REYNATIS is an action RPG with character elements, developed by FURYU Corporation and published by NIS America, Inc. When I saw that the game was available for review, I wondered why it was so familiar to me. However, as I downloaded the game, I remembered! There is a collaboration with NEO: The World Ends with You! So I first heard about her from a Kingdom Hearts-focused YouTuber. Apparently, the game is heavily inspired by Tetsuya Nomura’s work on Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, if you haven’t already noticed the similarity of the main characters to Yozora. I’m very excited, so let’s see what it’s all about.
The action takes place in a carefully recreated Shibuya, Tokyo, where the line between fantasy and reality is almost blurred. In this world, when people almost die, they gain magical powers. The citizens of Shibuya hate magic, fearing its destructive potential, so wizards and witches are forced to hide their supernatural abilities or face discrimination (or death). Following his father’s words that he will be free if he becomes the strongest, wizard Marin goes to Shibuya, where he meets Sari, an officer of the MEA, an organization dedicated to keeping wizards under control. With magical drugs on the streets, monsters (known as M) attacking the authoritarian police, and a guild that wants to take over the city, it’s up to them to protect the city and make their dreams come true.
I wouldn’t say the story is spectacular, and to be honest, some of the character designs reveal plot twists, but it’s good enough to keep me interested. If by the end of the game it is not clear to you that drugs are bad, you probably skipped all the cutscenes and dialogues. In fact, if you’re only playing the main story, it’s surprisingly short, with some chapters containing only one fight. It should be noted that the entire game is dubbed in Japanese, so I hope you enjoy reading.
Fittingly, the music was composed by Yoko Shimimura, known for her work on the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series, and I really enjoyed what I heard. The songs are often dramatic and bombastic, although they can become repetitive after a while. However, this does not apply to graphics. Don’t get me wrong, the game looks nice, with lots of flashy effects during battles, but there are some stunningly bad textures in many places, even when playing on the highest graphics settings. There was some serious screen tearing with no option to fix it in game, which spoils the experience a bit. I like the overall art style and design though. Although wizards try to hide who they are, you can easily recognize them by their modern appearance.
Let’s move on to the main game. You will play as two protagonists: Marin Kirizumi (red boy) and Sari Nishijima (blue woman). They are on separate teams, but they will be accompanied by two other companions that you can switch during the fight, as long as they have enough MP. Eventually, they’ll team up, combining their teams, and everyone gets experience no matter what stage of the story you’re at. Each character feels different, but they are all equally effective. However, there are two characters that seem strange and do not follow the pace of the game; Moa and Ukai. Moa has incredibly delayed but powerful attacks (even her jump is delayed), while Ukai uses two guns and can’t move while firing, which doesn’t fit with the fast pace of the game.
Combat is extremely simple. You have a basic attack, two customizable special skills, an ultimate attack called Final Menace, and a dodge. That’s it. Basic attacks have flashy combos, and you can pull off perfect dodges, but overall, the combat system is very simple. However, the main mechanics of the game are the Suppressed and Liberated modes. In Suppressed mode, you act like a normal person, interact with NPCs and shop in shops, but you cannot attack in battle, you must rely on defense. By pressing the button, you go into Liberated mode, where you can attack, but spend MP.
The system is fun in combat, but can be irritating during exploration. For example, getting caught in Liberated mode or talking to NPCs raises your Stress level, and reaching 100% stress means you are forced into Liberated mode, which can lead to serious problems with the police who can easily eliminate you.
The main map of the game is Shibuya, faithfully recreated with real restaurants and shops. It’s a great addition for fans of Japan. In addition, you explore a magical world called Another, which contains generic environments such as forests and factories, although they are not procedurally generated.
Overall, REYNATIS is a fun game with fast-paced combat, but there are a few design decisions that leave room for improvement.
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