I'd always been curious about this series yet never really indulged in it for one reason or another, typically because the moment had passed me by whenever it did end up back on my radar. The Game Awards announcement trailer did its job though and left me hyped for some months. When it released, I wasn't disappointed in the least. Sure, the beginning took me a bit as a newcomer to the series but once I found my bearings, it was smooth sailing from then on. I loved every last bit of this game from the stellar OST, the story presentation, the incredible level of customization offered, and the short objective based missions that lent itself well to shorter play sessions. Finding out Shoji Kawamori had returned to the series with this entry was just icing. I ran through it three times to get each ending and the game never felt boring on each subsequent playthrough. This is partially due to how missions had small changes here or there to keep me on my toes but mostly because of how good the game felt to play. I'll end up achievement hunting in the near future and still owe myself one more playthrough to activate a mission I had missed. One might think I'd be dreading all of that but it's a testament to the game's quality that I am not.