Context for this review: I played 4 Golden before this one. It's clear that this game had a great foundation and 4 refined so many aspects of it to make it a more enjoyable experience for the player. Not being able to choose skills in fusions is a big deterrent. I'm also not a huge fan of how social links are handled for your party members, particularly for the male protagonist. The ability to break links is neat in theory, but it is frustrating for optimization.
Those issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Coming from 4, I did miss being able to explore the world in 3D, but the story I found to be quite gripping and I enjoyed the themes it explored. The social links varied in depth, but there was one that very much shook me and I found myself tearing up at the end.
From what I've heard, the female protagonist has some significant differences and I think that will make for a great second playthrough down the line, or maybe Reload will get the 5R or 4 Golden treatment. I don't know why I skipped over this game initially, probably because 4 was just more popular. Regardless, I'm glad I played this and I can't wait to play it again, whether that be in this version or if I decide to get Reload.
Those issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Coming from 4, I did miss being able to explore the world in 3D, but the story I found to be quite gripping and I enjoyed the themes it explored. The social links varied in depth, but there was one that very much shook me and I found myself tearing up at the end.
From what I've heard, the female protagonist has some significant differences and I think that will make for a great second playthrough down the line, or maybe Reload will get the 5R or 4 Golden treatment. I don't know why I skipped over this game initially, probably because 4 was just more popular. Regardless, I'm glad I played this and I can't wait to play it again, whether that be in this version or if I decide to get Reload.