This is probably the best in-map gameplay of the series. Emblems are a really fun mechanic and somehow the map-design is great enough that it doesn't feel broken to use the emblems, the original music is great and it i really dig the art-style (tho i hope not FE is this way, i wouldn't care to get more FEs in this art direction). The story of this game is fucking dogshit and the worldbuilding is generic and uninteresting. Some of the characters are annoying but most of them are fun after you get to know them a bit. The worst part is the lamest characters are near the beggining of the game, and some of the good ones turn to mush when near the MC to keep the games weird "Divine Dragon" power-fantasy. Exploring Somniel is pretty much just worst Garech Mach and sadly the class system is underwhelming and favors characters with excluisve classes a lot

Even with its problems, is an phenomenal experience to anyone who likes FEs in-map gameplay. Playing this for the first time on Maddening has been one of my most fun gaming experiences in quite some time. Grabbing me for hours and hours and making any weekends or free time dissappear. Playing on calls with friends specially is A BLAST

This games sheer existence is a fucking miracle, it's definetly not a perfect game, it inherits all the flaws Breath of the WIld had, but the implementation and coherence is spetacular enough it compensates them way more.

Here are some clever theming i noticed through the game:

-(SPOILER WARNING) Contrasting with BotWs themes of solitude, this game is about conections, which affects all parts of the game.
In the story, you're making social connections, with the sages, and differently then BotW, they follow you around so that you're not alone.
But also, in gameplay, a more tangeble way, with Ultrahand and Fuse allowing you to CONNECT stuff together. (Probably completely coincidental, but it also makes sense with Link's name)

- (MAJOR SPOILER WARNING) The entire end sequence of the game, is all a huge pay-off for all the games themes, where you're most personal connection (to Zelda) is what allows you to fight Demon Dragon, while also touching in theme of verticality of the games exploration. You start the game by skydiving in the Great Sky Islands, you end by skydiving onto the final boss.
Even Later, you catch Zelda's body, re-enecting when she falls on the chasm and disappears, but this time, you manage to catch her, and land on the exact same lake you (probably) did when falling from the Great Sky Islands for the first time.




oh also the "game over" text still changes color depending on how you died so instant 10/10