Actual, unrestraint banger. One of the few times I've ever sat down to complete a game in its entirety within one sitting. This is really where AC starts to blossom in nearly every single facet. Sound design, soundtrack, design and presentation etc etc. This is an apex for the series and by far the crowning jewl of the first generation. Honestly just cleans the rest of the Generation off the map with how much content is in this and how well realized all of the missions and story is.

This has essentially everything you'd want from an AC game with the added bonus of having an obtuse second disk for almost 100 ish extra arena battles. This game has some of the most consistent level design implenetation, along with some of the more memorable AC battles. It's also, as a whole, quite fair. None of the AC battles (outside maybe some of the Extra Arena ones) are downright bullshit like Project Phantasma. The missons and battles are challenging whilst being consistent; I think that's very important for an AC game and this game does just that.

Really, really good.

Side Note: this is Kota Hoshino's first contribution to the AC soundtrack. Goddamn, is it good. Like seriously. Truly one of the best to do it.