Reynatis Review - An Ambitious JRPG Falls Short Despite Creative Talent

[@RedEyesBlackKnight]

This is definitely one of those "looking forward too, but waiting for a sale" type of games.

[@joeyisabsb1]

As I get older I appreciate shorter games more than longer ones but not at the cost of the story being rushed, especially because I play FuRyu games for that reason alone.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

same, i'll likely finish this one over other 100 hour action games ha - Azario

[@rafe9852]

furyu is the king of interesting yet mediocre games

[@joearnold6881]

Some of my favorite ever games were 7/10s the original Nier on the Xbox where you play the father, for example

[@KazeVongola]

As a fan of Furyu games (yes, we exist) I know what I'm getting into and while the rushed story does sound disappointing, I think everything else is good enough by Furyu standards so I'll be getting this game despite all the negative reviews. I also really enjoyed the demo. In this industry filled with monotony, where we keep getting the same few games rehashed over and over but with a different coat of paint, Furyu are the only publishers willing to risk new ideas in their games (even if the execution is often very flawed) and I will forever sing their praises because of it.

[@tfisher9208]

Bro I seriously do not understand why there hasn’t been enough marketing for the game. Up until watching the review, I had no idea NEO TWEWY content was in the game.

[@andr0zzsenpai]

It was all over twitter if you usually interact with JRPG/Twewy content, but other than that, yeah

[@tfisher9208]

@@andr0zzsenpai welp, I haven't used Twitter ever since elmo took it over.

[@saesang352]

Marketing is insanely expensive that’s why lol

[@Sephyroth97]

which is fitting because most people dn't know NEO TWEWY ever came out beause Square kept pushing Balan Wonderland instead.

[@MegaOverclocked]

The NEO TWEWY was pretty much ALL they advertised in regards to this game. Not much was known about the game other than the TWEWY cameo.

[@S_Hyde]

Seen a lot of negative opinions about this one as the release gets nearer, but I'm still getting it. Even if it falls short in a few spots, it's heart seems to be in the right place, and that tends to weight far more than any of the flaws.

[@Salvador-uh6rq]

One thing to keep in mind regarding the story is that the director stated that they would release 9 free post game story DLCs after the release of the game in order to avoid people spoiling the ending. So for those not satisfied with the story or spending $60 on this game, they might want to keep an eye out for an updated review after all the free DLCs are released. PC data mining also revealed KH music tracks so there might be a KH crossover too!

[@RobertSmith-ym4bo]

What??? That makes no sense. Why would I buy the game on release when I know they’re going to release DLC that’ll affect the game’s ending? I might as well wait for them to release all the DLC and get the game on sale.

[@Salvador-uh6rq]

@@RobertSmith-ym4bo That's cool more power to you. I'm buying the game Day 1 because I like the game and I want to send the message that I want a sequel. At the very least if the game sells poorly I can say I did my part.

[@1ProAssassin]

@@Salvador-uh6rq The devs don't owe you a sequel and you don't owe them your money for a sequel, until that sequel comes out and you buy it. You paid for the content that you got and that's it. If u think it's worth it that's great. If the other person doesn't that's fine. But don't grand stand about sequels and doing your part lol.

[@mohduk4]

@@Salvador-uh6rqsend message he said 🤣🤣🤣

[@DieselJT]

Definitely still picking this up! Have a special place in my heart for Furyu games. Great review as always bud!

[@dgayle2348]

Its basically Dusk Diver.

[@kermitwithamustache3885]

Reynatis is one of those games that captured the feel and aesthetics of a PS2/PSP era action Jrpg near perfectly, whether it was intentional or not They even got pre rendered cutscenes that look way better than anything in game, in general it has a lot of 2005-2008 energy Think that’s the main appeal of Reynatis, that it looks like a budget Square Enix game Verum Rex X NEO TWEWY but it plays and looks like a PS2 era action game, a very specific niche but appreciate that it exists I don’t want games to chase industry trends, I want more games that would fit right in the Xbox, PS2 and GameCube days would definitely love to play more games that look and play like these, or a sequel that would iron out some of its issues and polish its visuals and mechanics, though with how little it sold both in japan and in the west i find it unlikely. I am genuinely glad a game like this exists.

