Too bad.
The demo is pretty indicative of what the game is like, but at the same time, sort of not at all. You don't get the sense of character from the demo as you do from the game (which is to be expected), but you don't get the depth of combat either. It doesn't take more than a couple story missions for one to appreciate all the little nuances and how the different roles work in combat. That alone seems tightly honed, and the general mechanics of movement/cover/shooting work brilliantly. They actually seem rather wonky at first (because when you're "behind cover" you are sort of in that "mode" regardless of whether or not the barrier is physically between you and whoever is shooting, and hence still get the defensive bonus, and you can basically only duck and cover behind sandbags even though there are countless other objects that would seem to suit the purpose just as well), as the game's slightly realistic tone makes some of the sort of weird mechanical stuff feel a little funny, but once you get how the gameplay flows around the maps, it ends up feeling very balanced and suited to the game.
Graphics are just friggin' gorgeous, but everyone that's looked at a screen can see that. It reminds me most of Eternal Sonata in that regard, just in a cool sketchy look with a lot more earth tones (particularly because it's trying to act as though it's a book, so you've got lots of papery parchment feelings happening) and not so much with the pastels. The game teeters a little deliriously on the brink of feeling both vaguely realistic and totally fantastic, but I think it works. There's enough creative magic at work to balance out the more serious tone and let a little more ridiculous fun into the mix, and while that might work against the drama for some, it'll be old hat for anyone that's ever played a JRPG before. It just seems to be thrown into a bit more contrast here since much of what's presented isn't ridiculous the same way most JRPGs are. Still, I like the way they mixed it all together. The conventional feel is prevalent, but the other spots pop up often enough to let you daydream a bit, and it makes some of the units more fun (like the dudes with bazooka-like things that look like lances, giving them this knightly appearance almost... it's just more fun than a dude with a bazooka).
Anyway, I can see why people said this was addictive. It's just... very addictive. The tactical nature of it with the military theme really combine to give you a great sense of conquest, and it's hard to put down when you've got several plans formulating in your head about just how to approach a few things. You just don't want to stop until you see if the gambit works or not.
So yeah, sorry, but I can't tell you to not buy a PS3 and new TV. I don't know that you want to go do that just for this game alone since it probably doesn't quite have the overall mileage that a system-seller needs, but with the promise of DLC coming in the future... the future could be promising. In light of the other good stuff on PS3 now, this is a great addition that gives the library a nice little inconspicuous shot in the arm. I hope more people start to take notice of it, because right now the buzz seems mostly to be amongst the hardcore RPG guys and not too far beyond that.
