Verdict
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is one of the best sport Vanillaware has ever made. This entrancing story of youngsters thwarting the apocalypse by means of the technique of big robots and time journey is really one in every of a sort, subverting the tropes we’ve come to anticipate from anime and science-fiction to craft a narrative that simply sits amongst the style’s greatest.
Pros
An interesting, daring narrative that continually surprises
The tales of 13 characters are intertwined brilliantly
A beautiful, daring and authentic tackle many sci-fi tropes
Real-time technique fight is quick, deep and satisfying
Cons
Some character arcs can really feel underdeveloped at occasions
Can take some time to wrap your head across the story
Key Specifications
Review Price: £49.99
Release Date: September 22, 2020
Developer: Vanillaware
Genre: RPG
Platform: PS4
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a story journey that follows the lives of 13 youngsters who discover themselves recruited to assist forestall the approaching apocalypse.
Our heroes should pilot big robots and journey by means of time as they struggle valiantly to avoid wasting the planet. Unbeknownst to them, darker forces lie on the centre of this battle, pulling the strings in ways in which result in daring revelations and heart-wrenching twists which make this Vanillaware’s most interesting work up to now.
Telling the intertwining of so many central characters isn’t any simple feat, however 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim makes it look simple, crafting a nuanced, emotional journey which had me enthralled for dozens of hours. While some narrative arcs lack growth, that is nonetheless one of many most interesting journeys I’ve taken in 2020.
The elevator pitch for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is that this – think about Geometry Wars, Fire Emblem and Persona had an exquisite baby, and it grew up on a food plan of obscure sci-fi visible novels and anime. If any of this sounds remotely attention-grabbing to you, I’d bounce on this instantly, because it’s stuffed with so many cool surprises and divulges that I’ll attempt my greatest to keep away from all through this overview.
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Previously famend for hack ‘n’ slash RPGs, 13 Sentinels has Vanillaware stepping confidently out of its consolation zone, tackling far deeper narrative components alongside a battle system which locations a deal with real-time technique. It’s a daring departure that’s executed splendidly, mixing the 2 genres collectively in a means that’s all the time complimentary.
The core story is moderately difficult, however I’ll attempt my greatest to interrupt it down with out going cross-eyed. Mechanical monsters are destined to destroy humanity throughout a collection of time intervals starting from World War Two to the far-flung future, and we should combat again with using towering mechs often known as Sentinels.
Unfortunately, these can solely be piloted by a collection of younger adults injected with nanomachines, as a result of extraordinary psychological and bodily toll taking management of such machines has on the human physique. That, and you’ll’t have mechs that aren’t managed by youngsters, it’s like towards the principles or one thing.
You’ll spend nearly all of your time in 1985, attending faculty because the cavalcade of youngsters hop between totally different time intervals to uncover the true which means behind this invasion and what can probably be performed to cease it. What follows is an uncompromising sci-fi journey that’s extremely complicated, but all of its twists and turns lead to a powerful payoff.
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The sense of place as you stroll the streets of Showa-era Tokyo is extraordinary, with the world being dropped at life with exquisitely detailed hand-drawn characters and watercolour backgrounds that actually convey these combination of worlds to life. While the angle is predominantly 2D, Vanillaware performs with the dimensions of every new location superbly.
Pedestrians, mechanical creatures and different components are blended into the background seamlessly, making it really feel like every display is a dwelling, respiration world versus a static image. I used to be left in awe at scorching sunsets on Sumire Bridge, or watching in peril as a large alien rose out from the ashes of a burning village in 1945.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim isn’t simply in regards to the aesthetic although, it’s additionally an involving journey the place you’ll continually be making choices and interacting with a various vary of fascinating individuals. Each character has their very own storyline, main as much as the ultimate battle which makes up the strategic fight parts of the expertise.
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You’ll journey by means of time absorbing dialogue and fixing puzzles to advance the story, studying about your house on this world and why you’ve immediately been drafted into the battle to avoid wasting the planet. Some characters are stranded in a unique time, pressured to outlive in a brand new setting whereas additionally coming to phrases with their very own mortality. While others are clearly hiding a sinister previous, or just aren’t conscious of what they’re able to as a result of larger powers influencing their reminiscences in unusual, corrupt methods.
