13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

 Switch
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 167 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 146 out of 167
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 167
  3. Negative: 14 out of 167
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  1. ejoseph
    Sep 3, 2023
    6
    Overall, this game is okay, but the plot can be a convoluted mess at times (many times). Maybe this was intentional, but I almost quit playing the game many times as a result.
  2. Garysanderson96
    Jul 3, 2023
    9
    Got the Switch solely to play the games that not on PC but on PS.
    The story is confusing as hell, but they mixed it so well between all the characters.
    The top-down gameplay is top-notch
    Haven't got a good, mind-bending story game since I played Knights of the Old Republic in 2017.
    Hope that the game will be coming to PC, I'll buy it again
  3. nnja
    May 14, 2023
    7
    With 14 hours in, this game feels like a solid 8, probably 8,5. From the first hour, the story took me in and never let me go, although there's a bit of confusion in the beginning because of the many characters and time travel. From the moment you clear the prologue things will become more clear and missions will be more complex. Love it so far.

    Update : after more than 50 hours in, the    With 14 hours in, this game feels like a solid 8, probably 8,5. From the first hour, the story took me in and never let me go, although there's a bit of confusion in the beginning because of the many characters and time travel. From the moment you clear the prologue things will become more clear and missions will be more complex. Love it so far.

    Update : after more than 50 hours in, the story is becoming VERY confusing and less and less attractive. Gameplay mechanics are mostly the same. A good game for "jrpg" fans.    … Expand
  4. basilpesto
    May 14, 2023
    10
    hidden gem for mecha fans. when i first saw the trailers on the gameplay i didn't know what i was seeing until i played it. its the most addictive stuff i ever had my hands on. amazing hand crafted art style as to be expected by vanillaware and characters drenched in a story and scenic spectacles you'll see. kinda like pacific rim when a jaegar falls infront of an old man treasure huntinghidden gem for mecha fans. when i first saw the trailers on the gameplay i didn't know what i was seeing until i played it. its the most addictive stuff i ever had my hands on. amazing hand crafted art style as to be expected by vanillaware and characters drenched in a story and scenic spectacles you'll see. kinda like pacific rim when a jaegar falls infront of an old man treasure hunting in the beach sand with his grandson. when you first see the design of a sentinel teleporting on an encounter. a time travelling plot connecting the story dots in desperation to save time itself.

    the game itself is one i wanted on the vita until it got scrapped. but luckily it came on the switch which feels like the ideal way to play on the go. see it as an episodic side of gameplay storytelling to feed yourself more into the story. if you own one or a ps4/ps5 i highly recommend getting it can be found cheap or worthy of your libraries.    … Expand
  5. YannySp101
    Apr 28, 2023
    9
    13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim isn't a game that caught my attention, until a friend recommended me to give it a try mainly because of one thing; the story.
    To be honest, I got into the game with high expectations for the story because I kept hearing how good it is, and after completing the game 100%, I got to say, I'm utterly blown away by how impressive 13 Sentinels's narrative is, not only    13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim isn't a game that caught my attention, until a friend recommended me to give it a try mainly because of one thing; the story.
    To be honest, I got into the game with high expectations for the story because I kept hearing how good it is, and after completing the game 100%, I got to say, I'm utterly blown away by how impressive 13 Sentinels's narrative is, not only because the story is incredible by itself, but also because of its unbelievably ambitious premise; 13 different protagonists, 5 different time periods, a concept that's bound to fail but somehow ended up being so well executed, it's mind-blowing.
    What's even more mind-blowing, is how well-paced the story is, despite the 40 hours long run-time; it's consistently captivating from the beginning till the end.
    With that being said, I don't think the story is completely perfect; it uses many Sci-Fi tropes at times, but the narrative as a whole is outstanding nonetheless, one of the best I've seen in a while and it definitely lived up to my expectations.
    Thankfully, the characters are very engaging, likable and impactful, and even the characters I didn't like at first got much better in the process.
    Also, the art style looks wonderful and the music is decent too.
    The weakest part of the game, however, is anything gameplay related, particularly the Destruction mode, the Real-Time Strategy part of the game; it's kinda... meh, not necessarily boring but not exciting either.

