Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

 Wii U
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 410 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 314 out of 410
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 410
  3. Negative: 63 out of 410
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  1. XenoFantasy1
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    This games battle system alone is enough for me to give it a 10. It is the usual Megaten battle system only heavily revamped to make it the best in the series (for now, persona 5 is creeping up). I have never had so much fun battling enemies in a jrpg since xenoblade and tales of vesperia. The dungeons are also very cool and overall do their jobs as representing some form of an art such asThis games battle system alone is enough for me to give it a 10. It is the usual Megaten battle system only heavily revamped to make it the best in the series (for now, persona 5 is creeping up). I have never had so much fun battling enemies in a jrpg since xenoblade and tales of vesperia. The dungeons are also very cool and overall do their jobs as representing some form of an art such as photography and fashion. Not to big on the Jpop idol theme and the story is not amazing, but the gameplay is just so amazing.

    Note: there is also some censorship in areas like cgi cutscenes and dungeons, but it does not affect gameplay at all. Censorship makes the story bit wonky in photography dungeon but that is it.    … Expand
  2. PooInLoo
    Jun 24, 2016
    9
    Combat is easily the best part of the game, the session system is great.
    Also helps that the characters are great, soundtrack is great, weapon system is great and actually makes you want to upgrade weapons unlike in majority of SMT games.
    Score would be higher if the loading times would be a bit faster and some of the censorship ia dumb
  3. S-M-T
    Jun 26, 2016
    9
    This game is excellent, and it's everything I could have wanted it to be. The game is beautiful (for a Wii U game, at least) and packed with style. The core of the game, however, is definitely the gameplay, which features a brilliant mesh of the Fire Emblem weakness system and an extremely Shin Megami Tensei-reminiscent battle system, alongside excellent dungeon crawling the likes of whichThis game is excellent, and it's everything I could have wanted it to be. The game is beautiful (for a Wii U game, at least) and packed with style. The core of the game, however, is definitely the gameplay, which features a brilliant mesh of the Fire Emblem weakness system and an extremely Shin Megami Tensei-reminiscent battle system, alongside excellent dungeon crawling the likes of which I've come to expect out of ATLUS. Despite what some may say, rest assured there's there's plenty of Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem influence in the game; from the way it plays being almost straight out of an SMT game to the characters directly out of Fire Emblem games, and even the smaller things such as sound effects from both series playing when, for instance, you level up or find an item. I'm aware of the background of the game and why people may dislike it, however, despite its rocky journey, it absolutely does not disappoint. It would be an easy 10 from me if not for the unfortunate and unwise localization decisions.… Expand
  4. munir
    Jul 1, 2016
    5
    I can't connive with this kind of censorship, it's not a good message for future western releases of Japanese titles. This is a good game that doesn't deserve to be remembered by their cuts and changes, but Nintendo of America isn't actually helping by making we feel like back to the old cartridge content butchering days.

    For someone who has been watching trailers, gameplays and demos    I can't connive with this kind of censorship, it's not a good message for future western releases of Japanese titles. This is a good game that doesn't deserve to be remembered by their cuts and changes, but Nintendo of America isn't actually helping by making we feel like back to the old cartridge content butchering days.

    For someone who has been watching trailers, gameplays and demos from the original game these last months, it became easy to spot what have been changed in the west: from removed bikinis to altered CG cutscenes. Because of sexiness, no less.

    Seems "Japanese versions" are keeping their charm even today, aren't they? 30 years later and "Western version" is still a synonymous of a lesser thing.    … Expand
  5. Yaywalter
    Jun 27, 2016
    9
    Gorgeous art style, excellent gameplay... we're going through something of a JRPG renaissance, and it's fantastic. I would say we JRPG fans are "getting spoiled", but then I remember how good bro-dude gamers have it with endless waves of FPS and sports games. Now THAT'S getting spoiled.

    Now the hot topic: censorship. Is it annoying? Sure. Is it a big deal? Not particularly, but if we    Gorgeous art style, excellent gameplay... we're going through something of a JRPG renaissance, and it's fantastic. I would say we JRPG fans are "getting spoiled", but then I remember how good bro-dude gamers have it with endless waves of FPS and sports games. Now THAT'S getting spoiled.

    Now the hot topic: censorship. Is it annoying? Sure. Is it a big deal? Not particularly, but if we buy censored games, we're sending the message that it's okay... which certainly isn't great. But not buying a game purely because of this issue doesn't necessarily mean that the game's publisher will get the message that it's because of censorship. And personally, I think buying games like TMS#FE to send the message that we want more good JRPGs to be produced and/or localized is far more important and more likely to get across to the publisher than not buying them because of minor qualms with how they're being localized. Besides, the fact that battle dialog isn't even subtitled is a bigger issue than the fact that some sauciness was toned down.    … Expand
  6. snakekill321
    Jun 24, 2016
    9
    This is indeed a unique game, bear in mind I came into this game as a Shin megami tensei/persona fan, and was not disappointed. The fire emblem references seem to jsut be there, and weaseled in, but if you are a hardcore SMT/Persona fan and cant wait for Persona 5, this is a great stand alone game. The main problem for most is the censorship, which to me was not bad. The soundtrack isThis is indeed a unique game, bear in mind I came into this game as a Shin megami tensei/persona fan, and was not disappointed. The fire emblem references seem to jsut be there, and weaseled in, but if you are a hardcore SMT/Persona fan and cant wait for Persona 5, this is a great stand alone game. The main problem for most is the censorship, which to me was not bad. The soundtrack is amazing, and the story so far is compelling. This game is not for everyone, but for those who are missing out on a good JRPG this one is worth it… Expand
  7. TacoCowboy14
    Jun 24, 2016
    9
    I didn't have high expectations for this game to begin with but the game has turned out to be really fun. The game plays out like a traditional JRPG but with and idol theme to it.

    Pros: Good Music, The Story is Pretty Good , Nice Graphics, Clever Use of the Gamepad Cons: Most of what your characters say in battle is not subbed, I know a little Japanese though and most of it seems    I didn't have high expectations for this game to begin with but the game has turned out to be really fun. The game plays out like a traditional JRPG but with and idol theme to it.

    Pros: Good Music, The Story is Pretty Good , Nice Graphics, Clever Use of the Gamepad

    Cons: Most of what your characters say in battle is not subbed, I know a little Japanese though and most of it seems unimportant, The game has Auto-Save but just barely meaning if you forget to save and then die you're screwed, The map displayed on the Gamepad is awkward and hard to use

    In my opinion the Pros of this game outweigh the Cons of this game and I'd recommend it for people who are a fan of RPG's or anyone looking to try something different.

    Some of the Fan-Service in this game was censored when it was localized from Japan so if the bothers you then you may want to skip this game.    … Expand
  8. Lazy_Fish
    Jun 24, 2016
    6
    [This is a review of the US release, not JP!] Its nice to see the wii u get a new game, a crossover between two great games into one. At first when this was announced it sounded like it was going to be a much better game. It changed into an idol game and while I was upset at that, the game isn't that bad in game play. The game play is closer to SMT than it is fire emblem. Its fun, has[This is a review of the US release, not JP!] Its nice to see the wii u get a new game, a crossover between two great games into one. At first when this was announced it sounded like it was going to be a much better game. It changed into an idol game and while I was upset at that, the game isn't that bad in game play. The game play is closer to SMT than it is fire emblem. Its fun, has flashy effects in battle, and is somewhat difficult, and is pretty lengthy. The music is pretty good too. Though I don't understand japanese at all it was nice to hear. Characters are also well done. But the flaws are really holding it back from being a great game. The story i'd say is okay, but not great. The animations outside of battle are akward to watch. You'd be speaking to a character and they'd never blink or they will keep their mouth open for a long time. some animations to animations are also choppy. Legs will be more spread out in one, then the other will instantly snap them closer. I'd say the biggest flaw is the localization however. If I were reviewing the Japanese version this review may be a 7. It made me a upset that they didn't get English voice actors for this game. Id much rather have English than Japanese so I can understand it easier. This may leave most who don't know a thing about Japanese confused on how the pacing of songs or dialogue goes. Censorship made some laughably bad changes, such as changing a wedding dress to be completely covered. The changes seem unnecessary and the game would be great without them

    I would recommend this game to those who are really into anime and SMT. Not so much for fire emblem fans since the game play is more like SMT, but if you liked characters from awakening and shadow dragon, then give it a try.

    Not as terrible as it seemed at first, but localization changes do suck alot.    … Expand
  9. Dogi
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Fantastic game. Some localization changes but the core game is there. Music is great. It's one of the best RPGs out this year so far. It has a diet Persona feel to it. The Fire Emblem aspect is clever. It plays well. I would advise that if not into Idol culture in Japan this might not be fore you.
  10. HardeesEom
    Jun 24, 2016
    6
    Its a playable game but the localization team should be fired as theres a bunch of dialogue that you cannot understand due to lack of subs. Where did this game go wrong?
  11. sourmilkncereal
    Jun 25, 2016
    8
    TMS#FE is allot of fun in terms of game play it reminds of bunch of other MegaTen games. The dungeon crawling setup and design is like DDS, you have a 3 person party limit, and rings like DDS2. You have weapon crafting like Strange Journey as well as the same battle system but like super improved. And the skill/map logos like in SMT4, same button layout, you can also save anytime like,TMS#FE is allot of fun in terms of game play it reminds of bunch of other MegaTen games. The dungeon crawling setup and design is like DDS, you have a 3 person party limit, and rings like DDS2. You have weapon crafting like Strange Journey as well as the same battle system but like super improved. And the skill/map logos like in SMT4, same button layout, you can also save anytime like, change the difficulty at any time and of course preemptive attacks, all like SMT4. Even main story quests and sides quests are organized in a similar way. You also have the option to not control your party members like Persona as well the obvious Persona like aesthetic. The game doesn't really play like Persona though it's not like it at all, it's not really a fair comparison. It's really more of a mixture of the games I mentioned not just Persona. It's a really cool game. For what it's worth from what I played I think the story is dumb fun. It's best not to take it too seriously to get the most out of it. Although truthfully I don't really care about the whole idol thing that much. It's not annoying even though that it's present. The graphics are pretty good too. It's such a wonderfully colorful game and I like colors. When every other game these days having such a boring color palette games like these are really a breath of fresh air. And it has some pretty good music it's no Shoji Meguro but still pretty good. Overall is just a really fun game.

