So... that was a thing that I just cleared off the smoker.
I want to kick off by saying that the reason that this game was stuck on my backlog for 2 years and some change is that this games' start, up to the first Gabby twist (the one where Lilith is actually executed) has all the haste of freeze-dried molasses (and if it isn't that, yes, Medusa and the Minotaur are just as obnoxious to deal with as you might have heard, basically boiling down to Sukukaja cheese or you die). The initial trip into Tokyo is where I point my finger to most primarily, which ended up as directionless in where you were supposed to be going, and what you were meant to be doing (not to mention what little indication there was that you had to tape down acceptance for Challenge Quests before entering a given area) - or as I said to myself several times when playing: 'a lot of bumblefucking about'.
Were it just the above, I would have to feel especially generous to give this game any higher than a 2-Star rating. Thankfully, after said Gabby/Lilith twist, the game gets noticeably better. Like... probably a 4-Star mid-end game. Hence, I split the difference, and here we are.
On the note of said Gabby twist: it's actually pretty neat stuff. I was tipped off to something like this happening after lurking BTVA and noticing that Gabby and Yuriko/Lilith have the same English VA. Hence I found it conspicuious when Gabby wasn't initially around for Yuriko's execution, only to turn around and have everyone say 'that's a spitting image of Gabby, not Gabby herself'. Basic Chekov's gun dictates something had to happen, and as someone cynical to 'foreshadowing' excuses, I'll hold the L just this once. Oh, and... then Gabby becomes Gabriel of the Four Archangels... which I should have also seen coming, but still.
This probably isn't the best time to say this, but I did dig out a guide for the Neutral/True ending (and if you're wondering, I do plan to replay Apocalypse at some point very soon). One of my mantras when playing games like this is 'whatever you call spoilers, I just call doing my homework' - and this is one of the reasons why.
As for Character Writing, I'd say it's respectable... until it isn't. I'm aware that probably sounds a bit harsh, so let's really break this down:
- Jonathan: His patriotism to Mikado is compelling, until he hears about the plan to 'purge the filth' (cue the memes), in which case he ends up looking like an idiot for taking all of the Church at face value. His means are fine up to that point, but his ends are pretty dippy because of it, mostly on an account of being an ambassador for a belief system he doesn't believe in, even after seeing shit like Pluto from the Blasted Tokyo timeline.
- Walter [Post Lilith visit]: "Hey so I found about about this cool thing called Globalism for the first time, so I'm going to transform into literal Satan to achieve my goals." (/sarc). Oh well, he's at least chill before then, and Matthew Mercer sounds like he was having fun with the role.
- Isabeau: Basically what a restraint check should be, even if there are instances where she's not as proactive as she should be. Reserved, reasonable, and (if the 'Manga' subplot that supposed to lead to Lilith's motivations are any indication) a TOTAL dork (although the through line between said literature and Lilith's motivations are... a bit more disjointed than I would have liked).
As for the Neutral ending in question... yeah, your mileage will vary. Tony4You has an excellent video on Alignment Issues that is a part of what could be considered part of the problem with this game's lack of moral complexity ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoALN7HnvxA ), yet at the same time, while I see why Nyarly thinks that Neutral is the 'worst ending in SMT he's ever seen', as someone who thinks this game in general levelled out to 'kinda mid', I do at least feel impartially towards said ending. I know the wording of this paragraph sounds kinda confused, and I think it's worth talking about in more detail elsewhere. All I'll say for now is that the people trying to use the CU as an explanation for the uninitiated (or otherwise unexplained) will not offer the implication that Isabeau managed to evac the entirety of Mikado the same curtsey.
Anyway, that was a long and disorganised first thoughts. I'll end off by saying that the OST and Graphics are also great. I mean, I enjoyed Apocalypse, so I enjoy this. Simples, methinks.
I want to kick off by saying that the reason that this game was stuck on my backlog for 2 years and some change is that this games' start, up to the first Gabby twist (the one where Lilith is actually executed) has all the haste of freeze-dried molasses (and if it isn't that, yes, Medusa and the Minotaur are just as obnoxious to deal with as you might have heard, basically boiling down to Sukukaja cheese or you die). The initial trip into Tokyo is where I point my finger to most primarily, which ended up as directionless in where you were supposed to be going, and what you were meant to be doing (not to mention what little indication there was that you had to tape down acceptance for Challenge Quests before entering a given area) - or as I said to myself several times when playing: 'a lot of bumblefucking about'.
Were it just the above, I would have to feel especially generous to give this game any higher than a 2-Star rating. Thankfully, after said Gabby/Lilith twist, the game gets noticeably better. Like... probably a 4-Star mid-end game. Hence, I split the difference, and here we are.
On the note of said Gabby twist: it's actually pretty neat stuff. I was tipped off to something like this happening after lurking BTVA and noticing that Gabby and Yuriko/Lilith have the same English VA. Hence I found it conspicuious when Gabby wasn't initially around for Yuriko's execution, only to turn around and have everyone say 'that's a spitting image of Gabby, not Gabby herself'. Basic Chekov's gun dictates something had to happen, and as someone cynical to 'foreshadowing' excuses, I'll hold the L just this once. Oh, and... then Gabby becomes Gabriel of the Four Archangels... which I should have also seen coming, but still.
This probably isn't the best time to say this, but I did dig out a guide for the Neutral/True ending (and if you're wondering, I do plan to replay Apocalypse at some point very soon). One of my mantras when playing games like this is 'whatever you call spoilers, I just call doing my homework' - and this is one of the reasons why.
As for Character Writing, I'd say it's respectable... until it isn't. I'm aware that probably sounds a bit harsh, so let's really break this down:
- Jonathan: His patriotism to Mikado is compelling, until he hears about the plan to 'purge the filth' (cue the memes), in which case he ends up looking like an idiot for taking all of the Church at face value. His means are fine up to that point, but his ends are pretty dippy because of it, mostly on an account of being an ambassador for a belief system he doesn't believe in, even after seeing shit like Pluto from the Blasted Tokyo timeline.
- Walter [Post Lilith visit]: "Hey so I found about about this cool thing called Globalism for the first time, so I'm going to transform into literal Satan to achieve my goals." (/sarc). Oh well, he's at least chill before then, and Matthew Mercer sounds like he was having fun with the role.
- Isabeau: Basically what a restraint check should be, even if there are instances where she's not as proactive as she should be. Reserved, reasonable, and (if the 'Manga' subplot that supposed to lead to Lilith's motivations are any indication) a TOTAL dork (although the through line between said literature and Lilith's motivations are... a bit more disjointed than I would have liked).
As for the Neutral ending in question... yeah, your mileage will vary. Tony4You has an excellent video on Alignment Issues that is a part of what could be considered part of the problem with this game's lack of moral complexity ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoALN7HnvxA ), yet at the same time, while I see why Nyarly thinks that Neutral is the 'worst ending in SMT he's ever seen', as someone who thinks this game in general levelled out to 'kinda mid', I do at least feel impartially towards said ending. I know the wording of this paragraph sounds kinda confused, and I think it's worth talking about in more detail elsewhere. All I'll say for now is that the people trying to use the CU as an explanation for the uninitiated (or otherwise unexplained) will not offer the implication that Isabeau managed to evac the entirety of Mikado the same curtsey.
Anyway, that was a long and disorganised first thoughts. I'll end off by saying that the OST and Graphics are also great. I mean, I enjoyed Apocalypse, so I enjoy this. Simples, methinks.