LiefKatano
2021
there's some maybe interesting thoughts here but they're held back by an exhaustingly large dungeon and dice rolls upon dice rolls upon dice rolls
admittedly didn't get suuuuuuper far but the slog's gone on long enough i can't see it getting any better, especially with my significant issues with its systems (the large amount of highly random damage, floors being big and uninteresting, heavily encouraging skipping around and thus just... not engaging with the actual gameplay). overall 0/10, play Etrian Odyssey instead
admittedly didn't get suuuuuuper far but the slog's gone on long enough i can't see it getting any better, especially with my significant issues with its systems (the large amount of highly random damage, floors being big and uninteresting, heavily encouraging skipping around and thus just... not engaging with the actual gameplay). overall 0/10, play Etrian Odyssey instead
2023
Definitely on the simpler side for an RPG (though tbqh I'll take this over the more complicated action commands its progeny can have), but still an enjoyable adventure, imo. I like the overhauled mechanics a bit, but the fact that most of the game was not designed with them in mind can make them fall a bit flat...
I think my main complaint is that some of the sidequest stuff still shows its age in being rough and kinda unfun, though I'll admit this is at least partially because I'm not actually the greatest at reflexive stuff.
Game is definitely a treat visually. I feel like they knew when it'd be best to show off the new possible capabilities (ex. boss intros, certain cutscenes) while otherwise still being charmingly faithful.
I think my main complaint is that some of the sidequest stuff still shows its age in being rough and kinda unfun, though I'll admit this is at least partially because I'm not actually the greatest at reflexive stuff.
Game is definitely a treat visually. I feel like they knew when it'd be best to show off the new possible capabilities (ex. boss intros, certain cutscenes) while otherwise still being charmingly faithful.
2023
Pretty easily the best Persona 5 spin-off, imo. The gameplay goes incredibly hard (even if it is kinda easy :U), adapting both Persona 5's general combat concepts and the whole "phantom thieves" idea to the strategy RPG genre really well. The only big issue is that most of the bosses... don't really capitalize on what's fun about the battle system. (This is a recurring Persona problem, to be fair. The boss that DOES engage with the battle system more is my absolute favorite.)
The story is fairly good, I think. The main antagonist is probably one of the best Persona's done - its philosophy feels like something people actually act on, and it's so irritatingly frustrating and hypocritical you absolutely want to tear its head off. In general, it's also focused more on one person, which allows the game to flesh out his character more - and seeing how the Phantom Thieves relate to his various plights is also good and interesting.
The DLC is... somewhat middling. It introduces a new mechanic that's potentially interesting, but not always applicable in an appreciable way. It goes a long way to making most of the boss fights more interesting, at least. (Though the final boss is... absolutely atrocious.) The plot of the DLC isn't bad, per say (though you could argue it doesn't utilize Kasumi and especially Akechi to their fullest), but its main antagonist is incredibly underwhelming compared to the main game's. All in all, I don't regret grabbing it, but I also won't fault you if you choose to pass it up.
The story is fairly good, I think. The main antagonist is probably one of the best Persona's done - its philosophy feels like something people actually act on, and it's so irritatingly frustrating and hypocritical you absolutely want to tear its head off. In general, it's also focused more on one person, which allows the game to flesh out his character more - and seeing how the Phantom Thieves relate to his various plights is also good and interesting.
The DLC is... somewhat middling. It introduces a new mechanic that's potentially interesting, but not always applicable in an appreciable way. It goes a long way to making most of the boss fights more interesting, at least. (Though the final boss is... absolutely atrocious.) The plot of the DLC isn't bad, per say (though you could argue it doesn't utilize Kasumi and especially Akechi to their fullest), but its main antagonist is incredibly underwhelming compared to the main game's. All in all, I don't regret grabbing it, but I also won't fault you if you choose to pass it up.
2023
Decent dungeon crawler but not one I'd recommend to those not already invested in the genre, imo. Some of the weird quirks of the game are fun to be able to use, at least.
Definitely would recommend this over the DS original, because you can make far more accurate maps in the HD Remaster!
