13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

 PlayStation 4
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 383 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 339 out of 383
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 383
  3. Negative: 23 out of 383
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. alanwaketan
    Oct 23, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 说起本作就不得不评价其剧情。因为这是一款真正意义上的剧情驱动型游戏，整个游戏框架和游戏形式都是为了剧情服务的。这个剧情呢就是一张老千层饼，不停的反转非常的引人入胜。游戏分为三个篇章，究明篇，崩坏篇和追忆篇。追忆篇又包含了十三名主角各自的剧情线。其中的核心我认为是究明篇。玩家可以把整个游戏想象成一个大型推理现场。追忆篇就是让你收集线索，而究明篇就是让你抽丝剥茧。所以游戏的核心就是利用究明篇中收集到的要素来进行推理。游戏最绝的就是安排了这种看似松散的游戏架构却暗含了丝丝入扣的推理环节，我愿称其为开放式推理世界。举个例子，我一开始玩的是鞍部十郎，结束了序章之后，我点进去了究明篇看情节发生的时间线结果发现了不同情节之间居然有空档，那我就开始思考到底玩哪个角色能够补全这个空档，于是乎下一次就选择该角色来进行游玩而不是继续鞍部的剧情。往往这些通过别人为主视角的情节会和已知情节产生矛盾。这时候我就会推理为什么从而思考该从哪个角色的视角进行深入了解继而获得真相。整个游戏就是在这么一个层层叠进的过程中不断的靠近真相。其中的反转的刺激度不亚于坐过山车。真是一种从未有过的游戏体验。不愧是被法米通称之为前无古人后无来者的游戏。游戏唯一的不足之处就是崩坏篇和追忆篇之间的联系不够紧密。

    接下来就是剧透部分了。本作最后的培养皿说其实并不能解决游戏所有的矛盾。其中我最不解的就是既然都是培养皿了为何要麻烦的设置5个区，每个区也就只能获得3个克隆体进行培育，真的能达到学习该时代的精神从而融合不同时代的人类精神文明来避免人类灭绝这一覆辙吗？这一设置无疑只能用试验田说来解释，就是真的是想从五个时代开始重启做模拟来看看到底哪个时代能够避免人类灭绝。然而克隆体的设置是活到18岁之后被拉回现实世界上2年课来适应开荒生活。这18年能模拟个啥？这一矛盾我认为是剧情上最大的漏洞。当然本作如此复杂的叙事结构和剧情，能完善致此已实属不易。小小瑕疵不足为过，只是不吐不快。    … Expand
  2. movinshadow
    Oct 22, 2020
    10
    Genius game, Story line and charecters is superb, graphics made like hand drawn with all love they have. )
  3. Silverlake101
    Oct 21, 2020
    10
    Best story driven game of 2020. Vanillaware gives us a game that shines in both its real time strategy defense gameplay and in its extremely intricate and deep plot told through interactive visual novel-like storytelling. A must have for those who appreciate well written stories as well as beautifully painted backgrounds and characters.
  4. here_and_there
    Oct 16, 2020
    10
    Old school anime, giant mecha, sci-fi, time travel, a stellar cast, a brilliant intricate story, wonderful art style and aesthetics. You have it all. One of the most interesting games I ever played.
  5. SplinterOfChaos
    Oct 4, 2020
    9
    A deeply metaphysical story combined with a big mechs SRPG, 13 Sentinels is both rare and fascinating despite its entrenchment in what polite society might call "anime **** While appealing to two niche genre that tend to be hostile to casuals, visual novels and SRPGs, it has captured an audience that feels almost mainstream in the way it subverts their conventions.

    Vanillaware being the    A deeply metaphysical story combined with a big mechs SRPG, 13 Sentinels is both rare and fascinating despite its entrenchment in what polite society might call "anime **** While appealing to two niche genre that tend to be hostile to casuals, visual novels and SRPGs, it has captured an audience that feels almost mainstream in the way it subverts their conventions.

