Actraiser Renaissance Reviews
Actraiser Renaissance is a tasty mix of many genres. At the same time a plateformer, a strategy game and a shooter, we can say its his own unique genre. Early adopters will find their way around quite quickly, while newcomers will enjoy it. A very nice tribute to a game that marked its time.
Review in French | Read full review
ActRaiser Renaissance arrived at exactly the right time. It perfectly builds on everything good about the original. More importantly, it makes the the city simulation portions even more engaging by adding RTS elements.
Actraiser Renaissance is a remake of Quintet and Enix's classic Actraiser released in 1990 that became a cult game in its own right. This is the perfect opportunity to recover that classic that has received many new features and improvements in its updating, although all not so well received. Despite the controversial tower defense mechanics and the graphical aspect of the action phases, the final experience is well worth it, and we hope that it will lead to the arrival of other of the great Quintet classics.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Actraiser Renaissance is not necessarily aimed only at the fans of the original and this is actually a good thing because although the developers have kept the core premise and mechanics intact, they have also expanded on them which has given us a nice fantasy story with colorful characters, a more modern combat design and a deeper system in the management parts.
Review in Persian | Read full review
There’s a little something for everyone, including adjustable difficulty, improved RPG elements, a deeper storyline, and competent combat. It’s great to see a beloved classic recaptured with much-needed modern updates while ensuring the charm of the original never loses its place.
While the updated graphical style and jerky scrolling don't make a great first impression and there may be some who feel the 'Tower Defence' sections are given too much screen time, Actraiser Renaissance is ultimately a successful attempt at updating a solid-gold classic from yesteryear. Rarely are two totally different gameplay styles fused this effectively, and the enhancements introduced by developer Sonic Powered really do improve things; combat in the action sections is more fun, while the 'God Sim' portions of the game are lent increased depth thanks to thoughtful gameplay upgrades. To cap it all off, Yuzo Koshiro's music – available in both its SNES and rearranged forms – is masterful. While it's not perfect, Actraiser Renaissance will nonetheless find favour with fans of the original, as well as pick up plenty of new fans along the way.
Yuzo Koshiro crushes it with both the classic and rearranged soundtrack, the gameplay is fun and a little bit improved in some cases, and the world is more enjoyable than ever to take in from the skies above and on the ground. I wish some classic pain points hadn’t come along for the ride and that the sprite work was a bit better, but Actraiser Renaissance is still a fantastic title whether you’re walking down memory lane or playing it for the first time.
Actraiser Renaissance marks the return of a classic that could not make a big name for itself in its day. With its totally renewed visual and sound aspect, it aims to conquer the hearts of players looking for cocktails of atypical genres. And boy does he get it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Actraiser Renaissance is a remake of the SNES original that mixes several genres and allows us to be gods to guide humanity to a world of prosperity and peace.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Not everyone is going to think that way, clearly. Each individual has their own expectations for a remake, and Actraiser Renaissance may have put hands on facets that were once sacred. Some will find the changes intrusive. It would have been nice if there was a classic mode included that strips out the tower defense to make everyone happy, but that’s not in the cards. In my eyes, however, Acraiser Renaissance was one of the biggest surprises and the most enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had this year.
An outstanding remake with meaningful additions that will appeal to fans of the original and newcomers alike.
The original Actraiser achieved cult classic status back when it first debuted thanks to its unique premise and gameplay. Fortunately, the promised Renaissance is able to more than give this gem another look for those who understandably missed its decades-old launch, and Actraiser Renaissance is an exciting, engaging experience in 2021.
Mileage will vary of course, and I can't say if my unexpected adoration of this game will extend to all players. Nonetheless, ActRaiser Renaissance is a meticulously crafted remake that genuinely improves on the original game in several respects while maintaining the spirit of what made it special in the first place. The simulation and tower defense elements are instantly addicting, and the sidescrolling sections really make you feel like God has come down to smite the wicked. ActRaiser Renaissance is almost the best-case scenario for a remake, and I hope Square Enix keeps it up.
Overall, Actraiser Renaissance stays true to the original game, while building it out even further and keeping the essence of what made it so special intact. If you never played the original Actraiser, then you are definitely in for a treat as it’s not every day you don the mantle of the Lord of Light and defy the will of Tanzra.
All in all, Actraiser Renaissance is a great game that serves as a wonderful introduction to Quintet’s work. It might perhaps have been nice for the package to include the option to play the original SNES version as well as the new version, but the new additions to the formula work extremely well and make the strategic aspect of the game feel much more fleshed out. This feels like a modern game now — even if it looks like a Saturn game — and once you let it get its hooks into you, you’ll want to see it through right to the end, if only to hear more of Koshiro’s magnificent music.
ActRaiser Renaissance's plastic look betrays a solid remake with a lot of new content, and plenty of heart.
Actraiser Renaissance was definitely a surprising announcement to behold. It really goes to show that if there is a dedicated team out there, any game could possibly be up for a remake or remaster. But was this remaster truly needed? I would say it has its place. Similarly to the original, this game won’t appeal to everyone. The side-scroller section gives just a taste of what you would look for, with forgettable levels and (mostly) easy boss battles. The town building portion drags on, and the sieges can sometimes drag that irritation out. After the third world, it can start to get a bit repetitive. Fight in a side-scroller level, inhabit your new land, guide the people, beat the boss of that area, rinse and repeat. It is a charming game in of itself. Of course, I can’t really speak for those who have played the original, whether they should pick this game up or not. For those with no experience in this game, however, I can say that it’s an interesting experience. The experiences with the action side-scrolling and town building may leave you wanting more. But both portions are done competently enough that you may find yourself passing a few hours by fulfilling missions and defending your towns from monsters.