[@Turbo_Waitress]

That 5 is sobering. But what worries me more is the story issues. I know most FuRyu games are budget affairs, so I never go in expecting anything complex in graphics or gameplay, but I’m disappointed that the story sounds like it fizzles out or that they didn’t do more with the two protagonists. Thanks for the review.

[@kcelenemkrishnan7778]

The shortness of the game isn't entirely a bummer for me because i play a lot of gacha games but if the story and characters suffer because of it, then it will be lackluster for me. But im still going to get it. Its probably a stepping stone for them, and hoping it will sell enough to polish the sequel.

[@metrodroid]

I like my 60+ hours games, give me something I can sink my teeth in for months. A world that feels lived in by the characters, impacted by choices. I’m not trying to beat a $60+ game in 10 hours just to have to turn around get another one to play

[@gamelover2222]

I think Gamefly still exists (game rental service). I used to use it all the time to play shorter games or games outside my usual genre (RPG's). I hear you on the money front though. I just hope this one gets some love so they decide to make another with more love.

[@sonicmania9993]

I've heard it's 15-20 hours, but only you can decide if that's worth it to you. For me, 15 hours of fun is worth $60, especially if my kids may play it on their own as well.

[@musicmangd]

60 bucks for a 15hr game, no thanks. Definitely wait for a sale material.

[@MadLustEnvy]

This argument is exactly why we have a billion open world borefests with the most moronic side quests that waste your time just to pad out the playtime. There's plenty of 15-20hr games that are well renowned and are known as the best games of all time. But people like you are too busy bitching about playtime, they're coming out less and less, while devs waste years making these tired ass Farcry Ubilike copypastas that take too long to make, cost too much to develop, and cause them to shut down simply because they didn't sell 100 million copies. You're part of the problem.

[@MikoYotsuya292]

lmao, tell that to the ponies. they love overpriced, cinematic 3rd person shooters with stealth mechanics that are 10-20 hours long

[@crazykenbei]

Gamefly for the win.

[@AlanBorges-b7b]

​​@@MikoYotsuya292Lmfao What does that have to do with this? He's just saying that Reynatis is too short for its high price (which for me based on the demo the game has MUCH worse problems). You just sound like a typical toxic hater who forces his hatred of something specific on topics that have nothing to do with it.

[@GilgaMax305]

​@@MikoYotsuya292 What are you even on about?

[@Tenchion]

I played the demo and found it really disappointing. While I love the art style, the gameplay felt somewhat... unpolished.

[@asl6304]

When I first saw the boss or whoever he was directing the MEA in the demo, I thought the art looked really unpolished. I liked how detailed the overworld was in Shibuya and how one could run in front of vehicles and see what looks like realistic scripts on buildings in Japanese. The movement of the camera around the player especially when indoors was beyond dizzying to me though.

[@Samurai-no4wu]

I've been seeing a lot of negative reviews, but upon playing the demo and trying out for myself it is really not that bad. Sure it definitely has a budget look and it is not worth 50-70 bucks, but it is definitely interesting enough to do a playthrough. I definitely think the artwork could improve so here's to hoping that the game does well enough to get a sequel with improvements. The combat is alright, but at least it's not trying to hard to do something quirky to where it ruins the gameplay. The ost so far is good. I personally give it a 7.5 out of 10 right now. I honestly feel that the main reason people are upset is that they were expecting it to feel more final fantasy while to me at least it feels more nier like with the combat and graphics.

[@uchennaobi5985]

This reminded me that NEO TWEWY is in my backlog. Should go play that instead

[@whitewolf3051]

And I preordered it for the Switch way back after its first trailer, thought it was going to be something like Tokyo Xanadu Ex+, and be just as long...

[@RobertFierce]

This looks great for 29.99 but man I cannot justify the 60$ tag when I can buy tales of arise for 9.99 on sale in the store lol😢

[@sonicmania9993]

Sale prices are sale prices. You can always wait for this one too?

[@fariskhalifa8403]

Yo what is that camera doing? Is it drunk?

