In a way, the story here takes an unfortunate turn. After the promise of a more lighthearted chapter, we quickly pivot to saving a destroyed world with a broken and jaded hero who will eventually rise to the occasion through the power of friendship. It's standard fare for JRPGs and not a problem in isolation, but seeing as we recently saved the universe by punching despair in the face whilst powered by that selfsame power…well, it feels a tad too soon to repeat.

There are also echoes of the "warrior of darkness" segment of post-heavensward. It sounds very unlikely we will repair the void in the interstitial space between expansions, which means this story will be resolved in such a way it provides enough material for 8.0 or 9.0.

I'm a bit bored by Barbariccia's design. Of course the female archfiend has to fight with her hair, that her world is kept together by her hair, and that one of her main concerns is, indeed, her hair.