>>30315855It's much like pokemon in that it varies from game to game based on personal tastes, but unlike pokemon isn't afraid to completely change the mechanical formula every couple of games.
The games are always hella grindy and usually pretty fucking long, though. Some of the games can have you logging 80 hours without a guide on your first couple of playthroughs, and that's without any postgame content that might be included. The games' equivalent of Breeding usually isn't as RNG-based as Pokemon's is (unless you're intentionally trying for a fusion accident or a specific fusion like Alice), but the RNG finds other places to fuck you over (TPKs in random encounters are commonplace).
The plot/character writing varies from "huh. this is actually decently philosophical" to "this is trying too hard to be deep", again depending on your personal taste. Expect a lot of shit about humanity being two-faced and a bunch of assholes, double if it's coming from a two-faced asshole.
It's definitely not a replacement for Pokemon, but if you're thinking that Pokemon is too easy and don't want to Nuzlocke or some other challenge run, it's definitely a franchise worth looking into.
