11 RPGs I've Been Playing - Are They Any Good? (2024 - Pt. 3)

[@TheKisekiNut]

📌 Check out parts 1 and 2 here: 12 RPGs I've Been Playing - Are They Any Good? (2024 - Pt. 1) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWTdnp-jarilgMk 13 RPGs I've Been Playing - Are They Any Good? (2024 - Pt. 2) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bn-xp2uNhLd-r68

[@JeffJRPGfan]

Hi Kiseki nut, there is a Wii JRPG called The Last Story, that I have really enjoyed playing on the Wii U this year, underated gem in my opinion, anyways thanks for the content.

[@tobiasbracknagel4998]

I really love that you are still using the Blue Reflection: Tai OST as background music. It is an OST of perfection, showing that you don't need an overblown epic soundwall by a 200 people orchestra. All it takes is an artist with an understanding of the material, a clear vision in their mind and a lot of passion in their heart. I can't remember if I ever have encountered another game sporting such a great, lighthearted, yet lugubrious soundtrack, being able to sound both melancolic and uplifting at the same time, and I don't think I ever will. It matches the tone of the game perfectly and I hope they'll make another one somewhere in the future. However if they do, they have to bring back Hayato Asano.

[@ogun6464]

When you get your hands on rebirth, you'll be be longing for the lack of mini games in 16 😂

[@HanaNoMaude]

Yo love the Fuga shout! Those indie gems deserve more eyes on them

[@Janfey]

What i like about Final Fantasy, is that they are not afraid to try something different for each game. It's risky and rare to see.

[@DavidVidot-xm5ql]

All right you convinced me. I'll give Witchspring a try. I've never been able to get deep into the Atelier games just because I hate required crafting in games. It's not my thing. I find it a chore. Witchspring doesn't seem to be that strict on crafting and is simpler. Everything else about it looks exactly up my alley.

[@mrp1234]

WitchSpring is a much simpler version of Atelier and I highly recommend it

[@Tozoz]

Thanks for reminding me about Ys Nordics, i played every Ys game so far and had lots of fun. Lacrimosa of Dana was my favorite.

[@maggiebrinkley4760]

Jill was criminally underused in FF16! Thanks for this video, I now have some interesting games to find! Have a good break and Compliments of the Season.

[@alanwattie6093]

Well I’m sold. Adding Witch Spring R to the need to play list.

[@Truth-Justice-Freedom]

Metaphor ReFantasia is for sure my GOTY ❤❤❤

[@mrp1234]

WitchSpring R really is terrific. I thought it going multiplatform would get it way more kudos but I guess not, so glad to see you talking about it here!

[@snowenn]

I know nothing about Witchspring R, except that all reviews are glowing and everyone who has played it says it's a masterpiece. So when it got a physical release for Playstation I imported it from the US (we didn't get the physical edition in Europe). Still haven't gotten to it, but I'm looking forward!

[@mrp1234]

@@snowenn it's SO good, I love it. Kiseki Nut is right that it just feels so chock full of stuff to do, and it's always really FUN stuff

[@xavierguy773]

This list has convinced me to pickup fuga while it’s on sale on steam. Thank you from one Chelsea supporter to another.

[@Steallar]

I just wanted to say that Kupka in Polish language means "small poo" (basically something a kid would say) and it did colour my playthrough quite a bit.

[@NathanYoungLibrary]

So good to see your review of FF16 and that you overall thought it was very good. This was my GOTY, perhaps for multiple years. I played 100% of this and it was an 11/10 for me, surpassing FF8 as my favorite FF game of all time. (Which is insane, for me) - I tried to play Ys 10 right after and bounced right off - I needed a pallet cleanser first, and ducked into DQ3Hd2d (which has been the right choice) Back to Ys after DQ3, and then perhaps I'll FINALLY admit that it's time to play Metaphor.... maybe...

[@Naryoril]

For me, time to play Metaphor will be in about 5 years, when they inevitably release the version with at least 30% more content and the savegame is not compatible with the original version. I'm fed up with their policy, i'm not going to pay full price for a glorified DLC, and most importantly, playing through a huge game again just to play that DLC. There are enough other games i want to play, Metaphor can wait.