    But I wanna address the negatives and what I think of the them. The loads times aren't as bad as people make it out be. There kind of long(like 5-10 sec. max) but you get use to it rather quickly. The fact the that the game is censored doesn't really affect the game play therefore doesn't matter if you ask me. The lack of a English dub isn't too bad either if you ask me a game heavily based on JPOP and Japanese idol culture wouldn't translate well with a dub. And keep in mind I prefer dubs. I'm kind of person who doesn't care if Persona 5 will be dub only. The fact that isn't a true crossover is often complained about too but meh doesn't bother me much either I kind of think it's better this way. There is mild slow down and that does genuinely bug me although it's thankfully not intrusive. I'm not really much of a Fire Emblem (I've only played Scared Stones) fan but from I played with game is mostly MegaTen with a Fire Emblem skin. I would imagine that might disappoint some fans of FE. Although I'm here for the MegaTen game play not FE.

    I played bad games before and this is most certainly not a a bad game. Honestly I don't get the negativity behind it. Did people just forgot to have FUN with games? Cause I dunno about you but I like to have fun because fun is fun. And this game is mostly certainly fun. It's not perfect. It's no masterpiece like SMT4 or P4 but it's a good and fun spin off entry in the MegaTen line up. Actually give it a proper chance before calling it awful. I will say this game comes highly recommended if your looking to get a MegaTen fix, want a game to tide you over until Persona 5 and SMT4: Apocalypse comes out. Or if your just looking to play a pretty good JRPG on Wii U that isn't Xenoblade Chronicles X.    … Expand
  12. Everman
    Jun 24, 2016
    9
    Tokyo mirage sessions is a overall great game that falls short on some key aspects. This however dose not distract from the overall experience. TMS is a new Altus/ Nintendo IP born from the SMT x FE project. While the tone may be much different it stay somewhat true to it's routs.The strength of Tokyo mirage sessions lies in it battle system. It uses a similar turn based battle system ofTokyo mirage sessions is a overall great game that falls short on some key aspects. This however dose not distract from the overall experience. TMS is a new Altus/ Nintendo IP born from the SMT x FE project. While the tone may be much different it stay somewhat true to it's routs.The strength of Tokyo mirage sessions lies in it battle system. It uses a similar turn based battle system of SMT games like persona. TMS streamlines the battle system and makes it faster without lowering the difficultly SMT games are known for. The Story of TMS is it's weak point. It's complete over the top smi-comedic nature makes it jarring wen it attempts to convey any serous aspects of the story. This gets even more jarring as the game goes on. While nothing too serious happens i would like a consistent tone. The cast of TMS,save for the plain protagonist, are very lovable and all have good comedic moments. They however suffer from varying degrees of anime tropes and cliches. Over all it is a solid game that i hope people are will to give a chance.… Expand
  13. MetaSov
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    This game is basically Persona (with Fire Emblem characters, mechanics, and nods) for the Wii U, and it's outstanding. A great game to play while waiting for SMT IV: Apocalypse and Persona 5, and also a great game in the midst of this dry year for the Wii U.
  14. Dominator121
    Jun 24, 2016
    1
    Really good underrated game on the Wii U. Recommend it for anyone who loves RPGs. The graphics in the game look really good and the soundtrack is superb.
  15. AlucardVonHell
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    If you enjoyed Persona 3/FES Persona 4 Golden, and to an extent, Digimon Cyber Sleuth, you'll feel right at home with this game.
    The music, character design, and general look of the game scream Persona.
    The combat system rewards those who love gaining new weapons, and evolutions of weapons. The "world map" is the same as Digimon CS and previous SMT games, as you can choose where you    If you enjoyed Persona 3/FES Persona 4 Golden, and to an extent, Digimon Cyber Sleuth, you'll feel right at home with this game.
    The music, character design, and general look of the game scream Persona.
    The combat system rewards those who love gaining new weapons, and evolutions of weapons.
    The "world map" is the same as Digimon CS and previous SMT games, as you can choose where you want to visit, and after a short load, you're transported to that area.

    If you cared more about the censorship, than the game, then go play something else, as this game is enjoyable to both FE/SMT fans, and those new to the series, but who love JRPG's, not players who care more about censorship.

    But on that note, this game is more like a Anime Princess/Idol game, than a true SMT/FE game,with some slightly dark undertones scattered around.
    If you're not into Idol culture, this game will give you an insight into that world.
    The Japanese dub -no English dub at all- is done perfectly, with each character brought to life by some talented voice artists.
    My only complaint about the Japanese dub...during battles, the characters talk when it's their turn to fight, and that is not subbed, so unless you know Japanese, most of what they say will be unknown, but it doesn't harm the experience.

    Clocking in at around 60 + hours if you take your time and complete the abundance of side quests, with a fantastic story, great looking cut scenes and anime cuts, you won't be disappointed.
    If you're a JRPG fan, Fire Emblem fan, or SMT fan, this game deserves to be on your shelf.    … Expand
  16. Sebasparedes
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    This game is the best. If you at least consider a jrpg fan or a fan of good games . Buy this. It is packed with cool dungeons and the turn basedsystem is top notch
  17. lugia1823
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Muy buen rpg por parte de Atlus, tiene la esencia de los rpg por turnos que ahora se esta perdiendo, otro mas a la lista de imprescindibles de wiiu. Tambien por que incluye personajes de fire emblem, una pasada de los jugadores de 3ds con FE fates, que este año estan cargadosde fire emblem y lo mismo para los de shin megami tensei.
  18. pachowski
    Jun 24, 2016
    9
    Great gameplay,
    Great music
    Funny
    Length worthy
    Creative
    Good Graphics ( except dungeons)

    this game has everything, if you are a SMT or a persona Fan, you should buy this
  19. EpicLadySponge
    Jun 24, 2016
    8
    Never have I been interested for such a title like this even though its legacy is unknown. But hey, might as well buy this for your Wii U collection if you're looking for neat games on it.
  20. ASHIURA
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Good scenario .
    Fire Emblem elements that go stronger from the second half .
    Charming character .
    Battle system that is gradually released .
    Culmination combat system of a collection of the best of Atlas of RPG.
    Japanese RPG of most interesting WiiU.
  21. TheGeekLantern
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    It's been ages since I had fun with a JRPG, and i was kind of rejecting the idols setup, but it only tooks a couple hours of gameplay to realize that i was in front of a great game. If you are crying because of censorship and that's enough reason to discard a game, you just bought the wrong console.
  22. fireblazerx17
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Easily one of the best JRPGs of all time, it's got excellent gameplay (especially the combat) and music, a colorful and inspired world, a charming and well-designed cast of characters, plenty of fan service for Fire Emblem fans, and more. The game isn't for everyone due to its niche genre and focus on the Japanese entertainment industry, but if you like or can put up with that, it's great,Easily one of the best JRPGs of all time, it's got excellent gameplay (especially the combat) and music, a colorful and inspired world, a charming and well-designed cast of characters, plenty of fan service for Fire Emblem fans, and more. The game isn't for everyone due to its niche genre and focus on the Japanese entertainment industry, but if you like or can put up with that, it's great, and outside of being a moronic censorship freak or a Wii U hater, there's really no other reason to dislike this game.… Expand
  23. neonstars768
    Jun 24, 2016
    8
    Ignore the 0 scores. Its just /v/ trying to bring the game down cause they can't look at anime girl boobs. Even so, The game is pretty good but not perfect.
  24. Elkdaddy
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Ignore bad reviews about censorship, there is none and the game feels like a more polished then persona 4. Only bad thing is some of the animations take forever to play, but that's not enough to take off a point.
  25. TheSpiritedWar
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Simply an amazing. Game play, Combat, dungeons, the over world, and the characters are simply well executed. Perhaps one of my favorite games this year. I bought the special edition which was well worth it.

    Do not listed to the trolls who rated this game so low. I was never too big of a fan for the live scenes, but other than that, this rpg is perfect. I recommend it for any rpg lover.    Simply an amazing. Game play, Combat, dungeons, the over world, and the characters are simply well executed. Perhaps one of my favorite games this year. I bought the special edition which was well worth it.

    Do not listed to the trolls who rated this game so low. I was never too big of a fan for the live scenes, but other than that, this rpg is perfect. I recommend it for any rpg lover.

    It is such a good game, and I never had so much fun with an rpg for a while.    … Expand
  26. le204
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    This game is easily one of the most underrated games that released this year and i'm sure it'll stay that way but if you have a minimum interest in JRPGs, an open mind and own a WiiU, this review is for you.

    Having played the japanese version I know pretty much everything there is to know about it(or at least enough to make a convincing review) and i'll tell you it's good and bad    This game is easily one of the most underrated games that released this year and i'm sure it'll stay that way but if you have a minimum interest in JRPGs, an open mind and own a WiiU, this review is for you.

    Having played the japanese version I know pretty much everything there is to know about it(or at least enough to make a convincing review) and i'll tell you it's good and bad points.

    Good
    +Visuals: The character design and weapon design is really good, and the enemies are fun to look at.
    +OST: Nothing much to say, the music always "fits".
    +++Gameplay: This is what makes the game so good, the gameplay is fluid and the mechanics are very polished. It takes the best things from FE and SMT/Persona games and combines them in a brilliant manner
    +Story: Yes, the story is not something that innovates the entire genre nor does it change video games forever. it has it's cliches BUT it makes use of the cliches it has and makes them good.
    +Characters: The characters are well developed and they all have their own little things that might make you like or dislike them but you can't say that they're bad characters.

    The bad(or not):
    -Main character: Now this is probably my opinion but Itsuki just like 99% of Fire Emblem main characters is... bland. He's a nice guy and all that, he's not a bad character but like I said he's just kinda bland.

    Though as an upside, SMT fans should rejoice since SMT protagonists rarely have a personality, at all.

    I think this is obvious but it should be said anyways, IGNORE TROLL SCORES.    … Expand
  27. Blester
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Seriously, at this point, you shouldn't trust the user review section when anybody can dislike the game at will. The game is good, but people are just disliking it because it was localized, and they had to to cover some revealing outfit for some characters and now they are angry and calling it censorship. The game is not perfect but it's good, but it isn't going to be your cup of tea ifSeriously, at this point, you shouldn't trust the user review section when anybody can dislike the game at will. The game is good, but people are just disliking it because it was localized, and they had to to cover some revealing outfit for some characters and now they are angry and calling it censorship. The game is not perfect but it's good, but it isn't going to be your cup of tea if you don't like anime or JRPGs in general.… Expand
  28. Arcsol
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Ignore the troll scores, most of them are just mad over censorship...even though the censorship isn't even that bad. This is a great game! Bump it up and give it an honest review!
  29. Chinesecartoons
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    If somebody is wondering what is going on with the scores for this game - yeah, its really just a bunch of bottomblasted kids from **** trying to stir situation around the game up, spamming 0 out of 10 with their mexican parents on par. Go there and look it up for yourselves if you don't believe it. Hate for the game on this site even before its japanese release wasn't really this big of aIf somebody is wondering what is going on with the scores for this game - yeah, its really just a bunch of bottomblasted kids from **** trying to stir situation around the game up, spamming 0 out of 10 with their mexican parents on par. Go there and look it up for yourselves if you don't believe it. Hate for the game on this site even before its japanese release wasn't really this big of a secret. So if those kids can spoil score of perfectly fine game, then fans might as well put some tens all across the page.

