I have waited YEARS for this game so here goes:

Pros
- The chemistry of the main cast is insane, every single char gets their time to shine in a memorable moment. Having the entire cast from the first chapter itself really helps instead of getting them one by one leading to less screentime which the previous games somewhat suffered from. Best main cast I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing through all my years of playing JRPGs and its not even close. Even the NPCs and guest party members being done extremely well was a pleasant surprise.
- Chapter 5-6 is amazing, the foreshadowing and build-up for THAT scene is absolutely incredible and masterfully executed, I didn't think a game could make me feel that many emotions in rapid succession but here we are. Genuinely on its way to becoming my favorite moment EVER in JRPGs or even video games in general, I feel legitmately bad for people who were unable to experience it blind.
- The games area music perfectly fits the darker and somber theme of the game and compensates this with some of the best battle themes in the series. I still love the upbeat area themes of XC2 much more but consider, uplifting catchy music when finding soldier husks? Nope.
- The battle system is nuts after the first chapter with the class system, fusion arts lets you lead into endless Art combinations, after having full use of Ouroboros the options expand even more, its not even a traditional action RPG and yet it has some of greatest battle systems I've experienced. Chain attack is cathartic (still prefer a toggle option for chain attack music).
- The world is humongous and sprawling with life, even with the Switch limitations Monolith Soft somehow made the world so fucking pretty, especially on docked mode. Just makes me wonder how much prettier they could make another world on a (hopefully) stronger Nintendo console. Exploring rewards you immensely so that helps in the immersion.
- Getting most Hero characters is fully optional and you can find them simply by exploring (being rewarded for exploring is great) leading to you getting another whole Colony with its own set of problems, a new Hero, a new class and a side story with enough depth. This is Blades from XC2 done right. Not to mention Ascension Quests where you make the Hero even stronger, gives them time to shine and develop (sometimes even the entire Colony) with the best part being most Ascension Quests involve 2 diff Colonies interacting leading to world building, the world building in this is hilariously good.
- The villains embody the themes of the game perfectly and do not let up in the slightest. Couple that with the incredible way the game handles the themes of life, memories and time it adds so much when you think about it all the way from the most miniscule details to the major plot points. The more I think about this game the more I grow to love it even more, absolutely beautiful game all around.
- The ending was fucking beautiful, I didn't expect them to follow the games theme to the end and nail a bittersweet ending, and still keep it hopeful. The games message is crystal clear (just like my tears during it).

Cons
- Expert mode should be there from the beginning, lack of it thereof hurts class changing a lot.
- Weight of Life should DEFINITELY have been used more.
- One aspect of the plot needed 1 more chapter personally, I understood it but extra exposition would've been much more preferable, hopefully it gets addressed in the upcoming story DLC, then again its Monolith Soft, after Torna broke me and made me love XC2 even more, I have full faith in them.
- The time resetting after every Fast Travel feels really silly since you miss out on the Night Themes.

Slight problems in the game but the pros absolutely overshadow the cons, 11/10 would cry again. The upcoming story DLC depending on how it is, might change nothing or make this legitimately the greatest game I've ever played.

Edit after Future Redeemed: ACTUAL PEAKINO FICTION

This parts special but I simply need to gush about how well it incorparates a ludonarrative along with its themes.

The Class System
My favourite is probably about the class system. You'll notice that none of the Kevesi trios classes match up to their core values. Noah dislikes battle but he knows thats all his Blade and playstyle is suited for, the only ATK class you get for are only because he shared a connection with Ethel and sympathized with Juniper's lack of understanding of the world. Eunie prefers the brash approach instead of healing but she has to since Joran died (notice how not once did she heal in the flashbacks) along with having High Entia Ether sheninigans (culture is dead but they allude to the fact that they know they're different like Lanz saying he's made of sterner stuff in the desert or Mio vibe checking Moebius OP since shes a Flesh Eater), adding to this NONE of her inherited classes are HLR and are instead the most offensive type of TNK and ATK classes. Lanz is the closest since all he does is wanna protect his comrades, its why he picks up healing the fastest along with having a big brother dynamic with Valdi and Fiona both who both also want to focus on keeping their friends alive, Lanz does this and guides them on the notion of preventing another Joran from happening. The Agnus trio goes in the exact opposite of this direction since they're pretty comfortable in their chosen roles.

Moebius and the fear of change
The way Consuls are implemented most people consider them cartoonish evil filler villains which is EXACTLY what they are, but there is some depth to this. All Consuls except X,Y, and Z were also part of the cycle, just like the party pre-Ouroboros so that keeps some stuff into perspective. Z is watching every single thing, he'll choose a person who interests him when they die, someone he believes he can sway to see things his way. Once he has them in his theater he'll reveal the truth of the world to them along with showing them all their countless deaths from previous cycles. I like this since it thematically showcases that their past is meaningless and that they have no future. They need only resign themselves to the flow, the Endless Now as he calls it. Then he'll give them a literal deal with the devil: get thrown back and be reborn to die in the now pointless cycle without your memories OR surrender to the flow and become Moebius, gain immortality, endless entertainment and all you have to do is do everything it takes to preserve the forever war. You can't even somewhat blame them to an extent since the deal itself is messed up in both scenarios. Its BECAUSE of this its not too hard to imagine that most members of Moebius are shallow insane psychopaths since that kind of mindset is destructive in all forms and I always found it concerning why people wanted a tragic backstory or any other deep justification behind an idea that is inherently awful and clearly prevalent in most Moebius minus the obvious exceptions. Doesn't help that when becoming Moebius all their past memories from past lives come rushing back, most likely driving their already insane mind for even agreeing to Z's offer ever more insane which is even touched upon in the game. In a sense 90% of Moebius are all just victims of the world of Aionios, its consequences and what resigning yourselves to stagnation can lead to, the same world you are literally and figuratively trying to end. The game hammers "The world, our enemy" to you and it MEANS it, even more when you consider a lack of Consul A. Guess what this games world's name starts from?

See, I love how Z is an "intentionally shallow" villain, but at the same time, a very realistic one, considering he is basically a force of human nature as opposed to an actual person. His thought process is genuinely something that a lot of people struggle with, the most prominent line being:

"Have you ever wished... that time would simply stop? Do you wish the now would last forever?"

It's a genuine thing that a lot of people go through, and the fact that this idea is literally and figuratively holding back the world from progressing coincides so well with the themes of life, time, memories and rebirth the game presents. The Moebius symbol being an infinity that keeps going endlessly, unchanging and alone like Moebius themselves to signify no end in sight and eternal stagnation alludes to this as opposed to an Ouroboros symbol have a definitive end and requiring a head and a tail, just like how Interlinking in it requires a Kevesi and Agnian. Z is existential dread incarnate. Something that anyone should know all too well. He is a primal, instinctual thing everyone has, that everyone has experienced. He is something so inconceivably human, that it makes his entire reason for existence and actions all the more horrifying. He exists merely as a human emotion taken to a childish extreme, brings unfathomable torment and suffering for his entertainment all off the simple notion of not wanting to die or getting bored. To fight Z is to fight yourself. To battle your innermost demon (Moebius) and fears. He is quite literally the struggle to move forward. The perfect closing villain to a series about learning to move on from grief and turmoil, and striving to make a better future, in spite of it all. I can understand not being a fan of the concept but calling him a bad villain for the series is really stretching it. Now the Wave 4 Trailer might shake things up on his origin so that remains to be seen.

Colors and Symbolism
Did you know red is the most common color to replace white or black chess pieces with if the other isn't available?

Keves = Black
Agnus = White
Moebius = Red

Consul gear is red, you even see 2 Consuls betting on lives using Black and White chess pieces when 2 Colonies are fighting as N looks on in disgust in one cutscene symbolizing the true enemy.

Nia mentions the 2 worlds being close to collision and you see 2 orbs (the worlds) colliding in the very first cutscene with Alrest being golden and Bionis/Mechonis being blue. Rex and Mio had golden yellow eyes, Shulk and Noah had greyish blue eyes. Guess what color forms when you mix yellow and blue? green, the City being descended from the only survivors of the 2 previous worlds and hence not being recorded in Origin primarily uses the color green. This is invoked my Melia and Nia too, the fake queens have a Black and White motif whereas when they finally join you in earnest guess what? Their main colours become Blue and Yellow, even the main parties original gear is black and white its not until they gain freedom from the Flame Clock that new outfits are vibrant with colors.

if you go by the logic of
Green = The City
Red = Moebius
just know the opposite color of Green is Red

Moebius are also primarily purple/violet when transforming, violet/purple is the opposite of yellow.

During Homecoming when a person reaches the end of their life their motes are yellow (accepting death) while the entire concept of Moebius is to just live a vain, shameless eternal life no matter how many bodies pile up to fuel it (fear of death or change)

When you fight Z Infinity he reshapes Origin, this form is meant to invoke a bird hatching from an egg with the lower part being the egg HOWEVER it is completely stationary and doesn't move forward, just like Moebius. Gilgamesh, the bird like mech the City uses is extremely mobile in battle and a major player in defeating Z, the complete opposition between Origin and The City.

The game is oozing with such details that you can feel how much passion is put into it and I cannot wait to see what they cook up next.