13 Sentinels Aegis Rim
Rating Summary
Based on 58 critic reviews
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Top Critic
In a year where new consoles are dropping, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is at risk of falling off the radar. I hope that players avoid that pitfall because this game is something special. It’s unique art and gameplay make it an unexpected treat, and it’s got the makings of an instant cult classic.
Top Critic
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a really strange case, but in a good way. It's outstandingly beautiful, engrossing the player with some great narrative, telling a story about love, friendship and giant mechs. But the overal stucture of the game often exist in an unplesant dissonance, and it's hard to ingnore that the tactical battles can't provide any real gameplay challenge. If you can live with all of that, you should defenetly try Vanillaware's newest project. If only for the chance to unravel intriguing mystery of a talking cat.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Top Critic
Still, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a project on a level of scope and ambition that Vanillaware was crazy to try to pull off. While the team continually pushes the complexity of the story to the breaking point all of the way through, there’s something oddly satisfying about a game that always feels like it should be falling apart yet never does. And, when you brush aside all of the narrative craziness, there are thirteen personal stories that at times can have a surprising level of emotional depth.
Top Critic
While the presentation of the story and combat in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim takes some time to get used to, I was deeply engaged with the characters and plot. The bulk of my complaints boil down to wishing the combat looked better and not loving some of the reveals, neither of which detracted from the rest of my experience with the game. As long as you approach the title as a visual novel with some light strategy rather than a strategy game with some light story, you'll find a lot to like. It's an easy recommend for fans of Virtue's Last Reward or Steins;Gate or those who have enjoyed previous Vanillaware offerings.
Thirteen pilots, one cat and a lot of kaijus. Kamitani didn’t make his opus magnum, but everybody should try this outstanding masterpiece.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Vanillaware's latest is a true masterclass in galaxy-brain sci-fi storytelling that will keep you up well past your bedtime. 13 Sentinels thumbs its nose at your expectations about familiar sci-fi tropes to take you somewhere completely unexpected.
Top Critic
On 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Vanillaware flexes some serious storytelling chops to go along with its visual flair.
Top Critic
Enigmatic and unapologetic even in the face of its most absurd ideas, this is sometimes messy, sometimes boring, but always astounding.
Top Critic
Not at all what you'd expect from the makers of Dragon's Crown, but as well as the expectedly beautiful artwork this has some of the most engaging high school melodrama this side of Persona.
Top Critic
Even with lackluster battles, the constantly escalating stakes and evolving story pulled me in