[@sonicmania9993]

This review, and others popping up on YT, make me sad. It's like people have forgotten how to enjoy a modest 7/10 JRPG anymore ... the kind of JPRG that dominated late PS2, PS3, PSP, and Vita libraries. This game is interesting and fun, yet it gets a 5/10 (which means "avoid", like it or not). Maybe we've been spoiled by all the 8/10, 9/10, and even a few 10/10 JRPGs that have come out in the last few years (both action and turn-based, as well as tactical) -- it's been a real renaissance period for the genre. But those great games don't make this little Furyu gem (for all its roughness around the edges) any less fun or worth playing. Maaaan ... think about how many 7/10 JRPGs we were loving back in the 2000s and early 2010s, during the dark times when grey and brown shooters were dominating the games industry, and Japanese publishers were operating mostly in the dark. This game is like those. $60 (not $70) in 2024 dollars is a fair price, and I hope Reynatis gets the "modest success" sales that Furyu deserves for making it.

[@CodyMattwes]

Lmao your comment is so exaggerated and false it's embarrassing. First of all, the full game hasn't even been released and only reviewers have played it, so you can't say that it's a 7/10 game based on the demo alone. The criticisms that have been made of the game (disastrous combat, bad and incomplete story, mediocre graphics and terrible performance in the switch version) are quite clear and on important points about any game, and a game this bad is far from being worth it. full price (it wouldn't be worth it at any price). It feels like people like you can't really criticize a JRPG or a Japanese game in general for some reason, like they're biased in that way. Also, even if this game was you know "good", it probably still wouldn't be a moderate success because it's had terrible publicity, because outside of TWEWY fans on twitter I don't think anyone even knows of this game's existence.

[@sonicmania9993]

I was speaking in generalities about games like this, and about impressions of the game I've heard from this and other reviewers -- and you are giving very specific criticisms about this game which you are sure to be true, even though I assume from your wording that you haven't played past the demo. In fact, you are so sure about it that you call my opinions and musings "exaggerated" and "false". What do you mean people like me "can't really criticize a JRPG or Japanese game in general"? I've already made it clear that this looks to be no more than a 7/10 game. What I'm saying is that the fun to be had outweighs the game's limitations, for players like me who are patient with games like this. The fact that many people can't enjoy such games anymore is specifically what I am decrying. Reynatis looks to be pretty fun, like similar games of a few generations ago as I said. I've enjoyed recent Furyu games like Crystar & Monark, even when people like you screamed "How can anyone like a game this bad?!", so I think I understand what a good (or worthwhile) game is for me. Not sure what a good game is for you, but clearly the criteria are different, no sweat. By the way even this 5/10 review says the combat is enjoyable (as opposed to your "disastrous combat" impression from your playthrough of the demo). It's getting a few 7/10's which is all it deserves -- a score which means fun to play for people who like games like this. In other words, people like me and quite a few other people I see in these comments. I'm sorry to offend you by thinking I'll enjoy a game whose demo you did not like. Hope your next game is a fun one!

[@lipsontajgordongrunk4328]

Oof man this game had so much potential

[@kermitwithamustache3885]

This game may have a lot of issues, and most people would write this off as a kusoge But it feels like it was made for me, it's such a obsucre PS2 era feeling action game with that gameplay and aesthetics, i can't help but vibe with it I expected only people who were already familiar with the game's inspirations can find good things to say about it, the target audience is way too small, most players won't find anything appealing about this I wouldn't call it a particularly great game, but for a few select people like me who miss that edgy visuals and simple designs from those old days this is gonna feel very nostalgic. Its absolutely not worth $60, but something about the low res textures, the janky hack n slash combat, nonsense wizard story just compels me.

[@fangytasuki]

I noticed this game and their last has zero fan service, which is nuts to do in a niche jrpg. Furyu is definitely being influenced by DEI. I don't need anything crazy. There is a way to have some tastful fan service vs DOA. With a game with not much going on graphics wise, I think the little fan service would of helped carried. Or at least give us dlc cosmetics that do so. Options are great.

