13 Sentinels Aegis Rim--or as i like to call it 13 Bisexuals with 2 Gay People--is the scifi story about teenagers getting into giant metal robots to defend their home against an alien invasion.

And no, i did not copypaste off the evangelion wikipedia page.

Literally just finished this game after 2 yrs and boy was it a ride that did not disappoint, but unfortunately to review this is a herculian task bc legit saying anything abt it that the official guides or blurbs on the back of the game case do not say could accidentally be a Spoiler so thank god for the spoiler warning thing on this website.

The game is 70% a visual novel and 30% a tower defense game where you have to play through 13 interconnected storylines a la Live a Live. In fact it is so interconnected that the game legit locks people's plots until you reach a certain percent of the required storyline in Other people's storylines or clear a particular tower defense level. The game is Also that kind of game where u gotta use ur braincells if u wanna figure out the plot or wtf is going on (so its not a game for ppl who don't like to read or just skip dialogue or hate reading mystery files or flavour text) but even if u do have ur braincells online from day 1 of playing u might find urself rereading the dialogue or the mystery files bc u might get lost on wtf is going on but in the Good way.

While the plot and the overarching driving mystery is super solid and hooks you in, the characters can be a hit or a miss bc either you love them or u hate them, bc they are all Super Messy in their own ways: though thankfully they aren't boring. It doesn't help either that there are 13 (arguably 15) viewpoint characters so while it helps that there is One Plot and the characters are all interconnected (that what happens in one plot is explained in another or the consequences of another plot is seen in others etc.) some storylines feel rushed or should have been longer. Iori's story for example is the easiest to get through since it doesn't have too many locks to get through but i feel considering her connection to Four prominent figures in the overall narrative, she should have been more developed than the shojo leaning plot her storyline turned out to be or saved for last instead of Gouto's plot.

But then as i was playing this game, i thought to myself that maybe them being Messy was the Point especially since the game's themes are the issues of identity, legacy, and humanity as well as the concept of perception. The MCs are all teenagers (and teenagers who come from wildly different time periods too bc this game has Time Travel) and being a teenager is Messy af--the time when people are still trying to find who tf they are--especially bc they keep getting dragged into shit thats Way above their head and there are no stable adult figures since all the adult figures that are prominent (i.e they actually have sprites) are all absolutely shady as hell as they keep gaslight gatekeep girlbossing these kids with intentions varying from good intentioned but still screwing up to "call the cops and send a restraining order Immediately". I also like the fact that regardless of their previous identity in another life or "loop" they are ultimately different people despite having the same face, who make different choices or who make the same choices but in differing ways though not necessarily better or easier. Also, the decon-recon of the red string of fate was also pretty cool.

Anyway tldr, very solid plot, premise and game play. Use ur braincells when playing the game, and humanity is messy as hell with our collective vices being the one to possibly render us extinct one day but always hope that those who follow after us don't repeat the same mistakes and make better choices with individual identity being a Choice that no one person can decide for others unless u want to breed resentment or loss.

Also in honor of the 3rd 13SAR anniversary, here is the list of all the MCs in the vaguest spoilers possible:

Juro Kurabe - b-grade movie loving bisexual whose taste in men are disaster competency and taste in women are booba and thighs in stockings; raised by his grandma who is Also a bisexual but taught him that netflix and chill was Actually watching a movie and hanging out
Iori Fuyusaka - baby bisexual who just found out she was into girls; seems like a normie but i know this girl is an absolute Freak i feel it in my bones bc she's only shown attraction to badasses And people who could definitely kill her/have Actually killed her in a previous timeline
Shu Amiguchi - bisexual who leans towards girls but has Definitely made out w nenji and juro at some point; is definitely a bottom and gets pegged on the reg
Megumi Yakushiji - bisexual with internalised homophobia that watched Too Much madoka magica or magical girl spec ops asuka in her free time
Takatoshi Hijiyama - bisexual with So Much internalised homophobia bc he's a teen soldier from 1940s Japan during the height of WWII; secretly into bdsm where He's the one tied up
Yuki Takamiya - lesbian who got trapped by the scenario writer into comphet bc of course she was like JUSTICE FOR YUKI TAKAMIYA!!!! but also maybe arguably a bisexual who leans Very Much towards girls and only dates Twinks exclusively; Big Dick Energy
Ei Sekigahara - bisexual who would Definitely fuck a robot but would never fuck a clone of themselves even for science bc their self loathing is That Strong
Natsuno Minami - bisexual who might fuck robots, aliens, and their own clone for Science but is also in an extremely stable relationship bc she and her partner are on the same wavelength 90% of the time
Keitaro Miura - bisexual who managed to avoid the Internalised Homophobia despite also being from the 1940s as a conscripted teen soldier but did not evade that slight sexism despite being a Very Good Boy generally; would Also probably fuck robots, aliens, and their own clone but out of affection instead of science tho is shyer about admitting it
Tomi Kisaragi - bisexual who was definitely so many people's closet key bc she knows she is Best Girl and wont let u forget it; would definitely be a utaite and streamer in real life who would keep her proportions the same in her vtuber avatar bc she has no booba envy
Nenji Ogata - bisexual with questionable fashion choices whose bi awakening was definitely through watching kamen rider and super sentai shows
Ryoko Shinonome - bisexual whose taste in men are Absolute Garbage like someone save this girl from Herself; played yandere simulator and watched mirai nikki growning up and was like yeah those yanderes were super reasonable idk why ppl are Bothered by them
Renya Gouto - bisexual who definitely Fucks but fucks with an Agenda; his fucking is with a Purpose like for manipulation and blackmail even with good intentions?? Idk??? Is generally chill and in control except when he's w that One Ex who fucked him with an Agenda but he Knew going into the relationship that the Ex was fucking him with an Agenda but still went into the relationship anyway
Tsukasa Okino - gay but gives people So Much gender envy; seems like he is in control but actually has no idea wtf he's doing (disaster gay disguising himself as a competent gay that hits all aspects of the triangle) tho no one can tell bc he is the Conceal Don't Feel King except w his crush