Freak mode baby. We're so fucking back. I already like this game more than [[SaGa SCARLET GRACE - AMBITIONS™ (2018)|SaGa Scarlet Grace]], both aesthetically and mechanically. The additions to the timeline with combos and showstoppers add some much-needed extra sauce. Breaking circles for union attacks was fun but combos let you approach stuff from various other angles, while still making interrupts a useful combat aspect. ## 04292024 I went back and picked Mikado since I heard he's a good character for a first run, and I wanna save the loves of my life for last. The combat in this game is so, so much better than in *Scarlet Grace*. I know I already said that, but I mean it even more after spending more time with it. And I want to reeiterate that this is really saying something. What *Scarlet Grace* was missing most, in my humble opinion, was more opportunities to manipulate the timeline. *Emerald Beyond* makes you feel a lot more in control. You can have characters cut into the timeline from far away, use moves with more chunks to chain combos together, and there's even a benefit to leaving a character solo with the Showstopper mechanic. This might be the best *SaGa* yet. The music bangs too. ALSO I dunno if the whole game is like this but holy shit Mikado's storyline cracks me up. Mikado is a hilarious protagonist and the dialogue between him and the blue-haired witch he meets is so dry it actually catches me off guard. It's a game that seems almost uninterested in its own plot, shrugging its shoulders at the weird shit that happens because it's Kawazu's vision. Can't wait to dig into it more.