Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne Reviews
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne offers a great visual novel experience if you pretend that it isn't also trying to be a strategy game.
Re: Zero comes to PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch with The Prophecy of the throne, a new visual novel supervised by Tappei Nagatsuki that will delight anime fans, but will not dazzle those looking for the deeper gameplay.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne should please fans of the novel/anime. It doesn't do enough to explain the world Subaru finds himself in, but the game's album does attempt to rectify this. At any rate, The Prophecy of the Throne is an easy to digest visual novel with fun artwork and good voice acting, with a bit of turn-based gameplay thrown in for good measure. What more could Subaru ask for?
Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World – The Prophecy of the Throne is a mixed bag. There are plenty of points where it fails to utilize its potential, and leans back into unfortunate pitfalls in order to pad it’s runtime. However, it’s still a worthwhile experience for fans of the series, and shows that introducing new characters and ideas into the series’ framework could lead to an outstanding game in the future.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne attempts to appeal to both casual visual novel fans and Re:ZERO fans but ends up disappointing both. The macabre elements that Re:ZERO fans expect are all but absent, and the result is a dime-a-dozen visual novel that even casual genre fans would gloss over. That said, the interactive gameplay elements, though shallow, are welcome, and the English dub is par excellence. A single playthrough took me about 14 hours, and there is only one ending. However, clear data unlocks some amusing hidden scenarios, so a second playthrough isn’t a total repeat. TPoT is not a bad game, and I actually enjoyed my time with it, but its compromises and a lack of focus keep it from being a good Re:ZERO game.
Strong visuals and unique gameplay can't save Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne. Only fans will be able to stick it out till the end.
For the most part, that is what Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne comes down to. Fans will likely enjoy the new content, newcomers can enjoy it, though execution leaves something to be desired. Simply replacing the gameplay sections with character interactions would likely go far, especially when they do very little to sell the concept. As a fan, this is unfortunate, though I can at least respect that it attempts to capture what fans loved in the source.
If you’re expecting a full-on tactical adventure, then you won’t find it here. But if you’re keen to sink into an engaging visual novel, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne has plenty to offer. Its story is wholly original and engaging, if a little long-winded at times, but it’s brought to life with gorgeous animation and wonderful characterisation. It’s a shame there aren’t more gameplay sections, but what’s here is enjoyable enough.
Geared primarily towards the series' fans Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of The Throne is also the perfect match for newcomers to enter Suburu's world without being overwhelmed on where to start. The action parts are more infrequent than anticipated, and may not be enjoyed by all, but this excels in the visual novel elements. In the future it would be good to see the original visual novels brought to Nintendo Switch, until then this instalment of the series exploring Suburu's unusual ability and how it helps Emelia be a royal candidate will more than suffice.
Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne is a memorable experience perfect for the fans of Anime and Light Novel who want to once again dive into beautiful yet brutal world of Re:Zero.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Despite being an exception to the genre (a worldwide simultaneous release of a visual novel with a good budget behind it), Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne suffers an identity crisis to find its audience and also a balance between story and gameplay.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
My gut reaction to Re:Zero is that the entire property would probably have been better served with a game that could have introduced new fans to the series. I don’t necessarily have a lot of time for anime and, while I think RE:Zero has some lovely character art, I would have rathered just been able to play the game without having to work through an isekai anime go with it. That being said, as I started to puzzle the characters out I found them endearing, the writing solid, and that combat system to be distinctive, creative, and a lot of fun. If you are a fan of Re:Zero I think you’re going to get a kick out of just how careful the developers have been to do the anime justice. There are a lot in the industry that could learn something from this approach.
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne is a fun way to jump into the franchise for those who want more after seeing the anime and reading through the light novel releases. It has a fun mystery exploring a topic the anime itself hasn't really dived into, and new characters that fit right into the universe. It's just better suited to those already a little invested in Subaru's journey and know the time travel shenanigans this story can pull off.
Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World - The Prophecy of the Throne delivers exactly what can be expected from a visual novel with light elements of tactical and adventure games, and not the other way around. The visual novel also ends up limiting its audience by not explaining Re: Zero's events very well before the game's plot begins, and fails to hide certain events from the visual realm, but Re: zero fans will certainly appreciate this alternative view of the third arc of history, which is quite faithful to the tone and spirit of the original work.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
In general, Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne brings an interesting addition to the universe of the series of light novels and anime. Although linear, its well-developed story, captivating characters and the good use of voices and 2D visuals make the title a good visual novel. Even with a little underdeveloped gameplay, that alone makes the game worthwhile and made me very interested in delving deeper into the universe of Re: Zero.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Featuring a good story with the incorporation of interesting new characters and a mystery to solve, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne has the components for an enjoyable game. However, the gaming elements are greatly lacking, and though some may be fine with just reading their way through it, those hoping for a more interactive experience will be sadly let down.
The world is vivid, and the density of details is on scale with the sort of thing you might find hidden in flavor text or within a franchise’s extended universe, rather than its core content. Despite this, it’s approachable, and the incentive to gather and implement information emphasizes the importance of details which can sometimes be considered tools rather than trivia.
Re:ZERO: The Prophecy of the Throne is a well-executed adventure visual novel that isn’t restricted by an anime license. The writers created a unique story within this world without it being overshadowed by the franchise. Through its mystery themes and excellent character writing, fans will easily appreciate this adventure.
I still think that there’s more than Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne could have done to help itself stand out a bit more from the original Re:ZERO timeline, but, at the end of the day, it’s still a solid spinoff, and I think that fans of the series will like it. I know that, as a reviewer, I kind of have to review games, but, as someone who genuinely enjoys their time with video games and anime, I’ll say that I honestly had a lovely experience with Re:ZERO as a whole. It was great finally being able to sit down with the show, playing through the game was enjoyable, and I very much look forward to what the series has in store for us all in the future.