Even though I really enjoyed my time playing Replicant, I'm very conflicted about this game. On the one hand, the way Yoko Taro tells a story in this game is incredibly unique and memorable, turning the entire story around with just a few short cutscenes, which is a point I really enjoyed when I played Automata a few months ago. On the other hand though, I feel like a lot was sacrificed in order to achieve this, which is definitely the elephant in the room when it comes to this game's flaws. I feel like this idea could've worked better with more areas to explore and a bigger map to avoid the backtracking that adds to the struggle of having to replay big portions of the game to get all endings. Fortunately, it's a sacrifice that comes with a reward: a hard-hitting story that succesfully conveys its plot while also leaving room for theories and what was told in Automata, though there are some sections where the lore is told in unconventionals ways that didn't really click for me, but overall it had me gripped.
Putting the story aspects aside, the soundtrack was stunning, to the point I didn't even mind it using the same three songs throughout the whole game, because those three songs are simply THAT good. Combat is simple and not too hard, you press two buttons to attack, occassionally dodge and throw magic as a means to perform long-range attacks. Characters are incredibly well-written and I loved the way the game slowly makes you questions their action (which you, the player, must do). Honestly, the only problem I had with this game were the massive amounts of repetition. There were no truly annoying sections, which is why I ultimately enjoyed this game a bit more than Automata.
Having played both this and Automata, I now understand why Yoko Taro is so respected as a game creator. He doesn't want to create masterpieces, nor does he want to earn Game of the Year awards. He just wants to tell a story using whatever means necessary, so only those who are truly interested will keep going. Sometimes sacrifices are made so Yoko Taro can tell his stories, which ultimately come at a price... but you gotta respect Yoko Taro for that, and I will keep an eye of what he's working on for the foreseeable future... as long as it's not a gacha.
Putting the story aspects aside, the soundtrack was stunning, to the point I didn't even mind it using the same three songs throughout the whole game, because those three songs are simply THAT good. Combat is simple and not too hard, you press two buttons to attack, occassionally dodge and throw magic as a means to perform long-range attacks. Characters are incredibly well-written and I loved the way the game slowly makes you questions their action (which you, the player, must do). Honestly, the only problem I had with this game were the massive amounts of repetition. There were no truly annoying sections, which is why I ultimately enjoyed this game a bit more than Automata.
Having played both this and Automata, I now understand why Yoko Taro is so respected as a game creator. He doesn't want to create masterpieces, nor does he want to earn Game of the Year awards. He just wants to tell a story using whatever means necessary, so only those who are truly interested will keep going. Sometimes sacrifices are made so Yoko Taro can tell his stories, which ultimately come at a price... but you gotta respect Yoko Taro for that, and I will keep an eye of what he's working on for the foreseeable future... as long as it's not a gacha.