There was a point while playing this game that I thought it was the greatest game of all time. The middle section is so strong. It's right when you've figured out the gameplay (which is unnecessarily complicated but very enjoyable) and the story chapters are these absurd one off slice of life little episodes that barely advance the main plot. One of them has your party split up and unknowingly take opposite sides on a kidnap/bodyguard mission. When the game wants to be funny it's genuinely a laugh out loud experience. You've got two melodramatic teens and Vashyron who can't help but take the piss out of them constantly. The line deliveries, choreography, and voice acting are all on point. Just look up some of the cut scenes from this game, they are hilarious. Most of the game is like this and it is oozing with charisma. I think I finished the first 14 chapters in about 2 months, but once the melodramatic characters took the narrative focus for the last couple chapters it became a huge slog. The last 2 or 3 chapters took me about a year to find the motivation to play through. It was such a low note to go out on and the 4 stars feel unjustifiable but while the lows are low the highs were high. I am happy to be done with the game so I can start reflecting on it fondly.

NOTES:

The games got good hang out vibes. It's all in one area, you can buy lots of clothes, the episodic narrative structure, the characters are always saying little one liners in battle. I don't think Zephyr and Leanne needed these grand narrative conclusions or answers. Just give me fifty missions of them turning the city power back on. I liked that mission.