    To be quite honest they will be not so far from truth anyways - controversial game about idols may have turned out not quite as it was dreamed about by some biggoted fanboys, but at the same time in the end Atlus still managed to deliver highly polished product full of its own potential. The game battle and dungeoncrawling mechanics, - as always for Atlus games, - are solid, bright and vivid graphics and animation are very pleasant to the eyes, characters, despite the fact that they may look like pretty generic anime cliches to many on the first sight, turns out as a very attractive and lively ones and easily grabs players attention in first hours, unlike many cashgrab JRPGs for, lets say, Vita.
    Every character is voiced by some loud name japanese VA, and japanese dub, surprisingly, is still in remains in the game, so you can sigh with relieve, knowing that no Atlus USA's trash dub actor will ruin the experience for you. Simplistic story is surprisingly catchy and, if you can say, heart-warming, while stylistics and aesthetics across the one are absolutely astonishing, period. You can dislike idols all you want, but only complete mental cripples and trolls can say, that this game's style and implementations are something that is not praiseworthy. Amount of details Atlus put in the game, as always, is fantastic, so literally nothing in #FE feels out of place. Music is memorable and catchy as nothing else, suddenly its not sound generic at all. And, of course, the game is actually fun. Really fun.

    Gameplay wise its is much more fun-inducing game than any of Persona games, to be honest. While not as hardcore as mainline Megaten games, it still provides player with much more satisfying difficulty and battle mechanics, than P3 and, of course, every version of P4. While not as deep, as mainline Megaten games, it still absolutely not a mind-numbing buttonmashing generic JRPG from any other current gen console platform. Its easily the best JRPG that was released since SMTIV, and easily the most entertaining Megaten game since Strange Journey in terms of dungeoncrawling and battle gameplay.

    If you really like Megaten games - this is absolute must have.

    If you really like being pleasured with subtle Fire Emblem series fanservice - you might need to check this one out as well.

    If you really like turn-based JRPGs and apparently have a Wii U - just buy it, you'll find no game better in the genre than #FE from the list of all JRPGs released for the whole past year on every platform. And probably won't find any until the very release of SMTIV Final this summer for 3DS.

    If you're into japanese dubs, perfect japanese casts, great music and light, relaxing story - this is your game.

    Surprisingly enough, if you're into cheap and blatant japanese fanservice, full of out-of-place pantsushots and other Senran Kagura's like garbage - this one might be not quite your choice, since the game, despite its thematics, remains pretty modest and light about those kind of things, even without censorship. Speaking of which, censorship in the game is completely not important. It is not affecting the gameplay or story by any means. Sometimes its weird, sure, but its not a dealbreaker in the slightest. More importantly, stuff wasn't removed from the game, but actually replaced with the entirely new content, exclusive for everyone outside of Japan.    … Expand
  30. ricklongo
    Jan 3, 2017
    7
    Initially announced as Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is an Atlus JRPG that mixes several elements from those beloved franchises. Luckily, the result is a game that's very much its own idea.

    The protagonist is Itsuki Aoi, a high school kid who finds himself involved in an interdimensional war with mythical beings of another world. The force that allows    Initially announced as Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is an Atlus JRPG that mixes several elements from those beloved franchises. Luckily, the result is a game that's very much its own idea.

    The protagonist is Itsuki Aoi, a high school kid who finds himself involved in an interdimensional war with mythical beings of another world. The force that allows humans to fight those beings is called 'performa', which gets more powerful depending on each person's artistic talents. As such, the cover-up for Itsuki and his ever-growing group of comrtades is Fortuna, a developing talent agency.

    In his quest, Itsuki roams Tokyo to find special gates to another dimension (called the Idolosphere), where colorful turn-based battles take place. Exploration of the overworld is very limited, as the game's Tokyo is made of several self-contained spaces instead of a single open world. Each of the game's several Idolosphere-based dungeons, however, offers more secrets and hidden passages to uncover.

    One of the game's best traits are the battles, which are extremely colorful turn-based affairs. They're technically deep without being overwhelming, and require players to carefully choose between several attack types and magical elements in order to maximize combo sections. The enemies are all based on the Fire Emblem universe, which adds a great layer of fan service.

    Equally interesting is Tokyo Mirage Session's focus on the Japanese music industry. As the story progresses, Itsuki and his friends go through several side quest to awaken their performa, which invariably lead to music videos showcasing their development as artists. Now, I don't really know the first think about J-Pop, nor am I really interested in it, but even so I though this was a pretty nifty idea. The music itself, while not my cup of tea, should be pleasant to fans of the genre, and the insight into Japan's ubiquitous idol industry makes for a novel background.

    There's also a weapon-crafting side that's vital to progression in the game. Each character has their own weapons, and each weapon offers different attacks and static abilities to learn. There a lot of depth here, and I often spent many minutes lost in the intricacies of transforming hard-earned loot into fine new swords, lances, and axes. The one problem is that the process is a bit obnoxious, as you're forced to skip the same animation every time you make a new item.

    Finally, there's the elephant in the room: the censorship. This is something that almost never bothers me, and sometimes it even rids otherwise fine releases of cringe-worthy sections. (Hey there, petting minigame in Fire Emblem Fates!) But here, there's no two ways about it: it's a problem. It gets to the point that whole plot points stop making sense altogether until you search the web and discover that critical details were censored. It's a bummer, and makes it harder to actualy care about the story.

    TL;DR:
    TMS has all the characteristics of a classic Atlus RPG, which means satisfying turn-based combat, but also some anachronic conventions (such as limited exploration and animations that get repeated over and over). Although marred by censorship of critical plot points, the final package is a fun adventure with a music industry-based background that I hadn't seen in a game before. It's admittedly a niche title, but if you're a fan of JRPGs, or Fire Emblem, or J-Pop (or all of the above), this one should be right up your alley.

    Rating: 7.5    … Expand
  31. dmzv92
    Jul 15, 2016
    7
    Pros:

    - Combat is great. This probably the best version of the press-turn system I've ever played. Hopefully they implement similar mechanics for Persona 5. - The character customization system is really simple but enjoyable. Upgrading your Carnages until mastery was pretty addictive. - The OST is amazing. I'm not a huge J-pop fan but some songs are really catchy. - I thought the way    Pros:

    - Combat is great. This probably the best version of the press-turn system I've ever played. Hopefully they implement similar mechanics for Persona 5.
    - The character customization system is really simple but enjoyable. Upgrading your Carnages until mastery was pretty addictive.
    - The OST is amazing. I'm not a huge J-pop fan but some songs are really catchy.
    - I thought the way you use the gamepad as a cellphone for text messaging was actually a nice idea.

    Cons:

    - Unnecessary and inconsistent censorship. Seriously, if they really had to censor the game they could have done a better job at it. In some scenes you will see cleavage censored and next minutes, you can the characters **** (ie. in the Tsubasa's "Feel" video her boobs are covered but then you can see her in her Pegasus form and her **** are popping out, also in the Aversa bossfight they censored her breasts in the cutscene but in the actual battle they're uncensored, etc...)
    - The story is horrible. Really generic stuff. The characters are really plain as well. Itsuki is the typical aloof guy who is really dense, Tsubasa is the clumsy but cute girl... I have already seen that before. Come on Atlus, you could have done a better job here.
    - Since the characters are so plain most sidequests are really boring, unless you're really into that kind of romance/slice of life anime stuff...

    Bottomline: really decent effort by Atlus that was brought down by the stupid censorship Nintendo put on them and by a bad story and characters. If Persona 5 fixes the issues this game had we could have a masterpiece in our hands.    … Expand
  32. WookieWill
    Mar 6, 2017
    5
    I truly did want to enjoy this game, but it has an overly generic story, bland characters, and a leveling system that promotes far too much grinding. The way to mitigate the abundance of time that will be needed to properly level your characters is to have the DLC for the game and that grants the player too much exp and gold, but still not giving them the items necessary to level up, soI truly did want to enjoy this game, but it has an overly generic story, bland characters, and a leveling system that promotes far too much grinding. The way to mitigate the abundance of time that will be needed to properly level your characters is to have the DLC for the game and that grants the player too much exp and gold, but still not giving them the items necessary to level up, so there is still an overwhelming amount of fighting the same palette swapped monsters to obtain a fissure claw so you can craft a sword so you can kill more stronger monsters, etc. etc.… Expand
  33. colinhawkins
    Jun 25, 2016
    8
    This game is good so far The combat is really good. the music is really good the graphics are not the best ok ok for the wii u. Some things this game could of done better tho are subtitles in battles seriously I want to know what they are saying in battle its kind of annoying. English voice acting would of been nice too.
  34. LoneWolfSones
    Jul 1, 2016
    8
    For the sake of providing context I have never touched a SMT or a Persona game. I am a fan of Fire Emblem however and it is arguably the aspect that drew me to the game more than any other. I was surprised by how much I have enjoyed my time with it so far.

    One of my initial concerns from watching the trailers up until release was the j-pop and how battles would play out. I never really    For the sake of providing context I have never touched a SMT or a Persona game. I am a fan of Fire Emblem however and it is arguably the aspect that drew me to the game more than any other. I was surprised by how much I have enjoyed my time with it so far.

    One of my initial concerns from watching the trailers up until release was the j-pop and how battles would play out. I never really felt they did a good job of explaining just how the game functioned in terms of its battle system other than that you entered dungeons and that these Fire Emblem characters were a bit like summons. This game was announced in 2013 at E3 and here we are 3 years later with it finally in hand. Though it needs to be said the game was actually in development for 5 years (according to the artbook, more on this later).

    As I said I was unsure of the j-pop and general premise of the game. I was concerned whether the music would resonate with me since I don't speak or know Japanese. I was pleasantly surprised though as the music is actually quite good. I guess the best way I can describe it is that the music complements the tone and themes of the game. American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow claimed "Music is the universal language of mankind." I think its an apt description for the music in TMS. The vocals are able to convey the emotion a particular character may feel. You don't need to understand what they are saying to enjoy the music (or the story) and appreciate it. It may even be for the best that they retained the original voice work as English dubs can be of questionable quality. (There are English subtitles).

