So the ending... I did like elements of the storyline at parts, but the second half just fell apart for me. Chapter 13 in particular felt like a bad PS2 game where they were still figuring out how to do stealth/action gameplay. Liked the very finale of the game but I was confused by how vague the rules of the universe are.
I mean, we have to kill the bad guy, then we have to get killed so that we can team up with other magic entities to DOUBLE-kill the bad guy? The rules are so ambiguous it felt like they were making them up as they went along. I did however like some of the team bonding at the end of the game.
I posted this in the impressions thread:
I am going to write up my impressions because I feel that this is another bait-and-switch Metal Gear Solid V situation where the game falls apart as it goes along. And reviewers praised that one based off of the first ten hours. I feel the same will happen here.
So if you are on the fence about buying this game, please read the following first. I have basically kept the following basically spoiler-free, but I am gonna mark it with spoiler tags because I know some people are sensitive to this kind of stuff:
ATMOSPHERE: Overall, I liked the open-world areas the best. I wish that they were more varied, but there are some very scenic visuals along the way. I felt distracted by how much of the landscape evoked classic americana: The diners, the classic cars, the vibe of Hammerhead. And the product placement is just super weird. Cup Noodles becomes the focus of a big side-quest for one character. I also wish the world was bigger. The map is about 8 - 10 miles across, total. (That’s based off the distances given in-game when you get in your car)
COMBAT: I found it to be really simplistic compared to turn-based entries in the series. Although I know other people here will argue with me on that. You can easily get through the game by hacking and slashing. I did, for the most part. I was playing the game on normal, not easy, and the main story was a cakewalk. Certainly optional bosses require more finesse and leveling, but overall his was deeply unsatisfying.
STORY: Like I said, I will keep this spoiler-free, but the way the story is told in the game is a complete mess. It feels like there were six writers who were all working independently and never spoke to one another. Major plot points are either unexplained or barely referred to, and when you get to them, it’s like, “Wait, why are we doing this thing again?” The rules of how the universe works are also frustratingly, distractingly vague. As for the bros, by the end of the game they grew on me a little bit, but their dialogue is usually so superficial, repetitive and non-sensical that when they switch to serious mode, it’s almost laughable. No wait, it literally is laughable.
THE BIG THING: Okay, so I have to keep this vague so as not to spoil you on specifics, and if you don’t want to know something about gameplay, stop reading. But the rumors are true: The game basically turns into a super-linear game a la FF13 at a certain point. This was the biggest disappointment to me, and it really shows the seams of the game. It feels like they couldn’t really deliver the entire game as an open world game, and so they were just like, “screw it, let’s just finish this off as a linear action game.” Seriously, it’s my biggest disappointment with this game. It makes me feel like they ran out of time and money to really do this idea justice.
So now you’ve been WARNED. There are some nice elements here, but overall this is a big thumbs-down from me.