It was the autumn of 2019: up PlayStation 4 the last, great fatigue landed Vanillawarewhich remained exclusive on that console for nearly four years. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rimhowever, it will also come up soon Nintendo Switch: we tried it in preview and, waiting for our more accurate review, here are our first impressions of this new version of the title.
Vanillaware for once she abandons the fantasy atmospheres that have seen her create a few but well-kept and very pleasant titles in 2D graphics, this time in favor of a science fiction story set in the real world where giant robots and giant monsters declare battle in an adventure full of mystery that intertwines past, present and future. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am such a freak mecha, and I never say no to a nice game full of metal giants defending the Earth from gigantic abominations from deep space. And after appreciating the mystical and fantastic arias of Odin Sphere on PS Vita, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a title that combines Odin Sphere’s beautifully drawn graphics with a beautiful and intriguing mecha / sci-fi tale. Thanks to ATLUS, who kindly granted us a copy of this Switch version in advancenow we can enjoy ourselves and try out how this niche gem that we have already greatly appreciated in the past makes, playing as the first hours of history are.
The beginning of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim it can be summed up with one word: unsettling. As soon as the game is started we are greeted by a speaker who announces the damage caused by a mysterious object that has fallen to Earth while the city is crossed by a general stampede – scene rendered excellently and with great detail with the 2D graphics to which Vanillaware has now given us used to, albeit with some small slowdown of a few seconds when too many people appear on the screen. From there we will see leads to a battle screen, where young characters we do not yet know will find themselves, naked, in what appear to be the cockpits of gigantic robots called Sentinelsand we will be called to fight gods Kaiju called Deimos inside a city map seen from above in an isometric key.
Thus enters the scene the game’s battle system, which expertly mixes real-time, turn-based and ATB strategy FINAL FANTASY. When the indicator of a pilot is at maximum, we will be able to select it and stop the passage of time (and therefore also the advance of the enemies). From here, we can choose the action to be performed as in a turn-based strategy: for example, we can move our unit on the map, let it choose which weapon to use among those available (each with its own damage and range, of course), or put ourselves on the defense to recover the XP necessary for the use of special weapons. By continuing to defeat enemies on the map, we will be able to fill our Meta Indicator, allowing the Map Terminal (read: the home plate to be defended from enemy assaults and whose destruction is equivalent to a game over) to release a special attack capable of hitting all enemies present on the map (at least at the beginning).
Now, graphically speaking, the battles of 13 Sentinels even on Nintendo Switch they are very schematic, with simple markers on the map and the special effects of the attacks of their Sentinels, as well as obviously the numerical values of the damage inflicted, but at the same time there are many small details that enrich them: first of all, the sector both vocal and audible, which makes every impact of each attack feel incredibly accurate, not to mention all the menus that show illustrations for the characters, the Sentinels and, above all, small animations to the side that show the Sentinel using the attack on the cursor was positioned during the selection. And all of these things run incredibly smoothly and sharply on the Switch, even when playing on a laptop, with blazing-fast 60fps even when the map abounds with enemy markers.
To accompany us in small tutorial stages that will gradually explain the gameplay mechanics of the clashes with the Deimos, we will have playable mini prologues that will introduce us to some of the thirteen protagonists who will accompany us throughout the adventure, some of which even come from the past or from the future, and that with their appearance will raise more and more questions about what the Deimos are, who created the Sentinels, and why people of different eras suddenly find themselves fighting giant monsters with futuristic mechas in 1985.
In these segments, we will play the main character and we will go around talking to the other characters, collecting information to keep in mind in the form of keywords and combining them together in order to progress in the plot.. In context, the prologues are quite simple and linear, thanks to essential and immediate commands and also to the indicator at the top right that warns us when we have obtained important information and when we will be given the opportunity to talk about it with a character. And above all, they are incredibly pleasant to look at, thanks to the now famous 2D graphics patented by Vanillaware. The characters have many, many animations, and move with extreme fluidity, transmitting a wide range of emotions and expressions, and even in the laptop it is possible to admire the highly detailed artwork without even the slightest blur or decrease in detail, and as mentioned, unless there are too many human characters on the screen, the whole experience is incredibly smooth.
What to say? I have just finished combing through the prologue and it is difficult not to feel absolutely intrigued, and even a little confused, with increasingly insistent questions about the whole experience, also thanks to the continuous going back and forth. chronologically of the events that certainly leaves us confused while we immediately try to put together the few pieces left in front of us. Questions like: why doesn’t Juro remember anything? On what basis does one become a Sentinel pilot? What secrets does forgetful Ei hide? Why do the Deimos want to conquer the terminals? What was the event that started all this temporal chaos? Only time will give the answers, I suppose …
But one thing is certain: so far, in these first bars, the port of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim on Nintendo Switch it promises really well, being detailed and all in all fluid in the gameplay. If Vanillaware could then smooth out those small slowdowns with a patch it would be even better. We’ll see if it continues to live up to it and what the final judgment will be when the full review finally comes out, remembering that the game will finally land on Nintendo Switch on April 12th. So stay tuned for more in the coming days.
Praised by critics and leaders of the Japanese video game industry, the epic sci-fi mystery of Vanillaware, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rimalready released on PS4 in 2020, will be available from next 12 April also on Nintendo Switch. From the storytellers behind Odin Sphere And Dragon’s’s Crown, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim takes the player through a cutting-edge mysterious adventure that embraces humanity, time and space through thirteen interconnected stories.
Players will discover the truth through a time-traveling narrative adventure with compelling vocal interpretations and breathtaking art, all interspersed with frenetic tactical combat; customize Sentinels with an arsenal of mechsuit weapons and fight to defend humanity!
Buy 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim for Nintendo Switch following this link at the price of € 59.99. Available from April 12, 2022. Support Akiba Gamers by purchasing the game on Amazon through this box!
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