13 Sentinels Aegis Rim Reviews
The fact remains, though, that 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an absolute triumph for Vanillaware. Not many games have stories as ambitious as this. Even fewer manage to bring things together without resulting in disappointment. And while the real-time battles may be the weakest element, they’re still very much engaging, and offer a nice change of pace when required. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim might just be remembered as one of the greatest games of all time, and so whether you’re into sci-fi or not, you should certainly add it to your collection.
A Vita version was originally planned before the game was delayed so much that the idea of releasing a new game on Sony's dying handheld was laughable. Because of that, this version feels like 13 Sentinels is finally where it was meant to be all along. This game is wild and weird in all the best ways, and there has never been a better time to play it than right now.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a perfect game for the Switch. The visual novel adventure gameplay translates almost perfectly to a handheld format, and I found it to be more fun to pick up and play in short spurts versus needing to park myself in front of a TV. Even the more obscured mecha combat work well in a handheld format. The gameplay and story still feel fresh and engaging, and those who've already finished it once might find something to enjoy here. It's easy to recommend to anyone who has a taste for mind-bending 999-style games, and it's likely to please a few newcomers as well.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is one of the best narrative experiences of the year and a fantastic sci-fi tale that will please all fans of giant robots. Although the combat leaves a little to be desired, it does enough to take nothing away from the spectacular artistic style and the story being told.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
This game will give you a thrilling 35 hours of playtime divided between a great Science Fiction story packed with many electrifying plot points and a fun tactical combat system. If this is the kind of game that is right up your alley, you definitely wouldn't want to miss out.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
A beautiful and ambitious rich experience, one that could carry a wole anime franchise on its own. The story is not without its fault, but few games even attempt what this game has managed to achieve.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
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.
While the RTS sections might drag things down a little, 13 Sentinels is still a fantastic story driven game that offers up a unique experience. It’s not quite the game that I thought it would be, though in some ways that didn’t turn out to be a bad thing. The future is looking bright for Vanillaware, and I hope that their next game goes all-in on the adventure elements, without anything else getting in the way.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim manages to not only tell one character’s story well but thirteen of them. It takes its time to get going but once it did, I found myself wanting to just keep going to see what was going to happen next with these characters. I also think this is not only the best game visually that Vanillaware has done but one of the best-looking games period.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim mixes smart design with superb storytelling, then slathers the whole package in gorgeous style.
What I can say, however, is that this game stands proudly with the likes of NieR Automata, Persona 4 and Danganronpa as something truly intelligent and meaningful. Without ever losing sight of its need to entertain players, 13 Sentinels intellectually engages with and challenges them, respecting their ability and willingness to engage with the game on that level.
It's great to have a new Vanillaware title on PS4. The bleak future presented with a writhing tangling plot makes for an excellent setting, showing that the team isn't just a one-trick pony. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is hampered by a slightly tedious battle system but, luckily, the adventure and story scenes are excellent and easily elevate this to greatness. An excellent, unique, niche title that is absolutely recommended to fans of Vanillaware and those who like things to be a certain flavour of Japanese.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is certainly not a game for everyone. If you love story-heavy experiences and relish details that others may find dull then you'll wholeheartedly embrace it. At the same time, those looking for rewarding strategy combat will likely be disappointed.
Let’s not waste time – 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a testament to video games as both art and a storytelling medium.
Epic, unpredictable and of millimetric precision. Vanillaware's work is a narrative and aesthetic triumph, an elegant work of art that hides many mysteries behind its permanent visual game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A sci-fi mystery that contains narrative goodness from start to finish, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is both a visual showstopper and an immersive story that needs experiencing despite a few missteps in other areas.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a 35-hour love letter to Japanese Manga and late 80s to early 90s Science Fiction with outstanding writing but ultimately average combat sections. While I did enjoy the city defense aspect of the game, it stunk of missed opportunities. It didn't have that same allure, love, and feeling of weight and scale that the other half of the game had. I'm not a fan of visual novel gameplay, but I enjoyed nearly every hour with 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. While it's also available on other platforms, playing it on the Switch allowed me to pick off story sections in my spare time, and I think that helped keep my interest. While not the perfect game I wanted it to be, it's close. But as we know close is no cigar. That said, I still suggest if you have an interest in the genres mentioned above you put 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim on your list ASAP.
13 SENTINELS: AEGIS RIM is a game that's so complex it shouldn't work, with branching narratives, time travel, flashbacks and thirteen different perspectives on the same story, but Vanillaware have managed to pull together an experience that all scifi fans should play.
I've never been much of a fan of science fiction, let alone real-time strategy games, but 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim impresses in every possible and imaginable way. The complex plot, fragmented into 13 parts, is extremely competent, even if it can sometimes seem repetitive. The complex yet didactic combat, combined with the incredible audiovisual presentation and the excellent performance on Switch, makes this title from Vanillaware one of the best in the hybrid console library.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Having a team of six Sentinels rain down clusters of missiles, bust out special finishers, and slink in and out of combat to repair was like watching a neon rave party on screen. Building a diverse team pays dividends and perfecting your strategy to time your cooldowns or minimise damage to the city, and with the addition of a bit of party management, all lead towards a ranking system per engagement.