Viewfinder is a refreshing puzzle game, using a mechanic I have never seen before. Puzzles are great, although on the easy side. Some new mechanics are gradually introduced but not too many of them since game is not very long. That was a positive thing for me as it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Story generally isn’t that important in games like this, and it is Viewfinder’s weakest part. I stopped caring about it very early as it was very boring, no mystery about it or wandering what will happen next.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is an exquisite game. I haven’t played anything from Atlus before so this was my entry ticket into that world of dungeons, social bonds and careful calendar management. It is much more lenient than Persona games, but if you are careless you could miss your chance to do some stuff you wanted.
First impression was not positive at all - game has problems with some wireless headphones. Not all of them but Xbox Wireless Headset which I own is one of them and it is known problem since release and they haven’t patched it. It is not some minor incovinience - there is no sound, at all! I have tried everything, every troubleshooting advice on the web and none of them worked. When you change audio source in-game you could hear music for a second and after that back to silent. In the end I had to connect them via cable which solved the problem.

From the start first thing I noticed is best-in-business menu and UI design. Game is a masterpiece in that department, it doesn’t get better than this. There are a lot of UI tutorial prompts in the first couple of hours for every single thing and new game mechanic. It didn’t bother me at all since they were short and to the point. Metaphor has captivating world with very interesting lore and I constantly wanted to find out more about it. Politics, religion, inequality and racism are heavily incorporated in it so it is not just about the hero saving the world. Nothing in the world is black and white, even main villain has some validating arguments for things he’s doing. Story is very linear, there are not any major choices or story forks which is good since the game is huge. There are more than 40 archetypes (classes, jobs) in game with a couple of skills each, and when characters learn other ones they can inherit those skills and use them in addition to their main ones. We also have synthesis skills that require 2 specific archetypes be present in the party in order to use them, so the number of combination you could make is endless.

Funny thing from my first big dungeon - I didn’t know that MP is premium at the beginning of the game and that you have to manage it very carefully. I was almost empty and just arrived to do a boss fight. You can’t do it even if you are half full, and there is no vendor to buy MP replenishment like it was in the tutorial dungeon. They don’t have to be done in one day, you can return to town to sleep off and return tomorrow to continue from where you left off. But there was a problem - I have wasted days doing relationship bonds and I could’t get back since from the story perspective I have to do it this day. Tried to return and was greeted with a game over screen.
Am I softlocked? Fortunately no, since if protagonist is using Mage archetype he refills 1MP to each party member for overworld kills (enemies that are weaker than you and you don’t enter turn-based battles fighting them). And so the grind started - clear all of them to get 20MP or so in 10 minutes, exit dungeon so they can respawn. Rinse and repeat for an hour :D
In the end I had so much fun playing the game, although I wouldn’t recommend spending 100+ hours in a game in just 2 weeks.