    Pros:
    + Genius story-telling
    + Absolutely fantastic story
    + Compelling characters
    + Gorgeous visuals

    Cons:
    - Unremarkable gameplay

    Narrative: 10/10
    Gameplay: 5/10
    Characters: 9/10
    Music: 6/10
    Art Style: 9/10

    Final Rating: 9/10
    - Amazing -
    13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an extraordinary narrative-focused videogame with some fascinating ideas that I haven't seen in a videogame before, executed miraculously well.
    The Real-Time Strategy gameplay might be somewhat lacking, but thankfully it's a very minor part of the game.

    Do I recommend it?:
    Must-play if you're looking for engaging story and characters.
    Avoid if you're looking for fun gameplay.    … Expand
  6. Pedit
    Apr 28, 2023
    10
    Amazing game. Incredible storyline with memorable characters and a divine OST. One of my favourite games of all time. don't sleep on it
  7. nep321
    Apr 9, 2023
    6
    The story mode was a bit of a drag and I had trouble piecing it all together; it was very convoluted. However, I enjoyed Destruction mode which plays like an RTS game. The soundtrack wasn't spectacular but had a few good ones.
  8. Hackattaque
    Mar 5, 2023
    8
    On paper, this game looks…messy. Not two or three or four characters but 13, whose story is told in itty-bitty jumbled-up chunks. A high-schoolers-in-mech-suits premise that checks off every bonkers anime trope from talking cats to corporate conspiracies. Three entirely separate game ‘modes’: Visual novel, real-time strategy and dense lore. And a tutorial that lasts 4 hours.

    Yet as    On paper, this game looks…messy. Not two or three or four characters but 13, whose story is told in itty-bitty jumbled-up chunks. A high-schoolers-in-mech-suits premise that checks off every bonkers anime trope from talking cats to corporate conspiracies. Three entirely separate game ‘modes’: Visual novel, real-time strategy and dense lore. And a tutorial that lasts 4 hours.

    Yet as headache-inducing as the game’s opening may be, I kept coming back for more. The core of the game is the visual novel section, with gorgeously painted environments and story beats that are entertaining and mysterious in equal measure. Unlike other games in the genre (eg AI: Somnium Files), the bite-size sections actually help the pacing: You’re never stuck for too long in one place, and there’s always an ominous threat keeping you on your toes. Even as the story jumps the shark and starts to crumble under the weight of its time loops and melodrama, the actual moment-to-moment plot stays fun.

