13 Sentinels:
Aegis Rim

13 sentinels: Aegis Rim (2020) is a narrative fighting game where you play a group of school kids who fight huge monsters in robotic mech suits. You traverse various locations, talking to and switching between characters (and times) to advance the bizarre narrative. Then, tactically fight battles, making key decisions in real-time. It's a strange combination, but one that creates an engaging sci-fi adventure with avid fans.

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You play thirteen teenagers at a school in Japan across different time periods, from World War II to the 22^nd century. Each one is on a mission to save mankind from disaster (while also trying to live a normal life). You switch between these heroes, using thoughts and ideas from one to advance the story of another, all culminating in a grand showdown against hordes of monsters, with each protagonist using their own Sentinel mech suit.

Play is split between visual novel-style narrative adventure sections and tactical real-time mech combat. During the narrative sections, you explore 2D locations, interacting with objects and characters in each. Certain words you speak are added to a database, and can then be used by other characters; switching between different time periods and locations is essential to advancing the narrative. Combat occurs in real-time, and you make choices about which mechs to use based on the enemies you'll be facing. Each type of monster you fight has a different weakness, and choosing mechs and attacks to exploit them is part of the challenge.

The result is a bizarre combination of narrative adventure and tactical combat where critical thinking both in and out of battle is paramount. Gradually watching the time-defying story unfold as you figure out how to progress, both on and off the battlefield, is both fun and immensely engaging.

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Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim 7 weeks ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 6 weeks ago.