Recs.
Updated
An action RPG set in a large, open world with anime inspired characters.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Great starter RPG experience for younger players
With it's cartoonish graphics, anime-based characters, and simple to understand combat, this is a great game for the younger generation of gamer to get into RPGs. Nothing feels overly challenging throughout the duration of the game. The story moves along at a nice pace to prevent boredom and hold your attention. Just when you think you don't know what to do or where to go next, a helpful dialogue box will appear that teaches you a new game mechanic or guides you on the next step. All in all, it's a great game to get your kids or more casual gaming friends into the RPG genre.
Pro The kingdom building is satifsying and strangely addicting
One of the cool features is the ability to plan and build your own living, breathing kingdom. You can build and upgrade a variety of different buildings. These buildings provide bonuses such as being able to craft better weapons and armor, providing special rare items, and generating income. By traversing the world and completing quests for characters, you can recruit them to your cause. They'll join your kingdom as a citizen, and you can assign them to work on any building that suits their skillset.
You can also return to your kingdom anytime you want, making it a nice little home base type area to relax between battles. All in all, it's a fun little sidegame. It's strangely addicting to watch your kingdom grow over time as your newly recruited citizens generate you money and special items.
Pro There's a fun pet collecting and leveling system
There's cute little creatures you can collect during your travels called Higgledies. Not only are they adorable, but they are quite fierce little fighters. They will heal and fight alongside you, adding to the fun of combat. If you have a particular one you enjoy, you can level it up to help it gain stronger powers. You can swap them in and out during combat, and some bosses even have weaknesses to specific ones.
Pro The combat is simple but entertaining
The combat is as simple as swinging your weapon and dodging attacks. It's quick to jump in without a steep learning curve. You may feel a bit overpowered at times, but that just adds to the action as you're dispatching enemies with ease. You won't be fighting alone though. Your pets add a little bit of depth to the combat. They can heal you, and zap your foes with various elemental attacks. You also have the ability to swap them out at will, so it will keep things fresh for quite a while. Some of the bosses have puzzle type encounters where you'll have to use specific pets, but for the most part the choice is up to you.
Cons
Con Skirmish mode feels like something you have to trudge through, rather than enjoy
The Skirmish mode allows you take your armies out in a watered down RTS style mode in which you move your units around and watch them fight in a rock paper scissors type battle system. However, some quests require this mode far too often to the point of it becoming grindy and repetitive. It's novelty wears off quickly due it's simplistic nature. Essentially, it ends up feeling like you're doing the same battle over and over.
Con Some weird inconsistencies in the voice acting presentation
From time to time the voice acting will suddenly stop mid conversation and only display the written dialogue. It's almost as if they forgot to record some lines. It tends to happen randomly and can be a bit distracting and immersion breaking when it occurs, such as listening to half a conversation and then having to read the rest.
Con Main character walks way too slow
Until you unlock fast travel waypoints and pick up some speed boosts to your walking later in the game, the extremely slow pace at which you move can be downright annoying. Walking through the sprawling dungeons or between towns just doesn't feel like it matches the brisk pace of the story itself, and tends to make certain parts of the game drag on where they shouldn't.