Playing this game is like eating dry old bread without anything else.
"If I recall correctly" ... This is a phrase that is so overused in this game that it got boring and stayed in my head for quite a long while.
As a start, I haven't played a JRPG before this one. So if you've played a lot of them already you probably don't agree with me, since it was all new for me.
Introduction:
Though I was thrilled how these kind of games (JRPGs) play like, I have to say that I wasn't impressed by this one at all. I didn't expect anything other than a at least a "good" game, that's my level of expectation, and it wasn't fulfilled. But..
.. I have to say that there wasn't much to like or dislike, although, like in many games, there was a lot of potential that hasn't been met if you look at certain aspects.
Story:
Let's take the story for example. Although it isn't boring and a bit entertaining, there are hardly memorable moments, twists. The same can be said about the characters. It isn't a weakness, but neither a strength. If you've played many JRPGs I'm sure there is hardly anything new in it.
Gameplay:
The gameplay works, but the menu as well as the battle screen is complicated and totally boring/unspectecular. The same can be said about the battle system. Since you spend A LOT of your time with all that stuff, it's a letdown. The battle system is a bit like playing chess, but with less tactics. It is turn-based. A lot of attacks just hit everybody and you can't escape from them which means you don't have to care where you put your people on the grid.
It is possible to collect golems. However, since the characters were available all the time I didn't bother leveling them up and they also were at a disadvantage in comparison to characters, so why choose them? They are more like an option if you feel the need to spend lots of time with the game. What I liked about the battle system is that it has strategy in it and isn't action-oriented like too many games on Microsoft's consoles. To put it simply, relaxing and a change of pace. Apart from the battle system and the menu, there aren't a lot of other things I can remember being worth mentioning here.
Sound, Graphics:
The sound and music are nothing special and during combat, they should have thrown more variety of music in it. The graphics aren't anything to write home about, but even if they were, I can't remember any kind of art direction or something like that. The voices are available in Japanese and English, texts in English of course.
Difficulty:
The difficulty level is even for me as a JRPG-newbie easy, hardly any grinding expect for the last battle (but since this is mentioned in many other reviews it's not a secret). For experienced players "a walk in the park" and even that is an understatement.
Other:
Last but not least I think it should be mentioned that there are LOTS of random encounters. So if you are turned off by that, you definately don't want to buy this game. Some people say that this shouldn't be in JRPGs these days, again, I haven't played enough games to tell and it's also a question of opinion I guess.
Recommendation, Final Word:
This game is suitable for newcomers as well as veterans, but only if you aren't tired of run of the mill JRPGs. It simply doesn't provide anything outstanding, and I think there are many many other JRPGs that do overall better despite having many tired and true elements. Turn based and random encounters shouldn't be a turn-off either if you want to buy this game.
Rating:
3/5 It's like they didn't want to do anything wrong and chose the safe path. It turned out being neither particularly good or bad, which is, for me, not enough.