Shining Resonance Refrain Reviews

Shining Resonance Refrain is ranked in the 37th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
90 / 100
Jul 9, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain is an entertaining adventure through a somewhat cliche story, but it contains its own unique aspects that keep you engaged. Combat is easy to learn, but there's a decent amount of depth to it. Dragonshift and B.A.N.D. sessions are wonderful combat mechanics that add more charm to the game. The relationship building and dating also adds a cute slice of life portion to the adventure.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 10, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain may not go down in the annuls of gaming history as one of the best RPGs ever, but is by far one of the most solid RPGs we've seen in recent years.

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Jul 10, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain might not be a classic example of the genre, but it gets the most important components of the genre right – the characters and the storytelling – and backs it up with some gorgeous art and a perfectly competent combat system.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2018

Take on the persona of Yuma who contains within him the essence of the Shining Dragon and protect those who believe in freedom and kindness against an evil that would only wish upon others control and depressing conditions. Enjoy the dating simulation, bond with your companions, and dress them up to your heart’s desire – or don’t – the choice is yours. With a great deal of story twists and turns, deeply customizable battle system, and an alternative story, you can’t go wrong with this Action-RPG.

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Jul 18, 2018

If JRPGs with layered combat systems, a beautiful worlds, and the call of unique lore sounds up your alley, then give this game a whirl.

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82 / 100
Jul 9, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain plays like a pretty standard yet extremely solid JRPG. Despite the slow beginning, the story is interesting and extremely well thought out. The characters are likable and the graphics are beautiful. And it has a good combat system that's easy to pick up and yet varied enough to keep the player's attention along with a whole new added story with Refrain mode.

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8 / 10
Jul 20, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain is a triumphant return overseas for an iconic JRPG series. It has solid foundations in the usual JRPG business of fantasy kingdoms and amnesiac warrior boys, but it builds off of that foundation with charming characters and gorgeous art to create a pretty unique identity for itself. While some aspects of the game are a little unpolished, it's still a standout JRPG worth standing alongside any of the other big players in that genre, and worth checking out by anyone who calls themselves a JRPG fan.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 8, 2018

Shining Resonance: Refrain is, I hope, the beginning of the Shining series' return to the US and EU as a SEGA mainstay. Its systems are top-notch, its action is uniquely its own, and lord knows we need more solid JRPGs back in the West.

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4 / 5.0
Jul 9, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain doesn't do too much to get away from JRPG tropes, but that might be part of its charm as some of its themes have been addressed in several JRPGs prior but that should come as no surprise to fans of the genre.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 9, 2018

With a cast of characters I won't soon forget, Yuma's personal story of dealing with the Shining Dragon is a tale I'm glad to have been apart of – even if there are some missteps along the way.

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Rudy Lavaux
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jul 9, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain has its small irritating bits here and there and turns out to not be a very large scale JRPG, but that doesn't mean that it should be shunned for it. Its smaller scale and relatively simpler structure makes it easier to sink some time into than an even more massive JRPG like the Xenoblade titles, which may be more intimidating as a result of their scope. As for its minor setbacks, they are easily offset by its other intrinsic qualities, chiefly the loveable cast of main characters. Fans of the JRPG genre in its more classical form, but also of manga/anime style adventure stories, should find plenty to enjoy here.

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80 / 100
Jul 18, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain is a step on the right direction for the franchise, showing that it's ready to shine on stage again as a great JRPG that may not be a masterpiece, but resonates with the player, entertains and involves like a good song.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jul 11, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain is a title that should appease Shining and general JRPG fans, as it does a lot of things found in other games, and does them pretty well. The art style is cute, if the overall environments are a bit lacking visually, but couple with a solid audio presentation to create an enjoyable overall package. There is a lot to do here, though those turned off by grinding might not find the various systems interesting enough to spend oodles of time roaming and killing random critters encountered along the way. Personally I hope this is a sign of things to come, and we might see more Shining titles in the future - perhaps another strategy game please?

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4 / 5.0
Jul 13, 2018

While Shining Resonance Refrain’s story is yet another tale of going against an evil empire, the battle mechanics are simple and fun, with a wonderful theme of music to go with it. There isn’t much too deep to dig into compared to other JRPGs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time with this one. Play on!

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7.5 / 10.0
Jul 11, 2018

It's not gonna put in trouble the most complex and tactical JRPG's fans, but Shining Resonance Refrain deserves to be played and enjoyed.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Jul 9, 2018

A great addition to the Shining franchise. Refrain is a fun title with good combat, interesting characters, and some great voice acting accompanying a great translation.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jul 20, 2018

All in all, Shining Resonance Refrain is a solid effort that ticks off a lot of JRPG checkboxes. Admittedly, it has a by-the-numbers feel and doesn't have that uniqueness seen in heavy hitters such as Persona 5. Its fetchy, repeating side quests also feel a bit long in the tooth. At the same time, I appreciate the game being brought over to our shores, which is hopefully a trend that continues as the genre sees a resurgence. The more JRPGs make it to the West, the better it is for fans.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jul 11, 2018

What I liked about Shinning Resonance Refrain was that it has a solid cast of characters that are well-written and the combat is dynamic enough that you will keep experimenting with it. It is not a flawless experience but for fans of the genre, it is one of the better games to release this generation.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jul 11, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain looks like your standard JRPG with all the common elements; Grinding, Anime boys/girls, Bikinis, Monsters, and Good vs Evil, but there is so much more to it if you choose to invest your time and patience into learning the various aspects. The story isn’t going to blow you away as you’ll probably guess what’s going to happen next if you’re an avid JRPG fan, but the overall enjoyment you receive whilst playing the game only gets better the more you progress and unlock.

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Jul 9, 2018

Shining Resonance Refrain might be outclassed by modern JRPGs, but if you judge it on it's own merits, you'll quickly find that there is a lot to enjoy.

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