    The battle system definitely has roots in traditional turn based JRPG's. What I found so interesting is the way you can chain attacks together and the fact that as you level; the weapons you use also level which give your characters new abilities. These abilities when used to exploit enemy weaknesses can chain with others in your party. This can lead to some incredible moments where you perform an overkill on a challenging enemy.

    The visuals may not be the best the WiiU has to offer but they are very pretty to look at and the game has a nice visual style that extends not only to the menu and UI but the beautiful animated cutscenes. Then there are the designs of the Fire Emblem characters themselves and they just look awesome. There were some censorship choices made which can be jarring but I don't want to belabor that point and detract from what is an otherwise enjoyable game.

    Perhaps the biggest take away from the game is just how much it immerses you in Japanese culture. Shibuya is an interesting place. While I have never set foot in Japan I appreciated that I was able to see a statue of Hachiko the dog even if it is in a virtual setting. Its a surprising level of authenticity that I really enjoyed.

    The authenticity extends to the approach they took designing the game. The art book in the special edition has 3 pages of commentary from three of the developers. In it they reveal that they actually consulted actual Japanese music producers. They also had a touching thank you to Satoru Iwata for creating the opportunity for the game to come into the world. Even after his passing Satoru Iwata has managed to help deliver a game that is just fun for everyone to play. The game does have the kind of cringe that comes with some japanese games. However you shouldn't let that dissuade you from giving it a shot. The battle system is great and you may just find yourself pleasantly surprised. I know I did.    … Expand
  35. PlayorNaygames
    Jul 15, 2016
    6
    Don't let all the 9's and 10's fool you, this game will not appeal to everyone. As others have stated, this is a Persona game much than a Fire Emblem game. The Persona (or "Performa" in this game) you get are FE characters and there are some neat sound effects and weapons from FE, but that's about it.

    The story and setting are VERY cheesy and Japanese (they're scenes where the    Don't let all the 9's and 10's fool you, this game will not appeal to everyone. As others have stated, this is a Persona game much than a Fire Emblem game. The Persona (or "Performa" in this game) you get are FE characters and there are some neat sound effects and weapons from FE, but that's about it.

    The story and setting are VERY cheesy and Japanese (they're scenes where the characters spin around naked and equip armor like in Sailor Moon ffs and not just the women). Also, this is the 3rd or 4th game now that I have played that takes place in photo-realistic Tokyo. setting and it's getting old. It's cool to walk around Tokyo if you haven't in other games though, so try it out if you haven't before. There are many other settings Atlus come on. I swear it borrows the map engine from Digimon Cyber Sluth, but I cannot confirm that.

    From the opening cinematic and dialog, you're thrust into the games first dungeon and acquire you powers, with no real setup like in a true Persona game. It's ridiculous, but if you can buy into the story, good for you. Atlus doesn't take the time to develop the characters enough to make me care about wanting to save this world. The spend about 30 min. in the beginning with uninteresting dialog before you even get to play. They do try to develop the characters, but most it standard ra-ra go team believe in yourself cliches from many other animes. They're are some funny dialog choices though, but they're very rare.

    The visuals are nice and the art style is fantastic as one would expect from an Atlus RPG. It's very colorful and may get you into these types of games if you felt Persona was too dark. The character animations are good, but not great and honestly need to be better for the West because the game only has English subtitles, but no dubs sadly, which greatly reduces my enjoyment of the game.

    The music is typical JPoP fare that one would expect from Atlus. It's good, but repetitive in places. You will have to endure quite a few musical numbers that are skippable thankfully, but skipping these scenes means you're missing out on a large chunk of what the devs put a lot of production in. The singing isn't bad per se, but being mostly in Japanese, it's hard to get into. It's a double edged sword.

    The battle system is good as others have mentioned, but not amazing by any means, if you have played Persona, you've played this before. The key difference is instead of "knocking the enemy down" whne you exploit the enemy's weakness like in Persona, your allies get a free attack if they have an attack of the same type you used. It feels quicker and works well. Persona vets will find battles easy, as enemies have many weaknesses, however, when the enemy finds your character's weaknesses, they still deal tons of damage and can KO them very easily. Sadly, characters are not brought back after the battle ends and you don't get a revive spell until later in the game, so you are forced into loading up on revival items, which are expensive and this makes some enemies fell cheap or unfair (just like in Persona, but even worse because the "strong" enemies level with you, even in old dungeons). You start with full control of your party member which is great . Chaining attacks together is cool at first, but you see it so often it gets old and also later in the game they get longer.

    As long as you defeat enemies, you will unlock new weapons for free, so the only thing you need money for is accessories (and new costumes for you team, if you want, they're cosmetic only). Persona is already a game without many armor slots, so with only one piece of armor to worry about, this is a very light/casual RPG.

    Unlike Persona, there are no social links and no school, but of course your character and friends are high schoolers. This trope has been done to death and it's really stale imo. Maybe that's what sells the best in Japan, but everything about the story is cliche in my humble opinion. Heck one of the characters you get in the beginning feel like a reincarnated Junpei from Persona 3, same moves, stats, and strengths/weaknesses. Another character looks like a clone of the main character from Persona 3. Their personalities are different though.

    Dungeons are big and empty (other than the shadows or "mirages" as they're called in this game. Their are now puzzles though, because the dungeons are no longer procedural, they are the same each time. The puzzles are stupid easy and essential involve flipping a switch. The dungeon themes are interesting to look at, at first, but they really feel like a PS2-era dungeon design still, 2 generations later.

    Overall this is a good game, without many bugs or technical issues and improves some areas from Persona 4, but I would only recommend it to hardcore JRPG fans, who probably did a majority of the reviews on this site. The game is cheesy and basic. With less content and things to do than Persona 4, it's almost a step backward for the series. Thank you.    … Expand
  36. Phantomkid
    Jul 6, 2016
    6
    Playing this game only one thing comes to mind and it's "grind". Most of your time will be spent trying in dungeons and fighting monsters. Although combat feels fast and unique it become bored and stale once the game begins to catch it's stride. The moments where i had fun playing were the sub stories where you spend time with the cast of character in your party and learn about them seePlaying this game only one thing comes to mind and it's "grind". Most of your time will be spent trying in dungeons and fighting monsters. Although combat feels fast and unique it become bored and stale once the game begins to catch it's stride. The moments where i had fun playing were the sub stories where you spend time with the cast of character in your party and learn about them see them change and grow as people. But the thing that takes away from this fun is the stage rank which allows you to get to see and participate in sub stories . Stage rank can only be achieved through combat and is not tied to exp gained through enemies , but rather characters working together such as using buffs or chaining attacks. I'd spend up to an hour trying to get one character to rank up once. You should only play this game knowing you'll be spending time grinding in dungeons.… Expand
  37. fishychoo
    Jun 30, 2016
    10
    Should never judge a book by it's cover; sure the story may not be to everyone's liking but it is something different that hasn't shown up in a very long while. The combat is amazing for fans of the Persona series with the added bonus of Fire Emblems weapon triangle system. With the lack of English voice-over I can understand since with a game like this that heavily relies on music/singingShould never judge a book by it's cover; sure the story may not be to everyone's liking but it is something different that hasn't shown up in a very long while. The combat is amazing for fans of the Persona series with the added bonus of Fire Emblems weapon triangle system. With the lack of English voice-over I can understand since with a game like this that heavily relies on music/singing it would be difficult to 1. find VA's that can sing VERY well in English and 2. more or less translate every song sang in the game into English. For fans of either SMT/Persona or FE don't be disappointed if everything presented is not to your liking but rather keep an open mind and enjoy the game for what it is.… Expand
  38. Mando44646
    Jun 28, 2016
    9
    If you like the Persona games, you'll also like this. It feels almost exactly like a Persona entry. Its a bit lighter and brighter than Persona 4, but not in a bad way. It works with its aesthetic. For me, it'll help hold me until Persona 5 hits in Feb.
  39. sdluiiea
    Jun 28, 2016
    9
    For anyone who likes SMT or Persona series, this game is a must try. The Fire Emblem elements are a nice thing, but in the end, this game is like a Persona spin off. If you like RPGs (in this case JRPGs) try it, even if you don't like that much the idol thing. (like me)

    It's a unique game, with great and funny characters, a fantastic battle system the session system is great and add    For anyone who likes SMT or Persona series, this game is a must try. The Fire Emblem elements are a nice thing, but in the end, this game is like a Persona spin off. If you like RPGs (in this case JRPGs) try it, even if you don't like that much the idol thing. (like me)

    It's a unique game, with great and funny characters, a fantastic battle system the session system is great and add some deep strategy to the combat, an interesting use of the gamepad, it doesn't add much, but the way it works as a smartphone is a cool idea.

    On the negative side.. the are a bit long loading times and sometimes a bit frequent. The story is not that memorable.. and the censorship.. while is not that severe (actually I don't care a long as I can play the game) is a let down, specially at one point where it messes with the story.

    Anyway, give it a try, is challenging, entertaining (for those who like STM/Persona specially) and arguably the biggest game the Wii U will get until The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.    … Expand
  40. Richard_chronos
    Jun 28, 2016
    9
    I'm having a blast with it, the story is average but the characters are charming enough to keep you busy, the music is probably one of the best parts and the battle system and progression is really good, classic SMT with a tip of fire emblem, dungeons can be tedious if you're not familiar with the SMT series or dungeon crawlers in general but they design is pretty good

    Yes it was    I'm having a blast with it, the story is average but the characters are charming enough to keep you busy, the music is probably one of the best parts and the battle system and progression is really good, classic SMT with a tip of fire emblem, dungeons can be tedious if you're not familiar with the SMT series or dungeon crawlers in general but they design is pretty good

    Yes it was censored but not a big deal to be honest, you can always get it second hand if you don't feel like paying full price    … Expand
  41. Nivite
    Jun 26, 2016
    10
    An absolute blast of a game. Some people are whining about censorship, but that does not in anyway subtract from the amazing quality of this game. Granted, although this is "SMTxFE", it is definitely a lot more SMT than FE. With that said, the game exceeds on every expectation I had. My only gripe is that the idol singing videos animations are very static, and show the characters joltingAn absolute blast of a game. Some people are whining about censorship, but that does not in anyway subtract from the amazing quality of this game. Granted, although this is "SMTxFE", it is definitely a lot more SMT than FE. With that said, the game exceeds on every expectation I had. My only gripe is that the idol singing videos animations are very static, and show the characters jolting more than dancing. With that being such a minor complaint and does not impact the game at all (seeing how you can skip these scenes and the songs add no story value whatsoever), it gets a perfect 10 from me.… Expand
  42. Ahmy
    Jul 12, 2016
    10
    Are you looking for "so worth it Jrpg" if you do then you are right in front of it.
    You will hear many bad things about this game, and many awful lies.
    The game is censored at some part (Its true) the game story is not good (semi true) the game is one of the worst jrpg (Lie) Sadly some people are giving this game a low rating because of the censor, but the most sad thing is how some    Are you looking for "so worth it Jrpg" if you do then you are right in front of it.
    You will hear many bad things about this game, and many awful lies.