Definitely would recommend this over the DS original, because you can make far more accurate maps in the HD Remaster!
2012
It's a cute little RPG, though I'd definitely say the more hardcore might enjoy it more. Not as hard as I was expecting given some of the things I've heard about it - admittedly, I know some Secrets about the gameplay systems that help a bit, but they honestly don't feel like they'd be impactful enough to make it that much easier?
Admittedly, the game also forces you to grind. Probably one of the most infamous aspects of the game is that you need a fairly-rare drop from fairly-rare reinforcements to proceed in the game three times (if you're going for the good ending). Even if you know what to look for (I did) it's gonna take a bit to show up, which lets you power up your gear fairly well even without going out of your way (unless you get ridiculously unlucky or, in an ironic twist, ridiculously lucky with getting the required drop).
Mastering buffs, debuffs, and elemental combos are key to succeeding in combat, which is a plus in my book. Dice factor in less than you might expect, and the ability to rig your rolls (if you have a guide) makes it... even less contributory, honestly.
The writing is excellent, as you'd expect from a game penned by Matsuno - I think my only critique would be that the actions that let you get the good ending... don't really make sense for causing the good ending, if that makes any sense? Otherwise it does a good job of building the world, which is particularly impressive considering that it's sixteen hours long and takes place inside a singular dungeon.
Overall, I do like the game, but I can't really say I'd recommend it a ton (at least to actually play).
Admittedly, the game also forces you to grind. Probably one of the most infamous aspects of the game is that you need a fairly-rare drop from fairly-rare reinforcements to proceed in the game three times (if you're going for the good ending). Even if you know what to look for (I did) it's gonna take a bit to show up, which lets you power up your gear fairly well even without going out of your way (unless you get ridiculously unlucky or, in an ironic twist, ridiculously lucky with getting the required drop).
Mastering buffs, debuffs, and elemental combos are key to succeeding in combat, which is a plus in my book. Dice factor in less than you might expect, and the ability to rig your rolls (if you have a guide) makes it... even less contributory, honestly.
The writing is excellent, as you'd expect from a game penned by Matsuno - I think my only critique would be that the actions that let you get the good ending... don't really make sense for causing the good ending, if that makes any sense? Otherwise it does a good job of building the world, which is particularly impressive considering that it's sixteen hours long and takes place inside a singular dungeon.
Overall, I do like the game, but I can't really say I'd recommend it a ton (at least to actually play).
Very good strategic gameplay. Decent if admittedly lackluster story. (I think it's fine but I get that other people might be wanting.)
I really like how bosses are handled in this game. Most map objectives are "defeat boss", which I liked in Tactics Ogre and I liked here as well. Bosses rooted in one place are also the exception rather than the norm, which I like as a way of making you always be wary of them. Also helping is the "revival stone", mechanic - basically the bosses having however many equally-long health bars. It sounds like it has the potential to be annoying but I can appreciate the staying power it gives the bosses - killing them in one full turn is still possible, but you'll definitely need multiple units for it and it's more of a commitment. And it feels really satisfying when you manage to deplete all of their health bars in one turn; each health bar being normal-sized helps. I'd say I only really got annoyed with revival stones when there were multiple units on the field with them, moreso when they otherwise were generic, but those moments are super rare, mercifully.
I think the main weakness of the gameplay is the unit building - specifically, how restrictive it is. You get exactly two slots for skills of your choice - and (at least before version 1.3) you had extremely limited SP to purchase skills with, leading to easy decision paralysis. Another potential annoyance is that there are some unique and potentially useful skills on bond rings, but using them means that you have to completely give up the generally-more-useful engage rings. Understandable, maybe, but still kind of restrictive for my tastes. (Also class skills kinda suck, though I do appreciate how the "activation skills" - things like Luna and Ignis - are restricted to special classes. Makes them feel fancier and exclusive like they used to... but they also don't have cool animations...)
