but a good main character is necessary for a game like this to be compelling
Jin wasn't really a good character. He got the job done barely, but was carried heavily by the rest of the characters until about the half way point when he unlocks his super mode ability and starts actually developing a personality.
But that's an even bigger knock against them. A bland, neutral character is more than sufficient if the rest of the writing holds up, but a character that actively detracts will pull down anything else around it.
I liked him because of the honor vs. pragmatism angle you mentioned in your other comment. He was trying to walk both paths, and I thought that was really interesting.
Once that was finally realized he did get a lot more interesting, the second half Jin was a really solid character.
But for most of the first area and a good chunk of the second one he is basically comatose from the culture shock and just completely devoid of anything. For good reason I suppose, but it hurts the game's first impression a lot.
Its very much a game where I recommend people skip all the collectables in the first area and just shotgun the side quests and then missions to get the game moving, because if you get distracted chasing foxes and charms you'll burn out before anything good happens.
Jin wasn't really a good character. He got the job done barely, but was carried heavily by the rest of the characters until about the half way point when he unlocks his super mode ability and starts actually developing a personality.
But that's an even bigger knock against them. A bland, neutral character is more than sufficient if the rest of the writing holds up, but a character that actively detracts will pull down anything else around it.
I liked him because of the honor vs. pragmatism angle you mentioned in your other comment. He was trying to walk both paths, and I thought that was really interesting.
Once that was finally realized he did get a lot more interesting, the second half Jin was a really solid character.
But for most of the first area and a good chunk of the second one he is basically comatose from the culture shock and just completely devoid of anything. For good reason I suppose, but it hurts the game's first impression a lot.
Its very much a game where I recommend people skip all the collectables in the first area and just shotgun the side quests and then missions to get the game moving, because if you get distracted chasing foxes and charms you'll burn out before anything good happens.