LEGRAND LEGACY: Tale of the Fatebounds

More importantly, each character has left a lasting impression on me and the growth that they experienced during the story makes the game feel even closer to the timeless stories of early RPGs. Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds expertly brings the PlayStation era RPGs to 2018 with an attention to detail that brings the genre to modern consoles and satisfies that nostalgic itch.

Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds is an enjoyable JRPG which brings back features that are difficult to find in modern games, such as a turn-based combat system enriched by action and tactical elements, mini-games and more. Sadly, SEMISOFT didn't bring anything truly new to the table and, as such, fails in being more than just a well-crafted tribute to the golden era of JRPGs.

I found Legrand Legacy an exceedingly tough game to score. Although it clearly has its flaws, I enjoyed the roughly 40 hours I spent with it all the same. The small but immensely talented development team may simply have tried to do just a little too much here, possibly to the detriment of character development and script writing. There are things it does well, including its great audiovisual quality, but it doesn't truly stand out in any meaningful way. SEMISOFT wished to create a love letter to JRPGs, and perhaps it did that in a most unintentional way. Legrand Legacy manages to capture much of the indelible charm of the JRPGs to which it pays homage through its rough-around-the-edges execution.

It's a very good RPG that reminds us of the JRPGs from the early 2000s. It has some good surprises, but also some rough edges.

Legrand Legacy is a polished game that has sadly taken a few controversial decissions, like the use of beautiful but complicated to navigate pre-rendered scenarios or QTE in combats that could may not be for everyone's taste. It should, however, please fans of the JRPG genre with its cliche but engaging plot and overall solid gameplay.

In the end, Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds may scratch your itch for that nostalgic JRPG experience, but only if you're really desperate for such. Otherwise, prepare to mentally harden yourself to withstand many frustrations as you drag your way through the game. It's a shame that despite the stunning art and music, Legrand Legacy ended up being a very average JRPG, greatly flawed by its questionable choices in the game design and pacing.

We had some great expectations for this title, but sadly Legrand Legacy wasn't quite able to live up to them. We strongly suggest to download the free demo on Steam before buying this title, to see for yourself what you're going into.

The charming character art, the well-crafted levels and the new twist on combat can’t overcome the pervasive sense of frustration and boredom that marked my attempted playthrough.