As with any precious and roughly hewn stone: With careful study and adjustment, the light can shine through in a truly astounding way.

There are some small arenas of discomfort:

-Minor visual effects linked to specific spells that (depending on weather) just don't look right.
-Certain NPCs are comically under-animated. Add to this that many are simply not visually appealing.
-I played using the Japanese voice over pack; animations often didn't match the dialogue during cutscenes.
-Certain fights cause action time to hang. *This doesn't soft-lock the game*, you always have a button that moves time forward manually.
-Certain puzzle fights *do* soft-lock the game when they start, but the devs added a "restart" button to refresh the encounter. This fixed it every time.
-Given that you're working with an ATB-like (Action Time Battle) system, and there's a stat you can stack that's linked to how often a character gets a turn... Take the time to tweak your stats so you can go faster. It's pretty much required by the end.

With that out of the way, Edge of Eternity is a work of great beauty:

The land is extremely detailed and vibrant at all times of day. There are a wide variety of environments and despite the opening stating outright that advanced technology is part and parcel of the story being told, I was thoroughly lost (and invested) in the authentic fantasy feel of the game. I found the story fascinating to follow, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Cedric Menendez is to be commended for his splendid orchestral composition. I had to go looking for which tracks Yasunori Mitsuda contributed to the OST because I simply couldn't tell offhand.

The character writing is wonderful, though it is limited initially. You're stuck with the first two characters for quite a long time; the story has a very long and steady introductory arc through... I want to say chapter III. Everything beyond that point is an absolute joy. The ceiling for spectacle was already quite high, but they continually raise it. There's always something new they want to show you. Sometimes it's genuinely horrifying; more often, it's breathtaking. In combat, it's curveball after curveball; testing the limits of their own combat system in innumerable ways.

I found the voice work (again, I used the Japanese voice overs) to be excellent. I can't speak to any others. Tone and expression was very well chosen, and I found every member of the main cast likeable.

Before I forget: You also get to ride a giant cat.

For anyone who enjoys turn-based combat and has a love for reading, strong recommendation.