[@saucerainshinobigaming3832]

Crazy because Steam reviews says very positive

[@silondk]

i like the demo so i am getting it on PC

[@Zuntenshi]

This unfortunately just feel and seem like a typical FuRyu title. Almost a good game. But failing in all the important places. Still getting it however, as I own all their other titles, and usually enjoy them. But its such a shame they can't get a proper budget to do something bigger and better.

[@Guelitoxtarz]

I was kinda excited for this game but

[@VerlixStone]

Yikes... I actually really like just about everything this game has to offer, however, a 15 hour run time for a JRPG that is asking for a premium price point is insane. I was hoping there was a hard mode option because after playing the Demo it felt like they defaulted it to Easy mode, but seeing as you said the game is actually that easy even into the late-game I guess not. Shame, I really wanted to support this right out of the gate, but I will for sure have to wait for a price drop. Also, this is coming out dangerously close to Metaphor which is a... bold move to say the least.

[@eswarrior]

The loop8 of 2024

[@NoisyPixelNews]

That’s funny

[@sikevillain]

Good one lol

[@HolyHadou]

I was hoping they'd stick the landing. So much for that aspiration.

[@KanameYuuki]

Once again it is unfortunate FuRyu has yet to deliver a game to its full potential, oh well I'll get it for sure but when it is cheaper.

[@keroclow9059]

I just struggled with the combat. Was disappointed and deleted the demo. 🤷 Wasn't impressed

[@ChozotheBozo]

I keep trying Furyu games and I keep getting burned by how incredibly mid they are. I really wanted this one to be good because of it's style and it's NEO TWEWY collab, but I think I'm going to hold off on this one, maybe try it on a deep DEEP sale...

[@ohitsdannie]

i did like how the demo looks and i was interested in the game for the NEO TWEWY crossover, but the combat is sorta bland and boring when you have to wait to be able to fight at times so it takes away from the actual fun combat parts. was hoping for combat more like KH's, Nier, Y's series, Tales of, Crymachina, or even Astral Chain but sadly not the case

[@shadowblack623]

So this is basically a Ys-like with a final fantasy paint job.

[@Lukja08]

Versus XIII but FuRyu

[@Nersius]

Why would you put a half dozen outsider organizations into a 15 hour game? When that section was done I was thinking 40 hrs at least, that much complexity would've been hard to keep track of even in a 15 hour audiobook...

[@DaRealGamble]

FuRyu has been hit or (a lot of)miss normally but this is disappointing to see.

[@maroXUprising]

Unfortunately. Most of FuRyu games have solid 2D character designs and solid OST’s, but they really fail on the gameplay & story. Probably not the only one that thinks this, but Crystar is one of the few exceptions where the story is decent and quite good but at the cost of awful combat.

[@rooty]

Sounds like Oninaki all over again

[@OwtDaftUK]

I will wait till it's cheap.

[@kc5946]

I wanna wait for it to drop in price but i KNOW its not gonna have a lot of copies and the scalpers will make it a $100+ game like the trails games or even atelier ones 😑

[@tyrecarmon20]

I couldnt finish the demo

[@jconny65]

3:25 TWEWY jumpscare

[@andr0zzsenpai]

0:45

[@antoniobanderas5316]

Is this Valkyrie Elysium 2?

[@Nakatomi_Kagehisa]

No because this game doesn't have pantyshots, Valkyrie had an insane amount of pantyshots

[@antoniobanderas5316]

@@Nakatomi_Kagehisa thats a net negative. So Valkyrie Elysium 0.5

[@Nakatomi_Kagehisa]

@@antoniobanderas5316 no because this game doesn't have hot characters, the Valkyrie in Elysium was the very definition of hot character, this one has dull designs, Marin looks like Yozora and Fukamachi looks like a Tiktoker, in fact one of her Dodge animations has Fukamachi doing a selfie, it's awful

[@KING-ZEAL]

Let me help you. The real drug was called Lunatelrestrium, street name Luna. Used to speak with the dead. How do I know this? I wrote it for the original script into Versus, and Nojima demanded we keep it (because of the amazing story implications of playing with characters that already .....passed) I see they screwed even the homage up.