[@otame4771]

Damn starting the video with Blue Reflection: Second Light soundtrack brings me back so much memory about that game... I know it wasn't a popular game but it's definitely one of the most unique games out that that I think every JRPG fan should try out... Edit: Also you didn't mention Blue Reflection soundtrack title in the description despite it being in the video...

[@danielehartmann2787]

Although it was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY to long in the midgame, I had my fun with it. I would give it a solid 7,5/10 - and if you'Re into yuri (light) you can add +1 to the score. But damn, of the 45ish hours, 15-20 were pretty much too long. The gameplay loop is too repetetive in my eyes. But the combat system I enjoyed a lot as a turn based only-gamer.

[@otame4771]

@@danielehartmann2787 yup totally agree with you... I feel like Blue Reflection is an experimental game for Gust cause a lot of the new stuff introduced in this game was then later used in the Atelier games...

[@nickwick35]

I hope we get a remaster of Witch Spring 2. I already have 1 & 3 on Switch. I’m having a blast with the first game, I had no expectations going in.

[@mac9365]

Here to defend the story of Visions of Mana, yes I agree some parts of the story are boring but there are some real fantastic moments in there. I like that they commit to what happened to Hinna, and I especially liked the scenes where you have to talk to her parents and get the letter left for Val. Not to mention that end credits scene... absolute cinema I was brought to tears during all of these. Also I think the villain works, a big theme of the game is dealing with grief and him handling it terribly alone while Val is supported by his friends and able to live on was cool to see. He felt betrayed going out to save the world only to come back to the thing he cared about the most taken from him, he felt like the world itself betrayed him and let his mind get poisoned. Overall not the best story but I do think the highs are just incredibly high.

[@KisekiFan]

downside, studio was immediately closed down after the game was released so can't expect any fixes or new content.

[@niles8576]

i came here just to hear you glaze witch spring r. i played it earlier this year while i had covid and man its just so good

[@Ragnarok2060]

This game was so good. I picked it up on a whim when it came out. The humor and it's darkness were unexpected and completely awesome.

[@niles8576]

@@Ragnarok2060 i honestly wasn't expecting much but i cried at multiple times. i expected a decent relaxing game but it did so many things better than most other games.

[@ShadowBasch]

It's been a very JRPG rich year. I got metaphor and many others waiting for me to tackle some backlog out first haha :) I will definitely get Visions of Mana, I have to beat my Trials of Mana playthru first though.

[@Bakuuren]

I adore FE Shadows of Valentia. Also, the sequels to Fuga are Tail Concerto and Red the Hunter, which are darn expensive. I used to watch Let's Plays of Tail Concerto as a kid on KZbin. I really liked the character designs. Wish I would have gotten Red the Hunter when it released, but alas.

[@Adam.C]

Oh yes, churchil dog made me laugh. I was on the fence about Visions of Mana for a while, but I think you convinced me to get it.

[@drowningin]

On thanksgiving I opened the switch eShop and saw Riviera on there. I flipped out. I haven’t played it since the GBA. Riviera and Yggdra Union are my favorite GBA RPGs. Im so happy it’s finally out. I had never played the PSP versions so these were a huge update for me

[@KyleBright_LH]

Im a big fan of witchspring series. Glad to see it has some spotlight on your channel

[@venventure]

Visions of mana is the perfect escape good mood game.

[@Jugement]

Solatorobo is one of my fondest gaming memory as a child. Very unique experience. Didn't know about Fuga, definitely playing it

[@Naryoril]

It is a "long before" prequel though. It tells the story about how the sky islands came to be. I think there is some more direct link between the games in terms of the primal evil in the world or something. Unfortunately I don't remember all that much of Solatorobo's story, still have the box with the game though. Also, side note: i'm pretty sure the intention behind the name of that game would be "sora to robo", meaning "sky and robots", but they made the usual R/L mixup and wrote it without any spaces. The original name "soratorobo" is written in katakana though, indicating foreign words or names.

[@DolFunDolhpinVtuber]

I really enjoyed playing Visions of Mana.

[@Naryoril]

There is a WitchSpring3 Re:Fine, with Switch and PC versions released 4 years after an iOS version. It seems to have had a rathe poor reception though. Do you know anything about that? Also, i quite enjoyed Solatorobo (the game Fuga is a prequel to) back in the day. I only learned about the connection after playing Fuga, because something was nagging at the back of my mind and i looked into it. I'm really looking forward to Fuga 3.