Finally, I want to talk about the story. It exists. It's not the very best story, and I can see why it would be easy to be disappointed with it after Three Houses, which at the very least tried to be more ambitious with it (and I think is generally accepted to have been more successful with it than, say, Fates). There are still, however, pieces of the story that I liked a lot - some of them are, admittedly, most likely because they hit a weak point for me, but I really like the villain. Without getting into spoilers, I think he evokes some more unique emotions. He commits the cardinal sin of "you only learn about him five seconds before you punch his face in" but in spite of that those five seconds make him fairly memorable, I think! It's not a masterpiece by any means but I still genuinely think it was enjoyable enough to not make me want to skip through every story scene just to get to gameplay faster.
I really like how bosses are handled in this game. Most map objectives are "defeat boss", which I liked in Tactics Ogre and I liked here as well. Bosses rooted in one place are also the exception rather than the norm, which I like as a way of making you always be wary of them. Also helping is the "revival stone", mechanic - basically the bosses having however many equally-long health bars. It sounds like it has the potential to be annoying but I can appreciate the staying power it gives the bosses - killing them in one full turn is still possible, but you'll definitely need multiple units for it and it's more of a commitment. And it feels really satisfying when you manage to deplete all of their health bars in one turn; each health bar being normal-sized helps. I'd say I only really got annoyed with revival stones when there were multiple units on the field with them, moreso when they otherwise were generic, but those moments are super rare, mercifully.
I think the main weakness of the gameplay is the unit building - specifically, how restrictive it is. You get exactly two slots for skills of your choice - and (at least before version 1.3) you had extremely limited SP to purchase skills with, leading to easy decision paralysis. Another potential annoyance is that there are some unique and potentially useful skills on bond rings, but using them means that you have to completely give up the generally-more-useful engage rings. Understandable, maybe, but still kind of restrictive for my tastes. (Also class skills kinda suck, though I do appreciate how the "activation skills" - things like Luna and Ignis - are restricted to special classes. Makes them feel fancier and exclusive like they used to... but they also don't have cool animations...)
Finally, I want to talk about the story. It exists. It's not the very best story, and I can see why it would be easy to be disappointed with it after Three Houses, which at the very least tried to be more ambitious with it (and I think is generally accepted to have been more successful with it than, say, Fates). There are still, however, pieces of the story that I liked a lot - some of them are, admittedly, most likely because they hit a weak point for me, but I really like the villain. Without getting into spoilers, I think he evokes some more unique emotions. He commits the cardinal sin of "you only learn about him five seconds before you punch his face in" but in spite of that those five seconds make him fairly memorable, I think! It's not a masterpiece by any means but I still genuinely think it was enjoyable enough to not make me want to skip through every story scene just to get to gameplay faster.
2022
Phenomenal story and presentation! I think it does a good job at telling a tale of war and not necessarily glorifying it - even the kinda slow-paced battles do a good job at doing that, as it's not easy to become some sort of death god.
Of course, the slow-paced battles can also be a strike against it. During the main game, most battles can be decisively ended by defeating the enemy leader, but as you dive into the post-game that suddenly becomes not an option for 95% of the battles and you have to slowly take down every enemy on the field one by one. Combined this with units in general being bulky and enemies typically if not always outleveling you and engaging with the post-game content is... a chore. That's not a huge deal, at least, and I think it works well enough in the main game for it to still be enjoyable.
The game has been overhauled considerably from the PSP version, and while there are numerable changes for the better - such as removing the quite awful class level system - some mechanics from the PSP version I do kind of miss, such as the more in-depth skill system and more varied magic schools. This is almost certainly just due to personal preference, mind you, and I can see why most of them were changed.
Overall, I'd say it's a very good experience and a wonderful game. Just... don't engage with the optional content. Your sanity will thank you for it.
Of course, the slow-paced battles can also be a strike against it. During the main game, most battles can be decisively ended by defeating the enemy leader, but as you dive into the post-game that suddenly becomes not an option for 95% of the battles and you have to slowly take down every enemy on the field one by one. Combined this with units in general being bulky and enemies typically if not always outleveling you and engaging with the post-game content is... a chore. That's not a huge deal, at least, and I think it works well enough in the main game for it to still be enjoyable.
