13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Switch Review - Sublime Story & Strategy
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim remains compelling on Switch, with a seamless transition onto the platform making it well worth a look for new players.
The release of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim was something of a surprise to many players, as the game didn't receive a ton of hype in the build-up to its launch. Reviews of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, developed by Vanillaware and published by Atlus, indicated that those who missed it were doing themselves a disservice, as plenty of positive accolades rolled in for the sleeper hit.
Now, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is coming to Nintendo Switch, where that platform's broader appeal and accessibility gives it a second chance to be discovered by those who might enjoy it. The game follows 13 different characters as they explore a broad array of timelines and sci-fi experiences, piloting mechs in an effort to save multiple worlds - while also being teenagers (sometimes). These interactions are portrayed through each character's eyes as the player inhabits their perspective across various stories that intertwine, and the result is a complex narrative that, while stumbling in spots, ends up shining through as an excellent and unexpected tale.
These stories are told through the Remembrance section of 13 Sentinels, which lets players inhabit each role and progress the narrative through small glimpses into its jigsaw puzzle pieces. These moments are captured beautifully by a retro, anime-inspired aesthetic that makes for some gorgeous scenes between its 2.5D protagonists. While this section of the game operates a lot like a visual novel, its multiple revelations, branching story choices and character depth means that even those who aren't generally predisposed to like that genre will find a lot of reasons to stick around.
That's before diving into 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim's incredible combat system. A tactical mecha strategy title can sometimes lean heavily on cool graphics and other effects to buoy its systems, but 13 Sentinels strips everything down into a bare bones, monitor-esque representation of a battlefield grid. It looks more like a commander viewing a battle through an electronic rendition of its skirmish sites, and it creates an emphasis on what the game does so well: planning and positioning.
Players need to maneuver characters in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim on a battlefield that's always moving in between decisions, and the strategy begins before they even take the field with team lineups, customization, and ability unlocks that create multiple ways to approach each battle. As 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim's combat has been lauded before, it's most important that the Nintendo Switch version preserves its ease of use and compelling strategic maneuvering, both of which remain excellent.
As a Nintendo Switch port, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim functions quite well. Beyond the battles remaining smooth, the visuals and transitions between sections also have been integrated onto the platform just fine, with no stuttering or framerate drops experienced even during particularly chaotic fights or more populous scenes. Naturally, as with all Nintendo Switch ports, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim also benefits from its newfound portability, as the game's brief chunks of story and smaller scale fights work well as distractions during transit or other brief respites.
Ultimately, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim remains largely unchanged on Nintendo Switch minus the platform's strengths and weaknesses that exist independent of title. That's for the best, as 13 Sentinels remains one of the most intriguing releases in recent years and a game that's been slept on by a large number of people turned off by its anime or mecha-inspired origins. Underneath that coat is a resonant tale spanning generations and dealing with some interesting, innovative subject matter - and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim comes highly recommended to anyone as a result.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim launches on Nintendo Switch on April 12, 2022, and is available now on PlayStation 4. Screen Rant was provided with a digital download code for the purpose of this review.