[@PloysMaw]

Thank you so much for looking at Fuga Melodies Of Steel, such a great game and fingers crossed that the physical does come out at some point. I'd love to see a Triple pack where all three games are on a disk/cartridge. FE Shadows is my personal 2nd favorite FE. Witch Spring R is something I've been looking forward to for a while; my copy is on it's way and will be booting it up as soon as I get my hands on it.

[@creekandseminole]

It's cool how the Fuga games are sorta connected to the Little Tail Bronx series. The first title was Tail Concerto on the PS1 and then Solatorobo: Red the Hunter on the DS.

[@kill_repeat8491]

WitchSpring R or Megaton Musashi? I'm looking to snag one of them, but I'm so torn

[@uberpinkwarrior]

For Witchspring: the enhanced version of 3 is on PC (steam specifically). It is fantastic, and feels like the predecessor to Witchspring R. 2 is entirely optional (it's the same story of the first game, just from a different character's perspective), so you can go strait from R to 3 on steam. 4 is mobile only, and... I can't say it is bad, but it definitely needs a remake. Also have I mentioned Witchspring R was my favorite game of 2023? I love it, absolutely fantastic. Not for everyone, but for those it appeals to, it is insanely good. Definitely for the atelier fans, love seeing it get attention.

[@martinomagic9230]

If you liked the dual protagonist of FE: Shadows of Valentia, I can't recommend Arc the Lad Twilight of the Spirits enough. It has a great creative world and story that isn't just armies are at war which is always the story of most tactics games. The whole Arc the lad series is great and while the first two are directly connected you can start with the latest one Twilight of the Spirits from the PS2 and it has barely any connection to the old games other than some nods. But if you want to start from the beginning you wont be disappointed either, the first game is the worst but short and simple. The second game is a masterpiece and may be one of, if not the best Tactics jrpg ever created. The third is basic but good, and Twilight of the Spirits is easy the second best Arc the lad game.

[@paolocostaimori]

Of these, I played Visions of Mana and FFXVI. I think FFXVI is a very good FF, just not as jrpg, but as an action game itself. The story felt "FF Tactics"-y. Even if the combat is not my favorite, I have a lot of fun still. Visions is, I think, very underrated. I also didnt like the final boss, and I would add the sidequests are not the best (almost all "get item x" or "kill monster y"), except the few related to the party member. But the story itself is very good, including how the characters are involved with the world. it's a very good story with mature themes but with a more light language.

[@MTGHedgefund]

38 hours to complete FF9?? How!? Lol. I dont even feel like i could finish it in 50 without speeding through deliberately.

[@KyleBright_LH]

He plays jrpg for a living.

[@briancoy297]

I doubt he 100% the game. Considering one of the weapons required speed running the game to a certain point, plenty of people have finished the game in a fraction of that 38 hour timeframe.

[@snowenn]

If FF16 wouldn't have had the Final Fantasy name, I would have skipped it based on the trailers and other promotional material I saw. Instead I preordered it and played it on release on the PS5 and loved every second of it. Though I'm not really sure if it fits the JRPG genre, because like you said it feels more like a DMC game. The equipment system is a joke, there's really only one party member to control. It's weird, I wouldn't expect this from a Final Fantasy game at all. Though like you, I had loads of fun with it. I even had a colleague who played it, loved it and asked me if there's any other Final Fantasy games like it so he could play them. I had to disappoint him.

[@kclink1579]

Hopefully Beyond Galaxyland.

[@sir_hammy]

The combination of FF16 being analyzed with Xenoblade tunes behind it got me feeling things.

[@nyn2k259]

You real good to finish FF9, I started so many times, I bought it last year for xmas then it went on sale sigh then I got stuck fighting 2-3 ice bosses while everyone was frozen 7 gave up sigh. WitchSpring R am surely gonna buy & play,

[@AnaVODLibrary]

ngl, Bloomtown is if Persona and Gravity Falls combined into one game :D

[@fer17abe]

so... you listen to podcasts or watch streams during your sessions of playing JRPGs (?) how do manage to do that (?) so you don't listen to the games soundtrack (?) great list 👍🏼

[@ronnycook3569]

WitchSpring 3 Re:Fine is available on Switch, and is also excellent.

