I enjoy this game a lot, but it runs into the worst of jrpg pacing issues over and over. At the end of every dungeon is a boss. After every boss comes a long conversation. After this conversation comes a period of fallow time where the only plot is highschool comedy. And not all of it is pleasurably moustache-based.

‘Cinematic’ is virtually a term of abuse in gaming circles, but the comedy could really do with some directing, some camera angles, some close ups. Budget seems to be the biggest problem there, because when you do generic comedy you’re up against every generic comedy which has ever been masterfully produced and directed. P4 can’t compete, so it becomes the kind of game where I dread the bosses not for their challenge, but on account of the filler lurking behind them.