    Vanillaware being the developers of the classic Odin Sphere and numerous other games that broke conventions for Japanese games, 13 Sentinels seems on its surface like your typical anime cliche. Its cast is entirely highschool students piloting mechs and in general taking on way too much responsibility, dealing with puberty, conspiracies enacted by people over 30, and everything of import happens in this one city. However, it derives intrigue from its complex, interweaved stories that all feature protagonists with novel and mysterious challenges to overcome. It begs the player to invest emotionally and intellectually in order to comprehend.

    The combat of 13 Sentinels is deep, yet on the verge of approachable. Controlling up to six members at once, all in real time, it can be overwhelming managing all the special abilities, each of which must be individually upgraded using a shared pool, on top of pilot skills which may demand specific character combinations or skills in order to get use out of. Still, the combat is not hard, per say. A few almost useless units. due to improperly equipping them or assigning them to missions where they are ineffective, are easily made up for by the frankly overpowered abilities of others. It rewards strategic thinking without forcing you to lose if you make a few mistakes.

    A good rating in combat can help unlock "mystery points" which unlocks information adding depth to the story, though there is significantly less interaction between the story and combat and that's a little unfortunate.

    All in all, a very high recommendation.    … Expand
  6. SZJX
    Oct 4, 2020
    9
    It's basically a visual novel with light SRPG elements added in here and there. It's even listed in VNDB while most of Vanillaware/Atlus' other work are not. Story-wise it may not be deliver the same emotional impact as tier 0 VNs (since it's not really possible to do the long build-up that conventional VNs do with their static scenes), but it deserves at least a 9 with the impeccable artIt's basically a visual novel with light SRPG elements added in here and there. It's even listed in VNDB while most of Vanillaware/Atlus' other work are not. Story-wise it may not be deliver the same emotional impact as tier 0 VNs (since it's not really possible to do the long build-up that conventional VNs do with their static scenes), but it deserves at least a 9 with the impeccable art style that Vanillaware always delivers, which is truly unique and cannot be found in any other medium. It pays homage to a lot of sci-fis and VNs, but in a reasonable way and with its own unique twists on the tropes. As the mystery was gradually revealed I was so hooked and couldn't stop going for a few hours straight. Definitely worth a read.… Expand
  7. JackHolland
    Oct 3, 2020
    8
    A must buy if you're into sci fi and visual novels. In my opinion a masterpiece
  8. Diablo4
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    Surprising story if you do not play this game you are doing yourself a disservice. Very captivating keeping you on the edge of your seat.
  9. Pioga
    Oct 2, 2020
    10
    A must buy if you're into scifi and visual novels. In my opinion it's a masterpiece.
  10. DanTheMan1992
    Sep 30, 2020
    10
    There's always one thing that impresses me with Atlus they make some fantastic & breathtaking RPG games & am just stunned of how amazing this game is =D i highly recommend this one guys & if you are new to RPGS go give 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim a good go trust me it's worthy every penny ^_^
  11. Estellise13
    Sep 30, 2020
    10
    Create an account just to rate this game(btw English is not my first language). At first I'm also the one who say "I like vanillaware and I want to support but ,meh combat is not for me" but after playing it the rts gameplay is good not so hard but satisfying, the real reason why I love this game is the story telling and the way it interact to the player(I may not tell you why because ofCreate an account just to rate this game(btw English is not my first language). At first I'm also the one who say "I like vanillaware and I want to support but ,meh combat is not for me" but after playing it the rts gameplay is good not so hard but satisfying, the real reason why I love this game is the story telling and the way it interact to the player(I may not tell you why because of spoiler).