[@Tetrium]

Have you played Trinity Trigger? I can't find it covered in any of your videos but I could've sworn you briefly mentioned disliking it at some point.

[@TheGamingCorner-e5q]

I found shadows of valentia to be very mid. Easiest 7 out of 10 ever. The constant enemy spawns, cliched story, huge maps, weak characters and uninspired dungeon traversal make it one of the worst experiences with the FE series, not conquest awful but it really skates the line of what enjoyable is, at least to me.

[@binnybros]

Just finished Ys x, just got to beat again on nightmare mode for the platinum

[@willgt911]

Wait, FF 16 took you 38 hrs to finish? I'm on my 35th and I don't think I'm even close to finished yet!

[@f.9344]

I had 90hours at the end, but I did all side quests, Hunts and took my time

[@willgt911]

@f.9344 ah, I'm on the same boat. I really like the hunts and do finish all the side quests, so that must be why it's taking a while

[@Naryoril]

He tends to skip a lot of the side content. I'm someone who tends to do all the side content, meaning I tend to take about 3 times as long to finish my games than TKN.

[@FranzBinder20]

What also be interesting if together with the title you alwas directly showed or said the year of release.

[@everythingmainecooncat4938]

love FFXVI, so happy they finally brought it to PC. You mentioned the RPG elements and yeah, that's my one gripe about the game too. Even action games like Witcher 3 you mentioned has waaaay more RPG elements than FFXVI. But the story, characters and music really bring this game to life.

[@valinur4328]

Yeah, I felt like they should have just committed to removing the RPG elements and made it fully action with more emphasis on combos, like a Devil May Cry with a better story. Still loved the game, but it's not a game I'm ever going to replay since the story twists were 90% of the fun.

[@Merk1387]

I thought they were fine. Some stuff is definitely superficial, such as weapons and crafting, but being able to customize your playstyle with the different eikons and accessories was good. I think if the game had a party that you could customize to the same extent as Clive, then people would be more receptive to it.

[@marethyux3744]

Valentia/Echoes was amazing and I don't think I've seen storytelling as good as that game anywhere else in the series besides maybe Tellius games. WitchSpring R was also amazing. I'd recommend WitchSpring 3 Re:Fine if you liked it (steam/ NSW). The graphics are a little dated but the core of the gameplay is there. The story leaves a little to be desired though.

[@saviordream]

You're the first reviewer I've seen who really made Final Fantasy XVI sound interesting. So much so that I actually ran out and bought a copy on the PS5 during the Black Friday sales going on here. I don't really have any connection to the previous entries, and the only one I've played was the second (or third, can't remember which) on the Super Nintendo back in the day. I did recently purchase the Anniversary Collection but haven't gotten around to playing any of them yet, so this lack of features common to previous titles has no bearing on me because I don't really have any history with the franchise. It sounds like a similar story that I had with Valkyrie Elysium, which I loved while so many other people seemed to dislike. There again, I had never played any of the other games in the series so I didn't have any preconceived notions of what the game should be like.

[@ShinYaguchiSama]

Visions of mana being only half complete is very on brand for the mana series Imagine if we had gotten the SNES/PlayStation cd version of secret of mana😢

[@akira54vv]

How do you even find time to play all that

[@cornell-q6u]

Thanks for the analysis! Just a quick off-topic question: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How should I go about transferring them to Binance?

[@venventure]

would a discord channel for rpg talk maybe be an idea ?

[@Naryoril]

I asked him on patreon a while ago, and iirc he said that he has no intention to, because he doesn't use discord or any other group chat apps.

[@KisekiFan]

probability showing high but missing and enemy probability showing low but hitting, bro obviously never played XCOM, 95% probability to hit enemy, MISS, 10% probability to hit your unit, CRITICAL. 😂 Really loved Ys X Nordic, loved it so much that i played through the game twice. Also in Fuga, could never bring myself to use the soul canon, no matter how much trouble i was in i refused to use it.

[@jjenraged]

I feel like I'm the only person on the planet who didnt like Metaphor Refantazio >.

[@MaI2Me]

You certainly aren’t 😊 Everything about this game just puts me off 🤷‍♂

[@saviordream]

I haven't played it, so I can't say for certain, but it doesn't hold any appeal for me. Truthfully, none of the Atlus JRPGs seem to interest me. I did buy Personal 4 Golden on the Vita some years back, but it's still sitting sealed on my shelf. Just haven't found the desire to start it up yet.

