Thirteen Sentinels: Aegis Rim Review
Table of Contents
I played it as it was getting attention.
It felt like ADV 3.0.
It's well-packaged into about 30 hours total.
Overall rating: +1 (Recommended!)
Overview
The ADV part and tower defense part exist independently.
As they have interdependent unlock conditions, you end up playing both.
Good Points
Above all, the quality of the ADV part is high.
The story, graphics, and sound are all of good quality, and furthermore, the system isn't just a simple ADV but includes action elements.
Even with a quite complex story, you can smoothly read through it thanks to the ingenuity of the ADV system and character motions.
From text and static image ADVs to sophisticated ADV 2.0 like YU-NO, this work has enough differences to be called ADV 3.0 (arbitrarily).
The mechanism of gradually switching between 13 characters to understand the overall picture is also a clever device.
In normal ADVs, there were at most about 5 perspective switches, but this work has 13. Moreover, it's fragmented switching in the middle of routes.
It becomes quite complex, but thanks to the ingenuity of character development and composition, there wasn't much confusion.
It's well-made indeed.
Not So Good Points
Perhaps due to its thoroughness, the story had fewer surprising elements. Also, there were instances where I felt "What a waste!" about the timing of information disclosure, and the latter half became almost entirely explanation, leaving an impression of missed opportunities.
While the graphics are very well-done, there was a sense of dissonance as the impression received from 2D characters differed from their standing portraits.
The tower defense became quite repetitive as each unit's capabilities overlapped. While there were no major complaints, I thought it might have been more interesting if each mech had a trump card-like ability.
Summary
Overall, the quality is high, with the ADV part being particularly noteworthy.
While it may not be for those who prioritize story above all else, the system and character expressions embody what was desired to be done as an ADV.
It's a work that can be recommended to everyone (CERO C).
