Ar Nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star
I started playing it today after remembering I needed to play it due to a reminder about the impending completion of the Ciel Nosurge fan translation and discourse surrounding its treatment of the player character.
Its a Gust JRPG in the EXA_PICO series and more specifically in the Surge Concerto series (also featuring Ciel Nosurge). Its a semi-action semi-turn-based JRPG taking place after the planet was swallowed by the sun. Humanity lived on aboard a giant space station until a strange race of beings known as Sharls appeared and began abducting humans. To fight them, humans connect their hearts with each other to strengthen the power of song, which allows them to perform powerful magic that the Sharls too are capable of using. Its basically a post-apocalyptic space opera JRPG. Combat involves participating in waves of short turn-based battles where during your turn you cast a song card that allows you to perform a variety of melee attacks in rapid succession at the press of a button a limited number of times. After you've used up all your attacks, it becomes your enemies' turn, however every time you kill an enemy you gain a bonus and regain some of the attacks you can use. During enemy turns, you can press a guard button that, if well timed, can protect you at little cost.
I really dig the game conceptually. Seems like a mishmash hodgepodge of things I like about Xenoblade Chronicles X and Drakengard 3. Game has gorgeous music and pretty high quality character models and art design in typical Gust fashion. It also has elements of Persona. You go inside of people's hearts to strengthen your bonds with them to create new more powerful magic.
Its nice playing a Gust game that tries to be a bit more serious with its story. I also really like the art style and menu UI.