It is exciting for me to be able to live this historic moment in video games. No one is wrong to consider it part of the podium of the classics, of those that come very occasionally to stay and to teach us something valuable: The illusion does not die, it is reborn, it transforms. It is painted.

I, who am an absolutely casual player within the JRPG and the turn-based universe, has found in this game an opportunity to return. Yes, I am aware that between FFX and this game it has rained a lot but ... what can I say. I've been more out than in for many years, because I'm an action gamer and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The turn-based thing is something that was never my forte either, and if I approached it and I stayed it's thanks to Final Fantasy when I was little and already as a teenager. I don't hide. And here inside I have found a hybrid (without being a completely new proposal, I am aware) between action and tactical, a formula that feels fresher than ever thanks to the current systems. This game is a formal invitation for those who are like me, to come back to the genre. You have to respect us veterans, as not all of us have followed the rich path of turn-based JRPGs over the years.

Being able to perform a parry, a dodge or a perfect dodge every time an enemy attacks is a pleasure. Everything can be dodged: spells, projectiles, cosmic rays, swords, and even buildings if an enemy decides to do so. You have to be guided by the visuals but also by the sound: small camera slowdowns, graphic spasms (or flashes), and the sound, which is very important to know when to block in time. In return the game rewards us with a satisfying counterattack that makes us constantly doing damage. In fact, I loved the power “shooting range”, being able to spend PA to shoot in third person to what we believe to be the enemy weak point, which sometimes makes you can end fights like this or inflict altered states preventively. A major success that there are 3 ways to damage in summary (by counterattack during enemy turn, by “free shots” and by our turns strictly speaking. In battle not much more to say, extremely satisfying and customizable to the extreme, being able to use reflexes and skill to compensate for a poorer equipment or a “bad preparation” in the RPG layer (which has happened to me). There are EMOTIONAL bosses on a mechanical and tactical level that I will never forget. What a marvel. That's how regular JRPG players feel anyway, I'm not saying anything they don't know, BUT, HEY!!! that like I said, I had been away for years.

If I have some downsides: the construction of scenarios at the level of mapping does not shine so much. There is an abuse of somewhat long and sometimes insipid paths. It is not the general trend, but there is a feeling of lack of inspiration depending on the map we play. The game is also aesthetically beautiful and each biome brings something totally new, but inside they are repeated and I have the feeling that I go through worlds without much soul or too homogeneous as I spend more time inside. I'm talking on a purely mechanical level, because artistically they are a fever dream in the good sense of how original they are. I would have opted for maps a little shorter in walking tour in some of them. In some things you can tell that this is the first game of these people (but what a first game, my goodness; others would like it already). The world map really blows me away. How marvelous the beautiful model aspect it has, and how cool that there is so much optional content (even if you feel more lost than the milk all the time). The good thing about it is that the born explorer is going to have a good time, I can attest. Sometimes I've been overwhelmed by the amount of things to do and the amount of enemies to defeat.

The menus can be improved, let's not fool anyone. But at least I managed to clarify despite not being the best strategist in the world (lousy, if you ask me). The good thing is that at least the action layer has helped me a lot, not only to love the game, but to be able to face it in conditions.

About the plot, a marvel. An out of series. Well-written characters, a TOO interesting universe with almost unlimited potential, brave and consistent events. Everything that happens matters, resonates, is discussed. Everything transcends. Everything serves a purpose. There's no filler dialogue, for naught or embellishment. There are no wasted interactions. We are not treated as stupid, new or old. We are treated with the respect that a gamer deserves and that a gamer pays for. And on top of that you can feel the excitement in what they have created, you can feel that these people have come to conquer us. The parallels with FFX are there for those who want to see them, and even at the sound level there is something.

And I can add little about the sound. A soundtrack that for many reasons will accompany us all our lives. Make room in your brain for those of you who had Zanarkand's theme fluttering around, a serious melodic-nostalgic contender has come to make a name for himself.

What a wonderful videogame. Thanks to all who have made it possible. A game with a great look, that has come to be a canvas of what videogames with ambition should be. A painting that is cool to see and play (and that needs a light coat of paint to be fully rounded, let's give them time).

I liked the game after thoroughly testing it, and I can conclude that it is well made, with a reasonable and rigorous storyline. The game itself is not particularly remarkable; as an action game, it is not outstanding, and one could even say that it is quite boring. However, the excellent script hides many of the flaws in the gameplay, and one could even say that the flaws in the gameplay serve the plot to some extent.

First, the pros: the narrative is extremely good, each doppelganger has their own unique character and experience, and thanks to the fact that the quantum computer tells about the characters' past, it is possible to predict and understand the character of the doppelganger to some extent, and the brief description of the doppelganger's life undoubtedly greatly enhances the immersion effect of the game. In addition, many minor details of the characters' personalities and thoughts are revealed at certain moments in the base. For example, when the main character is faced with an important choice, the duplicates sometimes express their position, and if you make an effort to observe and reflect, the development of many events is actually predictable to a certain extent.

However, this game, like others, has flaws that can even be called fatal

first, as a game in which you need to plan the development of your own base, you cannot “reveal the plot” without triggering certain events, and you can have no more than six duplicates, of which only three or four are available at the beginning of the game. There are not many types of resources in the game, but the high-quality metal you extract requires additional processing, all mines need maintenance, and the base sometimes breaks down and requires repairs. These features are not very significant in themselves, but it is extremely strange that in this game, as in any game devoted to planning, a single duplicate can only be associated with one task, and scientists can only free up labor for work towards the end of the game, which is equivalent to a constant reduction in the workforce by one person. At the beginning of the game, when there is no labor or energy to keep the radiation shield constantly on, the radiation level will constantly rise. As a result, I had to constantly open a special panel and transfer people to other tasks, and sometimes even treat them for radiation sickness. At the beginning of the game, I had to constantly filter radiation manually and turn the shield on and off manually. If the game had the ability to assign priority tasks and add the ability to remotely turn the radiation shield on and off, it would undoubtedly greatly improve the gaming experience.

Secondly, what bothers me the most and what I cannot accept: as a story-driven game, the idea of running away from the sun's rays is quite acceptable in itself, but the story events with duplicates seem somewhat random. For example, even after completing the game, I never once saw a guard tell me anything valuable to the plot, let alone complete his storyline. And the scientist only started talking to me in the last chapter, when the sun was already about to burn him, and there was no time left to complete the storyline. In addition, under normal conditions, only six doppelgangers can be summoned, making it impossible to complete all the game content in one go. However, the content of the game itself is very repetitive and completely lacking in randomness, which makes me have absolutely no desire or enthusiasm to play the game a second time. All I can say is that the gameplay, which is impossible to complete in one go, does not support multiple playthroughs at all, which is a shame. Many of the doppelganger stories I wanted to know about were completely lost in the boredom of the game itself.

Overall, the content of the game is impressive at the beginning and in the middle, but it cannot sustain too much content at the end. Due to the presence of an automatic mine, I basically just slept to wait for events, and I had no shortage of resources. However, the narrative is excellent, the characters are voluminous and easy to empathize with, the story is logical, and for me personally, this is the second most important game of the year after Expedition 33. If you are interested in the game and are thinking about buying it, don't watch any walkthrough videos, but rather buy it and play it right away, because after watching the walkthrough videos, you will most likely find it difficult to enjoy the game. After all, the resource planning part of the game itself is nothing special. It's better to start the game and experience the unique, multifaceted life that belongs only to you.
(For those who want to write that I'm reviewing the game without having spent enough hours in it, I want to say that I played it as soon as it came out on Game Pass).