A haunting growl comes from the stage and the crowd murmurs in wonder. In “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE,” when the lights and cameras turn on, it’s time to take some serious action.
The game was first introduced a crossover project known as “Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem” in 2013. Three years later, the crossover project has taken on a more modern, music-focused design.
“Tokyo Mirage Sessions” is inspired by Japanese idol culture, one where performers, either on TV or on stage, have massive followings. In addition to featuring idol culture, the game captures the feel of an anime like “Sailor Moon,” where characters magically transform to fight evil.
The game takes place in modern day Tokyo, where players are put into the role of 18-year old Itsuki Aoi as he and his friends rise through the ranks to become idols in an entertainment corporation. Along the way, they’ll fight off powerful enemies known as Mirages, which are attempting to steal Performa, a person’s inner talent.
The game is split up into chapters, each one focusing on a new Mirage that has taken over a performer or member of the industry. Each Mirage will open up a portal to a dungeon known as the “Idolasphere,” a dungeon crafted after the personality of the one possessed.
These dungeons range from a camera-filled maze full of photos of idols to the Shibuya 109 department store. While each of these dungeons have visual variety, the gameplay within feels slightly repetitive. Gamers will spend hours flipping switches and checking the map to find the correct way to traverse the dungeon, all while fighting hordes of enemies.
The game’s combat is more akin to that of a “Shin Megami Tensei” game. To deal more damage and gain more actions in a turn, players will have to exploit enemy weaknesses.
The game makes each battle feel like a performance, with elemental weaknesses being followed up by extra attacks in a gameplay mechanic known as a Session. For example, if an enemy is weak to electricity, simply zap it and your teammates will rush in with follow-up attacks. As the game progresses, these Sessions can become longer, going from simple 2-hit combos to as large as 16 attacks in a single turn.
Despite being a crossover game, “Tokyo Mirage Sessions” captures the high-schooler battling evil vibes of the “Shin Megami Tensei: Persona” series, but the “Fire Emblem”-related content feels incredibly light. Outside of a few familiar faces and some visual and audio cues, the crossover elements just aren’t there.
But the game makes up for its shortcomings with a great deal of charm and personality. The game takes advantage of the Wii U gamepad to display text messages from your teammates, ranging from messages of encouragement to notes that will help you find the next objective.
The charm doesn’t just exist on the gamepad, however. In between each chapter is an intermission where players are given free time to experience side stories that flesh out each character. One such sidequest deals with your partner, Tsubasa Oribe, an 18-year old idol with social anxiety, who comes to you with a request to help her prepare for a meet-and-greet with fans.
“Tokyo Mirage Sessions” is a delightful new spin on the role-playing game genre, blending modern day aspects with classic turn-based gameplay. The game is available now for Wii U.
