I finally finished the demo, and man... you have outdone yourself! Entering Gaia again, and seeing as it is a prequel to the Crysmalia RPG got me super hyped! The artwork in this is also especially gorgeous, the sprites are so cute and the CGs are brilliant. I was immediately drawn in the moment the game started, what a way to introduce the characters, and I love how the first choice dictates who saves Alto and the route the player will find themselves o.
The story itself is really engaging. I love how it explores more lore. I grin each time a country/region is mentioned, since I remember all the events from the previous games. I love despite the story's more serious tone, you always have many lighthearted and fun moments, like the banter between Alto and Sol, or the man trying to hit on Alto in the market, or The Desert Falcons book in the library. Very fun stuff!
Now to the routes themselves.....
I played Sol's route first. Childhood friends, ftw! Sol is an interesting character, and equally cares to find their missing friend, but his methods of doing so are questionable. Again I do love the banter between the two, and you really learn and can feel the bond Alto, Sol, as well as Ellys had which I think helps to connect players to why they so badly want to save her. The cliffhanger ending.... wow, how dare you end us there!!!
Then there's Kisha's route. Wow, he's so incredibly sweet, but is also mysterious. I felt the most emotions on his route. I really wonder who he is, and after the cliffhanger ending on THIS ROUTE, whoa.... I can't say much about Kisha's route without giving any spoilers but I really enjoyed it.
Overall, absolutely looking forward to the full release. This world has become so fleshed out with each game you release for it. You did a good job laying out the foundations and lore for the world for new players, as well as hype excitement for current fans. ^^