I've been a fan of Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem games for awhile now. I started the Tensei series with a game called Nocturne and haven't really looked back since. I think the Persona games are Atlus' A+ creations. I adored the fresh aspects to the puzzle genre with Catherine. I think both the Devil Survivor games are some of the best that the DS and 3DS have to offer. Same is said with Fire Emblem and Radiant Dawn. I was truly hooked though when Fire Emblem: Awakening arrived on the 3DS, a game that I still think is the best game on the platform.
So yeah, to say I was excited for Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE might be an understatement.
I found myself in the minority though. The quiet release could have been a response to the fact that the game isn't what the fans wanted. Most people expected a true Fire Emblem/Shin Megami Tensei crossover: demons fighting heroes of old in a combat system that truly embraced the best of both worlds. There was also the fact that the game would be tainted with censorship, a huge turnoff for those who want the original, as if an original is the only way to enjoy a game.
If that's what Nintendo had to do to get the game here for American audiences then that's actually quite fine. The nuances of gameplay and story don't really suffer at all from the very minor bouts of censorship. At the end of the day the game is still very steeped in Japanese culture, so for those still questioning about whether or not to get this game due to the censorship, I really don't see a big deal with the changes.
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| Ad-lib attacks are a potential reward for nailing the enemy weakness |
Now, what you expected from the gameplay vs. what the game actually is might be a big deal. As mentioned earlier, people wanted a game that combined the best aspects of Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei. What they're going to get is a straight up Shin Megami Tensei style game. Is this bad? Not necessarily. I'm a fan of those games. They do an absurdly good job of making turn-based games feel fast. They also reward players for figuring out how to deal with enemies by giving them high damage attack chains. They do a good job of making the player a dictionary for the game. I love this. But if you don't like the Shin Megami Tensei and wanted something more along the lines of Fire Emblem gameplay, you might want to look elsewhere. Or don't, because this gameplay is very rewarding and quite fun regardless of what was expected.
The rest of the fun for the game stems from the wacky light-hearted story that comes with it. The game is about a group of Japanese idols who work for an agency called Fortuna Entertainment. This agency also doubles as a group dedicated to slaying mirages: ethereal beings who want to suck the creativity out of unknowing victims.
Like I said, wacky, but kudos for never shying away from that.
The game is fully dedicated to making this premise inhabitable for your suspension of disbelief by fully buying in. Certain characters in the main cast are singers, models, or actors. Oh, speaking of main cast, that's what your party is called. Anyone who isn't in your main cast are in the sub cast and later on in the game can join in during fights to provide a moment to shine. All the characters are fun, some more than others, but the cast is small enough that you don't fully overlook any of them. In fact, the character I used the least actually ended up being my MVP for the final boss battle.
If you're looking for a JRPG fix, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is one of the best that I've played in awhile. It's also the first that I've been willing to beat in awhile. JRPGs require dedication and this one was very worthwhile with me clocking in about 60 hours. Some aspects in the story probably won't be remembered, but the story is a fun respite from our wait for their ace in the hole: Persona 5.
★★★★