    The rest of the game is less special. The RTS battles are visually threadbare, and clearly an afterthought; more effort went into the jiggly boob physics of the main adventure’s school nurse than any of the battle levels. I didn’t get much out of the dense lore analysis sections either. With a less insane story and a more developed battle mechanic, this game could have been a timeless classic. As it is, it’s more an admirable and original experiment that delivers — most of the time. 8/10    … Expand
  9. lesiuML
    Feb 5, 2023
    9
    I was considering to give this game an 8 but I simply can't go lower than 9 after seeing the game credits. The story of 13 sentinels is remarkable, very interesting and unique. It's a real holy grail for science fiction enthusiasts. And for the story so unexpected and beautiful I gave this game a 9. As for the "destruction", part when you need to fight against robots... It was fun at theI was considering to give this game an 8 but I simply can't go lower than 9 after seeing the game credits. The story of 13 sentinels is remarkable, very interesting and unique. It's a real holy grail for science fiction enthusiasts. And for the story so unexpected and beautiful I gave this game a 9. As for the "destruction", part when you need to fight against robots... It was fun at the beginning but for me it was definitely too much of it and later on I was feeling like I'm wasting my time doing those boring fights over again, that unfortunately was necessary to push the story forward. I highly recommend this game to everyone who likes good story, this game will definitely have some impact on anyone if you just give it a chance and at least try to understand it. I can't stand people that are rating this game after an hour or eight... It's like reviewing book after seeing it's cover and few pages. It's one of the most interesting story I've witnessed in quite some time.… Expand
  10. Vinzkill
    Jan 29, 2023
    10
    I usually dont like visual novels, not much of a strategy game fan, I dont like scifi fiction BUT I LOVE THIS GAME and thats how good this game is. Watching some video reviews I told myself the devs are lazy for the gameplay are just boxes shooting each other but weird enough that simplicity with Fantastic plot is like peanut butter and jelly. Also the part that it forces you to play someI usually dont like visual novels, not much of a strategy game fan, I dont like scifi fiction BUT I LOVE THIS GAME and thats how good this game is. Watching some video reviews I told myself the devs are lazy for the gameplay are just boxes shooting each other but weird enough that simplicity with Fantastic plot is like peanut butter and jelly. Also the part that it forces you to play some visual novel story first before you can proceed with the strategy gameplay makes the game balanced and vice versa so you take a pause from fighting kaiju then do the story then rest from the story then fight kaiju. Dont look for spoilers, just play the game in your own pace. The twist and turns and the story of each person connects together.… Expand
  11. Belonski
    Jan 25, 2023
    10
    This game is primarily a visual novel game with a complex story. That means you actually have to pay attention to the story, think and speculate to enjoy it best. If you don't like that or hate anything that's slower paced, visual novel, anime or any nudity, this game is not for you.
  12. ZangBang
    Jan 17, 2023
    6
    While its repetitive and unbalanced real-time action strategy struggles to be entertaining, 13 Sentinels' narrative offers something truly special. With a non-linear, highly-interactive style of storytelling, the game dares to turn its overly complex but compelling plot into an investigative struggle for the players, challenging them to keep track of its huge cast of charismaticWhile its repetitive and unbalanced real-time action strategy struggles to be entertaining, 13 Sentinels' narrative offers something truly special. With a non-linear, highly-interactive style of storytelling, the game dares to turn its overly complex but compelling plot into an investigative struggle for the players, challenging them to keep track of its huge cast of charismatic characters, emotionally-charged drama and fascinatingly structured sci-fi concepts, all of it told with a mesmerizingly unique art-style.… Expand
  13. Wrecktangled
    Dec 21, 2022
    9
    My first ever visual novel and I really enjoyed it. The story was great. The characters were amazing. I thought about this game quite a bit after finishing it. The tower defense aspect got a little old by the end, but overall I would recommend.
  14. dirtkiller23
    Nov 17, 2022
    10
    Jumped into the game with absolutely no expectations of the story or combat,was absolutely floored after with a huge,expansive story with a lot of plot twists,and the RTS combat feels great,hard to understand at first.Must buy if you're a fan of science fiction and everything related.
  15. Djungelorm
    Nov 2, 2022
    10
    13 Sentinels is an amazing story driven game with 13 stories intertwined perfectly to unravel the overall plot in non-chronological order as you slowly build your knowledge and piece things together, and each realization of a connection feels rewarding. There is also the Analysis section if you need assistance as to where each piece fits into the overall story, so you need not worry of it13 Sentinels is an amazing story driven game with 13 stories intertwined perfectly to unravel the overall plot in non-chronological order as you slowly build your knowledge and piece things together, and each realization of a connection feels rewarding. There is also the Analysis section if you need assistance as to where each piece fits into the overall story, so you need not worry of it being too complicated. I won't say anything of the plot itself as it is best experienced completely blind. As for the combat, it is not as perfect as the story, but is engaging and strategic, even if the graphical style does leave a little to be desired in this particular part of the game (contrary to the story where the character sprites and backgrounds look fantastic). It may be a little obscure, but trust me when I say this is one of the most essential story-based games you can get for the Switch.… Expand
  16. Sunshadow87
    Oct 16, 2022
    9
    Lo primero es aclarar que no me gustan los RTS, así pues, no voy a entrar a valorar esta parte del juego (la cual complete poniéndolo en fácil y no complicándome demasiado la vida). A pesar de ello disfrute gratamente de la experiencia de 13 sentinels y es un juego recomendable si te gusta el resto de lo que ofrece. Así pues valorare solo el resto de la experiencia.
    13 sentinels es una    Lo primero es aclarar que no me gustan los RTS, así pues, no voy a entrar a valorar esta parte del juego (la cual complete poniéndolo en fácil y no complicándome demasiado la vida). A pesar de ello disfrute gratamente de la experiencia de 13 sentinels y es un juego recomendable si te gusta el resto de lo que ofrece. Así pues valorare solo el resto de la experiencia.
    13 sentinels es una mezcla de RTS y Visual Novel, que debe de andar en 20-30%/80-70%, lo cual quiere decir que para quien realmente no es recomendable es para aquellos que no les gustan las visual novels.
    La historia y la manera en la que es contada es sublime, original y caotica, mostrandonos los eventos de manera desordenada en función de con que personaje vayamos jugando, teniendo que ir ordenándolos en nuestra cabeza (con ayuda del visor de eventos que ya nos los coloca por orden) para ir desenmarañando lo que de verdad ocurre, con una infinidad de giros de guión. La historia nos muestra desde el principio viajes en el tiempo y varios momentos temporales diferentes para terminar de liar la marrana también. La belleza de los gráficos en esta parte es también sublime.

