Idols, J-Pop, Mirage Masters and Japanese locales, this game is on the fast track to becoming my favourite Wii U game so far. Let me tell you why.
Developer Atlus have crafted something really special in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, splicing and skilfully blending two fan favourite series’ with Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem. The end result is something that shouldn’t work as well as it does but comes charging out of the gates and stands as a shining example to the dedicated team who know their stuff at Atlus.
The game revolves around evil entities known as Mirages and the people who can vanquish them, Mirage Masters. Humans with a Performa power harness this ability to use the good Mirages to battle against the evil Mirages. The beauty comes from having characters such as Tharja, Chrom and more from Fire Emblem to dish out the physical side of damage in battles. The Shin Megami Tensei element comes to the fore when your characters are using magic in battles.
The game features RPG elements in that after each battle, you can level up your character and abilities, although for the most part this plays out automatically without letting the player select which core abilities to upgrade. This is ok though as the characters maintain a nice balance throughout the adventure and never come across too overpowered.
Speaking of the battles, the battles play out in very Persona-like dungeon environments that are easy to navigate thanks to having a very handy map displayed on the Gamepad. The battles are fantastic and I found myself experimenting with different characters and their abilities in order to trigger the Session sequences. These sequences are basically where the fighters in your team jump into the fray after you attack, resulting in some very satisfying combos with some really cool animation scenes. There are some beautifully animated cut scenes as well, which help in giving the story a nice flow. They add a stunning anime style to the game as well.
And looking at the Gamepad, it’s also used to display text messages from other characters providing handy info and tips along the way. It also progresses the story along, adding a nice narrative element to the game. I’m around 10 hours into the game and thoroughly enjoying it. I’m a sucker for any game that faithfully recreates the streets and characteristics of Tokyo. I believe it really helps with the immersion into the game and also gives me nostalgic value when playing as well.
All in all, this game features some awesome character designs; beautiful anime cut scenes, stunning battles with well-choreographed animation. The soundtrack from the Avex Group is a standout with the composition being handled by Yoshiaki Fujisawa, previously responsible for Love Live!
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is a game that crafts an unforgettable experience with a couple of series’ that on their own are amazing and fun to play. Put them both in the same game and really, you couldn’t ask for more.
Thanks to Nintendo Australia for providing me with a copy to review and a copy for my recent giveaway as well.
Final score: 8/10
