Review - Reynatis

Developer: FuRyu & NatsumeAtari

Publisher: FuRyu (Japan) & NIS America

Available On: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC

Reviewed On: PlayStation 5

WE ARE REPLICAS!

FuRyu has a reputation for creating JRPGs with fascinating mechanics - just look at Caligula Effect Overdose and that nifty combat system. While the quality of their titles vary and concepts occasionally miss, they also hit, and when they do, they strike the iron hard, sizzling from the heat. During my PAX West visit, I got to try the demo for Reynatis on PS5, falling in love with how kinetic the swordplay is. I was also taken by the inclusion of Burger King - it’s mental to me that they’ve licensed such a well-known brand. I imagine that it wasn’t cheap which just screams that they have tons and tons of faith in this game being successful and I plan to see if that belief isn’t a little misguided.

Reynatis is an Action-RPG that oozes confidence. It had the whole ass kitchen sink thrown into ensuring it’s a romp to remember. I mean, off the bat, they’ve announced a collaboration with The World Ends with You NEO. What’s mental is that isn’t a DLC pack. The balls to freely throw that content in is admirable but was it worth it?

WE ARE THE M.E.A!!

FuRyu has penned generic and interesting plot lines through the years. Reynatis is in a weird situation as it sits in the middle. Bluntly, the first couple of hours are dull. I will admit, it does utilize that time efficiently, building the foundation for what is hopefully a grand tale. It’s still destined to initially drag but hey, intrigue does eventually pique, grabbing me by the throat. I wouldn’t say it had me riveted but I was motivated to the point of being nudged to the credits. The events in between, though, were lukewarm, but I appreciate what it was attempting, and that’s despite it feeling a bit disjointed.

I’m also a fan of how FuRyu has broken the narrative into a pair of differing perspectives. On one hand, I’ll take control of a party that’s part of a government organization known as M.E.A. They’re tasked with trying to keep this alternate-reality Shibuya clean. On the other hand, I command a group of what the game refers to as Wizards. As I progress, their paths will coalesce, bringing light to the bigger picture. Rubrum, a drug that’s dangerous and addictive, is ravaging the inhabitants of the city, and with time, I’ll unveil faction warfare. My biggest qualm is how the story loses shock value because it’s rather predictable. It might be kind of coherent, but having a majority of the twists be telegraphed waters down the potential heft of it.

AREN’T YOU ANIMATED!!

The gravest sin that Reynatis is guilty of committing, however, is hiding the personality. I mean, during my session, these characters were stilted as hell. Yeah, there are glimmers but the real buffet is relegated to an entirely optional location. Yes, it’s totally optional, which is egregious. I have to purposely leap over to my text messages just to see the robust display of identity I’d otherwise miss. Reading these snippets of chatter is arguably vital because it helps to make their friendship feel tangible. Those interactions are charming and the way that the girls poke fun at our Protagonist, Marin, left me smiling. That’s why it’s a shame that unless you look, you lose that extra fluff, lessening the experience.

Furthermore, the mannerisms that they exhibit in person are at odds with who they portray via text. For instance, they might be stoic and callous when face-to-face, but behind a screen, they’re really silly and sarcastic. The juxtaposition that slaps me in the face is fierce. I suppose to play devil’s advocate, a case could be made that it’s realistic precisely because of that contrasting nature. I’ll give FuRyu props where it’s deserved, but as a video game, there are certain elements of life that don’t translate. Immersion is what suffers from this decision and unfortunately, Reynatis having this mismatch of attitudes meant I rarely got invested.

ZIP, ZIP, ZOOM!!

I’d like to preface this paragraph by stating what is probably obvious - don’t purchase Reynatis on the Switch. I’m aware that the hybrid was supposedly the core console in mind during development but when you consider the particle effects and sheer velocity of combat, it’s going to melt. I had a sneaky suspicion that would be what happens after my demo at PAX West and yeah, I’m happy I listened to my gut. Fast and furious are the best words to describe how my weapon flew through the air. If you ask me, the lock-on feature was a crucial reason why I had a friggin blast slaughtering foes. I didn’t have to wrestle with the camera because it would automatically choose my target, adjusting accordingly, thus making those skirmishes seamless.

The battling itself fits the standard hack-and-slash formula. The thing is, and I’ve said it in the past, the genius lies in the simplicity behind it. The buttons are intuitive and the skills that each character has access to can be used by pressing either Triangle or Circle. It’s quite snappy and the ease with which I can actually do it is blissful. I’ve also said a million times that just seeing the devastation that I can inflict through slowly rising numbers is my type of foreplay. The destruction my techniques cause is intoxicating, explaining why I felt eager for encounters. Granted, they happen frequently, but I would win them so rapidly that if it were any quicker, then I’d be called premature.

WOW, THAT’S UNIQUE!

