Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is a remaster of an amazing game that came out on the Wii U. A fusion of Fire Emblem and Persona that takes place in a world where performance matters. Set in Japan, the heroes of this game all work at a talent studio and hope to be the next big star. Their talents range from Singing to Acting and even Dance. It’s a powerful thing to see this kind of activity as something so strong, and it warms my performer’s heart. I will admit that I finish the game back in 2015, but after playing it again, I’ve finally completed it. It’s an odd but special feeling to complete a game years later. I’ve always been involved in theater as long as I can remember, so playing this game means more to me. While it isn’t a perfect fusion of Fire Emblem and Persona, its a magical idea to cross these two series especially with a theme of performance.
Our Hero is Itsuki Aoi, he might be boring but he is a foil for all of the characters around him. Someone who doesn’t know what he wants out of life, but finds himself in a new world where he’s going to have to do his best. His best friend Tsubasa is spirited away to another world, and Itsuki goes in to save her. He cares deeply for this girl even though he also plays host to the clueless protagonist motif. I’ve seen reviews that bash his character but for me, I felt a bond with this courageous yet unsure guy. Yes, he’s not a perfect character but a character like him is kind of necessary. He is joined by a colorful cast of characters including an up and coming Idol Tsubasa, his alcoholic former model manager Maiko, and even a future Hollywood starlet. There are also characters from Fire Emblem that include the likes of Chrom, Tiki, and a few other big bads that I won’t spoil. Though there is something pretty amazing near the end of the game that goes full-tilt Fire Emblem which fans of the series will enjoy.
The game itself is a JRPG that takes place in both the real and another world. Japan is explorable and it’s nice to see the city bumping with music and life. The people that aren’t interactable exist as colorful images which are a nice sight. There are different dungeons scattered throughout the traversable areas. They are mostly opened up depending on the events in the story. The battle system is based on the strengths and weaknesses of Persona. There are some moves from Fire Emblem but the combat stems from Persona. Players will guide the team through combat choosing moves that are strong against their foe. Combos are important as they can open up the team to huge damage. When a party member uses a move that is strong against a foe they start what is called a session. Players can set up huge sessions by playing the game, and these sessions can help win battles in an instant. It can get a little stale watching the combos unfold but the characters will learn special moves that should liven things up.
As Itsuki and the crew level up, they will gain new skills. These skills are often attacks, but can also be passive, and help increase the stats of the character. Players will slowly upgrade their weapons and the weapons will pass on these skills. It’s always good to continuously change out weapons as quickly as possible, so the characters can learn more skills. Players should keep an eye on which skills the weapons pass on as they can get plus versions of their attacks! There are also quests for the player to undertake. Some of these are simple fetch quests while others might add some extra challenges. It’s good to complete as many quests as possible as it just adds to the world. The quests are sometimes repeatable which is a good thing!
The team has a few support characters but Tiki is by far the most important. Tiki will help enhance characters and their weapons. Players will need to collect all sorts of performa to make sure Tiki can continue upgrading their weapons and gear. Performa is obtained through winning battles and using sessions. Sometimes players might need to fight the same monster multiple times to get all of the performa necessary. The weapons in this game are great because they are so varied. Plus some are also from Fire Emblem, and the ones that are, are super powerful. Tiki also will help players learn new skills. These skills can be learned after raising stage rank or completing certain quests. It’s a good idea to unlock as many skills as possible to give the team the best chance of victory. There are so many skills to unlock and this helps give players the chance to maximize battle efficiency. Tiki’s last power is based on class changing from Fire Emblem. She will eventually be able to change the classes of the Mirages that the characters are host to. These class changes raise the stats of the players immensely. But players should know that to change back and forth they will need a certain item. It’s best to choose one and be done with it!
Players will be able to raise the stage rank of the characters. Instead of the normal 10, it goes up to 20. With each increase of Stage, Rank players will gain more abilities to use. Some of these abilities are super useful like being able to use benched characters in combos. It’s a good idea to raise the stage ranks together, but players are free to play as they wish. This game also holds an impressive achievement system. I played the game for about 40 hours in my playthrough and at about the end of the game only got through 50% of the achievements. There is a new game plus mode that allows players to keep the achievements among other things which will be good for completionists everywhere!
This game is filled with fantastic music from beginning to end. Short music videos are great rewards for completing events. Plus, there are combo moves based on character interactions. It’s great to see the performative elements mix with the battle and show that everything these characters do in the real world helps them in the other world. It’s true magic watching music and dance destroy wicked monsters and it always makes me smile. The big addition to the game is special EX Dungeons. These dungeons are interwoven with certain story achievements. Level up a certain character’s stage ranks to unlock a new expanding dungeon. This dungeon also provides special costumes and allows for the support characters to join the combos in battle. This dungeon has a short yet simple story but does add another trial to the game and that is good with me. Encore also adds new costumes based on some of Atlus’ hit games. Itsuki gets to dress up as Joker from Persona while Tsubasa dresses up as Rin from Persona Q. It’s nice to have costumes like that in the game as it adds a little fan service and fun. Plus the costumes look great on the characters.
This version of the game comes with the DLC of the original which can be handy. The DLC contains three different dungeons. One helps players level up quickly with the use of tomes. The second offers up skill books which can raise skills quicker, while the last tasks the team with taking down super-strong beasties. It’s great to have these three dungeons as they can help strengthen the party rather easily.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is a fantastic game, and I’m glad it made it’s way to the Switch. While I certainly enjoyed playing it on the Wii U, making it portable works. This game is filled with charm and action, plus amazing music and exciting combat. If the player enjoys either Fire Emblem or Persona they are sure to enjoy this game. The stage is set for a performance is the player going to join Itsuki and co for the show?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Images taken from Nintendo.com