13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

The game is 70% off on PS4 so it's $17.99. I've seen this game pop up a lot when I ask for recommendations but I haven't seen it on sale until now. I have watched several reviews and have seen what the game looks like and how the "combat system" plays. I'm still interested but I just don't feel like I want it. I'm into RPGs and Visual Novels. What is a big plus is this game is in English so I don't have to read everything to understand everything.

So I want whatever you want to give me. The positive and negative. Please try to give something more than just a "Yes". Thanks.

Edit: Wow I had a feeling this question would get a lot of responses but this is insane. Most of the comments are pretty legit and go through and give their opinions. I've seen some they basically just give the the answer "Yes" but still. There have been a few that have complaints and they are about the combat. I've seen the combat and I'm not 100% on board so that is why I'm examining my options. My biggest issue is, will I want to take the time to play it. I have a backlog of games that I need to actually play. Some are pretty much close to the end. Most have barely started.

Edit 2: It's been over a week and I have decided to not get the game. Trying to think about it just give me a head ache so I don't think I should get it. I remember this happening when I was thinking about getting Ys 8. I got that game and I didn't like it.

If you like story driven games, visual novels or are generally open minded about games that are different... Please, consider 13 sentinels as your next game.

The story is seriously mind blowing and the tactics part is fun. I've played a lot of games in my lifetime, but i've never have played a story like this. It's THAT good!

More people should play it.

If you are reading this, then stop reading and buy this masterpiece and play it right away!

I know it plays as a visual novel but is considered a JRPG so I post it here.

If you are fan of visual novels and have read Muv-luv or steins gate, beware that 13 sentinels may kick them out as your favourites.

If you loved the xeno saga due to his heavy sci fi/philosophical connotations, maybe 13 sentinels will make consider if this saga is the best.

Believe me when I say it and all those reviews with almost 10/10

This game. Is. Perfection.

Game Information

Game Title: 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim

Platforms:

• PlayStation 4 (Sep 22, 2020)

Trailers:

Developer: Vanillaware

Publishers: Atlus, SEGA of America, Inc.

Review Aggregator:

Critic Reviews

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What I can say, however, is that this game stands proudly with the likes of NieR Automata, Persona 4 and Danganronpa as something truly intelligent and meaningful. Without ever losing sight of its need to entertain players, 13 Sentinels intellectually engages with and challenges them, respecting their ability and willingness to engage with the game on that level.

- - Spanish -

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a must for the fan of good science fiction stories. Point. A good plot, with some great twists, spiced up with charismatic and well-defined characters spice up a mix of visual novel with tactical strategy that works. Perhaps more use of ramifications to add replayability and a greater variety of objectives in battles would have turned a practically outstanding game into a masterpiece. Still, its 30-hour duration will make you not regret your purchase.

- -

While looking perhaps a bit too ambitious on the surface with two distinctly different gameplay elements, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a captivating sci-fi adventure set across multiple periods of time. There is no question that the game will have people very confused during the first few hours, but the split story really starts to come together and is well worth playing through to unravel the ongoing mysteries found throughout.

- -

If you can absorb the narrative, and see past the strange battle sections, you’ll be left with a rich, beautiful, compelling game you can scarcely put down.

- -

It's great to have a new Vanillaware title on PS4. The bleak future presented with a writhing tangling plot makes for an excellent setting, showing that the team isn't just a one-trick pony. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is hampered by a slightly tedious battle system but, luckily, the adventure and story scenes are excellent and easily elevate this to greatness. An excellent, unique, niche title that is absolutely recommended to fans of Vanillaware and those who like things to be a certain flavour of Japanese.

- -

Had Vanillaware crafted a title where the story and the action wove into one another flawlessly, we'd be looking at the greatest game the developer has ever made, without question. Unfortunately, that's not what this game is, and while what is here is great, it's crushing to see just how close 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim came to perfection.

- -

Enigmatic and unapologetic even in the face of its most absurd ideas, this is sometimes messy, sometimes boring, but always astounding.

