Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Vandal
    Nov 25, 2016
    72
    Exist Archive is a quite interesting game, but it takes its time to be engaging. It feels like the developer is not used to work with this budget, but it's still a game that hides many good things.
  2. GameCritics
    Feb 17, 2017
    70
    With its clever story and well-written characters, Exist Archive deserves a lot of credit. The 2D platforming felt like a breath of fresh air, and the combat’s nuances are deep enough to be worth investing some time in, despite some excessive grinding. Best of all, it clearly flags the points at which its various endings branch off from one another, giving curious players a chance to save their game and make a clear decision about what course they want to pursue.There’s a story worth experiencing here, even if there isn’t quite enough game to support it.
  3. RPG Site
    Oct 11, 2016
    70
    A lovely little RPG that rides on the wings of Valkyrie Profile despite noticeable flaws. Its narrative hooks are undeniably riveting as it presents an unconventional premise of a flimsy stalemate that’s ready to break down at a moment’s notice. With a fast-paced battle system accompanied by 2D platforming sections, this successor to Valkyrie Profile is a fairly good game barred down by a monotonous overall fetch quest that revisits reused dungeon designs for many hours.
  5. GamingTrend
    Nov 27, 2016
    65
    Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky is a test as much as a game, with some interesting new ideas being applied to a pretty standard JRPG. There are some highs and some lows, but the overall product is lacking in severe ways that are amplified by the generally promising new concepts. However, a strong story and some exploration options make this a game to consider.
  6. RPGamer
    Nov 7, 2016
    60
    Exist Archive is a game with a lot of potential that ultimately feels like it's missing something. The story starts with a heap of promise but ends up going nowhere with it, and the great combat is unfortunately marred by frustrating, lengthy level design. While I wouldn't go so far as to say the game is bad, it is disappointing in too many ways to really call it good.
  7. Twinfinite
    Oct 12, 2016
    60
    Exist Archive may test your time and patience, but if you’re willing to make that commitment, you should find a worthwhile experience.
  8. Push Square
    Oct 23, 2016
    50
    Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky is an advertisement for the mantra that less is more. There's an enjoyable ten hour game here, but it's buried in a repetitive and frustrating forty hour experience in which the majority of the content not only feels superfluous, but actually detrimental to the whole.
  9. Slant Magazine
    Oct 13, 2016
    50
    Exist Archive is bound to end up as a footnote in gaming history, perpetually overshadowed by the titles that it so earnestly emulates.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 31
  3. Negative: 7 out of 31
  1. tomvs123
    Jan 16, 2017
    5
    Average JRPG.

    I play games for their stories. And while I wasn't let down by the story in this one, the rest of the game was below-average    Average JRPG.

    I play games for their stories. And while I wasn't let down by the story in this one, the rest of the game was below-average to bad.

    Compared to other recent low-budget JRPGs, this one at least has a competent story. There's a worthwhile goal you're trying to reach, relatively believable characters, a few story twists during your journey, and three possible endings. There's a few unbelievable things that happen during the story (based on the game's universe), but those are forgivable considering this story is made to appeal to teens. And thankfully, there's no power-of-friendship nonsense in the game.

    To summarize the story, you and your friends apparently died, were sent to another world or the afterlife, and are trying to get back. You meet a few inhabitants of the world that are basically trying to use you so that they can accomplish their goals.

    You'll be spending most of the game finding the other 11 playable characters and looking for their memories. For the most part, they're teens, so they get worked up about silly things that don't actually matter. Though a few of the characters have more mature backstories and memories that are a bit more interesting. So as long as you like JRPGs in general, you should be able to find at least one character to like.

    There's the bad ending, cliche (good) ending, and shocking ending. Before you start playing, you must read a wiki to find out the requirements of each. The requirements are very easy, though it's easy to make a mistake and do the wrong thing before the game warns you about it and get stuck in the bad ending.

    The game takes place only in the other/alternate world. The world is really just a menu system where you choose which dungeon/area to go to. I really hate when games replace their world map with a menu system. It just makes it feel less like a game and more like a spreadsheet. What's strange is that there is an actual world map in the background of the menu system. Why didn't they just get rid of the menu and let us walk around on the map?

