When Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE released on the Wii U back in 2015, it ended up being criminally underplayed while being one of the best games on the platform. It’s true that it is a niche title, but very well-crafted crossover title between the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem franchises. Even though it wasn’t what fans of the JRPG genre were particularly expecting, it defied the criticisms by balancing a compelling Fire Emblem story while having the most fun turn-based systems I have played in recent memory. Ever since the release of the Nintendo Switch, I have been dreaming of a day that I honestly thought would never come. A day where we would see a port come to Nintendo’s latest success story. I’m so incredibly glad I was wrong.
For those unfamiliar with Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, it focuses on Japanese teenage idols and as your party members, they gain the power of a Mirage Master. You play as Itsuki Aoi, the textbook version of a supporting character–not support as in a side character or healer, but someone who just wants to help others. Along with his friend Tsubasa, the pair join an idol agency known as Fortuna Entertainment (a front for the Mirage Masters). As a Mirage Master, they each have their own ‘Mirage’ (entities from another world)that happens to be a prominent character from someone in the Fire Emblem series. By using their new abilities, they are tasked with defeating evil Mirages that have invaded the real world by delving into dungeons known as Idolaspheres.
With this new enhanced port, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore has added new skills, costumes, and story elements through a new Idolasphere containing an optional dungeon known as the Area of Aspiration. The sections are small, but the point of it isn’t to defeat a big boss at the end. Instead, it is more to develop characters more and get the rewards inside–a fact which may surprise a few people regardless if they played the original or not. The new Idolasphere also includes three unique training modes that will provide items to help you grow in a specific area of progression for the party, whether it be their level, weapon mastery, or stats. The game is transparent that this something that can possibly be abused, but in turn would only remove the challenge of the game for those who decide to play on a harder difficulty.
Even though the new content brought to this updated version isn’t a significant revamp comparatively to other Atlus titles like the recent Catherine: Full Body or the upcoming Persona 5 Royal, as a massive fan of the original, I am already satisfied that a port of this game even exists, so getting that extra bonus content is just a plus for me.
With that said. the only real addition I truly wanted is one that we did not get: an English voice over. The game does a good job of expressing each character’s personality, but there are moments (like in battle) where they talk to each other, and I don’t know what they’re saying. As a non-Japanese speaker, that bums me out when I love the characters and battle system so much.
I’ll be honest, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore will not be for everyone. It has a silly concept, but Atlus commits to it, and the game shines because of it. The characters are charming, the music is excellent, and the gameplay is the best that Atlus has, done in my opinion. I can’t wait for others to try it out for themselves.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore releases on January 17, 2020, exclusively for Nintendo Switch. If you were hoping to grab the game physically, you can still pre-order it on Amazon and support us. Check out the game’s Overview trailer below:
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