I am absolutely astounded by how much fun this game was once I got into it. I've played a lot of RPGs and this one was quite surprising. The setting wasn't the most unique but the characters we well done and the combat system was well thought out and balanced. If I had to compare this to another game, it is close to Persona 5 but the life simulation aspects aren't as deep. That isn't a bad thing though, I actually enjoyed this more than Persona 5.
To start, this is definitely a play on a Shin Megami Tensei game. If you have played any of the games in this series (which includes Persona), you should feel right at home. Where the combat differs is the use of "sessions." These allow you to link one character's actions with others in the party and later on with the whole cast. If you know what you are doing by hitting enemy weaknesses, you can chain sessions together long enough to take out a whole party of enemies. It is definitely a unique take on the classic SMT style RPG and I enjoyed linking sessions together to complete whole battles without having enemies even get a chance to act.
The story and characters, while not as deep or long as Persona 5, felt better. Each character in the party grows with the main character and each has their respective story line. There isn't a social link system but you still get some decent side-stories and learn a lot more about those you will be spending your time with. Some of the story elements are really corny and the ending is pretty cliche. The best part though, this game doesn't waste a lot of the player's time. Rather than the multiple hours between dungeons like in Persona 5, sometimes it is a 15 minute segment and you are onto the next task. It was definitely much appreciated that I didn't have to sit through hours of nothing to get on with it.
The graphics and music are great for a Wii U game. All the characters pop and the idol segments were well animated. There were times I was watching some of the idol cutscenes and wondering if I wasn't playing a rhythm game. Of course, this was a Wii U game. So the load times were a little long but nothing that it was a unplayable.
It really is a shame we will probably never get another game like this. The battle system was fun, the characters were good, and the Fire Emblem references were awesome. This was truly a very unique game and well worth a play if you want an RPG to get through. Although not as long as other games in the SMT series, it doesn't waste time and let's you get to where you want with little in the way. It also has some difficulty, which is expected given the pedigree of the series it is loosely based on. Definitely worth a play.
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