[Infernal Mass]

It certainly feels like an FF game, with influence from Vagrant Story. Which is no surprise given the pedigree. FF+VS makes for a nice combination, if I may say so myself. The presentation is just top notch, square-enix quality, FTW.

The new combat mechanics feel fluid, the transition between battle and exploration is smooth, and it helps immerse the player into the game..rather than making a dramatic shift from map to battle screen as previous FF games have done. It feels like an evolution of the series in that regard. Now don't get me wrong here, I don't really have much of a negative opinion when it comes to random battles. They just don't make or break an experiance for me. I played all the way thru Dragon Quest 8, and that game was great. This new combat system works though, gambits are there to cover menial task like healing or using eyedrops on a afflicted party member. Who really wants to stop in the middle of battle just to use eyedrops?

The battle system could've probably been a bit more streamlined, as one of the developers mentions on the Collector's Edition DVD interview..but it's not so complicated that it feels like a chore. As a cross reference for gambits; it feels like going into a battle while being prepared for anything you may encounter, rather than previous FF games where one would go into battle not knowing what to expect, and dealing with the consequences as they occur. You can still make commands, but the menial tasks (healing,remedies etc.) as mentioned before are already forseen ahead of time.

I haven't finished the game but those are my impressions so far.