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>surprisingly non-linear middlegame
>legendaries are in the most farflung corners of the world with only vague hints of their existence to guide you
>plot is designed so it feels like you're writing your own story rather than a story is being thrust on you
>released at the perfect time when the internet was still new and you could actually uncover secrets yourself
It really was lightning in a bottle. It's telling that the biggest gripes everyone has with the game either have to do with the physical limitations of games at the time, or the glitchy coding. You could tell that the franchise wasn't meant to go as far as it did, since even though newer games added a lot of good mechanics and QoL features, the simple magic just isn't there anymore, no matter how much pandering they do.
