Worse still is that encounters can be very frequent, to the point that sometimes they are one after another, giving you little chance to heal your characters after the previous battle. Trying to exercise the "Escape" option to run away from a fight seems pointless as it seldom works and then only if your characters are stronger than the enemy. Moreover, enemies are generally stronger than your characters and proportionally level up when the characters do, which usually means that enemies are just as strong as before (relative to the characters).
It would have helped if saving were allowed at any time of the game, but no, saving can only be done at pre-defined points (worst case scenario is when you are trying to get to a save point in a dungeon, you end up having to fight multiple enemy parties that could last an hour before you can save...this would really be annoying if you haven't saved for a couple of hours and your battery is running low and you can't charge it).
However, the worst thing about Dragoneer's Aria is that there is literally no way to escape the grind described above. At times, you need to purposefully look for and slay weaker monsters to gain experience so that you can proceed in the game. This will feel like a chore after a while and you may, during the drawn out combat encounters, end up repeatedly asking yourself whether this is a deliberate ploy by the developers to extend the life of the game.
So, Dragoneer's Aria is really a game that either one loves or hates and there are no two ways about it. Those that don't mind the grind (read: very patient sorts) and gain much satisfaction from repeatedly bashing countless enemies before fulfilling the objectives that you knew that you could have fulfilled some hours ago, then you may find this title somewhat to your liking. Otherwise, like the rest of the impatient masses, you could put your money somewhere else.