[@calamaria9221]

The story being rushed is disappointing. I haven't played The World Ends With You yet, but it does sound like the crossover mission will be disappointing for those that did too. The combat also doesn't help matters. I was already expecting a mid game, but the combat did make me take a pause. I liked how Reynatis did the dodging/parrying and the suppression/liberation modes, but the actual fighting really just throws me off due to how much your character jumps around and how 1 press = 2 hits. Which is a shame as I loved how Crymachina's combat felt.

[@Nakatomi_Kagehisa]

It was The world ends with you crossover was awful, no voice acting, atrocious writing and the Shoka Sakurane model was butchered, looked like a N64 character

[@zelatoth]

Honestly no english VO is enough for me not to care. I watch anime subbed however with a game I don't want to read subtitles while trying to play a game.

[@Senumunu]

"how many and how big would you like the combat effects to be ?" "we are a japanese game. just shove them all in there." westoids are getting worse in this regard as well

[@wood1066]

The fact that Nisa didn't even bother to give this an English dub was already a huge red flag.

[@Lukja08]

NISA hoarding money for its trashy Trails series

[@MrSupersmash93]

Yup, its a furyu game.

[@gureguru4694]

they have an excuse to still do PS3 graphics because of the switch lmao

[@Reason4Termination]

Sad state of affairs is when other Chinese free to play action RPG is far superior than this. Japanese game development has fallen so far behind.

[@JimC1984]

Trust noisy pixel for reviews when they promote the new dragon age game. No different than IGN. Just purchased this after you reviewed it negatively I played the demo and found it quite enjoyable and a throwback to ps2 era. As a 40 year old gamer whose been playing japanese games since NES I thank you for helping me make my decision. Cant wait until eventually your blacklisted from gaming like kotaku and the rest. Perhaps then we can go back to the better days of gaming journalism

[@sonicmania9993]

Though I don't always agree with every reviewer or with every joke they make, I find Noisy Pixel one of the two or three best sources for news and impressions about Japanese games. Sorry you feel so negatively. I'm also an old-timer playing mostly JP games since the 80s, but I personally would not wish an excellent site like this (or any site really) to be blacklisted. These Noisy Pixel staff members play every game they review, care a lot about games, pursue and report on deeply-buried leads in Japanese game news sources, and what's more their interests overlap with mine. A bunch of us like them, as you can tell in these comments. I hope they prosper for a long time! By the way, Dragon Age Veilguard looks really good, I am pumped for that game almost as much as Metaphor and Ys X next month. Sorry you're offended ... how about just not play?

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Thanks :)

[@Lukja08]

Ask NoisyPixel what they think of the new Dragon Age... then reserve your judgment.

[@remytron83]

Scarlet Nexus vibes.

[@moviemove1211]

She from the world ends with u neo

[@Nakatomi_Kagehisa]

Yup, your girl Shoka Sakurane

[@PewPewSol]

All I needed to know was furyu made this. And looking at the price, yep it's 100% furyu alright. They always make AAAA garbage games and charges the same for them.

[@angelsfan1985]

As expected, it never looked good imo, plus i hearing its from furyu, knew it was gonna be bad

[@philbln]

Furyu just isn't good. I played the demo if this on PS5 deleted it after about 15 minutes. What a boring game.

[@enjoi286]

Yikes there goes my preorder

[@count-robo]

wtf is this game? lol they should be add more effects to this. sry

[@lain11644]

Wow harsh

[@kaikiske7436]

Wow this looks like super old school. Yikes. Is there a CC with modern sensibilities at least?

[@Jeustful]

It's the Japanese Harry Potter!

[@kevinsean8718]

Meh. Generic game

[@truthseeker9833]

Trash

[@truthseeker9833]

​@ChillCollins616 I did play the demo and it was boring af, couldn't even finish it Also, a lot of people agree this game is lame If you enjoy mediocre trash that's your problem

[@GilgaMax305]

​@ChillCollins616 I played the demo for an hour, and my god, is this game subpar as hell. You keep crying, though. Metaphor and YS X bout to do it right, lol

[@ampota008]

5:43 the biggest take away for me yeah i agree with you

[@alisamartinez7645]

Wasted Potential..😢

[@GamesAndAnimes]

Sound janky and interesting. I am in!