More uneven than I expect from this series, which is usually nothing if not consistent. The plotting feels less tight than the other games I've played and the central characters aren't as immediately likeable, give or take Tio. That said, the game-over-game improvements to the combat system continue apace, and the parts of the story that directly follow up on Sky 3 are some of the most affecting in the series. I feel like I might have had an easier time appreciating some of it if Trails of Cold Steel hadn't made it over here far earlier.