A “fantasy based in reality” is a phrase that RPG fans are aware of, thanks to Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and for many, it’s a theme that they would like RPGs to explore in new ways. Despite its original vision not being fully realized, Versus XIII’s influence is far reaching, and it has even given ideas for developers to work with. In fact, the minds behind Kingdom Hearts at Square Enix, Tetsuya Nomura included, are using the Versus XIII concept to fuel what’s next in the franchise. Enough time has passed that fans who were touched by Versus XIII and Kingdom Hearts are now developing games, too, and one such game is FuRyu and Natsume Atari’s new action RPG, REYNATIS.
As discussed in our REYNATIS preview, the game’s reveal certainly caught my eye. Led by Kingdom Hearts fan and game producer Takumi Isobe, REYNATIS is a passion project that takes inspiration from the franchise and Versus XIII while incorporating some new and refreshing ideas into the mix. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth writer Kazushige Nojima and composer Yoko Shimomura also lent their talents to the project, so there was naturally going to be a very Square Enix “feel” to REYNATIS. While that influence is there, REYNATIS manages to stand out with its story, characters, and combat in surprising ways.
REYNATIS Blends Fantasy in Shibuya’s Reality
The story centers around Marin Kirizumi, a wizard seeking to be the strongest, and Sari Nishijima, an officer seeking justice and enforcing the laws set by the Magic Enforcement Association (M.E.A.). In Shibuya, magic is closely monitored and restricted by the M.E.A., meaning that stray wizards must hide their powers or face persecution. Shibuya is reaching a boiling point as the mysterious Guild uses their wizardry to create a blood-based drug called Rubrum, which is capable of turning addicts into deformed monsters called the Damned. The Guild also oversees a world called Another, serving as their bastion and testing grounds.
Shibuya feels alive in REYNATIS, and the game definitely knows how to deliver tension and intrigue in its story. The first eight or nine chapters of the game set up the ordeal taking place in Shibuya from the perspectives of Marin and Sari. As Marin, the use of magic will get the attention of onlookers, and he tends to isolate himself as a result. Meanwhile, Sari is already accompanied by her comrade Keiichiro Ukai at the start of the game, with a profound contrasting outlook based on how the M.E.A. views Shibuya.
Magic is treated like a weapon in Shibuya, and everyone is aware of what it’s capable of. The story explores how magic and the widespread effect of the Rubrum drug affect everyday people and the main characters. Marin and Sari are deeply motivated by their own goals, but both must deal with the implications set by the underground world of wizardry. These fantastical elements of REYNATIS play into the theme of a fantasy based in reality perfectly, as all six main characters and the world react in a believable way to things that are out of their control and, at times, incomprehensible.
Exploring a Familiar Cityscape
REYNATIS’ rendition of Shibuya is among one of my favorites in gaming, along with Shibuya from NEO: The World Ends With You. The development team recreated many of Shibuya’s iconic locations with great detail. The lighting makes the constant nighttime setting feel refreshing despite some of the backtracking you would need to do for story and side quests.
Similarly to NEO: The World Ends With You, Shibuya in REYNATIS is divided into sections with loading screens in between. These locations include Scramble Crossing, Spain Hill, and Dogenzaka Alley, and each location has gateways into Another, NPCs, side quests, and Wizart. The city even has authentic brand names that make Shibuya feel very real and believable.
I also touched upon the art style of the characters in the preview, but it’s worth stating again that I really enjoy the character designs by Yusuke Naora. It contrasts nicely with Shibuya’s realistic visuals and effects, while characters have clothing and designs that are very much inspired by other RPGs, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy included. The most obvious of these designs is Marin, whose appearance is inspired by Noctis from Versus XIII / Final Fantasy XV and Yozora from Kingdom Hearts.
Suppress and Liberate Your Magical Shackles
Marin, Sari, and the rest of the playable characters can switch between Suppression and Liberation Modes with a single button press in combat and free roam. Suppression lets players roam Shibuya undetected for the most part, while Liberation activates their magic, lets them find secrets in the world, and directly attack enemies in combat.
Suppression lets players accumulate MP, easily dodge attacks with a single button press, and enter Burst Time after activating Liberation with a full MP gauge. REYNATIS rewards players for using Suppression and managing their MP well since you can build up combos and deal with more damage after activating Burst Time. You can also switch between characters, and if they have enough MP, they will unleash a follow-up attack that keeps the combo going while the previous character provides assistance with attacks.
The combat system is reminiscent of NEO: The World Ends With You in a few ways, most notably in the activation of skills. You can bind two skills to the face buttons and activate them with MP, chaining together attacks against Damned enemies and earning damage bonuses as the hit count grows. The combat system feels very responsive and satisfying most of the time, especially when Ability and Skill Wizarts are upgraded. However, it can feel clunky at first, and managing a group of enemies can get really tricky in end-game content.
Managing Stress
Going into Liberation Mode will garner the attention of onlookers, who will post about the characters on social media, alert the M.E.A., and cause the party to become Stressed. Stress accumulates by gaining attention and having conversations with NPCs. Certain Stress levels will increase attack damage and decrease defense, with 100% having the biggest damage increase and defense decrease.
