13 Sentinels Aegis Rim Reviews
On 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Vanillaware flexes some serious storytelling chops to go along with its visual flair.
You know a game has consumed your life when it seeps into your dreams. That's exactly what happened to me. I'm seeing Triangles floating atop heads and planning strategy in my sleep. Not the worst way to sleep but also not the most relaxing. I'm craving yakisoba pan all the time. No other games exist while you're playing 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Don't even bother trying to play anything else. Your brain simply won't let you.
13 Sentinels : Aegis Rim dives us into a complex story, mixing heroes, periods of time and themes to deliver a love letter to japanese science fiction. Curiously, the game is strictly divided between phases, switching from narrative story-driven thumbnails to minimalist strategy fights, delivering a strange but satisfying experience for every Japan lover and 2D aesthete.
Review in French | Read full review
Vanillaware's latest title is an utterly compelling journey and its unconventional structure is an astounding achievement for storytelling in video games that should be celebrated and commemorated.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is one of the most interesting and originals Japanese games of 2020. Vanillaware brings something different thanks to the original way of making the player interact with the narration.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a must-play for fans of Japanese sci-fi adventures. Mixing the strengths of Vanillaware's art with time-travel adventures is a recipe for huge success. A story ambitious enough to have thirteen different protagonists seems bound for failure, yet the game manages to make each story not only incredibly impactful on its own, but adds up to a bigger, brighter and utterly unforgettable narrative. The addictive tactical gameplay that strings these story scenes together, despite a strange artstyle, is just icing on the already massive and delicious cake.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim mixes smart design with superb storytelling, then slathers the whole package in gorgeous style.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is full of the sorts of complexities and nuances that make you want to double back and analyze the script, lore, and artwork in every scene.
A great narrative game, with good art style. The battle mechanics are simple, the game core is clearly the narrative.
Review in Italian | Read full review
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an incredible feat of narrative engineering everyone should experience, made all the more appealing by it's gorgeous art and enjoyable, deep strategy gameplay.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a narrative that's familiar, dense, mysterious, and groundbreaking. While it's strategy RPG combat could use more depth, it's story encapsulates the appeal of video games.
Vanillaware keeps being faithful to its own style, and now surprises us with a different adventure, 2/3 visual novel, 1/3 strategic combat game, but with a flawless visual style, a solid sci-fi plot and strategic combats with a nice touch. Maybe 13 Sentinels it's not for everybody, but if you have a taste for different dishes, you will love it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I didn't know 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim would be that one I had been missing for years. However, soon after I started playing, I was highly fascinated by the captivating story and an excellent gameplay mix.
Review in German | Read full review
Even with these issues, though, 13 Sentinels is an absolute must play, especially for those seeking a good narrative in gaming. This is the kind of story that’s going to stick in my mind for weeks to come, and easily stands up with some of the best stories I’ve experienced in any medium.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a fantastic game that will appeal to a very specific slice of the strategy gamer fanbase. If there is even a chance that you are in that slice, then I suggest you check it out.
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.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a very unique experience, even in the realm of video games. It's gameplay systems gel well together and the non-linear storytelling could only work in this medium. While some plot points aren't as well explored as others and it uncomfortably sexualizes high school students, it's still a game you absolutely need to play if you're a fan of science fiction or enjoy video game storytelling.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has a great story, great characters and is a masterpiece, especially on an artistic level, that will provide you with about 30 hours of gameplay. If you liked previous games of Vanillaware, especially Odin's Sphere in terms of narrative, without a doubt this game will make you enjoy a lot.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is the best game Vanillaware has ever made. This entrancing tale of teenagers thwarting the apocalypse through the means of giant robots and time travel is truly one of a kind, subverting the tropes we’ve come to expect from anime and science-fiction to craft a story that easily sits amongst the genre’s best.
In any case, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is absolutely wonderful all around. Each of the 13 protagonists gets relatively equal screen time, and they’re all brought to life by both the great English and Japanese voice tracks. You’re sure to have your favorites, but it’s incredibly satisfying to see how each of their stories intersects through time and space and coalesces into the battle for mankind against the alien invaders. This is one adventure you simply don’t want to miss.