    The game is censored at some part (Its true) the game story is not good (semi true) the game is one of the worst jrpg (Lie)
    Sadly some people are giving this game a low rating because of the censor, but the most sad thing is how some tend to lie about the game for the sake of censor, because the game is censored i can tell you its a below average Jrpg?!

    Okay here a moment of truth, I didn't want to buy the game because I was ashamed of the censor and I got to hate Nintendo because of this game, and while they censor an outfit by removing it from the game yet you see the character wearing that outfit on a cut scene (weird is not it?) but again this is not the purpose of my review.
    My plan was to not buy this game, and for some reason I got the hype to buy (maybe because it was released a day or so after my salary day!), and I didn't regret buying it at all.
    The gameplay have a nice depth, the more you progress the more it improves.

    Story: 7.5
    gameplay: 9
    level design and character design: 8.5    … Expand
  43. VincentStoker
    Jul 7, 2016
    10
    I was unsure what to expect with this title as the game play and trailers shown were a little confusing. I honestly held the belief that Persona 4 was my favourite Atlus MegaTen game but I have been converted. This game has all of the best bits from P3 & P4, skill boosting from SMTIV and the introduction of a new mechanism during battle. I cannot get enough of this game, thee dungeonI was unsure what to expect with this title as the game play and trailers shown were a little confusing. I honestly held the belief that Persona 4 was my favourite Atlus MegaTen game but I have been converted. This game has all of the best bits from P3 & P4, skill boosting from SMTIV and the introduction of a new mechanism during battle. I cannot get enough of this game, thee dungeon exploring is spot on and the difficulty curve is about right too. If you have enjoyed P3/P4/SMT3/SMT4 then it's a safe bet you will enjoy this. It is a much cuter affair on the surface but don't let that put you off, this game has plenty of hooks and will have you smiling and laughing lots. I really couldn't wait for P5 next year but this has filled the gap and I'm not so bothered now. Do yourself a favour and jump in for a great dungeon exploring JRPG that ticks so many boxes.… Expand
  44. dhaynes25
    Jun 25, 2016
    9
    This game is pretty good. I had no intentions of buying any game on Wii u till Zelda. But, i saw this game and read reviews and watched videos. Never played a Fire Emblem game before but I love the Shin Megami series. Hint: Atlus port the older ones to PS4. The combat system is great, the soundtrack and the overall story. the theme about singers is unique. I hear about this game beingThis game is pretty good. I had no intentions of buying any game on Wii u till Zelda. But, i saw this game and read reviews and watched videos. Never played a Fire Emblem game before but I love the Shin Megami series. Hint: Atlus port the older ones to PS4. The combat system is great, the soundtrack and the overall story. the theme about singers is unique. I hear about this game being censored well it's on Nintendo's platform. The only reason it's not a 10 is because graphically it lacks. This game would have shined on PS4/X1 easily. overall if you own a Wii U and love Persona/Shin Megami/Fire Emblem games give it chance before Persona 5 and Zelda hits next year… Expand
  45. HexDrain
    Jun 27, 2016
    5
    Ignoring the ongoing war between "censorship no" 0 and "censorship yes" 10.
    This game is frankly mediocre it tries to please so many people at once and with that pleased nobody but very devoted fan(atics).
    This is not persona, shin megami tensei or Fire Emblem only an empty shell of a game with name recognitions. The story is clichy but works if you don't want anything special. (it    Ignoring the ongoing war between "censorship no" 0 and "censorship yes" 10.
    This game is frankly mediocre it tries to please so many people at once and with that pleased nobody but very devoted fan(atics).

    This is not persona, shin megami tensei or Fire Emblem
    only an empty shell of a game with name recognitions.

    The story is clichy but works if you don't want anything special. (it wants to be 16+ stays 12+)
    The music is very good no complaints here, it has alot of variety.
    The graphics are "wii u" standard- take away from that what you want.
    Fighting is easy to understand maybe to easy for veterans.
    The difficulty is frankly to low.
    If you're into the social link/Support systems then sorry to say but this is not here.

    Even tho that sounds not to bad we talk about a game that is really only ok/good.
    nothing more.

    I gave this game 2 points less for the excessive censorship btw
    (yeah I am not a fan of that as well.)
    if your the kind of guy that doesn't care for this it is a 7 at best.    … Expand
  46. Kenmei
    Aug 17, 2017
    9
    After having gone back and played this after completing Persona 5, I've got a new appreciation for this title. While still not on the level of any of the recent Persona games, there's clearly a certain charm here with this game. Everything here seems simplified from Persona 4 and there's some things here that clearly influenced some of what Persona 5 used when it was released. Things areAfter having gone back and played this after completing Persona 5, I've got a new appreciation for this title. While still not on the level of any of the recent Persona games, there's clearly a certain charm here with this game. Everything here seems simplified from Persona 4 and there's some things here that clearly influenced some of what Persona 5 used when it was released. Things are cool and flashy, nowhere near how cool Persona 5 was and still is but there's alot to love here with this game. And while the story can be very hard for western audiences to relate too, the characters here usually do a solid job of making things interesting, even if everything is in Japanese subtitled. It's a very good game for a system that desperately needed them. I wouldn't call it great but I can see how they used this game and some of the features as a stepping stone for stuff that came later with Persona 5 so I've got a better appreciation for the things this does. JRPG fans who own the Wii U should give this a go. I'd recommend playing and beating Persona 4 and 5 first but this is a solid entry level game for people looking to get into the main Persona series later on.… Expand
  47. Pendrodamus
    Aug 20, 2016
    0
    Combines the worst of multiple IPs and doesn't even try to get it right. It feels like this was just a blatant cash grab. I'll never understand Japan's fascination with idols and pop stars. It's unhealthy if you ask me.
  48. RealMido
    Jun 25, 2016
    10
    This what a love project should be of two beloved franchises with different aspects. They blended in marvelous way to make this game with familiar elements but unique to its own setting. Also the animations are so well done
  49. ex_mp4
    Jun 24, 2016
    9
    This game is truly beautiful, form the music, gameplay, battle system ,the battle system is like persona, you find the enemy weakness ,and then you have kind of your persona,in here is mirage, you can upgrade your mirage, the look of your mirage is also change, there also a puzzle dungeon, you can increase your relationship with your another char , just only the story is basic jrpg butThis game is truly beautiful, form the music, gameplay, battle system ,the battle system is like persona, you find the enemy weakness ,and then you have kind of your persona,in here is mirage, you can upgrade your mirage, the look of your mirage is also change, there also a puzzle dungeon, you can increase your relationship with your another char , just only the story is basic jrpg but that not make the game bad

    a lot of here who give bad score is just another weibo, hentai maniac that hungry for anime girls panty, if you really grow up people. If you want some panty you will asked to your girlfriend right? buy this game guys    … Expand
  50. perpetualjoe
    Jun 26, 2016
    9
    This is one of the most fun console JRPGs we have gotten in the west in a very long time. Here are some key points -

    -The world is basically in the same hub-based style as a Persona game. There are different places you can visit around the city at your own leisure, and then a dungeon area that you can explore. -The battle system is incredibly fun, a nice new take on the Persona/SMT    This is one of the most fun console JRPGs we have gotten in the west in a very long time. Here are some key points -

    -The world is basically in the same hub-based style as a Persona game. There are different places you can visit around the city at your own leisure, and then a dungeon area that you can explore.

    -The battle system is incredibly fun, a nice new take on the Persona/SMT system with some Fire Emblem mechanics thrown in.

    -The music and atmosphere is top-notch, and unique. Fun, colorful, poppy, just as the trailer suggests.

    -The story is actually quite good, once you get into it. The characters are all interesting, and start to feel more like real people as the game progresses.

    A final note on the "censorship" of the game - it's being completely blown out of proportion. The localization of the game is top-notch, even if a small amount of fan service was removed to make the game more age appropriate for western audiences. Some people are suggesting that Tokyo Mirage is a "fan service game", which is completely ridiculous. The game is a unique story regarding wholly original characters - not at all an SMT/FE fan service game.    … Expand
  51. Alfonz0
    Jul 2, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game have probably the best battle system ever! The session attacks make for "flow" in the battles and with lots of customisation which is required to optimize for the games secret last boss. If you think this game is a new fire emblem you gonna get disappointed though...… Expand
  52. Freedumbdclxvi
    Jul 4, 2016
    9
    An incredibly fun fusion of the SMT and FE franchises, TMS brings a fun battle system together with amazing graphics and a story that examines the role pop culture plays in our lives. Fans of both franchises, JRPGs and or anyone looking for a exciting WIi U game would do well to check it out.
  53. Truegamer80
    Jul 31, 2016
    0
    Censorship has totally destroyed the sense of this game.
    The japanese version is still an enjoyable game, coherent with premises. If you have a japanese wii u and understand japanese then you should buy the game. If not then avoid this massacre.
    The sense of tms is to show us the beautiful japanese culture and pop idol culture. Nintendo has censored the game in the west and has offended    Censorship has totally destroyed the sense of this game.
    The japanese version is still an enjoyable game, coherent with premises. If you have a japanese wii u and understand japanese then you should buy the game. If not then avoid this massacre.
    The sense of tms is to show us the beautiful japanese culture and pop idol culture.
    Nintendo has censored the game in the west and has offended japanese culture and next all the japanese culture fans (which the game was supposed to be dedicated).
    The idol culture isn't shown anymore , a dungeon has been totally destroyed, the entire sense is lost.
    The censorship itself is clumsy and senseless, for example cover a wedding dress, as if a wedding dress was scandalous.
    This probably to appeal a stupid audience like Sjw or puritans, but at the end sjw and puritans haven't bought the game whether or not, so the game has been destroyed in vain, poor sales.
    This because sjw and puritans don't care about hardcore games or games, on the other side fans are pissed off and don't buy the game, in the end nintendo has destroyed a game uselessly.
    Localization team should be dismissed, wasted time on censorship instead of insert english voices.
    Don't buy censored version.
    Games should be localized for who buy them and respecting gamers, not to appeal casuals or sjw.
    It is a shame.    … Expand
  54. rjrw92
    Jun 25, 2016
    10
    Tokyo Mirage Sessions is a JRPG set in modern day Tokyo set against the back drop of Japanese music idol culture. On paper it sounds goofy and further more none of the vocal tracks, spoken or music, is in English. However with that said, is a wonderful return to turn based JRPGs. The lack of a real hybrid of a SMT and Fire Emblem game doesn't take away from the game. Its very similar toTokyo Mirage Sessions is a JRPG set in modern day Tokyo set against the back drop of Japanese music idol culture. On paper it sounds goofy and further more none of the vocal tracks, spoken or music, is in English. However with that said, is a wonderful return to turn based JRPGs. The lack of a real hybrid of a SMT and Fire Emblem game doesn't take away from the game. Its very similar to the Persona franchise, but in place of demons, its classic Fire Emblem heroes. The game is about 50 hours, per Nintendo World Report and has a interesting story and pretty visuals. The controls are simple to learn as you run around in 3rd person perspective and battle monsters aka mirages in a classic turn based style. The combat system is rewarding to learn and the music is pretty catchy. It for sure will be a hard to find game in a few years and is worth finding and buying now for retail of $60 USA, as it has a lot of potential to increase in price in the coming years. I hope you enjoy it!… Expand
  55. emufred
    Jun 26, 2016
    10
    "Waaaaah they removed some clothes 0/10" - Majority of red reviews

    This game is pretty good, I had my doubts but I can easily recommend it to anyone who's an smt, persona and fire emblem fans
  56. CodyCoyote64
    Jun 25, 2016
    10
    Never have I played such a unique, charming JRPG.

