Daniel AgiusRobots plus Kaiju, plus time travel, plus a diverse cast of characters. How could you go wrong? In this instance there’s barely a misstep. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim launched back in 2020 for the PS4 with a non-linear storyline and gameplay that fits into multiple genres. Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a unique experience being a visual novel and strategy game all rolled into a neat little package. I’ve been playing the game on the Switch since it’s release last month thanks to Five Star Games, and you should definitely give it a look.
The game follows a chorus of characters as they battle an alien threat through multiple timelines and events taking place. At first glance, it’s a simple giant mechanical robot, a la Voltron, versus hulking colossus-like aliens invading Earth style of game. You pilot the mechs across a grid to destroy and demolish the alien creatures and unlock new abilities along the way.
Players will follow the paths of thirteen high school students across different eras, starting in the 1980s then through WWII and into the future in 2105. Just to quell the pop culture fanatics, there isn’t a DeLorean or a crazy white haired doctor following one of the high school students. These stories play out as little sidescrolling vignettes involving some exploration but mostly exposition and dialogue. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is built around dialogue, and gameplay throughout the narrative sections are all point-and-click adventure style. Progression is usually as straightforward as finding the next person or environment you need to interact with.
The best and most interesting part of the game I found is the structure of the story. I’m amazed at how well the narrative works, considering how initially confusing and multidirectional it is. At any one time you can pick from a group of characters’ stories letting you follow their path and progress their story. I felt like I was a detective following leads to figure out what was going on. A great feature introduced is the ‘word cloud’ which is a kind of stand in for the player’s inner thoughts. I love the plot twists at the end of nearly every chapter. The only drawback I found with the multidirectional approach to the story is that it can take a little while to get to where the narrative was going to.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim does a fantastic job of slowly revealing itself. While it initially seems like an alien invasion story with a dash of teen drama thrown in, ultimately becomes a complex story about the future of the human race. I reckon it took me a good few hours before I had any inkling about what the story was actually about, and the well placed breadcrumbs in the narrative helped me from getting too far lost. I love that 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is broken down into almost bite-sized 30-40 minute episodes. This makes it an ideal fit for the Nintendo Switch. It is so easy to play in short bursts on the bus or train or even just laying in bed. I often found myself saying I’ll play just one episode before bed.
The stunning visuals bought to us by Vanillaware really paid off as wells as classic sci fi tropes bought to life in this magnificent game. It’s clear to see the studio put its focus in the storytelling. Their idea of doing something distinctive with the combat by making it a real-time tactics is admirable, but its clear to see the storytelling and the characters do the heavy lifting in this entertaining adventure. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim will definitely demand a lot from players, but the results will blow you away. It is a brilliant story and a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.
This review utilised a Switch key provided by Five Star Games. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is out now on Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4
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Chris Inglis
Str8JaktJim