So it's been a bit since I beat the game, though I have yet to go back through all days to get all the AP I need to unlock all the skills nor have I gathered all reports yet. I have to say I really enjoyed this game. It grabbed me quite a bit so much that it upset my whole routine and I'm still trying to get back on top of that.
I think this game is a nice example of what you can get out of a lower production value AA game and it's a lot. The visual flare of the game was really impressive and it conveyed a lot with limited animation. There also was a nice balance of voiced and non-voiced scenes and I like that we could check the chat log in case we accidentally missed something.
The game play really works well, though I do have to admit that my oddly wired brain did occasionally crisscross which button was which. There were also some Pins I found rather unwieldy with my more button smash-y style of playing. I still don't quite have a feeling for how to best trigger beatdrops, but the Pins cover such a wide ground that eventually I found a combo that worked for me.
The story was pretty good, though like with the original one I'm not entirely sure I completely understand everything that went on. The main story is straightforward, but there's hints and teases of more going on in the background. There's also subtle things happening that I wasn't sure I really properly picked up on. I think the characters arcs were done well, but the changes weren't as drastic or noticeable as they were with Neku.
At first I was rather surprised that the game itself had changed so much, but I guess the lesson the game was trying to teach was no longer quite the same, though I didn't expect the timer to disappear as well, though the character did imply there was a time limit so perhaps it was now just off screen on their phones. The new game however does open up the entry to explore more characters and different dynamics, which was a great benefit.
Nagi was a lovely surprise. At first I thought she'd just be a stereotypical Otaku Girl, a thirsty one at that. But she seemed way more introspective and multifaceted. Part of me read her as an Aspi-girl, having difficulties socializing, but being very observant.
Similarly Kanon was a character I initially misinterpreted, assuming she was one trope when really she was quite a honest and different character.
Rindo and Fret make for a good duo. Their Friendship seems very natural, but it's kind of clear that while they like each other and enjoy being around each other, they didn't really know each other. Their arcs were well done and I think they were the perfect pair to start the story with.
Minamoto was a fun character like always, seems less malicious for the most part then before and I don't quite know what he's aiming for other than the composer role.
Beat was a nice surprise, I should have known it was him, but still it was great seeing him again and having him be part of the team for as long as he was. He seemed to have matured, but in a way that's still decisively Beat, which I appreciate.
Neku was similarly a great addition to the team. I like how he matured in a way that shows how he's grown, but also feel a lot like the Neku we knew from the end of the game. He was good supportive character for the new leads and is how I'd imagine a character should be that has passed on the main character role.
Shoka was a great character as well. She was just the right kind of snarky to be entertaining and endearing. She also had to give up the most. I really liked how she stood up for what she cared about and wanted. Also I had a suspicion she would turn out to be Swallow pretty early on. My guess was it'd be her or Rhyme. I choose to read her and Rindo's relationship as platonic no matter how much the game hints they want it to be another romantic pairing.
On a somewhat funny side note after Sporkanort used Shoka as an Profile Pic for awhile I seem to have build up an association between the two. So anytime I saw Shoka I was thinking of Sporkanort.
The special skills the cast have was really fun and really complimented their personalities. I'm especially impressed with how they handled Rindo's time traveling, like others said this is how it should have been handled in KH3.
As for what didn't quite sit right with me and these are pretty minor complaints. I was a bit irked by the fact that all Players that weren't on our Team or Kanon, where guys. Like I get that was probably a choice made for convenience, but it just seems illogical there that only guys and a few girls would be part of this game. Especially because within the story of this game and the last there was a bit of a better ratio.
I'm also a bit disappointed that Shiki and Rhyme were a bit sidelined. Especially Rhyme, seeing we didn't get to spend much time with her in TWEWY and I was hoping she being the youngest would be the one to interact with the new group the most. Still beat was fun and having her show up as a mysterious hacker between days was a nice way to keep her present in the story if not actively.