    Although I feel as if the game isn't quite 'objectively' perfect, it has, throughout my experience with it, giving me this deep and senseless feeling of joy as I parade through the adventure. The game, unlike other notable recent RPG's I can name, manages to balance a creative setting with fast paced, addicting gameplay. Turn based    Never have I played such a unique, charming JRPG.

    Although I feel as if the game isn't quite 'objectively' perfect, it has, throughout my experience with it, giving me this deep and senseless feeling of joy as I parade through the adventure. The game, unlike other notable recent RPG's I can name, manages to balance a creative setting with fast paced, addicting gameplay. Turn based combat, I'm happy to say, is not dead. And no, /v/, I am not joking.

    It's hard to believe that, a year ago, I was actually one of the harshest critics for the game. Today, it's probably one of my favorite RPG's on the system, even better than X. It's funny how that works out sometimes, isn't it? My initial concerns with the project, as I'm sure you've heard from naysayers, is that it didn't really seem to be what I thought it was going to be. I was expecting actual Fire Emblem characters in a more modern setting, and I didn't see the influences from that trailer.

    I'm happy to say, however, that looks can be deceiving! Playing the game for yourself really highlights the influences from both franchises. From that great little level up jingle to seeing Anna working in a shop, the game does not disappoint in that regard.

    The dungeon design is top notch, and I find myself regularly going back to old levels to find things I may have missed.The characters are all fairly likable, even if I feel like the sidequests are rather lacking and unfulfilling compared to Yakuza 5's. Doing them, however, actually nets you real gameplay benefits and I think that's an improvement over the typical 'here's a generic item you'll never use!'

    The combat itself is top notch, and very challenging, without being unfair. I'll be honest, I think I prefer this game to the ACTUAL Fire Emblem game that came out this year!    … Expand
  57. PageWizard
    Jul 2, 2016
    10
    Really great game, fun story, and the battle system is superb. Something for the RPG fan that loves a good grind RPG with a great story and battle system. I love the characters, and especially the live session anime cutscenes. Highly recommended.
  58. colemak
    Jul 3, 2016
    10
    I am reminded once again that you can't judge a game by its cover. Of course, this is a pretty niche genre so it won't be a masterpiece in a sense that it caters to everyone. However, in terms of standard turn-based JRPG, this game **** nails it.

    Specifically in comparison to Persona 3 and 4 (I think it is fair to bring up these games since TMS is a lot closer to Persona than SMT,    I am reminded once again that you can't judge a game by its cover. Of course, this is a pretty niche genre so it won't be a masterpiece in a sense that it caters to everyone. However, in terms of standard turn-based JRPG, this game **** nails it.

    Specifically in comparison to Persona 3 and 4 (I think it is fair to bring up these games since TMS is a lot closer to Persona than SMT, though, Persona is a spin-off of SMT itself...), I feel like every aspect of the gameplay has been improved. Combat, weapon/equipment, side quest/community system... The magnitude of improvement varies for each of these things. But there isn't a single aspect that TMS falls behind P3/4 but minor/major improvements. It's simply an amazing game for P3/4 type game lovers. And makes expectation for P5 to grow insanely high.

    There has been a lot of criticism behind this game due to way it's presented/perceived. But I can guarantee you that this game is really good at what it tries to achieve. So whoever is considering this game, I wish best of my luck to you to not dismiss this game purely based on appearance, and try it out if you are a fan of JRPG or P3/P4. If this genre of game isn't your thing, that it's not worth your time.    … Expand
  59. MadWolf84
    Jul 12, 2016
    10
    Buy it and then go ahead and play it with the uncensor patch. :P Combat is great and I think censorship is the only thing dragging it back, but for me it really wasn't a problem. (Thanks to the patch)
  60. KIrbyMaster
    Jul 4, 2016
    10
    Easily one of the best Wii U RPG's I've played since Xenoblade X. You've got to love the amount of love applied to Fire Emblem and SMT in the gameplay despite the J-Pop theme (which is out there). The story is actually light hearted and not as grim as what you'd expect from SMT to compensate, which may be a mixed bag to some. But overall, I found it sort of a feel good game that reallyEasily one of the best Wii U RPG's I've played since Xenoblade X. You've got to love the amount of love applied to Fire Emblem and SMT in the gameplay despite the J-Pop theme (which is out there). The story is actually light hearted and not as grim as what you'd expect from SMT to compensate, which may be a mixed bag to some. But overall, I found it sort of a feel good game that really makes you feel good when playing it everyday. I would recommend the to anyone who's a huge Atlus fan or those that don't mind the great style the game has going for it.… Expand
  61. Heylistenwtf
    Jun 25, 2016
    9
    Before I do this review, I will warn you that most of the extremely low score for this game are written by people who haven't even played this game that want it to fail because they're childish no life. anyway here's the review:
    I would recommend this game to anyone who wants a traditional RPG who are intimidated by Xenoblade X.
    The combat is simple but also deep at the same time. Trust    Before I do this review, I will warn you that most of the extremely low score for this game are written by people who haven't even played this game that want it to fail because they're childish no life. anyway here's the review:
    I would recommend this game to anyone who wants a traditional RPG who are intimidated by Xenoblade X.
    The combat is simple but also deep at the same time. Trust me, you will die a lot if you're not careful. The presentation is clean and stylish though some of the character's movement are wierd. Speaking of weird, the story is um.....interesting. It follows a group of teenagers (and 1 kid) who are part of the entertainment industry. At the same time, they're also saving the world with characters called "mirages" who can be compared to Personas in the SMT series. It's super cheesy and wierd but also have some hilarious moment.
    Of course, the part that will turn this game off from people is how Japanese it is, hell, there's no Japanese voice! But if you look past that it's an extremely fun and challenging game with my only real complaint being the main character is pretty boring. Oh and there's some censorship controversy but it's only making the character design less revealing and changing 1 part of the story that would be quite akward to witness (pretty much it had to do with bikini modeling in the Japanese version). So unless you're a creepy Peru who like anime girls, the censorship won't be a big problem.    … Expand
  62. SilverClock
    Jun 27, 2016
    8
    +Great/stylish artwork of characters/scenery one comes to expect from both franchises.
    +Likeable characters
    +Solid combat, much like Persona. However you do not get a massive repertoire of demons to use. Each character gets one fighter to use but each comes with a long list of weapons. Abilities are learned through weapons. Three characters can fight at a time but can be easily swapped    +Great/stylish artwork of characters/scenery one comes to expect from both franchises.
    +Likeable characters
    +Solid combat, much like Persona. However you do not get a massive repertoire of demons to use. Each character gets one fighter to use but each comes with a long list of weapons. Abilities are learned through weapons. Three characters can fight at a time but can be easily swapped out in battle while still maintaining their turn. This allows you to use each character on the fly as needed.
    +Makes good use of the tablet. Excellent mini-maps. Character and enemy details are also provided on it.
    -No English dub inevitably will make you feel like you're missing out on the lines that do not have subtitles
    -Cringeworthy k-pop/high pitched singing cutscenes
    -The game does not handle hard mode well. Instead of an increase in AI, you will see an increase in HP and long, needlessly dragged out battles. The only way to counter this is to grind. I do not recommend hard mode. It is not hard for those familiar with the Persona series. Instead it feels dragged out past the point of fun.
    -Predictable/forgettable story
    -Too many fetch quests
    -Too many puzzles a monkey could do, that only serve to prolong the length of the game

    Also note:
    The gameplay is 80% Persona, 20% Fire Emblem.
    Music is average.
    No points were deducted on the count of censorship.    … Expand
  63. Yaroste
    Jul 14, 2016
    10
    Bright and Sour Candy with Persona flavor. Tokyo Mirage Sessions deserve atleast 8, but i give it 10. "Slay monsters—and slay like a pop star—all at the same time, in this brand-new RPG from acclaimed developer Atlus."
  64. BN333
    Jun 29, 2016
    0
    Sadly a below average JRPG being proped up due to the reliance on older standard conventions of the jrpg genre. Do not let blind fanboyism of Japanese culture and anime fool you with this one.
  65. vanou
    Aug 19, 2016
    10
    Very fun game, not so difficult but challenging enough. Great graphics, amazing music, but you have to like japanese culture. A must have for the fans.
  66. nonchalantgamer
    Aug 2, 2016
    8
    Tokyo Mirage Sessions is a fun game with a lot of style, and a deep combat system.

    First off is the combat system which is very fun, and offers a lot of depth, and continually gets deeper as the game progresses. This progression allowed the combat to stay fresh throughout the 60 hrs, and is easily the best part of the game. Now the Story is one of J-pop, and initially this threw me    Tokyo Mirage Sessions is a fun game with a lot of style, and a deep combat system.

    First off is the combat system which is very fun, and offers a lot of depth, and continually gets deeper as the game progresses. This progression allowed the combat to stay fresh throughout the 60 hrs, and is easily the best part of the game.

    Now the Story is one of J-pop, and initially this threw me off, but once i got into it a really enjoyed it, and the side quests were fun, and offered up development for the characters. The Voice acting is on par, and the songs are played by real pop idols, and sound incredible.

    The visuals in-game are solid, with smooth animations. But where the game shines is in the cut-scenes, which look, and feel like an anime style show which i instantly fell in love with.

