91.2 hours played
Written 18 days ago
Having just finished and 100%'d the game on the first save file, I feel as though it is my duty to talk about my experience without spoiling too much of the game for anyone who, like me, found this game years after the release and was interested.
From the start, if you liked the gameplay of the early Paper Mario series, then you likely will enjoy this. While the mechanics aren't one to one (as I would hope), the overall system is similar enough to lend those of us with experience good memories. For those who haven't played or aren't interested in the Paper Mario series, this may not the game for you, but I'd hope it would be. The ability to have multiple characters with different archetypes allows for fairly interesting synergies, and the medal system allows further customization of gameplay. I will note that, due to there only being 3 characters, sometimes battles can reuse concepts that may get repetitive. I personally didn't mind it, but for those used to the handful of partners all with unique interactions with enemies, it might not be the same. Overall, though, the battle system is quite strong and held up for me over my nearly 100 hours. In terms of difficulty and balance, I'm afraid I cannot help. I immediately equipped the Hard Mode badge the moment I got it and never took it off, so it's best to look elsewhere for that.
Exploration is another big thing. The environments clearly have a lot of love and detail put into them, and traversing them was rarely a severe struggle. Environmental puzzles also made the experience more dynamic, and they generally utilized the characters' abilities, which was pretty well done. None of the areas felt overly complex, but they didn't always feel too easy to navigate either. The sheer number of NPCs with unique designs helped flesh out each area as well, and I made it my personal mission to talk to each one and get more chatter from Kabbu because they were charming designs and locations.
Finally, the characters and story were quite well done. Every main character has an arc that really does give each character something that's even more charming than when first meeting them, and as mentioned before, the unique designs help set apart each character and give them a personality of their own. While the story is fairly simple in concept, I think they did an excellent job of driving it.
Finally, this is moreso just as a fan of the soundtrack, the music is KILLER. I love the soundtrack, and it is a game I refuse to play on mute.
All in all, one of my favorite purchases in a hot minute. It's not some big tearjerker, or some strong skill test. But it's everything I'd hoped it was, and I'm glad I finally bought it and completed it.