Atlus has published and developed a long range of games. Some I’m sure you’ve heard of, others most likely not. 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim is probably in the latter category for a lot of people. Believe it or not this games development started all the way back in 2013, hence why there’s thirteen playable protagonists. Originally planned as 8 instead, with more of an emphasis on female focused leads, the game was delayed quite a decent amount of times. Despite that after releasing first in Japan on November 2019; the game almost failed due to having an awful first week of sales. Following that rough week a lot of overwhelmingly positive reception came out through reviewers and players thus leading the game to a successful selling point for months to come.
Shortly after beating this I found out that this was Vanillawares first game in this genre. At first I really couldn’t believe it as this game is a sci-fi lovers paradise with over 20+ elements taken from various influences. The influences range from manga, novels, animation, and western film. It really shows they did their research carefully and took it pretty seriously. There’s not much you can really say without giving away what makes the game special as there’s twists and turns in every corner and section. As mentioned you play as thirteen teenagers with the main setting of the 1980s. Each eventually pilot a sentinel which is essentially a giant mech used to fight kaiju. While learning the roles, background, and relationships each character has to offer to the story you see everything slowly connecting and the pieces getting put into place. By the end of the game you will see how well it was setup from the start. There’s a lot of information given to you, the game may not be super long, but it’s jam packed with plenty of dialogue that makes the world it builds something you can really immerse yourself in. I found myself completely lost at the edge of my seat anticipating what’s going to happen next.
While 13 Sentinels is a visual novel above anything else, there is sections where you will engage in mecha, 6 playable character limited, lite RTS/tower defense battles. This is the first I’ve played in the genre and I’ve been told it’s not exactly the same thing but regardless I found it really engaging and fun. You’re placed in front of a terminal you have to defend while numerous types of enemies sprawl out throughout the map. Before you select an enemy you want to engage with you’re given previews for every single move in this small screen next to the actions. These display what the mecha will do in a short clip animation. I found it to be rather charming and nicely detailed. After winning battles you gain meta chips(you also get them from progressing through each protagonists story) while also gaining experience. Meta chips are used to upgrade anything from new defensive and offensive arsenal, limited special abilities, and later stats. The experience you gain to level up is rewarded with abilities that are sometimes unique to each character that add nice references to each of their stories. I can see the battle system not being for everyone but honestly I thought it really suited what was actually happening story wise. The upgrades and builds you can make for each character really can make them viable for situations where it’s almost mandatory to have them. You can’t always use specific sentinels on maps due to enemies having some sort of defensive advantage and also a weakness(ground enemies being strong against missiles and other aerial projectiles, aerial enemies being immune to physical attacks, etc). I played on the hardest difficulty throughout the game and for the most part, while I didn’t find it as a nail biting experience, the later maps do get pretty intense and require you to really pay attention and make ur moves count.
The tracks I’ve heard from the trailer had me impressed but wow after playing through and hearing them.. I’m beyond satisfied with the variety. Similar to the game as a whole aegis rim features a multi genre crossbreed between more electronic based and an orchestra based ost. Featuring an array of intense, melodic, dramatic, hopeful, dreadful, and even sleep inducing vibes.. I found every track where it was placed throughout the game to fit the atmosphere perfectly. There’s a nice range of battle tracks as well as the tracks you here through the story and whenever something new was played I couldn’t help but chill for a couple minutes and vibe to it.
For me personally if a story is going to work, it has to have at least a handful of characters that can resonate with you and stay rememberable. Honestly, when you’re making a story focused on so many characters it’s hard not to have a couple weak links. Aegis rim does no such thing in this area. Everyone has their own unique identity and a role to fill to put each of the pieces together, it’s quite astonishing really. In order for you to be able to progress each of the characters there will come a point where it’s locked until you complete the objective it says. Weather that’s through playing someone else’s story to a specific point, unlocking mystery archives that give detailed info on everything the world has to offer, or even playing through the combat section of the game. And honestly whenever a character got locked I would be upset in terms of being left on a cliffhanger that I really cannot wait to see, but I also was content due to how jumping into literally anyone else’s story still felt as engaging as the last. Everyone has something to offer here, and I think one of the biggest issues you’ll be faced with after finishing this game is choosing who you liked the most. The way they give the characters you play as protagonist personality is actually beyond impressive. From the, in my opinion, perfectly chosen VA’s for each one, designs that captivate their origins, the animated reactions and actions they take when information or a situation arises, it’s even down to the way each of them walk; brimming with what fits each individuals emotions and identity. What I find even more impressive is the side characters that you don’t play as but see throughout the story being as well written as the protagonists. I played the entire game dubbed and was honestly blown away by how well each character was so flawlessly portrayed. I was even more surprised to learn that the dub was rushed due to covid. Everyone had to work remote and the recordings were done in separate studios mostly home. That in itself proves how much talent each individual that worked on this had to craft together what I’d say is an absolute gem.
