Pretty hot, but I think I prefer her actual look. Maybe it's because I'm used to it but this looks, I don't know, a bit bland.

https://youtu.be/xgKY9hmbfgo

I've finally gotten around to giving Astral Chain a go.

I'm about three hours in and... I dunno, it's hard to say. I have managed to put aside my initial misgivings about the art style and VA but the combat system is just so complicated both in terms of mechanics and controls, to the point where I'm still finding even basic fights a bit overwhelming.

Anyone else feel this way when they first played it? Does it get better?

It doesn't get any easier from what I remember, but I never found the combat too overwhelming. I spent a lot of time doing the training simulations which are very well setup. If anything it gets a lot more complicated once you unlock the different abilities/mechanics, but spending time in the training simulations experimenting with them is part of the fun.

At least give it a bit more time until you unlock the training modes, 3 hours isn't a lot to go on.

Yeah I'm playing on casual. It's just a lot to process; moving the player, moving the legion, moving the camera, using the chain, sync attacks, multiple enemies attacking from all sides...

The controls are tricky too; with the preset I'm using for example its X to enter slash mode, press right stick to focus, left stick to angle it, then Y to do it. Why doesn't X just enter focus as well instead of two commands? Doing all that in the midst of battle is a nightmare. And chain-jumping to an enemy is cool but half the time I do it, when I press left trigger in preparation to press Y for chain jump it recalls my legion when I won't mean to.

The game has a lot going for it but I'm struggling to adjust to it.

I'm using preset C where Y is attack and right trigger is dodge, as attacking with the trigger felt awkward to me since most melee action games map attack to a face button. I just tried changing it back and it didn't feel good, I'm too used to the play I've been playing now.

Besides, when I'm moving the legion there's not much else I can do with my right hand anyway as trigger would just make me chain jump to them, so it doesn't feel like I'm losing out on control.

My issue is more that its just so complicated and so much to keep in mind at once in the heat of the moment.

Unfortunately the battles will only get even more complicated than they already are because you'll unlock more moves. I also felt overwhelmed by the chaotic battles and the split second decision making. You're certainly not alone on this.

However, I can safely say that you definitely will get better the more you play it. If I may give you some advice, try to think of your legion not as a second character that you have to control simultaneously, but rather as an expansion of your own moves. You can send it onto an enemy and just let it fight alone while you yourself take care of another. Use the legions' special moves only when you really need it. Also, what helped me a lot is exploiting the scoring system to your advantage. Examine what exactly gave you points after battle and try adjusting your fighting style to use those techniques more frequently, like for example pinning enemies down by circling the legion around them (unless you don't have this manouver yet and need to unlock it first, I don't know). And lastly, keep calm, even during the most intense fights. Enemies will try to confuse you by their sheer number. Always focus on one enemy at a time and get rid of them one by one.

Cheers. That's a helpful way of looking at it.

I am hoping I'll get used to it the more I play and that at some point it will just "click" and become second nature, it's just hasn't yet.

There's certainly a lot to like about the game; the setting and music are awesome and the combat definitely has the right sense of punchiness and pizazz. I really want to enjoy it and hopefully I am able to.

Nope. The combat of AC is naturally counter intuitive. It's in reality very easy as far as command and functions goes, but the idea of controlling two bodies at the same time never really clicked to me 

The 'Pro' has come .

Hmm, i might buy it later on. For the moment i can game on the tv so a new Oled is not that relevant to me.