I was begging for a shorter game after SMT II. If delivers on that in the most backhanded way possible. Whose sick idea was it to entice the player with four routes only to put them through dungeons so bad they won't want to replay the game? There is a war crime level time waster in this game. Combine that with asset and soundtrack reuse from the first two games and now I'm being tempted to skip this entry altogether. What's even worse is there are some amazing new tracks and enemy sprites in the fourth route locked behind new game plus. Reiko's ending is enjoyable but when the most enticing content is in playthrough two of a game that's already more of the same, I can't be bothered.

I was begging for a shorter game after SMT II. If delivers on that in the most backhanded way possible. Whose sick idea was it to entice the player with four routes only to put them through dungeons so bad they won't want to replay the game? There is a war crime level time waster in this game. Combine that with asset and soundtrack reuse from the first two games and now I'm being tempted to skip this entry altogether. What's even worse is there are some amazing new tracks and enemy sprites in the fourth route locked behind new game plus. Reiko's ending is enjoyable but when the most enticing content is in playthrough two of a game that's already more of the same, I can't be bothered.

I have nothing nice to say. Every aspect of this game drives me up a wall. The music is repetitive and obnoxious. Casting spells is frustrating. Multiple status effects that stop you in your tracks. Character progression is simple and uninspired given this is an FF game. Everything is slow. Traveling the world map, story events, connecting GBAs. GBAs dying is the cherry on top. Carrying the chalice is but a drop in the bucket compared to everything else I've mentioned. There is a clear gameplay loop they have designed but I hate playing the game so the fact I have to keep grinding dungeons for stat ups and materials to make progress is infuriating. There's little left to enjoy when the foundation was so poor in the first place.