Pros:
• Great Story – Sucks you in and you want to find out what happens
• Offers a wonderful and classic approach to turn-based strategy RPG elements
• Character development – in dept allot of customization
• Graphically nice for the genre – beautiful pixel combat, cut scene, and story board dialogue
• Outstanding ST – Nothing surprising expect nothing less
• Likable/detestable characters – Players can easily relate to some of the games characters
Cons:
• Subtitles are absent for the games cutscenes. Cut scenes are dubbed in Japanese
Joining in on the ever-popular genre tactical RPG’s, NIS has enlisted their newest title into the ranks of this genre, and continues to do so thanks to the Japanese studio Kadokawa Games. This all seemed to grow when Natural Doctrine attempted to help revolutionize the genre, but was quickly taken back to basics by God Wars.
To begin, God Wars: Future Past takes place in the mythical land of Mizuho. In this land are the nations of Fuji, Izumo, and Hyuga. The land has long seen humans and Gods live side by side. Peace has remained a rather large part of their societies due to the harmony it has caused. However, this changed as humans began to develop more technology. Their advancements made them more dependent and less reliant on the gods. This lack of reliance caused them to part ways, and among this, humans and nature found themselves at the whim of the gods. The gods grew angered and doing so they began to cause natural disasters across the lands of Mizuho.
As the devastation grew, the humans began to work to appease the gods and prevent the destruction of their world. In reaction, the Queen of the Fuji Nation Tsukuyomi sacrificed her second and most beloved daughter Sakuya to Mount Fuji to calm the wrath of the gods. As collateral, in case another sacrifice is needed, she locked her daughter Kaguya away. After the course of 13 years, the queen has disappeared and Kaguya is rescued by her friend and hero Kintaro, who is partnered with his companion Kuma.
In order to find out what happened to the Queen Tsukuyomi, the trio go on their own adventure. During their journey they end up meeting with a large variety of cast members. Some of these include gods, some of which join their party, while others become their enemies. Each of the games playable character’s offer a rather unique personality, which allows the game to offer varied aspects for players to enjoy. Each has their own backstory, but also their own unique character designs, which keeps them rather fresh.
While each of them comes with their own designs, back story, and utility in combat, they also come with their own unique voice dubs. This fully voiced cast is rather impressive seeing as the game does manage to have a few rough spots in both dialogue and subtitles. Let alone some of the cutscenes being in Japanese. To add in on the games rather impressive feats as far as designs go, the game also offers up something a bit more unique. The games visuals are impressive, but at the same time rather disappointing. The game is alive with its 2D visuals, animations, which are beautifully well-done in boththe games dialogue sequences and cinematic sequences.
Since the games fully animated cinematics are rather incredible, there’s no doubt that the game also feature 3D visuals for you to enjoy. These visuals are rather enjoyable to anyone wanting to settle into a good 30+ hour title. The downside? The 3D visuals do feel dated during combat and during some of the 3D dialogue based sequences.
While the game does manage to struggle off and on with its dated 3D visuals, there’s no doubt that the battles in God Wars Future Past struggles in that area, the game does find some of its greatest strengths in combat. Since the game does use a rather classic approach to isometric turn-based strategy RPG gameplay, you can find yourself indulged in it thanks to the games character progression and customization systems, which also drives the game into a rather deep and enjoyable system.
Let alone does the game emphasize on turn-based combat, there’s quite a bit of an approach to it where characters find themselves taking turn in combat based on their speeds, and each one moves as well as performs one action per turn. This means accountability is placed upon the player since they will need to plan out their moves since enemies may go next or even before the player depending on, again, character speeds.
Since the game does use classic turn-based strategy RPG elements, the game does rely on players becoming accustomed with positioning their characters behind, beside, or in front of enemy NPCs. The game does include vertical positioning bonuses, and penalties. In combat players will see this come to light due to their positioning. Attacking from higher points with melee weapons provide more damage while both ranged weapons as well as spells will have increased ranged from the higher points.
On level ground players will find damage reduction and reduced ranges. Again, this drives home the fact that combat position is of importance, and players will need to become accustomed to this. The game features a mechanic players may not expect called Impurity. Taking actions in battle, such as healing, casting spells or healing, will raise a characters Impurity level. Doing this increases the ‘aggro’ a character has and will cause enemies to become more likely to attack them.
To maintain a decreased impurity level, players will find themselves using abilities such as a Warrior’s Taunt or a Priest’s Purification. These type of abilities will help players actively maintain their characters’ Impurity so that a balance of combat can be made. This is equally important for the squishier characters within the game. The focus, as with any RPG, will need to be placed upon characters like the tanks.
While combat is where the game shines, another place of interest should be the games deep job system. Like most strategy RPG games, characters can have up to three jobs total. This includes a main job, a sub job, and a unique job. The main job can be one of the games any eighteen available jobs. Specific job requirements, however, must be met for the jobs within the game for sub jobs. The third and final job is unique to each character, and this one can not be changed. Each job, however, does earn their own points to be spent. The only difference is, the main job does earn points quicker than the sub jobs, making players work to earn their points needed.
Because of this unique job system, players can experiment with different job combinations for each of the game’s playable characters. It also allows for players to adjust or optimize their party for ensuing battles. While skills and abilities learned from a job can’t be accessed if that job isn’t active, players can adapt their characters what they can do. With sub jobs earning less points than the main job, farming points is rather important. New jobs, if being tested, can provide a rather deep challenge depending on what slot the main or sub job is placed in.
Luckily for players, the game does include randomize battles with a request system that allows you to accept missions as needed that involve battles requiring you to defeat all enemies in each combat scenario. Because of this, points can be easily ground out when needed by the player. Since the game does have this system in place, you can grind out job points as needed or when wanted in order to progress through the game without interruption. This does make the game bit more accessible to those wanting to try out the jobs throughout the game.
God Wars: Future Past – PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), PlayStation Vita
Developer: Kadokawa Games
Publisher: NIS America
Release Date: Available Now
Cost: $49.99 USD
To welcome new players to the game, it does offer in basics of the games through tutorials. These tutorials also come with dialogue as well as helpful images and accompanying text. Since this is a great feature for new players, it’s highly suggested that new players take time to learn them. For veterans of the SRPG, these tutorials could be unnecessary and having the option to turn them off as needed would have been nice. Additionally, fans would have probably found accessing them through the games menus would have been welcome additions for gamer’s.
God Wars: Future Past is an excellent take on the SRPG genre and offers classic mechanics as one would expect. Since the game doesn’t only execute its classic takes perfectly, it does so rather incredibly well. Along with 2D visuals and gameplay, players can also enjoy the games strong cast members that help completely bring the game to life for a fascinating as well as entertaining experience. Since the experience is enhanced by this, there’s no doubt that the game is an overall stunning experience that Kadokawa Games has made for fans and newcomers alike.
Our review is based upon a retail version provided to us by the games publisher. For information about our ethics policy please click here.
Final Score: 9 out of 10
About the Writer:
Chris Adee is one of B.A.T.G.R.’s newest writers who seems to love three things. Sleep, games, and MOBA’s when he’s not goofing around on Warframe and SMITE. He also likes games. A lot. Oh and anime. Did we mention anime?