    Please buy this game, if you love a good story telling and sci-fi stuff you've definitely fell in love with this game.    … Expand
  12. bluesats
    Sep 29, 2020
    10
    13 Sentinels is truly one of the best experiences I've ever had in gaming. It features rich storytelling, beautiful aesthetics and engaging combat. Vanillaware is no doubt a national treasure in Japan for good reason.
  13. Vragegaming
    Sep 29, 2020
    9
    When I first saw a trailer for this game, I wanted to give it a try but wasn't sure I would like the gameplay very much. I'm happy to say I not only love the gameplay, but the story and characters were just as compelling as I hoped from a game like this. I love the set up and how you pick the protagonist you want to interact with first. I find the twists and turns in he story entertainingWhen I first saw a trailer for this game, I wanted to give it a try but wasn't sure I would like the gameplay very much. I'm happy to say I not only love the gameplay, but the story and characters were just as compelling as I hoped from a game like this. I love the set up and how you pick the protagonist you want to interact with first. I find the twists and turns in he story entertaining and I adore how the game pulls a lot of emotion from me with each character plot. I highly recommend this game whether you love anime or sci-fi. I'm not very up to date on sci-fi but theres references I do get and this game honestly made me want to learn more about the genre. All that is holding it back from a 10 for me is that I havent completed the game fully yet but based on gameplay and set up I do believe it at least deserves a 9. A lot of things to remind me a bit of a spike chunesoft game but vanillaware and atlus really made a unique feeling game and I think if you're iffy on it, at least try it out if theres a sale because it's really really fun in my opinion.… Expand
  14. bball4224
    Sep 29, 2020
    8
    There are lots of interesting twists along the way, but the final 10% or so was pretty meh in my opinion. The climax didn't live up to the buildups. Also the trophies are way too easy. You get the platinum for completing the game. I got S rank on every mission in "intense" mode, and honestly it's not that hard even in that difficulty. But you can play in any difficulty as long as you get SThere are lots of interesting twists along the way, but the final 10% or so was pretty meh in my opinion. The climax didn't live up to the buildups. Also the trophies are way too easy. You get the platinum for completing the game. I got S rank on every mission in "intense" mode, and honestly it's not that hard even in that difficulty. But you can play in any difficulty as long as you get S ranks on every mission you'll get the platinum easily. But personally there are many times I got an S in Intense without breaking a sweat, the game is not that difficult. Maybe 20% of the missions I didn't get an S on the first try. And I never reset a character so I generally didn't have optimal lineups for most of the missions, yet it's still mostly a breeze. I did have fun with the combat though. Just sometimes you're waiting to use a big attack, and suddenly that was the final wave and it's over.

    Also fine, insert your random gay character, but to have it be the same guy who is constantly spouting about his pride as a Japanese soldier yadda yadda, yeah no. If he was that serious about it as his dialogue is, he wouldn't be pursuing something that is so counter culture to that. He constantly acts like he isn't interested, but every action he does speaks otherwise. Just for tropes...

    Most of the voice acting I actually thought was pretty decent. Yuki was personally really enjoyable to listen to. Miwako, Tsukasa, and Takatoshi I found to have quite annoying voices though.

    The semi nudity is super cringe at times, especially considering all the characters are constated stated to be teens. But I guess most of the base that plays games like this probably don't mind fanservice or general Japanese perversion.

    It's also amazing how every single characters romantically loves someone. Or loves multiple people. Who knew the success rate for high school relationships was so high?!

    But annnnnyway, mostly was an enjoyable game. Just felt the end 10-20% was a letdown after all the times it made me say "oh snap" early on. Felt like they could have gone in even deeper detail about some things.    … Expand
  15. TrophyEmpire
    Sep 28, 2020
    10
    Are you like me? A fan of Giant Mecha anime set in the 80's? Like giant kaiju threatening your very future? Prefer a dash of fanservice with harem style anime undertones? Love visually appealing works of art? 13 Sentinels is a game that satisfies all this and more. The story is the well laid foundation which supports this unique title and it unfolds in a way I have never quiteAre you like me? A fan of Giant Mecha anime set in the 80's? Like giant kaiju threatening your very future? Prefer a dash of fanservice with harem style anime undertones? Love visually appealing works of art? 13 Sentinels is a game that satisfies all this and more. The story is the well laid foundation which supports this unique title and it unfolds in a way I have never quite seen before in a video game, popping in and out of characters thoughts as other characters carry on conversations in the background. It sounds complicated, but in this game they made it work! A rich tapestry of backstory intricately woven rivals, even surpasses the best offerings in the JRPG field.

