I’ve been playing Romancing Saga 3 a lot lately and have been fairly impressed. There are issues with the plot, characterization, and direction being barebones, and the fan translation is shoddy as hell, but the gameplay itself is stellar, the boss and enemy design is exemplary, and the soundtrack is fantastic. The battle system feels like Final Fantasy II done correctly, and though the main plot suffers from the lack of clear goalposts, the freedom of exploration is unmatched; there are dozens upon dozens of sidequests that you can tackle as you please (though some sidebosses will definitely shitstomp you without warning), and you have a broad range of options for party composition and customization. Hell, you can put a fucking lobsterman in your party, and he’s damn good too. The difficulty is also customizable; enemies scale based on your level, and most of your stats are dictated by your equipment. Want to powerlevel and clear all the side events before you even fight Arakes? Go for it. Want to fight Forneus early and get shitcanned? Go nuts. Be warned though, there are plenty of ways you can screw yourself over with your choices (*cough*Herman*cough*Monica*cough*). I’d advise against using a guide, though; part of the fun of the game is its explorarion and discovery. I will recommend one thing, though: When it’s time to fight Byunei, go to Mt. Lobo and speak to a dragon named Gawain. You’ll be in for a hell of a ride.