Constructive story prequel that could have been a masterpiece with more playtime dedicated to its actual narrative instead of obvious padding.
+ significantly better designed and more mature cast that retroactively enriches some old characters
+ engaging combat with the addition of a brilliant player switch mechanic
+ no more annoying gacha rolls and thus imbalanced skill checks
+ slightly expanded and still amazing soundtrack
+ welcoming eastern-themed city to explore
- relatively few and small areas ruining plot pacing and the sense of adventure
- lack of nuance in antagonists compared to the main game
- removal of specific difficulty options making inflated enemy health bars a real problem
- forced side quests that add up to at least 3-5 hours of uninteresting content (out of ~15 hours total)