The game has been overhauled considerably from the PSP version, and while there are numerable changes for the better - such as removing the quite awful class level system - some mechanics from the PSP version I do kind of miss, such as the more in-depth skill system and more varied magic schools. This is almost certainly just due to personal preference, mind you, and I can see why most of them were changed.
Overall, I'd say it's a very good experience and a wonderful game. Just... don't engage with the optional content. Your sanity will thank you for it.
square enix refusing to release most of the Dragon Quest games that came out on the 3DS over here is a freakin' travesty
If mashing monsters together to make cool powerful dudes designed by Akira Toriyama appeals to you then man do I have the subseries for you! Some overhauls make creating powerhouses a bit easier in this game (and for making the monsters you like powerful, too), which I honestly think is fun! As a result the game does end up on the easier side, except for the end- and post-game where a lot of bullshit gets cranked up to maximum. Think the only real downside beyond that is the lame accessory crafting and customization system, which has materials that are a pain in the ass to get in meaningful quantities.
Oh yeah, and I love the sci-fi-fantasy aesthetic the game has going on. It's fun!
If mashing monsters together to make cool powerful dudes designed by Akira Toriyama appeals to you then man do I have the subseries for you! Some overhauls make creating powerhouses a bit easier in this game (and for making the monsters you like powerful, too), which I honestly think is fun! As a result the game does end up on the easier side, except for the end- and post-game where a lot of bullshit gets cranked up to maximum. Think the only real downside beyond that is the lame accessory crafting and customization system, which has materials that are a pain in the ass to get in meaningful quantities.
Oh yeah, and I love the sci-fi-fantasy aesthetic the game has going on. It's fun!
There's a LOT of streamlining which is very much appreciated here. "It's super effective!" shows up during an attack, and how they handle EXP and learning moves makes post-battle far more streamlined and less annoying with pestering about learning moves and what-not. It's not perfect, and there's definitely some redundancy still (the menu to go back to town has two "I'm gonna keep exploring!" options, actually equipping new moves - while still less tedious than the old option - kinda takes too long for no real reason, and the "continue" screen in boss battles can be too verbose). It's still a much-appreciated step forward for the Pokemon franchise, though.
I will say, though, that rare Pokemon like Cherrim or Munchlax can be REALLY annoying to find, which is a huge pain in the butt. The action RPG elements don't really help either, especially for Pokemon that opt to flee - it MAKES SENSE but it's annoying for rarer ones that might not always show up.
I will say, though, that rare Pokemon like Cherrim or Munchlax can be REALLY annoying to find, which is a huge pain in the butt. The action RPG elements don't really help either, especially for Pokemon that opt to flee - it MAKES SENSE but it's annoying for rarer ones that might not always show up.
Honestly even if its only merit was "Westerners can actually play Rush Duels without knowing Japanese" it'd rank pretty high. Thankfully, that's not its only merit - it has lots of nice little animations that play when various effects activate, and the small "holograms" add a nice touch to your duels.
Admittedly, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Your deck-making capabilities are extremely limited - you can only use "deck recipes" for most of the game (you can unlock the ability early by using the Konami Code, but for the final storyline duel you HAVE to use a specific deck - that the game gives you the cards for, thankfully). I get the reason (this is a game for kids) but it can be frustrating getting the exact cards you need for them. The decks you face can also feel a bit same-y at times, which is... pretty unfortunate.
That said, I'd still probably recommend the game to anyone interested in Yu-Gi-Oh unless you're really interested in the super-complex plays of the modern game. They're simple, but fun, and trying to figure out how to use your hand so you can draw as many cards as you can? There's no rush (ha) like that.
...Definitely check out the options menu, though. By default there's a LOT of options enabled that slow down the duels or might be too hand-holdy.
Admittedly, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Your deck-making capabilities are extremely limited - you can only use "deck recipes" for most of the game (you can unlock the ability early by using the Konami Code, but for the final storyline duel you HAVE to use a specific deck - that the game gives you the cards for, thankfully). I get the reason (this is a game for kids) but it can be frustrating getting the exact cards you need for them. The decks you face can also feel a bit same-y at times, which is... pretty unfortunate.
