The tutorials are a persistent problem, on one hand you could trumpet that the game is constantly introducing something new (or an old idea from a previous game) which is great but every single time something new turns up you grind to a halt having the new mechanic over-explained to the point the game often tests your ability to take a few steps to the left and right in your slightly altered new form or something else unnecessary, i'm beginning to dread characters opening their mouths.
Upon gaining a new skill one of your two assist characters (yes, we need two of these now) will often spoil even the simplest of solutions involving it before you can even take control, increasingly painful when it uses old mechanics dating back to Superstar Saga.
Two moments in particular stick out to me...
*very minor spoilers I guess*
The first is when upon reaching a dream rock that clearly would have to be smashed with a hammer since you clearly couldn't strike it from below by jumping the ever pestering prince quickly jumped out to tell me that i'd need to use the hammer to hit that rock after i'd spent the last few hours hammering rocks anyway, well cheers, never would've figured that one out without your help.
And the other about eight hours in when walking into a badge shop I was "rewarded" with a forced tutorial explaining the badge mechanics introduced hours ago just in case i'd forgot I presume, and when I say rewarded I mean it was actually presented as such, maybe that was the joke?
I feel almost villainous in this thread, i've yet to make one really positive post, this may give off the impression that i'm not enjoying myself, I should point out I am. The game has some clever ideas, I love the environment visuals, it's got the strongest music in the series, the core gameplay is as good as ever with the dream battle twists helping the formula remain fresh but the interruptions, some overly long areas fighting the same few enemies over and over (i'm looking at you mountain!) and an increasing feeling of familiarity are kind of clashing with the good side.
Well it's better than Partners in Time so far I can say that much and if you really enjoyed Bowser's Inside Story it certainly seems to lean more in that direction.