    TMS is a fun, unique game with a lot of style, and a deep combat system. If your a fan you Japanese culture, and anime you should give this game a shot.    … Expand
  67. pixiejoe7
    Aug 25, 2016
    10
    This game is really good. The gameplay/combat is easily the best thing it has going for it, better than SMT titles. The characters are likable. The music is catchy. The story is your standard jrpg stuff. Only real complaint would be that it could've used mirages from more FE games. One of the best jrpg's to come out in a long time.
  68. Afenger
    Oct 8, 2016
    9
    Um rpg indispensável para fãs de persona, a utilização dos personagens do fire emblem traz boa recordacoes quando se ganha skills no jogo. Ficou interessante vale a pena ser jogado um modo de batalha classico e facil de se entender.
  69. yiric4
    Aug 18, 2016
    8
    dont care about censorship **** off

    battle sequences take forever after u get every a talent and lets them get an attack in even when not in your party
    text messaging app on gamepad sucks
    not a fan of ****
    music is okay
    still good rpg
  70. CVegaOrtega
    Oct 28, 2016
    10
    Excellent game. I had my doubts about it, because it seemed too anime for my liking, but the characters are charming and the history is good. The greatest thing about the game it's the gameplay, hands down the best combat system i've seen in a rpg, it's a great mesh between Fire Emblem system and the SMT system. The upgrade for the weapons are great, and the soundtrack its too. Like,Excellent game. I had my doubts about it, because it seemed too anime for my liking, but the characters are charming and the history is good. The greatest thing about the game it's the gameplay, hands down the best combat system i've seen in a rpg, it's a great mesh between Fire Emblem system and the SMT system. The upgrade for the weapons are great, and the soundtrack its too. Like, seriously, first rpg that i don't want to skip the common enemies.… Expand
  71. vahn
    Jul 26, 2016
    9
    What a great game: after a long time of stale RPGs with boring button mashing combat system (don't get me wrong: some of these games are good), we finally get a good, old styled JRPGs with turn based system, a relatively good story with not much on it but definitely some cure behind it, a really colorful graphic that spits in the face of phorotorealistic games (I'm looking at you SquareWhat a great game: after a long time of stale RPGs with boring button mashing combat system (don't get me wrong: some of these games are good), we finally get a good, old styled JRPGs with turn based system, a relatively good story with not much on it but definitely some cure behind it, a really colorful graphic that spits in the face of phorotorealistic games (I'm looking at you Square Enix), and overall just a pretty good JRPG that has barely any flaws. I mean it: I had a hard time to find flaws in this game because every nitpick I might have in others just doesn't exist here.

    The story? It's there but it's also got sidestories. How do you know? The controller screen constantly updates you with new content to do, no matter where you are. Weapon can be only crafted but then how do i know which materials I need? Don't worry, the game has a list of items you need to pick, where to pick, from who to pick...and once you can craft it the game lets you know! The game will ALWAYS let you know when something can be done and where. YES they even tell you where to go, as in an actual map location! Everything is told to the player: you will NEVER be clueless on what to do, which is something that many other rpgs tend to do. TMS simply does not.

    What about the combat? It's simply amazing and while I'm usually biased toward turn based systems (action combat is simply button mashing), TMS does this extremely well. For starters you have 3 characters in the battlefield but no worries, you can switch everyone at any moment (except for Itsuki, which is a bit of a let down). On top of that, just like a SMT game would, there's weakness exploits to make but unlike the persona or SMT games where weaknesses grants you an additional turn, instead you get to perform combos called "Sessions". They're rather simple to do since you only need to learn a passive skill, but it's incredibly satisfying to do them and on top of that they grant you better rewards. At the beginning you can only do 2 chains at max (with all your current 3 characters) but eventually you'll be able to chain your entire team in a single, long chain of attacks! This is by no means originals but it's something that nowadays doesn't come in new RPGS, where it's usually just button mashing. In here? You actually need to exploit weakness and win by using them.

    However if I have to nitpick, the sessions can't be activate via normal basic attacks, rendering them useless.

    So technicalities and gameplay are out, what about the story? Well...it's ok. I honestly appreciate the fact that the MC actually talks, unlike most of Atlus other games where the MC is usually silent. I like the character style - which is from Fire Emblem - while I definitely dig into the "fusion" thing about human and spirit The story isn't anything special by itself but it's the idol scenery behind that somewhat makes it quite fun and enjoyable, with lots of stuff based around that culture phenomenon: I really don't like that but I can see the appeal for fans of this stuff, but i can also see people shying away because of this. The characters themselves are decent: I can't really say they're good or bad because they're highly stereotyped, but not in a bad way: Itsuki is your usual dumbass who never understand when chicks want to get him laid, Touma is actually pretty enjoyable and relatively interesting and Kiria is basically your Tsundere but done in a sort of funny way. The rest felt boring, especially Tsubasa and Mamori - even if Mamori is relatively adorable.

    So, great gameplay, nice graphics, great character design, impressive detail with screen and other things and good japanese culture for those who like it...I was going to give this game a 10 because I really had a hard time to find troubles. Except for one, major thing: the censorship.

    Unfortunately, this game is heavily censored and despite dealing with it rather well, it still ruins the overall full experience that the devs wanted to deliver. And while some blame Atlus, I honestly blame Nintendo as they have this bad reputation of censoring for silly reasons (The last cash grab Fire Emblem fates has its minigame and lots of dialogue removed, on top of other many harmless things). I read that it was Atlus' idea but again, considering how tight Nintendo censorship is, I wouldn't be surprised if they did the censorship instead of Atlus. Plus, many Atlus games aren't really that censored to begin with (and If I may add, Etrian Odissey Untold had a DLC which allowed your avatars to be naked with steaming clouds: why a bikini is worse?)

    So yes, because of this censorship fiasco this game just doesn't get a 10 but I still highly recommend it: it's what JRPGs should strive today, which is easy yet fun stories and good combat. We don't need overcomplicated dramatic boring stories with overly action-based combat with only one button required: we want actual tactical fights with just simple, yet good stories.

    And TMS is basically that.    … Expand
  72. Torkon
    Jul 21, 2016
    8
    Not sure where all the negative reviews are coming from, probably because the whole censorship debacle. That issue aside, this is a good game. Looks good for a Wii U game. Lots of style, a really sleek UI, fun battle system and nice difficulty. The loading times are a bit of a drag but honestly that's my only complaint.
  73. GoombaJMR
    Aug 25, 2016
    9
    Excellent game from Atlus (and Nintendo) that combines our favorite franchises (SMT & Fire Emblem) together for a very strange and unique experience. The music in this game is kind of interesting, with songs that you'll either like or dislike (not much in the middle) and excellent battle themes overall. Boss and mid-boss themes are very Persona-like, with Shoji Meguro style guitar riffsExcellent game from Atlus (and Nintendo) that combines our favorite franchises (SMT & Fire Emblem) together for a very strange and unique experience. The music in this game is kind of interesting, with songs that you'll either like or dislike (not much in the middle) and excellent battle themes overall. Boss and mid-boss themes are very Persona-like, with Shoji Meguro style guitar riffs and solos, while final boss and certain other themes are a mix of FE orchestrated goodness and some good electronic beats that actually don't hinder the melody of the music. Some of my favorites (search these on Youtube for a spoiler-less listen) include Quest Battle, Final Dungeon (no name spoiling), Boss Battle, Extra Battle, Shibuya, and the Final Boss theme of course ;). The idol songs were actually mostly catchy too, with my favorites being Black Rain, Reincarnation, Dream Catcher, and Raindrop Memories (or something like that).

    The art by toi8 is excellent, and I hope to see more from him/her (he has recently also worked on I Am Setsuna, which I have yet to try). The 3D models are detailed and the animation is fluid in and out of battle. The enemy design may not strike everyone as excellent due to them looking kind of crazy and not FE or SMT like. Either way, after playing for 20 hours, the enemy design started to grow on me and I started to like them a lot. This includes the cute cleric, cuter ghost thing, the horses on wheels, and the pegasus fliers. The mirages that are on your team (there are 7) are spectacularly designed too, and I spent a great deal of time using the SP skills (special) to watch them kick some serious a--.

    The game may seem a bit plain and FE-less in the beginning, but more elements are added throughout the game (particularly past the 15 hour mark for me), including the use of Master Seals (awesome!), weapon strengthening, and unique field skills that make our life much more pleasant. I played the entire game on normal and rarely had trouble with the difficulty (though I have played a lot of SMT AND FE), with the exception of bosses every once and a while. Sometimes you'll bring the most incompatible party members with you to a fight and get demolished when the boss goes first or second (and moves twice). For example, I would bring two lance users and those two would get targeted like crazy by a boss that uses axe attacks (axe beats lance), while almost always ignoring my sword user. So the battle system is great, the music for it is crazy good, animations and models right on target, decorations and backgrounds are colorful, and effects are just brilliant.

    The story isn't very strong and focused, which is similar to the recent FE games, but all story segments are fully voiced in Japanese (excellent job) and your attachment to the characters will naturally grow from hanging out with them during intermissions (and even the main story). Because I kind of rushed the playthrough of this game (got around 55% of play records and didn't really clear many requests) due to me moving to LA for college and not being able to take the Wii U with me (siblings..), I really am looking forward to playing through the game again to see more dialogue between my favorite characters and mirages. Anyways, buy this game if you have a Wii U - even if you don't like J-Pop and stuff, the excellent battle system and great bonds you can make in the game can open your scope (in a more direct way and not 'I heard it's about this' way) to two excellent franchises that currently reside among the top of JRPG franchises!

    PS: I have read about the censorship and found it to be no big deal (though I would have LOVED the hot springs DLC). I think it would be a better idea not to censor things, but it's not like they deleted a dungeon or did anything that would really limit our playtime (unless one would like to stare at pictures in a dungeon for hours). I also think that the people who are complaining about this like crazy are making it a bigger deal than it is and are ruining it for themselves. This is an excellent gaming experience and I feel that just some censorship will not (and did not for me) have a significant impact on the actual gameplay for this. Another reviewer commented on a dangerous bug regarding the Artists menu from mid to endgame, but I did not run into this issue despite clicking the artists menu quite often to check my progress on character side quests.

