Got about 3 or 4 hours in last night, through to what is the game's first "real" dungeon. Really enjoying the game on the whole so far. The characters are very entertaining (Magilou? More like Magilololol), even if they're not at all realistic. Velvet's gone pretty edgelord though. She makes Yuri look like Lloyd. I'm loving the fully voiced skits.
The new combo system is great at first impression. Instead of being stuck in the early game with only 3 hit + 1 Arte combos like the older Tales games, this new "build your own 4-hit combo" + Break Soul to continue the loop at the cost of Soul Gauge seems like a great, freeing mechanic. I do think I'm going to miss the aspect of Arte discovery based on usage or team-combos though (unless they show up later on)
But now goddamn this game throws mechanics and jargon at you fast and furious. People give FFXIII shit, but this is at least three times as bad.
I've been playing on Moderate difficulty and it was super easy...until I got to the Baron Bat optional? boss monster in the first dungeon. Welp, he's a few levels over me, and I got my ass kicked and had to run away. Time to "git gud" I guess.
No true overworld is an interesting choice. I'm afraid it's going to make the whole world feel small. WTB a sprint button though.
I've not played a Tales game in years, and it's great to be back. All the stuff Bamco was doing with Xillia (two protagonists, play the whole game twice to get the full story + immediate sequel) and Zestiria (party member switcheroo!) turned me off of those games. Maybe I'll go back to them since they should be cheap.
