Watching the trailer and intro for Reynatis, I was hit with a feeling almost like déjà vu. It’s a standalone game that exists in its own distinct universe, but it’s clear that it draws inspiration from the misbegotten “Final Fantasy Versus XIII” that never came to fruition, the video game “Verum Rex” that exists within the Kingdom Hearts universe, and The World Ends with You. It’s no real surprise since both the scenario writer and composer worked on several of those titles during their time with Square Enix. An in-game collaboration even sees the cast of Reynatis interact with characters from Neo: The World Ends with You for an optional side quest.
Developed by Furyu, Reynatis is a fast-paced RPG set within a magical version of Shibuya. It is available on Steam, PS4/5, and Nintendo Switch. It’s currently only playable in Japanese with English subtitles, which is something to keep in mind. This wasn’t really an issue for me. I did find it a little hard to follow the dialogue when fighting though.
Sound and Graphics
Before I dive into key areas like story and gameplay, I want to talk about the presentation. I’ve already mentioned the visual similarities between Reynatis and the aforementioned games – from his hair to his clothes, protagonist Marin looks a lot like Yozora from Verum Rex – but the visuals are pretty dated. Shibuya itself looks stunning. The developers have clearly put a lot of effort into accurately recreating the city with all its landmarks and stores. Perhaps that’s why I found myself a little disappointed by the rest of the visuals.
I like the stylised, cartoony graphics that a lot of Japanese RPGs employ, but in this case, everything looks a little dated, and the characters’ faces seem bland and emotionless – definitely not what you’d expect from a game released on the latest generation of consoles. There are also very limited options to play around with in the settings.
In terms of sound and music, however, Reynatis definitely delivers. With composer Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts, FFXV) at the helm, the soundtrack is amazing. It helps set the scene for some fast-paced action.
Story
Reynatis takes place in modern-day Shibuya, where magic exists and awakens in those close to death.
Even though magic exists, non-magic users fear wizards and don’t accept them, and since using magic is illegal, the majority of wizards have to live in hiding. That is unless you’re a member of the Magic Enforcement Administration – a government agency consisting of wizards tasked with upholding public order, cracking down on illegal drugs, and tracking stray wizards who use magic without permission. They frequently clash with the Wizard Guild, who claim to be fighting for the rights of wizard-kind, but their methods are questionable at best.
Reynatis follows two main protagonists – Marin Kirizumi and Sari Nishijima, along with their respective teammates. Marin is a stray wizard with a desire to be the strongest, which leads him to join up with OWL. This group serves as a middle ground, fighting both the Guild and the M.E.A. while taking requests to help fellow wizards. Sari, on the other hand, is a member of the M.E.A., which means she comes up against Marin on more than one occasion. However, the two realise that their goals align more closely than they initially thought.
Reynatis isn’t a particularly long game compared to other RPGs, but each chapter features a few side quests that can be undertaken. Most of the side quests are very short though and add little by way of the world-building. They do affect Shibuya itself though, lowering the “malice level” – a visualisation of animosity towards wizards. This enables you to access more Wizart – magical graffiti drawn by wizards – that unlocks extra skills and abilities.
The Neo: The World Ends with You side quest, however, is much longer and more substantial. You even get to fight Mr. Mew.
Gameplay
You always fight in a group of three, with each member having their own unique skills and fighting style. Only one character is playable at a time though. The others don’t actively help in battle, but they do stick around briefly to act as a distraction when you switch between them.
Reynatis uses a unique gameplay system split into two distinct modes. First, you have Suppression Mode, where you use a hood to conceal your status as a wizard, allowing you to walk around without fear, talk to citizens, and pick up side quests. This mode is also useful in combat as it lets you dodge, or rather, it dodges for you. In this mode, the game encourages you to let attacks come towards you as your magic guides you through a counterattack that replenishes your magic. There’s even a Wizart skill that performs this counter automatically without any input. In my opinion, this made combat a little too easy.
While Suppression Mode focuses on defence, Liberation Mode allows you to attack. The fast-paced combat lets you use standard attacks or skills, which you can upgrade or modify for greater impact. However, running around in Liberation Mode outside of combat isn’t advisable. Civilians will panic upon seeing you and spread the word on social media. This will eventually cause a squad of tough M.E.A. members to come after you. It’s easy enough to rectify, though. Standing in a designated hiding spot or simply fast travelling to a new location resets your wanted level.
Reynatis also employs a stress gauge. Certain activities, such as talking to civilians or getting caught in Liberation Mode, increase your stress. Once it reaches 100, the game forces you into Liberation Mode. I found it was rare for my stress to reach this though. If it did, however, I was able to consume items to lower it.
Final Thoughts
All in all, my experience with Reynatis was pretty mixed.
I found the underlying concept interesting and generally enjoyed the story and characters. The soundtrack was great, and Shibuya looked amazing, but the rest of the graphics felt dated. Combat is fast-paced, flashy, and fun, and the Suppression and Liberation Modes add a unique edge. Unfortunately, this is let down by how easy most of the battles are and how simple it is to lower your wanted level.
There were many elements that could have made the game great, but they just weren’t implemented well enough. Stress could have been an interesting and integral part of the gameplay, but it impacted me so little that I mostly forgot about it. Certain things, like the ability to unlock extra slots for Wizart, weren’t introduced until halfway through the game, which I thought was a strange choice.
Considering I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all the games it draws inspiration from and will always grieve for what could have been with Versus XIII, Reynatis had all the building blocks to be a great game. Unfortunately, it fell flat. It’s enjoyable enough, but it offers very little that makes it a memorable experience or allows it to stand on its own.
Developer: FURYU Corporation
Publisher: NIS America
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: 27th September 2024
Gaming Respawn’s copy of Reynatis was provided by the publisher.
