REYNATIS
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for REYNATIS
I'm not sure what happened with Reynatis. Yoko Shimomura and Kazushige Nojima are legends. It feels like FuRyu had everything they needed to deliver a great JRPG. However, game development is difficult, and some projects are bound to miss the mark. That happened here in a big way. Reynatis is one of the most miserable experiences I have had with a game in decades. It is an ugly, repetitive mess that houses some of the worst writing the medium has to offer. Outside of the OST, there is almost nothing of value here. If this is, in fact, anything like what Final Fantasy Versus 13 was supposed to be, then I can comfortably say that Final Fantasy fans dodged a bullet.
While it's a solid and enjoyable game in its own right, Reynatis suffers from being unable to visually stand out. Animations in combat and cutscenes are sometimes stiff and robotic or even overtuned to the point where they look outright silly for what they're trying to accomplish.
It would be one thing if Reynatis was a decent enough action RPG to turn your brain off to and enjoy some simplistic, button-mashy battles with. The problem is that the creators behind this title so obviously wanted it to be more than that, but it doesn't have the writing quality, the technical spectacle, or the mechanical depth to make it happen. Just like its co-lead Marin, Reynatis' single-minded ambition to reach greater heights unveils its greatest weaknesses - a sense of aimlessness and a general apathy toward its own fantastical world. If you believe you can still find some enjoyment in Reynatis despite its failings, it might be worth a shot. Unfortunately, the performance deficiencies of this Switch release make it a game that's best played on just about any other console you have available. With plenty of other great action RPGs out on the market, you have to wonder if it's worth the trouble.
Reynatis isn't an awful game to play, but it remains a pretty average experience throughout.
Unconvincing even when it shows off its peculiarities, Reynatis proves to be a barely mediocre action JRPG.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Reynatis is a game full of heart that reminds me of the golden age of PS2 RPG adventures, for better and for worse. It's full of interesting ideas, but is lacking consistent execution. If you can see past that, I do think that the charm of the game – the strong character writing, the living city of Shibuya, and angsty JRPG vibe of it all – will really resonate.
With an interesting premise and a solid combat engine, Reynatis has the foundations of a good game. However, the myriad of questionable game design choices, ugly visuals and an uninteresting story makes for a hard sell for anyone but the most enthusiastic action RPG fan.
Reynatis offers a compelling story and some nail-biting combat with a dual system of defense and offense that engages properly, especially in boss fights with huge monsters. Unfortunately, exploring Tokyo and the parallel world Another is not as engaging, as apart from rare situations it proves to be little more than a walking simulator. Technically it is not excellent, with models and textures reminiscent of what we saw on PS3, however, at least there is no slowdown or frame loss. If you are looking for a storyline full of charismatic characters, this might be your game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
