It’s no secret that you need to have something special in your RPG to make it truly stand out in pop in today’s world of gaming.Reynatisis off to a great start, featuring fabled composer Yoko Shimomura to score the RPG’s music, and Kazushige Nojima is credited as the Scenario Writer for the story. It’s a powerful duo that instantly putReynatison my radar.
Modern Day Shibuya
At its core,Reynatisis an Action RPG that takes place in a realistic depiction of the Japanese commercial district of Shibuya. However, in the world ofReynatis, there are wizards with the ability to utilize magic, though not everyone has such powers. As such, powerful organizations have formed seeking to oppress and liberate the wizards due to fears over their power. It reminds me of the dynamic fromHarry Potteror even the classic TV showHeroes.
It also looks like the developer, FURYU Corporation has worked hard to bring the city of Shibuya to life, featuring details that anyone who has been there will actually recognize including shops and signs, featuring iconic locations such as Shibuya 109 and Dogenzaka Alley. The city itself seems lively and bustling, featuring NPCs who will carry out their life walking around the city, but respond to your actions. If the locale catches you utilizing your magical powers, they’ll freak out and use their phone to notify the “magic police”, known as the M.E.A. which will then hunt you down.
From a gameplay perspective,Reynatisfeatures a fast-paced action combat that allows you to switch between the characters in your party on the fly, and even call upon them to perform powerful combos. A unique system allows you to switch between two modes—Suppression and Liberation—in real-time. When in Suppression Mode, you’re able to dodge attacks and build up your magical power. Upon switching to Liberation Mode, you’re able to unleash your stored magical power dealing massive damage.
Still some questions about combat
Having the opportunity to see the combat system in action across a few different environments, there does seem to be some repetition and overall simpleness to the combat system. But if it’s as fast-paced as NIS has stated, it seems like that’s partially by design. I personally don’t mind a more simplistic combat system as long as it’s still fun, rewarding, and overall doesn’t feel boring. In fact, with some games, I actually prefer it so I can instead focus on grinding, exploring the environments, or getting enthralled into the story.
One of the most intriguing facets ofReynatisis that it has a collaborative crossover withNEO: The World Ends with You. This isn’t a simple event or anything, either. Characters fromNEO: TWEWYwill appear throughoutReynatis, and are actually a substantial component of the story. I’m always down for some moreTWEWY, so this only furthers my excitement forReynatis.
The only negative I could take away from the preview is thatReynatisfeatures Japanese voiceovers only. English subtitles are available, but I do know some players will be disappointed that there is no dub option. However, if that’s not an issue for you,Reynatislooks like a solid fast-paced Action RPG set in a beautifully authentic rendition of the city of Shibuya.
I’m looking forward to exploring the city myself whenReynatisreleases on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on June 24, 2025.
