で in 前回で in this sentence


> 安定のシリーズ四作目。 **前回で** 微妙だった部分をすぐに修正してきたのはさすが

about a the 4th game of a series

feels very unintuitive to me, compared to `前回の微妙だった部分` for instance




This で represents a relatively minor usage, which can be translated "at the
point/stage", "at the time when", or "when in/at" (often with implicit
contrast to some other points).

> 前回 **の** 微妙だった部分 _unimpressive features **of/in** the previous (game)_  
>  前回 **で** 微妙だった部分 _unimpressive features (existed) **at the point of** the
> previous (game)_

Of course, in this case, the meaning does not change much as to what is
referred, but:

> × 前回 **の** 修正されたバグが…  
>  ○ 前回 **で** 修正されたバグが… _Bugs fixed in (the time of) the last release..._  
>  ≒ 前回修正されたバグが…  
>  ……復活した。 ... _has occurred again._
>
> ○ 前回 **の** あらすじ _the last episode's digest_ (= in the last episode...)  
>  × 前回 **での** あらすじ  
>  cf. 前回 **までの** あらすじ _the digest as of the last episode_ (= previously
> on...)

So the overall translation would be like:

> The down-to-earth fourth title of the series (franchise). What's admirable
> about them is their quickness in reworking of unimpressive features seen in
> the previous one.




This で represents a relatively minor usage, which can be translated "at the
point/stage", "at the time when", or "when in/at" (often with implicit
contrast to some other points).

> 前回 **の** 微妙だった部分 _unimpressive features **of/in** the previous (game)_  
>  前回 **で** 微妙だった部分 _unimpressive features (existed) **at the point of** the
> previous (game)_

Of course, in this case, the meaning does not change much as to what is
referred, but:

> × 前回 **の** 修正されたバグが…  
>  ○ 前回 **で** 修正されたバグが… _Bugs fixed in (the time of) the last release..._  
>  ≒ 前回修正されたバグが…  
>  ……復活した。 ... _has occurred again._
>
> ○ 前回 **の** あらすじ _the last episode's digest_ (= in the last episode...)  
>  × 前回 **での** あらすじ  
>  cf. 前回 **までの** あらすじ _the digest as of the last episode_ (= previously
> on...)

So the overall translation would be like:

> The down-to-earth fourth title of the series (franchise). What's admirable
> about them is their quickness in reworking of unimpressive features seen in
> the previous one.