    Ahora el punto más negativo del juego es el balance entre las dos partes... o mejor dicho, la "desconexión" entre ellas. Una vez terminado el tutorial del juego, la parte RTS (la batalla final) y la parte visual novel quedan como dos pegotes separados en el menú del juego. Llegado a ese punto invertí unas 12 horas en solo jugar a la visual novel sin tocar la parte de RTS hasta llegar al punto que no podía continuar porque me obligaba a llegar a una cierta batalla para desbloquear más historia. En esas 12 horas no eche de menos la parte de combate, simplemente porque la historia te atrapa y porque tampoco le ves sentido ponerte a ello: la parte de RTS es la "batalla final" y el punto donde confluyen las historias de los 13 personajes, así que hasta ver lo que esta ocurriendo realmente se siente incluso anticlimatica jugarla... este es el punto más del juego, aunque necesario tal y como se ha estructurado la historia (siendo contada a retales), me hace plantearme si era necesario incluso incluir la parte de RTS en este juego... aunque me imagino que fans del genero estaran en desacuerdo conmigo.

    igualmente, una gran obra maestra muy recomendable para cualquier fan de disfrutar de una buena historia.    … Expand
  17. Xitomz
    Sep 24, 2022
    10
    Incredible sci-fi visual novel. The story is incredibly good, you really don't know what the hell is going on until you're atleast at 60-80% completion.
  18. M3G4L
    Sep 15, 2022
    10
    13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim delivers on its storytelling, great setting, and mystery, great premise, and great story beat in both the story itself but also the implementation of the story related to the gameplay. It quickly became one of my favorite experiences of gaming and I hope many aspiring developers take inspiration from this game. It's perfect in what it's trying to do and it does it13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim delivers on its storytelling, great setting, and mystery, great premise, and great story beat in both the story itself but also the implementation of the story related to the gameplay. It quickly became one of my favorite experiences of gaming and I hope many aspiring developers take inspiration from this game. It's perfect in what it's trying to do and it does it in a unique way, its deserving of a perfect score.… Expand
  19. markrivison
    Sep 11, 2022
    9
    각종 SF 오마주가 들어가있는데 잘 섞여서 재밌다.
    이야기의 순서를 구성하는데 굉장히 노력을 들였을 것으로 예상됨.
  20. GRAFAIAI
    Sep 1, 2022
    0
    this game is so lazy and has really boring mechanics. i really dislike it, bad
  21. lucinhagamer
    Aug 25, 2022
    0
    this game is not good it all, it has a really bad gameplay, outdated and very bad
  22. Ayreos
    Aug 20, 2022
    10
    For me, the best game of the last 10 years.
    The art is phenomenal. The best example of 2D node animation. The gameplay is fun and directly ties into the story segments. The writing is actually good. Characters travel to a different time period and actually experience different form of light culture shock. It's not superficial at all.
    Yes, it has small flaws all over, but that's all    For me, the best game of the last 10 years.
    The art is phenomenal. The best example of 2D node animation. The gameplay is fun and directly ties into the story segments. The writing is actually good. Characters travel to a different time period and actually experience different form of light culture shock. It's not superficial at all.
    Yes, it has small flaws all over, but that's all trivialized by the amount of effort, attention to detail and love this game so obviously got and conveys to the player. The setting and storytelling, the concept art, design references to cultural classics from both west and east, the sense of scale. This game oozes value all over and there would be too much to write.
    Taken apart, the battle segments might seem to lack a little in presentation and variety, but since most of the time is spent exploring the non-linear story, they never overstay their welcome. 13 sentinels truly performs a feat of game design to create something far above the sum of its parts.    … Expand
  23. LoomBoom
    Aug 7, 2022
    9
    Spectacular game. One of the best stories I’ve played in a video game. The characters are fantastic and each of their arcs are great to see. Also the English dub is really good, which makes it easy to digest the story. The RTS gameplay is also pretty fun, but the maps are bland to look at and leave a lot to be desired. Overall, I highly recommend this game if you’re a fan of sci-fi and/orSpectacular game. One of the best stories I’ve played in a video game. The characters are fantastic and each of their arcs are great to see. Also the English dub is really good, which makes it easy to digest the story. The RTS gameplay is also pretty fun, but the maps are bland to look at and leave a lot to be desired. Overall, I highly recommend this game if you’re a fan of sci-fi and/or visual novels.… Expand
  24. BugagaTV
    Aug 4, 2022
    10
    Одна из лучших игр в плане истории, сюжета и вотэтоповоротов.
  25. tom974
    Jul 11, 2022
    9
    That was my first entry in the visual novel genre and quite an excellent one. Very beautiful artistic direction, captivating story, nice multi-character / story line setup. It misses the 10/10 by a slightly misrythmed storytelling by the end of the game. Moreover, the fight phases could have had a more detailed rendering but it is still a nice implementation.
  26. ytmerc
    Jul 7, 2022
    0
    0 через те що немає української озвучки в цій грі та навіть немає українського інтерфейса
  27. NintendoCade
    Jul 3, 2022
    10
    13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a beautifully crafted game with a mesmerizing story, beautiful art, and is a game that can only be done in a video game medium. A must play stunning masterpiece that will keep you engaged to the very end. Highly recommend it to give this game a chance.
  28. Nintendist
    Jun 29, 2022
    0
    i dont have fun while i playing this game. the story is very easy and gameplay is boring
  29. FreshCuppa
    Jun 27, 2022
    10
    This game is a work of art and in my top 5 of 30 years of gaming. If you are fairly interested, get it and play WITHOUT ANY SPOILERS. It is a story driven game, so you need to read (a lot), remember and think to really savour it. If it doesn't click with you from the start, keep at it a little bit longer. It is one of those games that made me sit there with open mouth, shaking my head andThis game is a work of art and in my top 5 of 30 years of gaming. If you are fairly interested, get it and play WITHOUT ANY SPOILERS. It is a story driven game, so you need to read (a lot), remember and think to really savour it. If it doesn't click with you from the start, keep at it a little bit longer. It is one of those games that made me sit there with open mouth, shaking my head and questioning all my understanding of the plot ... and loving every second of it.

