I'd like to believe that the game is right, and that fantasy can change reality, because the journey the heroes going on and the ideal they strive to achieve is one I think we should all take to heart.

The Mustari is the most obvious one, showing the differences in their beliefs and explaining why they came to be was great. But also things like the way the eugief and paripus honour the dead is quite different from the other tribes and they're not discussed in a way that isn't understanding.

I also appreciate the way the game goes out of its way to highlight the differences in culture between all the tribes in a way that doesn't tout one as superior to the other.

I'm glad they really commit to this message. It's not just a half-assed "don't be racist", the view point is entirely driven by victims of discrimination and it really doesn't back away from it.

The game's core narrative being about tolerance and acceptance with the aim of uniting people and ending discrimination, combined with the games opening question of "can fantasy affect reality?" is so on the nose its funny.

In that vein, this game's plot has the thematic subtlety of a brick to the face, and I love it. Flipping the switch on people that use fantasy stories as an escape by having the fantasy world view the modern day as a flawless utopia to strive for is great. Especially seeing the truth on this side

I'm not upset with the ending at all, but I would have liked more elaboration on the history somewhere along the line, besides using it as a thematic point.

That said I expected more exploration of the topic of the history of the world, especially when it went into more detail once you reach the Sanctum. I kind of expected the end game to be like Utawarerumono, since the backstory behind the tribes is almost identical to that game.

A part of the game I really enjoyed was the plot twist tied to the dragon temple. The game is so full of SMT/Persona I forgot Atlus also makes Etrian Odyssey, so seeing the dungeon be a 1-1 copy of and EO dungeon almost sent me to the other side. It almost gives me hope that we'll see EO6 one day...

It's missed opportunity after missed opportunity for character moments, and for me that's the number 1 thing bringing this game down.