That said, I'd still probably recommend the game to anyone interested in Yu-Gi-Oh unless you're really interested in the super-complex plays of the modern game. They're simple, but fun, and trying to figure out how to use your hand so you can draw as many cards as you can? There's no rush (ha) like that.
...Definitely check out the options menu, though. By default there's a LOT of options enabled that slow down the duels or might be too hand-holdy.
2021
Sequel to the hit game "Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE", Shin Megami Tensei V takes a surprisingly dark turn compared to the bright, optimistic views of its predecessor.
Alright, alright, let's actually be a bit serious here. A pretty common meme going around is that this game is "Persona 5 without the heart" and that... well, it isn't too far off. If you're here for the story and character development, you're gonna be sorely disappointed. The story's split up into Dragon Quest-style vignettes. Everything you do is relevant to some degree, it's just not quite tight and connected. Certain beats and sidequests (especially involving the fairy village) can be cute and fun, it's just... not all quite connected, y'know?
But what if you aren't? What if you're more interested in exploration? Testing your wits against enemy demons in a frantic battle for survival? If that interests you, then Shin Megami Tensei V is your game - which isn't too surprising, as it shares a director with the Etrian Odyssey series, which puts a similar emphasis on exploration and tight battles over the story.
The skill design of SMTV is really great - and honestly, some of my favorite in an RPG. Helping things out a ton is the large amount of unique skills, helping your demonic companions stand out from each other more - occasionally it's simply allowing earlier, restricted access to certain skills, but often it's a unique effect, such as series mascot Jack Frost's "Jack Bufula", which deals ice damage and lowers the target's defense. These skills can definitely help you get more mileage out of your demons, and SMTV is even generous enough to let you have your favored demons keep pace with you (especially with Essences, an enhanced version of Strange Journey's demon sources, which you can apply even after a demon has been fused). I also adore that items can provide a meaningful backbone to your strategy - you can learn a passive that lets all of your demons use items, which adds a bit of extra depth because items are actually good! New (ish; the concept has been in Digital Devil Saga) to the series are items that create one-use elemental shields, and those coupled with attack gems can be incredibly useful. (Status gems, while not quite as good, can still be useful in a pinch - bosses aren't immune to statuses, for once.)
Exploration can be a bit of a double-edged sword - there is a LOT of platforming, things can get confusing, and it can honestly be a bit of a pain, but in most cases it enhances that feel of "wow, Tokyo got messed up". YMMV on if that's enough to save it for you, but it was fine for me.
It might sorta drag near the end but honestly it feels like enough games do that, at least nowadays, that I really can't get too mad at it for that.
tl;dr: story's kinda barebones, if sometimes fun or personal, gameplay is top-notch if maybe dragging near the middle-end.
Alright, alright, let's actually be a bit serious here. A pretty common meme going around is that this game is "Persona 5 without the heart" and that... well, it isn't too far off. If you're here for the story and character development, you're gonna be sorely disappointed. The story's split up into Dragon Quest-style vignettes. Everything you do is relevant to some degree, it's just not quite tight and connected. Certain beats and sidequests (especially involving the fairy village) can be cute and fun, it's just... not all quite connected, y'know?
But what if you aren't? What if you're more interested in exploration? Testing your wits against enemy demons in a frantic battle for survival? If that interests you, then Shin Megami Tensei V is your game - which isn't too surprising, as it shares a director with the Etrian Odyssey series, which puts a similar emphasis on exploration and tight battles over the story.
The skill design of SMTV is really great - and honestly, some of my favorite in an RPG. Helping things out a ton is the large amount of unique skills, helping your demonic companions stand out from each other more - occasionally it's simply allowing earlier, restricted access to certain skills, but often it's a unique effect, such as series mascot Jack Frost's "Jack Bufula", which deals ice damage and lowers the target's defense. These skills can definitely help you get more mileage out of your demons, and SMTV is even generous enough to let you have your favored demons keep pace with you (especially with Essences, an enhanced version of Strange Journey's demon sources, which you can apply even after a demon has been fused). I also adore that items can provide a meaningful backbone to your strategy - you can learn a passive that lets all of your demons use items, which adds a bit of extra depth because items are actually good! New (ish; the concept has been in Digital Devil Saga) to the series are items that create one-use elemental shields, and those coupled with attack gems can be incredibly useful. (Status gems, while not quite as good, can still be useful in a pinch - bosses aren't immune to statuses, for once.)
