Mary Skelter Finale

 Switch
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. Cubed3
    May 3, 2022
    90
    Engaging characters and dramatic plot twists teamed with a stellar soundtrack make Mary Skelter Finale one of the best dungeon crawling RPGs on Nintendo Switch. Replayability will happen if the true ending is not reached as all will want the beloved characters to get their final happy ending, and also for the pure joy of being with such a unique lovable cast. Issues such as enemy visuals in battle and at times frustratingly difficult puzzles do not detract much from the overall enjoyment of the final title in the Mary Skelter trilogy whose traumatic start and heart-warming conclusion leaves a memorable imprint on gamers' hearts.
  2. Digitally Downloaded
    Sep 28, 2021
    90
    Those gripes aside, this is one of the most feature-rich, complex, aesthetically interesting and different dungeon crawlers, and the perfect cumulation of everything the little series has built up to. As an added bonus, players can also enjoy a full visual novel that Idea Factory has just thrown in there, as fan service, for these characters. The irony is that the "fan service" bonus has less sex-themed material than the base project is not lost on me, but if you enjoy the characters from the main game, then this little bonus adds a nice texture to the overall package. The background art and re-drawn character sprites (into school uniforms, since this VN is a school-themed tie in) is all gorgeous, too.
  3. TouchArcade
    Oct 27, 2021
    80
    If you’re craving an Etrian Odyssey-like experience on Nintendo Switch and like the aesthetic in Mary Skelter Finale, you will have a lot of fun with it. While it doesn’t push the envelope like Mary Skelter 2 did compared to the original, Mary Skelter Finale is a competent and quality DRPG for Nintendo Switch. It also helps that the Western release has a lot of free DLC available further building on the characters. This is easily one of Compile Heart’s best games.
  5. Shindig
    Oct 4, 2021
    80
    That playful little side-story aside, the ideas at play in Finale are ones that Mary Skelter has been running with since the beginning: of hope and despair, of fate and free will, of fetishism and transgression. Finale doesn’t try to change that; rather, as the dramatic conclusion to the trilogy, takes those ideas to new extremes that enthrall and (deliberately) repulse in equal measure. I still wish it went further, and took the opportunity given by the earlier games’ endings to truly push the boundaries, but failing that, the more-is-more approach works just fine. And with the neat twists that the multi-party setup brings to the dungeon crawler formula to tie it all together, Mary Skelter Finale is a great send-off to one of thee most unique, memorable settings in recent videogame memory.
  6. RPG Fan
    Nov 8, 2021
    78
    The story is tragic and hopeless at times, only to turn around and become hopeful and positive seconds later. The combat is exciting, and I never thought I would be so engaged with the DRPG subgenre after years of not clicking with it. It’s a game that I’m certainly glad that I played, but I do find it difficult to recommend without a few caveats. If you decide to take the dive, be prepared for a notable time investment.

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Best Switch Game of 2021

User Reviews

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User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. satori7291
    Nov 2, 2021
    10
    Mary Skelter Finale is a waifu focused first person dungeon crawler. This is the 3rd game of a series and while it can be played blind, IMary Skelter Finale is a waifu focused first person dungeon crawler. This is the 3rd game of a series and while it can be played blind, I would encourage you to play through the older games first. Ideally the order is mary1 (remake) till last boss > mary 2> mary 1(remake) postgame > mary3.

    After some refinement, Compile Heart has managed to get decent dungeon crawler mechanics down. Unlike the Experience Inc ones that go off autobattle, there are a lot of different ways to build your party in this game. Like Etrian, there are different ways to build and the dungeons are challenging in the variety of enemies they send. From the nightmare boss chases in total darkness without a minimap, to the use of unique character abilities to clear dungeon puzzles its a really well polished dungeon crawl. From a mechanical standpoint, dungeon crawling battle fans will be satisfied. The difficulty level can be set to your preferred level. It is as challenging as you want it to be.

    Story wise, the mary series is one of the most dialogue and lore focused dungeon crawlers out there, comparable to coven of dusk. Building on to mary1 and mary2, the story focused on how the fairy tale heroines reach the surface and overcome the challenges that are awaiting them. It has a exciting climatic finale. There are dialogues all over to flesh out the NPCs, PCs and villains. Its quite an enjoyable ride.

    Design wise, mary has the otherworldly beauty to its design. With a horror and fairy tale motif, we get thematic dungeons and bosses (nightmares). I particularly like the final nightmare of the game. We get new fairy tale heroines each with their own theme and the new massacere pink counterpart villains too who come from torture devices instead of fairy tales.

    I am a mary skelter fan who has done every game from the vita onwards and more than once. So yes i'm somewhat biased to this. That said, it really is a good fun game and with the entire series on switch now, i encourage you to try it out. Its a mechanically good dungeon crawler that's fun and has cute fairy tale heroines. What more could anyone want?    … Full Review »
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