Reynatis is a solid action RPG that, to its credit, has a solid identity and visual aesthetic. Many comparisons have been made between it and Kingdom Hearts, and while they are not unwarranted, it's worth pointing out that all Reynatis has in common with Kingdom Hearts is a teenage protagonist and a soundtrack composed by Yoko Shimomura. Reynatis stands firm, but it's a shaky one.
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The setting is inspired, though the setting will remind you a lot of The World Ends With You (fittingly, Reynatis has a crossover with NEO: The World Ends With You). Protagonist Marin definitely bites off Neku's misanthropic apple a little, at least in terms of personality. Deuteragonist Sari is ironically more relatable: an officer working for the witch operation that controls the MEA's special forces (while also serving as the branch's literal poster child). It's a good setup, a clash between a disaffected young man who just wants his independence and freedom and a representative of the law trying to protect people through an admittedly flawed system. It takes a while for these two forces to actually collide (and for a while, they're completely separate), but their clashes are always fun. Reynatis' mages also love one's inner chuuni: a group of cool young men who have to “contain” their powers by hiding their faces with hoodies or hats and who have glittering hair and bright eyes when their magical nature is “unleashed.” Add in the drug addicts and the drug-mutated Damned, and you have a great setting.
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The problem starts when you factor in too many mechanics. The “Hoodie” system is a nice touch, and it ties in nicely with Reynatis’ themes (especially since even Sari gives civilians grief for being a mage). In combat, it forces you to play smart: Unleashed mages burn through their MP, losing more when they land attacks. Suppressed mages can drain more MP from enemies by dodging attacks stylishly at the right time; by expending enough energy, they can use a neat “Burst” to stun enemies and open them up for combos. So far, so good. It also ties in nicely with mages’ “Tension” buildup from “Suppression” all the time; Hearing the common folk's profanity and distrust of Mages will weigh heavily on your character (and can cause errors if you get too much of it).
It's fun to get that Tension out of combat. In practice, however, this means that Marin is hamstrung for much of the game; you can also Unleash outside of combat, which lets you see hidden item caches or skill-up Mages that risk alerting everyone around you, forcing you to run before the MEA (and a tough fight) comes at you. Oh, and random encounters also count as Unleash in place, so when out of combat, you'll need to leave the area or find a specific hiding place. This makes Marin's exploration quite cumbersome, essentially punishing him for exploring the map to the fullest (lest you get haunted by the MEA) or even talking to NPCs (lest you build up too much Tension).
Skill customization? Well, it's there, but it can also use some work. Characters can scan magical graffiti cards called Wizarts to learn new attacks or earn EXP boosts, which are often controlled by Malice (basically, how many side quests you've done). You can equip up to two special attacks and a few other modifiers, but it can take a long time before you can really mess with the system much; many of the newer skills can require Malice rates in the 70s (you start the game at 99% Malice), and the systems required to upgrade your attacks past Level 3 will be off-limits to you for a while. This also means that it's easy to max out your attacks early on if you explore, trivializing most random encounters. Sure, some boss fights have some wrinkles, like Armor that needs to be broken with special attacks or enemy attacks that can't be dodged, but those happen somewhat rarely.
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Reynatis’s stylish look is also hampered by some of its performance. Don’t get me wrong: I grew up in the era of Nintendo DS and PS2 RPGs. A little graphical oomph is good for you; it’ll grow some hair on your chest. But Reynatis falls flat in crowded areas, especially in some locales like Shibuya’s iconic crosswalk. Again, this is a real shame because the game looks beautiful on the Switch. A lot of love went into the rendering of all the shops and sidewalks, as well as the alley cats you can pet to relieve Stress. There are also a lot of issues with invisible walls (stairs you can’t climb, paths you can’t enter) or just generally weird geometry for some of the obstacles.
Ultimately, I walked away from Reynatis happy but with a little disappointment. It’s a fun game with all the makings of a cult hit, from memorable characters to a fun setting. Reynatis has all the heart and charm of a proud B-game. If some systems were tweaked just a little, you’d have a complete sleeper on your hands. It’s heartbreaking that I can’t give Reynatis that wholehearted approval. But the effort is there and I hope a sequel can bring out the best in Reynatis.
Content warning: Reynatis makes drug use and addiction a major theme in the story, with many side characters struggling with substance abuse and several NPCs soliciting you to buy drugs.