Exploration can be a bit of a double-edged sword - there is a LOT of platforming, things can get confusing, and it can honestly be a bit of a pain, but in most cases it enhances that feel of "wow, Tokyo got messed up". YMMV on if that's enough to save it for you, but it was fine for me.
It might sorta drag near the end but honestly it feels like enough games do that, at least nowadays, that I really can't get too mad at it for that.
tl;dr: story's kinda barebones, if sometimes fun or personal, gameplay is top-notch if maybe dragging near the middle-end.
2021
Probably the best version of FF3, though that's admittedly not saying too much. :U
It is a nice, simple adventure. It won't blow your mind too much, and battles are... absurdly simple, but sometimes you just wanna play a comfy RPG, y'know?
That said - the dungeons are ENTIRELY too freaking long. Even ignoring how much of a slog it ends up being, it's kinda painful to use mages. Final Fantasy III uses an MP charge system, which means each "level" of magic has a certain amount of times you can use it before going to an inn or drinking an elixir - with the number of times scaling with how high your level is, natch. For the base jobs (which are the jobs you have for most of the game, mind) you get a ton of level 1 charges and... not nearly as many for the other levels. Level 1 spells can still be surprisingly useful for a surprisingly long time, but it's still kind of a pain - especially since the Pixel Remaster version of the first game added Ethers. It's mostly a pain in the ass during the midgame - the final set of jobs, while coming in way too late, have their MP distributed far more sensibly.
Otherwise it's generally pretty decent. The graphics are really good - it probably helps that Final Fantasy III doesn't have a 16-bit version to match itself against already, sure, but. The spell effects are REALLY good and I like them a lot. Music's also nice.
I think the final weird thing to me is forcing you to save on the world map still but then adding auto-saves (that're only really visible if you die, mind) and quick saves that... don't really go away, at all. like what the hell
Other than that, if you wanna waste an afternoon or two, there's far, far worse games to idly waste time with.
It is a nice, simple adventure. It won't blow your mind too much, and battles are... absurdly simple, but sometimes you just wanna play a comfy RPG, y'know?
That said - the dungeons are ENTIRELY too freaking long. Even ignoring how much of a slog it ends up being, it's kinda painful to use mages. Final Fantasy III uses an MP charge system, which means each "level" of magic has a certain amount of times you can use it before going to an inn or drinking an elixir - with the number of times scaling with how high your level is, natch. For the base jobs (which are the jobs you have for most of the game, mind) you get a ton of level 1 charges and... not nearly as many for the other levels. Level 1 spells can still be surprisingly useful for a surprisingly long time, but it's still kind of a pain - especially since the Pixel Remaster version of the first game added Ethers. It's mostly a pain in the ass during the midgame - the final set of jobs, while coming in way too late, have their MP distributed far more sensibly.
Otherwise it's generally pretty decent. The graphics are really good - it probably helps that Final Fantasy III doesn't have a 16-bit version to match itself against already, sure, but. The spell effects are REALLY good and I like them a lot. Music's also nice.
I think the final weird thing to me is forcing you to save on the world map still but then adding auto-saves (that're only really visible if you die, mind) and quick saves that... don't really go away, at all. like what the hell
Other than that, if you wanna waste an afternoon or two, there's far, far worse games to idly waste time with.
2021
This review contains spoilers
The story's played way safer compared to the previous games, which wouldn't be as much of a problem if they didn't completely botch the execution anyways. The only real interesting scenario is Savalon, because of the whole "flooded by water crystal" thing. (I think it's neat, at least - the crystals causing problems by not being where they should.) The earth crystal scenario tries to be interesting like that, at least, but the fire crystal doesn't try at all.
Gameplay suffers from inexplicably cutting out QoL features. A huge one is with the battle system - for some reason, they made the shift to a conditional turn-based format (think Final Fantasy X), but they didn't pair being able to view the turn order - they just gave vague indications of who's up next. You could argue that this is to counterbalance how it would affect Brave/Default; I'd argue that's a good reason to just sticking to traditional turn-based like the last two games.