[@FlyingFocs]

Fire Emblem Echoes is one of those games I want to replay and actually finish. Why didn't I? That poison swamp. I'm replaying that on casual. I DO NOT care.

[@allenc6277]

Lol scored 35 yard screamer definitely not a comman phrase in the U.S

[@charlesclements7382]

Only 30hrs into nordics??

[@gilded_lady]

Went ahead and ordered Witchspring R, sounds like a nice palate cleanse. Also, I've made peace that FF is no longer a series for me.

[@kainrich6183]

No Kai No kiseki?

[@Naryoril]

I think he said, since the western release of trails games is going to speed up now, he'll wait for the English version. Afaik he also hasn't played Kuro/Daybreak 2 yet.

[@bluedolphina8977]

"The sales of metaphor refantazio" >the sales in question >less than romancing saga 2 remake in japan

[@Llortnerof]

Frankly, i played the demo and quickly decided that game isn't for me. Nothing bad about the game, i just don't jive with it.

[@makikuma91]

Tbh I enjoy self insert protags more just because you can have a fresh start with them. I never felt really connected with a character that already has established relationships. It's different when they start in a new country with the player, like adol in YS. But when I have to play as "Eric" the guy at school with his family and all his friends and his own little mannerisms that he is known for that I just now learned about, I feel left out and I just experience someone elses story. Not a story where I could feel myself being in. Btw: Witchspring 2 and 3 on mobile are still worth it. The first one...not so much. Glad it got a remake.

[@BlueGrovyle]

I feel like you basically just laid out the intended purpose of both without directly saying "I like it when I feel like I belong in the story". Self-insert characters are largely okay with me as long as they're not mute. Mute protagonists feel like dead weight most of the time imo.

[@makikuma91]

@BlueGrovyle Yeah, I think I did. I like talking a lot.

[@XenoCrossx]

I like your attitude of waiting on exclusives to come to PC. It's so costumer unfriendly and people should express their dissatisfaction by ignoring them.

[@Naryoril]

It isn't necessarily customer unfriendly. It's not like you have a perfect PC port at a click of a button, it requires work. And in my opinion it can make sense to focus on one version, and deal with the other later. But ultimately, not releasing on PC at the same time, probably hurts the developer more, because of the sales they'll miss. Releasing months later just won't have the same hype and thus sales, as if it were on time with the original release.

[@theodorematsouliadis5124]

FF9

[@Llortnerof]

I just hope if they do a remake they stay closer to the gameplay of the original than VII.

[@karmenion]

Biggest problem with Valentia is lack of weapon triangle. Say what you will but it adds strategy to each fight. Also map design is really outdated, but they were remade from old game so can't really complain too much. Also first game to include rewind. Convienient feature, but makes all the decisions made in battle less impactful, especially at the end of the game when you have a lot of them rewinds.

[@JohnSmith-ij3du]

I haven't played Nordics yet, but my only issue with the Ys games is that the story is always by the books and I don't feel like anything really happens to the characters. I would really like it if there were actually things going on with the characters that mattered. Does Adol ever fall in love with any of these ladies he meets, before he goes off and gets shipwrecked on another deserted island. I like the combat and music for the games but the story never holds my interest generally.

[@ZheH4ribo]

I mean some games have really good characters and stories, except for maybe some pacing issues and imo there are no bad characters(most of the time really enjoyable ones). Adol leaving pretty ladies behind is a staple, if you dont like it I wouldnt recommend to you

[@TobiasKlose.]

Witch Spring 3 has a Port on Switch. With the added Title Refine i think.

[@Dorrovian]

It's also on Steam.

[@TobiasKlose.]

They are fun Games. But i think 3 and 4 are a Bit too easy.

[@calvinmatthews1527]

Sounds like Visions of Mana got the "Tales of Arise" treatment during production but a lot more depressing end.