    The gameplay areas consist of 2d platforming sections. You jump around this relatively beautiful world until you reach your destination, which is always either a boss or item. It's beautiful at first, then you realize that all areas in the game look almost identical. There's 4 different types of areas (forests, more forests, caves, and ruins), and each one has the same recycled sub-areas that are stringed together differently based on what area you chose from the world map menu.

    Enemies on the areas all look the same. When you come into contact with one, battle begins

    Combat is a complete letdown. It's turn-based, and that's where the positives stop. Here's a list of negatives:
    - Too easy
    - Some weapons (job types) are worthless
    - Most skills are worthless
    - Some combat and defense skills don't work the way their descriptions say (mistranslated)
    - Blocking mechanics are bad
    - You attack in a diamond formation and defend in a square formation
    - You're limited in how and how often you can change your formation
    - High-powered spells are nearly useless because they prevent that character from doing anything for several turns.
    - It's difficult to cast spells: it's necessary to go though a separate menu
    - Character actions are completely canceled if the enemy you're targeting dies, even if your additional attacks would have hit other nearby enemies.

    It seems to me like they had big ambitions for the combat system, but it either turned out too complex or had other problems, so they greatly reduced the difficulty level. Really, all you have to do for the entire game is give a whip to a high-strength character and watch him/her decimate everything. And you'll need at least two mage characters to heal you or to cast magic at things that are resistant to physical damage.

    Item acquisition is quite silly in the game. You get new weapons, armor and accessories constantly. For the most part, you'll be upgrading all of your characters' equipment each time you go through a dungeon. Thankfully there's an auto-equip-best-items option.

    Also, turn on auto-saving since the game is known to crash.

    Expect to spend 30-40 hours for your first playthrough. Add 4 more hours for other two endings (as long as you have saves before the decision points). New game+ lets you start over with all levels, equipment, and skills, so if you mess up, you can breeze through the game and get back to the decision points again in about 4 hours.

    Overall, I'm glad to have this game in my collection, but it could have been much better. I would have been upset if I paid the full retail asking price.    … Full Review »
  2. ZerotakerZX
    Feb 9, 2017
    8
    Extremly solid jRPG for all fans of genre to enjoy. Rewarding battle system based on Valkerie Profile series, deep enough skil and partylExtremly solid jRPG for all fans of genre to enjoy. Rewarding battle system based on Valkerie Profile series, deep enough skil and partyl system, really nice, but maybe strangely-styled, visuals. All of this, plus pretty original plot, that reminds me of very little simmiliar products makes it s perfect game to kill time with joy using your vita. Maybe best looking game on the system in my book.… Full Review »
  3. SilentEFFect241
    Jan 23, 2017
    7
    Heres one of those games i had no clue about. walked into gamestop one day with a friend just looking around and bam there it was and to beHeres one of those games i had no clue about. walked into gamestop one day with a friend just looking around and bam there it was and to be honest my first thought was what the heck is this. Not only until i gave my sheckles to the cashier and got home did i find out its a beautiful gem. now as this game is in the style of the Valkyrie profile i was intrigued. now lets sit down and have a bit of heart to heart here really talk about a big issue if you will. Oh what issue? the graphics thats what. From the info i gathered after putting about 15 hours into the game came back with mostly issues with the graphics and how they are last gen and for lack of a better word bad. well....... they are not something like witcher 3 but with a low budget and the style they went with i think it looks quite nice. if you have played the recent fire emblem games the characters in this look like hires versions of those sprites. now the world is lacking in a tun of variation the bright colors used keep the world from feeling dead. now combat is sometimes annoying. Much like in Valkyrie profile it works of an action gauge. if you defend during one of your phases more points are built up so that next turn ya get to smack baddies in the face more times with your big sword and put a fire ball right up ther... oh excuse me moving on. Now im not going to say a lot about the story because I haven't gotten very far into it but what i will say.. pretty good so far its kinda one of those games ya gotta play the story to really get it. All in all its not a bad game certainly shows its budget in some aspects. If you buy it just sit down and give it a chance there are issues sure but none that kill the game not even close like I said give it a chance and you will find a budget gem.… Full Review »
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