This game is a bit of a rollercoaster--in more ways than one. It's strong suit is definitely story, but it starts good and drops. Then, about halfway through the game it punches you in the gut and kicks into overdrive (discovering the truth behind N and M is the game's peak). The combat is pretty good, but there isn't really anything interesting to fight; it's mostly just animals. This can lead to slow sections (like the games finale?). Overall it's pretty good, but it has some more noticeable flaws than XC1 (in my opinion). So, essentially it's peaks are really high, but it's valleys are too.