Customer Ratings & Reviews

The storytelling is so intriguing and somehow they have made it work despite how many stories are included. I was pleasantly surprised by the tactical gameplay portions. Also, the artbook that came with the game is great. I love the designs that Vanillaware is known for, so beautiful. For those who care, it's an easy platinum as most of the trophies are tied to the story.

With information from sci fi stories, its an adventure game where you gather the story from 13 characters. You start the game in a RTS/tower defense battle. You then start with the first protagonist in a side scrolling adventure style game. After playing for a while you can choose the characters in any order but sometimes their stories will be locked until you progress an other character's story or finish a certain battle. The battles take place on an isometric plane. You don't see the "sentinels" or enemies like you do in the art style of the adventure sequence. Instead it looks like a pixelated 3D retro-style video game. Your goal is to prevent the enemies from destroying your tower. When you select your sentinel you have the option to move, attack, or heal. After selecting a command, the battle goes into real time untile the next sentinel is selected. There are also bonuses you can receive by completing certain objectives like finishing within a time limit or minimizing damage to the tower. You can also upgrade/customize your sentinels with different weapons. As for the difficulty, I played on normal, but there is easy and intense mode and it can be changed. While the overall system is simple, I found it addictive. One thing I wished that there could have been are cutscenes of the sentinels fighting the enemies but I think it was well done, regardless. Next is the adventure portion. Not the hardest game to play. It's more like an interactive visual novel. You get key information that is placed in the Thought Cloud. You use this to interact with other characters or the environment. There is not much to it meaning anyone can enjoy the game play for this portion with ease though I found myself stuck at points because I didn't know how to activate certain events. As for the music, story, voice acting - overall was great. You can even choose to have the original Japanese voice over if you prefer. I won't spoil anything but I like how some scenes were parodoies of sci fi films. Yes, the story will be confusing, but it all comes together at the end. As for the ending, it was one of the best video game endings I've witnessed over the years. It left me satisfied and wanting more but the game is perfect the way it is. Now, this is an M rated game. There really isn't anything too violent, but it's mainly because you see images of the characters in nude during the battles. It's more PG-13 but just know it's there. One of the best games I've played this year. Highly recommend

Arguably the most complex sci-fi story in any video game ever Art style, music, and voice acting are all incredible- nearly perfect Very endearing characters that you really care about As the puzzle pieces together it’s hard to not stop grinning Combat was better than expected but ultimately samey and can be gimmicky Could have been a little shorter, cutting a few character sections or some combat sections

Very unique, maybe not for everyone. But if you want a refreshing gameplay experience, this is it. The game is split into two distinctly different gameplay experiences. One part will allow you to enjoy the story and all of its sci-if inspired tropes. The other is a strategy/defense game. Both are fun in their own rights. The story mode presents a very deep story that weaves between multiple characters and across various timelines. I’ll stay away from spoilers, but suffice it to say this is a tangled web of a story, that you’ll have to try unwind as you go. It’s pretty dang good, and worth it in the end in my opinion. It plays much more like a graphic novel than a game. The defense game is fairly addicting too. Pretty fun (maybe a bit easy unless you bump up the difficulty), but still pretty rewarding too. For sci-fi and anime/manga fans, definitely check it out. A very unique experience that sticks with you for a while. Maybe a bit repetitive at times (on purpose even sometimes), but it’s worth it if you go in with an open mind! I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, but oddly I can’t recommend it enough.

Unsual game. Was very surpised by how much I liked it. The story is interseting and they keep hitting you w surprises. The side rts combat game is pretty good nothing to deep but is fun to play and moves fast so no complaint from me. If you are a fan of Vanillaware games get this.

I wasn't expecting too much because a lot of people compared it to Persona but with robots and I was expecting something with a shallow story but fun gameplay. My expectations completely blown away. This game is actually developed by the makers of Odin Sphere and Dragon's Crown, which are both amazing games with great story and visuals. 13 Sentinels's plot is intelligent and interesting and there are multiple memorable characters to unlock and play. This is an RTS game with visual novel and light puzzle elements with many easter eggs for Sci Fi fans to enjoy. The voice acting is a delight, as expected of an atlus title. This is one of the most recent titles I've purchased for the PS4 and I'm really enjoying it. Since playing the game, I've found references to war of the worlds and also to 2001 A Space Odyssey.

13 Sentinels is an excellent game and if you like common Sci-Fi themes and tropes, this is one of the best. The story is over the top and plays on many of those common scifi themes. Sentinels is split up into two halves that are gated at certain missions or story sections. The first half is an almost visual novel/point and click adventure type of gameplay. You progress through short chapters and discover more of the story from a character's point of view. You unlock characters as the story progresses. The second half is real-time strategy with mechs. The strategy side will already include all the characters and allow you to use them in battle against the kaiju. There are four different types of mechs and can be upgraded. The game will force you to play the RTS half in order to progress more in the Story. And sometimes its vice versa. The story half is much more interesting and engaging. The RTS starts you off with all your characters and some banter between them in the early game will not make any sense because there's no context for anybody's relationship. The gameplay itself in the RTS is very light and relatively quick. It works well enough but the UI could use some work. Compared to the art of the story mode, the rts side is almost all like wireframe animation. It feels more of an expanded mini game, but its still very good. Overall I still really enjoy the game. The RTS is the weak half but still carries its own.

