I'm about halfway through Harmony Square (File 04 I believe), and I gotta say my feelings are a little mixed on this game. I still feel much more positive than negative about it, but I'm a real big Platinum Games fan and some of the decisions in this game are throwing me for a loop. The negatives are stuff like..
-The combat seems to range from "this is the coolest and most satisfying fucking thing ever" to messy and incoherent as fuck. When it's on it's fucking on. But sometimes depending on the camera and the types of enemies you're fighting, along with the sheer amount of commands that you're given and the environment, I feel like I'm just almost just closing my eyes and hoping for the best.
-On the camera subject, I've brought it up before but I just really dislike the lock-on in this game, and I still can't seem to come to grips with it. Something about it is just bad. There's not enough visual or audio feedback or something. And in certain level layouts, it can cause the camera to get stuck on shit and just be horrible in general. It's like I can't really tell if the lock-on systems are going to make my fights more manageable or less. Can be super frustrating.
-Some of the level designs seem pretty counter intuitive, especially when it comes to using legion jumping. Like yeah I get that the red crystals popping out in the Chimera world adds to it's look, but why the fuck are they going to put them all around edges you need to jump from? My character is constantly getting caught on them and falling into pits. For a game that's supposed to move quick and feel satisfying in these segments, it's a really odd decision that only frustrates imo. Even if it wasn't supposed to be moving quick, it just seems dumb.
-Not really a fan of the item/ability mode systems. So many abilities just seem like clutter, and deleting them doesn't provide any benefit. I've never been a fan of item systems like these in games like these, as I'd rather my fights be decided (and designed around) raw skill rather than what items I may need to bring with me that could help/alter the battle. I'm not inherently 100% against it, but I wish they would have just limited to them to like healing and grenades. I don't want a whole item wheel like this with that many weird situational options.
There's still a ton about the game I adore, and there's still more about it I have to get used to. But this stuff is a bummer. I feel like this game is kind of regularly ranging between my true GOTY and some weird unpolished experimental title.