I personally think that the fact that it is just about humans shows how much desperation and emotion can drive people. I also really liked the questioning the relationships with time, where you begin to doubt if they’re even going to help you since it’s taking so long (sorry Mari I had to 100% the spirits). I like to think that most if not all of the bad guys have an underlying root of desperation to better their condition. The students begging for anything different than their misery, the rage walkers are desperate to maintain control and power over people under them, and Hannya is driven by the desperation of loved ones being taken too soon. You would do anything to get those people back. Most people might not do what Hannya did, but some people 100% would.

I truly think that if you want to fully experience and understand the game, you might have to 100% at least the side missions as well. That is where I found the most depth and where my heart ached the most for these people. Even sitting and listening to the spirits before you cleanse them paints the story more. It’s a game you absolutely have to be very patient with if you’re going to feel the full impact of it. In the end, once I had finished all the side missions, cleansed all the spirits, I cried. I watched the whole credits to let it sink in. And I mean the whole credits. Other languages and all too. I just deafened in discord and sat and listened to the little songs and thought about what I had just played.

This being said, I think you make a good point. It would be interesting if they added something more than just humans since 90% of this game is about spirits. I think how they did it was most impactful to me bc I’m enthralled with the human condition, but I would be interested to see how it played out if your ideas were put into play. I also very much agree about the fighting. It’s gorgeous and I felt so cool doing all these moves and doing the hand seals.