The jobs are kinda sloppily designed. They undid the "double unlock" system for magic that the first two games had, which wouldn't be too bad if they didn't also make getting job levels way more accessible. This does not make magic good. On the contrary, they massively undertuned magic because you can, without too much effort, get -aga spells before even leaving the first area. (The job levels being easier to get thing would be nice if this wasn't almost assuredly the direct result). One of the final jobs you unlock has its schtick completely undermined by its final passive, which lets you break the damage limit. You can deal 10k damage over four turns... or you can slam 45k (generously, it's easy to get more) at once with, say, Berserker. Your call.
...I will say that I do like that specialties are actually, like, special, rather than "just" a job having an innate version of a passive they can learn normally. The integration is kinda wonky and uneven (some are very subclass-reliant, some are more focused on the class itself. some are really fucking good (tank class gets more attack the more target rate it has!), others are bottom tier crap - I'm looking at you, black mage specialty 2, or "use a different element, dipshit!"). But it's a nice concept.
Also counterattacks are dumb in this game. They're either a huge pain in the ass or absolutely nothing to worry about, depending on where you are in the game. Early on they're godawful, most of the game they're un-notable because you get a passive to dodge most of them (yes really), end game they're super fucking annoying because one of them is... Counter Any Ability: BP +1. Extra turns because you did literally anything. This makes you lean towards not letting your enemies get a turn at all, which is really easy, and I'm gonna let you in on a secret: keeping your enemies effortlessly locked down is really, really fucking boring. Status effects are absolutely criminally unused in RPGs but the way to make them usable is not making a passive that lets them have a 100% success rate, at least/especially when one of those statuses makes your enemies completely unable to move.
Like it could be fun in theory but like, almost every boss (when it's relevant) is open to some variant of it. That's boring.
Also sidequests generally suck, compared to the last two games. There's some that are fun and also worth it (not-coincidentally, they have voice acting) but most of them are just... dumb crap for shit that's not even unique.
tl;dr - there's a lot that went wrong with this game. i won't, admittedly, say it's BAD - it's serviceable enough and for most of the game it isn't really offensive. But it could've been more - and it doesn't always land on its feet for what it's trying to be.
Gameplay suffers from inexplicably cutting out QoL features. A huge one is with the battle system - for some reason, they made the shift to a conditional turn-based format (think Final Fantasy X), but they didn't pair being able to view the turn order - they just gave vague indications of who's up next. You could argue that this is to counterbalance how it would affect Brave/Default; I'd argue that's a good reason to just sticking to traditional turn-based like the last two games.
The jobs are kinda sloppily designed. They undid the "double unlock" system for magic that the first two games had, which wouldn't be too bad if they didn't also make getting job levels way more accessible. This does not make magic good. On the contrary, they massively undertuned magic because you can, without too much effort, get -aga spells before even leaving the first area. (The job levels being easier to get thing would be nice if this wasn't almost assuredly the direct result). One of the final jobs you unlock has its schtick completely undermined by its final passive, which lets you break the damage limit. You can deal 10k damage over four turns... or you can slam 45k (generously, it's easy to get more) at once with, say, Berserker. Your call.
...I will say that I do like that specialties are actually, like, special, rather than "just" a job having an innate version of a passive they can learn normally. The integration is kinda wonky and uneven (some are very subclass-reliant, some are more focused on the class itself. some are really fucking good (tank class gets more attack the more target rate it has!), others are bottom tier crap - I'm looking at you, black mage specialty 2, or "use a different element, dipshit!"). But it's a nice concept.
Also counterattacks are dumb in this game. They're either a huge pain in the ass or absolutely nothing to worry about, depending on where you are in the game. Early on they're godawful, most of the game they're un-notable because you get a passive to dodge most of them (yes really), end game they're super fucking annoying because one of them is... Counter Any Ability: BP +1. Extra turns because you did literally anything. This makes you lean towards not letting your enemies get a turn at all, which is really easy, and I'm gonna let you in on a secret: keeping your enemies effortlessly locked down is really, really fucking boring. Status effects are absolutely criminally unused in RPGs but the way to make them usable is not making a passive that lets them have a 100% success rate, at least/especially when one of those statuses makes your enemies completely unable to move.
