This likely will be my only account on the clear blue skies so hello again!

New feature rolled out and it's as terrible as ever.

I almost forgot: ALL THIS IN JUST UNDER 41 GB?!
It sounds complete insanity.
Anyways, Game of the Year.
A legitimate entry to a "Video Games in the 21st Century That You Must Play Before You Die" list if that ever gets made.
To anyone about to play this game, may you enjoy this Expedition.

The most important thing about this game was how much care and passion was put into this. Sandfall have an amazing group of people that show they view what they do is more than just games, and I wish them great success. If there are more devs like them, I look forward to what gaming continues to be.

This is one of those games that I can't ever spoil even if someone were to tell me to spoil them. This is one of those games where you have to experience it for yourself. Telling it to you doesn't give it justice. If the difficulty intimidates you, there's Story, which I did play the game on.

The story might just be one of the best ever. I loved the entire journey that was undertaken here. It had everything. It was heartbreaking, it was funny, it was awesome, and above all, it told something that spoke so deeply that it will stick with me forever. Trust me, you won't be prepared.

and the main battle theme when you fight enemies on the world map, especially the latter. The theme during Act I and II is amazing enough, but then you get to Act III's world map battle theme, and it gets even better.
Speaking of these Acts...

But now, I want to talk about my two highest points of the game.
First, the music.
This is one of, if not the greatest soundtracks ever for. Everything hits absolutely perfect with the music coming alive all-throughout the game. Special mention goes to all the boss battle themes--

By far my favorite collectibles have been the costumes and hairstyles with how many you can collect. And within those, my personal favorite has been the 'Pure' set of costumes. They just look so amazing...and then you add in the blood that sticks after battle. Man, the effects are cool too.

There's so much to explore in this game! Different lands, different enemies, different collectibles, all of which add up to learning so much about the world that Expedition 33 is set in. It makes it all more alive learning the history of the past expeditions and what happened to them.

Over the course of the game I had a lot of fun trying the different weapons that I come across, and it's essentially the same thing with the characters I've stated above. Each weapon has a distinct gameplay flavor that will find its mark for everyone.

well with each other.
This game is an amazing love letter to JRPGs. Infusing the tried and true turn-based gameplay with the parry/dodge mechanic is executed at its peak for me, and that's saying something since I'm not a diehard fan of Soulsbornes, likely because it's not as punishing.

compassionate attitude that is unwavering despite the world around them. Still, I love all of them just as much. Each of them have something that's relatable and special, and I try to play them as equally as possible so that they keep up in levels. Helps that they all are able to synergize--

Just as amazing are the characters that embark on this perilous journey. They all have differing playstyles and personalities that make this game entertaining to go through, complete with their heart-wrenching backstories. My personal favorite is Sciel, wielding an awesome scythe and an upbeat and--

Let's begin with how absolutely gorgeous the game looks. For as much of a world rife with disaster looks, it is visually stunning, equally breathtaking and horrifying to witness after 67 years of Lumiere's people trying to stop the Paintress and the Gommage.

As said before, the rest of what the game offers is great. The story especially tugged a few strings. I liked all the characters on display, especially the adorable Crouton and the awesome Hazel.
Overall, it's a really solid game that's worth getting time into, combat aside. Kudos to Compulsion.

The option to skip fights is rare, and I respect Compulsion Games for making it available. I really just wish the combat was more engaging so that I wouldn't even have to use it.
Still, the boss fights are only a step above the regular fights, owing to how amazing they look.

...combat is this game's greatest weakness. The enemy types and Hazel's abilities make the combat segments feel repetitive once you get into a sort of rhythm. Unfortunately, it got to a point where I skipped the remaining regular fights by the two penultimate chapters.
No bosses skipped, though.

It keeps true to itself, not shying away from its heaviness, but still remains hopeful if cautious by the ending. If Psychonauts 3 ever becomes a reality, I hope to see its quality remain consistent.
One of the best of 2021.
A can't-miss game.
I'm sure it's worth your time.