Review for The Alliance Alive HD Remastered. Game for PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 11/10/2019
Two years ago a Japanese role-playing game was released on the Nintendo 3DS, developed from the triptych Cattle Call, Furyu and Grezzo, which passed quite quietly. It was a classic JRPG, with super deformed stylized characters and turn-based combat. Its failure will have been the fault of bad publicity, or perhaps the fact that it was presented as the spiritual successor to The Legend of Legacy, another title that did not have incredible success.
However, in reality, both the previous title and The Alliance Alive definitely deserve at least a look, having both been developed by big names who have worked on SaGa, some Final Fantasy, and especially the first three chapters of Suikoden. Certain of the goodness of the title, the developers have decided to give him a second chance, releasing The Alliance Alive HD Remastered on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
A world without sky
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered narrates the deeds of many different characters, each very different from the other and with their own motivations, but with in common their living in a world that has now fallen hundreds of years earlier under the rule of an evil race called the Daemon. The Daemons, along with their beastman servants, enslaved humans, making them the last rung of society and they have covered the sky with terrible dark clouds which made the blue and the sun a mere legend that only dreamers talk about. But not everyone is willing to keep watching. Among humans there are some who are organizing a revolt, and the resistance is meticulously and silently exchanging information.
It all begins when the daughter of one of the resistance members, Azura, accompanied by her childhood friend Galil, travels on her father's behalf to deliver a secret letter to another resistance member. However, on their way they find the ruins of an ancient museum, where some rumors say a painting is kept that portrays the blue sky of the old times. Filled with curiosity and hopes, the two enter that place that will eventually change their lives.
Random boost worse than Crisis Core
Many of you will probably remember Crisis Core, the controversial Final Fantasy VII spin-off released long ago on PlayStation Portable. In that title, during the fights, we randomly arrived on the screen of the slot machines which, in the event of a stroke of luck, allowed to advance in level. On The Alliance Alive HD Remastered the character enhancement system is similarly random: Character levels do not exist and, after each fight, each character has a chance to have a random stat increased, which can range from life points to attack or defense values. Even learning new skills is dictated by chance: every time we use an attack with one type of weapon we will have a small percentage of the chance to learn a new attack with the same weapon. It goes without saying that this makes it very difficult to plan your farming. This degree of randomness, however, together with being able to make each character use any type of weapon, allows for a strong customization and at the same time a constant surprise as to how heroes will eventually be built, forcing the player to plan the battles and their party also depending on how the upgrades have gone during the adventure.
The beginning of the game is rather slow, as it will make us live the stories of the various protagonists separately so as to get to know them better and grasp their personalities and motivations. Only after several hours the heroes will unite forming a group and allowing us to choose a party of up to 5 characters. During the early stages the fights will be quite simple and it will be very rare to find yourself in difficulty, especially considering the fact that at the end of the battle our characters will return to full health. But since the real story starts and we also find ourselves facing secret bosses, we will be really forced to use our brains or, alternatively, to farm like crazy to survive.
An amazing remaster
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered is one of the few examples of a really well done Remaster that makes sense to exist. The polygonal models weren't just cleaned, they were almost completely redone to allow for a decent transition from the 3DS to the current generation of home consoles. This also applies to the backdrops and textures, but what is most surprising is the complete redesign of all the game menus, which were originally positioned on two separate screens, and which on this remaster are relocated in a masterly and very clear way. . The Alliance Alive HD Remastered allows moreover fights speeded up to 4 times, a quick save system, and exhaustive explanations of every single game mechanic within a tutorial menu.
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered is the perfect example of when a remaster makes sense to exist and is developed with real commitment. With almost completely revamped graphics and additional features, it's the second chance the original for 3DS deserved. If you didn't play it two years ago, it's time for you to give it a chance too.
► The Alliance Alive HD Remastered is an RPG-type game developed and published by NIS America for PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 11/10/2019
