Video game

Video games: ‘Tokyo Mirage’ a weird, wonderful JRPG masterpiece – Loveland Reporter-Herald


It turns out there were quite a few good games on Nintendo’s Wii U that no one played. This may have something to do with the Wii U being a colossal failure. Fortunately, some of these excellent offerings are making their way to Switch.

The latest, “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore” exemplifies the weird and wonderful side of JRPGs. Combining elements from the “Persona” and “Fire Emblem” series, “Mirage” somehow manages to raise to the impressive level of both.

Set in modern-day Tokyo, “Mirage” follows a group of aspiring entertainers as they battle the titular Mirages who are bent on stealing all of the world’s Performa, the tangible embodiment of creative energy.

Not all Mirages are evil though. Each of the main characters has his or her own Mirage to help them face the game’s many challenges.

These particular Mirages take the form of “Fire Emblem” characters like Crom from “Fire Emblem: Awakening” and Caeda from “Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.”

From a gameplay perspective, the game feels a lot like a “Persona” or “Shin Megami Tensei” game, so fans of those will be happy. Players explore the world from a third-person perspective, taking in the sights around Tokyo and entering an alternate dimension called the Idolasphere, the games many dungeons.

Don’t expect a big, open world, however, as the areas of Tokyo you’ll visit remain rather small and isolated, various slices in the Tokyo pie as it were.

Once you enter the idolasphere, all bets are off, though.

Each portal takes you to a differently themed level brimming with monsters, puzzles and treasure. In a game that revolves so much around creativity, the designers certainly did their best to come up with creative levels and creatures.

So, we have the name of the game mostly explained: it’s set in Tokyo, your characters both fight and befriend Mirages, the #FE is merely a callout for “Fire Emblem” and “Encore” refers to the game’s transfer from Wii U to Switch. That only leaves the “Sessions.”

Sessions are a collaborative attack between various party members, and the highlight of the game’s amazing battle system.

Every enemy has a range of strengths and weaknesses. When you use the right attack to exploit a weakness it triggers a session, allowing one or more of your teammates to attack in succession. If prepared with the right weapons and characters, you could end up with nine attacks from your three characters in a single round.

The sessions, along with the rich ability system, makes fighting fun. And when you manage to discover a new enemy’s weakness on the first attack, devastating him in a single turn, you’ll feel like a true badass.

A world of warning though: This system is extremely deep, almost to the point of being intimidating.

A few hours into the game you’ll find yourself debating what moves to keep, what weapons to power-up and what members to put in your current party. The pace is fast and there’s a level of micromanagement you won’t find in a “Final Fantasy” or “Dragon Quest” game.

The game’s Switch update features additional songs, music videos, costumes, battle options and character side-stories. There’s also a major extra dungeon here and all of the original DLC from the Wii U game.

Unfortunately, if any fans were hoping for the original, uncensored Japanese version (featuring extra skimpy costumes for the female characters), they won’t find it here. The altered version was used in all Switch versions around the world.

While it features characters and influences from two other major RPG series, “Mirage” remains its own creature. The game’s story and style ooze originality, transporting players to a world where creativity and performance are everything.

Though quirky, “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore” lands as another stellar RPG for the Switch’s already overstuffed roster. While a wide variety of game genres are available on Nintendo’s hybrid powerhouse, RPG fans have been blessed beyond compare.

Still, anyone in the market for an excellent JRPG that doesn’t look, sound or play like any other, needs to give this one a try.


‘Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore’

Publisher: Nintendo

Rated: T

Who it’s for: JRPG fans who are looking for something completely different

Console: Switch

Grade: A

 



READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.