Stuck it out and finished The Last Remnant Remastered. It's definitely a game where using a guide is required, since 90% of the mechanics are obtuse, and rare monsters drops required for upgrades (that your party members specifically ask for) in a game that doesn't have a bestiary, and occasionally "rare drops from rare monsters". There are also many, many quests, and even a few entire dungeons, that get permanently locked if you advance the story too fast, with no warning. The endgame is a lot better than the beginning though, as you unlock more skills and have more options. The final boss is more interesting that he appears in that his abilities change drastically based on how you played: his level scales with your number of quests completed, his basic abilities get stronger based on your level, he gains summons if you DIDN'T claim those summons yourself in optional sidequests, and he gains new abilities if you DID optional sidequests where you end up releasing some bad stuff into the world. Oddly enough, there isn't a trophy for completing the game, there is only a trophy for beating the "true" final boss having completed 100% of all quests, which like I mentioned requires a guide, but at least there is NG+ to make a 2nd run easier, though not enough carries over for me to care to attempt it (no levels or equipment).
Right now staring at Nioh 2 or Yakuza: Like A Dragon and debating which to start first.