    Writing, sound, art and voice acting get a solid 10, simply beautiful. My only negative is the fairly repetitive enemy design and the fighting part could be a bit more nuanced. The latter is entertaining, with a nice learning curve but in the end you can succeed if you just throw your best guys at it and remember the basic rock/paper/scissor mechanic.    … Expand
  30. shirex
    Jun 15, 2022
    0
    Just bad design honestly. In my personal, humble and honest opinion this weeb game should not have been released in such a devastating state, dissappointed.
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Switch Game of 2022
20
#20 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Universo Nintendo
    Oct 5, 2022
    75
    13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an easy recommendation to do, but with a public that is hard to define. Players that are used to the VN niche or sci fi stories will probably love the game. Other players, however, must give a chance to the title, eventually, due to how unique each of its characteristics are. It’s not a title that will please all players, but it’s certainly a title that deserves the attention of the general public.
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  2. Cubed3
    Jun 6, 2022
    70
    Despite its subpar Destruction mode, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a delight. The story will captivate the minds of those interested in pulpy sci-fi adventures, and the gorgeous art style and compelling script are enough to warrant putting up with some tedious RTS battle sequences. On the whole, this is a title easy to recommend for those who enjoy sci-fi and visual novels, as the strengths of 13 Sentinels more than makeup for its weaknesses.
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  3. Movies Games and Tech
    Apr 28, 2022
    85
    As a whole, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an incredibly engaging game. It is equal parts entertaining and compelling whilst remaining fun and light. It’s super easy to pick up and pass the time, and is something that I constantly find myself thinking about. The story is thick enough to really sink your teeth into. There’s enough depth to keep you coming back to it time and time again. If you’re a fan of previously published titles from Atlus and Vanillaware, then I cannot recommend this enough.
    Read full review
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