This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Atlus deserves a standing ovation for not only taking a risk, but also for creating one of the best RPGs of all time. Sometimes, I just want a simple, absorbing RPG and that is what Radiant Historia is. But sometimes I don't care about the latest technological advancements facial animations, complex decision making systems that can change the whole universe, finding dirty water in demolished buildings, exploring huge lands or Disney/Square-Enix fan service. the Final Fantasies, Mass Effects, Fallout 3, Oblivion, Kingdom Hearts. I've played all the great RPGs of the past decade. It's probably one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever (listen to "Memories of the World", "Blue Radiance", and "And Earnest Desire of Grey" on YouTube). The visuals are very vibrant and artistically marvelous, though the character animations are a bit limited. The grid based combat, which allows you to move enemies around and combine them into slots to build combos and damage multiple enemies at once, provides a simple, fast, deep and incredibly fun battle system. To bring it all together, a varied and complex cast provides unique personalities and nuances to the story. Don't worry, it's not at all confusing or tedious because you're given a detailed record of events and you can skip nearly any event or cut-scene to avoid repetition.
Each choice you make could lead to a sudden end, in which case you have to go back to a key point and figure out the correct path. You not only have to travel time to prevent the end of the world, you have to balance two alternate timelines (due to the meddling of an evil third party) because events in one impact the other. The story involves some familiar elements, such as time traveling to save the world, but it does a lot to stand on its own. Being a huge fan of PS1 and SNES RPGs, this game is a true embodiment of what an RPG should have: engrossing story, complex characters, fun battle system and a gripping ambiance. Being a huge fan of PS1 and SNES RPGs, this game is a true embodiment of what an RPG Radiant Historia is the best RPG I've played in ages. The game would be a remake of the original DS release, while adding updated graphics and new content – such as “what-if” scenarios – and a new character called Nemesia.Īs a fan of the original, I was skeptical of the remake, but that all seemed to change once I got some time to go hands-on with an early English build of Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology during E3 2017, and was able to get a first look at the enhancements in the 3DS version of the game.Radiant Historia is the best RPG I've played in ages. I can recall after the first three hours of playing that it was something that I had never encountered before, and I was hooked from then on.Įarlier this year, Atlus announced a remake of the game titled Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology for the Nintendo 3DS.
The game’s development staff consisted of veterans from several notable Atlus-developed games, including, Persona 3 and Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. The game was titled Radiant Historia and released on the Nintendo DS through publisher Atlus. In 2011, a JRPG came to the West that, thinking back at the time, I wasn’t ready for.