Reptilian Rising is a deep tactics experience that’s exciting on a turn-to-turn basis but struggles with its structural approach. Upgrading heroes, picking upgrades, deciding what abilities to use, and then fighting the reptiles is fun and challenging. The over-the-top approach to the narrative works. But the run-driven approach to historical eras feels limiting. The game would have been better if it gave players an option to access the shop between battles, while adding to the number of enemies in future engagements. For players willing to deal with some rough edges, Reptilian Rising is one of the more engaging turn-based experiences of the moment.