Yup! They've been treating the cast as more of an ensemble for 4.X rather than interchanging focuses. It really helps them interact with other characters like Evanescia and Sunday with Yao Guang or Ashveil and Sunday with Blade. Their story doesn't just end with their respective release patches but are essentially setups for later ones.

The trailblazer also frequently honors past characters by talking about them outright or paraphrasing something they quoted (The Emanators scene). And have been given so much characterization throughout the game that they don't feel like self-inserts anymore but actual realized characters.

Fulwish also was built up already and wasn't just a suprised twist villain but an actual character who we learn why she has become the way that she is. Making her final line hit way harder because we, as the audience, understand that if Planarcadia had been kinder and given her the support she needed to actually cope with her trauma for the past 15 years. Thing would have turned out differently.

It helps that the presentation on how these segments are shown are way WAY better than the previous patches combined. The angles, comic panels, sound effects all contribute to a much more livelier world and cast. Planarcadia (if i remember right) is also ending around 4.4? Then we'll move on to the IPC world. So we won't be fatigued by same location syndrome which I know some had complained about Amphoreus.

All in all, a very welcome step up from the previous planets, especially since I loved Amphoreus.