This game worked well for me mechanically and structurally. I am generally sensitive to feeling bogged down by too many cutscenes. But somehow a slightly dry, politics-heavy narrative became must-see content thanks to an interactive story that lets you see your choices come to life.

The combat is what I've come to expect from a tactics RPG. I wasn't a big fan of the character progression/management system. The wide range of items required to upgrade units and weapons felt over-engineered. To me, it would have been okay if there were only one or two resources required for upgrading units and weapons.

The Exploration phases felt like a wild goose chase. First you have to realize that NPCs without a marker on them can be useful. Then you have to realize that those NPCs can trigger new dialogue with others. Even once I understood those things, I still found myself haphazardly running around and talking to everyone once, and again. Sometimes it was clear which NPCs I should talk to in order, but not all the time.

Related, I spent my whole playthrough wondering why I utterly failed a specific dialogue scene-- I only had one (clearly wrong) speech option available for the entire scene. I wondered whether I had missed vital information in Exploration or just needed to make a different decision earlier in the game. That was my least favorite part of my playthrough.