The number of hours put into each game is more than enough….
Mercenaries Saga Chronicles – Nintendo Switch – Released: 2/8/18 – $14.99
Short Review (Review copy provided by CIRCLE Ent.)
These games are fairly long as far as I can tell. I’ve put in 10 hours into each of game to get a better understand of all of them. The options for the review was to beat all of them, beat one of them or divide up times. This review took a long time mainly because the game is jam packed with content. To put it short the game executes the gameplay very well but has some issues with controls. While the story is boring so far in all three games, the game shines in the gameplay department. It is able to bring that classic turn based RPG that I loved in Final Fantasy Tactics to the Switch. The Switch doesn’t offer many games that are quite like Mercenaries Saga. Disgaea comes pretty close. If you are looking for a game that likely will take between 50-70 hours (is my guess) for an incredible low price. This is hard to beat. At $15 you are getting a whole lot of game even though I’m not exactly sure how each game will end, you will enjoy the combat. I highly recommend this game if you need to scratch that turn based RPG itch and already finished Disgaea 5.
The icon is pretty solid just wish it had the Chronicles bigger:
Story
Story is where these games were really lacking due to them all following the same issues. Countries are at war and your small team turns the tides of war. The problem with each of the games is that they are boring. I wish they spent a little more time on character development. Each game follows a leader and his group but none of these characters are expanded on. When it comes to other series we spend a lot of time getting to know the characters, having small side stories, and hearing of their backstory. Mercenaries Saga doesn’t do this for any of the main characters. You are dropped into the world and your adventure starts… it doesn’t help that in between missions is just a screen to do inventory things or progress the story. You never spend any time getting to know your team so they just become a level, class, and stats. Leon, Claude and Marion are the three main characters and leaders of the group but 10 hours into each game. They all feel as though they don’t have any impact on the story. It may just be me but I don’t care about any of them and the rest of the cast don’t have any impact since they never cover them to their full extent.
Gameplay
Each one plays the same so just going to cover the first game. Much like FF: Tactics you are on a grid based system with the ability to face a certain direction at the end of your turn. Simple enough but my issue is getting used to movement. Movement is very weird to me but simple for others. When you press the Up button it goes Up and Right, press the Left button it goes Up and Left. This to me took a very long time to get use to which may be an issue for others. I never felt as though it made sense but that could be because I was use to Disgaea 5’s controls. I don’t blame the controls for that, it is my muscle memory getting in the way. After each story mission you will go to a screen that lets you checks stats, continue story, free battle, shop, save, load and change options. That is about it! It is a fairly simple game since it doesn’t demand a lot. The game doesn’t change anything that people expect from a grid format turn based RPG.
Personal Experience
To be clear! I have not finished any of the three games because I wanted to get several hours into each of them. I know the games are likely longer than 15 hours each considering the first game I’ve put in 15 hours. So the grand total should be around 45 hours. I personally like this game but controls are a bit weird at first. I didn’t get use to the weird movement for a long time. It has that rotated camera with buttons that don’t line up exactly. Going up doesn’t mean you are going up which is weird coming from Disgaea. Which uses the pointer system rather than grid locked.
Final Thoughts
I would say go for it! I’m still enjoying the game has is scratching that RPG itch a good amount so hopefully it doesn’t end too soon. For $15 you are getting dozens and dozens of hours of gameplay. That alone would make me recommend it but being a game in one of my favorite genres is icing on the cake. I am shocked that this game isn’t getting more of the limelight.
UPDATE: 5/31/18
I would give this game a 9 out of 10!
My Gameplay Footage:
Trailer:
End Credits
Whew this took a while! I thought I was going to be closer to being down one of these games. I was going to put in around 5 hours into each game but decided against it to see if the games were 10 hours long. Once I hit the 10 hour marks for each game I decide that should be more than enough. I do plan on finishing each game so once I finish each one I’ll update to reflect those numbers. I have a feeling that 75 is where they will land. I think the first game will be on the shorter side while the other get slightly longer. I think the first one will end at around 20 giving the others at least 20-25 each. I wish I did finish one of them before this review but this review has been on the editing block for a long time now.
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