(Canto VI)

Cannot be understated how Project Moon are the best developers in the game right now and nothing else is even close to what they've been able to do. This is what gacha SHOULD be for, long-form and with an immense variety of storytelling styles. From Canto 4's near-future sci-fi approach to Canto 5's nautical travel, and Canto 6's period piece drama, and the many side stories inbetween these. Sure, 4 and 5 had their issues despite their peaks being at the same tier as their previous works, but 6 FEELS like they've understood how this medium works, and they've used that to nail its pacing, its characters, its plot, continuing to advance so many overarching plot lines but also creating an amazing conclusion to Heathcliff, with such perfect attention to detail in its presentation and boss fights more in-tune with Ruina's... it really cannot be overstated how ahead of the curve PM is, how above in quality they are in everything, and how excited I am for what they continue to make in this long story that'll span many years.

One thing that Unicorn Overlord excels at when nothing else can is a sense of scale; during combat, the feeling of traversing these huge lands and fighting armies at immense disadvantages is sold very well. Outside of combat, traversing the world and rebuilding it is always a fun inbetween.

Unicorn Overlord also falls apart when examined in more detail. Individual characters are extremely basic and the story behind each continent are as interesting as the characters, with an exception that Bastorias has interesting concepts that are also never really reckoned with. Team building feels shallow; not that "anything works", but there feels like there's very little real variety in individual classes. I'm also not a fan of gambit systems but that's more me than an issue with UO, but it definetly didn't convince me otherwise.

And I can't really say that it's more of the sum of its parts because the scale also works against it; by the time I reached Bastorias I was already tired because nothing really changes. The overworld aspect is repetitive, the secrets aren't really secrets and are just basic things to get good equipment, and the gameplay never really felt like it got difficult. Even in the final quest where all of these characters and nations unite, it doesn't end up making up for how the past 40 hours of Unicorn Overlord continued to be tasteless oatmeal, with a story and concepts done in much better fashion. Calling this Fire Emblem Awakening for the Switch is lowkey an insult to FE.

The myth of a Persona 3 "definitive edition" has haunted the halls of discussion over the series's fourth game and breakout implementation of its calendar system, with newcomers intimidated by what it attempts to do and how it sticks by it. Many have people hoped for something that combines FES's general presentation and style combined with Portable's gameplay improvements, and Reload sets out to obtain a middle ground while also adding the style and flourish Persona 5 has been known for.

But we've had a definitive edition for Persona 3 already, and it was called FES: nothing of it needed to be changed and what it has been exists perfectly by itself. So Persona 3 Reload inherently misunderstands the assignment by taking a story of simple teenagers scarred by what life has handed them and the consequences of the failures of our fathers, needing to take it into the next generation's hands and believe in our possibility for self improvement, while also recognizing that we are all different individuals, and partially turning it into a flashy power fantasy.

And in that regard, Reload fails: which is why I run into my dilemma. I can talk about the tonal issues implemented by what Reload decides to implement and change, but I still came out of this story with tears once again, even with its uglier animated cutscenes and FMVs. Even after the countless problems sprouted by needing to turn this unique gem of living one's life to the fullest by your own choices into a much easily digestible work for the newest waves of Persona fans, I still reached that final day where I reflect back on all the bonds I've created and tear up at how they've been able to turn around their lives in the face of hopelessness. Even in the sanding down and flanderization of Persona 3, one thing will forever shine through, and it is the core of its story.

"Greatness does not fade away". I can't ignore how worthwhile it was for me to revisit the work that lead me into the Shin Megami Tensei series and changed me for the better because of it; I can't ignore how attached I can get to this cast, and I could never ignore that, even if I can never reccomend this to someone as the definitive way to play over FES, how glad I am that this game can stand the test of time and continue to exist in its timelessness, and in its permanent beauty.