This is an odd game to come back to after so long to review. While playing, I was intensely immersed, and found myself thinking about the game even while not playing, but there are some themes here (that are unsurprising for an ATLUS game) that made this game difficult to recommend:
1. Double-edged Queer Rep: there are queer characters who openly love one another, but there are moments of intense transphobia as well. This COULD have been brilliant, if they'd had, you know, a queer writer.
2. Sexualized teens. The way that the teen girls are drawn in battle is so openly erotic that it grosses me out.
3. Forced romance. Almost everyone pairs up by the end, and frankly, I don't think it always works. Some of the pairings are Wonderful, and others are...well, boring as hell.
On the other hand, this game does so much that I love! The pacing that means that players will arrive at revelations in a fun order no matter how they order the exploration of the characters. I adore my problematic traumatized fave Ryoko.
The way that the three primary mechanics: the visual novel, combat, and wiki exploration allow players to experience the story almost like a detective, strategically deciding what to play when in order to explore different aspects of the story is incredibly unique.
I'm glad I played 13 Sentinels, it has a lot to offer, but I think that some of these big caveats are important for players to know before they decide to pick this game up.
My love/hate relationship with ATLUS continues.
1. Double-edged Queer Rep: there are queer characters who openly love one another, but there are moments of intense transphobia as well. This COULD have been brilliant, if they'd had, you know, a queer writer.
2. Sexualized teens. The way that the teen girls are drawn in battle is so openly erotic that it grosses me out.
3. Forced romance. Almost everyone pairs up by the end, and frankly, I don't think it always works. Some of the pairings are Wonderful, and others are...well, boring as hell.
On the other hand, this game does so much that I love! The pacing that means that players will arrive at revelations in a fun order no matter how they order the exploration of the characters. I adore my problematic traumatized fave Ryoko.
The way that the three primary mechanics: the visual novel, combat, and wiki exploration allow players to experience the story almost like a detective, strategically deciding what to play when in order to explore different aspects of the story is incredibly unique.
I'm glad I played 13 Sentinels, it has a lot to offer, but I think that some of these big caveats are important for players to know before they decide to pick this game up.
My love/hate relationship with ATLUS continues.