    Character design is well done and endearing. Very likable characters, well drawn with personality enhancing animations galore. The environments are richly painted and brimming with light.

    When it comes to controlling your mechs, the game switches to a strategy style top down battlefield. In this area it falls slightly short of it's stellar story mode. Don't get me wrong, it's still cool, but the battlefield would have been enhanced by adding models for the mech and kaiju instead of simple flashing panels of green and red. I would have liked it to have more of a front mission style look, but there is no denying that even here there is an unmistakable sense of style, despite no on battlefield models, somehow it still works and I found myself liking this mode a lot! Nitpicking small flaws won't change my overall score for this game, too much of what it does right outshines anything else.

    Don't look up spoilers, this game is a rare treat that comes along hardly ever, one of those magical experiences that you will enjoy most the first time through. It's different, well written, made with crafted expertise and a genuine love for it's subject matter. And it shows. This game was made with love, and I love this game!    … Expand
  16. KingOfDelusion
    Sep 26, 2020
    10
    I've gone into this game knowing nothing, my expectations were even high since I really enjoyed other Atlus games before but this still managed to blow my mind. If you want a game with a great plot, don't even think twice about picking it up, it always keeps you interested and wondering what's about to happen, I was barely able to leave it alone for two days because of how intrigued I was.I've gone into this game knowing nothing, my expectations were even high since I really enjoyed other Atlus games before but this still managed to blow my mind. If you want a game with a great plot, don't even think twice about picking it up, it always keeps you interested and wondering what's about to happen, I was barely able to leave it alone for two days because of how intrigued I was. I don't want to say anymore to not spoil the game but I wholeheartedly recommend it.… Expand
  17. marcusbrahma
    Sep 25, 2020
    9
    Самое внезапное и приятное открытие 2020-го. Решил купить наугад, посмотрев пару обзоров и оценки и не прогадал. Арт-дизайн, геймплей, сценарий, сюжет все в этой игре невероятно доставляет, однако надо признать игра все ж на любителя. На любителя аниме(ну или не противника), sci-fi сеттинга, сложного повествования и тактических(хоть и не сильно сложных) боев. Ну и само собой никакой суперСамое внезапное и приятное открытие 2020-го. Решил купить наугад, посмотрев пару обзоров и оценки и не прогадал. Арт-дизайн, геймплей, сценарий, сюжет все в этой игре невероятно доставляет, однако надо признать игра все ж на любителя. На любителя аниме(ну или не противника), sci-fi сеттинга, сложного повествования и тактических(хоть и не сильно сложных) боев. Ну и само собой никакой супер топ графики, но об этом как-то и неловко говорить учитывая отличный и оригинальный арт. Из минусов выделю некоторую сумбурность в повествовательной части в плане геймплея. Не всегда понятно, где триггер для продолжения и приходиться заниматься бездумным тыканьем во все. Порой сбивает настрой. Ну и бои порой очень уж простые, но это кому как конечно. Вообщем, с учетом вышеперечисленного, неистово советую.… Expand
  18. Dpjohnston1983
    Sep 25, 2020
    10
    Surprising story if you do not play this game you are doing yourself a disservice. Very captivating keeping you on the edge of your seat.
next
Page:

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PS4 Game of 2020
33
#33 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. Edge Magazine
    Dec 31, 2020
    70
    No, it doesn't make any damn sense. But consider us compelled. [Issue#354, p.112]
  2. CD-Action
    Dec 18, 2020
    80
    “Huge mechs, a ruined city, and a hot female teacher in a latex suit”, is how one of the game’s characters described his visions. That’s, in a nutshell, the essence of this unique, crazy RPG where you face kaiju in turned-based combat one minute, and follow weird conversations of high-school students the next. And there is nothing wrong with that. [12/2020, p.70]
  3. Games.cz
    Nov 12, 2020
    90
    A game of two halves. One of them is an amazingly detailed and well-told sci-fi story, the other a fun, strategic RPG. And as a whole it works perfectly.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »