I can see the appeal here, but large parts of the game were just a huge chore for me.

The plot is chugging along with some weird pacing, I felt barely any escalation over the course of the game and the way everything about the story is structured is bizarre and off-putting.

The lore barely matters and remains incomprehensible and foggy.

The cast is fine, but every character except Tear is unlikable or cringeworthy in one way or another. And yes, I know Luke is supposed to be unlikeable in the beginning. But some spoilerish parts about his behavior just irked me all the way through.

I just... I don't like Tales of the Abyss. I mean, I do not hate it either, but I really do not feel like I needed to experience this game. At all.