing that the primary devs are from French Quebec.
None of the meta humor or puns make the game unplayable. In another rating system this would probably actually earn more like 4.5 stars.
The initial ending of the game is a solid ending that ties up loose ends and is narratively satisfying. If you over prepare like i do then the last few bosses seem a little weak, but I'm used to that since I try to go in ultra buffed.
I'm looking forward to finishing the side quests and getting the alternate ending, but I'm happy to have finished the game at this point and have enough to rate and review.
Turn based, timing based battles, a rich story, and a large, explorable overworld are the big plusses this game has for me. The story has twists and turns, but hits enough of the "right" beats that it's not just unpredictable for unpredictability's sake. The humor is a usually a little too meta for me, but the drama is really well done. Down to the side quests and the various NPCs you meat and help.
The meta-ness is the con for me. The game pulls story points from many existing IPs, but for the most part those points are almost tropes of the hero's journey. There are a few things that stand out as something that was obviously from a particular game or movie, but that's forgivable. For me the meta humor is almost too much. Naming characters things like Captain Klee'shaë (Cliche) and giving a character named B'st (Beast) a move called Altered B'st is such an obvious wink to the player that it feels like the game didn't trust itself to carry it's own story.
A little research after the fact shows that there are a ton of French puns that you would only get if you speak a bit of French, those are actually pretty good and make sense seeing that the primary devs are from French Quebec.
None of the meta humor or puns make the game unplayable. In another rating system this would probably actually earn more like 4.5 stars.
The initial ending of the game is a solid ending that ties up loose ends and is narratively satisfying. If you over prepare like i do then the last few bosses seem a little weak, but I'm used to that since I try to go in ultra buffed.
I'm looking forward to finishing the side quests and getting the alternate ending, but I'm happy to have finished the game at this point and have enough to rate and review.
31 hours played 11/16/2024 - 12/3/2024
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
(edited)
You'll finish the true ending before @dan and he has like a one year head start on you...
(edited)
I have to finish collecting Conches and finish up Serai's story (assuming that the thing that unlocks after you beat the game is what's leading to the true ending) and then I'm good. I'm almost definitely going to have to use a guide to get the conches.
(edited)
For sure though you can see how many are in each area, knowing where they are is still not easy. You'll have a few side quests to complete (including wheels champion) to do true ending
(edited)
I figured that would be part of it. I've beaten 5 or 6 of the champs. Wheels is a pretty decent game-within-a-game...
(edited)
!finally
Everyone else hating on wheels or saying they didn't get it 🤣
Everyone else hating on wheels or saying they didn't get it 🤣
(edited)
Exactly. I hated wheels, then it clicked and I was unstoppable
(edited)
This is so on my list. This doesn’t help me wanting to jump in before others.
(edited)
It was a much shorter game than I was expecting. A week of solid play or 2-3 weeks of off and on play will finish it and you'll be good to move on. It's worth it, definitely move it up the list.
(edited)
Yes! The true ending is 100% worth it. I hope this image is a summary of your JRPG experience going forward

Other Sea of Stars posts
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
Other @dennis posts
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post
0
Respawn
Respawn as new post