Like it could be fun in theory but like, almost every boss (when it's relevant) is open to some variant of it. That's boring.
Also sidequests generally suck, compared to the last two games. There's some that are fun and also worth it (not-coincidentally, they have voice acting) but most of them are just... dumb crap for shit that's not even unique.
tl;dr - there's a lot that went wrong with this game. i won't, admittedly, say it's BAD - it's serviceable enough and for most of the game it isn't really offensive. But it could've been more - and it doesn't always land on its feet for what it's trying to be.
Honestly? I really like some of the tricks that they used in this game. At least specifically like... using the NES's limitations and quirks to their advantage.
The difficulty definitely goes up and down in waves. Glad I had a version with rewinding if nothing else.
It's annoying that there's not really a definitive version of the game; for the reasons stated above I'd think the Famicom version is superior (they definitely mess up World 9 in All-Stars) but World A, B, C, and D are tedious to access in this version (even discounting the difficulty of the game).
The difficulty definitely goes up and down in waves. Glad I had a version with rewinding if nothing else.
It's annoying that there's not really a definitive version of the game; for the reasons stated above I'd think the Famicom version is superior (they definitely mess up World 9 in All-Stars) but World A, B, C, and D are tedious to access in this version (even discounting the difficulty of the game).
2020
It's an acceptable game but there's just... a lot of weird system things that bug me.
Story's nice. That the Monarchs are, like, relatable to the Phantom Thieves is nice (though some of the aspects are clunky. P-Team!), and Sophie is absolutely adorable.
The gameplay kind of suffers from trying to mash a phantom thief stealth game with a musou game, though it's at least tolerable unlike, say, Persona Q2. There's certainly annoyances, like having to leave a Jail completely to restore your HP and SP despite that not really being needed (the calendar system is basically aesthetic), but I don't want to completely tear my hair out.
Probably the WORST thing is the fusion system. It's an inferior version of Shin Megami Tensei IV's, where all the fusion options are laid out in a list and you have to sift through them to find the ones you want. There's no sort options or filters, so trying to create cool fusion chains from scratch is a pain in the ass, and with every Persona listed out it feels far more artificial and checklist-y, even if on a technical level it isn't that different from regular MegaTen fusion.
I don't feel like there's too much more to say beyond that. If you like Persona 5 and wanna follow the exploits of the Phantom Thieves, I wouldn't discourage against picking it up - it's a decent enough game and the story portions are nice, if not award winning. Just don't expect as smooth of an experience as Persona 5 Royal.
(also this game managed to make ice block puzzles even more annoying than normal, which is impressive)
Story's nice. That the Monarchs are, like, relatable to the Phantom Thieves is nice (though some of the aspects are clunky. P-Team!), and Sophie is absolutely adorable.
The gameplay kind of suffers from trying to mash a phantom thief stealth game with a musou game, though it's at least tolerable unlike, say, Persona Q2. There's certainly annoyances, like having to leave a Jail completely to restore your HP and SP despite that not really being needed (the calendar system is basically aesthetic), but I don't want to completely tear my hair out.
Probably the WORST thing is the fusion system. It's an inferior version of Shin Megami Tensei IV's, where all the fusion options are laid out in a list and you have to sift through them to find the ones you want. There's no sort options or filters, so trying to create cool fusion chains from scratch is a pain in the ass, and with every Persona listed out it feels far more artificial and checklist-y, even if on a technical level it isn't that different from regular MegaTen fusion.
I don't feel like there's too much more to say beyond that. If you like Persona 5 and wanna follow the exploits of the Phantom Thieves, I wouldn't discourage against picking it up - it's a decent enough game and the story portions are nice, if not award winning. Just don't expect as smooth of an experience as Persona 5 Royal.
(also this game managed to make ice block puzzles even more annoying than normal, which is impressive)