Caught this on sale due to other positive reviews and happy I did as it turned out to be a great strategy RPG. Positives: Beautiful picture-book style for the story sections with nice detail and animation quality. The stylized strategy section was odd at first but as the story progresses it all starts to make sense. Controls are fairly simple and there's a difficulty level option for newcomers and vets alike in the strategy portion. It's surprisingly deep and customizable so long-term fans of this type of gameplay have plenty to chew on. Overall story is great, full of the usual SciFi tropes but done in a mostly engaging (see negatives) way throughout. Cons: LONG tutorial section and the combat/strategy has a decent learning curve so if you're new to this type of game give yourself time to learn everything. While the story as a whole is great there's a lot of backtracking and repeat scenarios/conversations from different perspectives etc. Without spoiling anything there's reason behind this but by hour 15 it started to get a bit tedious at times. Content Note: There's plenty of mild 'fan service' depiction of characters at times plus some characters may have over-sexualized character designs for some tastes. If you're used to Anime this won't be a shock but something to note.

Only about 2-3 games a generation punch me in the throat and make me take notice. This is one of them. Great story that is very engrossing and engaging. The way the story is unfolded is pure genius. The gameplay is really good too with that old school NAOMI board SEGA look to it. Art style is typical Vannillaware brilliance. Just beautiful. If you are even remotely interested in the look and style of the game, then get it. It will give you about 50-55 hours of gameplay till platinum, but there is end game content that opens up that will allow more difficult battles to be played if you wish to complete the game fully.

After reading and watching reviews of this game i decided to purchase and try it out so far I can say it’s a great game and I’m enjoying it very much.

Got this one well after initial release, but it's one of the best video games I've played so far in 2021. It's unique in that the game's story is split across different modes (one being combat missions, and the other being an adventure visual novel) and you play through both separately. I was thoroughly interested in the stories of the 13 protagonists, and the real-time strategy/tower defense portion of the game is also fun. Also... the music is absolutely fantastic

Vanillaware have long been known as the kings of 2D sprite-based graphics, but should also be known for their exceptional storytelling which is completely unrivaled by any of their peers in the gaming industry. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, not only is no exception to that claim, but indeed surpasses all of Vanillaware's previous works as without a doubt the finest story they've ever told. Through the eyes of 13 different characters, an epic sci-fi mystery slowly unfolds through constant twists and turns against the backdrop of the last vestiges of humanity struggling to survive against the onslaught of merciless kaiju monsters intent on wiping them out. The story mode is interspersed with realtime tactical battles that require you to customize the loadout of your various generations of mecha, each with their own particular specializations and strengths, and use them to defend the city's important access terminals from the kaiju intent on exploiting them. A third mode collects all of the data and cutscenes you've unlocked, allowing you to review the information at your leisure in case the twists and turns of the plot throw you for a loop and you feel the need to reorient youreslf, or simply relive some of the most dramatic moments. Without a doubt, this game is a pinnacle of storytelling in video game media, and if you claim to care at all about compelling stories in your games, you'd be doing yourself an enormous disservice if you passed this one up.

This game is such an underrated masterpiece. The story, characters, art and music are all amazing in this game. The strategy gameplay is also fun and if you are not into you it you can change the difficulty to make it easier so you can see the story. This game has one of the best stories of this year.

Gorgeous at every turn and narratively arresting, 13 Sentinels is worth every dollar of its price point and every second of its 30-hour playtime. The main draw of the game is its several interwoven narratives, and while it's not the only game to have a selling point like that, no other game out there does it quite like 13 Sentinels. Plus it manages to connect these stories together so beautifully and effortlessly that no description of how it does so could do it justice. Accompanying all this is a frankly gorgeous world inhabited by vividly animated characters and wonderfully atmospheric locales, helping the story and everything within it feel alive. Developer Vanillaware has always been renowned for how beautiful their games are, and 13 Sentinels does not disappoint in that regard. There are some issues I have with 13 Sentinels, but the whole of it comes together so perfectly that none of them even remotely taint my opinion of the game. Nothing out there is quite like it, and I just hope as many people can experience it as possible.

One of the best games I have ever played on any console. A non linear story driven adventure rpg with rts combat. The game is split into two sections. The main story which follows 13 different protagonists, and the combat which is where the rts part of the game comes in. While the story section of the game provides you with the meat of the story the combat section is there to flesh out the characters and the situations they’re faced with in combat. The combat isn’t just thrown in either. It’s paired alongside the main story which propel each other forward in the grander scheme of things. The rts combat is non bad at all, I actually quite liked it. It’s nothing special but it served me very well for what the game was trying to do. You will not regret playing the game, it’s completely worth your time if you were even considering buying it.

I would highly recommend this game to any fans of Vanillaware. The storyline is impressive and the battle feels like Front Mission. The artwork is gorgeous and the characters are each unique . This game is a gem .

Beautiful graphics and music - the game started off a bit confusing as it throws you right into a battle scene, but it has been fun trying to piece together the story from different character perspectives.

I was concern about the lack of gameplay i didn't see when they announced this game years ago. But it coming from the developer vanillaware and to me they never had one game I did not like. I love them all especially Odin sphere. But this game is my game of the year and could been made in to a actual anime series. I enjoy the characters and their stories that connect with one another. Also with some strategy type gameplay makes this game different from there other games. I 100% support this game and vanillaware for creating a epic Sci-fi story.

Talking much about this game is a disservice to newcomers. All you need to know is that 13 students are met with a kaiju invasion and have to pilot giant mechs to fight them in a real time strategy style game, with a story made against some of the most beautiful 2D art seen in a video game, alongside some of the cheapest looking combat in a game. It's all worth it for a truly fascinating experience with callbacks to fan-favorite books, movies, anime, and video games, with pretty dang fun gameplay in-between story segments. If this sounds remotely like it's for you, you'll be pleasantly surprised with how far they push this one of a kind experience!

It's more so a visual novel with gameplay. The gameplay is real time tactics. But time does pause when you decide to make a move. There's some rpg elements, where you need to level up things using points. I really praise the story and how well it was written. I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but it explained a lot of terms which helped in understanding the world & plot. I'd even call this a bit of a mystery as well.