GameSpot's Lark Anderson noted that, although players can save mid-battle, the difficulty "will easily overwhelm even experienced tacticians." Eurogamer's Keza MacDonald appreciated the depth and refinement of the game, but proceeded to note a lack of accessibility due to greater complication and difficulty as Radiant Dawn progresses. Some reviewers were also critical of the developers' choice not to use the Wii's motion controls, although RPGamer's Bryan Boulette commented that "the game thankfully delivers a traditional experience that isn't changed just for the sake of changing it."
GameSpot's Lark Anderson observed that players can save mid-battle but found the difficulty level so high as to be overwhelming for even experienced tacticians. Eurogamer's Keza MacDonald appreciated the depth and refinement of the game, though she noted a lack of accessibility due to increased complexity as Radiant Dawn progresses. Some reviewers also criticized the developers' choice not to use the Wii's motion controls, while RPGamer's Bryan Boulette defended the game by stating that it offers a traditional experience without unnecessary modifications.