Okay, I've been away for awhile that's because I have no life and I do nothing but play video games really... so I may be kinda rusty with this but I wanted to make a quick review of this game because I felt no one has heard of it and if you have it just sounds super weird. So here's my impressions on it and if its worth your time.
So, this game is made by Atlus and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. Atlus makes the Megami Tensei games like Persona, Devil Survivor, and Etrian Odyssey games and Intelligent Systems makes a ton of games for Nintendo, notably Fire Emblem and Paper Mario. That right there should intrigue right there, if you're into Japanese RPGs and games that right there should grab your attention. This is also published by Nintendo though.. so that's okay. Just Okay. I'll explain,
Basically Nintendo forced Atlus to censor this game a lot, I didn't care though since it was for how the costumes looked and how some enemies present themselves, but it's still kinda weird. Also this game is only on the Wii U, and I felt that kinda hindered it, I felt this game could have looked and been much better on lets say the PS4. But I digress, on with the game.
What is it?
The game claims to bend Megami Tensei with Fire Emblem but truth be told it's a watered down Persona game with Fire Emblem elements. It's done pretty well.
Just in case you aren't too familiar with these series, Persona are jrpgs that are heavily character driven and have the characters summon historical or fictional beings into play for attacks and spells. The games also utilize what is called "social links" that allow you to form bonds or relationships not just with your party members but with NPCs and these social links in turn can offer you a wider range of gameplay from sidequests to extra items, spells, attacks to even new Personas that you can use in battles. This also all takes place in modern times, which is kinda neat. The games are really fun and are considered some of the best jrpgs on their consoles, Persona 1,2 on PS1 and Persona 3,4 on PS2. PSP. and Vita. Fire Emblem is on the other hand a strategy game that dates back to the NES and is usually fast paced and has a fantasy setting. The games also allow you to create bonds between your character units so they can do better in battles and give more of a backstory to them, sometimes you can even get more units from these bonds like in Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates.
I know my summary probably does not do these games justice but it's just a run down, I recommend checking out some youtube videos about them to check them out more but they sound awesome. Really though the game itself takes the characters from Fire Emblem and uses them as bosses or "Personas" or weapons while the rest of the game is basically a Persona game. You don't have social links, instead you have character side quests that tell you more about the character but it's really nothing deep as what you would see in a true Persona game.
Anyway, this game takes all of this and places it in a story that is about pop idol culture and the pop industry in Japan lol. Yes, it sounds off the walls and yes it looks like a whacky anime but it's fun, the game does not take itself too seriously.
Hows the game?
The game has a basic world map of the city of Tokyo that you can explore, the sections you can explore are small and pretty linear. The characters you meet are pretty neat but can get way over the top anime/japanese at times. You have some simple requests you can do for NPCs to get extra money or items but the real meat and potatoes of this game is in the battle system itself.
The battle system starts like a regular RPG, it's turned based. You have 3 characters you can use but you can switch them out at any time, you have special moves you can use but when you attack an enemy with their weakness you can start what is called a session. Really a session is a combo of moves that gets longer and more stronger with the more characters you have and the skills you have too. Some of them are you hitting an enemy with a sword all the way to your character literally getting on stage and singing and doing a performance and somehow... damaging the enemy or heal you and the rest of the party. The game is very whacky.
Hows it look?
Visually the game look impressive... for the Wii U. This game isn't a powerhouse and this is what I meant before. You can't compare the Wii U to the PS4 or the Xbone, that's like comparing the SNES to the PS2. You can't do it. What I can tell you though is this is one of the better looking games on the console and the presentation to everything from the cover art all the way to how everything looks ingame are great. The music is clear and sounds nice but it's also super repetitive and gets recycled a lot. You will notice that alot of places share the same music and the same with dungeons. At times, I sometimes would turn on Sirius XM to listen to music while I play because I get tired hearing the same music for the millionth time.
Is it worth it?
If you have a Will U and you're into jrpgs then yes this game is worth your time. If you're kinda iffy on anime in general then no this game is not for you, not only because it deals alot with their pop culture but it can get really goofy at times and also the whole game is in japanese. I mean there's voice acting and it's fine, but it's all in japanese lol. There's obviously subtitles that you can read and all the menus and stuff are in english but everything else is in japanese. So if you can't deal with anime or japanese singing or reading subtitles then yeah, you won't like this.
Summary
Honestly, I liked the game a bunch. Is it one of the best jrpgs I have ever played? No. But it's fun and it makes me use my Wii U again. I would check it out.
Thanks for reading my shitty review 
Edited by poofka, 10 August 2016 - 09:51 AM.
