Each of the seven heroines who come to inhabit the inn have their own stories to tell, and learning more about their hobbies, insecurities, and more through HEART Events will not only serve a narrative purpose, but will unlock new, specialized attacks for them to use in battle as well.
Presenting its own unique spin on strategic turn-based combat, battles place an emphasis on "bowling" over as many enemies at once as possible on a field where players move around freely, constantly making use of party members and their various weapons, attack ranges, and elemental affinities.
Equipping the "Skill Chips" unlocked throughout the story nets enough new abilities on its own, but participating in Free Battles and registering for StreetPass gives players chances to find rare and interesting crafting items, all of which can be used to create all-new powerful or beneficial skills to turn the tides of battle.
While given a 2.0 patch in Japan, North American players will be able to enjoy all the benefits the patch has to offer right from the start, which include being able to toggle between Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulties, a movie and art gallery that fills itself in as players progress, and a Fast Forward feature for those eager to dive straight into combat.