Starting from a checkpoint and being able to change the future: it’s a power possessed by many video game characters, even if they are almost never aware of it. A similar power is also possessed by Subaru Natsuki, the protagonist of the crossmedial universe of Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World, a series born as a light novel (written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated byStarting from a checkpoint and being able to change the future: it’s a power possessed by many video game characters, even if they are almost never aware of it. A similar power is also possessed by Subaru Natsuki, the protagonist of the crossmedial universe of Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World, a series born as a light novel (written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shin'ichirō Ōtsuka) and who obtained numerous adaptations and expansions. The story is part of the so-called isekai genre, in which the protagonist finds himself or herself in another world, often characterized by the presence of magic and fantastic creatures. Even the young Subaru Natsuki suffers the same fate, when he finds himself transported to another world, in which he discovers that he has a very special power: after death, he can travel back in time and reborn at certain checkpoints, but he also cannot tell anyone about this secret power.
From these premises – strongly linked to the mechanics of many video games – it was foreseeable that video games dedicated to Re:Zero would also be released. So here’s Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne, which in fact is not even the first video game of Re: Zero, but it’s the first to spread outside of Japan.
This video game is not a sequel, but a what if. It follows one of the narrative arcs already present in Re: Zero, but it tells a slightly different story, in which new characters appear and there are unexpected events. It’s, in particular, an alternative version of the narrative arc of the “Royal Selection”.
Considering this fact, it’s clear that this product is mainly directed to fans of the series. In fact, it’s mandatory to have seen the anime or read the novels to fully appreciate this video game. If this prior knowledge is absent, the impact is quite traumatic. However, the video game offers an initial (skippable) summary at the beginning of the adventure, to gain at least some information about the main characters. In addition, continuing the adventure, new information about the world of Re:Zero is progressively discovered. Despite this, it still remains a product primarily designed for those who are already fans of the series, and considering this fact, the choices of the developers are aligned with the primary target of the video game.
Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne is a visual novel. Or, rather: it’s a visual novel with elements from other genres. In fact, the video game descriptions mention a tactical component, which is actually present, but only at certain times. Most of the time the game is just about dialogues between Subaru and the characters around him. In these moments, interactivity is limited and consists only in choices about some dialogue options. But there are two other phases in this game. In one of these, you move within a small environment, populated by chibi versions of the characters, in which you have to meet people and retrieve objects. The other one is the actual tactical phase, in which choices have to be made based on the information collected previously.
Despite this variety, the dialogues remain prevalent. The general experience is not very interactive: even when talking, the options aren’t too many and are quite infrequent. Tactical planning adds a bit of variety, but the choices are pretty easy and failures (when available actions run out or certain events occur) usually aren’t a big deal. There are several crossroads in the events, the game itself keeps track of them and provides clues about how to reach them, so to complete everything at 100% you need to replay some sequences, but the overall longevity does not increase much.
The characters, in the simplicity of their two-dimensional representations, are well characterized. Which is quite important, considering the fact that for most of the game you see them in that form, during the dialogue. The dubbing – available in both English and Japanese – is also great and accompanies all the dialogues of the game. As said before, in a product that appears to be largely a visual novel with lots of dialogues, this element has a strong importance.
In conclusion, Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne does its duty as a product for its target audience, but to fully enjoy this video game you must meet two requirements: have some previous knowledge of Re:Zero and be ready to follow a very long sequence of dialogues, with the knowing that the other parts of the video game will be quite short and sporadic.
7,5… Expand
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