All the main characters are more endearing than SD2's core cast. Their individual subplots aren't anything spectacular, but they're at least better than those of SD2. The gameplay is superior, mostly thanks to the numerous paths your party members can take with the class changes, as well as the variety added by the fact that the cast is twice as large as SD2's. The overall plot is, again, not the stuff of great literature, but it's commendable simply for the way it branches out into different scenarios. The graphics are incredibly beautiful, and multiplayer is as fun as ever. The only shortcoming I can think of is that its soundtrack isn't as memorable as SD2's.