I recently revisited the game, and it's evident that the middle section feels underdeveloped. The unexplored narrative surrounding the greedy king in Gold City, coupled with the awkward way the game forces you to return to the sage at the mountain only to get a single-line quest update, all contribute to a sense of bare-bones and disjointed storytelling. While things do improve upon reaching the Tree Palace, even then, we're left with little to no information about the villains.

The game is still a masterpiece though.