Review paranoodle 5/5 · Oct 14, 2018
this game is one of my childhood faves and i keep coming back to it every once in a while. it's wonky in spots and pretty solid in others but it's also just really unique in a lot of ways.
i found the characters really likeable and fun even if they're frequently not very well-written, and the plot is... something. …
this game is one of my childhood faves and i keep coming back to it every once in a while. it's wonky in spots and pretty solid in others but it's also just really unique in a lot of ways.
i found the characters really likeable and fun even if they're frequently not very well-written, and the plot is... something. without spoiling, this game is kind of famous for having what i've frequently seen described as "a plot aneurysm" partway through. it's really fun to experience if you're down for weird jrpg story stuff.
combat-wise, it's pretty straightforward and similar to later SO titles (can't speak on earlier ones, haven't gotten around to them). the MP KO "feature" is... maybe not their greatest idea in my opinion but it at least gives a couple funny bosses as a trade-off for your healers/casters dying like flies.
the crafting and other side mechanics are for the most part so incredibly obtuse even a guide struggles to make sense of it, but the good news is that you don't strictly need them to finish the game (even if it might make 1-2 spots a tad easier and/or trivial if you cheese stuff).
in terms of visuals, i like most of the character design even if, again, it sometimes goes in... interesting directions. the graphics were pretty dang good for ps2 at the time and still don't hold up too bad outside the animations, honestly.
as for the audio, it has the same sound effect set as other games in the series, and the usual OST by motoi sakuraba who is having the time of his life banging on his synth. i'm so happy for him.