All and all it’s really hard to tell someone the things that really make this game as impressive as it is without spoiling. There was moments when certain things were revealed that really had my jaw dropping. The twists and turns the story gives you, the characters interactions with each other, and even the mood fitting ost that’s always there in the background to support everything.. it all felt like a huge daydream to me. Something that makes ur mind wander and gets filled with imagination you can’t seem to box in. Aegis rim is definitely an astonishing game and I highly recommend it to any sci-fi fan out there!
Shortly after beating this I found out that this was Vanillawares first game in this genre. At first I really couldn’t believe it as this game is a sci-fi lovers paradise with over 20+ elements taken from various influences. The influences range from manga, novels, animation, and western film. It really shows they did their research carefully and took it pretty seriously. There’s not much you can really say without giving away what makes the game special as there’s twists and turns in every corner and section. As mentioned you play as thirteen teenagers with the main setting of the 1980s. Each eventually pilot a sentinel which is essentially a giant mech used to fight kaiju. While learning the roles, background, and relationships each character has to offer to the story you see everything slowly connecting and the pieces getting put into place. By the end of the game you will see how well it was setup from the start. There’s a lot of information given to you, the game may not be super long, but it’s jam packed with plenty of dialogue that makes the world it builds something you can really immerse yourself in. I found myself completely lost at the edge of my seat anticipating what’s going to happen next.
While 13 Sentinels is a visual novel above anything else, there is sections where you will engage in mecha, 6 playable character limited, lite RTS/tower defense battles. This is the first I’ve played in the genre and I’ve been told it’s not exactly the same thing but regardless I found it really engaging and fun. You’re placed in front of a terminal you have to defend while numerous types of enemies sprawl out throughout the map. Before you select an enemy you want to engage with you’re given previews for every single move in this small screen next to the actions. These display what the mecha will do in a short clip animation. I found it to be rather charming and nicely detailed. After winning battles you gain meta chips(you also get them from progressing through each protagonists story) while also gaining experience. Meta chips are used to upgrade anything from new defensive and offensive arsenal, limited special abilities, and later stats. The experience you gain to level up is rewarded with abilities that are sometimes unique to each character that add nice references to each of their stories. I can see the battle system not being for everyone but honestly I thought it really suited what was actually happening story wise. The upgrades and builds you can make for each character really can make them viable for situations where it’s almost mandatory to have them. You can’t always use specific sentinels on maps due to enemies having some sort of defensive advantage and also a weakness(ground enemies being strong against missiles and other aerial projectiles, aerial enemies being immune to physical attacks, etc). I played on the hardest difficulty throughout the game and for the most part, while I didn’t find it as a nail biting experience, the later maps do get pretty intense and require you to really pay attention and make ur moves count.
The tracks I’ve heard from the trailer had me impressed but wow after playing through and hearing them.. I’m beyond satisfied with the variety. Similar to the game as a whole aegis rim features a multi genre crossbreed between more electronic based and an orchestra based ost. Featuring an array of intense, melodic, dramatic, hopeful, dreadful, and even sleep inducing vibes.. I found every track where it was placed throughout the game to fit the atmosphere perfectly. There’s a nice range of battle tracks as well as the tracks you here through the story and whenever something new was played I couldn’t help but chill for a couple minutes and vibe to it.
For me personally if a story is going to work, it has to have at least a handful of characters that can resonate with you and stay rememberable. Honestly, when you’re making a story focused on so many characters it’s hard not to have a couple weak links. Aegis rim does no such thing in this area. Everyone has their own unique identity and a role to fill to put each of the pieces together, it’s quite astonishing really. In order for you to be able to progress each of the characters there will come a point where it’s locked until you complete the objective it says. Weather that’s through playing someone else’s story to a specific point, unlocking mystery archives that give detailed info on everything the world has to offer, or even playing through the combat section of the game. And honestly whenever a character got locked I would be upset in terms of being left on a cliffhanger that I really cannot wait to see, but I also was content due to how jumping into literally anyone else’s story still felt as engaging as the last. Everyone has something to offer here, and I think one of the biggest issues you’ll be faced with after finishing this game is choosing who you liked the most. The way they give the characters you play as protagonist personality is actually beyond impressive. From the, in my opinion, perfectly chosen VA’s for each one, designs that captivate their origins, the animated reactions and actions they take when information or a situation arises, it’s even down to the way each of them walk; brimming with what fits each individuals emotions and identity. What I find even more impressive is the side characters that you don’t play as but see throughout the story being as well written as the protagonists. I played the entire game dubbed and was honestly blown away by how well each character was so flawlessly portrayed. I was even more surprised to learn that the dub was rushed due to covid. Everyone had to work remote and the recordings were done in separate studios mostly home. That in itself proves how much talent each individual that worked on this had to craft together what I’d say is an absolute gem.
All and all it’s really hard to tell someone the things that really make this game as impressive as it is without spoiling. There was moments when certain things were revealed that really had my jaw dropping. The twists and turns the story gives you, the characters interactions with each other, and even the mood fitting ost that’s always there in the background to support everything.. it all felt like a huge daydream to me. Something that makes ur mind wander and gets filled with imagination you can’t seem to box in. Aegis rim is definitely an astonishing game and I highly recommend it to any sci-fi fan out there!
Shu_Watch
2 years ago