    Gameplay: 9.5/10
    Story: 8/10
    Music: 9/10
    Presentation: 9.5/10
    Length: 9/10
    Overall: 9/10    … Expand
  74. AJCk19
    Apr 28, 2023
    4
    It is a average JRPG that hasn't done anything more different than Digital Devil Saga or Bravely Default. But if you are a hardcore fan of Persona or Fire Emblem, it probably will be at least a 6 stars. Lastly, the censorship basically kilt the game on arrival.
  75. Goodnightmoon
    Jun 7, 2021
    10
    This is a wonderful game that deserves way more recognition. While it may be a little too cheesy and it has some annoying anime tropes, TMS is a very special game.
    The setting and story are pretty unique, the characters are trying to make their way into the Japanese show business and along the way they have to fight with the obstacles of the industry and their own personal demons, this is    This is a wonderful game that deserves way more recognition. While it may be a little too cheesy and it has some annoying anime tropes, TMS is a very special game.
    The setting and story are pretty unique, the characters are trying to make their way into the Japanese show business and along the way they have to fight with the obstacles of the industry and their own personal demons, this is represented with demons and dungeons in a similar style as Persona.
    The gameplay is fantastic, one of the best combat systems of any JRPG ever, its addictive, accesible but deep and very eye-candy. The presentation of the game as a whole is really good, very vibrant and colorful with a ton of style. The music, while not my style, its really well produced and fitting with the game, its high quality J-pop for the most part.
    The whole vibe of the game is quite light-hearted, maybe a bit too much for a Shin Megami Tensei spin-off but its really charming and quite engaging.
    An absolute gem, a game that always makes me happy, great gameplay, great presentation, likeable characters, unique story, its just really good.    … Expand
  76. gui789
    Jun 22, 2019
    10
    Um jogo grandioso, capaz de entreter por dezenas de horas, enredo
  77. Lone_Wolf_Sones
    Aug 7, 2016
    8
    For the sake of providing context I have never touched a SMT or a Persona game. I am a fan of Fire Emblem however and it is arguably the aspect that drew me to the game more than any other. I was surprised by how much I have enjoyed my time with it so far.

    One of my initial concerns from watching the trailers up until release was the j-pop and how battles would play out. I never really    For the sake of providing context I have never touched a SMT or a Persona game. I am a fan of Fire Emblem however and it is arguably the aspect that drew me to the game more than any other. I was surprised by how much I have enjoyed my time with it so far.

    One of my initial concerns from watching the trailers up until release was the j-pop and how battles would play out. I never really felt they did a good job of explaining just how the game functioned in terms of its battle system other than that you entered dungeons and that these Fire Emblem characters were a bit like summons. This game was announced in 2013 at E3 and here we are 3 years later with it finally in hand. Though it needs to be said the game was actually in development for 5 years (according to the artbook, more on this later).

    As I said I was unsure of the j-pop and general premise of the game. I was concerned whether the music would resonate with me since I don't speak or know Japanese. I was pleasantly surprised though as the music is actually quite good. I guess the best way I can describe it is that the music complements the tone and themes of the game. American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow claimed "Music is the universal language of mankind." I think its an apt description for the music in TMS. The vocals are able to convey the emotion a particular character may feel. You don't need to understand what they are saying to enjoy the music (or the story) and appreciate it. It may even be for the best that they retained the original voice work as English dubs can be of questionable quality. (There are English subtitles).

    The battle system definitely has roots in traditional turn based JRPG's. What I found so interesting is the way you can chain attacks together and the fact that as you level; the weapons you use also level which give your characters new abilities. These abilities when used to exploit enemy weaknesses can chain with others in your party. This can lead to some incredible moments where you perform an overkill on a challenging enemy.

    The visuals may not be the best the WiiU has to offer but they are very pretty to look at and the game has a nice visual style that extends not only to the menu and UI but the beautiful animated cutscenes. Then there are the designs of the Fire Emblem characters themselves and they just look awesome. There were some censorship choices made which can be jarring but I don't want to belabor that point and detract from what is an otherwise enjoyable game.

    Perhaps the biggest take away from the game is just how much it immerses you in Japanese culture. Shibuya is an interesting place. While I have never set foot in Japan I appreciated that I was able to see a statue of Hachiko the dog even if it is in a virtual setting. Its a surprising level of authenticity that I really enjoyed.

    The authenticity extends to the approach they took designing the game. The art book in the special edition has 3 pages of commentary from three of the developers. In it they reveal that they actually consulted actual Japanese music producers. They also had a touching thank you to Satoru Iwata for creating the opportunity for the game to come into the world. Even after his passing Satoru Iwata has managed to help deliver a game that is just fun for everyone to play. The game does have the kind of cringe that comes with some japanese games. However you shouldn't let that dissuade you from giving it a shot. The battle system is great and you may just find yourself pleasantly surprised. I know I did.    … Expand
  78. drew95gt
    Aug 10, 2016
    9
    This game is GREAT! Don't listen to all of the negative reviews as most of them are complaining about the (very mild) censorship with the localization. If you like Persona, you will more than likely enjoy this game as it is VERY similar in feel. The Fire Emblem content is kinda limited to the Performa and some late game elements...not going to be specific as I don't want to spoilThis game is GREAT! Don't listen to all of the negative reviews as most of them are complaining about the (very mild) censorship with the localization. If you like Persona, you will more than likely enjoy this game as it is VERY similar in feel. The Fire Emblem content is kinda limited to the Performa and some late game elements...not going to be specific as I don't want to spoil anything. Seriously though, this is probably my favorite game since Persona 4 Golden. This game will truly end up being an underrated classic down the line, do yourself a favor and pick it up.… Expand
  79. TheCoffeeTalker
    Jan 6, 2019
    8
    Amazing! The gameplay mixed with the beautiful graphics combined with the wonderful story makes this the perfect JRPG for the Wii U! And if you are looking for a good JRPG that has plenty of things to do and includes large amounts of gameplay, well jackpot!
  80. IvyPace
    Mar 9, 2017
    9
    Oh I love this game so much ! It's so fun, so bubbly, colorful, cute, full of nice songs. The combat is fluid and fun, but after some grinding you can get somewhat bored of it. Also the censures from the oriental version to the occidental version are totally pointless. There was no need for that :( Besides this is an incredible game and must for those who really like JRPGS, Cute stuff orOh I love this game so much ! It's so fun, so bubbly, colorful, cute, full of nice songs. The combat is fluid and fun, but after some grinding you can get somewhat bored of it. Also the censures from the oriental version to the occidental version are totally pointless. There was no need for that :( Besides this is an incredible game and must for those who really like JRPGS, Cute stuff or simple RPGs like me… Expand
  81. LoganWayne
    Apr 1, 2020
    10
    Underrated game. This is the one of the best RPG I have played. This is the closest game to Persona series that Nintendo console owners can have.

    Other people might have concerns with the censorship when Atlus ported it outside Japan, but it did not affect the gameplay at all. I'm not mad that Atlus adapted the gameplay of Persona more than Fire Emblem or Shin Megami Tensei, I'm    Underrated game. This is the one of the best RPG I have played. This is the closest game to Persona series that Nintendo console owners can have.

    Other people might have concerns with the censorship when Atlus ported it outside Japan, but it did not affect the gameplay at all. I'm not mad that Atlus adapted the gameplay of Persona more than Fire Emblem or Shin Megami Tensei, I'm actually surprised and happy!

    Battle system is the best part of this game. I don't have a problem with the story being corny at times or that the protagonists aspire to be superstars. I don't. This game still deserves a 10 for me.

    I hope Atlus continues to support more games to Nintendo consoles.    … Expand
  82. XV_
    Sep 30, 2018
    8
    (More like a 7.7). For a game with a lot of personality as TMS#FE its main characters don't have a lot of it, but somehow or kind of #FE manages for you to feel for them, in the end, I kinda had a rush of nostalgia true the epilogue, like saying goodbye to true friends.

    If you like RPGs and Idols or at least anime style idols i think this combination is a made in heaven, but if you    (More like a 7.7). For a game with a lot of personality as TMS#FE its main characters don't have a lot of it, but somehow or kind of #FE manages for you to feel for them, in the end, I kinda had a rush of nostalgia true the epilogue, like saying goodbye to true friends.

    If you like RPGs and Idols or at least anime style idols i think this combination is a made in heaven, but if you dislike at least one of those you better stay away. The story is as generic as a lot of the modern FE stories but what truly shines is the combat, is so addictive till it gets old at the very end, the customization of skills is pretty deep and you will invest a lot of time on this system (for the better or the worse), the thing is that this part of the game is clunky as hell, picture yourself in a dungeon then grind a lot, then go back to the main hub to upgrade your skills, then go to the dungeon and grind, then repeat, it would be great that you could do that on the go but no. There's a lot of grinding so if you mind that kind of thing also stay away, also the music was a hit or miss for me, not my kind of music but some tunes were really cool. As for the things that invested me aside of the combat system where the sidequests, every sidequest has a cinematic reward with like a performance about one of the main characters and some of them are amazing or hilarious, also the presentation is amazing, but I can see a lot of people hating it or loving it. In the end, it was a very fun RPG with some interesting turns on the combat formula and presentation but not much on the story and character department to really shine like a star.    … Expand
  83. Galix
    Jun 10, 2020
    8
    Un jrpg que muchos pasarán por alto por no estar traducido y por girar en torno a la cultura idol de Japón pero que sin duda agradará a todos aquellos amantes del género que estén dispuestos a darle una oportunidad.

    Lo bueno: - Gran sistema de combate, entretenido y dinámico. - Muy buenos personajes. - Buen apartado artístico en cuanto a diseño. - Bastante largo, incluso yendo solo    Un jrpg que muchos pasarán por alto por no estar traducido y por girar en torno a la cultura idol de Japón pero que sin duda agradará a todos aquellos amantes del género que estén dispuestos a darle una oportunidad.

    Lo bueno:
    - Gran sistema de combate, entretenido y dinámico.
    - Muy buenos personajes.
    - Buen apartado artístico en cuanto a diseño.
    - Bastante largo, incluso yendo solo a por la historia.

    Lo malo:
    - Historia muy mediocre.
    - Textos en inglés que, si bien no son difíciles de entender para quien sepa un poco el idioma, echarán para atrás a más de uno.
    - La participación de la saga Fire Emblem es más bien anecdótica.    … Expand
  84. gaboblack
    Jan 30, 2020
    10
    Un gran JRPG! Muy divertido, su banda sonora es excelente y su sistema de combate es brillante.

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Wii U Game of 2016
4
#4 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2016
6
#6 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. CD-Action
    Oct 14, 2016
    70
    Atlus does not step outside safe territory charted by Persona. #FE will mostly be appreciated by people interested in the Japanese idol scene and those of you who need some more Persona right away. [10/2016, p.55]
  2. Games.cz
    Sep 19, 2016
    70
    Pop and RPG mixture. Certainly we cannot say that this game has no style ... and an incredible amount of fights.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Aug 23, 2016
    78
    Story and setting were made with absolutely no pandering for western tastes. Not everyone will find such a dose of pure, undiluted anime to their liking, but RPG and fighting system make it worth a try. And for hardcore fans of Japanese culture Tokyo Mirage Sessions may very well become one of the best games this year. [Issue#211, p.66]
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