Mercenaries Saga Chronicles

 Switch
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 2 out of 17
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  1. TrainerEstew
    Feb 9, 2018
    7
    Short Review:
    7.5/10, forced to round down. With a large amount of content for its price and solid gameplay, Mercenaries Saga Chronicles is definitely worth a look from those who enjoy the SRPG gameplay, but not if you're looking for interesting story and characters, or if you're looking to get into the genre.
    Long(er) Review: Mercenaries Saga Chronicles is a compilation of the    Short Review:
    7.5/10, forced to round down. With a large amount of content for its price and solid gameplay, Mercenaries Saga Chronicles is definitely worth a look from those who enjoy the SRPG gameplay, but not if you're looking for interesting story and characters, or if you're looking to get into the genre.

    Long(er) Review:
    Mercenaries Saga Chronicles is a compilation of the Mercenaries Saga games. This marks the debut of Will of the White Lions, the first game in the trilogy, on consoles. The other two, however, are available on 3DS as well at the cost of $5.99 each.

    Gameplay:
    Mercenaries Saga presents solid SRPG gameplay. There's nothing astounding here, but nothing terrible either. It's simply solid. Grid-based movement, Final Fantasy Tactics-esque combat, so on and so on. It's very generic, but it holds up well. The only notable feature is that maps feature elevation advantages, which is something that I did quite like and isn't necessarily in all SRPGs. Overall, though, there is a large amount of content since it is a trilogy of games. There's easily enough content to get your money's worth in hours played.

    Story:
    One of the game's weaker areas. The stories are all very bland and really just a way to push more enemies into your path. There's no investment in the plot or characters, most of which are just generic templates. Definitely don't buy the game if you're looking for an engrossing story.

    Graphics:
    Serviceable, but not great. The tileset is the epitome of generic, but there's some good spritework in the game. Enemies and allies have well-made sprites that definitely add to the overall presentation. Generally, though, map tiles look generic and a little underwhelming.

    Controls:
    These can take a bit of getting used to. Joystick is pretty much unusable for movement, which isn't overly surprising in a grid-based game. D-Pad works well, but sometimes the camera angles can disorientate the user and cause a few bad inputs. Nothing serious, but something that occasionally occurs.

    Overall, the game is a solid 7.5/10, but I can't bring myself to bump it up to an 8 for Metacritic. I simply can't recommend the game to those that aren't genuinely looking for an SRPG to play. It's not a great entryway, but it's a solid way to scratch the SRPG itch for cheap.    … Expand
  2. night4
    Mar 19, 2018
    8
    I'm really surprised at how deep and fun the combat is later on. Yes, it's rather simplistic at first, but you soon start to unlock more classes and that's the best part of the game. There are some *really* overpowered attacks in the final classes, which is great, because many games try too hard to balance everything and unintentionally nerf all the fun as well.

    Another great feature is    I'm really surprised at how deep and fun the combat is later on. Yes, it's rather simplistic at first, but you soon start to unlock more classes and that's the best part of the game. There are some *really* overpowered attacks in the final classes, which is great, because many games try too hard to balance everything and unintentionally nerf all the fun as well.

    Another great feature is the aggro system, which I don't think I've ever seen in a tactical game before. It allows you to focus on offense with your damaging characters more than they would be able to otherwise.

    I would only recommend it to tactical RPG fans, but I'd highly recommend it to them. This is probably the best tactical RPG I've played since Final Fantasy Tactics.    … Expand
  3. DingerDonger
    Nov 14, 2020
    7
    For starters, there's a LOT of content in here. For the price per hour of gameplay it's hard to beat this trilogy. The games themselves are not bad; the stories of each are a little dry at times and some of the dialogue is corny but it's overall not horrible. The gameplay is a pretty standard SRPG with some cool character customization options later on. There's also a magic item "crafting"For starters, there's a LOT of content in here. For the price per hour of gameplay it's hard to beat this trilogy. The games themselves are not bad; the stories of each are a little dry at times and some of the dialogue is corny but it's overall not horrible. The gameplay is a pretty standard SRPG with some cool character customization options later on. There's also a magic item "crafting" system that isn't too complex but helps to make use of less powerful items you find. There isn't a ton of variety in the gameplay though, and there's the necessity for a lot of grinding at the higher difficulties (not necessarily a good or bad thing, since some people play these games for the grind). The camera can be a bit frustrating at times since it's at an angle and you can't change your view. This can lead to some longer than necessary turns just trying to navigate your units around the camera angle.

