Review for Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. Game for Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 17/01/2020
The poor sales of Wii U have relegated several valid titles to the shadows, such as Bayonetta 2 or Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which would have deserved more success, or at least more attention from the general public. It is therefore not surprising that Nintendo is supporting the release of new games developed for Switch with porting and remakes of past games, which thus find a second chance to get noticed. Among these is Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, one of the very few RPGs released for the last Nintendo console that returns with additional content in this Encore edition.
The game has remained mostly unknown to many, so it wouldn't be strange if you never heard of it. The project behind Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE was initially announced as Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, a collaboration between Atlus and Intelligent Systems to give life to a crossover title. In reality, things have evolved in an unexpected way, resulting in a title that of the aforementioned sagas uses only certain elements and characters, setting them in a story and an astile that have certainly caught the respective fans off guard.
Put aside all expectations for an adventure in an occult, fantasy or even vaguely medieval key. The setting of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is modern Tokyo and the main protagonists, the young Itsuki and Tsubasa, are two young students who are involved in an otherworldly crisis. In the Japanese capital, in fact, the so-called The Mirage,: spirits of another dimension who came to steal Performa, or the creative energy of people, from the inhabitants.
The two boys discover that they can fight these beings by seizing the power of some peaceful Mirages, which are none other than the spirits of various characters from the world of Fire Emblem (like Chrom from Awakening, or Caeda and Cain from Shadow Dragon) found themselves without memory in our world without knowing why. Itsuki and Tsubasa will then join other Mirage Masters in the agency Fortuna, who seeks to fight this mysterious threat behind the scenes, while at the same time taking care of the young stars' career in show business.
From the premise you will have realized that the tone of the game is far from the "parenting" sagas. Indeed it is good to clarify a fundamental point: by Shin Megami Tensei - understood as the main and "pure" trend - Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore has absolutely nothing, so do not count on the presence of its themes or the demons that have always characterized it. The setting and the mood are indeed much more similar to the Persona sub-saga: the exploits of the group of young protagonists are divided between the slice of life in Tokyo and the exploration of dungeons in the parallel dimension from which the Mirages come. Time is not marked in days, and we will not follow the characters in their school routines, but in their careers in the world of idols and show business in general. The title therefore overflows with J-pop songs and choreography, whimsical costumes, very intense lights and colors.
Definitely a particular setting, which however remains an end in itself and devoid of thickness. The characters are discreetly characterized, but they are yet another representation of Japanese archetypes and clichés seen and overwhelmed, with very little incisive personal stories. The leitmotif of the game remains neglected, given that there is no trace of any social denunciation on the dark side of Japanese show business, the manipulation of trends, the objectification of artists (especially the singers). In short, the structure and rhythm of Persona are perceptible, but don't count on finding the same depth of themes. The general story, despite not shining exactly for originality, is compelling enough, and manages to involve especially in the final stages, in which we find a greater presence of narrative elements related to Fire Emblem.
Where we find the impression of Persona in most is certainly in the gameplay structure, practically inherited en bloc with the recurring names of skills and objects attached. In each chapter that marks the story of the game we will have to explore a different dungeon and face dozens of Mirages thanks to the support of the ethereal warriors of Fire Emblem.
The clashes are strictly turn-based and to get the better we will have to exploit the weaknesses of the various enemies. To the classic elemental vulnerabilities of SMT is added the balance of strength system of the types of weapons: swords, spears, axes and bows. In Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, however, hitting the weaknesses of the opponents will not earn us a turn, but will trigger the so-called Session, that is, combinations of additional blows by the other characters on the team, provided they have learned and equipped the relevant technique. Every hit to an enemy weak point can become an occasion for a devastating combo, prompting the player to think tactically.
The development system is also heavily taken over by SMT, and each character will have their own limited set of skills to manage; however, there are no additional demons or Persona for the protagonist, so the management of the party is more similar to that of Digital Devil Saga (for those who know him). Skills are learned by equipping different weapons to forge, similar to Final Fantasy IX. Later in the game it will also be possible to change the class of personal Mirages according to your preferences.
Thanks to its consolidated bone structure, gameplay is definitely the best aspect of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, and will satisfy JRPG fans. Too bad that the good level of customization of the party is lame by not being able to remove the main protagonist Itsuki from the fighting team. In addition to this it should be noted that the secondary missions often consist of diluted and repetitive fetch quests that really didn't enjoy us.
Technically, the graphic aspect of the game defends itself more than well, denoting a fluctuating attention to detail: on the one hand there is a certain approximation of some environments, on the other the attention dedicated to the polygonal models of the protagonists and their costumes, as well as a good repertoire of animations and facial expressions. As anticipated, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is a flashy, kitschy style title, with saturated and bright colors, unlikely costumes, anime-style music video footage and a light-hearted atmosphere of lightheartedness. This could win you over and put you in a good mood, or be unbearable and out of place, depending on personal taste.
The soundtrack also denotes a particular style, but in general it does its duty in accompanying certain scenes. There are several J-pop songs, and even in this case the appreciation will depend a lot on your tastes. Finally, we point out that the dubbing is exclusively in Japanese, but in this case it was probably the best choice, while the subtitles are only in English.
This Nintendo Switch edition of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was clearly meant for those who haven't played the original one, as the added contents are appreciable, but certainly not so much as to encourage a second purchase of the game. First of all, there are new costumes obtainable for the protagonists (among which we point out the one from Joker of Persona 5 for Itsuki) with which you can have fun customizing the appearance of the team.
An EX Story has been added regarding Tsubasa and Kiria, and which will develop through a new dungeon; completing the new chapter will unlock a movie with a new song of the two protagonists. Three specially targeted dungeons have also been added for quicker and more focused grinding. Finally, the NPCs Tiki, Maiko and Barry will be able to take part in the Session attacks, thus increasing the damage dealt.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is one of those titles for which personal taste is particularly decisive in deciding the purchase, and in some ways it has a lot in common with Final Fantasy X-2. The very solid gameplay inherited from the Persona saga, appropriately reworked, and the development system make it a structurally excellent title. Too bad the plot does not share the same depth and is rather full of clichés and banalities. There is nothing wrong with a game with a frivolous atmosphere, but there is also nothing wrong with preferring more serious and profound titles. If the lightness and the particular visual style do not bother you, this title will make you spend tens of pleasant hours. On the other hand, if looking at the images in this review you feel overwhelmed by a gastro-emotional rejection, perhaps you should postpone. If, on the other hand, you love J-pop and Japanese dramas, add a whole point to the vote and run to buy Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore.
► Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is a JRPG type game developed by ATLUS and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 17/01/2020
