Started this yesterday but really put time into it today. Only a few hours in
. So far I have to say I'm having an absolute blast.
Story seems interesting enough, its enough explain the push forward without seeming too gloomy. Characters are likable, and Shulk is maintaining a tolerable level on angst.
What I'm really liking is the adventuring and fighting though. The environments are spacious, beautiful, and well detaileld. The music is wonderful as well. Its basically the offline MMO-ish game I've always wanted (and I hoped FFXII would be), with the unique monsters, various small quests, and active battle system with positional attacks (which keeps fighting more interesting and takes your approach into account). I'm also finding that enemies aggro you from less annoying distances, so there isn't too much paranoia in venturing through even more narrow areas.
The combat system is enjoyable, and the game does a very good job on teaching you how it works as you go along. There are a lot of systems in play here from managing aggro, utilizing the monado, positional considerations, break/topple, foresight, assisting impaired party members, and chain attacking. There is some getting used each introduced mechanic but I haven't found a system that I don't like. You can mash your way through most smaller enemies but at the expense of long battles, if you plan and use your actions properly you can move through easier enemies at a much quicker rate. Proper management comes into play more with unique monsters (if you are attempting them at a level near yours), fighting multiple enemies, and boss battles. I also pleased to find that I'm not getting my ass handed to me out of nowhere, even in battles that are more difficult than expected it is almost always possible to recover if you reorganize.
Initially I was disappointed to find I couldn't change characters mid-battle but given the use of positional attacks and the foresight systesm I think single-character control is for the better. AI has been appropriate so far, though I find it easier to land play the topple-er when fighting Mechon than the breaker (break doesn't last long and often times I would break just as the AI was doing another move, and it would end before they could topple it, that may be my error though).
Anyway, other than Demon's Souls, its the only RPG I can say I've been able to get into this gen.
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