Game review: Fallen Legion Revenants (PS4)
The age of the turn-based combat system in RPGs has faded somewhat with mainstream games like the Final Fantasy series adopting for a more hack-n-slash approach. However, there are still some non-mainstream games out there continuing the traditions of old.
Fallen Legion Revenants is a new JRPG that utilises the old-school turn-based system that will please older RPG fans. Despite this, I do think the turn-based system might be too difficult for new players to grasp as this game can get very hard very quickly.
Before I begin talking about the gameplay, let's discuss about the story. The two main characters are called Lucien and Rowena and both of them have different tasks to do. Lucien stays behind inside Welkin Castle to overthrow a tyrant ruling in the floating island. Rowena on the other hand is on the ground killing monsters and trying to revive her son.
Whereas most RPGs are in 3D and allow you to explore a huge environment, Fallen Legion Revenants is more unique as it's a 2D side-scrolling game. Lucien is inside the castle most of the time and he gets to talk to a lot of NPCs while also helping out Rowena.
Rowena has to kill all of the monsters outside of Welkin Castle and she's accompanied by three exemplars. Rowena uses magic to both support her party members and also hold off the invading monsters. The three exemplars use old fashioned weapons such as swords, spears and guns to ward off enemies.
The thing that makes this game so difficult is the fact that every battle you encounter is mandatory. You don't have a choice on who you get to fight as every encounter is compulsory. You cannot escape fights either so you just have to endure what is in front of you all the time.
You use the face buttons to control the exemplars and you only have three attacks per turn. When your three turns are up, you have to wait for the bar to replenish before you can attack again. It's a faster system than expected, although defending your party gets chaotic when the enemies increase in number.
One thing I don't like about the game is that blocking rarely protects you from melee attacks. If an enemy attacks you at close range, you will still receive significant damage even if you press the block button. The block button is only good against guns as you can deflect bullets back to the enemies.
Another thing I don't like about the combat is that there are not many places where you can avoid attacks. You can only walk on three tiles and it's hard to always dodge attacks from the enemies. It would have been better if the battlefield was bigger so you can avoid attacks more easily.
That being said, a part of the combat that I liked is that you're able to revive your party members multiple times. However, reviving members gets slower and slower the more times they die. You want to stay alive before you reach the end of level boss because bosses can kill your party members very quickly!
Sadly, there isn't much you can do to explore in this game as it's very linear. All you are doing in the game is facing waves and waves of enemies until you get to the end of the level. Not every level ends in a boss fight, but usually it does.
Due to the linear nature of the game, I found it hard to level up. There weren't many areas in the game where I felt comfortable because the enemies get harder and harder the more you progress through the story. It also doesn't help that this game does not have a difficulty mode so you're stuck with the default settings.
While I think the gameplay is a bit hit-and-miss, the graphics look pretty good for a 2D style PS4 game. The character models look awesome and the battles all have cool special effects. The animation may look a bit stiff at times, but the overall look and presentation of the game is commendable.
Overall, Fallen Legion Revenants is a game old-school RPG fans will love although newer gamers might feel overwhelmed with its steep difficulty curve. I just wish the game would have been more accessible as I enjoyed only some small parts of this game.
Verdict: 6.5/10
