Alliance Alive Remastered is a game that deserved to be a hit when it first came out. The Alliance Alive was released near the beginning of the Switch’s launch. An era where the 3DS was already starting to die and people were flocking to pick up the new hit Nintendo console. While many people didn’t buy this gem then, it is worth picking up. Alliance Alive is a JRPG about two kids out to save the world. Galil just wants to help his childhood friend Azura see the Blue Sky and to defeat the evil Beastfolk who won’t let humans live their lives freely. With the help of a cavalcade of heroes, the world might change for the better. This is a solid RPG, that does turn the norm of the genre on its head.
Alliance Alive isn’t like other JRPG’s. This game might have monster battles but players don’t gain experience. They simply fight battles, and their moves level up. They can gain moves on the fly by awakening them, and it is always so cool to unlock new moves. Fighting stronger monsters will often unlock moves faster, as clearly the tension of battle is important. Players will also gain talent points in this game. These points are used to buff up the players. They can unlock new abilities and slowly work to master their weapons. Doing so will decrease the number of skill points needed to use an attack. This is important as SP is the magic of this game and its in short supply. Battles are normal tactical affairs, with players choosing a move and attacking. The battles might seem a little slow, but players can speed things up to four times, so they can fly by, which is perfect for grinding. As much as I love grinding in JRPGS, I’m a busy guy so having the option to fast forward battles is never something I’ll look down upon.
One of the big changes in this game relies on breaking the character’s held weapon. When a character takes enough damage or one of their comrades fall, characters often begin to glow. When the rainbow shine envelops them they can unleash a powerful attack. This attack is one that will destroy the held weapon but also cause massive damage. The better the weapon the more damage it will yield. It is wise to save these for big bosses, as once they are broken, they are unusable until they are fixed. This can spell trouble especially if players come into a dungeon ill-prepared. At the end of the battle, the characters will regain all of their HP and SP which is a godsend. Players don’t have to rush to heal and that helps when trying to complete tasks. Though if a character falls in battle, their max hp will fall. This is remedied by a good sleep at the inn, so don’t worry. Just pay attention to the characters and be ready to use healing items if need be. The battles do start in the open world, so its best to be guard. Players can run into enemies from behind to go first but this also works for the monsters. There is also the chance of chaining battles if the monsters run into the vicinity of other beasties and then hit the player. These battles are unescapable but yield great rewards so sometimes they are worth taking part in.
The game is broken up into chapters, with the first twenty or so acting as a tutorial of sorts. This first half of the game will fly by as chapters are broken up into smaller sections. It is also broken up into sections starring a few characters, with chapter 19 leading to them teaming up. It’s a great way to get to know the characters and helps tell the overall story. There is a good group of characters for the player to work with. These characters each start with their strengths and weaknesses. Though players are sure to change them if they feel it’s necessary. Who knows the party could be completely different at the end of the game. It’s important to balance the party and to each give the characters the right gear. This group is filled with characters who are often on other sides of the conflict ahead. Characters that are stuck in a rut of sorts and can’t get out. Some characters want nothing more than to change the world but feel powerless to do so. But in the end, there is a call to action and they all jump in not caring what will happen to them in the end.
As the story progresses the main characters will meet with five different guilds. These guilds are integral to the main plot and eventually lead to an Alliance. Each of the guilds when nearby offers the player boons. It’s important to figure out which guild does which, as they could effectively turn the tide of battle. These guilds can change how battles end up. If the player is near one they might attack the enemy, chart their weakness, or heal the protagonists. Use them for all they are worth and get through this adventure, its a doozy. The guilds hold shops and places to rest as well. It’s good to stop in every time just to rest up and fuel up. Plus if the player has broken all their weapons stopping by a blacksmith guild will remedy that quickly.
The art style is a charming one, that is vaguely anime, but also slightly 3D. It fits with the world and the characters look cute as they are all chibi. It might be interesting to see this game as a fully realized one someday, it might look even cooler. The music is also quite nice and changes based on where the players are. I’m always a fan of a good soundtrack, and while not the best it certainly is worth listening too. The battle music is pretty top-notch, so I’m glad to listen to it as well. It’s just a great game musically and that isn’t always easy to come by. Sadly, this game doesn’t have voice acting. There is quite a bit of dialogue and it might have helped if there was some voice acting. As interesting as the story is it does seem to drag on. I usually just put it on auto and read along, it saves a little bit of time and moves the game along.
The Alliance Alive might not have gotten the love it deserved when it first launched but players shouldn’t pass it by. They probably should have just waited to launch the game on the Switch but the remaster should do the trick. This game is a solid RPG that turns the genre on its head, and any fans of JRPGS should give it a chance. Galil and Azura have a world to save, is the player up for a grand adventure?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided