Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

1. XenoFantasy1

   Jun 24, 2016

   10

   This games battle system alone is enough for me to give it a 10. It is the usual Megaten battle system only heavily revamped to make it theThis games battle system alone is enough for me to give it a 10. It is the usual Megaten battle system only heavily revamped to make it the best in the series (for now, persona 5 is creeping up). I have never had so much fun battling enemies in a jrpg since xenoblade and tales of vesperia. The dungeons are also very cool and overall do their jobs as representing some form of an art such as photography and fashion. Not to big on the Jpop idol theme and the story is not amazing, but the gameplay is just so amazing.
   
   Note: there is also some censorship in areas like cgi cutscenes and dungeons, but it does not affect gameplay at all. Censorship makes the story bit wonky in photography dungeon but that is it.… Expand

   • 64 of 88 users found this helpful
2. Alfonz0

   Jul 2, 2016

   10

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game have probably the best battle system ever! The session attacks make for "flow" in the battles and with lots of customisation which is required to optimize for the games secret last boss. If you think this game is a new fire emblem you gonna get disappointed though...… Expand

   • 4 of 12 users found this helpful
4. ASHIURA

   Jun 24, 2016

   10

   Good scenario .
   Fire Emblem elements that go stronger from the second half .
   Charming character . Battle system that is gradually releasedGood scenario .
   Fire Emblem elements that go stronger from the second half .
   Charming character .
   Battle system that is gradually released .
   Culmination combat system of a collection of the best of Atlas of RPG.
   Japanese RPG of most interesting WiiU.… Expand

   • 25 of 50 users found this helpful
5. Freedumbdclxvi

   Jul 4, 2016

   9

   An incredibly fun fusion of the SMT and FE franchises, TMS brings a fun battle system together with amazing graphics and a story that examinesAn incredibly fun fusion of the SMT and FE franchises, TMS brings a fun battle system together with amazing graphics and a story that examines the role pop culture plays in our lives. Fans of both franchises, JRPGs and or anyone looking for a exciting WIi U game would do well to check it out.… Expand

   • 2 of 6 users found this helpful
6. S-M-T

   Jun 26, 2016

   9

   This game is excellent, and it's everything I could have wanted it to be. The game is beautiful (for a Wii U game, at least) and packed withThis game is excellent, and it's everything I could have wanted it to be. The game is beautiful (for a Wii U game, at least) and packed with style. The core of the game, however, is definitely the gameplay, which features a brilliant mesh of the Fire Emblem weakness system and an extremely Shin Megami Tensei-reminiscent battle system, alongside excellent dungeon crawling the likes of which I've come to expect out of ATLUS. Despite what some may say, rest assured there's there's plenty of Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem influence in the game; from the way it plays being almost straight out of an SMT game to the characters directly out of Fire Emblem games, and even the smaller things such as sound effects from both series playing when, for instance, you level up or find an item. I'm aware of the background of the game and why people may dislike it, however, despite its rocky journey, it absolutely does not disappoint. It would be an easy 10 from me if not for the unfortunate and unwise localization decisions.… Expand

   • 17 of 25 users found this helpful
7. LoneWolfSones

   Jul 1, 2016

   8

   For the sake of providing context I have never touched a SMT or a Persona game. I am a fan of Fire Emblem however and it is arguably theFor the sake of providing context I have never touched a SMT or a Persona game. I am a fan of Fire Emblem however and it is arguably the aspect that drew me to the game more than any other. I was surprised by how much I have enjoyed my time with it so far.
   
   One of my initial concerns from watching the trailers up until release was the j-pop and how battles would play out. I never really felt they did a good job of explaining just how the game functioned in terms of its battle system other than that you entered dungeons and that these Fire Emblem characters were a bit like summons. This game was announced in 2013 at E3 and here we are 3 years later with it finally in hand. Though it needs to be said the game was actually in development for 5 years (according to the artbook, more on this later).
   
   As I said I was unsure of the j-pop and general premise of the game. I was concerned whether the music would resonate with me since I don't speak or know Japanese. I was pleasantly surprised though as the music is actually quite good. I guess the best way I can describe it is that the music complements the tone and themes of the game. American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow claimed "Music is the universal language of mankind." I think its an apt description for the music in TMS. The vocals are able to convey the emotion a particular character may feel. You don't need to understand what they are saying to enjoy the music (or the story) and appreciate it. It may even be for the best that they retained the original voice work as English dubs can be of questionable quality. (There are English subtitles).
   
   The battle system definitely has roots in traditional turn based JRPG's. What I found so interesting is the way you can chain attacks together and the fact that as you level; the weapons you use also level which give your characters new abilities. These abilities when used to exploit enemy weaknesses can chain with others in your party. This can lead to some incredible moments where you perform an overkill on a challenging enemy.
   
   The visuals may not be the best the WiiU has to offer but they are very pretty to look at and the game has a nice visual style that extends not only to the menu and UI but the beautiful animated cutscenes. Then there are the designs of the Fire Emblem characters themselves and they just look awesome. There were some censorship choices made which can be jarring but I don't want to belabor that point and detract from what is an otherwise enjoyable game.
   
   Perhaps the biggest take away from the game is just how much it immerses you in Japanese culture. Shibuya is an interesting place. While I have never set foot in Japan I appreciated that I was able to see a statue of Hachiko the dog even if it is in a virtual setting. Its a surprising level of authenticity that I really enjoyed.
   
   The authenticity extends to the approach they took designing the game. The art book in the special edition has 3 pages of commentary from three of the developers. In it they reveal that they actually consulted actual Japanese music producers. They also had a touching thank you to Satoru Iwata for creating the opportunity for the game to come into the world. Even after his passing Satoru Iwata has managed to help deliver a game that is just fun for everyone to play. The game does have the kind of cringe that comes with some japanese games. However you shouldn't let that dissuade you from giving it a shot. The battle system is great and you may just find yourself pleasantly surprised. I know I did.… Expand

   • 6 of 10 users found this helpful
8. BN333

   Jun 29, 2016

   0

   Sadly a below average JRPG being proped up due to the reliance on older standard conventions of the jrpg genre. Do not let blind fanboyism ofSadly a below average JRPG being proped up due to the reliance on older standard conventions of the jrpg genre. Do not let blind fanboyism of Japanese culture and anime fool you with this one.… Expand

   • 9 of 61 users found this helpful

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