It’s a trade-off that players can easily manage, fortunately. Having food and drinks, petting cats, reading and responding to text messages from party members, and defeating Rubrum addicts will reduce Stress. Additionally, if you manage to get Stress to reach 100%, it will force the characters into Liberation mode in the field, so it would be wise to remedy that quickly.
Wizarts Make the Wizard
REYNATIS takes another cue from TWEWY with its Wizart system, which includes abilities and skills. Ability and Skill Wizarts may be acquired from graffiti spots in Shibuya and upgraded with shards gained from level-ups. Wizarts can be leveled up to level 9 by acquiring additional copies of already acquired Wizarts in the world. New Wizarts can be unlocked in the world by completing side quests and reducing the Malice level, which is a representation of Shibuya’s disdain and fear of wizards.
Wizart designs are very reminiscent of pin designs in TWEWY, and the upgrade system certainly feels similar in a positive way. Each character comes with two Skill Wizarts that are tailor-made to them, and they can unlock Wizarts that serve as “Specialties.” These Specialty Wizarts match the playstyle each character brings, so leveling these up will make them very powerful.
Ability Wizarts give each character special bonuses, such as increased magic and physical damage, longer Burst Time duration, and increased Final Menace damage. Up to five Ability Wizarts may be equipped after selling materials and unlocking slots at Babushka Woods, which is the main shop of the game. These Wizarts can synergize quite well with certain Skill Wizarts, making the party quite powerful in high-level content.
REYNATIS’ Story and Characters Go a Long Way
The game’s story lacks urgency during the first few chapters, as it introduces the Shibuya Owl faction, the inner workings of the M.E.A., and other important lore details that will be expanded upon later on. It definitely picks up when Marin and Sari’s parties are fleshed out, roughly two to three hours into the game. Foreshadowing certainly builds up in Sari’s early story chapters, but it’s worth noting that both parties come together sooner than you might expect.
I think REYNATIS handles its characters quite well, with each party member having enough time to open up with their opinions and backstories. A strong sense of camaraderie gets built up naturally through the story and dialogue, including the in-game text messages and group chats. The characters grow closer, both in-person and in-text, as some may need time away from the party to process certain story events.
Despite some inconsistent pacing in a few chapters, the story is very engaging. The history of the Guild, the M.E.A, and wizardry in Japan also makes the lore of REYNATIS feel very fascinating. Nojima and the writing team crafted enough lore that could be reinforced in a potential sequel or prequel while delivering a complete story from start to finish with REYNATIS.
The Right Amount of Content
REYNATIS doesn’t stick around for long like its other competitors in the RPG space, as the story can be finished in roughly 15 to 20 hours. Those attempting to 100% the game won’t need much time after that either, with a high estimate of around 40 hours to fully complete. Despite the lack of mini-games and activities within Shibuya, REYNATIS doesn’t feel like it’s lacking content since there’s plenty of Wizart, side quests, and end-game challenges.
REYNATIS’ western release by NIS America will support the nine post-launch content updates originally announced for the Japanese release. These episodes will give players additional backstories to explore, and one of the updates includes a Secret Episode. The review build allowed me to play through the Sari episode, which details one of her main motivations for being an M.E.A. officer. I appreciate the development team’s approach to this content since it’s all free and complements REYNATIS instead of feeling like it was cut out of the game somewhere.
REYNATIS also contains a NEO: The World Ends With You collaboration quest, which is unlocked roughly halfway through the game and recommends a minimum level of 45. This content is a highlight of the game, as it feels like a love letter to NEO: The World Ends With You, a greatly underappreciated game. You get a really powerful reward for completing this quest, too, so it’s definitely worth doing.
It’s Not Always Magical
Despite REYNATIS’ strengths, it’s clear that the game is somewhat limited. For example, facial animations for character models aren’t expressive enough at times, and their models could have used more polish.
Shibuya looks great and is fun to explore, but the lack of content in each section can make the city feel empty once you’ve collected most of the Wizart. In addition, you can’t enter shops and restaurants, so it feels like the city’s overall design isn’t entirely complete. Instead, players access a menu in front of the store to purchase and eat food.
The explorable areas in Another are also somewhat lackluster, as most are just forests without notable landmarks or vistas. There are a few exceptions, such as the Guild’s main areas, but Another feels repetitive and uninspired. It can become draining while attempting to complete some of the end-game challenges since all these areas look very similar.
REYNATIS Pays Homage and Still Stands Out from the Pack
Even though REYNATIS is a little rough around the edges, it’s clearly a diamond, and it has the potential to be a great RPG franchise if the team decides to go in that direction. The game pays tribute to multiple Square Enix franchises while being unique enough to stand out with its characters, story, and combat system. It’s clear that the experiment worked here, and the ideas implemented in REYNATIS can certainly be better in a subsequent game.
From start to finish, REYNATIS is a wild ride, and it’s an RPG I can certainly recommend. It may pay homage to other games, but REYNATIS delivers an experience I haven’t quite had in RPGs before, and I think that’s worth commending. The game’s fun combat system, relatable characters, and compelling story and lore can definitely encourage players to see through some of its limits and flaws.
REYNATIS releases on September 27 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in the West.
Disclaimer: NIS America provided Final Weapon with a PS5 copy of REYNATIS for review purposes.
