Shining Resonance Refrain Reviews
On the surface, Shining Resonance Refrain is a largely unremarkable Japanese RPG, but dig a little deeper and fans of the genre will find an accessible adventure that comes together surprisingly well. Cliche characters and predictable plot elements prevent the story from really taking off, but there's an endearing quality to how the game presents itself. Combat's fun, progression is straightforward and rewarding, and dating sim elements add a certain charm. Refrain's like a quick and easy summer anime -- it's certainly not a classic, but it's good fun while it lasts.
Shining Resonance Refrain is the kind of game that can put on a solid performance, but it's also abundantly clear that it doesn't quite have the pipes to hit the high notes; it's a good game, but not a great one. A fascinating setting, live action combat system, and eye-catching cel-shade visuals are all balanced by a slightly dampening feeling of mediocrity that never seems to go away. Fans of RPGs will find plenty to love here, it's a well-rounded, content-rich game that understands its audience well, but it's also a very safe RPG. We'd ultimately give Shining Resonance Refrain a recommendation, especially if you're a newcomer looking for a good RPG to show you what the genre is all about, but veterans may be a bit disappointed with the final product.
Outside of the sometimes stupid allied AI, Shining Resonance Refrain doesn't do anything “wrong,” it just doesn't excel at much either. There's little that gives the game a unique identity or sets it apart from the wealth of JRPGs available.
If you are looking for a JRPG that encapsulates the summer vacation experience, this one may very well be for you.
Shining Resonance Refrain is an interesting, trope heavy, story with combat that could be fun, if there was less padding. None of these things stop it from being a good game, it just prevents it from being truly great. Despite the negativity towards a lot of it, the characters were fun enough where I found myself excited on seeing where things would go, it just requires you to be interested in a lot of clichés found in things like anime. Outside of that, combat is fun, at least when you’re not out classed, with the Switch having some slight performance issues, making Shining Resonance Refrain an okay experience. One fantasy and anime fans will probably like, with it having very little for anyone else. Well, outside of nice music and pretty visuals.
Shining Resonance Refrain brings the original Japan-only release to a worldwide audience across multiple platforms. With that said, the narrative and combat system and thoroughly enjoyable, but neither stands out when compared to other games in the genre. The Refrain mode inclusion adds a new twist for those that already played through it, but I was more than happy to play through it again on an Xbox One. There are loads of systems that work in unison, such as forming bonds to create a compelling and cohesive party, as well as the inclusion of optional social aspects. There are also a ton of previous swimsuit DLC for the female cast too if you are into that type of thing.
It's not even the best JRPG we've had this year, but Shining Resonance: Refrain is nonetheless competent and fun enough on its merits to earn a look from fans of the genre.
With a middling story and poor pacing, Shining Resonance Refrain isn't for everyone. Fans of the genre will find its combat and systems entertaining while the game's support cast is more intriguing than its central character. It's a flawed entry but those looking for their summer role-playing game fix will find a lot to immerse themselves in.
Apart from the dated combat, Shining Resonance seemed to have the right elements to be a success but just missed a certain chemistry to really hook me in. Fans of previous titles in the series and seasoned RPG players may find the enjoyment that alluded me. I wouldn't tell you to avoid this game, but there's a whole lot I would recommend before it.
Taking inspirations from other series, Shining Resonance Refrain returns the long running Sega franchise to the West for the first time in over a decade. Mixing a cliched story story full of enjoyable characters with a simplistic combat system, Shining Resonance Refrain can provide you with hours of fun, but certainly is far from a must play game in the genre.
This will absolutely appeal to the hardcore JRPG fan, those that enjoy deep combat and relationship mechanics, those familiar with the Tales of series, and those looking for an enjoyable story with a likeable cast of characters. For everyone else, especially those who despise fetch quests and quests simply for the sake of extending game length, definitely do some solid research before deciding on whether Shining Resonance Refrain deserves your time.
It all combines into a game that has its flaws and doesn’t make a good first impression, but sticking with it will pay off depending on how you feel about the characters. I ended up liking the middle of the game the most, when I could leisurely work my way through while enjoying building relationships with my party members and watching interactions, while the beginning has fewer characters to work with and the end focuses more on gameplay and finishing the main story. The story is fine – not particularly original, but it is well-told with good writing – but the characters are by far the thing that makes it the most enjoyable and engaging. Even if it seems like I spent a lot of this review complaining, I ultimately did enjoy the roughly 40 hours I spent with Shining Resonance Refrain. It’s a decent game for $50 USD, including all the content that was originally available as DLC for the PS3 version and the new Refrain mode, where you have former NPCs and enemies Excella and Jinas as party members. If you’re interested there’s a demo featuring the first chapter, but keep in mind it’s short and I think it doesn’t highlight the game’s biggest strengths. Otherwise, if it sounds interesting and you can deal with some problems, I’d still recommend Shining Resonance Refrain.
All said, Shining Resonance Refrain does scratch the neo-classic JRPG itch in more ways than one. The story and waifu side-quests are a little cringey, and things get very grindy, but if you're looking to pick this game up, then that's probably exactly what you were looking for. This is a colorful, 40-hour affair that will delight series fans and Otakus everywhere, but it's not for everyone. For the price, I think it's well-worth the gamble.
Shining Resonance Refrain isn't a great game but it isn't a bad one either. I love the combat despite the repetition and the story and characters are both worth paying attention to, but it's rough around the edges. Whether it's the dated presentation, the several wholly unnecessary systems, or traversing the same areas ad nauseum, there are simply too many roadblocks for me to give it a resounding recommendation.
An interesting RPG experience full of dragons, action and a little repetitive playability that makes the game look a little aged... but it still has tons of hours of fun.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Shining Resonance Refrain is a rather difficult JRPG that will be great for hardcore fans, but unwelcoming for most.
Shining Resonance Refrain isn't a terrible game, it's just riddled with incredibly poor decisions which almost overshadow a great combat system.
Shining Resonance Refrain is a good, albeit predictable JRPG.
Overall, Shining Resonance Refrain is a good story hampered by clunky controls at times, a lack of variety in monsters to battle, and borderline useless sidequests. If you enjoy grinding and maxing everything out in your JRPGs, then this title will get you by.
The very definition of mediocre, Shining Resonance Refrain fails to stand out from the crowd in another packed year of RPGs.