This is pre story DLC thoughts. There's a lot I love about this game. The gameplay and side quests are the best in the series. The main party is great. The premise has a strong hook to it, especially having played the previous entries. The biggest problem with this game is the way its narrative ends. It feels likes the game hits the peak in the end of Chapter 5/beginning of Chapter 6 and nothing really hits that mark again. Chapter 7 required some backtracking and having characters show up that make it feel like padding. The final boss battle is epic, such, but it's incredibly drawn out and dying part way through it puts you back at the beginning again. I remember being upset with how the story ended because it felt like I missed something, but this detail is mentioned exclusively in a post game quest that requires beating the game. I think it works well with the story that's being told, but it feels more like it an ends on a sizzle rather than a bang, despite trying its best to go for biggest scope possible. Despite this not being my favorite game, it's incredibly strong. Let's see how the DLC pans out.