But what’s the fascinating mechanic that I alluded to earlier I hear you ask. Well, it’s actually twofold. As I’ve touched on previously, Marin and his friends are Wizards. They’re outlawed beings that scare society. As such, they must remain inconspicuous and to do that, they’ll slip into Suppressed Mode. What that is, is a fancy way of saying they’re incognito. If they're not in that state, any nearby NPCs will whip out their phones, filming and posting videos with a hashtag to notify the M.E.A of their presence. As a cool bonus, keeping Suppressed restores your MP which is the lifeblood of Liberated Mode - that’s essentially an offensive stance. Each strike will drain said MP, so be wary.

Luckily, there’s a tactic that recovers a large quantity of it. It’s a special dodge that’s only usable during Suppressed Mode. As an attack is incoming, a circle mini-game activates and I must fill it by holding the evade button. If done right, I’ll side-step the strike, absorbing a wealth of MP. Yeah, 50% of my attempts resulted in 100% failures. See, I’m conditioned to try to avoid being hit. Reynatis wants me to take it like a champ, though, and trust that this feature works. The caveat is that it won’t always. The annoyance of that gets amplified due to it being the only viable method for dispelling shields - a commonality late into it. It’s tedious having to sulk for my next opportunity - it kills momentum.

THE SCALES ARE TIPPING!

I think it’s appropriate to say that I’ve got no love lost for Reynatis but I’m also not offended by it. However, it did elicit a vulgar tantrum that was fueled by pure frustration. I’ve finished after messing about for 35 hours. I had some fun until I was confronted with what I’ve dubbed as The Three Musketeers. They’re separate bosses that kicked my ass. Now, before all those Git Gud comments echo, it wasn’t due to my sucking, but disgusting balance. They were OP as, well, I can’t say that word. My HP plummeted faster than I could heal. Mercifully, checkpoints are superb but that doesn’t negate how massive the difficulty spike is.

FANCY YOURSELF AN ARTIST?!

Excuse my language but what I believe makes Reynatis is the Wizard facet - it’s awesome as shit. Across the urban setting are designs placed there by street artists. If you mingle with those images, you gain a fresh ability or perhaps a passive trait for your efforts. Yup, you heard correctly, we aren’t learning through the traditional means of a level-up. No, I’ve got to be vigilant and explore the areas I’m in. If that isn’t enough coolness, by doubling up, I strengthen how potent said ability or said passive represented by the specific picture is. Suddenly, my blade thrust gets additional lethality, although getting there isn’t instant - it has a cost.

Let me be clear that leveling does still have a role. With every uptick, I’ll earn a set amount of crystals. These are the currency that allows me to upgrade each move in my arsenal. During the first 30 or so, my rewards are few, forcing me to be really conscious of where I spend them. If that sounded alarming in terms of possible grinding, ring it louder. It’s definitely here, but it’s not even a slog. If you combine how swift the fights can be with the idea that if I exclusively fend off those that pop up as I traverse a map, I’ll be quite prepared for what’s ahead. It’s also why I explicitly accuse this game of gross imbalance with The Three Musketeers since everything before and after were cakewalks.

YOU SEE THAT!?

When I say that this city is fictional, I mean that it’s in a video game. When it concerns the accuracy to the authentic Shibuya, though, it’s as close as can be. FuRyu and NatsumeAtari had a potent desire to emulate it. I can proudly say it’s been a mission accomplished as the detail is baffling. Hell, people have said how environments exude a familiar vibe - it’s detailed to the gills. I’m also a huge fan of the deeper colours. When it concerns the dungeons, well, it’s plainer than a hamburger without any of the condiments. NPC models share that weakness and suffer from twin syndrome. At least the main characters have amazing 3D models and their dialogue portraits look fantastic. I’m smitten, especially with Moa and her bunny hoodie.

THAT SOUNDS…FINE!

Don’t expect the soundtrack to change the world. In fact, nothing is overly distinct. That said, I did adore that main theme. I enjoyed the soft docile strokes of the piano keys. If I’m being brutally honest, the music fades into the background. Sure, I was privy to it and it never caused my ear holes to bleed, but they also weren’t reaching climax. Like other FuRyu projects, voice acting is Japanese only. It’s a bummer but if what I’m hearing is mint, I adapt and settle in. After so long in this world, my opinion is that it’s fine. There are inflections and I periodically do hear emotion. I can tell there was direction but it didn’t persist as the rest isn’t comparable.

AND THE WIZARDRY VERDICT IS…

Reynatis is a mediocre journey that’s propped up by excellent combat. Frankly, the gameplay loop is why I kept going. It’s so delightful, helped further by a sturdy 60 frames-per-second. Sadly, the baffling choices around writing structure and an insistence on shoving the meat and potatoes of a flavourless narrative aside is the kill shot that solidifies it as a slightly below-average jaunt. Rest assured as it isn’t doom and gloom at every turn because the FuRyu experimentation sort of hooked me. Granted, there were a couple of stumbles that need reevaluation but if you aren’t a literary nerd by, I reckon you’ll have a blast. The music and voice acting may be subpar, but the gameplay is crisp. Regardless, I can only suggest buying at a discount.

WAIT FOR SALE ON REYNATIS!

A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.