Each arc is stuffed with surprises, lots of which tug on the heartstrings due to how I’d watch all of those individuals develop and type relationships earlier than my very eyes. I may spend 1000’s of phrases delving into the intricacies of every character, so I’ll simply nail down two of my private favourites. Natsuno Minami is a younger teenager with an obsession for tacky science fiction movies and conspiracy theories, and is shocked when she comes into contact with a droid often known as BJ who requires her assist to return residence.
The ensuing story is enjoyable, heartwarming and ends on an actual tearjerker, and it was pleasant watching these two people bond as they slowly realising precisely what was at stake and the sacrifices that wanted to be made to avoid wasting their properties.
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Takatoshi Hijiyama is one other spotlight. A younger serviceman within the Japanese military, he’s transported to 1985 and should study to adapt to a overseas new residence, however finds himself falling in love with the very man chargeable for his predicament. It’s a touching love story, and arguably the primary optimistic homosexual romance Atlus has ever produced.
Many of the person character arcs intertwine as you journey by means of time and draw nearer to the central thriller, nevertheless it by no means feels overbearing or clumsily applied. If something, permitting everybody to breathe exterior of their very own storylines provides them further power, watching as they react to occasions from vastly totally different views.
One of my solely complaints is having much less freedom to discover every time interval, since they’re all the time locked behind narrative pretenses, and also you’re oftentimes a passive witness to the unfolding story as an alternative of influencing precisely the way it will play out. This can result in some scenes leaning a bit of too closely on exposition earlier than you’re lastly handed the reigns.
At occasions you’ll must make totally different choices throughout the identical repeated occasion to seek out the fitting resolution, which occurs usually sufficient that I felt like my actions genuinely made a distinction. But these are small niggles in an in any other case unbelievable affair, and I really feel the blistering tempo advantages the top outcome excess of my eagerness to discover.
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Combat in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is finished individually from the narrative, though they praise one another by means of nuanced cross-progression and unlockable intel which assists in fleshing out a strong encyclopedia of lore. If you’ve performed Advanced Wars or Fire Emblem, moment-to-moment battles really feel strikingly comparable right here.
Your goal is to defend a central level on the map from oncoming kaiju who are available a spread of various types. Some are monolithic behemoths able to spawning smaller items, whereas others soar by means of the world and fireplace missiles upon you. Different techniques have to be deployed to greatest them, with bigger items weak to melee assaults, whereas EMPs have to be activated to convey flying creatures right down to the bottom.
Luckily, your Sentinels are greater than able to getting the job down, regardless of discovering themselves vastly outnumbered in every battle. Some mechs will prioritise protection as they spawn sentry weapons and encompass their allies with shields, biding their time by the bottom till adversaries ultimately swarm.
Melee-focused combatants should rise up shut and private, wailing on the enemy with a mix of strikes and close-range lasers. You can change precisely how every Sentinel is geared by upgrading their attributes and implementing new abilities, all of which floor as a part of a standard levelling system. It’s all pretty simplistic, however is deep sufficient to maintain you invested as you dip into battles alongside the bigger story.
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Character interactions additionally seem all through every battle, with personalities you’ve seen develop shut all through the marketing campaign crack jokes and categorical fear for each other as they head into battle. It’s all schmaltzy anime melodrama of the best order, however is expressed with a conviction that made me care about what was taking place.
My favorite battle concerned this rebellious crew of youngsters defending a mainframe from invaders as a popstar from the long run hacked right into a satellite tv for pc from orbit whereas she’s singing an absolute banger of a music. Yep, I couldn’t make this up.
Verdict
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is one of the best sport Vanillaware has ever made, which is a hanging assertion given how beloved Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown have turn into amidst hardcore audiences.
But this entrancing story of youngsters thwarting the apocalypse by means of the technique of big robots and time journey is really one in every of a sort, subverting the tropes we’ve come to anticipate from anime and science-fiction to craft a narrative that simply sits amongst the style’s greatest.