[@charleswiltshire21]

Metaphor would be a LOT better if it was action based like Ys nordics

[@heretic124]

Fighting system of FFXVI was designed by Devil May Cry combat director so that feeling was correct. Personally I was let down by the game. There are some awesome moments but overall the gameplay loop was annoying, they limited abilities to two at a time instead of three or even four. Side quests were terrible and half of main story felt like horrible side quests. If I didn't cringe during scenes with nobility than I laughed. It was like little kids playing knights and kings. I hated the over the top salutes and dialogues. Clive couldn't fucking sprint! Not in safe hubs like towns and even in fields it took seconds before he'd sprint. Just let me press L3, ffs!!! I can't believe I'm saying it but I'd play FFXV again without hesitation over XVI.

[@b00g3rs21]

I really wasn't impressed with metaphor, gameplay was good for sure. but the writing really dragged it down and the characters couldn't be more boring to me.

[@MwelwaOnCos]

We Loooove Yooou Kisekiii Nuuut *Fan Screeaam

[@alexanderredmond1795]

I just couldn't get on board with Visions of Mana, but I have trouble articulating *why*. On paper, I'm pretty much the ultimate mark for this game. I played through snes SoM multiple times over several summer vacations with different groups of friends, I emulated Seiken Densetsu 3 as soon as its first viable translation patch was put out, I... owned Legend of Mana, I hunted down a physical copy of the Collection of Mana, and Trials of Mana (remake) was my game of the year for 2020. All those things being true, though, the game just didn't click for me, and I felt like it was a bit of a backslide from the trials of mana remake (though obviously not in presentation/visuals).

[@chronofantasy1987]

1. DQ1 - it was alright if you want a classic, but hasn't aged well and there's so many better ones 2. FE echoes: shadows of valentia - played this so long ago, so i don't remember it much. It's a FE game, and like most, it's decent 3. FF9 - one of the greatest FFs of all time. A classic and must play even today if you haven't, or a nice one to replay as well. 4. Reynatis - agreed, this one is trash. Stay away. Tried to be ffxiii versus or whatever ffxv was supposed to originally be, but it was garbage. 5. Witchspring R - tried it for a few hours, I got very bored of it and didn't find it that good. Atelier games are far, far better. 6. Ys X - bought it not too long ago and I'm halfway through the game. Still playing it and enjoying it a lot so far. 7. Metaphor: Refantazio - it was alright. Basically a Persona with fantasy skinned, so you can expect a game pretty much like it. I didn't care for it as much as Persona, but a good game to sink some time into. 8. Fuga: Melodies of Steel- this one is a gem, it has a neat concept, there's a similar anime to this as well which came out almost 20 years ago. This is a good game to play. 9. Bloomtown- haven't played yet. No comment. 10. Visions of game - you can expect all the Mana love with similar gameplay and story to other mana games. A fun game if you enjoy the other mana games. I thought this one was pretty good. 11. FFXVI - there's a lot of division with this one because the style changed from other FFs. I thought the gameplay and combat was still good and it was fun, even if the mainline FFs strayed from the traditional path. Still worth a playthrough and it's enjoyable for what it is. Don't compare it with FF1-15 and you won't be disappointed. FFs were usually their own standalone titles anyway.

[@bluedolphina8977]

FE echoes is single roll rng, not double or hybrid like you are used to. That is why you coped.

[@SynthatronPrime]

It's too bad you played that hideous version of DQ1 but at least you played it!

[@airiakizuki5592]

visions of mana is pretty fun but its nothing above a 6/10. get it on sale.

[@venventure]

I wanted to love ffxvi so badly, but it just felt as if i played a movie with no real agency. Its not rpg its a triple a blockbuster which left me feeling like a bystander. Maybe people like this idk. I was 6h in. Maybe give it a shot another day but there are so many great rpgs.

[@managers6667]

god ff16 was bad

[@XDantevsVergilX]

Square enix is so trash who do those idiots insist on making all their games have 30fps cutscenes?

[@binnybros]

Brother lent me ff16, thank god I didn’t pay for it, so boring, generic and lifeless. Combat was tedious and story was so dull

[@tendeant]

I stopped playing FFXVI right in the middle of it after FFVII Rebirth came out. I couldn't wait to see what happens in the FFVII sequel so immediately went into it and beat it. Now, your video makes me want to come back and finish FFXVI. It was well said when you stated gameplay-wise, it's definitely not Final Fantasy... but theme and lore, it's all there. It gave me FFIV vibes. The combat is top-notch as well. FF fans need to just come in to it with a really open mind and they'll find a top-tier quality action game in it.