A hybrid between visual novel and strategy tactics game, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an incredible game that I couldn't put down until I finished. It is one of those games that make you wonder how the writers even wrote such a complicated but sensible story within 30 hours of game. There were some plot threads unfinished/unexplored, but it was not without lack of trying, as the devs confirmed that they had to cut out large character storylines in order to meet deadlines and reel back the scope of the game.
The changing perspectives allow you to choose how you want to pace the story, with only a few locked paths that defer you to other character storylines first. There are so many different ways to experience the same story that it makes me wonder if they really tested out every single possible play order to check if the story made sense. Don't get me wrong, you will be dragged along through the story stuck in your own spiral of speculation until the big reveals happen. Not to worry though, this game has a timeline feature that gives a constantly updating unabridged timeline of the world, independent of character perspective, that allows you to piece things together yourself. Somehow it does not cheapen any of the plot twists and exists just as a quality of life feature, which I applaud the writers for.
Although it is a VN game first, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the strategy tactics part of the game. The visuals were sci-fi and apocalyptic, and the music consisted of intense techno and synth tracks.
The changing perspectives allow you to choose how you want to pace the story, with only a few locked paths that defer you to other character storylines first. There are so many different ways to experience the same story that it makes me wonder if they really tested out every single possible play order to check if the story made sense. Don't get me wrong, you will be dragged along through the story stuck in your own spiral of speculation until the big reveals happen. Not to worry though, this game has a timeline feature that gives a constantly updating unabridged timeline of the world, independent of character perspective, that allows you to piece things together yourself. Somehow it does not cheapen any of the plot twists and exists just as a quality of life feature, which I applaud the writers for.
Although it is a VN game first, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the strategy tactics part of the game. The visuals were sci-fi and apocalyptic, and the music consisted of intense techno and synth tracks.