Sumez wrote:story beats that the game seems to follow only because "that's how JRPGs are"
I think of the game as more of a rebuild for adults of the classic 16-bit jrpg themes. It basically takes that particular ethos and sense of "innocence" but grants it a whole lot more dimension by very slowly, methodically filling out and developing the characters and world over the course of 120 hours and more text then then war and peace (actual number). The plot, world, characters, and their associated arcs are fairly straight forward when you get down to it, but the sheer time and attention to detail spent developing them really breathes a life into it all that those 16-bit jrpg's only possessed through childhood eyes.
If you took the game and abridged it to 30 hours, reducing it down its key setpieces without any of the little moments sprinkled throughout that make it what it is, it would indeed be as generic as your first impression says. But over that massive playtime it really crafts itself a soul. For me at least, by the end of the journey, it manages to perfectly crystallize and encapsulate all the best memories and feelings associated with the genre that I rarely experience from those games or the medium in general any more.
Also, the battle mechanics are
quite good once the game opens up. But it'll take a long time for that to happen.
Sadly, if you're not charmed relatively quickly, I have no idea how far you'll be able to make it in, or if feel anywhere near the same way by the end. Like I said, the game is
very methodical in terms of both gameplay and story.
At least I'm just playing it on the train on the way to work etc. so it's just a casual time waster at the moment, and not threatened by anything else.