    I can't bring myself to give it an 8 or higher but I'd say it's worth a purchase. It's just kind of... average in all areas. Nothing really stands out enough to make this game "great." If you're looking for a cheap game(s) you can sink tons of time into though, this is definitely the pick.    … Expand
  4. Doc_Assclapper
    Dec 7, 2020
    7
    Decent ff tactics clone. If you want something cheap and has levels you can play on the go... this is it.
  5. Anankos3010
    Jan 1, 2020
    9
    I love this game, gameplay is simple but very depth and seriously invested. old but not obsolete
  6. ndragonx
    Feb 27, 2018
    10
    If you love Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics you will enjoy this game.
    Lots of grinding and the story keeps you engaged and wanting to see what comes next, so win win!
    You have a switch buy this game, its price and 3 games in one is to good to pass up on.
  7. pkjoohwan
    Apr 22, 2018
    3
    Control system of this game is not acceptable.
    The game is "Quarter view". It means the war-field grid is twisted 45 degrees.
    The problem is.. the control space is also twisted 45 degrees... If you press "up" button, the cursor goes to upper right direction. (I can's sure it is upper left or upper right… But I'm sure that is not upside..). If you press "left" button, the cursor goes    Control system of this game is not acceptable.
    The game is "Quarter view". It means the war-field grid is twisted 45 degrees.
    The problem is.. the control space is also twisted 45 degrees...
    If you press "up" button, the cursor goes to upper right direction.
    (I can's sure it is upper left or upper right… But I'm sure that is not upside..).
    If you press "left" button, the cursor goes to upper left direction
    If yo press "up-left" direction... the cursor goes upper right (or upper left, by random)…

    As you know, the game with poor control, is sucks.    … Expand
  8. EvanIllinoisBoy
    Jul 12, 2023
    8
    This comes from the same people who made Adventure Bar Story which is considered one of the best Indie Games on the 3DS. I have always like grid based RPGs since I picked up Fire Emblem Awakening but never had the passion or love for them that I have developed after playing Fire Emblem 3 Houses! This is a very good one and not to mention that there’s three titles with over 100 hours acrossThis comes from the same people who made Adventure Bar Story which is considered one of the best Indie Games on the 3DS. I have always like grid based RPGs since I picked up Fire Emblem Awakening but never had the passion or love for them that I have developed after playing Fire Emblem 3 Houses! This is a very good one and not to mention that there’s three titles with over 100 hours across all of them combined according to HowLongToBeat.com! Now there is always the need for true Quality over Quantity, but this has that quality most would be looking for. Very textbook in gameplay, story, and level design, but the game is beautiful, has amazing charm, and is just a joy for anyone with a love for SRPGs (Strategic Role Playing Games). The UI is not the most convenient or user friendly when it comes to preparation, management, and purchasing, but in the gameplay, it works smoothly. I picked it up on a $7 sale and honestly, I would’ve paid the full price! The gameplay can get repetitive, but that is something with almost every SRPG. However, for those of you that don’t find the gameplay loop of RPGs repetitive, this is an instant buy! I certainly don’t find it repetitive and the story of Blue Lions actually hits a bit of a branching point at chapter 7, which sets apart from most indie RPGs. Rideon Japan got the love and respect they deserved on the 3DS with Adventure Bar Story, I hope they get the love and respect on the Switch with Mercenaries Saga! For those of you who aren’t into RPGs, this may not be a good pick up for you, but for those of you who are, it’s a definite pick up! By the way, Rideon is similar to Square Enix when it comes to the majority of their games being RPGs, they have 5 Mercenaries titles (it’s a whole series) but if you want to get into the series, play this first. I’m currently going through 1 right now and after I play 2 and 3, I plan on playing the other games in the series (if I even have enough time XD)!… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Nintenderos
    Jul 16, 2018
    60
    This game is solely and exclusively intended for the genre lovers. It keeps to its function as an RPG without any addendum and not standing out in any other field.
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  2. FNintendo
    May 11, 2018
    60
    Mercenaries Saga Chronicles brings a compilation of the first three games of the series to the Nintendo Switch and as far as tactical RPGs are concerned, they present an interesting and enjoyable gameplay with plenty of variety amidst the characters. Unfortunately the game does not leave its comfort zone and does not introduce any new elements that could make it stand out among its peers, with the aggravating factor that its plot is simply not compelling enough to command any interest among the players.
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  3. Switch Player
    Apr 17, 2018
    70
    Mercenaries Saga Chronicles should be commended for giving Nintendo fans (and Switch owners) the full trilogy to sink their teeth into, rather than picking one of the three games. It's a quality, welcome addition to the eShop.
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