13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

I never thought that I woule be able to understand such complex concept in everything without someone sitting me down and explain to me step by steb, but 13 sentinels works its magic and unfold everything so perfectly and every single thing just makes sense. This game reminds me that some stories would only work in game. Nice balance over the destruction mode and story mode and so enjoyable.

The main part of this game is a visual novel with an adventure game look (think of "point-and-click" adventure games but with console controls), but most of what you'll be doing is just listening to dialogue and choosing replies, trying to alter/steer events to change the outcome. There are only extremely simplified puzzle game mechanics every now and then. People who might be familiar with Vanillaware games could feel disappointed because this doesn't play like their typical side-scrolling action games like Odin Sphere, Dragon's Crown, or Muramasa Demon Blade. This is instead a story-heavy game, with a tactical real-time strategy game on the side. You'll be playing short chunks of stories between 13 characters. Most of their stories intertwine with each other, such that, if you're playing character A, you'll maybe find character B as an antagonist, but once you're playing character B, from their point-of-view, it might be the opposite, or something else entirely. There are no alternate endings, but you will be accessing "branches" in the story, and you are meant to exhaust all possible branches to understand the story completely. The combat part is more of a minigame. A tactical RTS, with simplified graphics (you are just looking at blips and lights on the map). If you don't care about the graphics (which is a shame because the mechs look cool), this is still a satisfying RTS minigame with enough depth. The story and combat work hand-in-hand. You'll find yourself switching to the combat missions to unlock more story, and sometimes it'll be the opposite. Getting an S Rank in a combat mission could unlock a lore entry that might provide clues to help explain the mysteries. Completing chapters in the story will reward you with points to use for unlocking weapon upgrades to your mechs. Who is this game for: If you watch anime or read books, if you like sci-fi mind-bending stories, and if you're patient and fine with not completely understanding the premise in the first few "episodes", uncovering clues bit-by-bit and making connections in your head, you'll love this game. The game has like maybe four to five layers of plot twists (I can't even remember myself). This is where the game shines: just when you think you finally understood it all, it throws you something at the right moment to second-guess yourself. Limitations: At least one playable character feels like their story was rushed and not given enough time to be fleshed-out, you'll end up wishing they had more story chapters, even though the story is quite lengthy as it is. Hardware-wise, during the final missions when there are too many enemies in the map, you will get framerate drops (even with a PS4 Pro).

The Switch really is the perfect platform for visual novels. 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim is a surprisingly different take on the genre. It managed to juggle 13 different protagonists in a multi-layered science fiction story. Each character has its own set of mysteries to solve and answers to find. The game's visual novel section will piece together the events in a fragmented type of storytelling. It can get confusing most of the time, so I recommend having a notepad to keep track of multiple names. Apart from its Visual Novel sections, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim has actual combat. In between its point and click visual novel adventure, it's a mecha game. Like Into The Breach, or XCOM, battles require careful thinking, or brute force. Eliminate a legion of relentless Kaijus called 'Deimos' using. your 'Sentinel' to save the day. It's a simple premise, but the story gets even deeper after every incursion. These two sections: the visual novel and the tactical gameplay, make up the core experience of Aegis Rim. Vanillaware somehow blended these mechanics into one seamless experience. It's a game that's best played blind, so be careful when you're searching around the internet. If you enjoy games like Persona, Ace Attorney or even Steins; Gate, Aegis Rim has a lot of themes dealing with all things sci-fi, and anime tropes. I recommend playing it on the Switch since it's compact and Vanillaware included a patch exclusively to the machine. It adds gameplay balance and special new abilities to its 13 characters.

this Games story is so well written the destruction mode is lackluster but the story is so incredible I didn’t really notice it.

This game kept me on the edge of my seat. While it's not the cleanest storytelling in a game, it still delivered a narrative that made me want to connect the dots and dig into the mystery even further. The characters were all fun to know and play as, but a bit flat by the end of the game. I really enjoyed the RTS section of the game. It provided a straightforward challenge that weaves in well with the story and gives you a glimpse at the personality of the 13 pilots. It's a good break from the visual novel portions that, while addicting to play, does wear on you after a while!