Literally the definition of the peakest of peak gaming experiences. Even if you aren't into JRPGs or turn-based combat, it's so engaging and has mechanics that cut out the usual boring aspects/downtime of turn-based RPGs, to the point that it doesn't even feel like a turn-based game half of the time. The story is amazing and had me guessing the whole time with its twists and turns that actually make sense. It also shows the audience what is happening instead of telling them, which is very refreshing in 2025 because games don't seem to understand that having people figure out a story that you are interested in and piecing together its lore through small bits of info characters that are more familiar in the world drop you is more satisfying then just being told it in a verbal lore dump. It is very thoughtful and will definitely keep you thinking for days after you have finished the game. The facial recognition looks so real to the point where you can actually comprehend how characters are feeling based on their facial expressions. The dialog is amazing and it actually feels like people are talking and having conversations that normal people would have in real life, which makes you love the characters even more. The humor is surprisingly funny and actually enjoyable (some of it got a few laughs from me and that literally never happens with me for games nowadays). Gameplay is solid and has never bored me once, even when fighting trash mobs near the end of the game. And the exploration, my god. It feels like the world is endless and you feel like you actually discover new places instead of the game telling you where they are and it feels so good. You could just get lost in it, discovering new areas that the game doesn't tell you about because it is your reward for going off the beaten path and exploring the world. I mean this with the highest praise, it feels like the first time you hit the world map in a PS1 Final Fantasy game, like FF7, FF8, or FF9. It's actually crazy how it made me nostalgic for those games. Music is spectacular and literally every track was super enjoyable and got stuck in my head even days after playing (they got the Bury the Light vocalist Victor Borba for some of the songs so you know the soundtrack is peak). First RPG I've owned in a while that I truly wanted to 100% because it's such an amazing game (and I did). I honestly think this is the closest to a perfect game that I've ever played. This game really snuck up on me to becoming one of my favorite games of all time. Games like these are special man and come once in a blue moon. And it's because of the passion and dedication the dev team had to make this amazing game. Hope more studios get inspired to create great games by this masterpiece. Easily 10/10 and honestly don't see anything beating this for GOTY. Please play this even if you don't like or have never touched an RPG, you won't regret it.