It delivers a palatable story with reliable combat and predictable but comedic character development, so in a way, it really ticks the boxes of what a decent (but dated) JRPG should be. However, a host of quality of life improvements would have been a good way to ensure that players don’t get too bogged down in the execution of the mundane.

Lionheart gets a couple things right, but overall results in a rather forgettable and generic experience. The best comparison I make to the game is vanilla ice cream; it’s not something that is going to cause a visceral reaction of outright disgust and repulsion, but it isn’t anything to get excited about it. The dialogue between characters is entertaining and does provide some distraction to how lackluster the story is. The combat is fun, but because of how formulaic each dungeon is going through one or two of them in a sitting is plenty. It’s a mediocre game that wouldn’t bring about buyer’s remorse, but also isn’t a must-play. This is an ideal title for people who revel in the idea of being entertained by snarky character banter enough to settle for average gameplay — approximately 50-100 hours of it. For those who enjoy JRPGs and visual novels, this may be an enjoyable experience that provides a good bang for the buck, but this title does not excel on either front.