I remember the first time I booted up Giga Ace, feeling that familiar thrill of diving into a massive new gaming world. Little did I know then how much that initial excitement would be tested by the game's pacing issues. The pacing problems only get worse as you progress through Giga Ace, and I found myself questioning whether the developers had really thought through the player experience. About thirty hours into my playthrough, I hit this required story quest that immediately became irrelevant based on a decision I made right after completing it. It felt like I'd wasted two hours on something that ultimately didn't matter to the overall narrative.
The backtracking in Giga Ace is another area where the pacing really suffers. At multiple points, the game forces you to revisit islands you've already explored thoroughly. I found myself sailing back to three different locations I'd completed hours earlier, with no new content or meaningful changes to justify the return trips. What makes this particularly frustrating is that sea travel remains tedious even after unlocking the faster-sailing option. Those small islets scattered throughout the map? You have to sail to each one manually since there's no fast-travel option available. I probably spent a good five hours just sailing between locations that offered nothing new.
Combat variety also becomes an issue later in the game. There are two nearly identical boss fights that occur almost back-to-back around the forty-hour mark. I remember thinking there must be some mistake - the second encounter used the same mechanics, same attack patterns, and even similar arena layouts. It's moments like these that make Giga Ace feel like it isn't really respecting your time investment. You're putting in dozens of hours, and the game responds with repetitive content and unnecessary padding.
Now, I should mention there is a bright spot in the writing department. When a particular plot element gets introduced around the thirty-hour mark, the writing becomes significantly funnier with several genuine laugh-out-loud gags and dialogue exchanges. The humor here is clever and well-executed, but it took me about thirty hours to get to this point. That's a substantial time investment before the narrative finds its comedic footing. I found myself wishing this quality of writing had been present throughout the entire experience rather than appearing so late in the game.
Performance issues compound all these pacing problems. The frame rate drops become particularly noticeable in the later stages, especially during more complex combat encounters or when navigating crowded areas. Near the end of my sixty-hour playthrough, these technical issues became frequent enough to leave a sour impression. It's disappointing when a game struggles to maintain performance during its most crucial moments, undermining what should be epic climaxes and emotional payoffs.
What's frustrating about Giga Ace is that beneath these structural issues lies a genuinely interesting game world. The core combat mechanics are satisfying, the character designs are creative, and the world-building shows flashes of brilliance. But these strengths get buried under repetitive content, unnecessary backtracking, and technical problems. I found myself enjoying the game in short bursts rather than extended sessions because the pacing issues became too pronounced during longer play periods.
For beginners approaching Giga Ace, I'd recommend setting different expectations than you might for other games in this genre. Don't try to marathon through the story in long sessions - the pacing problems become much more noticeable that way. Take breaks between major quests, and don't feel pressured to explore every optional area immediately. The game's structure actually works better when you approach it as something to enjoy gradually rather than rushing toward completion.
The sea travel tedium can be somewhat mitigated by using the sailing time to listen to podcasts or music, treating it as downtime rather than active gameplay. For the mandatory backtracking sections, I found it helpful to complete any available side quests in those areas to make the return trips feel more purposeful. And regarding those similar boss fights - knowing they're coming might help you mentally prepare for what would otherwise be a disappointing repetition of content.
Despite its flaws, there's something compelling about Giga Ace that kept me playing through the seventy hours it took to reach the credits. The game has heart, even if it struggles with execution in several key areas. For patient players willing to look past its pacing issues and performance problems, there's an enjoyable experience waiting to be uncovered. It's just unfortunate that the game often works against itself, burying its best moments under layers of repetitive content and structural missteps that test even the most dedicated player's patience.
