13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - Easy Allies Review

13 Sentinels is a fascinating game. It’s a bizarre blend of strategy and adventure game storytelling. The narrative is mind-bendingly complex to the point that it should be a total incomprehensible mess.

Yet 13 Sentinels is remarkably clear-headed in its direction. It works because the game never loses sight of its characters, of which there are many, and all of them feel vital. You become deeply enveloped in the mystery they’re all entangled in, not only because of its devious twists, but because the cast has done such an excellent job of endearing themselves to you. Succinctly summarizing the story and why it’s so compelling is a difficult task that runs the risk of either oversimplifying what it’s really about or over-explaining and ruining the discovery that’s so essential. To give some context, the plot is broadly about a group of high school students who utilize giant mechs to stop an invasion of monsters. Of course, there’s much more to learn beyond the basic central conflict, such as the nature of the monsters, how the students got wrapped up in all of this, and how everything is connected. Rather than just telling a linear story, the game tells 13 stories each focused on a specific character. Although there are restrictions, you’re largely free to choose which story to chase after. It’s possible to focus on one character and get as far as you can or bounce around constantly between characters. While the approach sounds like it could be disjointed or confusing, there are several very smart decisions that help fight against this. The first is that even though there is a lot of freedom in how you progress, the game blocks off enough to keep you from getting too far ahead of yourself. For instance, to continue down one character’s path, you may have to reach a certain point with another character, ensuring you have the proper knowledge ahead of time. Characters are deeply connected, but the stories are individualized enough that you don’t need to worry about holding on to every bit of information in order to appreciate them. Each character illuminates a different aspect of the broader puzzle, so when you dive in to any one of them, you learn quite a bit. There’s a lot more to these narratives than just sliding the pieces into place. Characters are not just treated like vessels of information, and for such a broad cast it’s surprising how grounded and relatable they all are. The way each of them deals with specific insecurities, miscommunication, and confessions of love is very believable despite the rather “out there” sci-fi story. A huge reason why it all feels so natural is because the characters are given ample time to breathe. Whether it’s someone solemnly appreciating a sunset or a group of teenage girls cheerily enjoying after school snacks, these small moments provide important color and prevent 13 Sentinels from getting too lost in its own plot. Somehow, the game also manages to make every playable character almost equally interesting. After getting heavily invested in one character, it’s easy to fear that the next you tackle won’t be as gripping, but the game wins you over repeatedly, a testament to the writing. The individual chapters are also quite short, allowing there to be a strong sense of momentum despite the density of the story. The different approaches taken with how character stories play out help keep you motivated to continue. Playing as Yuki makes you feel like a plucky detective, as you run around school digging up information and asking people questions. Another character is trapped in a Groundhog Day situation where the same stretch of time keeps repeating as he tries to figure out why, becoming increasingly unnerved as the loop continues. Even just comparing these two scenarios, there’s a sharp difference in atmosphere and it’s part of what makes 13 Sentinels so great. Despite telling a single overarching story, the various threads feel stylistically distinct. You spend a lot of time in the adventure game side of 13 Sentinels, but there is another large aspect consisting of strategic battles. For every encounter, you select 6 of the 13 characters to face off against the monsters. Each character has their own mech with its own capabilities and you can upgrade them over time, either purchasing entirely new moves, bolstering existing ones, or improving stats. Monsters come in a variety of forms such as ones that have armor and others that fly, so you need different abilities depending on the situation. Most abilities require limited resources to use, so choosing when to utilize certain options is key. Initially, these battles are notably bland, hurt by a few different factors. In the beginning, you don’t know enough about the characters or the situation they’re in to really care about the fighting. The sense of attachment is only further diminished by how basic these encounters are to look at. Considering it’s giant mechs versus giant monsters, the actual struggle comes across as disappointingly pedestrian. Both the heroes and enemies look like little more than board game pieces fighting on top of an indistinct glowing grid. The scenario implies an exciting level of scale that is largely absent. As the encounters progress, however, things do pick up considerably. Battles get more complex and therefore intense, necessitating careful consideration of resources as you try to stave off an onslaught. Plus, the banter between pilots gets very enjoyable once you have a better understanding of who they are. Pre and post battle dialogue can be very lighthearted and sweet, serving as a welcome reprieve from the combat. The fighting is easily the weaker part of 13 Sentinels, but it still comes into its own enough to serve as a decent counterbalance to the story. Artistically, the game can be stunning at times. As is expected of Vanillaware, the hand painted look is immaculately detailed. Considering how emotional many of the scenes are, the environments and expressive characters work in tandem to really sell whatever is going on. The way the yellow and orange light of the evening sun streams in through the high school windows gives the area a calming, nostalgic atmosphere. It’s picturesque to the point that it seems almost impossible that such a place would suffer from an invasion, which makes it all the more impactful when you witness the devastation the monsters bring. The level of craft on display is inspiring.

But 13 Sentinels is not the first gorgeous game Vanillaware has made. The reason it’s exceptional is because of how exciting the journey is. Sure, there’s the mystery box pull as you peel away layer after layer, but a giant reason you’ll want to hungrily jump to the next chapter is because the characters are just so charming. It is relatively rare that a video game story is this captivating and it’s absolutely worth making time for. Easy Allies Reviews are made possible by generous viewers just like you. If you like what you see, check out patreon.com/easyallies to help us make more. For just $1 a month, you can gain access to weekly updates, spoiler discussions, and exclusive shows.