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Even with lackluster battles, the constantly escalating stakes and evolving story pulled me in

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a fantastic game that will appeal to a very specific slice of the strategy gamer fanbase. If there is even a chance that you are in that slice, then I suggest you check it out.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim mixes smart design with superb storytelling, then slathers the whole package in gorgeous style.

- - French -

13 Sentinels : Aegis Rim dives us into a complex story, mixing heroes, periods of time and themes to deliver a love letter to japanese science fiction. Curiously, the game is strictly divided between phases, switching from narrative story-driven thumbnails to minimalist strategy fights, delivering a strange but satisfying experience for every Japan lover and 2D aesthete.

- -

Even with these issues, though, 13 Sentinels is an absolute must play, especially for those seeking a good narrative in gaming. This is the kind of story that’s going to stick in my mind for weeks to come, and easily stands up with some of the best stories I’ve experienced in any medium.

- -

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an emotional rollercoaster packed in a visual novel style gameplay that is excellent from start to finish. The lackluster battle system lets it down and at times, gets in the way of a game that would be better without it.

- - German -

I didn't know 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim would be that one I had been missing for years. However, soon after I started playing, I was highly fascinated by the captivating story and an excellent gameplay mix.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a very unique experience, even in the realm of video games. It's gameplay systems gel well together and the non-linear storytelling could only work in this medium. While some plot points aren't as well explored as others and it uncomfortably sexualizes high school students, it's still a game you absolutely need to play if you're a fan of science fiction or enjoy video game storytelling.

- Lyle Carr -

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an incredible feat of narrative engineering everyone should experience, made all the more appealing by it's gorgeous art and enjoyable, deep strategy gameplay.

- - Spanish -

Vanillaware keeps being faithful to its own style, and now surprises us with a different adventure, 2/3 visual novel, 1/3 strategic combat game, but with a flawless visual style, a solid sci-fi plot and strategic combats with a nice touch. Maybe 13 Sentinels it's not for everybody, but if you have a taste for different dishes, you will love it.

- Matt T.M. Kim -

On 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Vanillaware flexes some serious storytelling chops to go along with its visual flair.

- - Italian -

A great narrative game, with good art style. The battle mechanics are simple, the game core is clearly the narrative.

- - Spanish -

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is one of the most interesting and originals Japanese games of 2020. Vanillaware brings something different thanks to the original way of making the player interact with the narration.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is absolutely a must-play for fans of story-driven adventure games. This one especially has some legs to it; getting immersed in the mystery is easy to do thanks to the writing, and beautiful art and animation.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim makes its mark on the adventure genre by expertly telling a story through 13 protagonists. The time-traveling segments don’t leave the player in the dark as it pieces together everything using a unique adventure-based system. This game has a story to tell, and it rolls it out perfectly; the added strategic battle-system only makes it clear what this group is up against and what’s at stake if they lose.

- -

An accomplished mixture of sophisticated story sci-fi story beats, off the wall absurdity and satisfying tactical battles, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a rare sort of genre crossover that ends up being far more than the sum of its parts. Vanillaware's latest is simply unmissable.

- -

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a phenomenal visual novel - and a surprisingly great strategy game. In trying something different, Vanillaware has crafted one of its best games yet. It's got an engrossing story that's absolutely packed with mind-blowing twists and endearing characters, all wrapped up in a gorgeous visual style. Don't sleep on 13 Sentinels - it's one of 2020's finest.

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Vanillaware's latest title is an utterly compelling journey and its unconventional structure is an astounding achievement for storytelling in video games that should be celebrated and commemorated.

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The game is absolutely one of this year’s standout RPGs, and it’s particularly refreshing to see that in something that brings both unique combat and storytelling to the table. Vanillaware has outdone itself here.

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Just when you think you know the answers, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim changes the questions as you’re left guessing with how its sci-fi mystery unfolds. Admittedly, the game’s non-traditional narrative approach can be confusing and its reliance on popular science fiction themes can also make it feel derivative at first. Stick with it, however, and you just might find an unexpected treat. Add some fun giant robot tactical combat to the mix and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim actually lets you have your peach tart and eat it, too.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is full of the sorts of complexities and nuances that make you want to double back and analyze the script, lore, and artwork in every scene.

- - Italian -

13 Sentinels is an absolute must have for the visual novel lovers, and the hybridization with a RTS souls adds depth to a well written (and told) experience.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim pairs together a sci-fi anime storyline told from 13 different perspectives about giant Mech battles and time travel, with arcade strategy combat as you seek to protect your city. While convoluted at times 13 Sentinels delivers an incredible story.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a narrative that's familiar, dense, mysterious, and groundbreaking. While it's strategy RPG combat could use more depth, it's story encapsulates the appeal of video games.

- -

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a must-play for fans of Japanese sci-fi adventures. Mixing the strengths of Vanillaware's art with time-travel adventures is a recipe for huge success. A story ambitious enough to have thirteen different protagonists seems bound for failure, yet the game manages to make each story not only incredibly impactful on its own, but adds up to a bigger, brighter and utterly unforgettable narrative. The addictive tactical gameplay that strings these story scenes together, despite a strange artstyle, is just icing on the already massive and delicious cake.

- -

Beat by beat, you've seen elements of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim's plot elsewhere before, but you've probably never played anything quite like it. How 13 Sentinels strings its complex narrative together is nothing short of astonishing. It operates like a great melodramatic sci-fi TV show, only reworked and shuffled into an interactive format, and it takes full advantage of it. And for that, even with weak RTS battles complementing it all, it's an easy recommendation.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is certainly not a game for everyone. If you love story-heavy experiences and relish details that others may find dull then you'll wholeheartedly embrace it. At the same time, those looking for rewarding strategy combat will likely be disappointed.

- -

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a riveting tale of high school students, the giant robotic Sentinels they pilot, and a battle against invading kaiju across multiple timelines. This Kamitani-directed JRPG would have been a better read without the cumbersome addition of combat to distract from the plot.

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13 Sentinels Aegis Rim combines a truly amazing narrative, unique esthetics, and an addictive battle system to produce a one-of-a-kind experience that JRPG and visual novels fans alike should definitely enjoy.

If you've played a lot of narrative games, you are probably familiar with the gameplay tropes of the genre. Even though the focus is on story, you see similar gameplay elements pop up in these games, because they work. That's how game genres improve over time, by refining what worked before.

13 Sentinels Aegis Rim comes in with two fantastic gameplay designs for familiar narrative-heavy tropes: the interspliced gameplay sections and the dialogue choices.

Interspliced gameplay: a lot of narrative heavy games spice up the pacing with some gameplay. 13 Sentinels instead has two ongoing campaigns, the gameplay portion and the story portion. You can pick whichever you want to play at any time. This means you can pick story or gameplay based on your mood at the time, rather than the game picking for you. It's quite genius to never stop enjoying the game.

Dialogue choices: the game will present you with the typical dialogue option. At first, your mind goes to the familiar "how will this impact the story" place, because you've been trained to do that. You've also come to find out in 90% of games the choices don't matter much.

13 Sentinels expects this and it quickly shows you that the game is about unlocking every dialogue option, not choosing one. That's how you progress. Without spoiling much, it's super fast and easy to go back to any branching place and pick the option you didn't pick the first time.

You quickly stop trying to empathize with the character and start trying to piece the entire puzzle together. Which is what the game is about, that's why it has 13 playable characters.

Of course, this all falls apart if the narrative isn't strong. It's fantastic. But I think these two design choices are genius and put it over the top. I hope other developers take notes of how cohesive this game is.

It's a classic that stands among the best in the genre, like The Wolf Among Us, Grim Fandango, Disco Elysium, Night in the Woods and VA11-HA11A (I list some of my favorites so you know where I'm coming from)

I heard a lot of good things about it and I am looking for something to play while waiting for FF XVI. The game is currently on sale, and I am thinking of either getting this or GOW: Ragnarok.

I enjoyed turned-based games, so it's not an issue for me. I played Persona and Classic FF. I enjoyed story-heavy game and I am okay with slow-pace game as long as the writing and plot are well-written. I am on PS5. I would like to hear your opinion regarding this.

Fair warning, this game is incredibly difficult to talk about and not spoil. I will be doing my upmost to appropriately mark spoilers where I can. I am also doing this from memory, so forgive me if I recall something incorrectly.

I just finished the story and I am still blown away at how amazing the experience has been. I was initially intrigued by the fact that this was a VanillaWare game and enjoyed the art style, but it wasn't until I heard that both Sakurai and Yoko Taro recommended it that I decided to dive in.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim plays as one part adventure game and one part real time strategy RPG with pausing. In the adventure game, you are in control of one of the thirteen main characters, talking to people and, in general, trying to uncover one of the many mysteries surrounding the plot. These generally revolve around the other characters, the existence of the Sentinels, and the exact nature of the coming apocalypse. Each character starts with a completely different scenario, but ultimately all the stories will intertwine with one another. The story primarily takes place in 1985 Japan, but the addition of time travel has you jumping around to different eras to discover important information about both the past and future.

When you jump over to the combat sequences, you take charge of a squad of Sentinels, massive mechs armed with a wide variety of weaponry, in order to fight off hordes of invading enemies. You issue commands to the different Sentinels, having them launch missile barrages, fire railguns, and dropping sentry turrets. The enemies come in different types and require you to adjust your both your loadouts as well as strategy to properly fight them off. Most missions require you to just destory everything or survive until the timer counts all the way down, but some will have special boss enemies that you need to destroy. As you progress through the game, your characters will experience fatigue and ultimately a brain overload, forcing them to sit out for one mission. This forces you to constantly be switching up your team, but everyone is so formidable I really didn't mind. You can upgrade your Sentinels as well as the Terminal, which is basically a meta-system that allows you to earn XP faster, perform mission-wide attacks, and use emergency heals. Your pilots will also gain levels as well as unique perks, and you can upgrade and customize them all to your exact liking.

To me, what sets this game apart is how well executed the story is. I was immediately pulled in when (spoilers from the very early game) Juro was shocked at the appearance of his Sentinel, only for Kyuta to remark along the lines of "Huh. Guess that didn't work. Oh well, let's try again". Little surprises, hints, and breadcrumbs are spread all throughout the plot, constantly tempting you to dig deeper and occasionally misddirecting you. The world remains internally consistent from start to finish, allowing astute observers to catch some important details before they are intentionally revealed to you. Personally, I remember discovering that Kyuta wasn't real when playing the scene from Shu's perspective and noticing that Kyuta was missing as well as deducing that they weren't really time-traveling due to the fact that each era was referred to as a Sector, which seemed like a very strange choice of words. The sheer amount of questions the game poses to you as you play is staggering and generally the answers just lead to more questions.

However, this is not a perfect game. It can take you a little while to wrap your head around the story, as it jumps around in the timeline a lot. There are some scenario sequences that took me entirely too long to figure out and reminded me of moon logic from old adventure games cough feeding that damn cat cough. It's not excessive, but the times they do occur stand out compared to how straightforward the rest of the game is. Also, while the battles are incredibly thematic, they're also really easy (at least on Normal difficulty). I never once failed a mission and only replayed a couple because the characters I needed to complete the optional objectives weren't availble. Some people also will dislike the wireframe aesthetic in combat, which didn't bother me much personally. There are also going to be people that just don't jive with the hand-drawn anime aesthetics and tropes. That, above all else, is what would stop me from recommending this game to everyone. But if that isn't the kind of thing that would stop you, then you absolutely should consider diving into the mystery that is this game. I haven't been this engrossed in a game since Nier:Automata and I think it's a shame that this game hasn't been nearly well advertised enough.

I'm still 6 hours into the game, but until now is 100% worth, good mixture of detective games, sci-fi, good characters, some funny dialogue etc ...

The "Gameplay" parts are simple, but fun for the short bursts it happens.