at first, i didn't care for this game compared to other ys games
the combat was just more of ys seven/memories, the characters were boring, the areas seemed much more held back than previous entries, and the story started out in typical ys fashion and then started jogging in place.
but as the game went on, the gameplay got more fun and dynamic, the characters were fleshed out to the point where they might be the best in the series so far, the story was engaging the more you learn about dana, the lacrimosa and the island, and the levels, while still a tad restricted (likely due to the vita lmao) began to impress me
it's a slow burn, but it burns bright