In short, this game is magnificent. If you like the first two Paper Mario games and have an itch for those, I implore you play this. Just don't skimp on side content. You don't need to do everything, but if you do none of it like I did years ago, you'll end up regretting it, both from a gameplay and a fulfillment perspective.


**SPOILERS**

Be warned, it is a Paper Mario game that expects you to use your brain. Puzzles will throw you for a loop, and combat is no joke, especially on hard mode. I first played this in 2020 on normal mode. I wasn't collecting medals or doing many quests; the final boss was such a spike in difficulty that I rage quit and didn't pick the game back up until four years later. This time I did a fair chunk of sidequests, had a varied set of medals at my disposal, and played the whole game on hard mode. Beat the final boss on my first try this time. It felt to me as though the final boss required that you do the quests that unlock the ultimate healing item; without it I wouldn't have won, I don't think. My only complaint with the hard mode experience is that I felt like I was always broke? All my money went to items and inn stays; I never felt comfortable with the amount of money I was carrying.

I hate this game

Honestly might be one of my favorite games and im so sad its over