I don't normally do reviews this is actually my 1st and I've played 100+ games. This is a warning. DO NOT GET THIS GAME!
First I'll mention the good things. Graphics are fine, characters are a little hard to get attached to, but you don't hate them. Story is somewhat interesting (if you like fantasy stories or anime). The side quests can be slightly challenging at the beginning, like maybe within the first 10 hours of the game or so, before they become repetitive and boring.
Well I can't think of any more good things so here is the bad, the really bad, and the WORST.
THE BAD:
Some dungeons are slightly oversized and none really have any noteable puzzles. They require alot of just walking/slow running (there is no fast running in this game). While this didn't bother me greatly, it did make me feel like I wasted my time scouring them for treasure chests. There are maybe 3 or 4 treasure chests in the entire game that are unique items that can only be obtained through treasure chests.....and as these are things you equip on your knights/incorruptus/gundam they really didn't matter to me. I actually went through this game without using my knights unless forced to...well because I wanted a challenge, which it wasn't. So let me emphasize, FULLY EXPLORING THE DUNGEONS IS BASICALLY A WASTE OF TIME.
Harvesting materials from harvest spots is too slow. About 5 seconds per harvest, and somtimes 7 harvests per spot = 35 seconds. Note that you will probably harvest 100+ spots during the regular game(it is optional, but beneficial).
Battle system is too slow, the ATB meter should really fill up at least twice as fast, probably 5 seconds for a regular attack and then another 2 seconds to execute it.
It is hard to find people to play with online at first...but once you do......(see THE WORST)
THE REALLY BAD
Battle system is too primitive. It's basically too simple and not fun, tt is either really easy (98%), slightly challenging (2%), or impossible. I've yet to fight anything that seemed impossible, I'm just giving the game the benefit of the doubt.
The enemies GET RECYCLED...oh gosh. I was SO EXCITED when I saw the first real boss, this towering troll that could knock you down. But wait a second, looks like he is a regular enemy throughout the game....he just comes in like 10 different colors and difficulties! Yes that's right, this game recycles ever enemy in probably 10 different versions. There are probably less than 20 unique enemies in this game, however it will seem like 10 when you are playing.
Ah, and probably more...but anyways onto
THE WORST
BIGGEST GRINDING GAME EVER. And not the fun or challenging kind. The easy, repetitive, boring kind. I'm all for grinding to power up to beat a boss or an area, but this game instead has you grind up in order to build weapons/armor. There are tiers of equipment that only become available after you have leveled your guild rank to a certain level, and each tier is ridiculously hard (time consuming) to climb. It probably took me 5 or 6 hours to get from level 5 to level 6. And I think there may be 20 levels or so....and it takes LONGER to get to those higher levels. Sure I could have done it faster....if I did the SAME QUEST 30 times or so. Not to mention that the game rewards easy quests more than it rewards more difficult ones if you are just accounting for time spent. Imagine that the best 5 minute quest you can do gives you X points, Well it is likely that the best 30 minute quest you can do will give you 2.5X points, and you probably need 30X or 100X points just to reach the next level. I have read posts of people who have put in 1000+ hours in the game and still not gotten everything. I haven't even mentioned the fact that there are also RARE drops from semi-rare enemies also needed to build your equipment. So you might put in 20 hours to level up to a new guild rank, but you still might need to farm for these materials for additional hours...and for what? This changes the game into an almost never ending grindfest just to get the best weapons and armor that are available at your rank....then you spend tens of hours leveling up and collecting materials to get to the next rank and do it all over again.
This game rewards TIME put into. NOT facing challenges and overcoming them. Imagine playing your favorite 90s video game like mariokart 64 against a 5 yr old 1000 times....except take away any element of the game that would add variability to the matches...like items or the powerslide. Because that's basically what the questing in this game is...no skill, no strategy, just time and easy wins. I look at things way differently now that I have a job. I mean who has the time to just GRIND? Who has the time to do 1000 quests that they know they will beat easily?
Oh, and your GUILD RANK is separate from your ACTUAL LEVEL and has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR CHARACTER STATS (not accounting for equipment stats). You can probably mindlessly max out your character without really trying pretty easily...maxing out your guild rank however is a thousand hour endeavor.
My recommondation besides not buying this game is to play ONLY THE MAIN STORYLINE. At least this is somewhat enjoyable and could possibly offer a slight challenge without questing. The only real purpose of questing is to get access to create the better weapons/armor in the game. and I'm warning you for the last time...YOU WILL NOT GET SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER WEAPONS OR ARMOR FROM QUESTING UNLESS YOU PUT AT LEAST 30 EXTRA HOURS INTO IT....AND THAT IS JUST THE BASIC STUFF....TIP OF THE ICEBERG
I only hope to save people time as that is the only real finite resource in the world. Please heed my warning.
Oh and if anybody was confused...QUESTS = Guild work. Guild Rank = access to better stuff.